Social Work Commons^™

Who Am I? Who Do You Think I Am? Stability Of Racial/Ethnic Self-Identification Among Youth In Foster Care And Concordance With Agency Categorization, Jessica Schmidt, Shanti Dubey, Larry Dalton, May Nelson, Junghee Lee, Molly Oberweiser Kennedy, Connie Kim-Gervey, Laurie E. Powers, Sarah Geenen, The Research Consortium To Increase The Success Of Youth In Foster Care

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

While it has been well documented that racial and ethnic disparities exist for children of color in child welfare, the accuracy of the race and ethnicity information collected by agencies has not been examined, nor has the concordance of this information with youth self-report. This article addresses a major gap in the literature by examining 1) the racial and ethnic self-identification of youth in foster care, and the rate of agreement with child welfare and school categorizations; 2) the level of concordance between different agencies (school and child welfare); and 3) the stability of racial and ethnic self-identification among youth …

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

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Journal of Contemporary Rural Social Work

Volume 7, Number 2

2015

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

Building Collaboratives With Southern Rural African American Churches Through The Integration Of The Interorganizational Collaborative Framework, Alex D. Colvin, Angela Burdock

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

The rural Black church often plays an important role in the lives of many African Americans and frequently functions as an informal helping network in meeting emergency service needs for this group. This article provides a review of the constructs of the Bailey and McNalley-Koney Interorganizational Community-Based Collaborative Framework. Additionally, this paper explores action-oriented measures for integrating constructs into practice to build interorganizational collaboratives with southern rural African American churches.

Longitudinal Description Of Developmental Youth Assets And Substance Use: A Cohort Study Of Rural Youth, Michael P. Vimont

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Rural communities seeking strategies to enhance the well-being of their youth must have local data for guidance. As a concept, developmental youth assets is increasingly used in measuring the psycho-social health of adolescents. This longitudinal study focuses on a cohort of over 200 youths residing in a rural community located in northeast Ohio. This five-year study observes trends of eight assets and the use of three substances. Results show that a decrease in asset scores took place between the sixth and eighth grade while the use of substances increased between the eighth and tenth grades. Additionally, outcomes show that youths …

Future Care Planning Practices Of Aging Services Professionals In Rural Appalachia, Natalie D. Pope Ph.D., Lcsw, Jacquelyn Lee Ph.D., Lcsw, Diane N. Loeffler Ph.D., Msw

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Planning for future care is an important aspect of professional practice with older adults, and social workers play a key role in helping elders engage in future care planning (FCP). This study examined geriatric social service professionals’ practices and perspectives on helping older rural Appalachians plan for care needs in later life. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 case managers who live and work in southeast Ohio, a part of rural north central Appalachia. Themes related to efforts made to assist elders with FCP include: a) valuing client self-determination; b) developing positive helping relationships; and c) using initial crises to …

Rural Older Adults And Functional Health Literacy:Testing Self-Efficacy, Knowledge And Skills Resulting From Hands-On Health Promotion, Michele L. Dugan-Day, Susan C. Dollar, Wafaa A. Kaf

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Functional Health Literacy (FHL) involves the knowledge, skills and belief in self-efficacy to use health care information in self-care. FHL is critical for rural older adults since they are at risk of poor health care outcomes. As part of the Senior Health University project, we measured the FHL of rural older adults before and after educational sessions that included hands-on skill building. Ninety-eight participants aged 60 and older were recruited from five rural congregate meal sites over two years. Survey methods allowed for paired sample t-tests of FHL variables. Findings included significant post-training increases in FHL, suggesting the potential benefit …

Teaching Students To Write Book Reviews, Peter A. Kindle Ph.D.

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This teaching note argues that one value associated with preparing book reviews for publication is the increased capacity to develop this skill in undergraduate and MSW-level social work students. A book review assignment is presented that has been effective in developing student authors. After graduation, student authors (N = 21) agreed that acceptance for publication improved their self-confidence, increased attention to their studies, and enhanced their practice.

Shifts In Practice Based On Rapid Re-Housing For Rural Homelessness: An Exploratory Study Of Micropolitan Homeless Service Provision, Margaret F. Sloan Ph.D., Karen A. Ford, Daisha M. Merritt Ph.D.

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Based on interviews with rural homeless service providers, the authors examine in this practice note how policy has created shifts in practice for organizations serving homeless populations. Homeless individuals find a decreasing opportunity for assistance while awaiting Rapid Re-Housing. Some organizations, dependent on Rapid Re-Housing monies, are facing a lack of funding to pay for general homeless care provision. Organizations are creating care networks to address requirements of the new policy in addition to pooling resources in underserved areas.

Integrating Service, Community, And Teaching: Inspiring Students While Building A Mentoring Program For African American Youth, John W. Miller

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This teaching note describes how the author used various social work practice skills to design and effectively implement a community-based local mentoring program for African American adolescents. This program served as a case study for social work students who practice in rural areas to learn about community development since our program lacks formal rural community practice training module in its curriculum. This article details the process and provides practical examples and recommendations for social work faculty on how to infuse community service experience into the classroom.

Book Review: Rethinking Rural: Global Community And Economic Development In The Small Town West, Karen Harper-Dorton Ph.D.

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Book Review: Rethinking Rural: Global Community and Economic Development in the Small Town West Don E. Albrecht 2014 Pullman, WA: Washington State University Press 232 pages Softcover, $17.09 ISBN-13: 978-0-87422-319-4

A Poetics Of Place: The 2nd Annual Poetry Section Of Crsw, Danielle Beazer Dubrasky Crsw Poetry Editor

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Editorial Comments

Emmett, Tony Teevy

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Poem.

The Development Of Dual And Multiple Relationships For Social Workers In Rural Communities, Tammy Piché, Keith Brownlee, Glenn Halverson

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Mental health professionals who work in small, rural communities often have to contend with dual and multiple relationships. The more integrated service providers are within the community, the more likely they will encounter overlapping personal and professional relationships with clients. Although there is extensive literature on the potential risks of dual and multiple relationships, little empirical evidence exists which addresses the contextual factors that specifically lead to these relationships in rural social work practice. This qualitative study explored the experiences of twelve social workers or social service workers practicing in northern and northwestern Ontario. Findings provide some insight into the …

Out What Was The Kitchen Window, Lucien Darjeun Meadows

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Poem.

Doublewide, Day Libby Merrill

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Poem.

Upstream, Gail Folkins

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Poem.

Border Town, Jennifer Soule

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Poem.

Rusty Stone Silo, Christopher Schmersahl

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Poem.

What I Left, Unknown, Barbara Cecelia Harroun

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Poem.

That Is To Say, Zara Raab

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Poem.