Social Work Commons^™

Rural Domestic Violence: An Interdisciplinary Model For Rural Practice, Britt E. Rhodes

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Social workers have a long history of modeling the person in environment perspective in rural communities. One issue that is addressed from multiple system levels by social workers in rural areas is domestic violence. The Coordinated Community Response model, developed by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project in Duluth, MN, focuses on victim safety and offender accountability from a multidimensional interdisciplinary systems perspective and is consistent with social work practice in rural areas. The model’s focus on interdisciplinary partnerships makes this a solid model for rural social work practice addressing a range of issues while embracing the person in environment perspective.

A Comparison Of Nursing Homes In Rural And Urban Communities In Indiana, Michelle Emery Blake Mssw, Ph.D., Erin M. Fordyce, Hanns G. Pieper

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

The growing number of elderly persons in U.S. society—the “Graying of America”—increases the urgency of making available the resources needed to ensure optimum quality of life for all seniors. When families are no longer able to meet their loved one’s needs, it becomes necessary to consider the possibility of long-term care. Often, families face this decision without the information they need in order to make an informed choice. The researchers utilized a four-tiered categorization to compare nursing homes in most rural, rural, urban and most urban counties in Indiana. The Medicare website (http://www.medicare.gov/) addresses issues of staffing, number of Medicare/Medicaid …

Social Work In A Very Rural Place: A Study Of Practitioners In The Upper Peninsula Of Michigan, Paul Force-Emery Mackie Msw, Phd

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This study focuses on characteristics, challenges, and benefits of practicing social work in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan. Using a mixed-methods design, data were analyzed to determine demographic descriptors, seek differences between groups, and learn why social workers pursue and remain in social service employment in the UP. In addition, challenges and benefits of rural practice and perceptions of living and working in this region are addressed. Quantitatively, differences were found between younger and older social workers regarding where they currently live and where they grew up, and whether or not they were raised in a rural location. Qualitative …

The Service Use Index: A Tool For Examining Rural/Urban Differences, Rosemary K. Chapin Ph.D., Beth Anne Baca Msw, Skye N. Leedahl Ma, Roxanne Rachlin Mhsa, Xanthippe Wedel Bs, Mary K. Zimmerman Phd

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Development of tools for identifying and tracking differences in older adult service utilization by race, ethnicity, income, and geographic area is vital in the face of current demographic and economic changes in rural areas, particularly in areas experiencing rapid demographic changes. In this conceptual article, we explain how to calculate a service use index that compares service utilization of a specific group of older adults to that of the entire older adult population. We then illustrate its usefulness with a case example using geographic information systems (GIS). This unique approach can be utilized to understand differences across fields of practice, …

The Community Assessment:Students Discovering Strengths And Needs In Small Towns And Rural Areas, Kristina M. Hash Ph.D., Patricia A. Chase Ed.D., Carrie W. Rishel Ph.D.

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This article highlights an evolving assignment given in BSW and MSW Human Behavior in the Social Environment (HBSE) courses. The community assessment assignment provides students with the opportunity to become immersed in small towns and rural areas and discover strengths and needs through observation, analysis of census data, interviews with key informants, and giving back. Components of the assignment are discussed as well as keys to success for facilitating the assignment. Common themes discovered across these communities are integrated throughout.

Employment Supports For Newcomers In Small And Middle-Sized Communities Andrural Areas: Perspectives Of Newcomers And Service Providers, Bharati Sethi, Robert Gebotys

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

In recent years there has been an increased migration of highly skilled and educated cohort of men and women from their initial port of entry—large urban centers such as Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal—to smaller urban/rural communities as a result of regionalization of the Canadian immigration policies. This article examines the employment supports for newcomers in Grand Erie—an urban/rural area in Ontario—which is now a home to an unprecedented number of newcomers. Using a community-based participatory research methodology, data were gathered from 212 newcomers and 237 service providers through quantitative and qualitative responses in the survey questionnaires. Results show that newcomers …

Contemporary Rural Social Work - Fall 2012 (Volume 4, Number 1)

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Contemporary Rural Social Work - Fall 2011 (Volume 3, Number 1)

Full issue

From The Editor, Peggy Pittman-Munke Ph.D.

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Journal of Contemporary Rural Social Work

Volume 4, Number 1

Fall 2012

From the Editor: Peggy Pittman-Munke, Murray State University

Perceptions And Experiences Of Drug Use Among Women In Rural North Carolina, Martin T. Hall Ph.D., M.S.S.W., Debra Skinner Ph.D.

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This study describes perceptions and experiences of drug use among 32 women residing in three non-urban counties in eastern North Carolina. Participants described drug use in their families and communities as pervasive, citing both individual (e.g., depression) and systemic (e.g., few opportunity structures) causal factors. Participants with personal drug use histories described factors that helped them reduce drug use as well as the challenges of maintaining recovery in small communities. Contributions of this research include rural women’s assessment and attribution of drug use problems in both their personal lives and larger communities. Recommendations for rural drug treatment providers are offered.