Rural social workers often serve in complex, resource-limited environments that demand a broad range of competencies. This study explored how practitioners in Ohio assess their preparedness to apply essential generalist and advanced practice skills by identifying gaps between perceived importance and confidence, termed "practice needs." A statewide online survey of licensed social workers (N = 155) was conducted using disproportionate stratified sampling to ensure representation of rural practitioners. Respondents rated 20 core practice skills and provided demographic and work environment data. The most significant practice needs were found in cultural competence, knowledge of community resources, maintaining work-life balance, engaging in research-informed practice, and trauma treatment. These gaps suggest areas where rural practitioners feel underprepared despite recognizing the importance of these skills. Regression analyses indicated that full-time employment and hybrid work arrangements were associated with higher practice needs, pointing to the influence of workload and modality complexity. The findings emphasize the need for targeted professional development that integrates both foundational and specialized competencies. Enhancing education, supervision, and workforce support can improve practitioner confidence and service delivery in underserved rural areas. This study contributes to broader efforts to strengthen rural social work through competency-based training and workforce resilience.
The mental health system struggles to engage people with severe mental illnesses (SMI) and substance use disorders (SUD) in care. Certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs) are designed to meet service gaps by providing person-centered, comprehensive, coordinated, accessible, and quality care. This study examines the impact of the CCBHC model on access and engagement of service users utilizing administrative data. There was a significant increase in existing and new service users (χ2 = 5.91; p < .05) after the CCBHC implementation and among existing service users with SMI (χ2 = 43.59; p < .001) and with opioid use disorders (OUD; χ2 = 51.51; p < .001). Findings were mixed for engagement, with increased psychiatry visits for people with SMI, but no changes among people with SUD apart from those with OUD. Overall, the CCBHC model increased access to care, but engagement levels varied possibly due to greater calibration of care. More research is needed to understand how CCBHCs impact clinical pathways and outcomes for service users.
Loneliness is a well-established social stressor associated with poorer mental health and lower life satisfaction. However, limited research has examined psychosocial resources that may buffer these associations. This study investigates whether neighborhood cohesion moderates the relationships between loneliness and these outcomes, and whether this moderating role varies by gender over time. Data were drawn from two waves (2017-2019 and 2020-2022) of the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study (N = 14,787 individuals; 29,574 person-years)-the only waves capturing data on both neighborhood cohesion and loneliness. Fixed-effects regression models were employed to account for time-invariant individual characteristics. Results indicated that loneliness was associated with poorer mental health and lower life satisfaction, while neighborhood cohesion was associated with better mental health and higher life satisfaction. Importantly, neighborhood cohesion moderated the associations between loneliness and both outcomes, supporting its role as a potential stress-buffering resource; however, no significant gender differences emerged in this moderating role. These findings underscore the potential importance of neighborhood cohesion as a protective factor in the context of loneliness. Social workers, particularly those engaged in community practice, can play a critical role in fostering neighborhood connections and advocating for supportive local environments. Initiatives that strengthen community ties may offer promising avenues for promoting well-being among individuals experiencing loneliness.
Library social work is an emerging field. In rural communities, where resources and infrastructure are often limited, public libraries serve as vital community hubs. However, little is known about rural contexts, particularly community needs and librarians' experiences. This study explored rural residents' perspectives on libraries and librarians' experiences in addressing their community's psychosocial needs. The authors used mixed-methods data from a large project aimed at developing a social service model for rural libraries. As part of this project, the authors conducted a statewide survey of rural residents (N = 1,145), followed by qualitative interviews with rural librarians (N = 11). The survey reported a wide range of psychosocial needs and showed their high expectations for local libraries to address them through various services, including resource referrals, online consultations, and in-library experts (e.g., social workers). Community members generally viewed psychosocial service provision as a fundamental role of local libraries, recognizing them as essential spaces for community well-being. This study underscored the gap between rural communities' psychosocial needs and the capacity of libraries to respond effectively. Social work can help bridge this gap through core skills such as community mobilization, resource navigation, direct service provision when needed, and training and consultation for librarians.
