Der Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über das methodische Vorgehen bei ­Systematic und Scoping Reviews entlang der PRISMA-Statements und skizziert sich daraus ergebende disziplinspezifische Aspekte für die deutschsprachige Soziale Arbeit.

This narrative review examines whether and how empirically supported programs that were developed and evaluated abroad are being implemented in the German child and youth welfare system (CYWS). The focus is on aspects of implementation being studied or discussed in the literature and conclusions that can be drawn for program implementation and its barriers in Germany. The investigation encompassed three consecutive phases: (1) a review of empirically supported programs that were listed in an internationally recognized clearinghouse for child welfare programs and have been implemented in the German CYWS; (2) a review of program-relevant publications that address aspects of implementation; (3) an analysis of publications addressing program implementation. Ten programs were included for analysis. Twenty-five relevant publications could be identified for these programs and were subsequently analyzed. Results are discussed in light of international developments in implementation science as well as methodological limitations.

In 2021, the Evidence into Practice Special Interest Group was launched with online events. At the 11th European Conference for Social Work Research in Amsterdam in April 2022, the Evidence into Practice Special Interest Group had its inaugural in-person sessions. This short article in the ‘Research, policy and practice exchange’ section of this new journal, European Social Work Research (a collaborative venture involving European Social Work Research Association), has been written to bring the launch of the Evidence into Practice Special Interest Group to a wider audience and to encourage participation. The article gives something of the context for the Evidence into Practice Special Interest Group and a flavour of the presentations at the 2022 European Conference for Social Work Research.

Background: Research on unaccompanied minors (UMs) has identified the physical separation from family as a main stressor despite increased opportunities, via Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), for maintaining transnational family life across geographical borders.Objectives: The aim of the study is to synthesize previous research on the transnational family relationships of UMs from the perspective of the children.Methods: A systematic literature review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Standards for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols was carried out. The databases Web of Science, PsycINFO, Psyndex, and Pubmed/Medline were systematically searched. Reports from International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) were screened manually. Two hundred fifty-six full-texts were identified and screened.Results: Twelve qualitative and two quantitative studies met inclusion criteria and provided information on transnational family connections and the importance of the family for UMs. Studies addressed the following themes: the importance of the family, contact and maintenance of transnational relationships, the role of ICTs, the impact of family life on UMs' psychosocial wellbeing, and the hope for reunification.Conclusion: This review underscores the continued importance of the family to displaced UMs and highlights the need to foster and examine transnational connections in further research and practice with UMs.

AbstractThis final chapter synthesizes the main findings from the 16-country cross-national review of residential care for children and youth. Major topics include differing rates of use for residential care, characteristics of children and youth served, contextual elements and policy developments, quality factors in residential care, and education and training strategies. The authors conclude with some general recommendations for future improvement of residential child and youth care, including policy initiatives, research, and promising pathways for innovation. The authors urge a more nuanced and better specified conceptualization of residential care. They make the case for continued and expanded cross-national analysis of residential care provision in future.

Abstract This chapter describes the conceptual and methodological approach that serves as the foundation for the subsequent individual contributions by country. Each succeeding within-country chapter will be organized around a completed matrix that aims to facilitate cross-country comparisons around conceptually meaningful dimensions for residential care. The matrix was developed by the author of this chapter as part of a five-country Erasmus+ project (2018–2021) and further modified for purposes of this book. In this chapter the genesis, development, and use of the matrix will be detailed and its significance for a deeper and focused understanding of residential care discussed. Key variables including residential care system/program features, staff training and personnel, and characteristics of children and youth in residential care will be explored along with data collection issues and challenges.

