Catherine M. Lemieux

SERVICE LEARNING IN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION: THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE, PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICALITIES, AND PRACTICE CONUNDRUMS

This article reviews research-based knowledge about service learning in social work education. Student learning outcomes common to both service learning and social work education are examined, and the research-based literature on service learning in social work is analyzed. Service-learning practice issues in social work education are described: creating learning activities distinct from those required in field practica, managing conflicts of interest among students employed in the field, minimizing professional ethics violations, and assisting students who observe unprofessional practice behaviors. Recommendations for planning, implementing, and evaluating service-learning projects in social work education are provided to strengthen scholarship in this area.

Volunteerism among social work students during hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Abstract This study examined volunteer activities and predictors of volunteerism among graduate and undergraduate social work students (N = 416) from four universities in the Gulf Coast area following hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The convenience sample drawn from all social work students at these universities included 89% females, and 52% of the students were in a masters level program. Sixty-one percent of the respondents were African American and 31% were non-Hispanic white. The majority of students volunteered (97%) despite experiencing a range of hurricane-related stressors. Multivariate analyses yielded a regression model that best predicted heightened volunteerism, which included age, school site, previous volunteer experience, hurricane-related stressors, altruism, and increased commitment to social work values (R 2 = .35). The strongest predictors of volunteerism were stressor, increased commitment to social work values, and altruism (betas = .30, .26, and .21 respectively). The findings are consistent with previous research on volunteering in times of disaster and with current thinking about posttraumatic growth .

Mental Health, Substance Use, and Adaptive Coping among Social Work Students in the Aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

The current study examined mental health symptomology, substance use, and adaptive coping among 416 social work students following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Among participants, 47% scored at or above the clinical level for depression, with 6% of students showing clinical PTSD-like symptoms, and 16.9% reporting substance use. Two thirds (66.9%) employed 8 of the 10 adaptive coping responses. Negative cognitive and emotional reactions to the hurricanes correlated positively with mental health symptomology and 7 of the 10 adaptive coping responses. In the aftermath of a natural disaster, it is critical to provide students with education, information, and close supervision to address issues around impairment and vulnerability and to maximize resilience.

Seminar on Addictive Disorders: An Exploration of Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior

ABSTRACT A module-based training on addictive disorders was implemented with 46 foundation- and 78 advanced-year students. Pre-test-posttest results indicated that foundation-year students increased their knowledge of theories of addiction (p < .05). Foundation- and advanced-year students increased their knowledge of treatment approaches (p < .01). Using an instrument developed by the authors, both foundation- and advanced-year students reported positive attitudes and behaviors toward persons with substance abuse disorders. Advanced-year students reported increased confidence in their skills (p < .05) over time. They also reported that, to a significantly greater degree, they were able to rule out substance abuse among clients (p < .05) and to make appropriate referrals (p < .05) over time. These findings are inconsistent with an existing body of research demonstrating negative student attitudes and indifference toward clients with alcohol problems.

Modeling the Post-9/11 Meaning-Laden Paradox: From Deep Connection and Deep Struggle to Posttraumatic Stress and Growth

The prospective study follows college students after the 9/11 attacks. Based on evidence and trauma-related theories, and guided by reports on positive and negative reactions and meaning-related actions among Americans after 9/11, we explored the seemingly contradictory, yet meaning-related pathways to posttraumatic growth (PTG) and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTGD), indicating the sense of deep interconnectedness and deep conflict. The final model showed that 9/11 emotional turmoil triggered processes of assimilation, as indicated in pathways between prayer coping and perceived spiritual and social support, and of accommodation, as indicated in the pathway of spiritual struggle. Both pathways were directly associated with PTG in the follow-up. Perceived spiritual and social support contributed to lower levels of PTSD symptoms, whereas spiritual struggle had an opposite impact on symptoms; both effects were mediated through optimism but in opposite directions. The study suggests the interplay of complex crisis-related phenomena following meaning-laden collective trauma that presented existential challenges, involving coping, optimism, deep conflict, and deep interconnectedness.

