Social Work Commons^™

My Path To Advanced Practice, Hannah Oiselle Knisley

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Clinical Social Workers’ Perceptions And Experiences Of Parental Alienation, Martinek Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative research study aimed to explore clinical social workers’ perceptions and experiences of parental alienation (PA). Using Bowen’s family system theory as the framework, the research questions examined the problem from multiple levels of practice, including individual, family, institutional, and systematic. The individual interview approach aligned with the study goal by allowing participants opportunities to share their perspectives and experiences working with PA. The study used a purposive and snowball sampling of eight participants who were licensed social workers in the United States. Individual interview responses were transcribed and coded. Thematic content analysis was also used to analyze the …

Clinical Social Workers’ Perceptions And Experiences Of Parental Alienation, Martinek Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative research study aimed to explore clinical social workers’ perceptions and experiences of parental alienation (PA). Using Bowen’s family system theory as the framework, the research questions examined the problem from multiple levels of practice, including individual, family, institutional, and systematic. The individual interview approach aligned with the study goal by allowing participants opportunities to share their perspectives and experiences working with PA. The study used a purposive and snowball sampling of eight participants who were licensed social workers in the United States. Individual interview responses were transcribed and coded. Thematic content analysis was also used to analyze the …

Navigating Political Disagreement In Social Work: An Analysis Of Past Literature, Ethical Guidance, And Case Examples, Saige M. Addison

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Political advocacy is a core tenet of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. As a profes-sion, social work has the responsibility to remain aware of trends that threaten the well- being of diverse populations. Th e historic connection between oppression and policy is undeniable, and the standards and principles in the Code of Ethics require social workers to intervene and be aware of political trends. However, at times, social workers’ political views may not refl ect the clients’ views. Navigating situations in which a client expresses political content with the social worker requires careful consideration and …

Professional Identity Within An Evolving Profession: Clinical Social Work In Puerto Rico, Lorna Betzaida Colon Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than three decades of data document the challenges of clinical social workers in establishing their professional identity within the social work profession in Puerto Rico. Less is known specifically about how they identify within interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams in the various clinical settings on the island. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of clinical social workers in Puerto Rico regarding their professional identity as compared to generalist social workers. The generic qualitative study was based on the ecological system theory framework. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of 10 clinical and …

Using Simulation As An Investigative Methodology In Researching Competencies Of Clinical Social Work Practice: A Scoping Review, Kenta Asakura, Ruxandra M. Gheorghe, Stephanie Borgen, Karen Sewell, Heather Macdonald

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

This article reports a scoping review designed to synthesize current literature that used simulation as an investigative methodology (simulation-based research; SBR) in researching practice competencies in clinical social work. Following Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework, 24 articles were included in this scoping review. The majority of articles reported SBR studies conducted in Canada and the U.S. and were published in the last 10 years, signifying that this is a burgeoning area of research in clinical social work. Areas of clinical competencies included professional decision-making (33%), the role of cognition and emotion (21%), attending to culture and diversity (21%), and …

Back To Addams And Richmond: Was Social Work Really A Divided House In The Beginning?, John B. Thompson, Richard Spano, Terry L. Koenig

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social work has experienced unique tensions related to its professional identity and dual purpose of social reform and individualized treatment. Scholars have represented this dual purpose, epitomized by Jane Addams and Mary Richmond, as indicating irreconcilable differences. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the writings and speeches of Mary Richmond and Jane Addams, and, based on this inquiry, to assert that their respective approaches to social work are much more unified than often suggested. Specific themes examined include: acceptance and need for each other’s perspectives; compatibility and unity of perspectives; and their collaboration as critical for effecting social …

Clinical Social Workers, Gender, And Perceptions Of Political Participation, Jason Ostrander, Janelle K. Bryan, Shannon R. Lane

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Political participation to create social change is considered a professional and ethical imperative for social workers. Although researchers have examined overall political participation by social workers, little is known about how clinical social workers participate and the broader societal factors that influence their political participation. A critical phenomenological methodology was used with a sample of 23 clinical social workers from New England states to (1) identify how socio-political forces influenced their political activity; and, (2) understand how the concept of power affected individuals’ level of engagement or inclination toward the political process. This article describes one of the study’s major …

The Place Of Spirituality In Social Work: Practitioners’ Personal Views And Beliefs, Alexis Garcia-Irons

