. Experiential learning is the cornerstone of social work education and has been shown to be highly beneficial to students, especially with increased self-confidence in skills, interest in similar work post-graduation, cultural humility, application of theory to practice, problem solving skills, and critical thinking. Additionally, experiential learning opportunities support the nine competencies of social work education and provides students with an opportunity to try out their budding skills with the guidance and supervision of seasoned social workers. This paper discusses an innovative course project that allowed a group of social work students to engage in macro-level social work practice and grant writing with a rural Missouri county that struggles with high poverty rates, health disparities, and the digital divide. Additional topics discussed are the benefits to the community, students, and agency partners; increased interest in macro-level social work; dedication to rural practice; and the overall evaluation of the project.
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges for human service providers, especially as face-to-face services were limited by both formal and informal efforts to protect public health. Telehealth has emerged as a main strategy to ensure continuity of care. This study explored adaptations to services in child advocacy centers (CACs) and sexual violence resource centers (SVRCs) across the Commonwealth of Kentucky, particularly using telehealth. This study highlights respondents’ suggestions about improving these service delivery systems and the particular emphasis on challenges and strengths of telehealth for reaching those in rural areas.
This study utilized qualitative focus groups with rural health providers and patients to explore barriers to implementation of a technology-based mental health intervention for the treatment of depression in a primary care setting. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was implemented in both urban and rural primary care practices to test the feasibility and effectiveness of computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (CCBT) for depression. Early implementation identified lower rates of willingness to participate in the intervention by rural patients. Subsequently, focus groups were conducted with rural providers and patients to explore barriers to participation and strategies to overcome these barriers in future implementation efforts. Two focus groups of five to seven participants each were conducted to understand patient experiences. Groups lasted approximately one hour and were recorded and transcribed for coding purposes. Key themes identified about barriers to use of CCBT by rural patients emerged included: 1) technical barriers, 2) stigma, 3) distrust of outsiders, 4) effort/motivational barriers, and 5) staff resistance/frustration. Conversely, several positive themes related to supports for CCBT also emerged, including: 1) readiness to change/symptom severity, 2) program supports and incentives, 3) clinician support, 4) components of the intervention, and 5) individual patient characteristics.
. This study explores regional differences in student learning outcomes from pre and post-test surveys of undergraduate and first year graduate social work students ( N = 373) enrolled in a social welfare policy class at six different CSWE accredited institutions. As expected, overall results showed a shift in student attitudes away from a personal deficiency explanation for poverty, a decline in stigmatization of poverty, and toward a more structural explanation for the causes of poverty, but significant differences were reported by geographical region. Future research should explore the instructor, pedagogical, and geographical factors that may help of hinder attitudinal preparation for practice social work students.
Social isolation is closely linked to overall health and well-being and is a serious concern for those in rural areas. Our research seeks insights into the needs experienced in poor rural areas by utilizing letter writing between students and community agency participants as a research methodology. In the letters, we observed that community participants relied upon friend and family style relationships and even viewed their agency relationships as such. This suggests that transforming "professional helping relationships" into alliances that are less impersonal might be in order. Such relationships and connections seemed conducive to the development of empowering self-efficacy. This finding prompts questions regarding the type and quality of relationships that are built and sustained by providers at rural community-based organizations.