Abstract This chapter notes the long historical tradition of residential care in Germany and its current expression in a wide variety of settings. Residential care programs mostly consist of small community-based group homes and supported living units with about seven to 10 youths and four or five pedagogical staff. Some homes offer specialized services (e.g., therapeutic residential care, wilderness programs, mother–child homes). The authors note that residential care is guided by general pedagogical principles and concepts, emphasizing learning through a milieu-based and “life-space-oriented” perspective (Lebensweltorientierung), which stresses an individualized, participatory, and relationship-based approach. Parent engagement and youth participation are also noted as important, as are the growing numbers of unaccompanied minors and their impact on the residential care system. The chapter concludes with the matrix used throughout the book, which provides information about the current policy context, key trends and initiatives, characteristics of children and youth served, preparation of residential care personnel, promising programmatic innovations, and present strengths and challenges.

AbstractChapter 1 sets the parameters for the editors’ view of “residential care for children and youth” and offers a working definition of the same viewed in the context of legal, administrative, and children’s rights within an organized child welfare system. The editors make clear the rationale for their choice of a range of countries with developed welfare systems, while acknowledging a far more diverse range of residential settings viewed in worldwide context. The contributors to this volume share a commitment to a high-quality, revitalized residential service sector grounded both in research and commonly shared values such as partnership with families and residential practice that is close to the rhythms of diverse and vital community life. This does not mean “one size fits all,” but rather that we can learn much from the often subtle ways in which culture and tradition create the niches within which residential services are formed, sustained, and changed.

Abstract Revitalizing Residential Care for Children and Youth: Cross-National Trends and Challenges addresses the question of how societies with developed welfare and social service systems assess current needs and future directions in their residential child and youth care sectors. This includes dealing with historical concerns raised about the placement of children and youth in residential care settings, as well as identifying innovative strategies that offer new pathways for the integration of this often-neglected sector of service within the broader area of child welfare. Each of the 16 countries selected for inclusion is examined through a common matrix that provides information about the current policy context, key trends and initiatives, characteristics of children and youth served, preparation of residential care personnel, promising programmatic innovations, and present strengths and challenges. Individual country analyses are supplemented by regional exemplars of innovative residential programs and practice in areas such as family engagement, helping youth with the transition from care to community, promising model programs, and reflections on recent policy reform initiatives. In addition to takeaways from each country, the book’s closing chapter identifies specific implications for policy reform, empirical research, and residential program innovation. What sets this book apart is its systematic cross-national appraisal of residential care for children and youth with an eye toward identifying innovative policies and practices undergirded by research. In so doing, it offers a unique contribution to the international child welfare literature.

Despite a global policy push toward the advancement of family- and community-based care, residential care for children and youth remains a relevant and highly utilized out-of-home care option in many countries, fulfilling functions of care and accommodation as well as education and treatment. As part of a larger project involving five European countries (Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, and Spain), the objective was “to map” the context and content of residential care in each country, thereby building a foundation for meaningful comparisons and deepened understanding of each system’s inherent logic. Within the context of global deinstitutionalization efforts, the study also aimed to understand factors that hinder or enhance the transformation of residential care. Using an embedded multiple-case design, data was gathered by each country on its residential care macro context as well as salient variables related to three units of analysis–residential care system/program features, residential care training and personnel, characteristics of youth. Cross-case synthesis was used to summarize and compare cases across relevant dimensions. The analysis highlighted areas of overlap and singularity, particularly with regard to utilization rates, concepts and methods, workforce professionalization, and characteristics of youth. Findings provide a more nuanced understanding of how residential care continues to be viewed and utilized in some countries, challenging the ‘residential-care-as-a-last-resort-only’ rhetoric that is currently dominating the discourse on residential care. It further provides an understanding of historical and sociocultural factors that need to be considered when trying to transform services for children, youth, and their families.

This article reports on the 18-month formative evaluation of a model project aimed at preparing young adult refugees (YARs) for entry into vocational education training (VET) as an essential step toward the labor market. Qualitative methods were used to gain insight into the perspectives of YARs, program staff, and vocational instructors as well as explore program dynamics. Within a longitudinal research design, 45 qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with 22 of 27 program participants. Additionally, program staff and vocational instructors were interviewed. Qualitative content analysis guided the analytic process. Outcome data indicated that 83.3% of program completers or 55.6% of the program participants entered a VET within the evaluation period. Triangulated qualitative data revealed relevant program processes and generated hypotheses about factors that facilitate or hinder the difficult transition for YARs. Implications for program development as well as needed structural changes are discussed.

