With mounting evidence over the last 20 years regarding the prevalence and severity of trauma histories among social work clients, there has been a concerted effort across schools of social work to embed trauma-informed principles within course content and training. As students work to integrate classroom skills into field practicums, field…

The present study, based on a joint photovoice inquiry by 9 social work educators, set out to examine their real-time lived experiences in the face of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. The study was based on a series of group sessions during which 29 photovoice were collected. These served as the basis for a group dialogue about the lecturers'…

While psychoanalysis played an important role in social work practice and education as far back as the 1920's, the period from the 1960s through the 1990s led to its diminishing presence. We believe incorporating psychoanalytic theory into social work education is now necessary to prepare students for contemporary direct practice and should be a…

Many social workers are exposed to trauma directly and indirectly through their academic coursework and practice settings. Research shows that social workers who practice self-care early in their careers are better able and more likely to effectively manage these experiences. In the long term, self-care can reduce staff turnover rates and burnout,…

In the past 2 decades, social work education has increasingly advocated for inclusion of trauma-related content in educational programming. Yet, to date, little is known about the current state of trauma education and training in social work programs. The aim of this study is to describe trauma education and training in accredited, North American…

In recent years, immigrant family apprehensions at the United States southern border have more than doubled. Those wishing to stay enter a complex legal process as they either fight for lawful status or remain unauthorized. The trauma many experienced may inhibit their ability to articulate claims to legal status. Yet several relief options are…

Canada, like other nations with colonizing histories and ongoing colonial practices marginalizing Indigenous peoples, is searching for pathways leading to reconciliation. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission called on the social work profession to engage in the decolonization of social work structures and processes, including how it educates…

Little is known about preparing BSW students to work with intimate partner violence (IPV). This study describes an experiential exercise designed to introduce them to working with survivors of IPV. Qualitative methods were used to explore BSW student descriptions of their experiences of and learning from the exercise. Analysis revealed students'…

Social work educators face the task of integrating personal experiences into their teaching practice. In difficult topic areas such as child protection, violence, trauma, and abuse, the challenge of presenting material objectively is made more difficult when the social work educator has lived experience of these topics. This paper uses a…

The objective of this teaching note is to further discussion, application, and research on trauma-informed educational practices in social work. Trauma has a pervasive effect across social work service sectors. Both generalist and specialized education about trauma could reduce misinterpretation of coping strategies and retraumatization of…

Systematic inquiry is an inherent part of social work practice. Despite this fact, social work students and practitioners continue to view research as difficult, intimidating and irrelevant. This disconnect is compounded by a lack of rigorous study on how best to teach research concepts to social work students. One way to bridge this gap is to…

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 resulted in major disruption for social work education, as many teachers and programs shifted from on-campus classes to remote or blended teaching using digital technologies. Social work educators have an opportunity to apply the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to meet the needs of students and communities…

Meaningful integration of evidence-based practice (EBP) in graduate school curricula may be best achieved by partnerships between service agencies and academia. This article provides a concrete example for teaching EBP in a master's-level social work course through collaboration with an agency with a strong track record of EBP implementation. The…

Social work students created a community activism project to raise awareness about trauma prevalence and impact. Trauma theory describes silencing as the mechanism that hinders individual and community healing. Therefore, students sought to create an interactive opportunity to heighten trauma visibility on campus. They created a physical mailbox…

Given the human costs of psychological trauma, social workers should be well versed in trauma-informed care (TIC). This framework helps guide the efforts of systems, organizations, and practitioners toward reducing trauma or mitigating its effects. The field has created TIC principles, although they have yet to be fully realized as practical…