scholarly journals Receptivity and Readiness for Cultural Competence Training Amongst the Social Workers in Hong Kong

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent W P Lee ◽  
Daniel W L Lai ◽  
Yong-Xin Ruan
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Cultural Competence ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
The Social ◽  
Competence Training

Abstract This research examined understandings of cultural competence of social workers in Hong Kong, their needs and challenges in serving culturally diverse groups, and their willingness and receptivity to receive cultural competence training by using constructivist grounded theory. Individual qualitative interviews were conducted with thirteen frontline and managerial practitioners and educators in training institutions in the social work profession. Data were analysed by identifying major themes. The findings show that social workers in Hong Kong tend to encounter language barriers and various forms of cultural shocks in serving ethnoculturally diverse clients. The professional code of practice is not sufficient in promoting culturally competent practice and there are institutional barriers to the enhancement of cultural competence of the social services. Mainstream social work units are generally not well prepared to provide services to non-Chinese communities. In response to these obstacles, professional training should provide future Hong Kong social workers with opportunities to interact with ethnoculturally diverse communities through service-learning. To tackle institutional racism, leaders should have cultural awareness and promote culturally inclusive practices. Inclusion of staff members from diverse cultural backgrounds would increase the capacity of the organisations to better serve clients of diverse needs. Anti-racism training should be made as an essential professional development component for social work students, practicum students, practitioners and managers.

Indigenizing Social Work: Andragogical Strategies for Incorporating Native Knowledge in Curricula

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-230
Author(s):  
Brittany Hunt ◽  
Sonyia Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Cultural Competence ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Diverse Populations ◽  
The Social ◽  
Competence Training ◽  
American Indian People ◽  
Critical Portion

Though there are more than 5 million American Indian people living in the United States, and they are disproportionately represented among social workers’ clientele, social work curriculum rarely centers Indigenous history and knowledge. Therefore, the cultural competence training that social work students receive is incomprehensive because it often erases a critical portion of the population. This work focuses on the unique knowledge that one Indigenous social work instructor brings to her classroom, as well as the perspective of the BSW director who recruited her to the position. It is critical that the social work profession begin to move toward being representative of the diverse populations that we serve, not only in the field but also in the classroom. This work will provide examples of cultural competence training as well as Indigenous knowledge that can be incorporated into classrooms to indigenize those spaces and decolonize curricula. This article was written jointly by an Indigenous social work professor and an administrator and professor in a BSW program.

scholarly journals Socio-political work during the election race

2021 ◽  
pp. 77-85
Author(s):  
Svitlana Bondar ◽  
Rostyslav Tsimokha
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Political Party ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
The Political ◽  
The Social

The article offers an analysis of political parties: their essence, functions, image formation, the role of the party as a mediator between the government and society, the activities of parties in elections. The features of the social work of political parties are shown, on the example of the political party «Team of Sergei Rudyk. A time of change!». Mechanisms, basic approaches, the most common methods and techniques of social work with people are analyzed. The main theoretical strategies and ideas of social work are presented. Position of the political party «Team of Sergei Rudyk. A time of change!» is that first, the solution of social problems is discussed before it will be accepted and even after it has been adopted. On the party’s website https://www.rudyk.org/news/page/4/, the main projects of social work are illustrated. The publication gives the main recommendations for improving the efficiency of social work: the creation of a mechanism to help youth in self-determination in choosing the profession of social worker, to extend forms and directions of professional training of social workers, to increase expansion in the number of periodicals covering the work of social services, centres, social workers. The formation of social policy occurs based on information received from the collection of statistical data and the conduct of sociological studies. Understanding this information allows you to identify the social tasks. The realization of socially significant goals and social problems solution have been organized through social projects and social programs, which form a significant part of social policy.

Social Work and Public Social Services Practice: A Status Report

1996 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Gibelman ◽  
Philip H. Schervish
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Labor Force ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Additional Data ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Status Report ◽  
The Public ◽  
Education Experience ◽  
The Social

The authors review the current status of the social work labor force within the public sector by means of an analysis of the National Association of Social Workers member data base for 1988 and 1991, with additional data drawn from a 1993 member survey. Changes in the proportion and composition of the public social services labor force are documented, including education, experience, gender, and ethnicity. The decreasing professional social work labor force within public social services is discussed within the context of the realities of public social services practice and social work's historic place within this sector. The authors encourage debate about the implications of these trends, focusing on whether social work should influence labor-force trends or be influenced by them.

scholarly journals METHODS OF SOCIAL WORK MANAGEMENT IN THE ACTIVITIES OF A SOCIAL WORKER

2021 ◽  
pp. 51-61
Author(s):  
Maryna Lekholetova
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Professional Activities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Work Management

