Journal of Evidence-informed Social Work

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Evidence suggests parental support mitigates the association between community violence exposure and internalizing symptoms in adolescents. This study investigates this moderation of parental support for emerging adults and compares it with that for adolescents. Data were drawn from the Pathways to Desistence Study using community violence, parental support, and their interaction to predict internalizing symptoms in a series of regression models for adolescents and emerging adults. Results suggest that exposure to community violence during adolescence and emerging adulthood had a significant association with internalizing symptoms...

Cancer is the leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women. Although cancer disparities among AI women are alarming, there is littlle research focused on the topic of social support and cancer treatment and outcomes. A community advisory board was used to develop and administer the project, and a qualitative descriptive study methodology was used. This research was conducted in partnership with two community-based hospitals in the Northern Plains. The sample included 43 AI female cancer survivors who were interviewed with a semi-structured interview guide...

PURPOSE: Youth with early onset schizophrenia (EOS) are eligible for an individualized education plan (IEP) in school settings, yet often have declining academic performance over time. This study examines the impact of IEP and comorbid conditions on educational outcomes for youth with EOS. METHOD: We used mixed models and logistic regression to answer the research questions using data from 129 youth with EOS who participated in a longitudinal study from 1998 to 2006...

PURPOSE: This study assessed the critical aspect of individual staff attitudes and readiness for change within staff at a non-profit human service organization in Anchorage, Alaska, committed to adopting trauma-informed care (TIC). Organizational research has highlighted that staff attitudes and readiness impact the success of change efforts. METHOD: An online survey was used to measure staff knowledge about trauma, attitudes toward TIC, and readiness for change...

Despite the emerging literature documenting gains in clinician competence following consultation, little empirical work has examined consultation as an implementation strategy. To this end, the present study examined consultation in the context of implementing motivational interviewing in four community child and youth mental health organizations. We used qualitative methods with a dual goal: to describe the consultation process and to explore trainees' perspectives on consultation. Participants included 22 clinicians and 9 supervisors who received monthly, group, phone-based consultation for seven months following training in motivational interviewing...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) among victim advocates and to determine if risk factors (for the development of STS) that have been cited in the literature (with other populations) are applicable to victim advocates. METHODS: Data was collected from 135 victim advocates using an online survey. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of STS among victim advocates is approximately 50% and risk factors include number of hours worked per week, direct service hours, and working with adult survivors of child sexual abuse...

PURPOSE: Extreme weather events are increasing with climate change. The physical and mental health of people served by social workers may be especially at risk from these hazards. This exploratory study examines if specific types of human, financial, physical, and social capital are associated with health impacts from excessive summer heat and extreme winter weather. METHOD: Data from resident surveys (N = 424) in low- and moderate-income areas of a Southeastern US city are analyzed with descriptive statistics and logistic regression...

Research ethics provide important and necessary standards related to the conduct and dissemination of research. To better understand the current state of research ethics discourse in social work, a systematic literature search was undertaken and numbers of publications per year were compared between STEM, social science, and social work disciplines. While many professions have embraced the need for discipline-specific research ethics subfield development, social work has remained absent. Low publication numbers, compared to other disciplines, were noted for the years (2006-2016) included in the study...

PURPOSES: This study extends previous findings on a measure of competencies based on Standards for Social Work Practice with Groups. The Inventory of Competencies in Social Work with Groups (ICSWG) measures confidence in performing the Standards. This study examines the latent structure of the Inventory, while illuminating the underlying structure of the Standards. METHODS: A multinational sample of 586 persons completed the ICSWG. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), reliability estimates, standard error of measurement estimates, and a range of validity tests were conducted...

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the usefulness of the trauma intervention, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), for adolescents in residential treatment. METHOD: The study employed a secondary analysis of 132 adolescent trauma cases collected from youth while in a residential treatment facility in Mississippi. RESULTS: Analysis indicated that clients showed significant decreases in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity scores after receiving TF-CBT in residential care...

GenerateHope (GH) is a San Diego-based 501c3 nonprofit organization providing fully integrated, comprehensive rehabilitation services to adult female survivors of sex trafficking. While best practices for working with survivors of sex trafficking are slowly emerging, to date, there have been few publications on this subject and little data on either short- or long-term outcomes from the many and varied programs nationwide. This paper examines the GH residential program and provides early outcome results for residents living at the GH program between six and 12 months...

Empiricism and the application of human behavior theory to inquiry are regarded as markers of high-quality research. Unfortunately, scholars have noted that there are many gaps in theory and empiricism within the human trafficking literature, calling into question the legitimacy of policies and practices that are derived from the available data. To date, there has not been an analysis of the extent to which empirical methods and human behavior theory have been applied to domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) research as a subcategory of human trafficking inquiry...

PURPOSES: We revised the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS) to develop a measure of social support specific to residential long-term care (LTC) settings, the LSNS-LTC with five domains (i.e., family, friends, residents, volunteers, and staff). METHODS: The authors modified the LSNS-18 to capture sources of social support specific to LTC, specifically relationships with residents, volunteers, and staff. We piloted the resultant 28-item measure with 64 LTC residents...

PURPOSE: Pathological dissociation (PD) is an easily overlooked phenomenon in the mental health field. Standardized assessment is important for identifying dissociative symptoms and disorders. However, the use of PD measures in Chinese cultures needs investigation. This pilot study investigated the psychometric properties of three PD measures among Hong Kong Chinese. METHODS: The psychometric properties of the Dissociative Experiences Scale-Taxon, the 5-item Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire, and the Self-Report Version of the Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule (SR-DDIS) were evaluated using online methods in Hong Kong...

Established in 2011, the Center for Social Innovation at Boston College has focused on fostering "effective, sustainable social innovations that enhance social justice." the Center is committed to building research evidence that is used for changing practice and works to disseminate findings through a three-channel approach: traditional research publications, convening of practitioners, and through use of media outlets.

Using as an example a project where the Norwegian Labor and Welfare Directorate developed a comprehensive model for the follow-up of low-income families, this article demonstrates the process of developing a program theory for policy-initiated interventions. The data consist of interviews with program developers, political documents from early stages, and observations of the program's development. The results demonstrate that, although research inspired the program developers, the program was also the outcome of policy priorities, experiences from earlier projects, and input from the practice field...

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The challenge of maximizing the well-being of children, youth, and families is recognizing that change occurs within complex social systems. Organizations dedicated to improving practice, advancing knowledge, and informing policy for the betterment of all must have the right approach, structure, and personnel to work in these complex systems. The University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research cultivates a portfolio of innovation, research, and data science approaches positioned to help move social service fields locally, regionally, and nationally...