Joanne Yaffe

Evaluation of wraparound services for severely emotionally disturbed youths

Objectives: Services to children and adolescents with a severe emotional disturbance (SED) have long been inadequate. The wraparound approach has emerged as a promising practice that could address the needs of children with SED and their families through a strength-based, individualized, family-focused team process that emphasizes flexible service planning. This study compares the outcomes of youth receiving the wraparound approach with youth receiving traditional child welfare case management. Method: Child behavior and community integration outcomes were measured at intake and at 6 months in services. Results: Results indicated that youth receiving the wraparound approach showed significant improvement on the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) when compared with youth receiving traditional child welfare services. Results also showed that youth receiving traditional child welfare services experienced significantly fewer placements. However, neither group showed significant differences on other clinical or functional outcomes. Conclusions: Results are discussed, as well as applications to social work practice, study limitations, and recommendations for additional research on wraparound.

Women and Substance Abuse: Implications for Treatment

Until the, past decade, research related to womens patterns of substance abuse has rarely been reported. Although womens rates of substance use and abuse are generally lower than mens, the social, psychological, physiological and economic effects of substance abuse in women are particularly severe. This paper reviews patterns of substance abuse unique to women and examines their implications for treatment of women. Recommendations include revision of program and reimbursement policies and development of gender-sensitive assessment and intervention protocols. It is suggested that advocacy, parent training, and concrete, medical and vocational services be incorporated into treatment programming for female substance abusers.

Use of Meta-Analysis in Social Work and Allied Disciplines

Abstract Meta-analysis is rapidly becoming the gold-standard for conducting integrative literature reviews. To better understand the role of meta-analysis scholarship in social work, we analyzed publication patterns of meta-analysis across five disciplines: family studies, nursing, psychology, psychiatry, and social work. The frequency and proportion of published meta-analytic studies, critiques of particular meta-analytic studies, and articles discussing meta-analysis methodology were calculated by coding articles from the 10 highest impact journals within each discipline across a 24-year period. All disciplines are increasingly publishing meta-analysis scholarship, though social work lags behind in publishing and commenting on published meta-analyses. Implications are discussed for promoting and strengthening social works ability to effectively produce and benefit from meta-analytic research.

Hypermedia Computer-Based Education in Social Work Education.

Abstract Hypermedia computer-based education (CBE) is an emerging information technology that makes possible user-directed, nonsequential exploration of, and interaction with, information presented through a variety of media including text, animation, graphics, sound, and video. This article describes hypermedia CBE and briefly reviews the research on its instructional efficacy. A synopsis of the theoretical foundation covers cognitive theory concepts of information networks and associative learning, web teaching principles, andragogical theory as it relates to social work education, and hypermedia CBE structure. Examples of current and potential applications in social work education demonstrate that hypermedia CBE can emulate the dynamic, iterative learning process of knowledge acquisition, knowledge testing, and content integration through practice simulation.

Factors Affecting Mental Health Service Utilization Among Deployed Military Personnel

This study contrasts the characteristics of clients using military mental health services in deployed and nondeployed settings, the communications between their mental health providers and commanders, and the impact of mental health services on their military duties. The study explored the rates of command communication and duty restrictions across settings and referral sources. The study used secondary data from two predominantly Air Force sources: (1) deployed data collected in 2005 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar; and (2) nondeployed data collected in 2001 at various nondeployed settings. Chi2 analyses were used to compare the demographic variables, command communication, and duty restrictions. Among self-referrals, there were higher rates of command communication and duty restrictions in the deployed setting. Further analysis found that the rate of self-referral to mental health services did not vary significantly across settings despite the barriers of increased command communications and duty restrictions in the deployed setting. This study extends the findings of Rowan and Campises 2006 initial nondeployed study into the deployed environment.

Using Computer-Assisted Instruction to Teach Axis-H of the DSM-III-R to Social Work Students

An Apple Macintosh HyperCard interactive educational program was designed to train social work graduate students in making accurate diagnoses with DSM-III-R Axis II diagnostic criteria. The teaching efficacy of this hypermedia program (HyperAxis II) was tested in an experiment in which 22 first-year social work graduate students were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group used HyperAxis II, whereas the second group used a training manual con taining the same information. Both groups had statistically significant increases in diagnostic speed and accuracy. Although the HyperAxis II group rated the computer program more difficult to use than the control group rated the training manual, they demonstrated significantly stronger liking for the computer program as an instructional medium.

Today's Studies, Tomorrow's Meta-Analyses: Implications for Evidence Informed Decision–Making in Social Work

ABSTRACT Meta-analyses play an important role in understanding aspects of human functioning and program effectiveness. Meta-analyses also inform practice and policy decision making in areas of interest to social work. This study examined the degree to which recent quantitative reports in top social work journals are eligible for inclusion in future meta-analytic studies based on method rigor. The results suggest a mixed picture. Articles in top social work journals typically present sufficient information on participant characteristics, p values, and Mean values, yet they often fail to present sufficient information on variance indicators or the precise numbers of participants, which limits the ability to calculate effect sizes. Furthermore, less than 10% of the reports utilized randomized experimental designs or tested for group equivalence. To enhance social works ability to make evidence-based decisions by producing more meta-analyses, researchers should provide more detail in study reports and use stronger research designs.

The use of TeleCAM as a remote Web-based application for child maltreatment assessment, peer review, and case documentation.

Approximately 1 million children are physically or sexually abused each year in the United States. Accurate diagnosis of these children and subsequent extensive legal intervention requires a thorough clinical assessment as well as legal documentation. A Web-based application developed for the remote sharing of child maltreatment assessment among multiple child protection providers is presented. Usability data was collected from medical personnel at three remote Utah Childrens Advocacy Centers (CACs) and one urban tertiary childrens hospital. Qualitative findings are summarized and satisfaction differences are reported between remote sites and their referral tertiary center.

Guest Editorial—Where's the Evidence for Social Work Education?

As the title of this guest editorial suggests, I am about to throw down a challenge to social work educators. The 2008 National Association of Social Workers’ (NASW) Code of Ethics (NASW, 2008) demands that “[s]ocial workers who function as educators, field instructors for students, or trainers should provide instruction only within their areas of knowledge and competence and should provide instruction based on the most current information and knowledge available in the profession” (Section 3.02 a). Further, if social work education can be thought of as professional practice, then Section 1.04 c of the code (NASW, 2008) admonishes social work educators that

Depression and Conduct Disorder Among Hospitalized Adolescents

The characteristics of fifty hospitalized adolescents diagnosed with either depressionor depression with conduct disorder were examined. Youths diagnosed with depression had significantly greater anxiety and significantly less peer popularity than youths diagnosed with depression and conduct disorder. Depressed youths also experienced significantly fewer behavior problems than youths diagnosed with depression and conduct disorder. Implications for the diagnosis and treatment of adolescent depression and conduct disorder are discussed.