The National Association of Social Workers and the Council on Social Work Education are concerned with the eradication of racism within the social work profession and the nation at large. Graduate schools throughout the country are presently attempting to come to grips with this elusive and pervasive problem. The School of Social Work at Portland State University is among these schools. In early 1972, the Portland State University School of Social Work formalized and adopted a specific policy regarding recruitment, education, and issues concerning non-white students and communities. In doing so, this school became the first School of Social Work in the Northwest, perhaps in the nation, to have a specific, examinable policy covering its position of graduate education for non-whites. However, the genesis of this policy had extended back to 1971 when the need for a specific, consistent policy regarding non-whites and the School was being realized. It was during the subsequent task of developing this policy that the necessity for research in this area was keenly felt. The School of Social Work draws the majority of its students from the State of Oregon, specifically from the metropolitan area in and around Portland. The majority of its graduates choose to remain in Oregon to work. However, it was learned that little or no systematic information was available concerning the needs and programs of the practice community for non-white social service personnel. Since the School is committed both to education and to the service of the community, it became obvious that descriptive and concrete data were necessary. This research practicum is an attempt to examine this heretofore unexplored area in the State of Oregon.

The purpose of the study is to create a deeper understanding of how the social worker perceives and manages risk signals regarding juvenile delinquency in their practical work. Based on the collected empiricism and previous research, we can conclude that juvenile delinquency is a complex topic, where the problem rarely has a one-sided or unambiguous explanation. Empiricism has been collected through six semi-structured interviews in which the interviewees have been selected through a deliberate selection. In conclusion, based on the empiricism collected, we can establish that social workers' individual perception of risk signals rests on an academic discipline, continuing education, collaboration and practical experience. Two of the interviewees also stated that a gut feeling was a contributing factor. The interviewees point out that it is rarely possible to distinguish a particular risk signal, but when multiple risk signals emerge, the risk is all the higher. However, the interviewees specify that drug abuse and non-functioning schooling are prominent for many of the young people who are at risk. It is also clear that the management is initially based on relationship-building measures, voluntarily and with increasing risks, the management increases to more serious or coercive measures.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate what type of work-related stress that social workersexperience in working with abused children and how they handle this stress. The study uses the qualitative method approach, which has conducted interviews with six social workers who are professionals in three different municipalities in Stockholm. The results of the interviews were further analyzed using coping theory, which is the theoretical methodology of the study. It was clear from the results that all interviewees experienced feelings of, for instance, grief and anger while working with abused children. They also stated that the interaction with this group of children; and the organization's workload; added different types of work-related stress. Despite the help of long work experience, the majority of the interviewees have managed to acquire different strategies for coping with the work with these children. Strategies such as support from colleagues, managers, self-care, and relaxing from work were consistent aspects; in the results for dealing with work-related stress.

Based on an assumption that legal space can contribute to improved collaboration in social work, while at the same time it with its scope for interpretation can create obstacles to collaboration, this study has been made. This qualitative study has been limited to a smaller municipality in southern Sweden, where all interviewees, work at the social services in the adult unit, but in different sections thus problems specialized specializations. During the course of the study, another study was discovered on collaboration between the police and social services, where collaboration and cross-border cooperation work better in smaller municipalities. Based on interviewee statements, this can be confirmed even if these cannot generalize all municipalities' social workers' experience of collaboration. The social services on which the study is conducted are focused on problems for adults and collaborate with a number of different actors, units and authorities at the same time, including within the unit. In order to be able to understand and explain how collaboration takes place and is experienced, the study has been structured in such a way that the social services as the organization are described and explained based on, among other things, organizational theory. The social services are clarified based on which structure, the social secretaries work. Where both collaboration theory and complexity theory can be applied, it is also explained in more detail about internal and external collaboration, intraorganizational collaboration, interorganizational collaboration. The social secretaries are then described in their role and work performance, with a special focus on collaboration.Where specialization, legitimacy and profession form the basis for a desirable and evidence-based practice (EBP) performance of social work.  Finally, based on previous research and interviewees' statements, it has been possible to make a reflection from the clients' perspective of how they experience collaboration. This structure has facilitated the explanation of each component for a functioning collaboration and created an overview to be able to develop and clarify the social workers' experience of the collaboration.

