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Prior to the pandemic, two-thirds of universities and colleges administered courses in the traditional face-to-face setting. After the abrupt change due to the pandemic, educators submerged themselves in virtual pedagogy and forged ahead... more
Prior to the pandemic, two-thirds of universities and colleges administered courses in the traditional face-to-face setting. After the abrupt change due to the pandemic, educators submerged themselves in virtual pedagogy and forged ahead in preparing the future workforce. An area that may have been overlooked was ensuring the learning environment remained diverse, equitable, and inclusive for all learners. Vital to students matriculating through programs and entering the healthcare workforce is recognizing and understanding student learning styles and having an ecological glimpse of circumstances that may affect their learning. Employing the intersectionality framework to explore inequities exacerbated by students' identities is a starting point. Implementing strategic priorities and DEI practices to decrease the equity gap that exists in the healthcare system and higher education institutions is essential. Health profession educators play a unique role in serving as change agen...
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Background: Suicide risk following youth psychiatric hospitalization is of significant concern. This study evaluated Linking Individuals Needing Care (LINC), a theory-driven, comprehensive care coordination approach for youth discharged... more
Background: Suicide risk following youth psychiatric hospitalization is of significant concern. This study evaluated Linking Individuals Needing Care (LINC), a theory-driven, comprehensive care coordination approach for youth discharged from crisis services. Aims: To pilot LINC's potential effectiveness in increasing service utilization and decreasing suicide risk. Method: Participants were 460 youth patients who received LINC for approximately 90 days following discharge from crisis services. Service utilization, depressive symptoms, and suicide-related variables were measured at baseline and 30, 60, and 90 days after baseline. Results: Patients significantly increased the use of various beneficial, least restrictive services (individual therapy, medication management, and non-mental health supports) over the 90-day intervention. Significant decreases were observed in depressive symptoms, suicide ideation, and engagement in suicide-related behaviors. Limitations: Absence of a c...
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In the USA, persons of color as well as those from economically marginalized communities are over-represented in prisons and jails. This over-representation suggests the violation of justice-involved individuals’ rights to equality under... more
In the USA, persons of color as well as those from economically marginalized communities are over-represented in prisons and jails. This over-representation suggests the violation of justice-involved individuals’ rights to equality under the law. Field placement settings with justice-involved populations present opportunities for students to employ human rights-based practice approaches. This article will present teaching strategies currently used in the Joint Master of Social Work Re-entry Field Education Unit to provide social work students with a greater understanding of human rights issues so they can effectively intervene with individuals and advance a human rights practice approach. These strategies aim to enhance the cognitive, affective, skills, and values domains of student learning as outlined by the Council on Social Work Education. These strategies include a reentry simulation to foster student affective awareness (i.e., empathy) and a human rights intervention planning tool to promote a “rights-based orientation” via a shift to clinician-advocate mindset.
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The social media site Facebook can provide social workers with a method to engage in informal peer support. Scholars to date have mainly focused on social media sites such as Facebook as they pertain to clinical interactions with clients,... more
The social media site Facebook can provide social workers with a method to engage in informal peer support. Scholars to date have mainly focused on social media sites such as Facebook as they pertain to clinical interactions with clients, maintaining professionalism especially among social work students, using them for professional or organizational promotion, and using them as an educational tool. Informal peer groups have been found to be an effective tool to combat burn-out in high-stress professions such as social work. The use of a social media site such as Facebook for informal peer support could provide additional benefits to social workers beyond what they would experience from offline contact. This article fills a gap in the literature by describing how a group of practicing social workers use a private Facebook group for peer support, informal consultation, emotional support, and personal social connection. Given the continual high rates of job stress and burnout, social workers should consider new and innovative ways to use social media sites such as Facebook to enhance their self-care efforts.