The article presents an analysis of different approaches of domestic scientists to the interpretation of the concept of «social work management». The author surveys the features of management as an object of governance in the activities of a social worker. Features include the social nature of management information; the need for motivation methods that effectively influences and motivates professionals to better results in social work; availability of social workers' professional competence; the presence of problems with forecasting the results of management in the social sphere; the importance of current and final management results. The author proves the necessity of social workers' self-management skills (time management, motivation, stress resistance and recuperation, development of emotional intelligence) for the effective performance of management tasks in professional activities.  The article highlights the principles that should be followed in solving organizational and managerial tasks in social work management (purposefulness, ability of realization, adaptability, efficiency). The researcher presents the structure of social work management methods in the study (economic, administrative, social counselling, psychological and pedagogical influence, social influence). Research characterizes the methods of social work management while working with recipients of social services (methods of individual social work, methods of group social work, methods of community work, methods of social service design).

Social Work in Funeral Homes, a Unique Chinese Practice?

2018 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 488-499
Author(s):  
Yunxian Huang ◽  
Weijia Tan ◽  
A. Ka Tat Tsang
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Funeral Home ◽  
The Social ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
Funeral Homes ◽  
Death Care ◽  
Further Development

Social workers were introduced to funeral homes in China amid the transition and expansion of both the funeral home industry and the social work profession and are proving to play a valuable, though under-researched role in serving not just clients but also communities and funeral home staff. Funeral home social work fills gaps in after-death care and mental health and is distinct from palliative, hospice, end-of-life, and bereavement social work. Based on the experiences of funeral homes that employ social workers, this article argues that this innovation may bring new ideas to bridge some of the service gaps in after-death care in China and globally. This article outlines the support that will be needed from funeral homes, social work service agencies, and educational and research institutes to facilitate further development of funeral home mental health and social services and to promote the professionalization of funeral home social workers in China.

scholarly journals INTEGRATED SOCIAL SERVICES BASED ON PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH: AN ANALYSIS OF THE STATE AND PROSPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT

2019 ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Liliia Klos ◽  
Nataliia Nazar
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Aggregate Index

Introduction: At the final stage of administrative-territorial reform in Ukraine, it is important to realistically assess the social needs and social problems that exist in newly created territorial communities. Territorial communities should be based on healthy families and healthy individuals, whose initiative will help ensure the continued social development of the community. In its turn, the community should be built on the principles of friendly to its own citizens, meeting their needs, first of all, the needs of the least protected categories - children, people with disabilities and chronic diseases, elderly people. Therefore, integrated social services based on the principles of preserving and promoting health are a tool for solving social problems in the community (Klos, Khudoba, Shkoliar, 2019, p. 26). Purpose. The purpose of the study is to show the importance of using integrated social services in the community based on the principles of preservation and promotion of health as an important means of promoting territorial community development and social development of the country.Methods. The study used theoretical methods of research, in particular, the search and collection of statistical information on the formation, normalization and approval of the composition of territorial communities; collection and analysis of sources on the problem of social services and social protection of the population of territorial communities; systematization of sources and their analysis by blocks of tasks; analysis, comparison, synthesis and implementation of the results of the study of social services based on the principles of promoting and preserving community health.Results. Within the framework of the U-LEAD Program with Europe and the ICO Partnership Every Child, the project “Community for Human: Enhancing Communities' Competence for the Development of Social Services” and understanding the peculiarities of organizing social support for vulnerable segments of the UTC population through the implementation of the social services model. Among the objectives of the project were, inter alia, to study the status of providing local communities with social workers, the range of social services provided in the community, taking into account the real needs of the population in social assistance (ICO Partnership for Every Child, 2019, p. 5-6).The study covered 245 projected territorial communities in Ukraine. Because most communities did not have the information to make appropriate decisions about the services they needed, a special methodology was used to assess the needs of the population in social services. An appropriate tool for monitoring the needs of the population in social services was developed and tested at the Oxford Policy Management Consortium with the participation of the Every Child Partnership, in collaboration with UNICEF, and with financial support from the European Union. The aggregate index of providing the population with social services of the population of the UTC is determined by the set of indicators: the index of provision of social services for children and families with children; index of provision of social care services for orphans and children deprived of family care; the index of provision of social services for the elderly; index of provision of social services for persons with disabilities; index of provision of social services to persons in need of adaptation and integration (reintegration); index of provision of social services to persons in need of emergency or crisis intervention (ICO Partnership for Every Child, 2019, p. 28).Mostly communities use the resource of available social services already at their disposal, their range is limited and needs improvement and review, taking into account real social problems and needs of consumers. An important tool for addressing the issues that are relevant to UTC members is those based on the principles of preserving and promoting health. In particular, social prevention, community representation services, crisis and emergency intervention, social support / patronage, asylum, home care, day care, supported living.Conclusion: The study of the results of the mentioned project and the current state of providing territorial communities with social services lead to the conclusion that there is a high level of community needs for social work professionals who are able and able to provide integrated social services in the community on the grounds of preservation and promotion of health. To do this, professional training of skilled social workers for the provision of integrated social services in the community should be stepped up

scholarly journals Research Paradigm as a Value Guideline for Professional Training of Future Social Workers

