Social Work Commons^™

What Are We Teaching In Spirituality And Social Work Elective Courses? A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Bsw Syllabi, Hillary Cole

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Religion and spirituality (RS) are vital aspects of client identity and well-being, yet social work professionals are often ill-equipped to address these in practice due to a lack of specialized training. The National Association of Social Work (NASW) and Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) support spirituality integration, but existing research focuses on Master of Social Work (MSW)-level elective courses. This qualitative study addresses Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)-level integration by (a) exploring how many accredited BSW programs offer an elective course on RS and (b) analyzing syllabi from these courses to determine pedagogical best practices. BSW programs can use …

Covid-19_Umaine News_Press Herald, Wabi Cite Umaine S Tudy In Story About Issues With Unemployment Claims System, University Of Maine Division Of Marketing And Communications

Division of Marketing & Communications

Screenshot of UMaine in the News regarding the Portland Press Herald and WABI (Channel 5) cited a study by Sandra Butler, a University of Maine professor of social work, which detailed numerous issues with the state's unemployment claims system, including long delays in receipt of benefits.

How Social Workers Count: Numbers And Social Issues Came To Be, Michael A. Lewis

Numeracy

Lewis, Michael Anthony. 2019. Social Workers Count: Numbers and Social Issues (New York: Oxford University Press) 224 pp. ISBN 978-0190467135.

This essay introduces Social Workers Count: Numbers and Social Issues by Michael Anthony Lewis. Inspired by the seminal work of Bennett and Briggs, Lewis shares how he came to write a math book for social workers to meet new demands as the field has developed to include more quantitative concepts. The result is a book that may be of interest to many in the quantitative reasoning movement in the social sciences and beyond.

College Of Natural Sciences, Forestry, And Agriculture_Covid Related Materials Email, Alison Mitchell

College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture

Email thread featuring messages from Alison S. Mitchell, Adjunct Faculty UMaine School of Social Work to Sandy Butler, Interim Director and Maine Social Work Program Coordinator, and Jonathon Jue-Wong, Administrative Coordinator, The Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost regarding Professor Mitchell submitting course material related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mission Adrift: The Impact Of Managerialism On Graduate Social Work Education, Carolyn Hanesworth

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Neoliberal policies have led to the installation of managerialism, or the application of business practices and principles in institutions of higher education. Although much is known about the impact of managerialism on faculty in the overall academy, very little is known about its impact in specific disciplines, particularly in the United States. Using semi-structured interviews, this dissertation investigates how social work faculty experience and negotiate managerialism in the traditional pillars of teaching, service, and scholarship.

This study found that managerialism leads universities to place new and increased demands for productivity, efficiency, and accountability on social work faculty. Respondents report major …

An Exploration Of The Experiences Of Faculty With Disabilities In A Research University In The South, Gonzalo Camp

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While diversity and inclusion has become a benchmark for universities all around the country, faculty with disabilities remain in the margins of higher education discourse and are a neglected population across the spectrum of academia. This thesis aims at exploring the experiences of faculty with disabilities at a specific research 1 university in the South. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five faculty members who self-identify as having a disability. Four themes emerged from this study: able-bodied lens, fear, social isolation, and coping mechanisms. Building on the existing literature, these findings offer new information to expand the knowledge on the challenges …

An Exploration Of Faculty With Disabilities In Social Work Programs, Kelly Dundon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disability is a unique dimension of diversity, yet structural, social and attitudinal barriers can make meaningful workforce participation difficult for individuals with disabilities. Faculty with disabilities (FWD) are a particularly underrepresented population in academia, and even more so in social work programs. Based on this under-representation and a concern for the lack of attention this population has received, this project will explore a subset of this group. This thesis will focus on faculty with disabilities, first by looking into the scant research pertaining to FWD, then presenting the data from a qualitative study and demographic survey. Implications for policy, practice …

College Of Natural Sciences, Forestry, And Agriculture_Interdisciplinary Disability Studies Assignment, Elizabeth Depoy

College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture

Presentation slide from Elizabeth Depoy, Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work, University of Maine with the assignment for her Interdisciplinary Disability Studies class. Also, includes cover email of slide sent to Jonathon Jue-Wong, Administrative Coordinator, The Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost on June 1, 2020.

