This study explores the role of exercise and nutrition in burnout rates of social workers. Through convenience and snowball sampling 100 workers were asked to complete a questionnaire, with 82 returned. Burnout was assessed on three subscales, Emotional Exhaustion (EE), Depersonalization (DP) and Personal Accomplishment (PA), using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The exercise questions were adapted from Canada's Physical Activity Guide of Healthy Living. The nutrition questions were adapted from Healthy Eating Worksheet from the Canadian Cancer Society. Those employed in child welfare had significantly higher levels of EE and DP and significantly lower levels of PA. Results of a multiple regression analysis indicated that higher exercise scores were significantly related to lower levels of EE. Higher nutrition scores were significantly related to lower levels of EE, and DP, and higher levels of PA. These effects were found even when setting was controlled for.

Most recent Canadian studies on the mental health and behavioural problems of Canadian immigrant children have focused on the impact of various socioeconomic and demographic factors. To better understand the emotional and behavioural problems of immigrant children, it is important to look beyond the children's family demographics and to assess the broader social context. The current study explored the effects of immigrant children's social relationships within families and peer groups, as well as the effects of their demographic backgrounds, on the children's behavioural problems. This paper is based on the data for 182 Chinese immigrant children aged 11 to 13 years old collected from the New Canadian Children and Youth Study (NCCYS) 1st Wave in Montreal. Measures of the social relationships and behavioural problems include the following three tools: children's perceptions of their emotional and behavioural problems scales (five subscales); children's perception of parental relationships (parental nurturance, parental rejection, and relationships with parents); peer relationships (social competence, involvement with peers in trouble, and participating in bullying). The regression results indicated that immigrant children's relationships with both parents and peers were the most significant predictor of specific behaviour problems. Demographic factors, especially family structure, gender, and ethnicity, were also found to influence behavioural problems of Chinese immigrant children. In order to improve the integration and adaptation process for immigrant children and their families with adjustment difficulties in their social relationships and behavioural problems, relevant intervention and prevention programs (including early identification of children at risk, developing pro-social skills, improving parent-child interaction skills) need to be developed in school settings in collaboration with the community, by government, and by ethno-specific community groups.

Thus thesis focuses on the roles of social work (on the part of governments and NGOs) in dealing with Indonesia's Ambon conflict (1999 to date). The research seeks to map the roots of the conflict and the interventions made by both level of government and NGOs and to examine the strengths and weaknesses of their social work efforts in conflict resolution. Based on an analysis of these efforts of these institutions, this thesis offers some suggestions as to an enhanced role for social work in dealing with future reconciliation in Ambon especially and in Indonesia generally.

The intent of this study was to gain an appreciation for the experiences of mothers whose parental rights have been permanently severed through child welfare court orders of Crown Wardship with No Access. The study utilized an explorative, qualitative design approach and included semi-structured, in-depth interviews with four women. Participant text and found poetry presented the voice of mothers, something not often the focus in the child welfare literature. Themes of betrayal, loss, anger, and disenfranchised grief were reported in the research findings. The role of the social worker emerged as an important factor influencing the mothers. This study found that mothers need acknowledgment for their losses and support for their grief. Consideration for social work implications and further research are also discussed.

Over the past decades, the population in Canada has become increasingly culturally diverse. Therefore, helping professionals are required to provide services that are culturally appropriate and effective. The main purpose of this research project was to understand the experiences and perceptions of practitioners in the field of social work intervening with clients from different cultural backgrounds, the challenges, barriers and facilitators they encounter, as well as their views on how services can be improved. A qualitative approach was used, where in-depth, semi-structure interviews were conducted with nine front-line psychosocial workers from a local government agency in Montreal. Findings demonstrated how cultural and ethnic differences shape the psychosocial intervention process, as well as how participants defined cultural competence. Findings are discussed in reference to existing academic research on culturally competent practice. Participants' conceptualization of cultural competence paralleled some of the most common definitions in the literature, where awareness of one's own values and biases, as well as knowledge about the different cultures was essential. Moreover, the results showed a significant need for support and training for workers when intervening with culturally diverse clients. Implications for practice, policy and future research are presented. / Depuis les dernières décennies, la population au Canada est devenue de plus en plus diversifiée. Les intervenants sociaux doivent offrir des services qui sont culturellement appropriés et efficaces. L'objectif principal de cette étude était d'explorer les expériences et les perspectives des intervenants dans le domaine du travail social travaillant avec des clients provenant de différentes cultures, les défis, les barrières, et les facilitateurs rencontrés, ainsi que leurs suggestions pour améliorer les services. Une approche qualitative fut utilisée, où des entrevues semi structurées ont été réalisées avec un échantillon de neuf intervenants de première ligne œuvrant dans une agence gouvernementale de Montréal. Les résultats démontrèrent comment les différences culturelles et ethniques influencent le processus d'intervention psychosociale, ainsi que la façon dont les participants définissent la compétence culturelle. Les résultats sont examinés en lien avec la recherche académique existante sur la pratique culturellement compétente. Les définitions proposées sont semblables aux définitions présentes dans la littérature, où il est essentiel d'être conscient de ses propres valeurs et biais, ainsi que une connaissance des différentes cultures. En outre, les résultats indiquent un besoin important de soutien et de formation pour les intervenants qui travaillent avec des clients de diverses cultures. Les implications pour la pratique, les politiques et la recherche future sont présentées.

