Suchergebnisse

Professional social workers are called on to assist many vulnerable clientpopulations. One such group consists of adults with coexisting substance use and mental disorders who are at risk for HIV infection. This article presents an evaluation of a social group work intervention designed to help dually disordered adults change sexual behaviors that increase their risk of HIV infection. Thirty clients attending a day treatment program for dually disordered adults agreed to participate in an AIDS awareness and prevention group. Using a nonequivalent control group evaluation design, clients were systematically assigned to either the first cycle of the group or to a waiting list. Findings demonstrated that, compared to persons on the waiting list, clients who received the preventive intervention improved their understanding of correct condom use, used condoms more often, reduced risky sexual practices, and were more assertive in sexual encounters. Behavioral changes were attributable to group involvement and not the clients' pregroup characteristics. This was a limited pilot evaluation. The results, however, should encourage social workers developing AIDS preventive interventions for a particularly vulnerable client population.

How can groups effectively meet the needs of humans in areas as diverse as aid, responsibility, action, healing, learning and acceptance? Based on a selection of papers from the 24 th Annual International Symposium of the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups (AASWG), this edited volume aims to address these issues and provide ways to extend the current reach and quality of social work with groups

Objective: This study tested a motivational intervention designed to enhance the likelihood that detoxified alcohol users will seek and participate in any form of aftercare. Method: After a baseline interview, 96 clients (76 men and 20 women) in a hospital inpatient detoxification unit were randomly assigned to either a standard care condition or a motivational interviewing condition, consisting of three motivational sessions conducted by master's-level therapists. Results: Two months after discharge, participants in the motivational condition did not differ from controls in the areas of sustained abstinence, typical drinking, or entry into formal treatment. However, clients receiving motivational interviewing were more likely to participate in 12-step groups. Conclusions: Motivational interviewing is a potentially useful strategy to encourage detoxification clients to initiate participation in self-help and may show promise as a strategy for helping alcohol users remain abstinent during the critical initial period following discharge from detoxification.