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between spirituality and resilience among Native American emerging adults who were adopted or fostered as children-an understudied population at heightened risk for adverse outcomes due to the intersection of poverty, intergenerational trauma, cultural assimilation, and out-of-home care experiences. Utilizing a retrospective survey, data were collected from 405 Native American emerging adults ages 18 to 30 who were either adopted or fostered as children at any point from birth to age 17. Regression analysis revealed a small but statistically significant relationship between spirituality and resilience. Gender differences were also observed, with male respondents scoring significantly higher on resilience than female respondents. These findings support the role of spirituality as a modest protective factor, affirming Indigenous cultural/spiritual inclinations and the humanistic framework of interconnected well-being. Implications include the necessity for social work practitioners to incorporate spirituality-informed, culturally congruent interventions, such as facilitating access to traditional ceremonies and spiritual mentors. This study highlights the importance of reclaiming spiritual connections as part of resilience frameworks for Native American youth and emerging adults navigating the challenges of adoption and foster care.
This article contributes to a collection of especially commissioned papers to mark the 60th anniversary of Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk. Reflecting the author’s personal views on the past, present and likely future trajectory of social development, he contends that there has been significant progress, but also severe setbacks that have fostered the currently pessimistic views of the field. Nevertheless, he contends that stubborn optimism is needed and that a commitment to change can mobilise support and result in renewal and significant social improvements. The recent 2025 World Summit on Social Development in Doha suggests that much is possible.
The Sexual Offences and Related Matters Amendment Act, 32 of 2007, stipulates in Section 54 that individuals with knowledge of sexual offences committed against children must report this information to authorities (Republic of South Africa [RSA], 2007). As a result of limited corroborative evidence in many cases of child sexual violence (CSV), forensic social workers often conduct investigations and serve as expert witnesses in court. The court is the primary client of forensic social workers, who provide expert testimony, often presented in a report containing their findings. Such a report must be clear and useful for ruling in the child's best interest. However, concerns have been raised about the quality of these reports, which can impede judicial decision-making. This study explored the perspectives of presiding officers and state prosecutors regarding the quality of forensic social work (FSW) court reports, using a qualitative research approach with face-to-face, semi-structured interviews to gather data. The study found challenges such as the lack of standardised guidelines, varied understanding of FSW roles, and gaps between formal requirements and practical implementation. However, legal professionals still deemed these reports as crucial expert evidence in CSV cases. The study also found that collaboration between forensic social workers and legal professionals can be beneficial in FSW report writing.
Considering increasing policy and scholarly claims that social work operates at the frontline of climate change, disaster response and environmental justice, this paper critically examines whether such claims are supported by empirical evidence. It addresses the central question of whether social work demonstrates a transformative, evidence-based role in advancing environmental outcomes. Drawing on a critical review of the environmental social work literature, the paper identifies a significant imbalance between normative and conceptual scholarship and empirically grounded research. It argues that, although social work has been influenced by environmental movements and contributes to related areas such as community development, disaster response and advocacy, its overall impact remains limited and insufficiently substantiated. The paper concludes that social work is better understood as a profession indirectly engaged with environmental issues rather than a leading or transformative environmental actor, and it outlines the types of empirical evidence required to support stronger claims regarding its role.
The editorial in this extended issue of Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk reflects on the ongoing transformation of social work education and practice in Africa towards more indigenised, Afrocentric and contextually relevant approaches. Particular attention is given to the role of the Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa (ASSWA) in promoting Afrocentric social work education through collaboration, resource development and regional co-operation. As part of the journal’s diamond jubilee, the editorial further explores the integration of developmental and strengths-orientated approaches, together with the incorporation of indigenous knowledge systems and culturally relevant pedagogies into social work curricula. Against this background, the editorial argues that social work education in Africa is progressively shaping a uniquely African approach that is culturally grounded, socially responsive and developmentally orientated.
