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Disability issues for social workers and human services professionals in the twenty-first century
- Editors:
- MURPHY John W., PARDECK John T., (eds.)
- Publisher:
- Haworth Social Work Practice Press
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 174p.
- Place of publication:
- Binghamton, NY
This text provides authoritative information that will prove to be of critical importance for disability professionals in the coming years. It covers aspects of disability that have not been well covered in the literature—issues surrounding spirituality, civil rights, and the “medical model vs. social (or minority) model” (of viewing disability) controversy. It examines the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the wake of the Supreme Court’s narrowing of the Act’s powers and explore newly developed theories designed to more accurately define the true meaning of disability.
Present dangers
- Author:
- McNAMARA Martin
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 1.10.98, 1998, p.9.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
Looks at why disabled people are vulnerable to depression and asks whether social care workers should be trained to spot it.
Midlife women with disabilities: another challenge for social workers
- Authors:
- QUINN Peggy, WALSH Sheri Keys
- Journal article citation:
- Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work, 10(3), 1995, pp.235-254.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The paucity of information about midlife women with disabilities led to a qualitative study of 25 such women. The study found that these are competent, independent women who provide care for family members and friends and participate in the community. However, the women need services to maintain the control necessary to function. Social Workers can help them by locating roles models and mentors and by working with policymakers to develop beneficial programs and policies.
Sustaining an intimate and sexually fulfilled marriage or partnership in older adulthood with a disability: perspectives of social workers
- Authors:
- LINTON Kristen F., WILLIAMS Lela Rankin
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 29(8), 2019, pp.1026-1035.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The American portrayal of sex is often left for only the young, attractive, and able-bodied. In contrast many studies have found that older adults with disabilities in marriages and intimate partnerships have sexual desire and sexually active lives. Social workers are often burdened with balancing the sexual intimacy desires of their older adult clients with disabilities, alongside the need to protect them from sexual abuse and exploitation, particularly among those who may lack the capacity to consent due to cognitive impairment. This phenomenological study aimed to understand the lived professional experience of social workers (N = 5) in supporting married and intimately partnered couples in which at least one person was an older adult with a disability to understand the clients’ needs and common social work practice methods used to address their needs. Inductive coding was used to identify themes and subthemes. Their role included helping their clients to learn about their ability to have sex, consenting to sex, negotiating accommodations for intimacy and sex with their spouses, and counselling those who took on caregiver roles for their spouses. Social workers reported that individual diagnosis, such as dementia, should not alone determine one’s ability to consent to sex. (Edited publisher abstract)
Child welfare caseworkers and children with developmental disabilities: an exploratory study
- Authors:
- RAO Trupti, REIMAN Elizabeth, AUSIKAITIS Ashley
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work: A journal of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 64(2), 2019, pp.131-138.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Children with developmental disabilities are overrepresented in the child welfare system. Although caseworkers play a key role in ensuring that the special needs of these children are met, little is known regarding caseworkers’ knowledge about, exposure to, and comfort with people with developmental disabilities. In this exploratory study, through use of an online anonymous survey, local county caseworkers (N = 251) were asked to self-rate their knowledge, exposure, and comfort levels. Findings indicated caseworker agreement regarding the relevance of having knowledge and training about this population within the child welfare system. Furthermore, caseworkers with more training felt more knowledgeable and comfortable than those with less training. In addition, personal exposure to individuals with developmental disabilities was considered relevant. (Edited publisher abstract)
Disabled children and young people in out-of-home-care: summary report
- Authors:
- KELLY Berni, DOWLING Sandra, WINTER Karen
- Publishers:
- Queens University Belfast, Northern Ireland. Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister
- Publication year:
- 2016
- Pagination:
- 68
- Place of publication:
- Belfast
This report summarises the key findings of an Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) funded study to examine the over-representation of disabled children and young people in out-of-home care in Northern Ireland (NI). It summarises the findings of a review of literature on out-of-home care for disabled children and young people and looks at the demographic profile of disabled children in out-of-home care, those fully looked after and those looked after for short breaks. Drawing on the findings of interviews and analysis of case files, it presents findings on the needs and experiences of fully looked after disabled children, as well as the views of their birth parents, carers and social workers. The research found evidence of good professional practice, including examples of partnerships with families and integrated working. Areas identified for development and improvement include: early intervention and family support; investment in relationships and support whilst in care; inequality in services access, for example CAMHS; investment in a broader range of placement options and increased opportunity for permanence; improvement in multi-disciplinary and multi-sector working; promoting children's participation in services. (Edited publisher abstract)
