Social Work Commons^™

Mental Health Problems Among Elementary School Students Mandated To E-Learning: A Covid-19 Rapid Review Caveat, Renée M. D'Amore, Angelina N. Halpern, Lauren R. Reed, Kevin M. Gorey

International Journal of School Social Work

Extended lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic mandated millions of students worldwide to e-learning and by default made many of their parents proxy homeschool teachers. Preliminary anecdotal, journalistic and qualitative evidence suggested that elementary school children and their parents were probably most vulnerable to this stressor and most likely to experience mental health problems because of it. We responded with a rapid review of 15 online surveys to estimate the magnitude of such risks and their predictors between 2020 and 2021. The pooled relative risk of mental health problems among school children and their parents was substantial (RR = 1.97). Moreover, …

Social Work Educators’ Perceptions Of School Social Work Leadership – What Are The Characteristics That Make A Leader?, Christine Vyshedsky

International Journal of School Social Work

Social workers in school settings are uniquely poised to propose and implement proactive solutions to climate stressors, but they may not capitalize on this opportunity to lead. This study explored the perceptions of Masters’ level social work educators, who set the tone and expectations for school social workers through curricula, towards the inclusion of leadership-related skills within school social work curriculum. A survey of educator administrators (n = 75) at Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited institutions examined leadership as defined through a combination of two proposed definitions for social work leadership, delineated by Holosko, 2009 and Hopson & …

Therapist, Intermediary Or Garbage Can? Examining Professional Challenges For School Social Work In Swedish Elementary Schools, Maria Kjellgren, Sara Lilliehorn, Urban Markström

International Journal of School Social Work

The overall aim of this article is to describe and analyse critical components that influence the role and performance of school social workers in the Swedish elementary school. Special attention will be paid to aspects related to formal regulations, professional self-understanding, and SSWs’ role in the interplay between professional domains involved in elementary school.

The data collection was conducted through four semi-structured qualitative focus group interviews with a total of 22 School Social Workers (SSWs) in four different regions in Sweden during the latter part of 2019.

The results reveal three main challenges for the SSW: 1. To …

Perceptions And Practices In School Social Worker-Teacher Interprofessional Collaboration, Stacy A. Gherardi, Kimberly Knox, Allison Stoner, Bethany Garling-Spychala

International Journal of School Social Work

School social work requires significant skills for interprofessional collaboration, especially collaboration with teachers. While the value of such skills is increasingly recognized in fields such as healthcare, there has been limited attention to assessing or supporting interprofessional practice in education. This exploratory mixed-methods study analyzed survey data from 264 school social workers across the United States in order to understand their perceptions of teachers as collaborators and their practices relating to collaboration with teachers. Barriers to collaboration were also identified. Data suggested that school social workers had positive perceptions of teachers as collaborators generally, but saw limitations in the training …

Assessing Texas School Social Work Practice: Findings From The First Statewide Conference Survey, Xiao Ding, Monica Faulkner, Cynthia Franklin, Beth Gerlach, Mary Beer, Eboni Calbow, Swetha Nulu

International Journal of School Social Work

Abstract

Aims: To examine the characteristics, perceived barriers, special student populations, and school-based tasks performed by Texas's school social workers in comparison to other Specialized Instructional Services Providers (SISP) professionals in schools.

Methods: A convenience sample from a survey of 212 school social workers and school services providers from the Texas School Social Workers Conference. The survey was developed using previous surveys and practice knowledge and assessed (a) demographics, (b) characteristics of school social work practice, (c) types of tasks, (d) special population served, (e) types of barriers), and (f) the tools and training that are most needed. …

Attending To Attention: A Systematic Review Of Attention And Reading, Sarah M.R. Eisensmith, Premela G. Deck, Melissa R. Jenkins, April Harris Britt, Kirsten Kainz, David Ansong

