SWSD 2024

#0909 | Opportunity structures and the development of social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) skills in an international context

Arlene Bjugstad ¹ ; Jodi Berger Cardoso ² ; Sharon Borja ² ; Weihua Fan ² ;

Johanna Cresswell Báez ¹

1 - University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. 2 - University of Houston.

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#1134 | How individualised curricula enable diversity - using the prototype "Fee-Form" as an example for innovative education

Regula Kunz ¹

1 - University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland.

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Summary

Due to the increasing diversity of lifestyles, the heterogeneity and diversity of students is growing. Innovative curricula seek new answers in education and break new ground. In a design thinking process at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), a prototype for a bachelor's degree in social work was developed. In autumn 2019, the pilot project startet and enabled individualized learning path, personalized guidance, participatory learning and promoting future skills. The students develop their competences as freely as possible in a curriculum that gives them as little form as necessary. Accordingly, the form of study was called "Free-Form". They work together with their colleagues, lecturers from social work practice and the university to design their learning opportunities in an enabling space and self-assess their competency development. Self-initiated alliances are formed between the participants from practice and the university to work on topics and projects in an interest-led and time-flexible manner. A number of regular offers provide orientation in learning and in the subject discipline. The students are accompanied by coaches from practice and the university as they plan and assess their competency development in a portfolio process. Students in the free form seek knowledge specific to their needs and situations and develop it in alignment with the themes from the competency profile of the Bachelor of Social Work FHNW programme and according to their individual learning path.\ The pilot was concluded with an extensive evaluation, further developments were initiated and from autumn 2023 the free form will be run as a regular study programme.In the presentation, we show the development process, explain the curricular prototype and present the main results of the evaluation.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Individualised and personalised education; participative, self-directed learning; lifelong learning; Future skills, curriculum development, competence orientation, co-constructive educational processes, sociocracy, Open Educational Practices, higher education development\

#1484 | Reconstructing the engagement of the IASSW over the time: first results of an archival search at the Social Welfare History Archives (Minneapolis)

Carlotta Mozzone ¹ ; Marilena Dellavalle ¹ ;

Alexandra Mustafà ² ; Lluis Francesc Peris Cancio ³

1 - University of Turin. 2 - Department of Social Service of Federal University of Pernambuco. 3 - University of Rome - DISSE.

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Summary

The aims that led to the birth of the IASSW (1928) are realising an exchange of opinions and experiences between schools of social work from all over the world, fostering their cooperation and promoting international courses of study. The desire to guarantee - at a global level - an education in line with the values of social work led to the elaboration, together with the IFSW, of the Global Standards for Social Work Teaching and Training. This contribution analyses, with a diachronic approach, the role of the IASSW in developing social work training courses at an international level and in local realities. Special attention is to interaction with regional organisations, in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and the Caribbean, also to enhance indigenous experience.\ The research is being conducted by an international team, made up of social work researchers from academic institutions in Brazil and Italy, and is growing. In order to reconstruct in a timely manner how the IASSW's engagement in the described field took place, the first phase of the research is at the Social Welfare History Archive of the IASSW (Elmer Andersen Library - Minneapolis) and is dedicated to the consultation and digitisation of documents: primary sources of the research. During the second phase, the observation and taxonomic evaluation of the collected material takes place, as well as the analysis of literature coeval with the period considered.\ The research is still in progress, so we present the initial results regarding the analysis of the material consulted. In addition, we produce and present analytical sheets that may constitute material available for further research.\ Reconstructing the history of the IASSW can foster awareness of this organisation's commitment - for almost a century - to promoting the quality of social worker education and the value system of social work at a global level.

Keywords (separate with commas)

IASSW, Social Welfare History Archivse, Regional Organisations, Social worker education, School social work

#0742 | Predictors of Stigma Toward Substance Misuse in Mexico

Micki Washburn ¹ ;

Robin Gearing ² ;

Kathryne Brewer ³ ; Miao Yu ¹ ; Luis Torres ¹ ; Pedro de la Cruz ⁴

1 - University of Texas at Arlington. 2 - University of Houston. 3 - University of New Hampshier. 4 - Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.

