Carolyn J. Tice

Suicide and Older Adults: The Strengths Perspective in Practice

Suicide rates are higher among older adults than any other age group. In many instances, suicide among older adults can be prevented. One approach that can be used for prevention is the strengths perspective. This article offers an intervention technique that improves the coping of senior suicide clients by forming a coalition with the therapist and client to overcome the perceived unbearable pain that can lead to suicide completion. Rather than ignore the strengths that older adults have tapped throughout their lives, this approach builds on the older persons preexisting survival skills. The strenghts perspective challenges the current system of mental health services that predominately focuses on the dysfunctions and pathology of clients.

Assessing an Interdisciplinary Health Care Model: The Governor's Wellmobile Program

This article assesses the applicability of Bronsteins (2003) generic model of interdisciplinary collaboration in the context of a newly created collaboration providing community-based health care services, the Governors Wellmobile Program. An analysis of the programs quarterly reports and interviews with faculty and students involved in the collaboration offers an assessment of the model and implications for interdisciplinary social work practice in community health care delivery.

Sexuality Education and Adolescents with Developmental Disabilities: Assessment, Policy, and Advocacy

ABSTRACT People with disabilities are sexual beings who, like all of us, benefit from sexuality education that examines relationship skills and knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and values that promote healthy sexuality within those relationships. This article provides an overview of landmark policies relevant to persons with disabilities, defines the strengths perspective in the context of curriculum development, and describes a survey built on this perspective that evaluates sexuality education curricula on the strengths rather than the deficits of people.

Power and Social Work: A Change in Direction

This article examines the elite model of conceptualizing poverty. The authors contend that elites frame the discussions about employment and poverty; consequently, they prevent any meaningful examination of the root causes of poverty and circumvent any proposals that shift the balance of power. The challenge for social work is that the elite model considers the profession as an agent responsible for executing social policy that supports the status quo. Thus, social workers have unwittingly become part of the problem. The authors argue that the way to address this problem is to transform the profession of social work from within. Among the ways to create this transformation are to focus social work education on the function of politics; strengthen field education; promote action-based research; and integrate a global perspective into practice and policy initiatives.

Reducing Student Bias Against Older Adults Through the Use of Literature

Human services educators must address the issue of students’ bias toward older adults to encourage interest and meet the growing need for professionals in the field. The use of literature can challenge students’ preconceptions of older adults while innovative teaching methods can guide their development of more tolerant views and introduce them to a field that they may have previously given little consideration. Based on a model of cultural competence development, teaching strategies, learning objectives, literature, and an evaluation are suggested.

Social work doctoral education in the United States: examining the past, preparing for the future

The relevance of doctoral education is being questioned across a wide spectrum of disciplines, and social work is no exception. An examination of the history of social work education in the United States provides a backdrop to the current challenges in doctoral education in the field. The historical role of research and teaching in social work education, the structure of doctoral social work education in the United States including the Ph.D. vs. the DSW, and the growth of doctoral programs are all examined. Current issues explored include: the interdisciplinary nature of practice; increased institutional focus on funded research; support for underrepresented doctoral students; and the need for doctoral students to be trained in pedagogy. Suggestions on how to address these issues are provided in order to enhance social work’s mission of teaching, research and service.

The Great Recession of 2007: An Agenda for Social Justice

ABSTRACT The Great Recession, the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression, officially began in December 2007 with an 8 trillion dollar housing bubble and lasted until June 2009, resulting in loss in consumer spending and collapse in the nation’s business investment. For American workers, the Great Recession had far-reaching implications: unemployment, underemployment, pay cuts, and cutbacks in household spending. Although social work has a historical commitment to address the vulnerabilities of people and communities, we argue that the profession neglected to understand fully the factors associated with the Great Recession and to mount an agenda for justice in response to its worker-related impact.

HIV/AIDS in Uganda, Sub-Saharan Africa and Appalachia: comparison and contrast

Abstract There is a dearth of information on the national and international rural HIV/AIDS epidemic. This article provides information on this topic by comparing the HIV/AIDS situation in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a special emphasis on Uganda, to that of Appalachia America. Best practice suggestions are offered for both regions.