acase@tulane.edu

The objective of this study was to investigate attitudes of social workers in community mental health settings toward innovation and change and to identify factors which influence these attitudes. Attitude toward social change, receptivity to change imposed by the organization, and interest in suggesting innovative ideas within the work settings were studied. Relationships between five mental health ideologies and attitudes toward change were investigated to determine which mental health ideological beliefs are likely to influence attitudes toward change A survey research design was used to collect data from 141 social workers employed in 39 community mental health centers in the continental United States. A probability sample was obtained using stratified cluster sampling of U. S. Department of Health and Human Services' regions and poverty/non-poverty designated centers. A random sample was then selected from each stratum. Research and Evaluation Directors from the selected centers participated in the distribution of questionnaires and the follow-up procedure. Frequencies and chi square statistics were used to analyze the data The data revealed that social workers who highly endorse social change favor a traditional mental health role yet promote community development activities as an aspect of center services. Those who endorse the conservative professional ideology are likely to resist job changes imposed by center administrators. No relationships were found between attitudes toward change and age, sex, race, and education. Workers in inner city and poverty designated centers support social change to a greater degree than those in non-poverty, urban, and rural centers. Social workers highest in acceptance of job changes are high in job satisfaction. A high degree of interest in work innovation is associated with workers in primarily administrative, planning, research and consultation positions. Low endorsement of social change activities and high receptivity to job change is characteristic of social workers holding professional certification. Attendance at professional conferences is associated with a low degree of interest in work innovation The research supports the contention that satisfactory resolution of conflicts between the community focus and individual treatment perspective has yet to be accomplished in community mental health. It is suggested that administrators must begin to clarify conflicting issues inherent in community mental health concepts. Social work education for community mental health practice should focus on community assessment, development, and organization skills and individual treatment strategies consistent with a community focus. Students should be better prepared for the realities and conflicts associated with practice in the community mental health setting. Finally, students should come to the centers with better training in change promotion technology Future research should further explicate the influence of treatment and mental health ideologies on social work practice. The extent to which role ambiguity and role conflict are influenced by professional ideologies should be investigated. Research should concentrate upon the process whereby professional belief systems undergo change and how professional belief systems influence change in various settings / acase@tulane.edu

Empirically supported substance abuse treatments are often the least used, while the least supported approaches (e.g. confrontation, drug education) are most used (Miller, 1995). Additionally, key components of an evidence-based practice are often not delivered with sufficient intensity (Sloboda & Schildhaus, 2002). The purpose of this case study was to explore the barriers and facilitators influencing adoption and implementation of motivational enhancement therapy (MET) and the consequences of the community-wide effort to disseminate MET by a researcher-provider collaborative. The identified case for this study was the substance abuse treatment community in metropolitan New Orleans, Louisiana. Twenty individuals representing the metropolitan area were interviewed; ten practitioners and ten administrators. The twenty participants included individuals who primarily treated substance-involved adolescents or post-incarcerated substance-involved offenders, and those who were trained in MET as well as those who were not trained in MET. Seven themes emerged: spreading the word, MET and fit, flexibility, reminders, counselor enhancement, client engagement and retention, and changing old school Results support many known barriers and facilitators to implementing evidence-based practices, including the importance of the innovation's fit with the clinician's counseling orientation and the need for ongoing supervision and training. Several themes provided new insights into the implementation of MET. First, while the impact of counselor orientation on adoption is well documented; the current study finds that the counselor's style (confrontational or client-centered) influenced one's perception of MET rather than the clinician's belief in the disease-concept. This finding questions previous research indicating that counselors who adhere to the disease-concept of addiction are less likely to use MET-like techniques. Second, MET was not only used in group and family therapy sessions, but was frequently used as a mode of communication in the therapeutic milieu for paraprofessional staff. Lastly, participants revealed that the treatment community decreased reliance on 'old school' (confrontational) techniques through the dissemination of MET. Thus, the findings support the use of a community-wide approach to diffusion of evidence-based practices / acase@tulane.edu

This study presents the origins and development of social work education in Puerto Rico from 1920 to 1980. It identifies through a historical study: (1) major political, economic and cultural forces which have affected the origins and development of social work education in Puerto Rico; (2) the philosophy guiding the educational endeavor, and (3) the present focus of social work education. It discusses the close relationships between social work education and the social welfare system, the nature and structure of sponsoring agencies, the nature of social work practice, manpower needs and professional organizations The methodological procedures of the study consisted of a selective search, recording, and organization of data from primary and secondary sources. It also included a series of interviews with social work educators to gather information from their perspective about the events being studied. Additionally a review of relevant social work literature was undertaken The findings pointed out the need to determine the differential levels of training between graduate and undergraduate programs and to determine the functions and tasks of the practitioner at the various social work educational levels / acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

Profiling the wife batterer has progressed from anecdotal case history reporting to systematic multivariate analytic techniques. Cluster analysis provides a technique to divide a large population of wife batterers into smaller natural groupings and to refine empirical classification of batterers. Based upon a literature review, 130 reported wife batterers were clustered across 68 variables previously correlated with wife battery Five disparate wife batterer groups were identified. The data suggested that differing batterer types may require differing treatment strategies. Data for 93 wife batterers and their cohabitating mates were further analyzed to establish violence report incidence and concordance levels. The data showed that underreporting of wife batterer violence increases with violence severity and chronicity The Results were compared to previous empirical research findings. The Discussion raised questions regarding current and future treatment, stressed the need for safety of the victim and suggested further research / acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

Much research has been conducted in social gerontology over the past two decades. This research has challenged many prevalent myths and sterotypic notions about aging, and has also led to the implementation of local services and programs to meet the needs of aging adults Yet, systematic knowledge of ethnic differences and similarities in the aging process is lacking in social gerontological research (Bengtson, 1979; Cantor, 1976; Jackson, 1971). It is not known, for instance if structural and psychological determinants of life satisfaction among aging blacks differ significantly from those of the dominant population group. Nor it is known what effects lifelong poverty has on successful aging. Does poverty deprive its victims of successful aging, or does lifelong poverty serve to equip its victims with those necessary coping skills with which to age successfully? Several major morale indices and their modifications have been used to measure successful aging among older people. However little research has been undertaken with inner-city elderly minorities; consequently, no scale has been constructed or adapted that shows sensitivity to unique historical experiences or cultural differences among these population groups. The primary aims of this research are to (1) examine the appropriateness of the Life Satisfaction Index-A (LSI-A) for measuring successful aging among black inner-city older people, and to (2) construct a morale index, drawing from Kutner Moral Scale, the Life Satisfaction Index-A (LSI-A), and others to measure successful aging among black inner-city older people. Also, an instrument to measure religiosity, and a second one to measure specific value orientations will be constructed. These instruments will be suitable for social science research among this population group In addition, the research will develop suggestions for policy modification and formulation based on the needs and experiences of the aged inner-city black population / acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu