Microaggressions, or subtle forms of discrimination, are associated with poor mental and physical health as well as chronic stress and disease. The current study sought to add to the microaggressions literature by exploring the effects of socioeconomic status (SES)-based microaggressions on the mental health of urban low-income adolescents. Data were collected from 291 adolescents in New York City

Uprooted people needing to turn to supernatural forces find an institutionalized outlet for the therapeutic discharge of unresolved frustration or aggression

Therapists need to understand how and why traditional family stability and parental authority are affected in the transition to life in mainland urban centers

Additional thoughts are presented regarding the need for knowledge of, and sensitivity to, cultural factors in relation to Puerto Rican clients

Retarded adolescents and young adults are experiencing new levels of social life in adult activity centers and prevocational training programs

The manner in which a therapeutic relationship is ended has a major influence on the degree to which gains are maintained and further growth promoted

Underlying assumptions are that most elderly clients can, want, and need to make decisions for themselves in order to remain functioning in the community

The Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative, led by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW), aims to organize the social work profession around 12 entrenched societal challenges. Addressing the root causes of the Grand Challenges will take a coordinated effort across all of social work practice, but given their scale, macro social work will be essential. We use Santiago

Alipour, F., Khoramdel, N., Arshi, M., Sabzi Khoshnami, M. (2021). Postmarital life challenges after foster care discharge: A qualitative study. Families in Society. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/1044389420968307

The purpose of this study was to compare the coping strategies between homeless women with dependent children and homeless women without dependent children. Of the 192 homeless women in this study, 64 were mothers whose dependent children lived with them, and 132 were women who did not have dependent children living with them. The women were recruited from homeless shelters in Georgia, in the Metro

Guidelines aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 resulted in major changes in people’s lives. A cross-sectional online survey, completed by 1,405 adults in Canada and the United States in June 2020, found respondents from rural areas/small towns reported better coping and adjustment (i.e., less use of substances for support), less personal impact, less life disruption, and fewer challenges with transportation

The year 2020 is one that will be remembered for so many reasons, not least of which was the immense rate of change. Natural disasters, mass social uprisings, civic defiance and political impiety, vast economic damage, and, most of all, the coronavirus pandemic profoundly disrupted everyday life for millions of people in the United States and across the globe. There will be communal trauma from the

Natural disasters are frequent, widespread, and derail the lives of large percentages of the population. Social work professionals are among those suitable for intervening in natural disasters as they assist individuals, families, and communities. To understand the knowledge in the areas of disaster preparedness—the authors investigated the literature by reviewing 10 major social work journals—a conceptual

This study utilized the PRISMA protocol to conduct a systematic review of the literature published in the United States from 1989 to 2018 to identify factors that affect foster parent retention. Foster parent perception of their own limitations within the child welfare system, the child welfare system’s ability to function fluidly, and the foster parents’ relationship with the agency affects retention

Leaving incarceration and returning home (i.e., reentry) affects individuals and their families; 90% of individuals releasing from prison rely on family for critical reentry supports. Although positive family support during this period is empirically linked to an individual’s success, providing support can place a substantial emotional, social, and fiscal toll on family units. Without intervention

Many children have entered foster care centers due to different reasons, and they will experience new conditions after leaving these centers. This research explored the experiences of the postmarital life of women with a history of residence in foster care centers. It was conducted using a qualitative content analysis. The data were collected through semistructured interviews with 21 former foster

In the past decade, the use of intersectionality in social work scholarship has grown tremendously. Various applications of intersectionality theorizing have led to new approaches in social work research and, ultimately, have informed implications for practice. In this study, we used critical interpretive synthesis to explore how social work scholars articulate practice implications of an intersectional

The period after incarceration and the influence of neighborhood effects are gaining interest among scholars as a small body of evidence is illustrating the difficulties returning citizens have obtaining basic services and needs, employment, stable housing, and other social and behavioral health supports in the areas where they are being released. Transitional planning efforts to ensure that returning

Steen, J. T., Senreich, E., & Straussner, S. L. A., (2020). Adverse childhood experiences among licensed social workers. Families in Society. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/1044389420929618

Drawing on data from the National Latino and Asian American Study, this article examines the influence of family relational factors, independently and jointly with immigration generation status, on past-year mental health service utilization among Asian Americans (N = 1,599). Findings revealed the important role of family relation in influencing the likelihood and type of Asian Americans’ mental health

Confident Body, Confident Child (CBCC) is a parenting program designed to enhance knowledge of ways to promote body appreciation and sustainable health habits in 2- to 6-year-old children. Following a randomized controlled trial in Australia, the current study explores the international applicability of CBCC with the first pilot trial in the United States. Using an uncontrolled pretest–posttest design