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Summary

Substance use remains a significant public health issue impacting individuals, families and communities worldwide.\ However, stigma related to substance use and the people who use substances often serves as a barrier to treatment and sustained recovery.\ Although the relationship between stigma and substance use in the United States has been well studied, little is currently known about factors that may be predictive of various\ domains of stigma toward substance misuse in Mexico. 270 adults in Mexico City were field recruited to participate in a community based survey on conceptualizations of mental health and substance use. A randomized experimental vignette methodology was used to assess multiple domains of substance use-related stigma and their relationship to the sociodemographic characteristics of the vignette subject and respondents. Path modeling was used to determine which of sociodemographic characteristics were predictive of three domains of public stigma including 1.) a desire to increase social distance from the person who is misusing substances, 2.) stigma related to how members of the community act toward someone who is misusing substances, 3.) perceptions regarding the future success of those misusing substances\ No differences in expressed stigma were found based on the gender of the vignette subject (person misusing substances). However, some differences were found in terms of factors predicting stigma based on the type of substance that was being misused. For alcohol, education level, gender, self-stigma and openness to seeking mental health services were differentially associated with substance related stigma. For cocaine, familiarity of with mental health and substance use issues, education level and spirituality were predictive of stigma. These results indicated that targeted public health community based stigma reduction efforts are needed to decrease stigma toward those misusing substances in Mexico, and to support treatment initiation, ongoing engagement and long term recovery efforts

Keywords (separate with commas)

Alcohol, cocaine, substance use, Mexico, stigma

#0889 | A Scoping Review of Alcohol and Substance Addiction in the United Arab Emirates: Key Lessons for Social Work

Ansie Fouché ¹ ;

Raquel Marta ¹ ; Vinnarasan Aruldoss ¹ ; Abdulaziz Albrithen ¹ ; Khoula Al Riyami ¹ ; Krista Cooper ¹ ; Mariam AlNuaimi ¹ ; Mariam Alhadhrami ² ; Hisham Al Arabi ³ ; Prospera Tedam ¹ ; Rahemeen Yusuf ¹ ; Latifa Al Neyadi ¹

1 - United Arab Emirates University. 2 - National Rehabilitation Centre, Abu Dhabi. 3 - Private.

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#1339 | Cannabis Use in Canadian Youth Post-Legalization: Perspectives of Youth, Parents, and Service Providers

Toula Kourgiantakis ¹ ;

Shelley Craig ² ;

Eunjung Lee ²

1 - Université Laval. 2 - University of Toronto.

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Summary

Canada legalized recreational cannabis use to protect youth; however, youth cannabis use rates\\ have increased, and this is a serious public health concern. Youth cannabis use is linked with adverse effects including psychosis, anxiety, depression, suicidality, hyperemesis, and intoxications. Criticisms have emerged regarding the limited public education efforts post-legalization (e.g., 48% of Canadians have never seen a public health message on cannabis). Knowledge plays a role in influencing cannabis consumption rates, with higher usage when a substance is perceived as less harmful. Parents serve as vital sources of support for youth but often feel disempowered in addressing cannabis use. Service providers play a crucial role in addressing cannabis use, but there are gaps in their knowledge, skills, and comfort levels. The aim of this study was to explore how youth, parents, and service providers perceive youth cannabis use in Canada since legalization.This qualitative study employed a community-based participatory research approach and collaborated with a community partner, Families for Addiction Recovery (FAR). We conducted semi-structured interviews and analyzed data using thematic analysis. The sample included 88 participants (n=31 youth, n=26 parents, and n=31 service providers).\\ We identified the following themes: (1) concerns about risks and harms, (2) minimization of risks and harms, (3) reduced stigma, except for youth in equity-deserving groups, (4) youth are using cannabis to cope with mental health concerns, (5) inadequate public education, (6) social workers need more training and education, (7) there is inequitable access to services, (8) most service providers do not screen or assess cannabis use, (9) parents are excluded from treatment, and (10) youth-centred harm reduction approaches are needed.Canada has one of the world's highest rates of cannabis use, and legalization occurred without adequate public education, training for service providers, and equitable access to treatment. Implications for social workers will be discussed.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Cannabis use, youth, parents, social workers, social work education and practice

#0307 | ESCUTA (LISTEN) ! another economy is possible: a case study centred on entrepreneurship and Peoples´s Economy

Eduardo Marques ¹

1 - Universidade dos Açores.

