A study sought to understand familial processes in families with a bulimic daughter. Sixty adolescent and young adult women (19 bulimic, 20 obese and 21 noneating disordered) and their mothers and fathers served as subjects. Each was administered the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III) and the following inventories, Family Satisfaction, Parent-Daughter Communication, Family Strengths and a general data questionnaire. Results showed bulimic daughters and their mothers and fathers located significantly in the extreme family type areas of the Circumplex Model of Family Systems. Although not significant, obese daughters and their parents located in the mid-range areas. Noneating disordered daughters and their parents were significantly balanced. Low cohesion was of particular importance in determining the location for bulimics. Bulimic daughters and their parents expressed significant dissatisfaction with family dynamics. Bulimic daughters expressed a significantly low perception of open communication patterns while both bulimic and obese daughters and their parents expressed significantly low perceptions of family pride / acase@tulane.edu

A research instrument was designed, pretested and given to randomly selected Air Force Social Workers (AFSWs) in order to assess the utility of expectancy theory in assessing AFSWs': (1) valence (Vk) of and rank order Vk of 15 second-level work role outcomes; (2) most instrumental (Ijk) Performance Standard Rating (PSR), and the extent of the Ijk; (3) expectancy (Ex) that effort expended at work will lead to Ijk PSRs; (4) job motivation (E); (5) job satisfaction as derived from the Job Descriptive Index (JDI), and expectancy theory's valence of work role (Vj) model; and (6) background characteristics. Data analysis indicated: (1) a significant association between AFSWs' rank ordering of work role outcomes; (2) AFSWs prefer outcomes affecting them personally and professionally; (3) the PSRs are not perceived as Ijk for attaining outcomes; (4) low Ijk scores lowered AFSWs' Vj scores, and low Vj scores lowered AFSWs' E scores; (5) AFSWs are satisfied with their supervisor, but dissatisfied with their subordinate status, pay, promotions, and work roles; (6) significant differences between AFSWs' JDI scores; (7) differences exist between AFSWs' E and Vj scores along variables of age, sex, rank, education, organizational levels, supervisory classifications, prior military social work related experience, prior military service, and prior civilian social work experience; (8) outcomes dependent on organizational policy are job demotivators and dissatisfiers; (9) AFSWs maintain identity with the social work profession; and (10) expectancy theory has utility for assessing AFSWs E and Vj. Implications for the Air Force involves restructuring AFSWs' role status and providing them with equitable rewards. Implications for the social work profession, social work education and AFSW involves a more active advocacy role for professional autonomy and equitable rewards for their social work members / acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

In this study it is theorized that sex role identity and the self acceptance of one's sex role identity are critical determining factors in positive adjustment for males in old age. The subjects of this study were 125 middle class, white males ages 62 and older. The instruments used were the Bem Sex Role Inventory, the Life Satisfaction Index-A scale and a demographic questionnaire The first hypothesis states that those males with self acceptance of their sex role identity will have higher life satisfaction than those males with no self acceptance of their sex role identity. The second hypothesis states that those males with an androgynous sex role orientation will have higher life satisfaction than those males with other sex role orientations. Other demographic factors associated with high life satisfaction in elderly males were further examined along with sex role orientation and self acceptance Both hypotheses were tested using One Way Analysis of Variance. Regression Analyses and Chi Square Analyses were utilized in examining the demographic variables No significant difference between the life satisfaction scores of males with self acceptance and of males with no self acceptance was found in Hypothesis 1. Findings confirmed the second hypothesis that androgynous males did have significantly higher life satisfaction scores than those males with other sex role orientations, except the feminine males, who also had high life satisfaction scores The results of the study provide support for the importance of an androgynous or feminine sex role identity in males in later adulthood. Positive adjustment may be related to the ability to access an androgynous or feminine gender style. Self acceptance factors do not appear to be significant in the subject population; however most of the androgynous and feminine subjects also had self acceptance. The demographic findings regarding the importance of a high educational or occupational level and a high level of perceived health are consistent with those reported in previous research / acase@tulane.edu

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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