School Social Work Now!

Supporting Innovative Practice, Effective

Leadership & Applied Research 

Groupwork vs Casework in a Group: Principles and Implications for Teaching and Practice

This paper examines the differences between group work and casework in a group. Examples of both are used to illustrate the distinction Steps that are essential to maximize the value and benefits of the small group and to ensure that group work takes place are described and discussed.  Access full paper.

DSM-V Panel Backs Down on Diagnoses  

In a rare step, doctors on a panel revising psychiatry's influential diagnostic manual have backed away from two controversial proposals that would have expanded the number of people identified as having psychotic or depressive disorders. 

The doctors dropped two diagnoses that they ultimately concluded were not supported by the evidence: "attenuated psychosis syndrome," proposed to identify people at risk of developing psychosis, and "mixed anxiety depressive disorder," a hybrid of the two mood problems.  They also tweaked their proposed definition of depression to allay fears that the normal sadness people experience after the loss of a loved one, a job or a marriage would be mistaken for a mental disorder.

But the panel, appointed by the American Psychiatric Association to complete the fifth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or D.S.M., did not retreat from another widely criticized proposal, to streamline the definition of autism. Predictions by some experts that the new definition will sharply reduce the number of people given a diagnosis are off base, panel members said, citing evidence from a newly completed study.  Full article. 

Guidelines Distinguish Between Free Speech and Bullying   

A new set of guidelines for school administrators attempts to clarify the distinction between a bully and a student exercising the right of free speech. Produced by the American Jewish Committee and the Religious Freedom Education Project/First Amendment Center, the guidelines state that while students have a right to attend school without feeling threatened, schools should not censor a student's right of free speech unless it is substantially disruptive to the education process.  Courtesy: Education Week.  New Guidelines.  

The Dark Side of Social Work: Ethical Misconduct

Let's begin with the good news: Very few social workers engage in ethical misconduct. Nearly all social workers are honorable, dedicated, and principled practitioners who would never knowingly harm clients or the public at large. With relatively few exceptions, social workers care deeply about their clients' well-being and uphold the public's trust.

Sadly, during social work's history, some practitioners have crossed the line and caused great harm...

Understandably, the social work profession needs to know why a small percentage of their colleagues head down this untoward and blatantly destructive path; there is, of course, no simple, one-size-fits-all explanation for such misconduct. The reasons are remarkably complex.  Continue here.

The State of School Social Work: Findings from the National School Social Work Survey  

Abstract:  School social work is a large and growingsubspecialty in social work practice; however, little is known about present school social work practice from a national perspective. The National School Social Work Survey (n=1,639) represents the first data in over ten years to describe the diverse practice contexts and interventions employed by school social workers. The survey also seeks to better understand school social work practice in light of the significant educational reforms of the past decade that are increasingly shaping student experiences.  Findings from this survey indicate that the characteristics of school social workers, the context in which they practice, and their practice choices remain largely unchanged over the past 10 years. Implications for future research, policy, and practice are discussed based on these findings.  Complete paper. 

Social Networks, Delinquency, and Gang Membership:  Using a Neighborhood Framework to Examine the Influence of Network Composition and Structure in a Latino Community      

As part of the Social Networks, Delinquency, and Gang Membership project, funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, social network data were collected from youth in a small, at-risk neighborhood. The data were analyzed using social network methods. Results indicated that individuals with multiple, separate groups of friends have greater constraints on their behavior and are less likely to be delinquent. Results also suggested that networks with very low densities (fewer connections) are more successful contexts for intervention. These findings are relevant to developing appropriate delinquency programs and shed light on the efficacy of neighborhood-based interventions.  Complete document. 

Son Fulfills Dream That Racism Denied His Mother      

New this week:  Lake Forest, IL     Leeds, MA     Pittsburg, KS

Continued this week:  Bellevue, WA     Bethel, AK (3 positions)     Berwyn, IL

Bronx, NY     Burr Ridge, IL     Evanston, IL     Gages Lake, IL (SPED)     Gary, IN

Johnston, IA (PT)     Julian, CA     Lawrence, KS     Long Island, New York

New Orleans, LA     Revere, MA     Rush City, MN     Southfield, MI

Tenafly, NJ     Topeka, KS     Tucson, AZ     White Bear Lake, MN

Connecticut (Various Locations)

Director of Social Work, Bilingual, Chicago, IL

UW-Madison Field Instructor, Madison, WI

Special Edition of Social Work and Christianity: Towards A Christian Critique of Evidence-based Practice in Social Work 

 Evidence-based Practice (EBP) is now entering its second decade in social work scholarship and practice. This special issue seeks to add a Christian perspective to the literature on the implementation of EBP in social work practice, policy, and education. Many scholars and practitioners hail EBP's impact on client outcomes and argue that it represents a deepening of our ethical commitment to empowering practitioners with a process and tools that lead to the best possible client care, while other scholars point out the limitations of the EBP approach. This special issue of Social Work & Christianity seeks to expand the epistemological and practical discussions about EBP to add a further (and we believe, necessary) complication to the debate over EBP in social work: namely, how can EBP be practiced in the multitude of Christian social work contexts we see around the world? This special issue seeks to further debate the pros and cons of using EBP in social work by asking simply, "How can Christian social workers incorporate EBP into their work?" Papers for this special issue are encouraged to look at EBP as a process that integrates clinical expertise, client circumstances, research evidence, and client values and to formulate a paper discussing one or all of those dimension from a Christian perspective. Papers can employ a variety of methodologies, though special emphasis will be given to papers that use a conceptual lens to build a foundation to either critique or defend EBP from a Christian social work perspective. Papers can be up to 20 pages, double-spaced and in APA style (6th Ed.). Contact Michael Kelly at Loyola University Chicago with any questions and to submit papers as email attachments.  

Search Tool Helps Users Find Grants to Fund Youth Programs 

The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs has created an online Web Tool that allows users to search for federal grant opportunities by youth topic or federal agency. The tool uses a filter to search for grants that are likely to fund youth programs. To learn more and determine if you are eligible, click here.  

OJJDP: Underage Drinking Research Funding

• increasing research projects and their application within the school environment;
• developing a national school social work role framework paper;
• establishing a National Center for School Social Work Practice, Leadership and Research, a long-term goal,
• hosting the 2nd Louisiana State-wide School Social Work Conference, winter 2013, in New Orleans, LA.  Exact dates to be determined. 
• presenting the 3rd National School Social Work Research Summit to be held June 24-26, 2012, in Bloomingdale, IL (a Chicago suburb) at the Hilton Chicago/Indian Lakes Resort.

If you have interest in participating in any of these activities, contact Judie Shine.  ACSSW strives to be inclusive and transparent in all of its activities and welcomes, whether lengthy or short, the participation of its members.