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Since its founding in 1994, the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) has grown dramatically, in large part because of its annual conference featuring the best in social work research. SSWR's growth has also given rise to an appreciation for greater diversity in methods. Although disparities in research infrastructure (and procurement of funding) persist, SSWR continually seeks ways to provide training and support to help level the playing field. As SSWR begins a second decade, the board will embark on a strategic planning agenda dedicated to building on and expanding organizational strengths. These include the promotion of rigorous practice-relevant research at SSWR's annual conference, support for doctoral students and early career scholars, strong advocacy for expanded research funding and training opportunities, and productive partnerships with other professional organizations. SSWR was founded as an idea whose time had come, and its relevance continues to grow.

"Sociological social work is a lifelong social work practice which is animated by a sociological perspective. Social workers 'shorthand' orientations such as 'strengths perspective', 'task centred' or 'humanistic' (to name but a few), as a way to identify their philosophical and theoretical approaches in professional life. Whilst some texts have examined sociology for social work, this text instead proposes that sociological social work is a legitimate and theoretically rich orientation, and this book demonstrates what sociological social work looks like in our rapidly changing world. This text will equip students and practitioners with a way to think sociologically, not just while they are studying, but as an ever present reference for making sense of social work purpose and how this is realised in a transforming world. This follows an established tradition in social work literature, but this book elevates and names the importance of this approach, which we argue is critically needed if social work is to achieve its agenda in transformative social, political economic and environmental contexts. The current landscape in which we live is one that is characterised by rapid changes which have implications for the life experiences of those with whom social workers work, social justice advocacy agendas, and for fulfilling the purpose of social work more generally. This book is essential reading for those looking to keep up with these changes."--Publisher's website

This article describes the early development and field testing of a task-centered case manage ment modelfor social work practice with the elderly. Integrating a specific intervention protocol with the established case management core functions, the model addresses the lack of clearly defined practice guidelines for case management with elderly clients. Findings regarding the process, structure, and outcomes of implementing the model are presented. The process was analyzed using Interpersonal Process Recall (IPR), an innovative method for process-onented social work research. Suggestions for a revised model and future development and research are made.

This article is a critical review and synthesis of the current state of practice research involving social skills training (SST) with adolescents and preadolescents within educational settings. The article begins with a brief description of challenges and behaviors facing adolescents in the 1990s. This is followed by an overview of terminology, problems, and methods related to SST. Intervention research conducted within educational settings over the past 12 years (N = 25 studies) is reviewed in terms of sampling, conceptual adequacy, research method, and interpretation. Key findings are highlighted and include the presence of positive or mixed results for SST participators in 23 of the 25 studies, whereas 2 studies indicated no change for the SST groups. The article concludes with recommendations for future research and a discussion of applications to social work practice.

Growing interest in the empowerment of workers is evident in for-profit organizations as well as nonprofits. Empowerment is understood as a result of better matches between worker characteristics and organizational needs, and it is believed to result in increased satisfaction and productivity. Whether such assumptions are empirically supported remains to be demon strated. A key requisite for such studies is a valid and reliable scale for measuring empowerment. This article descnbes the development and field testing of such an instrument, followed by discussion of its strengths, limitations, and applications in further research on this topic, particularly in the area of staff empowerment m social service organizations.

Objective: Evidence-based practice is becoming increasingly important in social work and community practice. The authors reviewed existing research to assess the level of evidence available to guide community practice. Method: The authors conducted a review of the literature on community practice intervention research from 1985 to 2002 using several databases, search engines, and personal contact with researchers. The authors found 269 articles published from 1985 to 2001. Fifty-eight were quantitative and combined quantitative and qualitative studies, of which 20 were intervention studies. Conclusions: The search revealed a relatively small number of quantitative intervention studies using experimental or statistical controls (9), which suggests the need for a consideration of how to develop the evidence base for community practice. Implications for social work practice are also discussed.

Objective: The present study provides psychometric data for the Trauma Practices Questionnaire (TPQ). Method: A nationally randomized sample of 2,400 surveys was sent to self-identified trauma treatment specialists, and 711 (29.6%) were returned. Results: An exploratory factor analysis (N = 319) conducted on a randomly split sample (RSS) revealed a 19-item, six-factor structure. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for the six-factor model on the second RSS (N = 320). The hypothesized model demonstrated adequate fit (comparative fit index [CFI] = .94 and root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .07). Post hoc modifications significantly improved model fit (CFI = .95 and RMSEA = .06). Alpha reliabilities ranged from .72 to .82. Conclusions: The TPQ has evidence of validity for assessing trauma practice patterns among clinical social workers and clinical psychologists.