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There is an increasing concern for self-care and quality of life among Master of Social Work (MSW) students as they prepare to serve vulnerable individuals, families, and communities. Evidence suggests numerous benefits to practicing self-care; however, the majority of these studies focus on practitioners in the helping professions as opposed to graduate students working toward their degrees, suggesting a need for research. Accordingly, this study investigates the association between self-care actions, distress tolerance, mindfulness and quality of life among MSW students. A cross-sectional survey design, was used to examine these associations among 148 MSW students. Three multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the relationship among the key variables. Results suggest that emotional self-care was significantly associated with quality of life, and that the level of engagement in self-care actions differed across students’ socioeconomic class. Students’ mindfulness and emotional self-care also were positively associated with distress tolerance. Findings suggest that promoting engagement in emotional self-care and mindfulness self-care may promote higher quality of life among MSW students. Implications for MSW programs and the potential to support students’ health and sustainable learning are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study explored MSW students' perceived facilitators and barriers to self-care. Research suggests MSW students experience high stress from heavy course workloads, internship, and exposure to human suffering. MSW students report difficulty engaging in self-care, even when provided by their programs. Hence, it is important to gain insights into what promotes and prohibits MSW student self-care. MSW students participated in four semi-structured focus groups (N = 27, x-age = 27.8 years, 85.2% female, 55.6% white, 44.4% students of color). Analysis followed a combination of constant comparison and template analysis. Five themes underscore barriers and facilitators to self-care. Findings suggest importance of fostering a culture of self-care in MSW programs and assisting students to alter cognitive roadblocks to self-care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Ageism is a prevalent, insidious social justice issue that has harmful effects on the health of older adults. Preliminary literature explores the intersectionality of ageism with sexism, ableism, and ageism experienced among LGBTQ+ older adults. Yet, the intersectionality of ageism with racism remains largely absent from the literature. Therefore, this study explores the lived experience of the intersectionality of ageism and racism among older adults. Methods This qualitative study applied a phenomenological approach. Twenty participants 60+ years of age (M = 69, standard deviation = 8.84) in the U.S. Mountain West identifying as Black, Latino(a), Asian–American/Pacific Islander, Indigenous, or White engaged in a 1-hr interview between February and July 2021. A 3-cycle coding process applied constant comparison methods. Five coders independently coded interviews, engaging in critical discussion to resolve disagreements. An audit trail, member checking, and peer debriefing enhanced credibility. Results This study focuses on individual-level experiences exemplified by 3 umbrella themes and 7 subthemes. The subthemes are (a) compounding oppression, (b) intersection of disparities, (c) White privilege, (d) racism and ageism: being tokenized or ignored, (e) ageism and racism: unspoken bias, (f) racism versus ageism: overt or covert? and (g) racism versus ageism: differentiated or ubiquitous? Discussion The findings indicate how ageism may be racialized through stereotypes related to mental (in)capability. Practitioners can apply the findings to enhance support for older adults by designing interventions aimed at reducing racialized ageist stereotypes and increasing collaboration through education across anti-ageism/anti-racism initiatives. Future research should focus on the impacts of the intersectionality of ageism and racism on specific health outcomes in addition to structural-level interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from high school to college as well as the time during college is a risk period for problematic alcohol use among adolescents and young adults. The protective effect of civic activity on alcohol use and other aspects of well-being have been documented in both adolescence and young adulthood. However, the trajectory of this relationship between these two stages of the life course has not been well examined. This prospective survey study (N = 220) examined the influence of civic activity on alcohol use, flourishing, and college self-efficacy across the transition into college. Logistic regression models showed that higher participation in civic acts during high school was associated with lower likelihood of college alcohol problems among the sample as they began their college careers. However, collegiate civic activity showed no added protective effect on alcohol use during the first year of college. The only significant predictor of alcohol problems at the end of the first year of college was alcohol problems at the beginning of the year. Participants who reported any alcohol problems upon entering college had 6.4 times the odds of reporting drinking problems at the end of the first year than their peers who did not report any alcohol problems at the beginning of the year. Both pre-collegiate and collegiate civic activity predicted increased flourishing and college self-efficacy. Findings suggest that high school civic activity may have protective effects during the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This pilot study examined an 8‐week yoga‐mindfulness intervention with girls in the juvenile justice system. Pre‐ and posttest data were collected via the Mindful Awareness and Attention Scale for Adolescents (MAAS‐A). Paired t tests demonstrated a significant increase in mean MAAS‐A scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social justice is a hallmark of social work practice. The call to end oppression and discrimination are voiced in the Grand Challenge, Achieve Equal Opportunity and Justice, the National Association of Social Work Code of Ethics preamble, and the Council on Social Work Education Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards. However, none of these operationalize how social workers develop the capacity to fulfill this goal. This study sought to develop a framework for how social work educators assess power, privilege, and oppression learning via course assignments. Data were collected from