Social Work Commons^™

Rural Community Transition And Resilience: What Now For Social Work?, Jonathan Scherch

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Rural communities, like all communities, face myriad social, economic and ecological challenges as they endeavor to resolve precarious dependencies on critical, energy-intensive and supply-chain extensive resource systems. With increasing impacts of climate change and related incidents of human and more-than-human displacements, including losses of life and habitat, rural communities have become beset with frequent, prolonged and persistent recovery and coping obligations. The progressive resolution of injustices will need to occur in the face of serious ecological stressors. Designing for and increasingly demonstrating social work practices that prioritize the multi-modal skills of sustainable living may well be the most effective means …

Book Review: Transforming Places: Lessons From Appalachia, Katherine Perone

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Book Review: Transforming Places: Lessons from Appalachia Stephen L. Fisher & Barbara Ellen Smith 2012 Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press 322 pages Softcover: $ 27.00 Kindle: $14.00 ISBN-13: 0252078381 ISBN-13: 978-0-252-07838-5

Contemporary Rural Social Work - 2015 (Volume 7, Number 1)

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Contemporary Rural Social Work - 2015 (Volume 7, Number 1: Special Issue)

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From The Guest Editor, Pamela Casey Twiss Msw, Ph.D.

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Journal of Contemporary Rural Social Work

Volume 7, Number 1: Special Issue

2015

From the Guest Editor: Pamela Casey Twiss

Book Review: Learning Native Wisdom: What Traditional Cultures Teach Us About Subsistence, Sustainability, And Spirituality, Kala Chakradhar

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Book Review: Learning Native Wisdom: What Traditional Cultures Teach Us about Subsistence, Sustainability, and Spirituality Gary Holthaus 2012 Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky 266 pages Paperback, $25 ISBN-10: 0813141087 ISBN-13: 978-0-8131-4108-4

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

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Journal of Contemporary Rural Social Work

Volume 6, Number 1

2014

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

Ethical Guidelines For Social Work Supervisors In Rural Settings, Elizabeth T. Blue, Ann M. Kutzler, Suzanne Macron-Fuller

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Little research literature exists integrating ethics, supervision, and rural/small community practice. This paper reports results of a study conducted by a joint student-faculty team. The study engaged supervisors in rural and small communities in two Midwestern states in semi-structured interviews. Interview data were then used to develop guidelines for BSW students about what constitutes ethical supervisory practice in rural environments.

Black Gold And The Dark Underside Of Its Development On Human Service Delivery, Kenneth Flanagan, Thomasine Heitkamp, Randall C. Nedegaard, Dheeshana S. Jayasundara

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This paper examines perceptions of human service workers regarding their employment experiences and adaptations in oil-impacted rural communities in the Upper Missouri Valley of North Dakota. This study is part of larger pilot project designed to better inform health and human service professionals and elected officials about the nature of human service delivery systems in boomtowns. Qualitative methodologies were employed to analyze information gathered by interviews conducted with 40 human service workers. Both individual interviews and focus groups were conducted. Study findings indicate that the impact of oil on the human service network is complicated. Human service workers in the …

Book Review: Daughters And Granddaughters Of Farmworkers: Emerging From The Long Shadow Of Farm Labor, Jaclyn Adrian

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Book Review: Daughters and Granddaughters of Farmworkers: Emerging from the Long Shadow of Farm Labor Barbara Wells 2013 New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press 220 pages Paperback: $25.16 ISBN-13: 978-0813562858

Building University-Community Partnerships In Rural Settings Through A Community-Based Learning Assignment, Karen Rice Phd, Lsw, Acsw, Kathleen Walsh

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Universities located in or near rural settings are uniquely positioned to partner with their community to offer invaluable resources often lacking within rural social service agencies. This teaching note describes a community-based research assignment implemented within an MSW advanced research methods course. The goal of this class was to teach students, through service learning, each phase of the evaluation process, and strategies to build and sustain rural community partnerships. Lessons learned and implications for social work practice and education are discussed.

