Sally G. Mathiesen

Children in Out-of-Home Care: Entry Into Intensive or Restrictive Mental Health and Residential Care Placements

Using longitudinal data from the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), this study investigates entry into intensive or restrictive settings during a 36-month study period. Specifically, this analysis examines entry into treatment foster care, group homes, residential treatment, and inpatient psychiatric care for youth placed into out-of-home care (n = 981). It aims to determine at what point in their first out-of-home episodes and for what reasons youth entered such settings. As NSCAW used a national probability sampling design,this analysis provides national estimates about entry into intensive or restrictive settings for youth in out-of-home care. Twenty-five percent of youth (n = 280) experienced an intensive or restrictive setting during their first out-of-home care episode; 70% were in either group homes (33.2%) or residential treatment settings (37.0%).About half of the youth with such placements (48.9%) were placed into intensive or restrictive settings as a first placement during their first out-of-home episode.

The effects of years lived in the United States on the general health status of California's foreign-born populations.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of immigrant status and years lived in the United States on the general health status of California’s foreign-born populations. Two models were constructed using California’s aggregate adult population and the adult foreign-born population. A binary logistic regression was conducted using data from the 2003 California Health Interview Survey. California’s immigrant populations were found to enjoy a self-assessed health advantage compared to California’s US-born population. The results present evidence of a downward trend in self-assessed health amongst California’s foreign-born population associated with increased years lived in country. The initial health advantage found among California’s foreign-born appears to function mainly through socio-economic factors. These results suggest that the deterioration in health associated with increased years lived in the US may be an effect of immigrants’ exposure to California’s environmental determinants of human health rather that the loss of culture-specific protective factors.

Evaluation of Social Work Journal Quality: Citation versus Reputation Approaches

Although journals are the primary vehicle though which social work professionals explore innovative interventions, research strategies, and policy ideas, journal quality has received little attention in the literature. This project extends a 1990 study and presents multiple measures for assessing journal quality. The primary data source is a national survey of 556 faculty from accredited schools of social work; additional data were compiled from the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI). Findings indicate that journal rankings have changed since 1990 and are considerably different from the SSCI ratings. Multiple evaluation systems are recommended for assessing social work journal quality.

Perceptions of Professional Social Work Journals: Findings from a National Survey.

A national survey of 556 faculty at accredited schools of social work examined 4 dimensions of the publishing process: publishing productivity, perceptions of overall quality of social work journals, satisfaction with social work journals, and perspectives on the manuscript review process. Findings indicate the publishing process in social work is perceived as a system of complex relationships between individual and institutional arrangements. Qualitative analysis provided the basis for a discussion of strategies for improving the relevance, methodological rigor, and overall quality of professional social work journals.

Developing a cross border, multidisciplinary educational collaboration

This paper presents a case study of the initiation of a collaborative, multidisciplinary educational program between a US university and a university in Mexico. The authors utilized a developmental model for international engagement. Building upon the work of an interdisciplinary area studies program within the US university, the authors initiated a summer program for students and faculty that included language and cultural immersion, interaction with social agencies in the community and collaborative research. Faculty from the US university provided instruction at the Mexican university, and Mexican faculty provided instruction in both language and content areas to students and faculty from the US university. This program has paid particular attention to the development of mutual cultural and linguistic understanding, utilizing an innovative combination of course work, family and community living opportunities, interdisciplinary learning, and structured educational trips into the community. As the two universities gain experience with each other and begin to resolve logistic and other challenges, student internships, joint semester abroad programs, and use of the program for continuing education for community professionals will be explored.

The Multidimensional Adolescent Assessment Scale: A Validation Study

The Multidimensional Adolescent Assessment Scale is a tool for the assessment of the severity of personal and social problems in adolescence. It is composed of 16 subscales relevant to adolescent functioning, including depression; self-esteem; problems with mother, father, or family; personal stress; problems with friends or school; aggression; suicidal thoughts; feelings of guilt; confused thinking; disturbing thoughts; memory loss; and alcohol or drug use. The scale was designed for use by practitioners in a variety of disciplines to assess a comprehensive array of problem areas to facilitate diagnosis and targeted treatment planning. This article provides a description of the scale, explains the method of scoring, and presents the psychometric properties of the instrument.

Revalidation of an Evidence-Based Practice Scale for Social Work

The purpose of this study was to revalidate an existing measure of knowledge, attitudes, and use of evidence-based practice (EBP) developed for medical students. Adapted to reflect social work, questionnaires were obtained from undergraduate and graduate social work students (n = 134) and field instructors (n = 50). All 4 factors (21 items) related to EBP (knowledge, attitude, personal use, and future use) showed good reliability, and overall reliability was .86. MSW students rated their knowledge and use of EBP significantly higher than BSW students and field instructors did, but the groups were similar on attitudes and future use of EBP. The Knowledge, Attitudes, Behavior Scale questionnaire is a useful tool for social work programs that can be used to monitor the impact of EBP curricular efforts.

Mechanisms of support: coping with loss in a major children's hospital.

Abstract Employment in a childrens hospital of a major medical center can be stressful for healthcare providers, especially when faced with potential losses of pediatric and adolescent patients. Although it seems natural to believe that emotional distress following the death of a patient would be addressed, this is not always the case. The current manuscript presents results of a survey of healthcare providers at Shands Childrens Hospital at the University of Florida, a not-for-profit teaching hospital. Hospital staff (N = 94) responded to the survey with a 100% return rate. Responses identified situations considered to be stressful, and described how healthcare providers in this setting dealt with these incidents. Regarding existing hospital resources, respondents reported using multidisciplinary patient care conferences, social workers, and co-workers most often, as sources of support. Respondents also provided a lengthy listing of recommendations for improvement. Addressing the issues presented in this study may result in improved employee retention and lower overall turnover rates.

Study Abroad and an Accidental Death: Lessons Learned

Social work programs are increasingly relying on study abroad to prepare students for global practice. A growing body of literature reports on the positive features of international education, yet little attention has been focused on preparing social work programs and the faculty who lead them to handle the emergencies that can arise during study abroad. This paper uses a case study of an actual emergency in a study abroad program to examine how the event was handled and to assess its short- and long-term consequences. Elements of the case are analyzed in an effort to identify general issues for study abroad programs to consider.

Furloughs and Faculty Management of Time: Maintaining Quality in an Economic Crisis

An anonymous Web-based survey was used to gather the perceptions and experiences from 114 faculty members teaching in 16 social work programs in the California State University system about the effect of severe budget cuts on their educational activities. Most respondents reported they worked on their furlough days and maintained the same or larger workload that they had before the furlough. Larger workloads, diminished feelings of personal accomplishment, and stressful interactions with students were associated with higher levels of emotional exhaustion. Implications of these findings are discussed.