International Journal of School Social Work

Background: Extensive research has conclusively linked inattention to poor reading performance. The process by which this relation occurs remains somewhat undefined, which makes it difficult for practitioners to identify key intervention targets. Objectives: This systematic review will synthesize current peer-reviewed research on the developmental relationship between inattention and reading. The primary aim of this review was to describe how inattention negatively relates to the development of literacy from preschool through middle childhood. A secondary aim of this review was to summarize recent research on the potential differential relationship between attention and literacy among students overrepresented in ratings of inattention, including …

Exploration Of Implementation Variables Impacting Trauma Informed Practices In Schools: A Narrative Review, Rachel A. Parker, David Hodgson, Lisa Wood, Karen Martin

International Journal of School Social Work

Current literature suggests that by using trauma- informed practices (TIP) in our schools and classrooms, positive short and long-term outcomes can be achieved for both children and their communities. However, there is little research identifying what helps or hinders the implementation of trauma-informed practice in schools or the development of a practitioner’s trauma-informed pedagogy. As part of this narrative review, 25 trauma- informed practice implementation variables were identified from 34 peer-reviewed works of current (2015-2020) literature using a process of thematic analysis. This review utilised an ecological model as an overlay to present these variables in a useable format. The …

School-Based Mental Health Services For Racial Minority Children In The United States, Shinwoo Choi, Hyejoon Park, Yeongbin Kim, Ching-Hsuan Lin

International Journal of School Social Work

Racial minority children have been an underserved population and are particularly vulnerable due to limited access to community resources, especially mental health services. Schools have been noted as appropriate that environment to deliver services for underserved children (Blewett, Casey, & Call, 2004). However, little is known about the effectiveness of exiting school-based services targeting minority students. Therefore, this study reviewed past research regarding the effects of school-based mental health services (SBMHS) for racial minority children and analyzed the methodological and cultural features. By applying the Levels of Evidence-Based Intervention Effectiveness (LEBIE) scale and the cultural sensitivity criteria, the researchers examined …

School Mental Health In Charters: A Glimpse Of Practitioners From A National Sample, Jandel Crutchfield, Kate L. Phillippo, Annahita R. Ball

International Journal of School Social Work

Charter schools are part of a global push for alternative governance models in public education. Even though U.S. charter schools enroll nearly 3.2 million children, little is known about school mental health (SMH) practice in charter schools. The current study was the first step in a line of inquiry exploring SMH and school social work practice in charter schools. Using cross-sectional survey research methods, the authors conducted brief one-time phone surveys with charter school social workers and counselors identified using a stratified random sampling strategy with national charter school lists. The final sample for analysis was 473 schools. Of these, …

Editor's Message For Ijssw Special Issue On Trauma Informed/Responsive Services

International Journal of School Social Work

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Flooding Schools: School Mental Health Providers And The Climate Crisis, Erik J. Reinbergs, Sarah Fefer

International Journal of School Social Work

This study provides an example of using a problem-solving model to explore the impact of the climate crisis on schools. Using publicly available climate change and flooding prediction data, we estimate that by 2100, assuming a “medium” climate change scenario, more than 1677 schools in the coastal United States are expected to flood every year and more than 2262 schools are expected to flood every 10 years. Within the data, “medium” is defined as warming levels that will lead to an estimated five feet of sea level rise by the year 2100. Limitations in the data suggest these numbers are …

Rules, Roles, And Practices: Exploring School Social Worker Preparation For Practice, Kimberly M. Knox, Stacy Gherardi, Allison Stoner

International Journal of School Social Work

At present, there is significant variability in the United States in regards to pre-service education and licensing requirements for school social workers. Studies have suggested that this variability impacts practice and may limit perceptions of the profession. The state of New Mexico requires a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree in order to practice as a school social worker but does not require any school-specific coursework, fieldwork, or training. This mixed-methods study describes findings from a survey of 84 school social workers in New Mexico which assessed perceptions of their preparation for practice. Quantitative survey items suggested that participants felt …

