INTRODUCTION: Family inclusion in addiction support holds a vital role in recovery for both people affected by addiction and their families. In Aotearoa New Zealand, there is limited research focusing on the consequences for social workers. This study considers how social workers can support families during the recovery of a loved one with an addiction by considering how they are impacted by addiction and what interventions and approaches are used to fulfill individual and collective needs. METHODS: Using an interpretivist and qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four human services professionals in the alcohol and other drug (AOD) field in Aotearoa New Zealand. Thematic analysis highlighted how social workers can address family needs and enhance services. FINDINGS: Key themes were “the opposite of addiction is connection,” highlighting the isolation addiction causes and the importance of family connection; “system-wide barriers to whānau inclusion”, identifying barriers preventing family-inclusive practice; and “connection as cultural healing”, which acknowledges the relationship among connection and culture and the vital role these concepts have in recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations include implementing Kaupapa Māori models, incorporating additional AOD knowledge into qualifying social work programmes, and developing partnerships between clinical and Iwi services to create better pathways to wraparound support. Social workers should address restrictive service criteria, develop support processes for those who do not meet them, and contribute to further research exploring the disproportionate harm Māori experience in relation to AOD harm.
INTRODUCTION: Youth cannabis and alcohol use in Aotearoa New Zealand is a public health, social and economic issue. It is also a social justice issue and a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, due to disproportionate levels of harm for rangatahi Māori. Programmes addressing this multifaceted issue of youth substance use in Aotearoa are needed. This study aimed to gain insights into how youth programmes not specifically focused on substance use intervention support young people to access specialist services and address substance use. METHOD: This article reports the findings of a narrative research project. The data were collected via semi-structured interviews with two youth workers in Aotearoa New Zealand. Data were analysed thematically. FINDINGS: Participants shared how a safe and casual space, alongside a trust-based relationship, supported young people to identify and accept a need for support and engage with services as the basis to address substance use. The significance of identifying and addressing underpinning contextual factors and the benefit of ensuring young people can feel in control was also discussed by participants. IMPLICATIONS: The research revealed that spaces fostering positive peer connections with opportunities for one-on-one relationships can serve as a pathway for young people to accept and engage with support towards overcoming substance use. Key points such as a trust-based relationship, open discussions, a harm-reduction approach leaving the young person in control and addressing contextual factors were also identified as effective. Despite the pressure of neoliberalism and managerialism, relational and collaborative practice are crucial for effective interventions.
This practice note reflects on the tensions encountered when transitioning from leading social services to a national health commissioning role and how core social work principles are negotiated within compliance-driven commissioning environments. Drawing on my experiences, I explore the alignment and dissonance between relational, values-based social work practice and commissioning processes that are often operational, transactional, and constrained by bureaucratic systems. Engaging with commissioning literature and policy frameworks grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the reflection highlights the gap between aspirational strategies for integrated, outcomes-focused commissioning and the realities of my day-to-day practice. The reflection underscores the importance of social workers’ presence in strategic commissioning roles and calls for sustained dialogue, advocacy, and ethical reflexivity to bridge the gap between transactional processes and transformative practice.
The most brutal catastrophe of our time has passed its thousandth day. That it is a genocide involving a concerted policy of ethnic cleansing is no longer credibly disputed. Since October 2023, 73,035 people have been killed and 173,386 wounded and since the ceasefire last October, there have been 1,005 fatalities and 3,157 injuries (United Nations, 2026b). Audre Lorde (1977) once said, “Your silence will not protect you.” Her words resonate uncomfortably with the ANZASW’s ethical principle of mātātoa, to “act with moral courage in situations that are uncomfortable, challenging and uncertain” (Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers [ANZASW], 2019, p. 13). The Palestinian genocide tests our commitment to this principle: it is, as the Michigan senatorial candidate, Abdul El-Sayed said, a Rorschach test demanding recognition as a moral issue.
Review of Jarldorn, M., Moulding, N., & Deuter, K. (Eds.) (2026). Feminist action research in mental health: A practical guide. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-3-032-04405-1, pp.141, hardback, NZD90.56.
