Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / This study was made to analyze the function of the "Child Welfare Worker," who is the first caseworker in the history of social work in Japan. It is traditional for our historians in this field to describe Japanese social work practice as starting to modernize itself on a systematic scientific basis about three decadee ago, particularly during the past decade with the rise of socialism. However, we have never had caseworkers using a well-recognized social work technique before. All books and articles in magazines concerning social work were concerned with social service institutions but no, or at best casual, attention was paid to the skills of the workers who were working with their clients in connection with these institutions. This new Child Welfare Program that currently is focusing upon the metrhod, skills and techniques of the case worker is something unique, unheard of and unknowm to our traditional social work practice, even more so to the people in the community. But it seems to be growing rapidly and is receiving increased attention both from the social work profession and from the community. This study is being made to examine this new setting in the perspective of its past, present and future through a conscious and critical analysis of twenty cases carried by these new case workers.

Native American women and children suffer from domestic violence at an alarming rate on and off Indian reservations in the United States. Often these families that are impacted by domestic violence are involved in the state/county child welfare system. This study was to gain knowledge about Native American tribal child social workers experiences and challenges with co-occurrences of domestic violence and child maltreatment cases. This study used an exploratory, qualitative design with a phenomenological approach by collecting data through face-to-face and over the phone interviews with four Native American tribal child social workers from four different tribes across the nation. This design allowed participants the opportunity to provide a more in-depth explanation from their own personal experiences regarding their experiences and challenges working with domestic violence and child maltreatment cases. The study found that there is a need for state/county social workers to have a better understanding of the historic and current experiences of Native people from a cultural, spiritual, and socioeconomic perspective through effective and consistent training on the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The study also found, that there is a need for state/county administration and social workers to build relationships with tribal child social workers in order to provide culturally competent and effective policies and services to serve Native American communities.