This study highlights technology use in community development showing how social workers, police, and neighborhood residents promote safer neighborhoods. The approach used was geographic information systems (GIS) to target specific neighborhoods characterized as needing timely interventions. GIS is a technological sub-specialty and form of spatial cartography allowing data to be stored, manipulated, and visually displayed. This article focuses on how social workers can apply such approaches to enhance their communities and neighborhood residents. We offer a case study of a hate crimes project in Canada that brought together university researchers and a local police service into a research project, designed to identify specific neighborhood places where hate crimes were occurring. We propose that community social workers can form meaningful partnerships with technology experts and leverage this relationship into an expanded practice skill with tangible improvements to the communities they work with.

Most studies in the published literature on social work faculty and departmental scholarship are from the United States. The present study added an international sample from the Hong Kong SAR to this knowledge-building work. Data are reported on the faculties' citational impact at five local universities offering social work degrees (N = 149). For social work trained faculty, their h and g scores were M = 11.23 (6.8) and M = 19.6 (11.5), respectively. The top-ranked citational impact university departments of social work were the University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the City University of Hong Kong. Nine social work authors had ten-year citational count reference hits from 145 to 721. This was a highly productive group of social work scholars. Results and implications are discussed related to the local university culture of research and infrastructures supporting such research.

Purpose: Youth media practice (YMP) refers to various activities through which young people are empowered to express their views and develop critical reflectiveness via media productions. There is scant empirical research about YMP’s effectiveness. This study developed and field-tested an information and communication technology (ICT)–based YMP. Method: By using “My National/Ethnic Identity” as a heuristic production theme, a pilot study was conducted in Hong Kong in 2018. Participants shared and discussed photos online and conducted face-to-face presentations. The program was evaluated using a one-group pretest–posttest design. Participants included ( N = 20) Hong Kong Chinese students aged 18–24. Results: Participants’ need for cognitive closure decreased, self-esteem increased, and their essentialist views on ethnic identity decreased. Discussion: This study demonstrates that YMP has potential to be a change-making strategy for future social work practice, and proper use of ICT can create space and opportunities for such reflective conversations.

This article presents an evaluation of an educational intervention that provided computer skills training for a sample of n = 17 rural seniors in North Middlesex, Ontario, Canada. Due to the rural nature of the community, this cohort had limited access to and knowledge of computers. A total of N = 36 originally participated in a designed basic computer training intervention consisting of 8-week training sessions, offered sequentially in three smaller cohorts of 12 seniors. The evaluation included a pre and post-test using the Seniors Basic Computer Skills Scale (SBCSS) to assess the effectiveness of this training. The evaluation team developed the SBCSS to measure basic computer skills of seniors and pilot-tested it with the sample. Psychometric testing of the SBCSS showed exceptionally high degrees of reliability. The SBCSS measured 11 basic computer skills including: (a) talking about computers, (b) using computer technology, (c) using the Internet, (d) using an Internet resource such as Skype, (e) using a computer mouse, (f) using Web browsers, (g) manipulating the computer screen brightness and size, (h) using bookmarks, (i) sending and receiving emails with family and friends, (j) sharing photographs with family and friends, and (k) using social media such as Facebook. There were some encouraging results regarding increased computer skills for this sample of rural seniors. However, there were other areas where learning did not increase significantly. This article speaks to the need to identify and recruit rural seniors who may benefit from such targeted interventions to increase technological skills, and also to the need for a second-level enhancement of the municipally funded Computer for Seniors program (CSP). We contend that community workers have a unique role to play in such initiatives, as they may encourage local seniors to both explore their computer literacy in rural areas, and help to increase opportunities that are often missing in rural communities. Keywords: rural seniors, computer technology, digital divide, community development

Working conditions, client demands, heavy workloads, and numerous other factors cause high levels of stress among social workers and undermine their potential for self-fulfilment and productivity. Bio-Spiritual – Music-Focus - Energetics (BSMFE) is a focusing technique used in this study for social workers and addiction counsellors as a part of staff training and development and re-certification. This article speaks to the need for creative and uniquely supportive approaches for helping professionals. It presents an account of addictions counsellor training and education (N=7) in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. During a day long workshop, social workers and counsellors participated to heighten their awareness of their own inner-directed processes. Implications are directed toward social workers, addiction counsellors, music therapists, helping professionals, clergy, and pastoral counsellors, in their own spiritual quest toward personal fulfilment and professional growth and transformation.

In North America, neighbourhood youth centres typically off er essential community-based programs to disadvantaged and marginalized populations. In addition to providing pro-social and supportive environments, they provide a host of educational and skill-development opportunities and interventions that build self-esteem, increase positive life relationships and experiences, and address social determinants of health. However, evaluators of such centres often have to work with moving changes in temporal components (i.e., service users, services, programs, and outcomes) that are unique and idiosyncratic to the mandate of the centre. Although there is an abundance of research on youth programs in general, there is a void in the literature on drop-in programs specifically, which this study aims to address. Th e lack of empirical research in this area inhibits knowledge about the processes of these centres. For this reason, the article concludes that process evaluation methods may be effectively used to substantiate the practice skills, knowledge, and managerial competencies of those responsible for program implementation.

Purpose: This study explored the scholarship experiences of top-ranked African American faculty in schools of social work. Method: Qualitative interviews were conducted with N = 10 top-ranked African American faculty identified as achieving considerable productivity and impact of scholarship. Findings: Four major themes were identified, each of which had 2–3 subcategories. These included (1) mentorship, (2) collaboration, (3) time, and (4) strategic planning. The data revealed that of these identified themes, mentorship was the most prominent, and collaboration, although important, was the least. Implications: The noted experiences and strategies highlighted in this study could be of great utility for those seeking to enhance their scholarly productivity and impact, particularly for (a) junior faculty, (b) African American faculty, and (c) doctoral student researchers and candidates.

ABSTRACT This study assessed Asian scholarship in top-ranked social work and international gerontological journals, with a particular focus on Chinese older people. Two of the authors empirically assessed the abstracts and methods of six top-ranked empirical social work journals, and five international core gerontology journals. Studies about Asian scholarship in general were not well represented in the top-ranked core social work journals to any significant extent. However, there were significantly more studies of Asian populations, in general, and Chinese older people in particular, in the core gerontology journals. These gerontology studies were frequently cited in Google Scholar. It appears that social workers often seek out discipline-specific core journals to advance knowledge and research about Asian older people. There is a need for more diverse Asian scholarship and research in the field of social work.

Purpose: This study explored how African Americans are currently represented in social work journals, research, and schools. Method: Journal publication content and editorship, research methods and designs, and school mission statements and course titles were examined. Results: Only 14% of publications in the top 5 social work journals targeted African Americans as study subjects. The terms “African American” and “race” appeared in only 10% of mission statements of the top 50 ranked schools of social work and 20% of mission statements of the top 23 ranked historically African American colleges and university (HBCU) schools of social work and appeared in only six bachelor of social work and four master of social work course titles at HBCU social work schools. Only 2 of the top 16 U.S. social work journal editors were African American. Discussion: Across current social work venues, this study reveals that there has been minimal emphasis in research and pedagogy on race and African American–related matters.

In the second edition of Handbook of Consumer Finance Research, Margaret Sherraden, Jodi Jacobson Frey, and Julie Birkenmaier (Sherraden, et al. 2016, cited under Introductory Work) refer to financial literacy as the effective use of financial skills and knowledge to manage financial resources in a way that maximizes lifelong financial security. Resources normally include personal budgets, checking accounts, savings accounts, credit cards, personal loans, simple insurance products, and retirement plans. As explored in Sherraden’s entry on “Financial Capability” in the Encyclopedia of Social Work (Sherraden 2017, cited under Introductory Work), the need for financial literacy among the general population is becoming an increasingly essential function in response to the current trend toward increased financialization globally. As financial institutions and markets continue to increase in size and influence, individuals without financial skills and knowledge to navigate these systems become economically vulnerable. Many academic fields, including accounting, economics, and public policy, have focused on financial literacy as an intervention for poverty. The field of social work, however, offers a unique contribution to this subject area by positioning financial literacy within the larger system of financial capability. In “Financial Capability and Asset Building for All” (Sherraden, et al. 2015, cited under Introductory Work), Sherraden and colleagues define financial capability as the combined effects of financial literacy (i.e., the ability) with financial inclusion (i.e., the opportunity). Increasing both financial ability and opportunity is needed to increase one’s financial well-being. Currently, work related to financial social work takes many forms. Direct practitioners often help assess the financial well-being of clients, teach clients financial skills, help enroll participants into asset-building programs, and assist individuals to create spending plans. Complementing our micropractice work, mezzo and macro social workers promote high-quality community financial services, push for increased financial inclusion, and work to eliminate inequitable community financial practices through advocacy policy interventions.

The growing trend of using technology in social work interventions is rapidly increasing. The impact of technology goes beyond increased efficacy, as new technologies urge practitioners to expand their abilities and change how they design and implement interventions. While on a global scale technology has evolved quickly in just a few decades, social work interventions are also becoming more sophisticated and evidence based. In the context of “technology for social work interventions,” “technology” primarily refers to information and communications technology (ICT). In the 21st century there are newly developed academic references, research studies, competency standards and ethical guidelines, which make “technology-supported social work interventions” an emerging practice domain. There are various types of technology-support interventions, some are merely technologically adapted, and some are driven by artificial intelligence systems. Overall, many technology-supported interventions indicate good outcomes and have internal validity, but there is much room for improvement in both evaluation designs and theorization. There are also emerging challenges and opportunities arising from technology-supported interventions, such as digital divides, practitioners’ competence issues, jurisdictional boundary issues, and various ethical issues.

Purpose: We report impact data on faculty ( N = 454) working in 30 of Canada’s accredited social work programs during 2016. Method: Using the Publish or Perish website, faculty member’s h and g indices, and their most frequently cited articles published in the last decade were analyzed both individually and by school. Findings: (a) computed h scores were Ra 0.8–11.9, M = 4.4 and g scores were Ra 1.3–21.3, M = 7.7; (b) the top-ranked citation impact for programs were the University of Toronto, Dalhousie University, and the University of British Columbia; (c) larger programs had significantly higher citation impact for both h and g scores than smaller programs; (d) 17 (27%) of these authors had 10-year citation counts ranging from 176 to 666; and (e) their topics related to children/youth/adolescents (35%) and health care (35%). Discussion: Based on our work in this area, we offer some constructive recommendations to Canadian social work programs and faculty.

This article presents and summarizes the special issue entitled: Practice, Research, and Scholarship on African American. The authors examine the professions' contradictory actions in partnering with African American scholars, communities, and people to achieve its social justice and civil rights mission. It reintroduces the reader of this collection to June Gary Hopps who originally rung the clarion call to action about the profession's waffling nature regarding African Americans. The authors overview the collection, which depicts the professions' lack of focus on issues of race, African American well-being, and oppression experiences. This issue unravels the role played by social work in its meager attention to the plight of African American leaders and faculty, their achievements, and challenges. It also conveys the realities of too few research studies on key issues impacting African Americans. This article concludes with a nudge to the reader to weigh the evidence contained in this serial.

specialists, those trained to work with the elderly are currently high demand. 4e degree granting institutions which educate and train social