assignments (N=94) in core foundation and required concentration courses (N=40). Template analysis was employed over four cycles of coding. Findings identified four levels of social justice content: implicit; low-explicit; medium-explicit; high-explicit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children living in households where intimate partner violence (IPV) is present are at increased risk of being exposed to concomitant maltreatment of companion animals. Recent research suggests that childhood exposure to maltreatment of companion animals is associated with compromised socioemotional well-being in childhood and adulthood. To date, there is a dearth of qualitative research examining how children experience animal maltreatment in the context of IPV. The current qualitative study explored the following research question in an ethnically diverse sample of IPV survivors: How do maternal caregivers convey the ways in which their children experience animal maltreatment in IPV-affected households? Sixty-five women with at least one child (age 7-12 years) were recruited from domestic violence agencies and described their child(ren)'s experiences of animal maltreatment in the home. Template analysis was used to analyze interview data (KALPHA =.90). Three themes emerged related to children's experiences of animal maltreatment: (a) direct exposure to animal maltreatment and related threats, (b) emotional and behavioral responses to animal maltreatment exposure, and (c) animal maltreatment as coercive control of the child. Results suggest that children's exposure to animal maltreatment is multifaceted and may exacerbate children's risk of negative psychosocial outcomes in the context of co-occurring IPV. Intervention programs designed to assist children exposed to IPV should consider the extent of children's awareness of the abuse of their pets and their strong and deleterious reactions to it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective : Civic engagement during emerging adulthood (18–25 years) has been found to be a protective factor for mental illness and substance abuse. However, few measures to assess behaviors and attitudes related to civic engagement among emerging adults are available. This study investigates the factorial validity of a combined measure of civic behavior and attitudes in a sample of undergraduate college students. Method : Two samples of first-year undergraduate students at a private university completed an online survey during fall and spring terms. We investigated the factor structure of the Civic Mindedness and Civic Acts measures in two steps: (a) exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 226), and (b) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 352). Results : EFA revealed a 4-factor, 15-item structure that aligned with the original Civic Mindedness and Civic Acts measures; all factor loadings were greater than.40. CFA found the 4-factor structure to have marginally acceptable fit with no modifications (χ2(84) = 225.99, p <.05; RMSEA =.07 [.06–.08]; CFI =.92). Conclusions : We provide preliminary evidence for factorial validity of a combined measure of civic engagement. Implications for future research to confirm whether this measure is appropriate for broad use during emerging adulthood are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Emerging adulthood is an important phase in the transition to adulthood. Emerging adults experience minimal social control and incomplete development of executive functioning leaving this age-group at risk for misusing this newfound independence. Hence, it is important to understand pathways to support positive development (PD) outcomes. In this study, we examined the relationship between participation in civically engaged learning and PD among first-year college students. Participants: First-year college students (N = 225) were surveyed during the 2012-2013 academic year. Methods: Students were surveyed on measures of PD and engaged learning prior to the beginning (initial survey) and at the end of the first year (final survey) of their undergraduate education. Stepwise linear regression was used to examine the influence of engaged learning on PD outcomes. Results: Engaged learning during the academic year predicted flourishing and students' civic frequency. Also, faith-affiliation and parents' civic frequency contributed to students' civic frequency. Conclusions: Our interpretation of the findings suggests that engaged learning and family role modeling may promote PD among first-year undergraduate students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses a mixed-methods approach to examine how patterns of exposure to animal maltreatment (AM) are related to socioemotional adjustment among children (N = 291) recruited from intimate partner violence (IPV) services. First, latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify subgroups of children with similar patterns of socioemotional functioning. Next, qualitative data from mothers and children were analyzed to identify thematic patterns in AM exposure among two subgroups of children identified through the LPA: Asymptomatic children and children with Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties (EBD). Seven themes were identified. Overall, EBD children, when compared to Asymptomatic children, were more likely to: a) have been exposed to severe forms of violence against animals, b) have experienced direct victimization by an IPV perpetrator following an effort to protect a pet, and c) express justification and normalization of violence against pets. Implications of our findings for research and clinical practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the intersection of intimate partner violence (IPV) and animal cruelty in an ethnically diverse sample of 103 pet-owning IPV survivors recruited from community-based domestic violence programs. Template analysis revealed five themes: (a) Animal Maltreatment by Partner as a Tactic of Coercive Power and Control, (b) Animal Maltreatment by Partner as Discipline or Punishment of Pet, (c) Animal Maltreatment by Children, (d) Emotional and Psychological Impact of Animal Maltreatment Exposure, and (e) Pets as an Obstacle to Effective Safety Planning. Results demonstrate the potential impact of animal maltreatment exposure on women and child IPV survivors’ health and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various forms of expressive arts are known to have associations with positive academic, social, and behavioral outcomes in addition to offering important therapeutic benefits for children and adolescents. However, very limited knowledge has been developed regarding specific expressive arts interventions for promoting positive youth development and preventing problematic behaviors in youth from urban, low socioeconomic neighborhoods. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to expand the nascent research area in arts interventions by evaluating an expressive art intervention offered to youth through a positive youth development program located in several public housing neighborhoods. Quasi-experimental design was applied to test the impact of a poetry-focused art intervention on self-reported perceptions of academics, social competence, and multicultural attitudes of a culturally diverse sample of 40 urban sixth to eighth grade youth. Participants were recruited through a positive youth development program located in the public housing neighborhoods where they reside. Pre and post data were collected. Prior to the arts intervention, there were no statistically significant differences between the youth on self-report measures of academic capacity and social competence. The first group of youth who participated in the intervention reported enhanced capacity on all three measures when compared to peers who had not yet participated in the program. However, the second group of youth to receive the program showed no statistically significant gains when compared to their peers who received the intervention first. The study provides compelling support to further explore the efficacy of expressive arts on influencing attributes of positive youth development among urban adolescents. In addition, the study offers valuable insights into the process and complexities involved in developing agency partnerships and conducting research on after-school programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schoolwide interventions are among the most effective approaches for improving students' behavioral and academic outcomes. However, researchers have documented consistent challenges with implementation fidelity and have argued that school social workers should be engaged in efforts to improve treatment integrity. This study examines contextual influences on the implementation of a whole-school intervention called Responsive Classroom (RC) in one urban K-8 public school serving a diverse student body. RC improves social, emotional, literacy, and math outcomes for disadvantaged students with behavior problems by building on the assets of teachers to intervene with misbehaving students in the classroom setting or school environment. Yet little is understood regarding the factors that constrain or enable implementation of RC in noncontrolled research conditions. Results from a mixed-methods convergent analysis of focus group, observation, and survey data indicate the influence of the following three contextual factors on implementation fidelity: (1) intervention characteristics such as compatibility with staff members' beliefs about behavior change and management, (2) organizational capacity such as principal and teacher buy-in, and (3) the intervention support system such as training and technical assistance. Implications for future school social work research and practice with respect to the implementation of schoolwide programs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructs of risk, protection, and resilience were examined from the perspectives of 20 ethnically diverse elementary and middle school children residing in urban public housing neighborhoods. Participants attended an afterschool program at locations in each of the neighborhoods. Analyses generated five themes: (1) challenges (community-neighborhood, peer, school, family, and personal); (2) coping (behavioral, emotional, spiritual, and cognitive); (3) health (community-neighborhood, peer, school, family, and personal); (4) connection (relationships that provide companionship, esteem, information, and instrumental support); and (5) aspirations. Implications of the findings for preventing problem behavior and promoting healthy development among young people in public housing settings are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collective socialization (CS) is a set of neighborhood social processes that can act as a protective or risk factor for youths. CS can create trust and social cohesion reflecting the positive attributes of a neighborhood. Research emphasizes CS as a neighborhood influence, but other theoretical models suggest that CS simultaneously exists within other aspects of the social ecology as it works through the peer group and school components to influence outcomes in youths. The current study extends theories of CS by examining how multiple social ecology influences—peer, school, and neighborhood—are related to youths’ well-being and school misbehavior. The School Success Profile data (N = 20,749 middle school and high school youths) were used to test the hypothesis that peer, school, and neighborhood CS processes are related to these outcomes. Structural equation models indicate that both positive and negative outcomes in youths are affected by multiple social ecology influences. The discussion provides suggestions for future research to inform interventions specific to the multiple aspects of the social ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Universities and colleges are increasingly providing internal grants to encourage faculty and staff involvement in community-based research and service-learning projects; however, little attention has been given to the impact of institutional support of these efforts. This qualitative study employed focus group interviews with 17 faculty and staff at one mid-size private research university (high activity) to explore the impact of institutional funding on their professional roles and practice of community engaged work. Findings revealed that community-based projects energized the participants, helped them make their academic work relevant in communities, created formal and informal university-community partnerships, and elevated the University's public image. However, a conundrum was evident in the tension between the University's public expression of the importance of community engagement and participants' concerns that the traditional academic reward structure could jeopardize their long-term commitment to community work. A framework is offered that may assist institutions that are pondering or have already committed to using institutional dollars to support engaged scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a dearth of literature on practice with American Indians that adequately translates cultural knowledge, such as the historical and contemporary experiences of this population, into direct skills for practice. The literature insinuates a need for practitioner knowledge of these experiences to