The sociopolitical movement to enhance youth workers' occupational status and related emoluments strategically links this goal to competency-based assessment. While the goals of improved conditions, remuneration, and career opportunities for workers is supported, the joining of those goals to both professionalization and in turn competency-based…

The purpose of this article is to share results of a mixed-methods research study designed to shed light on similarities and differences between school-employed and agency-employed school-based social workers' preparation and practice as a precursor for collaboration in expanded school mental health. Online survey data from a national sample of…

In many instances, departments of social work in universities and community-based social services agencies have common interests in improving professional practice and advancing knowledge in the profession. Effective university-community research collaborations can help partners achieve these goals jointly, but to be effective these collaborative…

The implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) as a professional model of practice for social work has been suggested as one approach to support informed clinical decision making. However, different barriers and processes have been identified that impact the use of EBP at individual, organizational, and systemic levels. This article describes…

Graduate professional social workers are increasingly taking on supervisory and administrative positions, yet little research has been done on the implications this has for social work education. This article analyzes a comprehensive nationwide survey of 750 supervisors and 750 supervisees. (Author)

Administrative human service units require an information system that supports decisions regarding case management, treatment planning, monitoring, and evaluation. An integrated information system that utilizes a relational database for both direct practice and administrative decision making is described. (Author/ABB)

Recent public concern for consumer access to records motivated this study of NASW members to determine existing agency policies on this issue. The majority of respondents indicated that their agencies had a policy, written or unwritten, and that most policies allowed access. (Author)

The drive to increase the productivity of social workers in large public agencies has contributed to an erosion of craft elements of practice. Workers' functions are becoming increasingly repetitive and mechanistic, and opportunities to exercise judgment or to develop specific skills are limited. These trends contribute to a weakening of…

The efficient management of social service agencies is in part dependent on a clear understanding among board members, executive directors, and staff of their own and one another's role expectations and functions. Concludes that agency personnel showed only a moderate degree of clarity. (Author)

Describes innovative developments of operational concepts and procedures that express social work perspectives of the earlier and current social reform areas. (Author)

Presents a background to the publication in 1973 of the document "Standards for Social Service Manpower" by the National Association of Social Workers. It provides an overview of the publication, outlines the classification plan, and studies the implications for social agencies, education, the public and the profession. (Editor/PG)

One agency introduced a computerized information-gathering system to answer such questions as: How many families, over what period of time, receive services? What are the costs for each part of the program? How is staff time distributed? The author describes benefits and difficulties that the changes brought about. (Author)

Describes the progress of a therapy group for four sexually abused children aged 8-12 years. Details the program evaluation procedure and insights gained from the experience. (RJC)

Critiques the National Association of Social Workers policy statement on manpower and contends that it is essentially useless to the social work educator seeking greater specificity regarding the competencies to be developed at each level of the educational continuum. (Editor/PG)

Recent cutbacks have diminished the ability of public agencies to offer needed training to employees. An internal program--peer training--is defined and advocated as an alternative of choice for many training situations. The advantages and disadvantages are presented. Emphasizes the need for a program that complements existing relationships.…