An Item Response Theory Analysis Of The Scoff Questionnaire In A Seventh Grade Population, Gerald J. Bean

International Journal of School Social Work

Eating disorders continue to be of concern to school social workers and health and counseling services staff in schools. There is a substantive need for scales that can help to measure both the extent to which eating disorders exist in a school population and to measure risk for specific students. Given that an eating disorder can be chronic and life-altering, early detection of risk is critically important. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of a popular eating order screening scale—the SCOFF Questionnaire—in a seventh-grade population using Item Response Theory methods. Epidemiological studies have suggested that …

Tasks And Impact Of School Social Work In Switzerland As Perceived By Teachers, Principals And School Social Workers – A Multilevel Analysis, Werner Wicki, Roland Künzle, Marianne Mueller, Uri Ziegele, Karin Stadelmann, Kurt Gschwind

International Journal of School Social Work

To investigate whether the perceptions of school-based professionals regarding the tasks and impact of school social work (SSW) converge or diverge, this study collected survey data among 638 teachers, 41 school social workers, 62 principals, and 23 special education teachers distributed over 92 Swiss schools. After constructing several scales measuring the tasks and the impact of SSW via principal factor analyses, ANOVA’s were carried out to compare the mean perceptions of the included professionals. To prove for related perceptions between teachers and school social workers multilevel analyses were performed by including additional exploratory variables such as school context and personal …

School Social Work In Vietnam: Development And Capacity Building Through International Collaboration, Leticia Villarreal Sosa, Nguyen Thu Ha

International Journal of School Social Work

International collaborations and exchanges have been a part of the social work profession since its beginning. The internationalization of social work is firmly established with the presence of multiple international social work organizations. In the specialization of school social work, there are opportunities for exchange through an international school social work conference held every two to three years. It was at this conference that the authors met to initiate a collaboration in support of the development of school social work in Vietnam. This paper discusses the collaborative efforts and project funded by a Fulbright Specialist grant to support the development …

Facilitating Racial Equity: Evaluating A Leadership Workshop Series For School Social Workers, Summer G. Woodside, Veronica Hardy

International Journal of School Social Work

This article provides an overview of a leadership training workshop series designed to provide professional development to Pre-K through 12th grade school social workers about racial equity and leadership. The series' objectives included promoting social workers’ understanding of and obligation to facilitating racial equity in schools, analyzing educational data through a racial equity lens, conceptualizing school social workers as influencers in addressing racial inequities in schools, and collaborating with school professionals of various disciplines to practice and implement evidence-based approaches for facilitating racial equity in schools. The authors conducted five workshops that were developed based on state school social work …

Ethical And Methodological Challenges Of Implementing Social Work Survey Research In Schools: A Perspective From The Suburban United States, Chrisann Newransky, Stavroula Kyriakakis, Karishma D. Samaroo, Delores D. Owens, Azahah Abu Hassan Shaari

International Journal of School Social Work

Many researchers view schools as the ideal setting to study social and behavioral interventions with youth. As trusted community-based organizations, schools are natural partners for social work researchers who focus on bridging the needs of the most vulnerable populations. Awareness and consideration of critical issues related to conducting research within the school system enables social work researchers to plan and conduct rigorous studies while developing sustainable partnerships with schools. This article outlines key ethical and methodological challenges of conducting school-based survey research, and shares lessons learned and recommendations from the evaluation of a dating violence prevention curriculum implemented in U.S. …

Teen Depression, Stories Of Hope And Health: A Promising Universal School Climate Intervention For Middle School Youth, Michael S. Kelly, Peggy Kubert, Heather Freed