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oksana POVIDAICHYK ◽  
Valentyna PEDORENKO ◽  
Anastasiia POPOVA ◽  
Anastasiia TURGENIEVA ◽  
Yuliia RYBINSKA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Problem Definition ◽  
The Social

The need for R&D of social workers was due to the development of theoretical and methodological approaches and concepts of social work, the application of which involved the use of specific research tools. It is substantiated that the research subsystem of social work can be represented in the form of a model of the research environment, which reflects the relationship of three components: the social problem, methods of its research and tools for solving. The dialectical nature of social work, as well as the dynamic conditions in which it is carried out, determine a set of socio-economic, managerial and pedagogical factors that actualize the need for research in the social field. It is substantiated that R&D today is an integral element of professional social practice and is implemented both in the process of working with different categories of clients and in administrative and managerial activities. R&D provides adequate social order development of targeted comprehensive programs, projects and technologies of social protection, design and implementation of models of social institutions and services. As a result of a comprehensive study of the problem, the essential characteristics of R&D were clarified, which means the activity of obtaining new scientifically based knowledge aimed at purposeful change of social reality, which is realized in a logical sequence through the use of appropriate forms and methods of scientific knowledge. It is proved that R&D in the system of social work is realized at three levels (reflexive-theoretical, experimental-theoretical and research), each of which involves step-by-step actions (problem definition; hypothesis formulation, choice of research methods and tools; implementation of research plan; evaluation of results) and the use of appropriate research methods.

scholarly journals Empathy: Challenges Experienced by Social Workers in the Healthcare Sector on the Island of Crete, Greece

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-52
Author(s):  
Trigoni Maria ◽  
◽  
Mikits Militsa ◽  
Mpanagi Evaggelia ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Social ◽  
Prior Experiences

Introduction Empathy in social work is one of the most important factors that can bring change in the patient, by developing a productive relationship. The purpose of this study is to explore empathy in the practice of social work, as it is used by professional social workers. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 social workers in public health services in Crete. Responses were recorded, and content analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings There were differences in the way that social workers perceive the concept of empathy, depending on their prior experiences. It was also found that they are more “sensitive” when patients have a common problem with them. Among the difficulties that prevented them from being empathetic was having “a difficult personal period” that affected their work. This study has also identified the importance of professional training for the development of empathy skills, and the key-role of work experience. Moreover, it highlighted the importance of co-operation between the researchers and the social workers for generating efficacious and valuable information. Conclusion This study emphasizes the importance of empathy as a necessary skill in the relationship between social workers and patients, and the need for in-depth scientific research and analyze on this issue in Greece.

scholarly journals Preference of Methods and Goals of Further Education from the Social Workers‘ Point of View

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-241
Author(s):  
Gabriela Ježková Petrů
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Educational Goals ◽  
Educational Methods ◽  
The Social

Further education of the employees in the field of social work is one of the future challenges. The goals of further education are constantly changing with regard to the changes in society and the requirements of the clients of social services. Social work represents a multidisciplinary conception of the performed work and a continual need for further education. In organizations, further education is implemented through various educational methods, which are also evolving. The article aims to identify which educational methods in the field of social work are preferred, both within the leading managerial positions and within the ones of social workers, and to describe the goals of further education in both groups. The goal was achieved through the quantitative research conducted in both groups – i.e. the managers and the social workers. Using the Survio platform, the research addressed organizations providing social serviced according to the Register of Social Service Providers of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic. The results were processed using descriptive statistics, and conclusions were drawn based on the results. The results showed different preferences of educational goals for managers who prefer the expansion of competencies and for social workers who prefer development. Research into the preference of educational methods has found that managers and employees prefer professional lectures, self‑education and Internet resources.

Looking Back, Thinking Forward: How a Television Series Facilitated the Development of the Social Work Profession in Hong Kong

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi Kin Kwan ◽  
Oi Ngor Cheung
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Public Image ◽  
Television Series ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Work Practitioners ◽  
Long Term Impact

Abstract The healthy development of the social work profession rests on the public’s understanding and trust. The media play a significant role in shaping the public image of social work. This article describes a focus group study that was designed to retrace the long-term impact of an iconic television series in 1976 on the public’s reception of the nascent profession of social work amongst a group of social work practitioners. Four focus groups were conducted with thirty practicing and retired social workers. The content of the focus group discussions was coded and analysed to generate three major themes: (i) the television series gave a real-world articulation of the work of social workers and catalysed the profession’s public receptivity; (ii) it inspired a call amongst conscientious young people to join the profession; and (iii) it contributed to the construction of social workers’ professional identity. The findings demonstrate the contribution of this television series, hence the role of media, to the early development of professional social work in Hong Kong.

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