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Multiracial individuals and families is one of the fastest growing racial groups in the United States, and social workers are undoubtedly seeing increases in the number of multiracial clients and family systems they serve. Therefore, there is a need for specialized knowledge on multiraciality, including empirically driven and best practice strategies to better prepare social workers to effectively support racial and ethnic diverse clients inclusive of those living multiracially. Drawing from critical multiracial theory, this teaching note systematically examines whether knowledge of multiracial individuals and families is featured in sessions of past Annual Program Meetings of the Council on Social Work Education covering a 12-year span from 2008 to 2019. Findings directly challenge those in the profession of social work to take explicit measures to include representation of multiraciality in the annual meetings as well as other professional social work conferences to better prepare social workers to counteract the established risks disproportionately affecting individuals and families who identify with more than one race.

To the Editor: We read with interest the recent article by Mullen et al. (1) that describes associations between Mycobacterium avium complex and Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary disease prevalence and environmental [...]

This polyethnography is an interdisciplinary collaboration between four multiracial women faculty employed at different universities across the US to examine their experiences navigating monocentricity in higher education. This insightful study amplifies the voices of a particular subset of women of color faculty who identify multiracially -- a group overlooked in existing literature examining diverse faculty experiences in higher education. Utilizing Multiracial Critical Race Theory (MultiCrit), we reflex on the similarities and nuances that exist within and between our written stories of experience. Conjointly, our critical reflections reveal the prevalence of monoracism within institutions of higher education, which places both internal and external pressures on multiracial women faculty to demarcate themselves monoracially, while simultaneously maintaining a clandestine borderland identity within their departments. Implications for this study reveal the importance of multiracial counterspaces for multiracial faculty as a form of resistance against monocentricity in US institutions of higher education.

Considering the significant contributions of Black women social workers to our profession, and the unyielding stressors and expectations disproportionately affecting Black women in the context of Black Lives Matter and COVID-19, addressing anti-Blackness and understanding the lived experiences of Black women within higher education are essential first steps toward eliminating racism, the 13th and most recently adopted Grand Challenge. Guided by Black feminist polyethnography, this study examined how anti-Blackness is collectively felt and experienced by six Black and mixed Black women faculty and graduate students in schools of social work over their academic careers. Initial steps schools of social work can take to acknowledge and address manifestations of anti-Blackness within existing policies, procedures, curriculum, and dominant school culture are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive Listeria monocytogenes infections (listeriosis) are the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States and cause an estimated 1,500 infections, 1,400 hospitalizations, and 250 deaths [...]

An editorial is presented on positionality in critical feminist scholarship. Topics include considerations and questions focused on positionality to enhance our work as a board and the work of researchers, authors, and reviewers; and positionalities across race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality, immigration status, religion, class, age, ability.

Human alveolar echinococcosis (AE), caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus multilocularis, is a lethal parasitic zoonosis if untreated (1,2). In China, hyperendemic foci of disease have been described (3) [...]

Teaching in higher education is often not addressed in doctoral education, even though many doctoral graduates will eventually teach. This article describes a biweekly teaching workshop, presents pitfalls and challenges that beginning instructors face, and advocates pedagogical training for doctoral students. Led by a well-known social work scholar Lawrence Shulman, the workshops were a place for participants to share their concerns and process solutions. Here, each student's scenario serves as a backdrop for Dr. Shulman's explanation of classroom content and process, for which the workshop served as a parallel process. This discussion is framed by the extant literature on preparing higher education instructors during the course of doctoral education.

The article presents a critical content analysis of multiracial content at the annual conference programs of the Society for Social Work and Research from 2009-2022. The analysis examined the use of multiracial keywords in accordance to the tenets of critical theory focused on the dynamics of power and cultural representation to challenge inequality and uncover racism. It identified frequently occurring concepts and themes such as Black, White, youth, students, care, services and experiences.

Guided by an integrated framework of resilience, this in-depth qualitative study examined the major stressors persons of multiethnic Mexican American heritage encountered in their social environments related to their mixed identity and the resilience enhancing processes they employed to cope with these stressors. Life-story event narratives were transcribed and inductively coded using the constant comparative method. Collectively, the 24 multiethnic Mexican American participants endorsed external supports, interpersonal protective processes, and internal protective processes to navigate stressors associated with monoracism and interethnic discrimination. Findings generated from this study contribute new insight to our understanding of the dynamic interplay of culture and context in resilient processes among mixed heritage individuals. Policy and practice implications for mixed heritage clients and families are discussed. (Contains 1 table and 1 note.)

