published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

It was recommended by the American Psychological Association and the American Bar Association in October 1999, that the time had come for psychologists to do more than act as expert witnesses, and that their influence should be felt " ... at the first level of intervention" (Foxhall, 2000, p. 1). The first level of intervention is considered, in this study, to be the decision-making process. This research examines the decision-making processes used by four of the disciplines integral to the child abuse multi-disciplinary team. Social workers, child protection officers of the South African Police Services, psychologists and prosecutors currently involved in the child abuse arena in South Africa were given case vignettes to anchor their decision-making on simulated examples. On the basis of these in-depth interviews, using a Grounded Theory methodology, three specific questions are addressed, namely: how decisions are made and substantiated; how they differ across disciplines; and how they compare to recommended protocol. Results indicate interesting differences across these four disciplines. The differences between the decision-making processes in the disciplines seem to be rooted in their philosophical tenets, which give rise to specific aims in addressing child abuse. Differences between the decision-making processes and recommended protocol were also noted in cases where guidelines are available. In addition differences in expected outcomes of the vignettes, use ofassumptions and a level of mistrust between professionals was shown. If this research can help to sensitise professionals to begin to understand their own decision-making processes and those of their fellow decision-makers, then perhaps key role players and policy makers may be one step closer to responding to the challenge of child sexual abuse in South Africa. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

The purpose of this study was to measure whether or not a child welfare worker's education has an effect on their client's outcomes. It compares master's degree in social work caseworkers' rates of family reunification and the length of time children on their caseload spend in foster care to those of child welfare workers who do not have an MSW. This study sought to address this gap in the current literature by analyzing available case data from a public child welfare agency in a Southern California county.

Investigates kin caregiver's perceptions about social workers and child welfare agencies they worked with in caring for court dependent relative children who are/were placed in their care. A stratified random sample from 150 interviews of kin caregivers with dependent relative children maintained by San Bernardino and Riverside County Child Protective Services allowed for qualitative analysis of interview responses that related kin caregiver's perceptions of social workers and social service agencies. Results indicate that some relative caregivers were satisfied with the support they received from social workers/agency staff, while others did not feel supported at all.