Of interest from the viewpoint of research is the fact that this study was arranged as a piece of action research. This was achieved by encouraging participation of staff members of the Council to the end of better communication.

This is a study of adoptions completed through The Children's Service Centre of Montreal, to determine by personal interview with 22 adoptive parents how successful they feel their adoption has been, after having had the 25 children in their homes for ten years or more. Since adoption involves deep emotions, success or failure is dependent upon and reflected in attitudes and feelings in the relationships of family members. Thus, in learning how parents actually feel, the study attempts to test theoretical knowledge underlying current adoption procedure.

The purpose of this qualitative research is to provide an in-depth exploration of the impact that a diagnosis of a terminal illness has on family functioning. The goal is to gain insight into adult children's personal experience when a parent is diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer. This study explores how families respond, adapt and cope when this specific family member is diagnosed with a terminal illness. It also explores any significant changes in relationships within the family and any shifts in the roles of the members and how they adjusted to such shifts. / The study is informed by a phenomenological paradigm and used an explorative, qualitative design, which included semi-structured interviews. Participant text and "found poetry" is used in order to present a more accurate account of the participants' experiences. Found poetry provides an opportunity to hear the participant's voices by taking direct quotes from their transcripts and forming them into a poem. Themes of denial, anger, helplessness, hope and anticipatory grief/mourning are portrayed in the findings of this study. The difficult emotional dilemmas and tensions that people have to work through when faced with a family member dying are discussed. The realization of the loss of future relationships will be identified as one of the greatest impacts of the illness. This study shows the lack of professional supports and resources that are available for each participant's family in being faced with the diagnosis of a terminal illness, and will address a needed consideration for social work practice.

The purpose of this thesis is to compare mother-child relationships with respect to children born prematurely to mother child relationships with respect to children born at full term. It represents one aspect of a larger research project directed to the evaluation of the relationship between paranatal stress, cognitive organization and intrafamily dynamics. Mother-child relationships were measured by means of a modified version of the Fels Scale for the Appraisal of Parent Behavior consisting of eighteen variables of parental behaviour. The attitudes and behaviour of one hundred mothers in relation to their children was evaluated; fifty of them were the mothers of children born prematurely and fifty the mothers of children born at full term.

Aboriginal, and in particular First Nations children, are overrepresented in the child welfare system across Canada. While information about child welfare services provided to First Nations children and families in Québec is sparse, the evidence that does exist supports the national trends of overrepresentation. Understanding how child welfare services are delivered in Québec is essential in comprehending how First Nations peoples receive, and are impacted by, the various methods of child welfare delivery in this province. The first section of this paper presents an overview of First Nations child welfare history, describing colonial and child welfare policies responsible for the removal of tens of thousands of First Nations children from their homes and communities. The next section outlines current socioeconomic, legislative, jurisdictional and funding challenges in the delivery of First Nations child welfare, linking them to the historical development described in the first section. It also presents an overview of the current structure of the First Nations child welfare system in Canada and Québec, examining some of the research regarding the response of Québec's child welfare system to the complex needs of First Nations children and families. Finally, the paper concludes with a discussion of the factors contributing to the overrepresentation of First Nations children in the child welfare system including the impact of historical assimilationist policies, the socioeconomic status of First Nations peoples in Canada and the development of First Nations child welfare services. Implications for practice, policy and future research are also discussed. / Les enfants autochtones, en particulier les enfants des Premières nations, sont surreprésentés dans les services de protection de la jeunesse à travers le Canada. Bien que les données sur les services de protection de la jeunesse offerts aux enfants et familles des Premières nations au Québec soient limitées, celles-ci soutiennent la tendance nationale de surreprésentation. Il est essentiel de comprendre l'offre de services de la protection de la jeunesse l'enfance au Québec afin de saisir comment les Premières nations reçoivent et sont affectées par les divers méthodes d'offre de services de protection de la jeunesse dans cette province. La première partie de ce document présente un survol historique de la protection de la jeunesse chez les Premières nations, décrivant les politiques coloniales et de la protection de la jeunesse responsables du retrait de dizaines de milliers d'enfants des Premières nations de leur famille et de leur communauté. La section suivante donne un aperçu des défis socioéconomiques, législatifs, juridictionnels et de financement de la protection de la jeunesse des Premières nations, les reliant à l'évolution historique telle que décrite dans la première section. Elle présente aussi un portrait de la structure actuelle de l'offre de services de la protection de la jeunesse des Premières nations au Canada et au Québec, en examinant certaines études concernant la réponse du système québécois de la protection de la jeunesse aux besoins complexes des enfants et des familles des Premières nations. Une discussion des facteurs qui contribuent à la surreprésentation des enfants des Premières nations dans le système de la protection de la jeunesse, y compris l'impact des politiques assimilationnistes, la situation socioéconomique des peuples des Premières nations au Canada et l'évolution des services de protection de la jeunesse des Premières nations, conclut ce document. Les implications pour la pratique, les politiques et les recherches ultérieures sont également discutées.