This research note describes the processes undertaken in preparation for a bibliometric study of environmental social work and the decisions made in selecting the literature that is relevant to this domain of study. Given the conceptual breadth of the field, the first step involved the clarification of epistemic boundaries as a prerequisite for meaningful cumulative knowledge production in this area of research. The research note, therefore, outlines the search strategy, scope of interest, rigorous inclusion guidelines, consequent exclusions and the main conceptual categories in this broad, fragmented field of study.
This article explores how social grants can be repositioned as drivers of community economic development (CED) in rural South Africa. The study aimed to examine the role of grants in shaping local economic activity, assess patterns of economic leakage, and identify strategies to retain and leverage grant flows for sustainable livelihoods. The guiding research question was: How can social grants be harnessed to promote community-level economic development in under-resourced rural settings? Using a participatory case study design, the research employed tools such as the “leaky bucket” method to map local spending flows. Findings reveal that although social grants provide vital income support, most of this income rapidly exits local economies as a result of weak enterprise ecosystems and limited local production. However, the study also uncovered strong social capital, cultural practices such as letsema, and informal financial systems like stokvels that offer pathways for locally driven development. The study contributes to social work theory by advancing a decolonised, asset-based approach within the social development paradigm. It repositions local social work practice as a facilitator of economic agency, intersectoral collaboration and collective action. Internationally, the study aligns with emerging trends that connect social transfers to local economic resilience, especially in the Global South.
The first 1,000 days after birth are a critical period in a child’s development, as this phase establishes the foundation of the child’s physical, cognitive, emotional and social welfare. South Africa’s child support grant (CSG), which aims to provide financial assistance to primary caregivers of children in low-income households, therefore has a substantial impact on children’s growth and development. A basic good that greatly “dilutes” the value of the CSG is disposable nappies. This case study reports on the spending patterns on disposable nappies by caregivers receiving CSGs during the first 1,000 days of the child. A survey using both quantitative and qualitative questions was administered to 193 caregivers in a Northern Cape township to investigate the purchasing patterns of caregivers using disposable nappies. The results show that caregivers spend close to the equivalent of the CSG on nappies, leaving very little for the nourishment and care of the infant. Recommendations to supplement governmental cash grants are thus made to the social work profession. These include co-designing comprehensive programmes for improving the care of children in their first 1,000 days and linking the community with the necessary professionals and resources to support these programmes. The study also highlighted the lack social work research in this critical stage of children’s lives.
Protection of witnesses has gained prominence as a strategy to fight crime. While witness protection programmes have proven effective in helping individuals to testify without fear, many South Africans and social workers remain unaware of how such programmes work, whether they exist at all, or how to access them when their safety is at risk. The purpose of this article is to highlight the social work intervention strategies that can be integrated into the recruitment process. This qualitative study employed non-probability, purposive sampling to include 30 participants in the witness protection programme in South Africa. A collective instrumental case study design was used within the framework of exploratory, descriptive and contextual research. Data were collected using face-to-face interviews with an interview guide and analysed thematically. Four themes emerged from the process of data analysis, namely admission through the social workers, admission through the police officers, admission though the public prosecutors, and admission through self-referrals. This study hinges on crisis theory and coping theory. The results revealed that the involvement of social workers in the recruitment of witnesses enhances the admission process. The study recommends an integrative approach between the social workers, South African Police Service (SAPS) and prosecutors.
The book therefore offers an important contribution not only to developmental social policy discourse, but also to social work education, particularly within Global South contexts marked by poverty, inequality and growing socio-economic instability. Beyond its policy and economic contributions, the book also offers a vision for development that repositions social protection as part of a collective endeavour towards achieving social progress and human wellbeing within an increasingly fragmented global context.
