Chronic poverty and stressful life circumstances result in poor school performance and behaviors. Research demonstrates that these behaviors are not the result of student inadequacies and lack of proper discipline, but are rather of neurological adaptations to chronic poverty and toxic stress. These outcomes are driven by the body’s attempt to protect itself even as the behaviors appear to be choices the student is making in a rational world. Neurobiologically, students adapt to these challenges by becoming both hypersensitive and self-protective. As a result, students are mistrustful and on alert beyond what is usual as a way of protecting themselves, consciously or unconsciously. Mindfulness programs provide important tools for shifting these challenges in the classroom by supporting feelings of safety and opportunities for growth and change in student learning and behaviors. Demonstrating the actual practice of mindfulness is not our intent given that there are many ways of using and learning mindfulness in the classroom. Rather, the focus is on the neurological outcomes of stressful lives, the neurological impact of mindfulness training, and providing resources for addressing student negative experiences and behaviors in schools.

Social work practice focuses specifically on males or females is a more limited area of scholarship when compared to those focused on general models of practice within social work. The majority of practice texts and journals do not differentiate gender when presenting a theory or method of practice. Males are similarly less of a focus than women and other specified groups other than gender. Overall, males are less likely to be a focus of social work practice literature than in other disciplines such as psychology and counseling. Many of the approaches to working with males, in particular early writings, address issues of masculinity as a necessary step in working with males. Social work practice with males can be examined from a policy, population, community or individual perspective, and while all of these areas of practice are important, this article is limited to references addressing clinical practice with individuals and small groups. To that end, while the primary focus is clinical social work practice, references are included from psychology, psychotherapy, and counseling. These references are important, as significant crossover scholarship and research from parallel fields adds to the literature base of social work practice with males. While this article focuses primarily on practice with adult males, a section and selected references addressing practice with male youth and children is included.

This chapter examines the application of solution-focused brief therapy by school social workers working with youth that have experienced child maltreatment. It provides an overview of child maltreatment, the role of the school social worker when working with this population, the neurological impact of child maltreatment and two case examples. The case examples offer practical insight into the solution-focused techniques that may be applied as well as a discussion around appropriate conversations regarding age and mandated reporting. The chapter also makes a distinction between the services provided by agencies that specialize in treating child abuse and neglect versus the role of the school social worker. For example, once a claim is substantiated, treatment is provided by an agency that specialize in treating abuse and neglect, and the role of the school social worker is to focus on the child in the school environment.

The term resilience is associated with the ability to bounce back or recover from adverse conditions. Understanding resilience from a theoretical and empirical vantage point can be useful for solution-focused practitioners. We believe the solution-focused process provides individuals with an opportunity to highlight and build on their inherent and environmental resources and competencies and in turn creates pathways for positive adaptation or resilience when faced with adverse circumstances. This article provides an overview of the historical development of resilience, resilience theory, and waves of empirical inquiry, and demonstrates the relationship between resilience and solution-focused practices.

In this article we describe how research demonstrates that the presence of hope and the development and cultivation of hope plays an important role in the client change process. We propose that the concept of hope has significance to outcomes and that this requires enhanced awareness of hope in training and in practice of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT). As educators and practitioners of SFBT, we have found that hope is mentioned in terms of the implicit nature of hope in SFBT literature (Dolan, 2014), but we rarely find that the essence of the idea of hope is made more explicit in teaching and practice. In this paper we address this gap by linking research findings on the concept of hope from various areas of study to both training in the practice skills and processes of SFBT. Specific focus is placed on the connections among findings in various areas of study and research on hopefulness to demonstrate the explicit means by which hopefulness is created, amplified, and utilized in enhancing a sense of possibility and personal agency during SFBT.

In a recent article in this journal, Wheeler (2014) encouraged practitioners to engage in practical research illustrated by some of his experiences. In addition, he encouraged a movement from evidence-based practice to practice-based evidence. The purpose of this article is to amplify some of the points made in that article with particular attention to (a) guidelines for practical research for the clinician, and (b) a clarification of the distinctions between evidence-based practice and practice-based evidence. In the first part of this article, practitioners are encouraged to engage in research that adheres to fundamental principles of science without becoming obsessed with technical perfection. In this pursuit, the practitioner can partner with experts who could be technical consultants while the process of study is under the leadership of the practitioner. In the second part of this article, solution-focused practice is discussed in regard to distinctions between practice-based evidence and two different ways of conceptualizing evidence-based practice. The evidence on solution-focused practice makes its use consistent with both of the views of evidence-based practice and with the perspective of practice-based evidence.

Abstract The strengths perspective represents a paradigmatic shift away from problem-focused approaches to social work practice. A strengths-based approach provides a helping foundation for clients and emphasizes personal growth, empowerment, and coping skills based on ideals that focus on strengths instead of pathology. The strengths perspective can be integrated into social work practice through strengths-based frameworks. Of particular interest is the infusion of a strengths-based framework into case management. Common themes of exploration for strengths-based casework include: case manager role, client-case manager relationship, client perceptions, and outcomes of strengths-based case management.

Abstract A consistent theme for the majority of men in the United States remains the code of manhood. Men are expected by society to be stoic in the face of danger and to play out, in all aspects of life, the idea of the rugged individual going it alone, even in the face of a quickly changing world. Whereas social-work theorists and practitioners talk about male aggression, sexuality, intimacy, depression, anxiety, addiction, ageing, and work-related concerns, most men are less likely to view these as problems. If they do enter into counseling or treatment, they are less likely to remain for any length of time. Faced with these issues, practitioners are challenged to find ways of engaging men and forming successful collaboration and meaningful outcomes.

This social justice course was the result of a service-learning project with African American and First Nations peoples of a Southern community telling their story of desegregation through the creation of a video documentary project. Combining the pedagogy of service-learning with documentary video making, a social justice project was created that impacted students, faculty, and community.