The Challenge of Empowerment in Child Protective Services: A Case Study of a Mother with Mental Retardation

This article applies principles of empowerment-oriented practice to interventions with families headed by mothers with mental retardation who come before protective services. Strategies that support empowerment, inclusion, and self-determination are described in a detailed case study, followed by an analysis of the strengths and limitations of practice. Empowerment and advocacy activities, while inherently valuable, are time-consuming and can conflict with the expectations, time frames, and expected outcomes of child protective services. This article concludes with suggestions for social work practice and research to increase knowledge about the experiences of mothers with mental retardation.

Social work students in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: correlates of post-disaster substance use as a negative coping mechanism

Abstract Social work students’ post-disaster coping while in the field is an important workforce issue with ethical implications. The current study utilized secondary data collected in a previous study examining post-disaster alcohol and other drug (AOD) use among social work student volunteers (N = 416) in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (HKR). The current sample included participants from the original study who responded to a single-item measure of AOD use as a negative coping mechanism (N = 290). The present study examined potential explanatory variables of AOD use in the aftermath of HKR, including demographic (age, gender, and race) and psychosocial characteristics (hurricane-related stressors, previous traumatic stressors, and post-traumatic stress). The multivariate logistic regression model distinguished between students who never or rarely used AOD and those who used AOD often to cope with HKR, accounting for 24% of model variance. Social work students who report post-disaster AOD use may risk experiencing additional, trauma-related vulnerabilities, should be further assessed, and provided necessary specialized supports to enable their well-being and to prevent impaired practice.

Interrelationships Among Physical Health, Health-Related, and Psychosocial Characteristics of Persons Receiving Integrated Care in Community Mental Health Settings

ABSTRACT Integrated primary and behavioral health care (PBHC) programs in community mental health (CMH) settings seek to address the health disparities and excess mortality of persons with serious mental illness (SMI) and comorbid medical disorders. The current cross-sectional, descriptive study utilized an integrated health data set to examine interrelationships among physical health, health-related, and psychosocial characteristics of 125 clients receiving integrated PBHC services in a CMH setting. Using baseline data collected by nurse care managers, researchers sought to develop a comprehensive, person-centered profile of adults in CMH agencies. Results showed that participants reported fair overall health, with mean scores on four of eight health indicators in the at-risk range. Disparities on some measures emerged for women, African Americans, and clients with a family history of cardiometabolic disorders. Participants reported moderate levels of functioning and psychological distress and moderately high levels of social connectedness. Approximately 27% of the variance in overall health was explained by five predictors in the model. Blood glucose levels and daily functioning were the strongest predictors of health status. Results are consistent with research on comorbidity that emphasizes the multidimensionality of health. Future social work research should employ multivariate approaches to identify disparities and clarify treatment needs of diverse CMH clients.

Therapeutic Communities for Youths in Secure Care: Participant Characteristics and Predictors of Treatment and Postrelease Supervision

ABSTRACT The current cross-sectional, descriptive study utilized services data to examine the characteristics, treatment, and postrelease outcomes of 226 male (64.6%) and female (35.4%) youths in therapeutic communities (TCs) housed within three secure-care facilities in one Southern state. The results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that approximately 21% of the variance in amount of TC services received was predicted by demographic, psychosocial, and institutional variables. Girls received less TC treatment than boys, and participants with disciplinary tickets received more treatment than those without tickets. The binary logistic regression model distinguished between youths who were and were not placed under supervision upon release, with relevant predictors explaining about 40% of the variance. Implications for practice and research with youths in institution-based TCs are discussed.

Financial Knowledge and Behaviors of Chinese Migrant Workers: An International Perspective on a Financially Vulnerable Population

ABSTRACT Making informed financial decisions is crucial to the wellbeing of Chinese migrant workers. Using interview survey data (N = 329), this study examined financial knowledge and behaviors of migrant workers in China. Results showed that participants demonstrated low levels of financial knowledge (51.4%) and beneficial financial behaviors (51.0%). Multivariate results indicated that a modest proportion of the variance in financial behaviors was explained by financial knowledge, attitudes, and socio-demographic characteristics (e.g., marital status and income). Findings underscore the importance of disseminating culturally-relevant educational interventions to financially at-risk, low-paid migrant workers in China.