College Of Natural Sciences, Forestry, And Agriculture_Swk 497 Mental Health And Work Session Slides, Elizabeth Depoy

College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture

Presentation slides from Elizabeth Depoy, Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work, University of Maine for the first and fourth sessions of her Class SWK 497 Mental Health and Work. Also, includes cover email of slide sent to Jonathon Jue-Wong, Administrative Coordinator, The Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost on June 1, 2020.

College Of Natural Sciences, Forestry, And Agriculture_Swk 440 Revised Syllabus, Alison Mitchell

College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture

Syllabus for the undergraduate (BSW) social welfare policy course, SWK 440, taught by Alison S. Mitchell, Adjunct Faculty UMaine School of Social Work. The syllabus was adapted for the online learning environment midway through the Spring 2020 Semester. Several assignments were adapted and options to allow students to respond to assignments using COVID19 as their focus for the content.

Also, includes examples of assignments.

College Of Natural Sciences, Forestry, And Agriculture_Swk 640 Revised Syllabus & Final Presentation, Alison Mitchell

College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture

Syllabus for the graduate (MSW) policy advocacy class, SWK 640, taught by Alison S. Mitchell, Adjunct Faculty UMaine School of Social Work. The syllabus was adapted for the online learning environment midway through the Spring 2020 Semester. Several assignments were adapted and options to allow students to respond to assignments using COVID19 as their focus for the content.

Also, includes a copy of the final presentation slides and email regarding assignment.

Student Censorship In The Social Work Classrooms, Lisa Kozlowski

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Through the evolution of the field of social work, a divide in its ideologies has emerged and certain political and ideological groups such as the religious and conservatives have become underrepresented. As a result, over the years the liberal philosophies have emerged as the dominant group. This has led to a decrease in diversity within the field. Recognition of biases in the field of social work is difficult. Through a qualitative analysis method, this study was meant to explore if social work students feel they are free to share openly in the classroom, and if they are accepting of all …

Advancing Social Work Practice Research Education – An Innovative, Experiential Pedagogical Approach, Kam Man Kenny Kwong

Graduate School of Social Work Publications and Research

Achieving practice research competency is an essential pillar of social work practice. However, research material is often associated with dry lectures and incomprehensible statistical applications that may not reflect real life issues. Teaching research course is often antithetical to the pedagogical approach commonly used in social work education, which engages students in practical applications of real life situations with case examples. This paper described and evaluated six sets of experiential class and field activities designed to increase graduate level social work students’ competencies of practice research. These activities included: (1) formulating a practice-based research topic; (2) using assessment templates for …

The Story Of A Foster Youths Journey Through The Maze Of Higher Education; Implications For Faculty And Staff Throughout The Campus, Lynn Wales

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

As educators and higher education administrators, it is important that we connect to our students. It serves us well to learn the stories behind those beautiful eyes looking back at us, as we support their navigation through the journey of higher education. This thesis, written in a Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) style, will use former foster youth students, as well as at-risk youth, as the population of focus. I will relay my own personal experiences, as a former youth-in-care. I will also explore this kind of alternative upbringing, to draw closer to the conclusions and insights of the struggles and …

Understanding Work-Related Stress And Practice Of Professional Self-Care – An Innovative Pedagogical Approach, Kam Man Kenny Kwong

Graduate School of Social Work Publications and Research

Social workers experience tremendous work-related stress - particularly among those providing direct services in healthcare settings. A review of related literature summarized several critical challenges faced by social workers who work with highly difficult clients in these settings, including (a) clients who engage in manipulative high-risk behaviors; (b) clients with serious illness who have multiple relapses; (c) clients who attempt or commit suicide; and (d) those who perpetrate violent or aggressive acts against themselves or others. This paper described and evaluated three sets of experiential learning activities with graduate level social work students, designed to increase their self-awareness and understanding …

Student Engagement In Undergraduate Social Work Education Among “At-Risk” Students, Ananda Newmark