Based on the Head Start Impact Study (HSIS) data, the current study examines Head Start’s long-term impacts on cognitive outcomes for children with disabilities: (a) Do children with disabilities who enroll in Head Start at age 4 years have better cognitive outcomes when they are 4 to 9 years old? (b) Are there other factors associated with long-term cognitive development for children with disabilities

This study sought to explore the mediating effect of informal social support on the relationship between caregiver burden and quality of life among compound and noncompound caregivers. Parents (N = 320) completed a web-based survey aimed to examine effects of caring for an adult child with autism spectrum disorder. Results of the mediation analysis suggested that informal social support partially mediated

Environmental justice organizations aim to secure an equitable distribution of environmental resources through the participation and self-determination of affected people, particularly communities of color. Yet organizing in a market economy is complicated: As communities become greener, gentrification can follow, thereby inadvertently displacing low-income communities of color and reproducing environmental

Has public policy shaped the persistence of residential segregation by race over time? Social Structures of Accumulation (SSA) theory, which explains major shifts in policy paradigms as a response to an economic crisis informs our analysis. We compare federal housing policy across two SSAs: the Keynesian period (1940–1970) characterized by welfare state expansion and the neoliberal period (1970–2010)

Children in foster care due to parental substance use disorder are at high risk for delayed permanency. Understudied is the effect of foster care factors on these children’s exits from care. This study analyzed 10 years of federal child welfare data to understand the effect of foster care placement, provider, and support factors for this vulnerable group. Results revealed that several foster care variables

This conceptual article argues that evidence-based practice (EBP) is best understood as a component of the informed consent process preceding treatment. The legally mandated informed consent/consent to treat process requires that professionals disclose to clients the nature of services along with potential risks, benefits, and alternatives. Informed consent is a long-standing part of professional practice

Unresolved pain rises. It is inevitable. We use the knowledge of past trauma and hurting to explore respite in the present and solutions for the future. Just three words lead us to ask about childhood experiences, explore the meanings of daily interactions, and guide us to seek a deeper understanding of an individual, a family, or a community. Just three words create a picture in our minds and hearts

During the past two decades, U.S. immigration policies have been tightened resulting in increased deportations of unauthorized persons residing in the United States. This qualitative phenomenological study is theoretically grounded in family systems theory. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with Latinx youth (n = 8) and their remaining caregivers, specifically mothers (n = 8) who

This study examined whether dual-income couples’ gender role attitudes are associated with their paid leave use and second-birth intentions. Forty employed wives who returned to the workplace after childbirth and their employed husbands were recruited from the Central New York area. Actor–partner interdependence model path analysis was used to test the above associations at the dyadic level. This study

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are predictors of deleterious outcomes in adulthood. Studies of childhood maltreatment among various populations and professions assess the prevalence and scope of ACEs. This article presents findings from a survey of 5,540 licensed social workers in 13 states. The study found that social workers’ mean ACE score was 2.1, and more than 23.6% reported exposure to

Social work has long been committed to eliminating poverty, which is at the root of many of the social issues and challenges we address. Over 40% of the U.S. workforce makes less than $15/hour, and the accumulating evidence suggests this is not enough to meet basic needs. In this introduction to a special issue about low-wage work, we describe what is known regarding the experiences and well-being

Low-wage workers have borne the brunt of the changing labor market, including wage stagnation, growing income inequality, and increasingly unstable work environments. Most research on low-wage workers focuses on precarious minimum wage employment; however, some low-wage workers hold jobs earning more than minimum wage with consistent, full-time hours. This study explores strategies parents in these

Many low-wage workers struggle to make ends meet despite working full-time. Surveys find that they confront material, financial, and medical hardships. This article presents hospital workers’ descriptions of living on low wages, giving voice to their fears and challenges. These workers (N = 156) testified to a city council-created Wage Review Committee, which posted the testimonies online. We qualitatively

Human services professionals from all fields may be exposed to dangerous and even traumatic experiences while fulfilling their job responsibilities. Despite the data identifying trauma exposure as a workforce problem, the literature focusing on policy and practice interventions is sparse. Using a safety culture framework, this article describes a case example of one statewide public child welfare agency

Caregiving can be a lifelong responsibility for parents of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined coping strategies and barriers experienced by parents of adult children with ASD. The 51 parents who participated in this study were at least 50 years old and had an adult child (18+) with ASD. Semistructured, one-on-one interviews were conducted with parents to understand

We examined whether using paid leave is directly linked to employed mothers’ depressive symptoms. In addition, we examined the moderating effect of employed mothers’ perceived fairness of division of household labor (housework and childcare) on the above association. We collected data from 92 employed mothers who were eligible to take paid leave and returned to the workplace after childbirth in Upstate