Loring Jones

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Victims of Domestic Violence A Review of the Research

The objectives of this research were to analyze data from literature based on studies of battered women to determine (a) the correlation of domestic violence and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), (b) the best treatment strategies for PTSD, and (c) the evidence of PTSD treatment effectiveness with battered women. Findings were (a) symptoms of battered women are consistent with PTSD symptoms; (b) certain populations are at higher risk of developing PTSD symptoms; (c) intensity, duration, and perception of the battering experience is a significant factor in the severity of the PTSD symptoms; (d) demographic variables influence PTSD severity; (e) standardized PTSD assessment is needed by professionals working with women experiencing domestic violence; (f) there is a need for greater public health involvement for prevention, identification, and medical treatment of domestic violence and PTSD; and (g) certain treatment strategies are recommended for PTSD but lack rigorous testing of their efficacy.

The social and family correlates of successful reunification of children in foster care

Abstract The research reported in this paper is an exploratory effort to describe the social and environmental characteristics of families that prevent successful reunification efforts. Social and environmental include income, economic, housing, social support, and family structure variables. It was hypothesized that these variables would show significant associations with reunification outcomes. Study data were derived from case record review and from computerized data files at DSS. The database contained extensive status information on all children, ages birth to 12, removed from their homes for more than 72 hours by DSS from 4/29/90 to 10/1/91. Target children were followed during the period they received services and, for nine months after they were reunified with their parents. Analysis focused on identifying factors that predicted reinvolvement with the service system. The final sample consisted of 445 Findings were that poverty and economic deprivation, as expressed by inadequate housing, might be the greatest risk from the social environment for successful reunification. Most notable among the social variables in determining outcomes are the receipt of AFDC and removal from a home with inadequate housing. The number of parents in the household did not predict either a referral or a reentry into foster care. A child with medical or behavioral problems was more likely to reenter foster care. Non-white children were more likely to re-enter out-of-home care. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Decision making in child welfare: A critical review of the literature

The decision to intervene with families has enormous implications for a democratic society. Child protective services must both protect children and families. Practice theory, social policies, and agency procedures have not provided a consensus on the criteria to guide decision making in child welfare. This paper reviews the empirical studies in the decision making literature for the purposes of: identifying variables workers are using to guide their decisions; identifying major professional concerns and issues with this literature; and suggest questions for further research.

The Characteristics of Domestic Violence Victims in a Child Protective Service Caseload

The objective of this research was to identify case characteristics of domestic violence cases in a child protective services (CPS) caseload. The sample was drawn from a large California county, and consisted of 442 children chosen at random from among all children who had a newly substantiated abuse case over a 6-month period. Files of sample children were reviewed to derive study data. There were 187 children (42.3%) from families with at least one domestic violence incident. Parents with a domestic violence incident were significantly more likely to have problem characteristics such as substance abuse, and to have more previous CPS referrals than nondomestic violence families. Domestic violence victims were more likely to rely on public assistance, and were less likely to have an employed parent than nonvictims. Domestic violence cases were more likely than nondomestic violence cases to contain a charge of physical abuse, emotional abuse, or failure to protect, and were more likely to have been reported to CPS by the police. Domestic violence victims received more services, conditions in the service plan, and contact from their social workers than nonvictims. Variables that predicted new referrals during a 6-month follow-up period were examined in logistic regression. Domestic violence, previous referrals to CPS, the number of social work contacts, and having an unemployed father were variables that predicted a new referral. More contact with social workers predicted new referrals. These findings suggest that either interventions with domestic violence cases are ineffective or the chronic nature of domestic violence makes new referrals for child maltreatment more likely because mandated reporters such as police intervene with domestic violence.

A Broadened Horizon: The Value of International Social Work Internships

Globalization demands that social work educators initiate educational programs that promote understanding of global problems and country‐specific interventions to address transnational problems. Moreover, the global movement of peoples means that social workers must be increasingly adept at working with different cultural groups. This paper outlines an international social work internship jointly sponsored by San Diego State University and Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand. The internship program sought to expose students to social work and social welfare practices different than those in the United States and to the impact of problems such as AIDS and child abuse in a different culture. Moreover, the internship program focused on cultural learning and promoted the development of ethnorelativism, a perspective that incorporates another cultures world view. The paper outlines the creation of the internships, student activities and learning, and skills gained.

Unemployment and Child Abuse

The author reviews the evidence linking unemployment with increasing rates of child abuse. Professionals who work with children and families need to become aware of the relationship between psychosocial and economic functioning. The mechanisms accounting for the observed relationship between abuse and joblessness are discussed, and implications for practice with families are identified.

The Distinctive Characteristics and Needs of Domestic Violence Victims in a Native American Community

The objectives of the research described in this paper were to describe specific features of Native American domestic violence (DV), and identify the needs and barriers to service delivery for American Indians experiencing DV. Qualitative methods of data collection were used in this research. The results suggest that DV in Native American communities may be distinct in a number of ways. The cause of Native American DV may be anchored in historic trauma, poverty, alcohol and drugs, and rural isolation. Cultural and economic features of Native American DV are discussed. The complexity of DV in the Native American community, its association with a number of co-morbid problems, suggests a multi-modal intervention approach and collaboration among a variety of professionals.

Evaluation of a Training Curriculum for Inter-Agency Collaboration

ABSTRACT This paper reports the activities and outcomes of one university based training project which provided a five-day training series on inter-agency collaboration for public child welfare workers and staff in the fields of substance abuse, mental health, and domestic violence, and summarizes lessons learned in the project. The overarching goal of this program was the development of a cadre of child welfare practitioners and community professionals who have the ability to respond effectively to complex family problems of child abuse and neglect resulting from substance abuse, mental illness, and domestic violence. A quasi-experimental design utilizing pre-and post measures was used to test the impact of interdisciplinary training. The evaluation shows gains in trainee knowledge, positive attitudes toward collaboration, and the trainees reported more collaboration in their own practice between the pre-and post tests that was sustained in a follow-up. The implications of these findings for administrative and community practice are discussed.

The health consequences of economic recessions.

Unemployment has been demonstrated to be a stressful life event with severe health consequences. This paper reviews the literature on the relationship between unemployment and health. Specific risks and the mechanisms that lead to adverse outcomes are identified. Suggested social work interventions to reduce health risks during economic downturns are discussed.

The Role of Social Support in the Transition From Foster Care to Emerging Adulthood

Many youth leave foster care with disrupted relationships with their family and others in their social networks. Previous research has documented the severe adversity that former foster youth face in the transition to young adulthood. Perhaps some difficulties are at least partially related to a lack of social support that results from frayed relationships. This article reviews the literature on social support, particularly as it relates to foster youth, for the purpose of examining the role that formal and informal supports play in the transition to adulthood. The implications of this literature for successful transitions for former foster youth are discussed, as well as ways child welfare workers can engage youth and their families, and help them develop supportive social networks.