Men growing into adulthood are inundated with cultural messages about what it is to be a man in American society. This cultural message recreates the "code of masculinity" for each man within various ethnic, racial, cultural, socioeconomic, and sexual orientation contexts. Working within the code of masculinity as a cultural practice and building on the strengths inherent within a culture by means of a solution-focused practice is the focus of this article.

SUMMARY Elder abuse has not been viewed as seriously as child abuse because of the emotional sensibilities attached to child abuse. Although elder abuse is experienced disproportionately by women, men also are in need of protection and engagement. An important factor for understanding the work with elderly men is the social construction of manhood. Both urban and rural settings recognize this as a significant starting point to engage men in services. This paper describes the efforts in both rural and urban Adult Protective Service agencies to identify and work with abused elderly men from a strengths and solution-focused perspective.

Men are reticent to share with others the slow realization that with age they begin to confront a world that they had not expected. They had not expected to grow old. Now that this is happening, men have few relationships that permit them to share their thoughts and moments of recognition. The anecdotes that men share are revealing in that they demonstrate basic human uncertainties about the later part of life's cycle.

Medicalization and commodification of the body through technology in the form of Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs is reinforcing the cultural expectations that ageing men are required to age well to maintain youthful masculinity. Ageing well is explored as it relates the construction of masculinity, sexuality and ageing men's bodies.

Efforts across many fields engaged in addressing the population of aging in this country have tended to create a nearly homogenous cohort that often does not recognize the heterogeneity of aging across gender, race, ethnicity, geography, socioeconomic status, cultural and sexual orientation. The diversity within aging members of our society brings about many variations and unique issues that need to be recognized and explored by policy makers and practitioners. Among these is aging related to gender, which has tended to pay much less attention to men than women. Content analysis of journals and texts on aging has revealed a significant lack of content on men, in particular, aging and elderly men (Kosberg, 2002; Tobin, 1997).

Efforts across many fields engaged in addressing the population of aging in this country have tended to create a nearly homogenous cohort that often does not recognize the heterogeneity of aging across gender, race, ethnicity, geography, socioeconomic status, cultural and sexual orientation.The diversity within aging members of our society brings about many variations and unique issues that need to be recognized and explored by policy makers and practitioners.Among these is aging related to gender, which has tended to pay much less attention to men than women.Content analysis of journals and texts on aging has revealed a significant lack of content on men, in particular, aging and elderly men (Kosberg, 2002;Tobin, 1997).This lack of a significant knowledge base places policy formation and practitioners at a distinct disadvantage when developing policy, programs and services for aging men.This emphasis is not an attempt to replace the work being done on aging women but to augment that work with equal efforts focused on the issues of men and aging men.Kosberg (2002) notes that this ". . .responsibility emanates not from a 'power' perspective, but from concern for the overlooked needs of any particular group" (p.37).Likewise, significant attention must be given to the heterogeneity and diversity of men's lives.Differential experiences are not only evident between men and women but exists as a consequence of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic, educational and historical factors that impact the experience of aging for men (Thompson, 1994;Gonyea, 1994). Journal of Sociology & Social WelfareThese differential contexts for aging men need to be studied, explored and entered into the literature.This special issue is an effort to contribute to this needed content.It evolved through men and women meeting and sharing their interests in aging while acknowledging the dearth of material available on men and aging men.In particular, it was noted in discussion among the future authors in this collection that what material does exist about men tends to focus on them as perpetrators of violence, as secondary players in family issues, or as living privileged lives in contrast to women (Fleming, 1998; Kosberg, 2002; Thompson, 1994).This collection of articles provides additional knowledge to understanding aging men as complex and diverse and with particular issues and assets.The first article by Jordan I. Kosberg examines the breadth of special issues and challenges facing older men, including men from diverse backgrounds.He provides a helpful overview of the physical and psychosocial challenges facing aging men and the nature of available resources.Importantly, the article addresses the issue of engaging men and reaching out to them that is in itself a significant issue for policy makers and practitioners.Understanding men's help-seeking behavior or tendency to not seek out help is a key element of any effort to engage men in services that can be helpful to them and their families.The article advocates for increased attention to the needs of older men and means by which formal services and programs might attempt to reach them.Gary L. Villereal and Alonzo Cavazos examine the changes in machismo behaviors in Mexican/American men as they age.The authors note that, while the socially negative connotations of bravado and suppressed emotions are the hallmarks of machismo, machismo also encompasses a sense of protecting the honor and welfare of the family, having a strong work ethic, being a good provider, and living up to responsibilities (Galanti, 2003).Machismo is related to youth, according to the authors, and there is a significant shift away from machismo as men age.Older men are more willing to undertake household chores and grandchildcare responsibilities than their younger counterparts, and tend to view relationships with women on a more equal footing.The authors conclude by stating that more research is needed to study

Integrating academic content and service in the community brought my students a sense of connectedness between classroom learning and their personal lives and the lives of others within the larger community. This is the intent of service-learning, and like many other efforts at service-learning, this experience once again engaged students in terms of academic learning as well as affirming their connectedness to the larger community (Stanton, Giles, & Cruz, 1999). How we as faculty can create a setting for this to occur is always challenging and exciting in terms of the unique and creative ways faculty are making these connections for themselves, students and communities. Serendipity has always played a role in creating these opportunities and my experience with this project is a good case in point. The happenstance of a requirement of a grant for interdisciplinary efforts and the nature of the intent to address the health needs of a community in a holistic way all came together to produce a unique opportunity to merge service-learning pedagogy and participatory research methodology. The result was a two pronged finding. On the one hand, service-learning was found to be a significant pedagogical means to teach participatory research as well as other forms of qualitative