Donna Leigh Bliss

Reducing barriers to interprofessional training: Promoting interprofessional cultural competence

The need to train health professionals who can work across disciplines is essential for effective, competent, and culturally sensitive health care delivery. By its very nature, the provision of health service requires communication and coordination between practitioners. However, preparation for interdisciplinary practice within the health care setting is rare. The authors argue that the primary reason students are not trained across disciplines is related to the diverse cultural structures that guide and moderate health education environments. It is further argued that this profession specific “cultural frame” must be addressed if there is any hope of having interprofessional education accepted as a valued and fully integrated dimension of our curriculum. Each health discipline possess its own professional culture that shapes the educational experience; determines curriculum content, core values, customs, dress, salience of symbols, the meaning, attribution, and etiology of symptoms; as well as defines what constitutes health, wellness and treatment success. Most importantly, professional culture defines the means for distributing power; determines how training should proceed within the clinical setting; and the level and nature of inter-profession communication, resolution of conflicts and management of relationships between team members and constituents. It might be said that one factor limiting interdisciplinary training is profession-centrism. If we are to achieve effective and fully integrated interdisciplinary education, we must decrease profession-centrism by crafting curriculum that promotes interprofessional cultural competence. The article explores how to promote interprofessional cultural competence within the health education setting.

Empirical Research on Spirituality and Alcoholism: A Review of the Literature

ABSTRACT The apparent success of Alcoholics Anonymous and its spiritually based program of recovery in 1935 led early researchers to explore how AA worked and ultimately led to more formalized research on alcoholism and spirituality in the latter part of the 20th century. Using Millers suggested research framework, a review of empirical research was conducted on four roles of spiritual variables in alcohol abuse and recovery. Tentative conclusions about the relationship between alcoholism and spirituality are provided. Limitations of studies are examined and implications for social work research are discussed.

Screening and Brief Intervention Practice Model for Social Workers in Non-Substance-Abuse Practice Settings

The social costs of substance abuse problems in the United States are staggering. Although social work has a long history of working in the substance abuse field, the profession does not pay similar attention to potential substance abuse problems in non-substance-abuse practice areas despite the high prevalence of substance abuse in these settings. A screening and brief intervention practice model that emphasizes a feasible and practical framework for social workers to screen for potential substance abuse problems in non-substance-abuse practice settings and make appropriate brief interventions is provided. Implications for social work educators, administrators, and practitioners are discussed.

The Education Participation Scale-Modified: Evaluating a Measure of Continuing Education.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the measurement model and theory underlying the Educational Participation Scale–Modified (EPS-M) using confirmatory factor analysis. A probability sample of 225 licensed social workers in Maryland completed the mailed survey. The findings support a six independent factor model. Results also support the EPS-M as a valid and reliable measure for identifying motivational orientations of social workers who pursue continuing professional education. Professional knowledge was the most frequently reported motivational orientation. Implications regarding social workers’ motivational orientations and the design of continuing professional education activities are discussed.

Ethnic Differences in Spirituality in a Sample of Men and Women in Diverse Substance Abuse Treatment Settings: Implications for Practitioners

There has been a growing recognition of the need to understand the role of spirituality in ethnically diverse populations in social work and other helping professions. Although researchers are increasingly examining ethnic variations in prevalence rates, treatment utilization, and treatment outcomes for individuals with substance abuse problems, limited research attention has been focused on the relationship between spirituality and ethnicity in the substance abuse field. The current study addressed this gap in the literature by comparing three ethnically diverse groups in terms of multiple aspects of spirituality. Findings showed that African Americans scored significantly higher in spiritual well-being, religiousness, and cognitive orientation toward spirituality compared to Whites, whereas Whites scored significantly higher in existential well-being compared to African Americans. Hispanics scored significantly lower in experiential/phenomenological dimension of spirituality compared to Whites and African Americans. Implications for practitioners are discussed.

Blueprint for Creating a Social Work-Centered Disaster Relief Initiative

Abstract The damage to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast caused by Hurricane Katrina and the resulting need for comprehensive and sustained assistance to affected communities and families revealed limitations in conventional disaster responses. A blueprint for creating a disaster relief initiative was developed by a school of social work and a local human service organization. This, then, became the impetus for creating a three-stage, family-focused, extended disaster relief initiative. Using ecological theory and service-learning as frameworks, the initiative helped address the needs of families who moved to Athens, Georgia in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The responsive, adaptable, and sustainable nature of this model in addressing both immediate and long-term needs of the families is presented. Process evaluation and data on the helpfulness of the model by stakeholders who participated in the project are also provided. Implications are directed to social workers, educators, helping professionals, and policymakers who respond to such disasters .

Sexual Orientation Differences in Spirituality in a Sample of Alcoholics Anonymous Members: Implications for Practitioners

Although research interest on the relationship between spirituality and substance misuse has grown in breadth and depth since the latter part of the twentieth century, very little research examines sexual orientation differences in this relationship. The purpose of this study is to begin to address this omission by examining sexual orientation differences (heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual) in spirituality among a sample of 100 members of Alcoholics Anonymous. Spirituality was measured using the five-dimension Expressions of Spirituality Inventory–Revised. Persons who identified as homosexuals had significantly lower cognitive orientation toward spirituality compared to heterosexuals. Bisexuals had significantly higher paranormal beliefs scores compared to heterosexuals. The role of internalized homophobia due to the confounding of judgmental, disaffirming religious dogma with spirituality in interpreting study findings is explored. Practice implications for addressing spirituality in sexual minorities who undergo substance misuse treatment are examined.

Severity of Alcohol Dependence: Impact on Spirituality in Early Treatment Process

Despite the increase in formalized research on the relationship between spirituality and alcohol dependence, a review of the empirical literature highlighted gaps in the research, as the predominant focus has been on the role of spirituality in the recovery process. This study addressed those gaps by examining how the severity of alcohol dependence impacted spiritual beliefs, attitudes, experiences, lifestyle practices, and spiritual well-being in a sample of 180 men and women in early treatment for alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyze data. Hypothesis 1 was supported, as increasing severity of alcohol dependence predicted decreasing levels of spiritual well-being. Hypothesis 2 was potentially supported, as increasing severity of alcohol dependence unexpectedly predicted higher levels of existential well-being. Implications for assessment and treatment are discussed.

Gender Differences in Spirituality in Persons in Alcohol and Drug Dependence Treatment

Although research has begun to broadly address gender differences in alcohol and drug dependence, there is a dearth of research on gender differences in spirituality in this area, despite the increased research emphasis on the role of spirituality in the recovery process. This study addressed this gap by examining gender differences in five dimensions of spirituality in persons in diverse alcohol and drug dependence treatment settings. The hypothesis that there would be gender differences in spirituality was supported as women had higher levels of expression of cognitive orientation toward spirituality compared to men. Implications for alcohol and drug dependence treatment and research are discussed.

Beyond the Disease Model: Reframing the Etiology of Alcoholism From a Spiritual Perspective

The disease model of alcoholism, which has gained prominence since the mid-20th century as the major etiological model of alcoholism, suffers from several limitations including its overemphasis on biological factors at the expense of other psychosocial factors, in addition to its lack of consistency with a holistic, social work person-in-environment perspective. The increased interest in spirituality among social work and other helping professionals calls on educators and practitioners to be at the forefront of efforts to develop new holistic conceptualizations of alcoholism that can incorporate spirituality. Using transpersonal theory as a conceptual framework, a spiritual etiological model of alcoholism is presented that complements the strengths of the disease model by allowing for the inclusion of biological determinants of alcoholism, providing a complementary way to understand alcoholism that can be taught to students and utilized by practitioners.