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To survey social workers in the field of traumatic brain injury (TBI)/acquired brain injury (ABI) about their practice in conducting psychosocial assessments. Design: A cross-sectional quality assurance study. A cross-sectional quality assurance study. Social workers from professional social work rehabilitation networks spanning Sweden, the United Kingdom, North America, and Asia Pacific regions. Purpose-designed survey comprising closed and open items, organized into six sections and administered electronically. The 76 respondents were mainly female (65/76, 85.5%) from nine countries (majority from Australia, United States, Canada). Two-thirds of respondents were employed in outpatient/ community settings (51/76, 67.1%), with the balance working in inpatient/rehabilitation hospital settings. Over 80% of respondents conducted psychosocial assessments, with the assessments informed by a systemic focus, situating the individual within their broader family and societal networks. The top five issues identified in inpatient/rehabilitation settings were housing related needs, informed consent for treatment, caregiver support, financial issues and navigating the treatment system. In contrast, the leading issues identified in community settings related to emotional regulation, treatment resistance and compliance issues, depression, and self-esteem. Social workers assessed a broad range of psychosocial issues spanning individual, family, and environmental contextual factors. Findings will contribute to future development of a psychosocial assessment framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oncology social work provides services to individuals, groups, families, caregivers, and communities. As part of a larger audit of social work activities across 17 Victorian health services, a subanalysis was conducted to investigate social work practice in oncology (n = 49) compared to general medicine settings (n = 55). Social workers in oncology were more likely to address issues of adjustment to the condition, anxiety, and finances. Social workers in general medicine more frequently focused on dementia, elder abuse, and transition of clients to Residential Assisted Care. Oncology social workers conducted higher frequencies of interventions involving advocacy, brief or single session intervention, and counselling compared to general medicine, where discharge planning was significantly more common. Finally, oncology social workers were more likely to have used a narrative or supportive care model compared to the general medicine group. These findings can help better target training and upskilling of social workers for practice in different healthcare settings. IMPLICATIONS Audits of practice assist to describe the complex array of issues addressed by social work both within oncology and the broader healthcare settings. Identifying key interventions and emphases pertaining to oncology provides a focus for future evaluation of the effectiveness of social work practice across key domains within oncology. Better understanding of practice can lay the groundwork for targeted training programs to enhance social worker knowledge and skills in oncology and broader healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social workers provide services in many cancer settings however there has been limited research into Australian oncology social work practice. This multisite study investigated the reasons those affected by a cancer diagnosis were referred to social workers and the types of intervention undertaken. Clinical data-mining methodology was used to complete a retrospective review of 250 patient medical records. Qualitative and descriptive analyses were undertaken with comparisons to existing classification systems. Findings of significance were that residential location, socio-economic status, gender, relationship status, responsibilities for dependent children, and other complex individual circumstances were key reasons for referral to social workers. Interventions included psychosocial assessment, financial management, counselling, service coordination, and advocacy across multiple systems. Complex circumstances reflecting systemic social inequalities led to higher levels of social worker engagement. The study outcomes indicate that social workers have a significant role in the provision of effective psychosocial cancer care. Poorer cancer outcomes are linked to socio-economic, cultural, and systemic disadvantage, all of which are domains of social work practice. Working across multiple systems, social workers provide a range of skilled interventions to patients, families, carers, and others in complex social situations exacerbated by a diagnosis of cancer. Improving availability and access to social workers will address many of the social circumstances that have a detrimental impact on those affected by cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on the development of social work theory that it frequently emerges from practice, and this and other reasons the profession places enormous emphasis on the capabilities and qualities social workers require in order to practice. It mentions that it recognizing that the feedback loops between practice–theory–practice are essential to the development of the profession.

