Pat Conway

Strengthening Systems for the Primary Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence: CDC's DELTA and EMPOWER Programs

Over the past three decades, the effect of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV) on individuals and families has become better understood by practitioners, researchers, and society as a whole. Myths that once promoted societal complacency, such as the myth that victims of IPV provoke their perpetrator or that SV is mainly committed by strangers, are increasingly challenged by laws, civil and criminal court systems, and social service systems. Definitions of what constitutes IPV and SV have also expanded to provide greater clarity regarding the various dimensions of these two types of violence. For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines IPV as physical violence, sexual violence, threats of physical or sexual violence, and psychological=emotional abuse that occur between current or former intimate partners (Saltzman, Fanslow, McMahon, & Shelley, 1999). CDC also recognizes that IPV exists on a continuum from a single episode to ongoing battering,

Introduction to Rural Families and Reshaping Human Services

This special issue of the Journal of Family Social Work, the first of two special issues examining families in rural communities, presents creative strategies and programs designed to address families’ needs. Prior to the most recent worldwide economic crisis of 2005 and 2006, many rural families in the United States struggled to meet their basic needs (Flynt, 1996; Stuart, 2004). Even in better economic times, rural families have had higher rates of unemployment and poverty compared to urban families (Economic Research Service, 2004; Flynt, 1996). Service providers in rural locales have had to use creative strategies, sometimes involving collaboration and cooperation among communities, to develop and deliver needed resources to families in their communities (Menanteau-Horta, 2005). Within the current economic and political environments, the constraints on funding for services in rural communities have expanded, while need for services has grown. Programs have been combined, services reduced, and funding cut. At the same time, private nonprofit agencies have seen donations shrink and client applications swell (Grant, 2010; Grinfeld, 2012; Pollack, 2011). Much of the emphasis on where and how to cut services is based on the number of people served. As a result, rural programs have been more severely affected than more urban communities. The articles in this issue address rural families at various stages of development, from young children and adolescents to adults, from diverse backgrounds. The articles describe diverse human service delivery systems, including health and behavioral health, prevention, and child welfare. Two articles present technological innovations useful for better identification and understanding of needs in rural areas. This special

Rural Health Networks and Care Coordination: Health Care Innovation in Frontier Communities to Improve Patient Outcomes and Reduce Health Care Costs

Abstract:Rural residents’ health is challenged by high health care costs, chronic diseases, and policy decisions affecting rural health care. This single-case, embedded design study, guided by community-based participatory research principles and using mixed methods, describes outcomes of implementation of a community care team (CCT) and care coordination to improve outcomes of patients living in a frontier community. Seventeen organizations and 165 adults identified as potential care coordination candidates constituted the target populations. Following CCT development, collaboration and cohesion increased among organizations. Patients who participated in care coordination reported similar physical and lower emotional health quality of life than national counterparts; emergency department use decreased following care coordination. Key components identified as successful in urban settings seem applicable in rural settings, with emphasis on the key role of team facilitators; need for intense care coordination for people with complex health needs, especially behavioral health needs; and access to specialty care through technology.

Creative Works: Submitting Your Creative Works to JFSW

Would you consider sharing your creative works with others interested in family social work? Understanding regarding family social work is enhanced through many venues. Research is an invaluable source of valuable information; new conceptualizations of theory take our knowledge and practice to a different level; practice wisdom crystallizes our understanding. Creative works touch us in a different manner, enhancing us and our thoughts about family social work. Creative works may be linked to research. Rich Furman purports the use of poetry as a method of qualitative analysis (Furman, 2006). Coulehan (2006) applies this method in ‘‘My Father’s Hands.’’

Conclusion: Rural Families, Another Element in the Mosaic of Diversity

Myriad elements constitute the mosaic of diversity. In any mosaic, pieces of various shapes and sizes come together to produce a unique design. Likewise, in social work, an assortment of human factors—such as age, class, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, and political ideology—form the larger, complex picture of the populations we serve. This special issue of JFSW takes a look at another aspect of diversity: rural families and human services. In a society inundated with social, familial, and economic challenges affecting the daily well-being of its inhabitants, due diligence should be given to each sphere of human services. The contributors to this issue have done just that, focusing a lens on rural America. Predominant strengths in rural communities are independence and interdependence among individuals and families. Although these characteristics vary in scope, their steady presence remains an assessment point for social workers providing service delivery. The themes highlighted by the articles in this issue include assessment, needs and assets analysis, collaboration, social support, self-reliance, placement=locale, and cultural competency. Assessment in social work practice is ongoing, as is refinement in assessment practices and tools. Toward this end, Heflin and Miller posit the utility of understanding a community’s targeted needs. The human service needs profile they discuss provides a degree of specificity by exploring demographic and economic measures across counties. As a result, risk factors are determined and special populations can be targeted. In keeping with the notion of needs identification, Rine, Morales, Vanyukevych, Durand,