Suchergebnisse

In Malawi, grandparents play significant roles in raising children when parents are absent. An inductive thematic qualitative approach was used to understand experiences of Malawian custodial grandparents. Seven focus groups with 29 grandparents were conducted and six themes emerged: (1) Better future for the children, (2) Family circle, (3) Strong support from other grandparents and the community, (4) Financial and physical hardships, (5) Intergenerational conflicts and discipline issues, and (6) Desire for more involvement with their grandchildren's education and school. Roles of schools and non-governmental organizations as community resource centers with robust family engagement practices are explored.

AbstractUniversity-assisted community schools (UACS), which work as partnerships between schools and universities that assist the mobilization of coordinated services to children, families, and communities, can build capacity for schools and neighborhoods to better serve the needs of marginalized families, such as grandparent-headed households. Despite the increase of grandparents raising grandchildren, school staff are often ill equipped with the necessary skills and resources to support these children and their caretakers, who have multifaceted needs and complicated family contexts. In this conceptual article, the authors utilize social capital theory to propose social work practice implications for implementing UACS to support grandparent-headed families, focusing on three target areas: (1) social obligation and social trust, (2) network and information flow, and (3) norms and effective sanctions. The UACS model can be a vehicle for building social trust among grandparent-headed families, schools, and local communities that can lead to a shared model for grandchildren's academic success. Strengthened networks and information flows are necessary to enhance engagement with these marginalized caregivers. Last, details of how to create norms of cooperation that utilize grandparent-headed families as partners and experts are suggested for effective implementation of the UACS model that engages grandparent-headed families.

AbstractCustodial grandparents play a significant role in sustaining healthy families, but the caregiving is demanding. A social research design and development process informed a school district‐university partnership project responding to the needs of a group of custodial grandparents. Three phases of the project are described: (i) needs assessment; (ii) design and implementation of a psychoeducational group facilitated by social work faculty and a school district administrator; and (iii) evaluation of programme impact. Major themes from the needs assessment and evaluation are presented. Discussion highlights the need for school and family engagement, recognition of the significant changes in family role required for grandparents, and viewing custodial grandparents as leaders and engaged caregivers. The meaning of diversity in group intervention for this population is also explored.

Abstract
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, children and families in rural communities have been experiencing unprecedented long-term social isolation and insufficient access to mental health services. Prior to the pandemic, access to mental healthcare in rural communities was already inadequate, leading rural populations to be routinely underserved when facing significant social issues and mental health needs. Even though the pandemic has disrupted the traditional delivery of mental healthcare and exacerbated needs, isolated children and families in rural areas can benefit from mental health services through a telemental health approach. This article presents an innovative telemental health practice model that implements solution-focused brief therapy with social work interns in rural university-assisted community schools (UACS). Implications for policies supporting telemental health in rural UACS, social work education, and evaluation are presented.

This study explored predictors of functionally dependent Korean older adults' mental health. Logistic regression analyses were conducted using a sample of 1234 subjects. Findings show a subject's functional dependency, pre-existing depression, objective financial status, and stressful life events are risk factors. This analysis yielded unexpected findings of a limited protective effect of social support from family members compared to a significant effect of intrapersonal resources. These findings suggest an emergent transition within East Asian culture about individuals and family dynamics and a need for an alternative approach to culturally competent social work practice with East Asian populations.

This study explored the experiences of 23 grandparents raising grandchildren to better understand the vulnerability and resiliency of grandparent-headed multigenerational families. Three key themes emerged: (a) family trauma with multigenerational impact, (b) multiple stressors impacting the custodial grandparents, and (c) family resiliency that can promote healing and growth. The discussion highlights complex intersections of trauma and stress, and resiliency and healing. Implications for social work practice include the importance of understanding the nature of trauma and resiliency in clinical interventions to ensure the healthy development of children and older adults. Implications for social work advocacy include the necessity to promote flexible policies that address the needs of grandparent-headed households.

This article presents the results of a study that examined 24 ethnically diverse older adults' autobiographical memories of critical life events involving discrimination and oppression. Narrative interviews reveal the impact that such experiences have on individual, family, and societal resilience. The study contributes to the growing body of research literature that allows for a deeper understanding of how a client's particular life story and personal experiences interplay with collective histories. It also discusses how clinicians, including physicians, nurses, and social workers, can benefit from conversations that mutually construct personal narratives that reveal circumstances pertinent to intervention strategies (Cohler & Cole, 1996; Gergen, 1996).