This article presents qualitative insights into the roles of master of social work programs in developing student practice interests in working with people with developmental disabilities (DD). Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with 24 MSW social workers practicing in the field of DD in the northeastern United States. Participants…

Educational outcomes are compared for students taking a social work administration course in 3 formats: traditional, Internet, and hybrid. The traditional group had face-to-face instruction, whereas the Internet students received all instruction through the Internet. The hybrid students had a balance between the 2. Course readings and assignments…

This article examines the historical development, rationale, and implementation of selected field education accreditation standards. Those reviewed include the number of required field hours, the role of the field liaison, and employer-based placements. Archival data and field education literature from the Council on Social Work Education…

As frontline mental health care providers, social workers need to be prepared to confront and properly manage substance abuse issues in practice. This study examined predictors of recent master of social work (MSW) graduates' perceptions of preparedness to practice in the area of substance abuse. A cross-sectional design was used, and 232 recent…

This article evaluates a learning method that used theatre students as family clients in an advanced social work practice course. Data from 47 advanced graduate students showed that observing peers conduct simulated sessions can be an effective and valued learning experience. Quantitative findings indicated that simulations are perceived to be…

Portfolios can foster the integration of theory, action, self-reflection, and assessment. Electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) extend this concept by acting as a "content-management system" that facilitates the collecting, considering, sharing, and presenting of learning outcomes with and to others via a digital medium. This article describes the…

Little is known about evidence-based practice (EBP) in social service agencies beyond studies of researcher, practitioner, and educator opinions. The Bringing Evidence for Social Work Training (BEST) Project involved 16 participants from 3 social service agencies. The experiential training, delivered by 2 doctoral students, focused on a…

A survey of 118 MSW students was conducted to examine the relationship between social work students' knowledge about, contact with, and attitudes toward persons with schizophrenia. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that students' knowledge about and contact with persons with schizophrenia were significantly related to better attitudes…

A convenience sample of MSW students responded to an Internet-based survey (N=2,289) retrospectively reporting their reasons for enrolling in a specific social work graduate program. Reponses indicate that MSW students who enroll in private graduate programs are younger and reported reputation-related and employment-related reasons for specific…

Interdisciplinarity in doctoral education currently is strongly advocated by governments and universities as important in developing knowledge useful in addressing significant public problems. However, the efficacy of these claims has not been subject to empirical investigation. Using longitudinal data covering a 13-year period, this research…

The growing interest in social work education in Israel over the past 5 years, despite its current social and political context, was the impetus for this study, which attempted to identify the practice orientations of 119 incoming BSW students in an antisocial era. Two distinct, equal-size clusters were found. Half of the students were…

Teaching policy analysis is compared to teaching research skills. Both involve the selection of an appropriate analytical tool to be used with multiple units of analysis; and in both, the selected instrument must fit the purpose of the analysis or the product is not useful. Policy analysis frameworks characteristically address policy process,…

Today, more than three-quarters of adults who live in the community and need long-term care depend on family and friends as their only source of assistance with activities of daily living (such as bathing, dressing, and eating) or instrumental activities of daily living (such as transportation and managing finances). Research suggests that the…

In this article, the author presents a historical overview of four decades of scholarship and changing public policy on family and informal caregiving for older adults. Families are changing at a dizzying pace. Changes in family composition, cultural diversity, geographic mobility, and societal norms, coupled with increasing numbers of older…

Informal caregivers--primarily family members--are the foundation of rehabilitation, chronic care, and long-term support for older persons. The growing population of older persons and the changing health care delivery system (for example, shortened hospital stays) demand more of family caregivers and increase the toll on their health. To help them…