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The integration of spirituality in Social Work is on the rise, but due to the lack of literature on spiritually-involved interventions and applicable integration of spirituality into ones practice, literature suggests social workers do not feel competent or confident in this area of practice. This study explores the attitudes and beliefs of social workers in San Bernardino County towards spirituality in their own practice and social work overall. The data is collected through audio recording individual interviews with each participant, which are then transcribed into transcripts. The transcripts are coded for themes and commonalities among the participants. Results lay …

The Problem Of Evidence : Philosophy Of Science And Evidence Based Practice In Clinical Social Work, Bronwyn DepréS

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Evidence Based Practice is one of the most prevalent concepts in social work today, guiding social workers across the world. This theoretical thesis examines Evidence Based Practice, its theoretic foundations, and its application in social work, using the theories of Logical Positivism and Critical Rationalism from Philosophy of Science. Philosophy of Science is a branch in Philosophy that studies and theorizes about precisely what science is, how science works, the implications of science, and the logic behind it. This thesis argues that Logical Positivism is the scientific foundation that Evidence Based Practice rests on, and uses Critical rationalism to dispute …

The Impact Of Social Work Education On Social Justice Practice Behaviors, Nicole Dahl

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Research has suggested there is a gap between how social workers understand social justice and how they incorporate it into practice. Therefore, this review examined studies that targeted change in social work students’ social justice practice behaviors. Ten studies examined the effect of social work education from entry to graduation by collecting pre and post-test program data. The remaining studies examined the effect of a particular course. Finally, 55 social justice competencies from learning outcome reports were reviewed to gain greater understanding of MSW social justice practice behaviors. Findings suggest the majority of accredited schools of social work report students …

The Personal Is Political: Integrating Clinical Social Work Practice Through Narrative Therapy, Taryn M. Tessneer

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Social justice has been identified as the core organizing principle of the social work profession. As social workers increasingly move into clinical practice, there is a more pronounced need to develop concrete practice methods consistent with this professed value. Literature suggests that narrative therapy theoretically contributes to social justice by deconstructing dominant discourses and by empowering people to author their own life stories and connect with one another to address social problems. This study seeks to understand the extent to which narrative therapy is aligned with a feminist social justice framework as it is currently practiced. The study offers qualitative …

How Does Education And Experience Impact Therapist Self-Disclosure Among Clinical Social Workers?, Ashley J. Grahek

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This mixed methods study asks clinical social workers about their experience with therapist self-disclosure. Clinical social workers (n=86) completed an online survey asking them about their understanding and use of self-disclosure, their comfort and competence in using self-disclosure, their experience and education regarding self-disclosure, and how education, licensure, training, and supervision might be strengthened or expanded to address the use of self-disclosure in clinical practice. Findings suggested that clinical social workers are comfortable and confident in their use of therapist self-disclosure. The majority of respondents believed education, training, and supervision could be strengthened or expanded to better address the use …

Caring Confrontation With Involuntary Chemical Dependency Clients, Faith Clark

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to research the benefits of caring confrontation with 24 involuntary chemically dependent clients. The researcher created a survey which contained 11 variables that measured the benefits of caring confrontation and type of caring confrontation with the demographics of age, gender, and amount of time in treatment. The survey was distributed at a Midwestern chemical dependency facility. The results of the survey showed a positive mean score in the area of benefits of caring confrontation for the entire sample and when factoring in the demographics of age, gender, and amount of time in treatment. The …

Clinical Social Work And The Biomedical Industrial Complex, Tomi Gomory, Stephen E. Wong, David Cohen, Jeffrey R. Lacasse

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article examines how the biomedical industrial complex has ensnared social work within a foreign conceptual and practice model that distracts clinical social workers from the special assistance that they can provide for people with mental distress and misbehavior. We discuss: (1) social work's assimilation of psychiatric perspectives and practices during its pursuit of professional status; (2) the persistence of psychiatric hospitalization despite its coercive methods, high cost, and doubtful efficacy; (3) the increasing reliance on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, despite its widely acknowledged scientific frailty; and (4) the questionable contributions of psychoactive drugs to clinical …

Social Work Assessment Of Adaptive Functioning Using The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales: Issues Of Reliability And Validity, Peter Cabrera, Lucienne Grimes-Gaa, Bruce A. Thyer

Elián P. Cabrera-Nguyen

The assessment of client adaptive functioning is often an important component of a comprehensive social work evaluation. The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) are the most commonly used quantitative measures of adaptive functioning for clients meeting the criteria for a wide range of disorders. We review the development of the VABS and current knowledge pertaining to the instrument's reliability and validity. We conclude that the ability to administer and interpret the VABS is an important skill for clinical social workers to acquire.