Social workers as “cultural brokers” in providing culturally sensitive care to immigrant families raising a child with a physical disability
- Authors:
- LINDSAY Sally, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Work, 39(2), 2014, pp.e10-e20.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Although culturally sensitive care is acknowledged as the gold standard in pediatric rehabilitation, very little is known about the social worker's role in providing culturally sensitive care to immigrant families raising a child with a physical disability. This study draws on in-depth interviews with 45 clinical staff within two pediatric rehabilitation settings. Study findings, which are embedded within a “cultural brokerage” framework, showed that social workers' understanding of culturally sensitive care involved being aware of their biases and how their own cultural or professional orientation may influence their interaction with patients. These results also highlighted common challenges that social workers encountered in providing culturally sensitive care. These challenges included language barriers, discrepancies between clinicians' and patients' cultural orientation, gender and generational differences, lack of knowledge of resources, and difficulties building rapport and trust. Social workers sought to overcome these challenges by working as “cultural brokers” to link immigrant families to resources and to mediate differences between patients' and clinicians' cultural orientations. In conclusion, social workers play a critical role in providing culturally sensitive care to immigrant families raising a child with a disability. (Publisher abstract)
Building capacity and bridging the gaps: Strand 1: Social care practice with older people, people with learning disabilities and physically disabled people who use alcohol and other drugs: final report
- Authors:
- DANCE Cherilyn, ALLNOCK Debbie
- Publisher:
- University of Bedfordshire. Tilda Goldberg Centre for Social Work and Social Care
- Publication year:
- 2013
- Pagination:
- 68
- Place of publication:
- Luton
This report conveys the findings of one part of a three strand project which set out to examine the current state of training to work with alcohol and other drug problems (AOD) in social work and social care. This strand highlights the experiences and needs of social work and social care practitioners when encountering AOD problems in their work with older people, adults with learning disabilities and physically disabled adults. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data from a survey undertaken in 2010-11, this secondary analysis has identified that practitioners in these areas encounter AOD problems relatively infrequently (compared with child protection or adult mental health fields), but that significant challenges are faced when they do so. Many practitioners in these fields feel under-prepared for this work; and they struggle with a lack of confidence in their knowledge about AOD, and with balancing their duty of care with respect for an individual’s right to self-determination, each of which affects their sense of entitlement to discuss AOD issues with service users. The current mode of service delivery, case management, focuses on signposting and referring on, and thus limits the perceived opportunities for practitioners to develop the sort of relationships with service users which would permit meaningful discussion of their AOD use. In addition, there is a lack of clarity about what is, or should be expected of adults’ social practitioners with respect to problematic AOD use. While the focus of the new Health and Well Being Boards is yet to be established, it is hoped that by bringing together health and social concerns under one body responsible for strategic planning and commissioning of services might offer the opportunity for tackling some of these issues. The project was funded by Alcohol Research UK. (Edited publisher abstract)
Insights from the family conference: observations in rehabilitation
- Author:
- FRONEK Patricia
- Journal article citation:
- Australian Social Work, 58(4), December 2005, pp.395-406.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Family conferences are regularly conducted in a number of settings. However, the published literature offers limited insight into the conference environment as created by the interdisciplinary team. The level of client participation in this process remains unclear. A participatory observation study was conducted with an accidental sample in a spinal injuries rehabilitation setting. Language and behaviours exhibited by family conference members provided data for analysis. The findings indicate that individuals with a disability were participatory members in the family conference and were able to express their point of view even if it differed from the view of the professional team. However, the finding that family members were less engaged in the process suggests that they have different needs to the person with a disability and these needs might have to be met in a different way. It is important that professionals develop an awareness of their own language and behaviours and the potential impact of these factors on the individual and the family in family conference processes.
The role of professional education in promoting the dignity of older people
- Author:
- ASKHAM Janet
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing, 6(2), July 2005, pp.10-16.
- Publisher:
- Pier Professional
- Place of publication:
- Brighton
This paper considers the education of social and health care professionals who work with and care for older people. It asks whether education can promote the dignity of older people, how this may be done, what factors may ease or impede the promotion of dignity within professional education, and what part eduation plays alongside other influences on care practices. Beginning with consideration of research on the nature of professional education, the paper reviews principles of professional education, cultures and methods of teaching and learning and processes of practical apprenticeship. The paper argues that there are a number of challenges to the promotion of dignity within professional education, for example, inconsistencies in development of professional values, curriculum contradictions such as those between education for management and for direct care of older people, the balance between theory and practice and education for practice under changing real-world conditions.