Background Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) cause pulmonary (PNTM) and extrapulmonary (ENTM) disease. Infections are difficult to diagnose and treat, and exposures occur in healthcare and community settings. In the United States, NTM epidemiology has been described largely through analyses of microbiology data from health departments, electronic health records, and administrative data. We describe findings from a multisite pilot of active, laboratory- and population-based NTM surveillance. Methods The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infections Program conducted NTM surveillance at 4 sites (Colorado, 5 counties; Minnesota, 2 counties; New York, 2 counties; and Oregon, 3 counties [PNTM] and statewide [ENTM]) from 1 October 2019 through 31 March 2020. PNTM cases were defined using published microbiologic criteria. ENTM cases required NTM isolation from a nonpulmonary specimen, excluding stool and rectal swabs. Patient data were collected via medical record review. Results Overall, 299 NTM cases were reported (PNTM: 231, 77%); Mycobacterium avium complex was the most common species group. Annualized prevalence was 7.5/100 000 population (PNTM: 6.1/100 000; ENTM: 1.4/100 000). Most patients had signs or symptoms in the 14 days before positive specimen collection (ENTM: 62, 91.2%; PNTM: 201, 87.0%). Of PNTM cases, 145 (62.8%) were female and 168 (72.7%) had underlying chronic lung disease. Among ENTM cases, 29 (42.6%) were female, 21 (30.9%) did not have documented underlying conditions, and 26 (38.2%) had infection at the site of a medical device or procedure. Conclusions Active, population-based NTM surveillance will provide data for monitoring the burden of disease and characterize affected populations to inform interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined relations between perceived racial discrimination, multiracial identity integration (i.e., racial distance and racial conflict), and psychological adjustment (i.e., distress symptoms, positive affect, and negative affect) of 263 multiracial adults, using an online cross-sectional survey design. As hypothesized, higher levels of perceived racial discrimination was related to lower levels of psychological adjustment (i.e., higher distress symptoms and negative affect). Also, higher levels of multiracial identity integration with low racial conflict was related to higher levels of psychological adjustment (i.e., lower distress symptoms and negative affect), whereas higher levels of multiracial identity integration with low racial distance was related to higher levels of psychological adjustment (i.e., lower negative affect). Finally, multiracial identity integration (i.e., lower racial conflict) moderated the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and psychological adjustment (i.e., negative affect) with results suggesting multiracial identity integration related to low racial conflict buffers the negative effects of perceived racial discrimination on psychological adjustment. Findings from this study are discussed in terms of future research on the psychological well-being of multiracial individuals and implications for clinical practice with multiracial adults. (Contains 2 footnotes, 2 tables, and 1 figure.)

This study assessed the effectiveness of culturally sensitive interventions (CSIs) ("N" = 10) designed to address substance use among minority youths. Study methods consisted of systematic search procedures, quality of study ratings, and meta-analytic techniques to gauge effects and evaluate publication bias. The results, across all measures and time frames, reveal small effects (Hedges's "g" = 0.118, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.004 to 0.232). For recent alcohol use, the effects were small (Hedges's "g" = 0.225, 95% CI = 0.015 to 0.435). For recent marijuana use, the effects failed to achieve significance (Hedges's "g" = 0.610, 95% CI = -0.256 to 1.476). Suggestions for enhancing the effectiveness of CSIs are discussed along with the benefits and limitations of using meta-analyses versus narrative reviews to assess intervention effectiveness in emerging areas of research.

According to the 2010 U.S. census, approximately 9 million individuals report multiracial identities. By the year 2050, as many as one in five Americans could claim a multiracial background. Despite this population growth, a review of recent empirical and theoretical literature in social work suggests a disproportionate lack of attention to issues of multiraciality. Instead, social work practice models remain embedded in traditional societal discourses of race and culture that often exclude or marginalize the experiences of multiracial individuals and families. This article summarizes recommendations following the domains of awareness, knowledge, and skills in the "NASW Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice" to support culturally attuned social work practice with multiracial people. The authors argue that a culturally attuned practice approach--one that is inclusive of multiraciality--is not only timely, but also consistent with the profession's ethical obligation to provide culturally relevant services to all consumers and clients.

We propose that a targeted and structured explication of empathy is a useful, if not essential, foundation for social work theory and practice. We outline a social work framework for empathy, one that is rooted in an interdisciplinary context, emphasizes recent findings in the field of social cognitive neuroscience, and yet is embedded in a social work context. The framework lends itself to identifiable education components that social work educators can implement across the curriculum. We can help students understand the basic process of neural path-way development that determines their affective empathic responses and develop and maintain cognitive empathic abilities. In addition, students can learn to use their knowledge, values, and skills, informed by empathy, to take empathic action consciously. (Contains 2 tables and 4 figures.)

Knowledge of the factors that influence youths' choice of racial or ethnic labels would help us understand intragroup diversity, suggest ways in which school social workers can support youths' ethnic identity development, and learn whether youths who choose different combinations of labels may be grouped together for research purposes. This study of 2,857 Mexican-origin youths in the U.S. Southwest found that linguistic acculturation, socioeconomic status, and educational aspirations are related to choice of ethnic labels. Implications for social work interventions in schools and for future research are offered.

This study examined predictors of substance use and negative activity involvement among a diverse sample of European American, African American, Hispanic, Native American, and multiracial early adolescents (n = 749) living in a large urban city in the Southwest United States. This study investigated a broad set of predictor variables that tap sociodemographic, peer, family, community, and school influences. Overall, findings from this study confirm that lifetime substance use remains high among youth of color. Of particular concern is this study's finding that multiracial adolescents are at elevated risk to use substances and engage in negative activities. The implications of this study for understanding how risk factors are influenced by race and other variables on different measures of problem behavior are discussed. (Contains 5 tables.)