Objective International collaboration in science has received increasing attention given emphases on relevance, generalizability, and impact of research. Implementation science (IS) is a growing discipline that aims to translate clinical research findings into health services. Research is needed to identify efficient and effective ways to foster international collaboration in IS. Concept-mapping (CM) was utilized with a targeted sample for preliminary exploration of fostering international collaboration. Concept-mapping is a mixed-method approach (qualitative/quantitative) particularly suited for identifying essential themes and action items to facilitate planning among diverse stakeholders. We sought to identify key factors likely to facilitate productive and rewarding international collaborations in implementation research. Results We identified eleven dimensions: Strategic Planning; Practicality; Define Common Principles; Technological Tools for Collaboration; Funding; Disseminate Importance of Fostering International Collaboration in IS; Knowledge Sharing; Innovative & Adaptive Research; Training IS Researchers; Networking & Shared Identity; Facilitate Meetings. Strategic Planning and Funding were highest rated for importance and Strategic Planning and Networking and Shared Identity were rated most feasible to institute. Fostering international collaboration in IS can accelerate the efficiency, relevance, and generalizability of implementation research. Strategies should be developed and tested to improve international collaborations and engage junior and experienced investigators in collaborations advancing implementation science and practice.

Changes in the adolescent brain underlie the development of executive functions (EFs) after the onset of puberty; however, adolescents that engage in deliberate self-harm (DSH) have impaired EFs in the areas of inhibition, emotion regulation, shifting, and interpersonal functioning. On the other hand, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has been shown to be effective in treating adolescents with DSH. Moreover, the DBT skills of mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and “walking the middle path” are suited to treat these adolescents with impaired EFs. This single group pre-post study examined changes in adolescents’ EFs who were enrolled in DBT. Ninety-three adolescents from a 16-week DBT program for DSH were administered the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Self Report (BRIEF-SR) at pre-treatment and post-treatment. Adolescents improved from the elevated to non-clinical range on the Emotional Control, Shifting, and Monitor scales in addition to the Global Executive Composite of the BRIEF-SR. Significant effects for funding type on shifting, interpersonal functioning, and overall EF were observed while a significant effect for previous history of psychiatric hospitalizations was observed for emotion regulation. DBT appears to be effective for improving the EFs of adolescents with DSH and for specific subgroups of this population. Knowledge of these adolescents’ profile of EFs will assist clinicians in determining the type and level of intervention with DBT in order to shape positive behaviors during this important period of brain development.

In 2015, 35,369 unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) applied for asylum in Sweden, making it the number one destination country for URMs in Europe. URMs often face multiple social problems and mental health issues that can be the result of stressful pre-migration experiences, the migration experience itself, and integration challenges in Europe. Drawing on grey as well as peer-reviewed literature, this paper aims to provide insight into how Sweden deals with the reception of URMs in general, and which challenges social service systems faced during the height of the "European Migration Crisis in 2015." Particular focus is placed on the role of residential care settings in providing accommodation and care for URMs. A synthesis of the literature suggests that although Sweden can be seen as a country with long-standing experience in receiving migrants, the influx of migrants has challenged the welfare state in keeping its high standard of social support for URMs and maintaining the quality of professional social work interventions. Nonetheless, considerable efforts have been made to adapt existing services and create new psychosocial interventions.

In this study the 15-item Evidence-Based Practices Attitude Scale (EBPAS), a measure designed to assess attitudes toward the adoption of EBPs, was collected from administrators of residential care facilities for youth in the United States. As the EBPAS was administered to a different sample for which it was originally developed (i.e., community mental health), we conducted a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to investigate if its factor structure was maintained. Results confirm the factor structure of the EBPAS as a valid measure of attitude toward evidence-based practice among youth residential care providers. Limitations and areas of future research are discussed.