provide culturally appropriate services. However, it does not directly address how practitioners, especially non-Indian practitioners, can turn that knowledge into practice skills. The qualitative study reported in this paper contributes to filling this gap in the literature. Analysis of data collected from Indian practitioners uncovers five themes and the skills for their application in culturally respectful practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The required research courses in social work education are, perhaps, one of the more difficult content areas in which to infuse direct teaching and knowledge acquisition of multiculturalism. The study presented in this article examines the outcomes of systematically addressing social justice within a required master's level social work research methods course. The study tests the efficacy of a two-part teaching module that seeks to increase student abilities for critical consumption of academic research (n = 88) as it relates to the notion of bias neutrality. Results suggest that students decreased in their belief that academic research is necessarily bias free over the course of the class, and that students from marginalized groups showed a significantly larger decrease than did other students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2001, the University of Denver included language in its vision statement that committed the institution to becoming "a great private university dedicated to the public good." This essay (1) explains how the development of an institutional visioning statement led to the implementation of a series of campus dialogues and action steps designed to forward public good work at the university; (2) presents campus conversations and current literature to offer a theory of public good work within private research universities; and (3) documents challenges and lessons learned through institutional efforts to embrace a culture of engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT. This paper advances the knowledge base of social work education by employing a critical social work framework to inform teaching strategies that 1) raise critical consciousness, 2) uncover privileged positions that inform research, and 3) conceptualize social work practice that disrupts privilege and oppression. The premise of a need for such strategies arises from examination of the social work educational policies and standards that require attention to the experiences and conditions of marginalized populations. The conceptual and teaching approach described in this paper extends this standard via the examination of the privileged social identities and the ensuing behaviors that perpetuate oppressive practices and conditions among marginalized groups. A conceptual foundation for this approach is elucidated and teaching strategies for exploring privileged social locations are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines civic engagement and social development in children (N = 73) from public housing neighborhoods. Much of the research on civic engagement and social development focuses on youths and college students and the influence of participation in community service. This study addresses younger children in the process of social development and acquiring the seeds for civic engagement. Participants (X age = 9.25 years) learned to observe, photograph, and assess neighborhood strengths and challenges. They engaged in democratic processes to compile findings and present them to community members. Results indicate statistically significant changes in civic engagement and social development. Qualitative findings expand on these quantitative results. Implications for community practice and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to the knowledge base of community practice and research by examining the construct neighborhood from qualitative and quantitative perspectives. Mixed methodology was employed to explore the associations and discrepancies between a census measure of neighborhood based in social disorganization theory and a qualitative measure based on the voices of children (N=59). Qualitative results indicate nine dimensions of the construct neighborhood that are not found in census-based measures of the construct. Mixed methods results demonstrate that children in both higher and lower socially disorganized neighborhoods express the presence of neighborhood resources and neighborly affiliations as well as negative neighborhood experiences. Expressions of fear, needs for safety, and qualities of unsavory characters distinguish the two types of neighborhoods. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to the knowledge base of neighborhood intervention and research by reviewing the myriad ways the construct neighborhood is operationalized. The interdisciplinary review presents a critical examination of each measurement genre from quantitative to qualitative. The discussion of neighborhood measures includes (a) census and other administrative data, (b) windshield surveys, (c) rating scales, (d) structured/unstructured interviews (including ethnographies), (e) residents’ written descriptions, (f) photographs, (g) drawings, and (h) mixed method constructions. When pertinent, the role of children’s voices in these measures is discussed. In addition, the conceptual nature of neighborhood is examined from the perspective of environment and place. This environment–place duality is presented as a framework for choosing the type of measure one plans to use for research or practice. Conclusions suggest that research and practice are enhanced by building bridges between measures representing environment and measures representing place. Such bridges offer opportunities to develop interventions that are viable for creating lasting change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research presented in this paper contributes to the social work profession by uncovering the child-neighborhood relationship as an element for assessment in direct social work practice. Neighborhood is often viewed as the domain of macro level practice. However, in direct social work practice, aspects of the broader social and physical environment are often omitted. The results of this qualitative study, in which 59 fourth and fifth graders were queried about their neighbor- hoods, indicate that the child-neighborhood relationship be viewed as a vital facet in direct practice assessments. Specifically, the findings suggest that four distinct components be included in the assessment of child-neighborhood relationships. Implications for the inclusion of neighborhood in bio-psycho-social assessments with children are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]