Theses and Dissertations

College student engagement is an important factor that contributes to student success. This study is one of the first to explore student engagement in undergraduate social work education by examining engagement levels among at-risk social work students. In this study, two types of at-risk student groups were studied: First Generation College Students (FGCS) and transfer students. A cross sectional research design was used. Secondary analysis was performed on data gathered by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) from five accredited, Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) programs in one southeast state. A sample of 135 BSW seniors were included in …

Human Service Providers’ Perception Of The Quality Of Client Services Provided As Related To Their Level Of Self-Care, Joseph Ray Brinson, Luis Hernandez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explored human service providers’ perception of the quality of client services provided as related to the providers’ level of self-care. We utilized a quantitative research approach to survey 54 human service providers from three Southern California agencies. An independent t-test was conducted to analyze the difference between participants’ perceptions of self-care by age, gender, and level of education. This study revealed a significant difference was found between gender and social care. Females are more likely to maintain an open, trusting relationship with someone who they can share their frustrations with, sustain balance in their life by pursing a …

Racial And Ethnic Diversity In Undergraduate Social Work Programs: How Are Programs In Rural Areas Faring?, David L. Beimers, Brian Warner, Paul Force-Emery Mackie

Social Work Department Publications

Social work programs have a long-standing commitment to recruiting and educating racially and ethnically diverse students. However, some programs in rural areas have greater difficulty meeting this commitment. This study examined racial and ethnic diversity within baccalaureate social work (BSW) programs, focusing primarily on student enrollment, faculty, perceptions of diversity, and interventions to attract students. Program directors of BSW programs from 10 Midwestern states were surveyed. Forty-two programs responded. The results indicate that as a whole, social work programs differ in their levels of racial and ethnic diversity. However, BSW programs in rural areas tend to have fewer students and …

A Mixed Methods Examination Of Structural Bigenderism And The Consequences For Transgender And Gender Variant People, Kristie Lynn Seelman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For years, transgender activists and their allies have spoken out about the oppression that transgender and gender non-conforming people experience in relation to societal systems and institutions, due to policies and practices that do not acknowledge non-binary experiences of gender, that do not recognize that one's gender may change over time or may not match cultural expectations for gender expression, and that punish and discriminate against trans people (Gilbert, 2009; Lombardi & Davis, 2006; Markman, 2011; Spade, 2006; WWRC, 2010). Scholars have called for human services professionals and researchers to critique the failures of institutions in society (and the people …

Hiring Social Work Faculty: An Analysis Of Employment Announcements, Paul Force-Emery Mackie

Social Work Department Publications

An eleven-month long analysis of social work faculty position advertisements examined differences in social work faculty job descriptions between past and present findings, rural land, urban-located social work programs, doctorate and non-doctorate conferring institutions, and public and private institutions. Additionally, this investigation addressed 2008 EPAS standard 3.3.1 expectations regarding practice.

Considering Family And Significant Others In The Faculty Recruitment Process: A Study Of Social Work Recruiting Practices, Michael E. Sherr, Johnny M. Jones

Social Work Faculty Publications

One of the most important facets of quality social work education is the recruitment and retention of faculty. This mixed methods study uses findings from an on-line survey of 106 recent (within three years) faculty hires and their (n=24) spouse/partner/significant others (S/P/SO) to determine the degree to which family- integrative recruitment strategies were being used in recruiting social work faculty and the impact with which the presence or absence of these strategies have on retention. A majority of respondents reported that S/P/SO were excluded from the recruitment process.Though the few respondents who felt included were pleased with their current position …

If You Build It They Will Come: A Marketing Strategy For Program Growth, Nelson L. Henning, Esther M. Lanham

Social Work Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Sound Of Silence: Social Work, The Academy, And Iraq, Scott Harding

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Despite the imposition of economic sanctions against Iraq in 1990, the social work academy has ignored the impact of this global social policy promoted by the international community. Though evidence existed for more than 10 years that sanctions contributed to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children and other vulnerable groups in Iraq, while also crippling the nation's health care and social infrastructure, the profession has remained silent. The implications of this case study suggest a need for greater engagement by social work researchers and the profession on global issues.