From anti-racist social work pedagogy to trauma-informed approaches to discipline, to guaranteed income programs, the UTCSW faculty’s research spans a variety of topics all aimed to better the world for the underserved.
Allison Buzard
Conceptualizing anti-racist social work pedagogy
Practical Ideas for increasing faculty capacity, reflexivity, and ability.
Advances in Social Work Journal
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18060/27152
Studies have suggested that faculty in higher education lack the preparation, training, tools, and collaboration to be effective anti-racist educators. This conceptual paper presents a new framework for social work faculty to consider as they evolve their anti-racist pedagogy. The history of the priorities and professionalization of social work is explored along with the origins and theoretical influences of social work education and accreditation, the inequitable system and structure of higher education, and the racial identity, lived experience, and education of individual educators. The proposed conceptual framework centers on practical strategies for increasing faculty capacity, building faculty reflexivity, and scaffolding faculty ability for social work anti-racist pedagogy. Strategies for increasing faculty capacity include professional development and training, places to process, and policy and support. Strategies for building faculty reflexivity focus on applying racial consciousness, assessing values, and adopting humility. Strategies for anti-racist pedagogy skills include building intentional class culture, braving collaborative learning, and banking on resistance. This paper concludes with discussions about anti-racist capacity-building for social work educators and broader implications for social work education in the United States.
Rob Lucio
What is essential in school social work practice?
School Mental Health Journal
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-024-09643-z
As the need for school social work (SSW) practitioners increases, more research may be useful to understand how roles and practices are shaped and how this differs from their perceptions of essential practice. To understand the roles and functions of SSW, a survey of nine critical components was developed through an evaluation of national association’s standards that offer guidance for SSW practice. Survey respondents (N = 318) consisted mostly of SSW practitioners (85%), evaluated nine critical components: advocacy, building capacity, home-school liaison, multi-tier system of support, navigating school settings, professional values, service delivery, social work theory, use of data and evidence, and suggested the addition of new essential components. The results focus on which practices are deemed essential and the frequency of performing these tasks. We conclude with implications of practice essentiality and frequency discussed across the nine critical component domains, offering suggestions for future research, education, training, and professional development of SSW practitioners.
Andrea Joseph-McCatty
Trauma-informed approaches to discipline matter for equitable and safe schooling
The Conversation
https://theconversation.com/trauma-informed-approaches-to-discipline-matter-for-equitable-and-safe-schooling-222318
Schools across North America are increasingly implementing policies and practices to reduce suspensions and expulsions. Yet the disproportionate application of school discipline for Black and Indigenous students remains a significant concern.
Trauma and adversity can have a significant and negative impact on student outcomes. Due to systemic inequity, trauma and adversity also disproportionately affects Black and Indigenous students. We wanted to understand what is already known about the contribution, role, or prevalence of trauma and early childhood adversity for students who are disciplined at school.
Katherine Montgomery
End-of-Life planning and the influence of socioeconomic status among Black Americans: A systematic review
Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
https://doi.org/10.14475/jhpc.2024.27.1.21
The purpose of this systematic review is to explore end-of-life (EOL) care planning and the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) among people who identify as Black or African American. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) were used to guide and inform this systematic review process. The following academic electronic databases with publications that reflected the interdisciplinary fields related to the research objective were searched: APA PsycINFO, CINHAL, PubMed, Scopus, and Social Work Abstracts. Results: After the authors conducted the search, 14 articles (from 13 studies) ultimately met the criteria for inclusion. The results substantiated significant concerns highlighted in previous literature regarding SES and its relation to EOL planning, but also revealed an absence of original work and interventions to increase engagement in EOL planning among Black and African American populations. Conclusion: Black individuals deserve an equitable EOL experience. Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers need to move towards advocacy and action to meet this important need.
Kristen Ravi
Systematic review of the impacts of childhood exposure to domestic violence among college students
Aggression and Violent Behavior Journal
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2024.101931
Adults with childhood exposure to domestic violence (CEDV) histories are at risk of negative life experiences and circumstances as demonstrated through the robust and evolving adverse childhood experiences literature. This systematic review focuses on the retrospective CEDV experiences, and concurrent health (physical and mental) and academic outcomes of young adults enrolled in higher education institutions. The main research questions addressed in this systematic review included: (RQ1) How was CEDV defined and measured? and (RQ2) What is the impact of CEDV on college students’ physical and mental health and academic success? This systematic literature review included a final sample size of 17 scholarly articles. Approximately half of the studies were conducted in the United States at predominantly White institutions. Findings from this systematic review demonstrate that CEDV can negatively impact college students’ well-being, especially their mental health, but there is inconsistency in how CEDV is measured across studies. Greater methodological sophistication and clarity in how CEDV is conceptualized and measured, as well as enhanced efforts to recruit samples with greater racial and ethnic diversity, is needed. The results of this review demonstrate a need for more research that explores the effect of CEDV on students’ physical health and academic achievement. With the appropriate tools and training, university professionals have a unique opportunity to support students with CEDV.
Stacia West
Places across the US are testing no-strings cash as part of the social safety net
NPR Morning Edition
https://www.npr.org/2024/03/05/1233440910/cash-aid-guaranteed-basic-income-social-safety-net-poverty
Cash aid without conditions was considered a radical idea before the pandemic. But early results from a program in Stockton, Calif., showed promise. Then interest exploded after it became clear how much COVID stimulus checks and emergency rental payments had helped people. The U.S. Census Bureau found that an expanded child tax credit cut child poverty in half. That is, until the expansion ended, and child poverty spiked.
Guaranteed income programs specifically do not require people to work. That’s a selling point for supporters, who say the extra cash can create the time and space to find a better job or perhaps a new direction. But the lack of any work requirement is a main concern for opponents, especially if no-strings cash aid were to be made permanent.