Using a social work developmental lens, this qualitative study explored some of the numerous social and environmental factors that shape a multiracial individual's cultural identity. Results from transcript analysis portray the cultural identity of multiracial persons as significantly influenced by (1) personal experiences of racism and discrimination; (2) social interactions and relationships with peers and family; and (3) the racial climate of the school and community. The findings from this study support more fluid, ecological models of multiracial identity development that are more effective at explicating some of the highly complex and influential contextual factors that impact a multiracial person's cultural identity development. (Contains 1 table.)

Despite astonishing growth in the multiracial population since 2010 and increased empirical scholarship on the experiences of persons from two or more racial groups, little progress has been made to extend multiracial identity development theory. Drawing from constructivist grounded theory and multiple visual grounded theory (VGT) frameworks, our secondary qualitative study analyzed 26 participatory diagrams from two previous qualitative studies examining multiracial identity development. In alignment with our novel VGT analytic approach, we co-constructed a visual theoretical model that more accurately represents the dynamism between complex developmental and ecological processes that interactively influence multiracial identity development over time. Our findings suggest that multiracial identity development is a dynamic process influenced by critical events and experiences, including trauma and abuse, movement of place, and turning points and milestones that mutually shape a multiracial person's social environments, interpersonal relationships, and sense of self. Reflecting on our innovative study, we advocate for more critical, emancipatory methods like VGT that have the potential to overcome epistemological barriers in research that restrict the more accurate and complete storytelling of the multiracial experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Frozen foods have rarely been linked to Listeria monocytogenes illness. We describe an outbreak investigation prompted by both hospital clustering of illnesses and product testing. Methods We identified outbreak-associated listeriosis cases using whole-genome sequencing (WGS), product testing results, and epidemiologic linkage to cases in the same Kansas hospital. We reviewed hospital medical and dietary records, product invoices, and molecular subtyping results. Federal and state officials tested product and environmental samples for L. monocytogenes. Results Kansas officials were investigating 5 cases of listeriosis at a single hospital when, simultaneously, unrelated sampling for a study in South Carolina identified L. monocytogenes in Company A ice cream products made in Texas. Isolates from 4 patients and Company A products were closely related by WGS, and the 4 patients with known exposures had consumed milkshakes made with Company A ice cream while hospitalized. Further testing identified L. monocytogenes in ice cream produced in a second Company A production facility in Oklahoma; these isolates were closely related by WGS to those from 5 patients in 3 other states. These 10 illnesses, involving 3 deaths, occurred from 2010 through 2015. Company A ultimately recalled all products. Conclusions In this US outbreak of listeriosis linked to a widely distributed brand of ice cream, WGS and product sampling helped link cases spanning 5 years to 2 production facilities, indicating longstanding contamination. Comprehensive sanitation controls and environmental and product testing for L. monocytogenes with regulatory oversight should be implemented for ice cream production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newborn screening (NBS) for Pompe disease (PD) was added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) in the United States in 2015 because there was compelling evidence of health benefits for early diagnosis of Infantile‐onset Pompe disease (IOPD). However, one limitation of NBS for PD is its inability to distinguish IOPD and late onset forms of Pompe disease (LOPD). Management of LOPD is challenging because of uncertainty around progression of LOPD and determining the appropriate time for treatment initiation. The aims of this study were to understand the impact of LOPD identified through NBS, by exploring the differences in attitudes, emotions and opinions among parents and identify their needs for follow‐up care. Study participants were recruited from states that included PD on their NBS panel. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with parents of nine children who were diagnosed with LOPD after an abnormal NBS result. Predominantly, parents reported a lack of adequate information, guidance, and psychosocial support from the very beginning and through the course of their diagnosis. This caused uncertainty, anxiety, frustration, and fear of the unknown. Parents live in a 'worry or not to worry' phase, balancing between coping methods to avoid over medicalization of their child, but also preparing concrete follow‐up plans to be on the lookout for any signs of PD‐related symptoms. Understanding parents' experiences allows genetic counselors and NBS programs to proactively design care plan for parents during this difficult period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black women scholars have and continue to make significant contributions to the social work profession; however, their experiences within the profession are mostly absent in the literature. In general, Black women face numerous challenges within schools of social work. Black women scholars endure a compound form of anti-Blackness in higher education known as gendered anti-Blackness due to their multiple marginalized statuses associated with race and gender. This study examined the phenomenon of gendered anti-Blackness as experienced in academia by a diverse group of Black and mixed Black faculty and PhD students. We intentionally utilized a new methodology, Black Feminist Polyethnography, to provide an affirming and communal space for us to dialogically reflect on our collective experiences of gendered anti-Blackness in predominantly white schools of social work. Our findings uncovered six Black woman-centered proverbs that symbolize the ways we collectively thrive as scholars despite gendered anti-Blackness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]