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Summary

ESCUTA (EMPREENDEDORISMO SOCIAL COMUNITÁRIO UNIVERSITÁRIO TRANSNACIONAL - AÇORES) was a European Project (Erasmus+ KA203 - Higher Education Strategic Partnership) with a special focus on social entrepreneurship based on the international cooperation established between Universities and NGO´s from Portugal (Azores), Spain and France.The project started on 1 September 2020 and finished on 31 July 2023. Results will be presented as a case study that aims to demonstrate the benefits of knowledge creation when the strengths of universities and NGO´s are linked together for the co-creation of the People´s Economy.The term "people economy" does not have a universally accepted definition, but it generally refers to an economic system or approach that prioritizes the well-being and empowerment of individuals and communities. Emphasizes the importance of human capital, social relationships, and inclusive growth. People's economy is related to a social and solidarity economy, which is more based on social equity, environmental sustainability, quality of life than just in profit. It recognizes that economic success should be measured by how well it serves the needs and aspirations of people rather than solely focusing on financial metrics.The project was based on knowledge transfer from universities to NGO´s and vice-versa and allowed the develop socioemotional skills of social work students. It was based on a project-based methodology and on social and emotional learning. It offered the possibility to develop activities centered on equal opportunities and help their participation in their own communities in identifying and idealizing entrepreneurship solutions and participating in the construction of initiatives capable of making the community more innovative, autonomous, resilient, and sustainable. The case study allows understanding the value of social networks, trust, and community cohesion as an important factor for sustainable economic development, resilience, social inclusion, empowerment, and the well-being of future generations.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Social Entrepreneurship, People´s economy, Social work, Innovation, Social and emotional learning;

#0932 | Exploring pathways to social innovation strategy: a potential solution for developing evidenced based theories of change

Tiffany Laursen ¹

1 - University of Illinois Urbana Champaign School of Social Work.

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Summary

Within theme #15 (innovation, social entrepreneurship, and people’s economy) there lacks an understanding of how to comparatively analyze which conditional configurations of a theory of change are necessary and sufficient when developing a social innovation strategy. Without this knowledge, students in social innovation and social entrepreneurship (SISE) courses struggle to provide evidence that the theory of change they develop has the capabilities to address the social problem they are trying to resolve. Without grounding theories of change in evidence, social ventures are inclined to redundancy and ineffectiveness; frail service models overextend the promise of social change outcomes to various stakeholders including partners, funders, and beneficiaries. Addressing the gap, this exploratory intervention study examines the pathways to building evidenced based social innovation strategies when incorporating Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) into theory of change curriculum in an undergraduate SISE course. QCA is a method of inquiry that combines qualitative case study methods with Boolean algebra and set theory to explore cases of complex causality. It does this by exploring a full range of conditions within a set of cases to reveal patterns that are deemed necessary and/or sufficient for a specific outcome. This study incorporates QCA into the intervention by teaching SISE students the QCA method as a tool to comparatively examine their theory of change within evidence from other theory of change models. QCA is then used to analyze the pathways to evidenced based social innovation strategy before and after the students learn and apply the method. The findings have implications for the ways in which we develop theories of change in SISE education and practice.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Social Innovation, Theory of Change, Qualitative Comparative Analysis, Social Entrepreneurship

#1039 | Investments in the Social Service Workforce Caring for Children and Families: A Three-Country Assessment

Alex Collins ¹

1 - Data for Impact.

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Summary

A strong, well-trained social service workforce (SSW) consisting of diverse categories of social workers and other social service personnel with different levels of training and qualifications is necessary for the wellbeing of children, families, persons with disabilities and other groups facing difficult circumstances or challenges. The U.S. Government is committed to investing in strategies to support the SSW in keeping with its Advancing Protection and Care for Children in Adversity (APCCA) strategy and implementation plan. This whole-of-government approach aims to ensure comprehensive and coordinated efforts to strengthen systems for protecting and caring for children worldwide.\ USAID’s Children in Adversity Team engaged\ Data For Impact (D4I) to assess activities that it supports across three countries – Armenia, Cambodia, and Rwanda – that involve strengthening the SSW and broader system related to child care and protection. The goal of the assessment was to identify specific approaches that USAID and country partners should consider advocating for and making future investments in, which will contribute to a more robust SSW and overall sustainable social services systems in these three countries, and as applicable in other countries. Guided by global and country-level advisory groups, the assessment involved a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods, including a review of relevant country-specific and global documents, a secondary analysis of existing aggregate data, and primary data collection through key informant interviews and focus group discussions at national and sub-national levels. Findings on approaches to planning, developing, and supporting the workforce invested in to date, their advantages and disadvantages to sustainable workforce and social service system development, and perceived changes at the child- and household-level were validated among these groups and informed recommendations and level of priority across the three countries and globally.