The purpose of this article is to examine women's perceptions of the patient-provider relationship in the context of medically high-risk pregnancy (MHRP). Sixteen in-depth interviews were conducted with women hospitalized for MHRP on a maternal-fetal medical unit in the US. Tenets of phenomenology guided the data analysis. We found that beyond normative stress related to managing physical aspects of MHRP, women reported added emotional stressors associated with navigating the fragmented health care environment. This study suggests that improved care coordination and systematic integration of psychosocial professionals within the perinatal interdisciplinary health care team are vital to reduce care-related stressors on this vulnerable patient group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Race, ethnicity, and culture are critical components that affect and shape the supervisory relationship, yet literature about ways to acknowledge and actively engage them from a trauma-informed approach has been limited. To enhance the discussion of this issue, this article first reviews leading theoretical aspects of supervision designed to train practitioners in the field of mental health, followed by a discussion of race, ethnicity, and culture in supervision and, finally, provides reflective practices for engaging in trauma-informed culturally competent supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building research capacity amongst social work practitioners is critically important for leaders in the social work profession. To reverse an apparent reluctance to use evidence and engage in research, strong social work leadership in practice organisations is needed. The literature on leadership in health social work is relatively silent regarding research capacity building as a leadership attribute but it is argued in this paper that leadership is crucial. A programme of research capacity building and its outcomes in a health social work department is described, identifying key principles guiding its establishment and tasks undertaken. A transformational leadership style characterised this approach to research capacity building which delivered benefits to the staff and the service. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper outlines the processes, outcomes and lessons learnt from a collaborative writing project undertaken as a partnership between academics at the Open University and 11 social work practitioners from a variety of social work settings across the UK. This partnership successfully co-produced a book of social work stories using a critical best practice approach, which describes and analyses the realities of everyday social work practice. In a context where there still appear to be many barriers to the involvement of practising social workers in research and writing, we conclude that the project’s collaborative process facilitated the sharing of practitioner experience and expertise with the wider world. Drawing on lessons learned during the writing of the book, a number of practical ways of building on this initiative to support the development of practitioner writing are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines two distinct forms of practitioner research and makes tentative suggestions around what may constitute good practice in their conduct and reporting, and for thegenreof practitioner research as a whole. We also explore their potential benefits and limitations within the wider set of research approaches. Discussion is informed primarily by an earlier review of practitioner research in adult social care and supplemented by knowledge and experience of wider activities related to practitioner research. Discussion is organised in three parts. First, we explore what are generic good practices around all forms of practitioner research. Second, we move to identify particular forms of good practice within what we call Type 1 and Type 2 practitioner research, situating them alongside a practitioner research matrix of stakeholder benefits. Third, we consider the implications of such discussion for how we best stimulate these types of practitioner research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the accurate specification of social work interventions for families with a relative with traumatic brain injury (TBI). It mentions that the social work intervention program offered to families include counseling, education and case management. It notes the common consequences of severe TBI that span motor sensory, cognitive, communication and behavioral domains.

Academic practitioner collaborations can further the practice research agenda of social work departments in a health setting. This article describes the development of a formalised partnership, located in an oncology social work department, which was grounded in a systemic mentoring approach that responded to the expressed needs of social workers to develop skills in research design and implementation. The systemic model promoted the development of a practice research culture and opportunities for social workers to participate in research at multiple levels. Practice research focused on the contribution of social work practice research to improved outcomes for patients and the hospital service. The partnership has supported the development of a range of clinically relevant research studies and the growing motivation and confidence among social work staff to participate in a wider research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient and family-centered care has become a focus in health services. Social work has a rich history of providing responsive patient care. This study identified the contribution and value of social work to PFCC from the key stakeholder perspectives of health social workers (n = 65). Utilizing interpretive description, four themes emerged: (1) Thinking big and holistically, (2) Intervening with families, (3) Enabling patient and family coping, and (4) Maximizing hospital and community resources. Barriers included a lack of power, professional isolation and role creep. Implications for research and practice are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses the projects undertaken in a collaborative partnership structured around practice research between the health social work community in Melbourne and the academic community at the University of Melbourne.

There is a striking absence of literature articulating and evaluating clinical social work contributions to suicide prevention, despite considerable practice in this important field. This article reports on a model of assertive brief psychotherapeutic intervention and facilitated linkage to community services utilized in a prospective cohort study of emergency department suicide attempt aftercare. A key outcome measure, the Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life (MANSA), was used with 65 patients to assess psychosocial domains at initial presentation, 4-weeks, 3-months, and 6-months. There were significant improvements in the domains of work, finance, leisure, social life, living situation, personal safety and health by 3 months. There were highly significant correlations between psychosocial improvements and improved depression scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the effectiveness and impact of social work programs, 2018 Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) and the Australian Research Council (ARC).