Background: Child sexual abuse is a problem that manifests in all spheres of our society, a social problem that often crosses the desk of a social worker rendering services to children and families. The researcher can still remember how daunting her first experience was when she dealt with an allegation of child sexual abuse. Now, in hindsight she believes that if she had more in-depth knowledge when dealing with children who has been sexually abused and their disclosure thereof, it would have made the world of difference to her and the clients that she was rendering services to. Objectives: The primary aim of the study was to investigate the level of knowledge that the social workers of Child Welfare Tshwane currently have when dealing with a disclosure of sexual abuse during the intake interview. The findings will provide guidelines to Child Welfare Tshwane regarding the required level of knowledge of social workers during the intake interview when dealing with a sexual abuse disclosure. Method: The study was conducted through a questionnaire that was composed using information gathered during a literature study. Social workers employed by Child Welfare Tshwane completed the questionnaire in order to shed light on their knowledge base with regard to child sexual abuse and the disclosure thereof. Results: Through the study it was evident that the knowledge base of social workers from Child Welfare Tshwane, dealing with child sexual abuse, is variable and lacks continuity. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Background: Child sexual abuse is a problem that manifests in all spheres of our society, a social problem that often crosses the desk of a social worker rendering services to children and families. The researcher can still remember how daunting her first experience was when she dealt with an allegation of child sexual abuse. Now, in hindsight she believes that if she had more in-depth knowledge when dealing with children who has been sexually abused and their disclosure thereof, it would have made the world of difference to her and the clients that she was rendering services to. Objectives: The primary aim of the study was to investigate the level of knowledge that the social workers of Child Welfare Tshwane currently have when dealing with a disclosure of sexual abuse during the intake interview. The findings will provide guidelines to Child Welfare Tshwane regarding the required level of knowledge of social workers during the intake interview when dealing with a sexual abuse disclosure. Method: The study was conducted through a questionnaire that was composed using information gathered during a literature study. Social workers employed by Child Welfare Tshwane completed the questionnaire in order to shed light on their knowledge base with regard to child sexual abuse and the disclosure thereof. Results: Through the study it was evident that the knowledge base of social workers from Child Welfare Tshwane, dealing with child sexual abuse, is variable and lacks continuity. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The purpose of this study was to try to interpret interactions between social worker and adoptive parents during the adoption process from a power perspective. The study was inspired by a hermeneutic inductive approach because we were interested in the interpretation of the empirical material. The study was conducted using four qualitative interviews with a total of seven people, four adoptive parents and three social workers. The collected material is then analyzed using a content analysis. To interpret the contact between the adoptive parents and social workers, we have used a power perspective. Our study showed that the applicant, generally speaking, was positive to that an investigation was made based on “the child’s interest”, but experienced some of the questions as intrusive. They found that the assessment made was crucial for the decision, and that it easily can vary from case to case for the decision and that the assessment can certainly vary in different cases. The social workers did not feel that they had any noticeable power, because they do not make the final decision. Their assessment was partly based on laws and guidelines that set the context, for example, how old the applicants may be and the requirement that the applicants must be married. Assessments are also made on the social worker’s individual characteristics based on the applicant's personal qualities such as insight and ability to care for a child.

Text in Afrikaans / Na aanleiding van die vraag of die ldientsisteem aan wie die maatskaplike werker hulp verleen, stres ervaar en hoe die klient in hierdie verband deur die maatskaplike werker gehelp kan word, is die doelwitte van die studie geformuleer. Die doel van die studie was om (1) 'n teoretiese stresmodel vir die maatskaplike werk daar te stel, (2) die stresverskynsel by 'n geselekteerde klientsisteem te beskryf, (3) die daarstelling van 'n praktykmodel vir die implementering van streshanteringsprogramme deur maatskaplike werkers en (4) die loodsimplementering en -evaluering van die voorgestelde model. Die studie is ondemeem binne die raamwerk van die ontwikkelingsnavorsings- en -benuttingsmodel. Daar is hoofsaaklik van 'n beskrywende navorsingsontwerp gebruik gemaak en kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe metodes van datainsameling is aangewend. 'n Stresmodel wat deur maatskaplike werkers benut kan word om stres by klientsisteme te beskryf en te verklaar, is daargestel. Hierdie model berus grootliks op die model van ekologiese kongruensie en is versoenbaar met die ekologiese sisteembenadering in maatskaplike werk. In die empiriese ondersoek na die voorkoms van stres by die klientsisteem, is gevind dat die betrokke kliente nie alleen meer stres as nie-kliente ervaar nie, maar ook dat kliente op hulp met betrekking tot die bantering van hulle stres aangewese is. Ten einde maatskaplike werkers in staat te stel om kliente op 'n doelgerigte wyse met die hantering van stres te help, is 'n praktykmodel, gebaseer op die model van stres-inokulasieopleiding, ontwikkel. Hierdie model vir die implementering van streshanteringsprogramme deur maatskaplike werkers, is kongruent met maatskaplikewerk-waardes en die - hulpverleningsproses. Hoewel die bevindings van die loodsondersoek nie veralgemeen kan word nie, is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die model moontlik maatskaplike werkers in staat kan stel om klientsisteme met stresverwante probleme te help. Daar word voorgestel dat die model aan meer omvangryke en intensiewe evaluering blootgestel moet word. / The goals of this study were formulated in response to the question of whether the client system to whom the social worker directs help, experiences stress and to the question of how the client can be assisted in this regard by the social worker. The aims of the study were to ( 1) create a theoretical stress model for social work, (2) describe the stress phenomenon in a selected client system, (3) create a practice model for the implementation of stress management programmes by social workers and (4) execute the trial implementation and trial evaluation of the proposed model. The study was undertaken within the framework of the developmental research and utilization model. A research design which was chiefly descriptive, was used and qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were applied. A stress model. which can be utilized by social workers to describe and explain stress within client systems was created. This model is based on the model of ecological congruence and is compatible with the ecological systems approach in social work. In the empirical investigation of the prevalence of stress in the client system, it was found that clients not only experience more stress than non-clients, but also that clients are in need of help in managing their stress. To enable social workers to help clients purposefully in the management of stress, a practice model, based on the model of stress inoculation training, was developed. This model for the implementation of stress management programmes is consistent with social work values and the helping process in social work. Although the findings of the trial investigation cannot be generalised, it was concluded that the model could enable social workers to help client systems with stress related problems. It is recommended that the model be subjected to more extensive evaluation. / Social Work / Ph. D. (Maatskaplike Werk)