INTRODUCTION: There is growing concern and empirical evidence that AI based harms are related to systemic problems and injustices. But it is not clear how this relation can be conceptualised. The article develops and presents a metaphor of a carnival mirror as a theoretical framework for empirical analysis. METHODS: The carnival mirror metaphor frames the relation between AI system and systemic issues regarding distorted reflections. The metaphor directs the analytical focus on how AI systems reflect an assemblage of discourses and practices and how these reflections can become vehicles for critical learning and experimentation. The metaphor is applied in a case study based on interviews, observation notes, and documents of the development of radicalisation-prevention measures in a Danish social service department that uses AI and algorithms to detect hate speech on social media. FINDINGS: The case study reveals how the AI system distortedly reflects cultural and professional assumptions about social media use, data, radicalisation, vulnerability, and democracy. It illustrates how such reflections can create space for learning about democratic and political engagement, young people at risk of radicalisation, social media use, and a sense of belonging and community. CONCLUSIONS: The article contributes with a metaphor for understanding how AI systems can be a vehicle for self-reflective and experimental critiques and offers recommendations for practice. Learning from AI systems is important lest we risk stifling government responses and reproducing potentially problematic and counterproductive strategies and practices.
INTRODUCTION: This scoping review explores artificial intelligence (AI) in social work between 2014 and 2024. It focuses on: a) the volume of the literature; b) the functions and benefits of AI in social work practice and the influence on social justice and social change on clients; c) the ethical considerations for social workers using AI; and d) the skills and knowledge social work practitioners need to have to navigate the AI-influenced landscape. METHODS: Three electronic databases were searched, and 53 articles related to four research questions were identified. A PRISMA checklist and tool were followed. The articles were critically analysed for content, methodology, and findings through the research questions. FINDINGS: The review found an emergent volume of literature indicating that AI applications in social work practice are heavily influenced by the AI model and design process implemented. Social workers' use of AI has both benefits and challenges. Ethical issues related to bias and social justice, as well as the reliability and trustworthiness of AI outcomes and decisions, were identified. The need for specific training in AI and social work to assist social workers in critically evaluating AI contributions and using them effectively was also noted. CONCLUSIONS: The article recommends further research to identify the prevalence of AI use in social work practice and its implications regarding ethics, social justice, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It also recommends re-evaluating the scope of AI in social work and the need for social worker training.
Fifteen years ago, I was a student in a social work classroom that shaped by traditional, top-down pedagogies. Knowledge flowed in one direction, from lecturer to student, through lectures, standardised texts, and tightly controlled assessments. Technology, where it was present, was limited and largely impersonal, mirroring a learning environment where experiences and cultural identities were disconnected from the relational and cultural dimensions that now define my current approach as an educator. Today, the educational landscape has dramatically shifted. As a lecturer, I teach in a digitally saturated landscape where artificial intelligence, online platforms, and learning analytics increasingly influence how students engage, learn and are assessed (Aktan, 2026; Bratoeva & Venelinova, 2025) . These tools offer opportunities for access and innovation, yet they also pose critical challenges to the core values of social work education (Ottmann & Noble, 2026; Racovita et al., 2024). The speed and scale at which technology is transforming our classrooms are unprecedented. Yet, despite this transformation, one thing remains clear to me: the importance of authentic, human connection in social work education cannot be replaced by even the most sophisticated technologies. This viewpoint draws on my dual experiences as a student in a traditional pedagogical context and as a contemporary educator who is actively reimagining teaching through interaction, connection, and the integration of experiences. My reflections are situated within the broader discourse on the critical implications of technology in social work. I argue that, while technology offers significant benefits, it also risks diluting the relational, ethical, and culturally grounded dimensions of social work education. As social work educators, we must critically interrogate how these technologies align with our commitments to justice, relationality, and transformative pedagogy.
INTRODUCTION: A range of obstacles relating to a lack of technical expertise, the pace of technological development and corporate marketing hype may impede our understanding of artificial intelligence (AI). To grasp AI's implications, it is important to consider the social and economic context in which it is evolving and how its use is conditioned by the demands of capital accumulation and the relentless drive to increase profit. APPROACH: It is helpful to look at how technology more generally has been used in previous phases of capitalism. AI applications in other fields-especially public health, military and border policing-are also influential and have potential implications for social work's labour processes. CONCLUSIONS: It is argued that AI-inflected automation and human/machine interplay are likely to become increasing significant in the future, and it is vital that AI deployments are democratically debated and decided on.
INTRODUCTION: In this article, we take the reader on our journey of how we thought through our discomfort around the inundation of large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT. As social work educators, we locate our argument within the values of social work, shaped with ideas around access and equity in higher education. APPROACH: We wanted to write an article that demonstrated the winding path that imagination can take when we write. We did not start with any clear plan for the article per se, but sent it back and forth to each other to add to in the stolen moments of time available across a busy semester. The article draws upon personal experiences, excerpts from our conversations, and our commitment to the transformative possibilities of social work practice. Our approach embodies human intelligence for all its beauty and its flaws. CONCLUSIONS: The rise in the use of LLMs to outsource writing is a symptom of the social and material conditions of our students' and graduates' lives. We propose that if we stop writing for ourselves, we will diminish our abilities to be the imaginative, radical thinkers social work is known for.
INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this article is to examine the images, identity, and public perception of social work in the media and how these affect the everyday professional practice of social workers. This has been a concern for the profession since its origins, given the implications it holds for establishing a helping relationship and its direct or indirect influence on the configuration of social policies. The research addresses the following questions: (1) what are the dominant discourses about social work and social workers in the media? (2) how do these discourses influence public perceptions and professional relationships? (3) how do social workers interpret and respond to these representations? METHOD: We conducted a qualitative case study in a city near Madrid, drawing on 22 semi-structured interviews with social workers in primary and specialised public social services and one focus group (n = 6). FINDINGS: The results point to a stereotyped image of the social work profession. Misinformation, bias, and some of the negative representations analysed affect both public perception and the relationship with service users. This highlights the need for the social work profession to adopt a more active role in managing its public image. CONCLUSIONS: Media portrayals were seen as stereotyped and sensationalised, often linking social work to crisis, negligence, and social control, undermining trust and practice relationships. Findings indicate a need for proactive, coordinated communication, through professional bodies, journalists, and digital channels, to support fairer public understanding.
INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to explore how social workers experience and make sense of AI use in crisis intervention, focusing on what AI misses and how practitioners respond. METHODS: Using a descriptive-phenomenological design, 12 Zimbabwean social workers with international experience in technologically advanced settings in the UK and the US) were purposively sampled. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using Giorgi's phenomenological method, supported by MAXQDA software. FINDINGS: Findings revealed five key themes: (1) AI's inability to capture relational knowing in emotionally charged encounters; (2) discomfort with the opaque logic behind algorithmically generated outputs; (3) tensions between data efficiency and human dignity; (4) reassertion of professional judgment through ethical reflexivity; and (5) the emotional labour of working alongside AI in crisis contexts. Participants consistently described AI as helpful for structure but limited in its support for the trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and ethically attuned dimensions of crisis care that exceed the capacity of current systems to process. CONCLUSIONS: The study concludes that AI cannot replace the embodied, intuitive, and relational dimensions of social work in crisis settings. Implications for practice include the need for human-centred AI design, transparent decision-support systems, and frameworks that preserve professional discretion. A relational and reflexive approach to AI integration is essential to ensure that technological innovation enhances rather than undermines the dignity and care at the heart of crisis social work.
INTRODUCTION: As artificial intelligence, algorithms, and data-driven technologies become more embedded in social services, education, health care, and justice systems, concerns continue to grow about how these tools may reproduce existing social inequities. METHODS: From a critical social work perspective, this article examines the ways in which artificial intelligence (AI) development and implementation can reinforce racism, ableism, classism, and other forms of structural oppression particularly through predictive and surveillance-based decision-making practices. The article explores how data-collection practices and algorithmic design are shaped by historical and institutional bias, despite frequent claims that these technologies are neutral or objective. Drawing on examples from criminal justice, child welfare, and health settings that utilised custom-built enterprise models, the analysis highlights the risks of opacity, universalisation, and feedback loops that can deepen harm for marginalised individuals and communities. FINDINGS: In response, the article advances an intersectional power analysis and proposes a critical participatory practice approach to technology development. By centring the knowledge, experiences, and leadership of those most impacted by AI-driven systems, this approach positions technology as a potential tool for transformational justice rather than social control. CONCLUSION: The article concludes by arguing that ethical engagement with AI in social work requires ongoing reflexivity, political accountability, and meaningful community participation.
INTRODUCTION: In the face of government austerity, service contract cuts, and changes to the Equal Pay Act in Aotearoa New Zealand, there is a need to consider the wellbeing of social workers to support, develop and retain this highly skilled workforce. However, little is known about the wellbeing and working experiences of social workers in the local context. METHOD: This article reports on a subset of quantitative Aotearoa New Zealand data gathered as part of a global study related to the wellbeing and workforce conditions of social workers (n = 136). The article focuses on exploring the role of collegiality, workloads and managerial support. FINDINGS: Peer and collegial support is more frequently accessed than support from line managers, and analysis highlights that, in contrast to international experience, workload demands are not as chronic as has been reported in other nations. However, the findings indicate there is still work to do to support social worker wellbeing in the workplace, with more nuanced data and further qualitative research needed to better understand social worker workplace conditions and wellbeing. CONCLUSIONS: Ultimately, a broader strategic organisational approach that tackles improving team cohesion and collegiality, workloads and management support is needed to ensure wellbeing in the workplace is prioritised and does not rely on individual efforts.