Introduction To Animal- And Nature-Assisted Therapies: A Service-Learning Model For Rural Social Work, Laura J. Praglin, Linda L. Nebbe

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This teaching note details the teaching philosophy and practices of an innovative university service-learning course in nature- and animal-assisted therapies. The course took place at a wildlife rehabilitation center, and students engaged as counselors, putting academic theories into action by facilitating an “animal camp” for 25 at-risk children. The course represented a “best practice” in rural social work given its intensive focus upon social work’s ecological and person-in-environment perspectives; multidisciplinary, collaborative community-based partnerships; and evocation of a rural schoolhouse model.

Makayla, Shawn Fawson

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Poem.

Contemporary Rural Social Work - 2014 (Volume 6, Number 1)

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Contemporary Rural Social Work - Fall 2014 (Volume 6, Number 1)

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“They Can Only Do So Much:” Use Of Family While Coping With Rural Homelessness, Deanna L. Trella, Timothy P. Hilton

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This research explores individual and family reliance on non-homeless family members in coping with homelessness in a rural area. Drawing on 114 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with homeless adults and families in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, we found that almost all participants relied on non-homeless family members for assistance, but with variation in the amount of help sought and received. Some participants displayed high thresholds for help-seeking, only relying on family under extreme circumstances and generally asking for modest assistance. This was common among childless single homeless adults who often had different support. Other participants displayed low thresholds for help-seeking, frequently asking …

Differences Between Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders: Rural Social Work Implications For Prevention, Assessment, And Treatment, Susan M. Ryan, George S. Leibowitz, Jeanne M. Nauheimer, Paul Force-Emery Mackie

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This literature review examined nine quantitative research studies published between 1992-2013 that compared children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to identify: (a) the differences between these children (e.g., intellectual, behavioral); and (b) the diagnostic tools that may be used to distinguish between them, thereby providing a differential diagnosis. Special focus was placed on rural treatment implications. These studies revealed differences between the intellectual, executive functioning, adaptive behavior, motor, and behavioral skills of children with FASD and ADHD. This review identified neurodevelopmental assessments used in these nine research studies that appear to support learning …

Impact Of Providers’ Cultural Competence On Clients’ Satisfaction And Hopefulness In Rural Family Services: A Pilot Study, Mingun Lee, Karen Carlson, Sylvia Hawranick Sentfen

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Cultural competence has been discussed in professional disciplines. However, previous studies focused on ethnic sensitivity in practice, and limited work has addressed the cultural competence of rural social work practitioners. This study examined relationships between families’ perceptions of cultural competence, therapeutic alliance, and practice outcomes in rural practice settings. Forty-five youth and their parents receiving intensive in-home family preservation services at Integrated Services of Appalachian Ohio completed a questionnaire regarding their providers’ cultural competence in rural settings, and their therapeutic alliance, hopefulness, and satisfaction with services. Families rated their provider as culturally competent in rural practice settings; and provider competence …

Gun Control: College Student Attitudes And The Meaning For Appalachian Social Workers, Ida M. Mills, Mark A. Mills

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Senseless and tragic shootings across communities such as Newtown, Connecticut have riveted public attention on gun control. Bombarded by pro- and anti-gun-control forces, policy makers are often reactionary. Social workers must deal with these policies and the clients who fear them. Social scientists have suggested that cultural world views have greater influence on this issue than any other predictors. A survey of rural Appalachian college students (N=294) explored gun control attitudes in order to consider what makes compromise and consensus on the issue of gun control so difficult. It considers these influences and their implications for rural social workers.

Book Review: Rural Mental Health: Issues, Policies, And Best Practices, Peter A. Kindle Ph.D.