International Journal of School Social Work

This study describes the delivery of the Teen Depression: Stories of Health and Healing (TDSHH), a brief school-based depression awareness delivered for middle school students. The main objectives of the proposed evaluation were to examine the effects of TDSHH on middle school health students in the areas of knowledge about depression, willingness to seek help from adults and belief that adults can help. Two Chicago suburban middle schools agreed to be part of the TDSHH intervention study. In both schools, a pre/post-test wait-list control quasi-experimental design was used. Each student in the study (total N=223) completed a questionnaire that incorporated …

Tailoring Supports To Youth In Schools: One Approach To Identifying Needs And Targeting Intervention, Tasha Henderson, Samantha Bates, Dawn Anderson-Butcher, Anthony Amorose, Erica Magier, Tarkington Newman

International Journal of School Social Work

Youth experiences intersect along their race, gender, language and socioeconomic status, schools must consider the intersectionality in order to improve outcomes. The current study sought to understand if, and to what extent, different clusters of youth in one large urban high school perceive their psychosocial behaviors as well as social and interpersonal skills. Cross-sectional survey data from 1,164 high school youth were collected using four valid scales: Internalizing Behaviors, Externalizing Behaviors, Peer Relationships, and Social Skills. The analytic strategy was twofold. Cluster analysis was used to form homogeneous clusters of the 1,147 complete responses based on a combination of race/ethnicity, …

The Use Of Data In Decision Making For School-Based Social Work, Robert Lucio, Michael Campbell, Michael S. Kelly

International Journal of School Social Work

Industries are increasingly taking advantage of the access provided in the digital age to use data to inform business and practice-based decision making. The profession of social work has recently called for social workers to become more data-driven, through its Grand Challenge to leverage technology such as data-driven decision making for social good. School-Based Social Workers, who often work in educational contexts that demand they collect and use data are being asked to figure out ways to engage data to help promote evidence-informed practices and process level changes. Using a scoping review, this article looks at the state of the …

It’S About Time: Initial Findings From A Feasibility Study Of A Time-Study Tool For School Social Workers In Michigan, Michael S. Kelly, Steven Whitmore

International Journal of School Social Work

Starting in late Summer of 2015, the two authors began collaborating on the pilot testing of a school social work (SSW) time-study tool with a sample of SSW in suburban Detroit (n=9). This article details the path towards the development of the time-study tool, drawing from the extant literature on workload and caseload issues in related special education fields, and resulting in the time-study tool that was first piloted with SSW in 2015-2016. Initial data from year one of the two-year 2015-2017 pilot project is shared in this article, along with qualitative data based on interviews with the SSW in …

Too Hard To Find With Too Little Time: What School Social Workers Want In Online Resources For Evidence-Based Practice, Michele Patak-Pietrafesa, Natasha K. Bowen, Ashley E. Stewart, Michael S. Kelly

International Journal of School Social Work

School mental health practitioners, including social workers, are mandated through federal, state, and professional entities to provide evidence-based practices to students. Nevertheless, rates of use of evidence-based practices among mental health professionals in schools remain low, even as knowledge about effective practices increases. This study aimed to further knowledge about how to promote and support the use of evidence-based practices among school practitioners using online technology. School social workers attending a summer professional development event took part in focus groups exploring (a) their current perceptions of evidence-based practices, (b) their experiences finding evidence-based practice information online, and (c) their preferences …

The Development Of A Social Work Program For An Islamic Day School In Southwestern Ontario, Siham Elkassem, Rick Csiernik

International Journal of School Social Work

The Development of a Social Work Program for an

Islamic Day School in Southwestern Ontario

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of a social work program for an Islamic Day School in London, Ontario, Canada. The Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration (MRCSSI), and London Islamic School (LIS) developed A Safe Space for Children (SPC) school social work program after extensive community consultation and feedback from leadership and school teachers revealed the need for mental health supports for students. A program implementation and evaluation design was developed by the MRCSSI in collaboration with the LIS and accepted by …

The Use Of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy In Chinese Schools: A Qualitative Analysis Of Practitioner Perceptions, Hong Chen, Xuanwen Liu, Samantha R. Guz, Anao Zhang, Cynthia Franklin, Yingping Zhang, Yanzhou Qu