INTRODUCTION: There is growing scholarly interest in the effectiveness of nature-based ecotherapy as mental health interventions. This study explored the perspectives of professionals who use ocean-based ecotherapy (OBE, a subset of ecotherapy) in their work with women, particularly its efficacy and any challenges they encounter regarding its use. METHODS: Proceeding from a feminist ecopsychology theoretical orientation, this research analysed the perspectives of five professionals who use OBE with women. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis identified four perspectives. FINDINGS: Participants were enthusiastic about OBE's ability to achieve a range of positive mental health results. However, there is limited definitional and clinical clarity about what OBE is and of its effectiveness, attributed to the absence of an agreed knowledge base and professional framework. Consequently, practitioners define and apply it in different ways. Such lack of clarity has not promoted institutional legitimacy, thereby limiting mainstreaming. This could be addressed by better evidence, professionalisation, and advocacy. Removing participation barriers would promote OBE's use more widely. CONCLUSIONS: OBE is positively regarded for its holistic outcomes, grounded in clinical assumptions about the natural environment. These align with the principles underlying M & amacr;ori wellbeing philosophy. However, the mainstream adoption of OBE is believed to be hindered by a lack of institutional legitimacy. Neoliberalism's emphasis on austerity and narrow definitions of evidence further challenge the development of innovative mental health services. These structural issues are somewhat overlooked in the ecotherapy literature and highlight the need to foreground political-economic perspectives in future research.
INTRODUCTION: This research brief is a critical analysis of the 2021-2023 implementation phase of TeAorerekuraas a family wellbeing policy for Aotearoa New Zealand. This period covers the first phase of TeAorerekuras'25-year lifespan. APPROACH: This is a critical case study analysis using an inductive evaluation framework specifically focused on TeAorerekura's partnership with healthcare organisations. FINDINGS: TeAorerekura's approach to combating family violence and sexual violence is robust, communal, and holistic. IMPLICATIONS: The findings indicate there is more need for social work policies to be community-led and community-centred, while simultaneously showing some benefits of government-community partnership approaches to social work policy development and implementation in Aotearoa New Zealand.
INTRODUCTION: Critical language awareness (CLA) is a vital component of social and community work education, equipping future practitioners to recognise how language shapes power, identity, and social relations. Rather than viewing language as a neutral tool of communication, CLA approaches it as a socially embedded and ideological practice-one that constructs, reinforces, and can also contest unequal power dynamics. Language carries cultural values and worldviews, influencing how reality is perceived and whose knowledge is legitimised. Without critical awareness, professionals risk reproducing epistemic injustice by unintentionally privileging dominant perspectives while marginalising others. APPROACH: This article explores how CLA can be meaningfully developed through engagement with short, narrative texts. Using excerpts from Nervous Conditions (a novel set in colonial Rhodesia that depicts intersecting colonial, racial, and gendered oppressions) it demonstrates how narrative can illuminate the ideological functions of language. The analysis focuses on the concepts of cognitive frames and event models, which act as mental templates that shape perception and interaction. By guiding students to identify and interrogate these structures, educators can foster deeper understanding of how language mediates social experience. CONCLUSIONS: The article argues that insights gained through narrative analysis are directly transferable to professional practice. Developing CLA through narrative critique equips students to recognise and challenge the power dynamics embedded in everyday communication, while fostering a deeper commitment to socially just and ethically grounded practice. Ultimately, embedding CLA in social and community work education is essential for preparing reflective, critical, and transformative practitioners.
INTRODUCTION: The social work profession claims to be anti-oppressive and concerned with supporting human rights and social justice for all. However, in Aotearoa New Zealand, more than four decades of neoliberalism have significantly increased social inequality and diminished social service provision. A response to this predicament in some quarters has been a call for social work to return to its radical roots, with a focus on resistance and the promotion of structural change. Yet, apart from small pockets of dissent, the social work profession has largely remained silent in the face of growing and overt injustice. APPROACH: An introductory exploration of studies of value formation and change, and organisation hybridity theory is provided to deepen understanding of the factors that contribute to professional social work silence in the context of neoliberalism. CONCLUSIONS: Given social work’s long-standing and often buried history of complicity, the impact of social investment on agency practices, the role of a state-directed registration board, and a population-level imbibing of hegemonic neoliberal values, I contend that the profession is at a critical point of no return. Only a deliberate choice to truly commit to social work’s radical values and implement resistance strategies will save the profession from increasingly becoming an agent of the neoliberal state.
