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Summary: This is a reflective and theoretical article that discusses the impact of COVID-19 on social work practice. The pandemic, which made its presence felt globally from early 2020, continues to have ongoing and significant consequences for lives, livelihoods, public health, and personal freedoms. We argue that, while its specific contours are yet to be comprehensively researched, let alone the final outcomes understood, the pandemic has presented opportunities to develop new ways of thinking about social work and social work education. Findings: Through a discussion of relevant literature, including a recent work of fiction, we contend that social workers have been able to adapt, to some extent, to the pandemic but in reactive rather than proactive ways. The biopsychosocial and person-in-environment perspectives that characterize social work education, theory, and practice might be greatly enhanced by the introduction of complexity theory in terms of developing new thinking about the theoretical basis of social work, enabling new questions and new strategies to emerge to strengthen social work responses to the challenges posed by COVID-19. Applications: Arising from this theoretical article, there are many implications for introducing complexity theory within social work education programs. Complexity theory can provide a conceptual frame fit-for-purpose for social work pandemic and post-pandemic theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial on the social work education, practice, and policy, and the value of looking backwards, and then critically evaluating the present in order to remain future-focused is presented. It outlines the research into current deficits in social workers' knowledge of technology and the use of technology and simulation modelling, emphasizing the need for social work education in technology. An overview of the curating" of technology for social work is presented.

In some international settings, social workers are employed within aged care settings. However, in Australia, social workers rarely work in residential aged care facilities. In an innovative program, an Australian health network employed a social worker in an aged residential care facility from 2010 to 2011. In this research we examine and evaluate this program. Qualitative semistructured interviews with nine key stakeholders and data extraction from medical records were conducted. Data from medical records and interview transcripts were coded and themes extracted using thematic analysis. Thematic analysis identified five key themes reflecting the roles performed by the social worker. These were: (1) The importance of having an independent third party, (2) The provision of emotional support to residents, carers and families during the transition period, (3) The importance of role clarity, (4) The provision of family-centered care, and (5) Social work responses to potential difficulties which were preventative rather than reactive. The move into residential aged care can be an overwhelming, and in some cases, traumatic transition for residents and families. Results identified that timely and expert social work intervention can improve the transition process through the provision of counselling to effectively manage grief, loss, and psychosocial issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the patient characteristics and outcomes in relation to guardianship in a large-scale sub-acute Australian hospital. Fifteen patients who appointed a guardian at The Kingston Center, Monash Health, participated through exploratory data collection and analysis utilizing a de-identifiable template. The findings revealed both diverse and complex patient characteristics, and ethical dilemmas in patient outcomes for social workers. Patient outcomes post-guardianship appointment and discharge highlighted a negative impact from long length of stay and the iatrogenic impact on patient wellbeing in hospital. The study reflected a disparity between patients' discharge goals and their outcomes indicating significant ethical dilemmas and complexities for social workers in ensuring rights to autonomy and responsibility for safety are balanced. [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 recent controversy around the hospital end of life care has highlighted the vulnerability of dying patients and their families. However, little is known about how social workers provide support and intervention around the end of life in the hospital. Eight hospital social workers provided qualitative descriptions of their clinical practice for adult patients and their families. Highlighting a theoretical orientation towards a person-in-environment approach, social workers develop unique interventions to contribute to multidisciplinary care. Findings emphasize the need to prepare social work students and clinicians for the reality of working with end of life issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the author discusses the articles in the July 2021 issue of "Australian Social Work" journal on topics including abuse of older Australians, interventions for problematic eating in out-of-home care, and social work e-placements under COVID-19.

The author talks about the role of the periodical in research in the field of social work in Australia. Topics discussed include the origin of social work in the settlement house movement, the importance of social work theory for the development in the practice expertise of the field, and the preliminary research skills that social work practitioners have while joining the practice on graduation.

The health sector uses a “person-in-environment” perspective reflected in multidisciplinary teamwork to understand and influence human lives. This standpoint accords closely with social work's knowledge and theory base, recognising that material, economic, political, organisational, and social structures interact, creating a complex array of factors impacting on individuals and families. Practice research activities are an effective way of exploring social work's particular contribution to health service provision. We describe and critique various models of practice research reported in the literature. A unique model of practice research that we are developing is discussed. Called Project Discovery: Social Work Research @ Southern Health 18 June 2011, this model demonstrates ways in which practice research may exemplify theoretically-driven and service-based research and in so doing advance social work's knowledgebase. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The twenty-first century presents social work with significant challenges. To address today's complex problems, social work must inform itself of advances in the knowledge base of the natural and social sciences, particularly those that explain the changing construction of different systems and the way the world works. These explanatory theories offer relevant understanding of the social, economic and ecological contexts within which social workers practice. We discuss social work's search for coherence and the consequences that arise when a profession seeks to explain the way the world works through practice perspectives. We examine developments in the natural and social sciences that offer social work pathways to understanding the contemporary world. Complexity theory and evolutionary theory are essential to understanding the dynamics and causation of contemporary problems. Neuroscience, evolutionary theory and complexity theory provide social work with a new understanding of the relationship between people, their bodies and environments. Social workers' focus should be on working at the borders of evolving systems, effecting the ‘climates’ that can sustain those conditions (social, ecological, biological, economic, political) essential to maintaining human life and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics related to social work education.