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Incivility within social work education reflects patterns seen across higher education and within society. Previous work has found that social work faculty are reluctant to report incivility and have limited confidence in their ability to address it effectively. In order to address potential solutions, this paper uses qualitative data (n = 164) drawn from a larger survey of social work faculty in the United States. The exploratory analysis focuses on strategies social work faculty use when experiencing incivility and bullying themselves, and methods recommended by social work faculty to confront incivility administratively and systemically within the social work academy. Responses were coded into four themes: values-based responses, leadership/institutional responses, individual and faculty level responses, and faculty disengagement. These themes suggest opportunities and recommendations to move toward a civil social work academy. Academic faculty expect institutional leadership to have the skills to acknowledge and address incidents of incivility in the workplace. Social work faculty suggest a combination of values-based responses that tie workplace behavior and culture to professional values, institutional responses that support accountability and formal recognition for prosocial behavior, and establishing and maintaining positive relationships in the workplace. Social work faculty acknowledge and affirm the individual ethical mandate to address injurious workplace behavior and challenge institutional systems and patterns that reinforce workplace incivility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vietnam ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2015, signalling a commitment to the basic human rights of citizens with disabilities. Previous research has shown people with disabilities in Vietnam to be marginalised in society, often with limited educational or work opportunity, and with limited financial means. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in Vietnam and a thematic analysis approach to data interpretation, this article examines the current status of people with disabilities in Vietnam in relation to the core elements of the CRPD, from the perspectives of people with disabilities, their families, and professionals who support them. Findings suggest that, while Vietnamese society has made strides supporting people with disabilities, work remains to be done for the country to comply with the CRPD's core principles. Suggestions for future action are offered, including ways to support human rights of people with disabilities within cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case management (CM) is one of the most commonly used services by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), but little is known about the workers who provide CM. This study used a mixed methods approach to gain understanding of the CM workforce in one U.S. state. An online survey was completed by 35 IDD service directors (87.5% of directors in the state); and 113 CMs and CM supervisors participated in semistructured interviews and focus groups. Results indicated an annual crude separation rate of 28.2%, and participants often complained that turnover resulted in caseload sizes that prevented optimal outcomes for people with IDD. A limited applicant pool, duties focused on regulatory compliance, and inadequate wages were cited as major challenges for CMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-directed home and community based services (HCBS) waiver services and supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have become a viable and widely used method of service provision in the United States. Grounded in theories of self-determination, previous literature on self-direction has suggested high satisfaction and positive outcomes for people who use self-directed programs as well as cost savings for state IDD service systems. This study explored the ways in which state IDD service administrators think about how self-direction may be used as a method of achieving cost savings while providing opportunities for people with IDD and their families to exercise choice and control. Informed by 54 high-level IDD service administrators in 34 states, and guided by a thematic analysis approach to data interpretation, the study found evidence that administrators typically see strong potential for self-direction to have cost-savings benefits, while also fostering choice. In the current political climate, the need for cautious fiscal stewardship may become a stronger driving force behind self-direction for people with IDD in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: This article reports the findings from focus groups conducted with individuals who have spinal cord injuries (SCI) about their experiences with employment. The purpose was to obtain perspectives regarding their perceived barriers to employment and the supports that they need to achieve their employment goals. METHODS: Focus groups were conducted at scheduled times via telephone with 31 individuals with SCI; 16 were employed; 15 were unemployed. The recorded calls were transcribed and analyzed using NVivo10. RESULTS: Narratives from the focus groups revealed a number of trends related to the factors that facilitate and challenge employment for people with SCI. Content analysis resulted in four primary themes related to facilitation of employment: (a) learning to be a strong self-advocate, (b) acquiring job-specific training, (c) networking effectively, and (d) putting necessary supports in place. The participants' narratives also uncovered a number of barriers that a person with SCI must overcome in order to secure employment: (a) transportation issues, (b) difficulties with accommodations, and (c) perceptions of discrimination based on disability. CONCLUSIONS: This research was the first phase in a multi-phase research study on identifying and implementing knowledge translation (KT) strategies for increasing employment outcomes for individuals with physical disabilities. This research began identifying what individuals with SCI see as barriers and facilitators to successful employment and how people with disabilities obtain their information on supports and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are known to face a multitude of challenges in the workplace and when seeking employment. Less has been written, however, about the subjective experiences of people with MS regarding their workforce participation. This study used phone-administered focus groups to investigate work-related experiences of a national sample of individuals with MS. Using a conventional qualitative content analysis approach, the researchers derived a set of three core themes, each with subordinate sub-themes. The three core themes were: (a) facing future uncertainty, (b) feeling a sense of loss, and (c) navigating the workplace. Findings are discussed within the context of existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]