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Book Review: Rural Mental Health: Issues, Policies, and Best Practices K. Bryant Smalley, Jacob C. Warren, and Jackson P. Rainer (Eds.) 2012 New York, NY: Springer Publishing 368 pages Paperback, $65.00. ISBN-13: 978-0-8261-0799-2 E-book ISBM: 978-0-8261-0800-5

Book Review: Rural Social Work: Building And Sustaining Community Capacity, 2nd Edition, Susie Mallard Barnes

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Book Review: Rural Social Work: Building and Sustaining Community Capacity, 2nd Edition T. Laine Scales, Calvin L. Streeter, and H. Stephen Cooper (Eds.) 2014 Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Press 384 pages Softcover: $55.00 ISBN-13: 978-1118445167

Book Review: Waiting For Jose: The Minutemen’S Pursuit Of America, Leah N. Diaz

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Book Review: Waiting for Jose: The Minutemen’s Pursuit of America Harel Shapira 2013 Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press 152 pages Hardcover: $25.16 ISBN: 978-0-691-15215-8

Mental Health First Aid Usa: The Implementation Of A Mental Health First Aid Training Program In A Rural Healthcare Setting, Andrew M. O'Neill, Valerie L. Leyva, Michael N. Humble, Melinda L. Lewis, John A. Garcia

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Nearly one-quarter of adults in the United States suffer from a documented mental disorder. Consequently, anyone could encounter a person with symptoms of mental illness at some point as they carry out their daily life activities. Although laypersons may accurately identify physical illnesses, they may lack necessary skills to identify symptoms of mental disorders, or know how to adequately respond to persons in a mental health crisis. Mental Health First Aid USA is an evidence-based certification program designed to teach lay citizens to recognize certain symptoms of common mental illnesses, offer and provide first aid assistance, and guide a person …

Iterative Ethical Discussion In Hybridized Practice Classes, Michelle Emery Blake Mssw, Ph.D., Mary Fran Davis

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

An increasing number of social work programs at both the bachelor’s and master’s levels utilize online or hybridized instruction, including practice courses. These courses may be of particular advantage to students in rural communities by minimizing commute times and making social work education more available. However, a concern is whether these venues allow essential content, such as the development of professional ethics, to be adequately addressed. This teaching note is based on the authors’ experiences with conducting online ethics discussions and provides suggestions for incorporating online scenarios that reflect practice dilemmas, which students must consider critically before responding to posted …

Horse Trailer, David Salner

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Poem.

The Inclusion Of Poetry In Contemporary Rural Social Work, Danielle Beazer Dubrasky

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Editorial Comments

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

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Journal of Contemporary Rural Social Work

Volume 5, Number 1

2013

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

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

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

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 …

Group Interventions In Rural Schools To Assist With A Community Trauma, Linda Leek Openshaw

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Rural communities and school districts often face traumatic events. These can be the result of accidents, suicides, school bullying, and shootings. This paper documents a group crisis intervention at a rural high school after a horrific traffic accident where a vehicle struck and killed three students. When a crisis takes place in rural schools and communities, group work is an effective tool to offset the effects of grief and distress that students often experience. School personnel must create support groups within a short time following a traumatic event. Interventions are most effective when schools have a pre-determined action plan, have …

Promising Practices In Service-Learning With Grant Writing In Rural Communities, Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D., Barbara Thomlison Ph.D.

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This paper describes the teaching practices in a community practice course that was designed for using a grant writing project with a service-learning component in a rural community. The course and assignments are outlined. Four critical success factors are: commitment to a service-learning pedagogy, flexibility regarding course objectives, engaged students, and committed agencies. Strategic partnerships and successful grant applications are the best evidence that enhanced the experience for the students and agencies.

Contemporary Rural Social Work - 2013 (Volume 5, Number 1)

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Contemporary Rural Social Work - 2013 (Volume 5, Number 1)

Full issue

Stigma Of Help-Seeking Behavior Following The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Chris R. Locke, Danilea Werner

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

In 2010 the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused multiple complications for the environment and people living in the rural regions of coastal Alabama. This study seeks to better understand the role of stigma related to help-seeking behavior of those living in the rural communities. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted one year after the oil spill with 21 mental health professionals and staff focused primarily in Gulf Shores and Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Participants described their interactions with clients needing a wide range of services after the disaster. Constant comparative analyses of the qualitative data yielded …