John S. Wodarski

Domestic violence research: Theoretical and practice implications for social work

Identified in the late eighties as the number one public health risk to adult women by the Surgeon General of the United States, domestic violence remains the leading cause of injuries to women, ages 15 to 44, more common than muggings, auto accidents and cancer deaths combined (U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, 1992). Academics and practitioners have assessed the problem and its potential solutions using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Yet, how far have we come and how much do we really know? This paper will attempt to answer these questions by critiquing the “current state of affairs” of domestic violence research. Common theories of causation and their applications to social work theory and practice will be delineated and an ecologically based intervention for domestic violence will be proposed.

The effectiveness of child welfare services for poor, neglected children: A review of the empirical evidence

This article attempts to formulate a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of child welfare services. First, factors that would put a family at risk of child welfare service intervention are examined. Then various levels of service intervention, including family preservation, foster care, group care, and residential treatment, are analyzed. Because they are arguably the fastest growing population with the greatest needs, neglected and abused children whose family backgrounds involve multiple problems are focused on as the yardstick for judging program effectiveness. Finally, social work research and practice applications are discussed and recommendations are given.

Differential uses for BSW and MSW educated social workers in child welfare services

Abstract A rationale is offered for deciding how to use BSW and MSW educated social workers in child protective services. Generalist skills taught in BSW programs prepare students for work as hot-line screeners, foster care case managers, and case workers with low-to-moderate risk families, and to recruit, screen, and train foster and adoptive parents. Skills taught in MSW programs are needed for conducting initial investigations, working with high risk families, terminating parental rights, placing children with adoptive families, and by administrative and supervisory staff.

Assessment and effective treatments of childhood psychopathology: Responsibilities and implications for practice

Children are presenting with a variety of mental health concerns to practitioners resulting in the need for thorough assessment, accurate diagnosing, and the most effective treatment available. Clinicians have a responsibility to keep abreast of and to provide the most effective treatment interventions available for their young clients. A review of the literature indicates that indeed there is a growing body of knowledge regarding treatment effectiveness for childrens mental health needs which practitioners have an ethical responsibility to utilize. Professional development, legal ramifications and implications for practice in the managed care arena are discussed.

Clinical assessment instruments in the treatment of child abuse and neglect

Accurate assessment is essential for effective practice #opWodarski, 1981#cp. In child welfare, where assessments must depend on direct as well as indirect evidence, data on parental attitudes toward the victim, problem behaviors within the family constellation, and possible compromising psychopathologies can be obtained through the use of standardized scales. A variety of objective measures pertinent to the assessment of child abuse and neglect are now available that can be used by practitioners with minimal disruption in terms of time, energy, cost, and ease of administration. The purpose of this article is to review a variety of instruments that child welfare workers, specifically, and practitioners involved in childrens services, in general, can use in the assessment of child abuse and neglect.

Prevention of Childhood Mental Disorders: A Literature Review Reflecting Hope and a Vision for the Future

Mental illness takes its emotional and financial toll on the 7.5 million children presently inflicted with a mental disorder in the United States, their families, and society as a whole. Resources and a vision for preventive research has been limited, but the tide appears to be turning. The following paper reviews the literature on prevention and resiliency related to childrens mental disorders and outlines some of the recent recommendations from The Institute of Medicine (1994) in regards to the urgency of their proposed agenda for preventive intervention research in the area of child and adolescent mental disorders. Recommendations and implications for policy makers, researchers, and practitioners are considered.

THE ROLE FOR SOCIAL WORKERS IN THE MANAGED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: A MODEL FOR EMPIRICALLY BASED PSYCHO-SOCIAL INTERVENTIONS

The health care industry is changing rapidly, and with it will come changes to managed health care as it is now known. This article addresses a fundamental paradigm shift with far reaching implications for the effectiveness of health care, the cost-efficiency of health care systems, and the service integration of systems (Masia, Anderson, McNeil, & Hawkins, 1997). These changes are affecting previously segregated delivery systems, specifically those of health and mental health. Increased costs and proposed budget cuts are forcing segregated systems into an overall integrated delivery system. Successful therapeutic outcomes in psycho-social treatment depend on a number of variables. In this manuscript, the author outlines worker characteristics that are recommended based on various research studies and general outcomes of behavioral change. Issues discussed include the similarity of client and worker characteristics, attributes of professionals versus paraprofessionals, and many common factors of worker efficacy. In addition, many treatment components are discussed such as length of therapy, behavior acquisition procedures, enhancement of treatment technologies, and level of intervention strategies such as individual treatment versus group treatment. A detailed cost analysis of social work follows, including cost benefits and cost effectiveness. Finally, a profile of the behavioral/health social worker is given that defines what abilities an effective behavioral social worker should possess. Among these are the depth of an acceptable knowledge base, the behavioral skills necessary for an intellectual and conceptual understanding of theories of human development and learning, and the utilization of techniques necessary to bring about behavioral changes in clinical practice. From these characteristics, a basis is formed for the emerging roles for behavioral interventions in primary care that will ultimately increase the quality of mental health care while effectively controlling medical costs. It has been shown that increasingly health care costs and the effective management of health care are of primary importance and concern to federal, state, and local governments. It is necessary to develop innovative, successful, and cost effective treatments and procedures. This manuscript proposes such a procedure by first defining the problems to be addressed, by applying research and studies for support, and by presenting an innovative model for cost effective managed health care and empirically based psycho-social intervention.

Evidence-informed assessment and practice in child welfare

Preface.- Section One- The Context for Providing Evidence-Informed Assessments for Children and Families.- Educating BSW and MSW Social Workers to Practice in Child Welfare Services.- Legal Requisites for Social Work Practice in Child Abuse and Neglect.- Child Development.- Contributing Factors to Child Sexual Abuse.- The Integrated Model for Human Service Delivery in Child Welfare.- Section Two- Field-Tested Evidence-Informed Assessments.- Risk Assessment: Issues and Implementation in Child Protective Services.- Assessment Methods.- Substance Use and Abuse: Screening Tools and Assessment Instruments.- Section Three- Field-Tested Evidence-Informed Interventions.- The process of Intervention with Multi-problem Families: Theoretical and Practical Guidelines.- A Comprehensive Treatment Model for Child Maltreatment.- Child Maltreatment.-Parent Training.- Adolescent Employment Intervention.- The Empirical Base for the Implementation of Social Skills Training with Maltreated Children.- Preventative Services for Children and Adolescents.