Evidence-based practice (EBP) has emerged as an alternative to traditional social work practice and has ignited a new round in the decades-old debate about the relationship between knowledge and practice in the field. This article identifies several limitations inherent in the EBP perspective and argues that it would be unfortunate if EBP were to…

Extensive research documents powerful relationships between humans and companion animals, and 62 percent of U. S. households report having a companion animal. Social workers are likely to work with individuals and families with companion animals; thus, the inclusion of such animals in both practice and research as a natural extension of social…

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…

An estimated one in four women experiences a pregnancy loss during her lifetime. Despite the pervasiveness of fetal mortality reflected by these numbers, social workers rarely initiate dialogues regarding reproductive loss history. Reproductive loss experiences are interwoven with typical themes emerging in everyday social work practice, including…

This article introduces social workers to the beliefs and practices associated with Paganism, Witchcraft, and Wicca and describes how social workers can help to create a welcoming environment for children and youths belonging to these religious minority groups. Drawing on social science research, social work literature, and a case example, the…

For social work practitioners to engage fully in efforts designed to improve the quality of social services, they need to understand what is meant by quality of care, grapple with its complexity, and know how to identify and leverage the key factors most likely to influence it. This article introduces a conceptual model that articulates numerous…

Contends that case managers engage in the practice of management. Employs Mintzberg's seminal research on chief executive behavior to argue that case managers' work is similarly characterized by brevity, variety, and fragmentation. Notes that case managers perform the 10 roles developed by Mintzberg. Describes roles and presents case managers'…

Although many in the social work profession have written about empowerment, few have offered a description of the empowerment process from the perspective of clients and workers in high-risk communities. This qualitative study presents a model of empowerment practice from the perspective of frontline workers, the challenges they faced, and the…

Social workers in generic practice are often uncertain about which social work method is most appropriate for a given case. This article suggests that evaluating role discrepancies can help practitioners determine whether to work toward personal or situational changes with clients. (Author)

Notes that Jobs Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) program seeks to increase economic self-sufficiency of recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Explains how, to track implementation of JOBS, 10-state, 3-year study is being undertaken that focuses on states' choices for implementing JOBS. Considers roles of broker…

Suggests that the use of ritual reveals group values and shared meanings at the deepest level and helps to establish and maintain a group's collective identity. Discusses family rituals as both stabilizing and transforming forces and the use of ritual as an assessment and intervention tool. Applications for clinical practice with individuals, with…

Suggests that social work's dual focus on the individual transacting with the environment has been underdeveloped by the profession. An array of interrelated formulations from social work and elsewhere reinforces, however, the importance of such center-moving ideas. Discusses these formulations and their impact on the profession's future…

Discusses two modes of thinking about ethics developed by Carol Gilligan. Argues that Gilligan's modes of thought (responsibility and rights) correspond to two ideals of social work practice: a rights perspective, based on liberal individualism, and a needs perspective, based on nineteenth century Christian virtue. (JAC)

Outlines various factors likely to complicate the process of marital separation and increase the need for intervention. Presents illustrative cases and intervention strategies. (Author/JAC)