The burgeoning recognition of the influence of religion and spirituality in personal, cultural, and political affairs has spurred discussions regarding the need for social work practice to be sensitive and responsive to the presence of spirituality in the lives of clients. However, though attending properly to clients' coping styles involving…

Examined social workers' (N=78) attitudes about the implementation of performance standards. Findings revealed significant differences between the views of staff social workers and supervisors. Makes recommendations for how supervisors can use performance standards as a management tool. (Author/ABL)

This research study explored possible associations between the theoretical orientations of clinicians and their traditional or contemporary attitudes toward women's roles. Of all the variables investigated, however, only the clinicians' sex had an effect on their attitudes. (Author)

Explores the widespread avoidance of the identification and treatment of alcoholism by the social work profession. Examines the underlying causes of this avoidance and suggests guidelines to overcome the organizational and the professional barriers that have kept alcoholics from seeking social work treatment. (Author/JAC)

In the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, social workers must interact with numerous systems-persons diagnosed with AIDS and their friends and families and human services agencies. Subsequently, workers must deal with their responses to such interaction, including countertransference. Eight countertransference issues and…

Surveyed groups of service providers from organizations (N=24) likely to provide services to victims of domestic violence to determine their beliefs and recommendations in dealing with this problem. Results indicated disagreement both in and out of professional groups as to the specific actions those involved should take. (LLL)

Inability to handle continued stress on the job, which results in demoralization, frustration, and reduced efficiency, has come to be termed "burnout." Explores why caseworkers in protective services are especially susceptible to becoming emotionally burned-out and describes various strategies for the management of stress and prevention…

Measures the extent of homophobia and heterosexist bias and their correlates in a cohort of 187 social workers. Results indicate that 10% of respondents were homophobic and that a majority were heterosexist. Levels of homophobia and heterosexism were negatively correlated with the amount of social contact with homosexual men and women. (RJM)

The professional social worker in the field of drug abuse may find his personal beliefs in conflict with his professional responsibilities. The author describes three distinct roles of the professional social worker and discusses the tensions that might arise in each role. (Author)

Examined mental health service providers' (N=80) evaluation of deaf patients in various programs. Found staff at specialized inpatient mental health programs for the deaf had more positive attitudes than staff serving the general population. Found mental health staff evaluated some deaf patients differently from hearing patients with respect to…

Reexamines a previous study of biases in social workers, which found that, contrary to common expectations, social workers' clinical judgments tended to be biased in favor of female clients. However, this replication produced some contradictory results. (Author)

Workers involved in counseling potential abortion recipients are subject to strains. The author uses observations made at one abortion clinic to conclude that these strains and methods of coping developed by staff and administration must be considered in formulating any policy on abortion. (Author)

Presents results of a survey of 100 social workers regarding their attitudes toward privacy. The five-item questionnaire (included) deals with personal privacy, values, disclosure, confidentiality, and legality. Results show social workers place a higher value on clients' privacy than on their own. (JAC)

Presents a comprehensive view of the societal, cultural, familial, and personality factors that form the context of people at risk for incest and associated problems. Summarizes the consequences and the causal context of incest and describes an ecosystems approach to intervention. (Author/LLL)

Discusses a study that, through a questionnaire mailed to social workers, documents the prevalence of client violence among social workers from a broad range of settings. Examines respondents' reasons for reporting or not reporting client violence to management. The majority of respondents had experienced some form of violence from clients. (BF)