Keywords (separate with commas)

social service workforce, child welfare, family welfare, child protection, sustainable systems development, social protection

#1040 | Layering Impactful Support in Troubling Times: Bespoke supportive employment and housing for youth experiencing multiple barriers to housing and employment

Kathleen Manion ¹ ; Jo Axe ¹ ; Elizabeth Childs ¹

1 - Royal Roads University.

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Summary

Tackling youth homelessness has always been challenging, but the polycrisis (pandemic, climate, housing, overdose and staffing crises) has exasperated issues. This is a devastating phenomenon for young people, who face decreased job opportunities, increased expenses, increased debt loads, increased climate anxiety and delayed or interrupted entrance into the workforce—all factors that increase this demographic’s sensitivity to economic fluctuations. As an offshoot, these challenges have troubled social workers and other social justice practitioners, researchers, and policymakers wanting to make change. While many groups have called on policymakers to prioritize vulnerable populations to make further investments in programs specifically for young people facing barriers to ensure they are not further let down by the system, they often lack effective examples of practices that support individual youth, their families and their communities.\ In looking to creative approaches to tackle the barriers to housing and employment faced by diverse young people, little attention has been paid to the role a collaboration between not-for-profit, governmental and private sector can bring to redress this issue. To remedy this gap, this session examines research-based findings from one not-for-profit organization that provides a supportive employment and housing program to youth experiencing barriers to housing and employment. The Work2Live program is delivered in Whistler, Canada. Its approach to cultivating supportive employment for youth-at-risk of homelessness is unique in the partnerships it has fostered with employers, service providers, government services and the community. Through a government grant, this program has expanded and focused efforts on understanding and creating effective supports for both employers and participants. This has ripple effects for employees beyond participants. The program illustrates how one organization has traversed issues created by the polycrisis while furthering a collaborative and reciprocal approach with the community to provide support to diverse young people experiencing multiple barriers to housing and employment.

Keywords (separate with commas)

supportive employment, youth homelessness, collaborative support

#1371 | The Art of Social Value Creation: Exploring Alternative Approaches to Promote Socioeconomic Inclusion in South Africa

ROBERT MUTEMI KAJIITA ¹ ;

SIMON MUROTE KANG'ETHE ¹

1 - WALTER SISULU UNIVERSITY.

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Summary

The 21st century development approaches continue to maintain an economic and political hegemonic trends. The implication being investments models that are primarily premised on maximization of profit and accumulating wealth for a few and disenfranchising the majority. Consequently, this phenomenon has resulted to high income disparity and inequality among the rich and the poor in the world, south Africa notwithstanding. South Africa as a community continues to battle with pernicious legacy of apartheid, which manifest through gender inequality, poverty, a culture of violence, and unemployment of women and youth. It is prudent therefore to question the dominant exorbitant profit-making and wealth accumulation investment models and philosophies, and suggest alternatives for creating and distributing wealth inclusively. This paper is premised on a positive de-constructive narrative to rethink about the global convention socioeconomic development approaches, which have arguably contributed to increasing inequality, cultural erosion, loss of human dignity and a threatened social sustainability especially in Africa. Therefore, rethinking on the way governments and entrepreneurs invest in their communities is a subject of concern in the current dispensation in South Africa. \ Social work has a primary mandate to ensure socioeconomic inclusion and empowerment of individuals, families and communities.Through an empirical evidence, this papers focuses on how investing in people can facilitate socioeconomic emancipation and inclusion. Using data from selected social enterprises in South Africa, the authors shall advance the social entrepreneurship paradigm by conceptualizing and contextualizing social value creation and its concomitant social impact in communities. \ The paper challenges social services practitioners to undergo a paradigm shift in designing and implementing inclusive and social value orientated models and approaches of development.\

Keywords (separate with commas)

Social enterprise; Social entrepreneurship; South Africa; Social Value; People-centrism

#1525 | Integrated Social Work Practice: A Global Imperative for Sustainable Social Action

Bronwyn Cross-Denny ¹ ; Saundra Starks ² ; Maura Rhodes ¹

1 - Sacred Heart University. 2 - Western Kentucky University.

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