Social work education has increasingly integrated simulated learning, yet there is a scarcity of quantitative syntheses on its effects. This systematic review and meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of simulated learning in social work education based on outcomes from using either live standardized clients (SCs) or virtual clients (VCs). The…

The use of simulation has become a staple in social work education in North America. Concerns have been raised, however, that this pedagogy, rooted in positivist views of professional competence, might be built on educators' monolithic and stereotypical understanding of minoritized clients. In this article, I take on a position that simulation…

In social work and other community-based human services settings, clients often present with complex financial problems. As a need for more formal training is beginning to be addressed, evaluation of existing training is important, and this study evaluates outcomes from the Financial Stability Pathway (FSP) project. Designed to prepare…

A formidable body of recent literature advocates the incorporation of spirituality into the bio-psycho-social framework of social work education and practice. No consistent conceptualization of spirituality has been developed, however, that can be used with all clients and that is fully consonant with social work values as taught in schools of…

Evidence-based assessment in intimate partner violence (IPV) is critical to the accurate understanding of risk and to the development of interventions that increase safety. In this study standardized clients (actors) were used to train Army civilian social workers in evidence-based assessment of IPV and in the evaluation of the curriculum's…

Entering ("n"?=?475) and graduating ("n"?=?454) students at 3 master's of social work programs in the northeast were compared regarding their knowledge and attitudes concerning working with substance abusing clients. In comparison to entering students, graduating students demonstrated modestly higher levels of knowledge, role…

Assessment is a critical step in determining appropriate support services. This article discusses "caregiver assessment," a systematic process of gathering information to describe a caregiving situation. Caregiver assessment identifies the particular problems, needs, resources, and strengths of the family caregiver and approaches issues from the…

This article makes specific suggestions for teaching evidence-based practice (EBP) in the master's-in-social-work (MSW) curriculum. The authors use the model of EBP as it was originally conceived: a process for posing empirically answerable questions, finding and evaluating the best available evidence, and applying that evidence in conjunction…

A survey of master's-level social work and counseling students found that a small minority (6.5 percent) expressed intolerant attitudes toward lesbians and gay men, and that predictors of acceptance included religion, race, sexual orientation, gender, and academic degree sought. Attitudes for which at least 15 percent of the sample expressed…

A survey of 186 Mississippi social workers investigated attitudes toward poverty and the poor. Results show a relatively positive attitude, particularly among older and more experienced professionals. Discusses findings related to type of social work practice, level of educational attainment, licensure status, and political orientation. (MSE)