De senaste forskningarna gällande socialsekreterares arbetssituation tyder på att den psykosociala arbetsmiljön försämrats de senaste åren. Syftet med studien är att öka kunskapen om hur socialsekreterare inom socialtjänsten upplever den psykosociala arbetsmiljön, genom att beskriva och åskådliggöra vilka faktorer som bidrar till socialsekreterares psykosociala arbetsmiljö. För att svara på syftet har en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med en induktiv ansats valts. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med sju socialsekreterare på socialtjänsten inom Hallands län. Intervjuguiden som använts är utformad utifrån Arbetsmiljöverkets föreskrift om organisatorisk och social arbetsmiljö. De teoretiska ramverk som använts för att analysera resultatet är Sigvard Rubenowitz fem faktorer gällande en god psykosocial arbetsmiljö samt ett systemteoretiskt perspektiv.  Resultatet i studien visade att det som ligger till grund för upplevelserna av en god psykosocial arbetsmiljö är det fria handlingsutrymmet, att socialsekreterarna känner stöd från närmsta chef och även finner stöd från kollegor. Det som tyder på en sämre upplevd psykosocial arbetsmiljö är obalansen i arbetsbelastningen, bristande stöd från chefen och avsaknad av ledaregenskaper hos chefen. Resultatet visade även att den fysiska miljön är av betydelse för socialsekreterarnas psykosociala arbetsmiljö. / Recent researches regarding social workers job situation indicates that the psychosocial work environment has deteriorated in the last few years. The study aims to  increase knowledge about how social workers in the social services experiencing their psychosocial work environment by describing and illustrating the main factors that contributes to the psychosocial work environment for social workers. To answer the purpose of the study a qualitative method with an inductive approach was chosen. The empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews with seven social workers in the social services in the county of Halland. The interview guide used in the interviews is designed based on the national regulations on organizational and social work environment The theoretical frame that was used to analyse the result is Sigvard Rubenowitz five factors regarding a good psychosocial work environment and a system theory perspective. The results of the study find that the base for good experiences of the psychosocial work environment is the free action space and the feeling of support from both managers and colleagues. The worse experiences of the psychosocial work environment aims to the imbalance in the workload, lack of support from managers and the lack of leadership skills. The results also find the importance of the physical environment and its impact on the psychosocial work environment

The aim of this dissertation is to examine the implementation of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) in social services and how it affects the encounter between the clients and their social workers. As structured interviews are unusual in social service based addiction care there is concern that they will have negative consequences on the relation between the social workers and their clients. The first study therefore investigates the clients’ acceptance of the ASI. The results show that 95 % of the clients accepted the ASI and that 85% viewed it in positive terms. Approximately 8% reported feeling violated by one question without this having any negative effect on the relation to the social workers or confidence in the social services. The results did not give empirical support for negative effects of the ASI. In the second study a comparison was made between a group that had participated in an assessment session using the ASI and a group with which the ASI had not been used. The results show that there is no difference in perception of “the alliance” or “negative experiences” with or without the ASI, but that the clients’ feeling of “own competence” is lower when the ASI is employed. The question of whether the reduced feeling of own competence among the clients is an expression of greater realism and reduced denial or only the negative effect of increased helplessness on the clients’ self-esteem can not be resolved in this study. In the third study, based on the same groups participating in the second study, the social workers were also asked to judge how the clients experienced such assessment sessions. The results show that the social workers’ assessment of the clients’ experiences differed from the clients’ own experiences regarding the “alliance” and “clients’ own feelings of competence”. However, the social workers made a correct assessment of the clients’ “negative experiences” of the sessions. The two different forms of session, with or without the ASI, did not influence the social workers’ assessment of the clients’ perceptions. The fourth study presents the results of a national questionnaire completed by 555 members of staff in social services, the prison service, and addiction services. The results show that supervisors and bosses take an increasingly greater responsibility for ASI training and that opportunities for using the ASI varied according to the place of work. Differences can probably be explained by different services being in different phases of implementation at the time of the study. The ASI has primarily been used in direct client work and only to a minor extent for follow-ups and evaluation. The number of ASI interviews carried out is small especially for those trained prior to 1999.