International Journal of School Social Work

Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) is a strengthens-based, future-oriented approach that has received promising results over the past decade. Literature on SFBT has demonstrated the approach’s ability to meet the unique needs of various client populations while adapting to a variety of service delivery settings. Schools are a specific setting in which SFBT has been successfully utilized in the United States. With the growing popularity of SFBT, countries outside to the United States are beginning to implement SFBT in their schools. This article explored perceptions of the use of SFBT in schools amongst Chinese mental health practitioners. A survey was conducted …

Socio-Ecological Factors Associated With Adolescents’ Psychological Well-Being: A Multilevel Analysis, Yuqi Guo, Laura M. Hopson, Fan Yang

International Journal of School Social Work

Purpose: Supports and stressors across different ecological systems affect adolescents’ perceptions of psychological well-being. The purpose of this study is to analyze how social support, school experiences, and socio-economic factors relate to psychological well-being among adolescents. Furthermore, our study explores how family income shapes the relationship between social supports and well-being.

Method: Multilevel linear regression models were applied to a sample of 19,767 middle and high school students, with students serving as Level 1 and schools as Level 2.

Results: Students reporting more support from parents, friends, teachers, and neighbors and better school engagement perceive better psychological well-being. Furthermore, family …

School Social Work In Northern Uganda In A Post-Conflict Context: A Case Of Anaka Foundation, Julius Omona

International Journal of School Social Work

Anaka Foundation is an indigenous NGO that is operating in northern Uganda in response to the post-war development challenges. Anaka recently concluded a school social work project, a specialization which is common in Western countries, to attempt to improve the learning environment of vulnerable children selected from nine government aided primary schools. This school social work pilot project was supported with a grant from AfriCarinthia, an organization from Austria. Relevant social work theories were applied and significant systems in the learning environment of the children were targeted through different interventions. A mixed before-and-after evaluation approach was used to arrive at …

School Social Workers: A Call To Action In Support Of Human Rights, Leticia Villarreal Sosa, Raylinn Nuckolls

International Journal of School Social Work

The global climate of extremism and direct attacks on marginalized groups such as LGBTQI persons, Muslims, women, immigrants, and refugees creates a need at this critical juncture for school social workers to ground themselves in the international definition of social work, which defines social work as a human rights profession. While there are many challenges to upholding human rights conventions across the world, a human rights framework can assist school social workers in promoting human rights and advocating for vulnerable and marginalized populations. In the context of global migration, children can be especially vulnerable to human rights violations. A human …

Empowering Students Through The Application Of Self-Efficacy Theory In School Social Work: An Intervention Model, Nancy A. Delich, Stephen D. Roberts

International Journal of School Social Work

Self-efficacy is a construct well suited for social workers in the educational setting. Among the various job functions that school social workers assume, a large portion of their time is directed toward providing counseling and clinical services. Perceptions of self-efficacy are based upon the extent students expect to successfully attain their goals. Self-efficacious students with strong beliefs in their abilities will choose activities and social situations where they believe that they will be successful. Thus, they will be motivated to devote more time and effort toward accomplishing related goals. Conversely, inefficacious students of similar intelligence and capabilities may choose to …

The Diversity Of School Social Work In Germany: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Kathrin F. Beck

International Journal of School Social Work

Children in Germany are confronted with an increasing societal inequality and disorientation that makes it difficult for them to cope with life. School social work in Germany is an intensive form of cooperation between the institutionally divided systems of child and youth welfare and education. The aim of this article is threefold: to present (1) relevant aspects of both systems, (2) the diversity of terms being used to describe this specific form of cooperation and (3) an exemplary selection of concepts of school social work. Therefore, a systematic review of the literature was done, taking publications between 2000 and 2016 …

From The Editor

International Journal of School Social Work

First volume: From the Editor