This study was designed to establish a caseload standard for child welfare workers. Understanding reasonable workload expectations for child welfare workers is a cornerstone of quality service provision and the recruitment and retention of qualified workers. Because of the analytic complexity of this question, qualitative and quantitative methods…

Often faced with ethical challenges that may appear extraordinary, military social workers comprise a distinctive subgroup of the social work profession. From the unique paradigms in which they practice their craft, obvious questions about how military social workers address the ethical challenges inherent to their wartime mission arise. Using a…

Short-term psychosocial casework had a positive effect on the clinical symptoms and targeted complaints of a sample of Chicano clients attending two mental health clinics as outpatients. In this article the authors examine the psychosocial, intercultural, interactionist, and generic skills of workers that were significantly correlated with the…

Interviewed 15 social workers to examine the use of Life Books for children in substitute family care. Results indicated the project was valuable in helping children integrate past and present experiences and develop a sense of identity. (JAC)

Surveyed 247 social workers to investigate their use of community self-help groups as a resource for clients. Results indicated social workers were aware of self-help groups and their benefits, but agencies do not have policies that encourage their use. (JAC)

Conducted exploratory study to identify factors that may influence some caseworkers to continue employment in public child welfare when so many others are leaving. From comprehensive focused interviews with 23 caseworkers, 4 factors of retention emerged: mission, goodness of fit, supervision, and investment. (Author/NB)

Provides a definition of empirically based practice, both conceptually and operationally. Describes a study of how research and practice were integrated in the graduate social work program at the School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago. (JAC)

Surveyed 200 female street prostitutes to determine whether they were sexually exploited during childhood. Results showed 60 percent of the subjects were sexually exploited. The few girls who discussed their abuse with others were met with shame and most often inaction. Only 10 percent were abused by strangers. (JAC)

Compared 50 children who successfully remained at home after foster care with 50 children who returned to foster care. Discusses the relationship between case management and community services. Results indicated community services were infrequently offered, and no improvement occured in about one-fourth of the cases. (JAC)

Surveyed 94 social organizations to describe and analyze recordkeeping. Results show records typically contain: (1) a social history; (2) worker's assessment; (3) goals; (4) service plan; (5) progress notes; and (6) summary. Records function first to facilitate service delivery. (JAC)