Indigenous Peoples of the Americas have experienced devastating collective, intergenerational massive group trauma and compounding discrimination, racism, and oppression. There is increasing evidence of emotional responses to collective trauma and losses among Indigenous Peoples, which may help to inform ways of alleviating psychological suffering and unresolved grief. Tribal cultural and regional differences exist which may impact how the wounding across generations and within an individual's lifespan are experienced and addressed. This article will review the conceptual framework of historical trauma, current efforts to measure the impact of historical trauma upon emotional distress, and research as well as clinical innovations aimed at addressing historical trauma among American Indians/Alaska Natives and other Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. We will discuss assessment of historical trauma and implications for research and clinical as well as community interventions, and conclude with recommendations.

Historical Trauma Among Indigenous Peoples of the Americas: Concepts, Research, and Clinical Considerations

The IFSW recently adopted a new joint international de.nition of social work, together with the IASSW. The de.nition embraces both traditional social work activities and social development, and addresses social work knowledge, values and practice in an age of globalization. This article analyzes the concepts selected and explains their meaning and signi.cance for the profession.

Defining Social Work for the 21st Century: The International Federation of Social Workers' Revised Definition of Social Work

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 (P.L. 101-336) was a civil rights land-mark for people with disabilities. With the passage of the ADA, Congress acknowledged that the 43,000,000 Americans with disabilities have been subjected to serious and pervasive discrimination. Congress also acknowledged that unlike other populations who have experienced discrimination, people with disabilities have had "no legal recourse to redress such discrimination." From the beginning, social work has viewed itself as the profession with primary responsibility toward people who are subjected to discrimination and oppression. However, the profession has not embraced the causes of people with disabilities as it has other oppressed groups. Consequently, relatively few social workers work with people with disabilities, few people with disabilities enter the profession, and the profession has done little to promote disability rights (Mackelprang, 1993; Mackelprang & Santos, 1992). This article examines the history of societal values and attitudes about people with disabilities and the rise of the disability movement. Social work and independent living approaches to working with people with disabilities are compared and contrasted, and suggestions for integrating both approaches are provided. Finally, a plea is made for social work to re-evaluate its commitment to people with disabilities. History of Treatment of People with Disabilities Throughout the history of humankind people with disabilities have been a part of society; archaeologists have repeatedly uncovered evidence of people with disabilities dating as far back as the Neanderthal Period. Societies treated and responded to people with disabilities based on their cultural belief systems. Ancient Beliefs Neolithic tribes perceived people with disabilities as possessed by spirits. When the spirits were perceived as evil, escape routes were fashioned by drilling holes in the skulls of people who were thought to be possessed (Albrecht, 1992). The Spartans, with their rugged individualism, abandoned young and old people with disabilities in the countryside to die. Plato (1991), to whom Western culture owes much of its ethical framework, viewed people with disabilities as standing in the way of a perfect world: "the offspring of the inferior, or of the better when they chance to be deformed, will be put away in some mysterious, unknown place, as they should be" (p. 183). The Romans, who borrowed the concept of reciprocity from the Greeks, gave assistance to adult people with disabilities with the expectation that they would demonstrate thanks by not rioting. However, like the Greeks the Romans also abandoned disabled or deformed children to die (Morris, 1986). Judeo-Christian Beliefs Judeo-Christian tradition, prevalent among Europeans during and after the Middle Ages, taught that people with disabilities were expressions of God's displeasure (Livneh, 1982). Although Judeo-Christian philosophy did not advocate killing, people with disabilities were ostracized and stereotyped. Disability signified "sinner" to the ancient Hebrews, and people with disabilities were thought to be possessed by evil demons. People who were deformed, "crippled," or of short stature were forbidden to become priests. The Old Testament forbade people who were blind or lame from entering the houses of believers (Wright, 1960). In the New Testament, people with mental disorders were believed to be possessed. It was thought that people with disabilities had them because of their own or their parents' sins. Treatment centered on spiritual redemption (Albrecht, 1992). Judeo-Christian thought, on which much of Western culture is based, has also taught that humans are made in God's image and are different from and superior to the rest of the animal kingdom. Livneh (1980) contended that people with disabilities remind those without disabilities of humankind's link with the rest of the animal kingdom and of their own fallibility. …

People with disabilities and social work: historical and contemporary issues.

The strengths perspective challenges our personal and professional conventions, our habits of the mind. Shifting from the world of traditional practice to that of a strengths frame challenges our cultural and professional traditions that assume that truth is discovered only by looking at underlying and often hidden meanings that only professional understanding and expertise can decipher and amend. This paper explores this challenge as necessary if practitioners are to truly embrace a practice based upon strengths, resilience, and empowerment.

Learning Strengths-Based Practice: Challenging our Personal and Professional Frames:

The oppression suffered by Native Americans has so undermined their culture and ability to parent that child abuse and neglect are frequent problems. Yet the history of oppression often seriously damages the capacity of many Native American parents to accept help from child protective service agencies and staff members. This article explains the particular characteristics and behaviors of some Native American parents, and closes with a summarized guide to understanding these parents and to appropriate behavior on the part of social workers. VioLit keywords: Child Protection Social Services Sociocultural Factors Native American Adult Native American Offender Native American Violence Child Abuse Intervention Child Abuse Offender Domestic Violence Offender Domestic Violence Intervention Offender Perceptions Adult Offender Adult Perceptions Adult Violence Adult Parent Parent Offender Parent Perceptions Native American Perceptions Language: en

/pdf/reactions-by-native-american-parents-to-child-protection-35adawn84y.pdf

Reactions by Native American parents to child protection agencies: cultural and community factors.

Most chapters end with "Conclusion" and "Selected Bibliography." Preface. I. SOCIAL WORK AND THE SOCIAL WORKER. 1. The Domain of the Social Work Profession. The Social Work Domain. An Overview of Social Work Practice. 2. Merging Person with Profession. Selecting Social Work as a Career. Establishing Oneself as a Social Worker. The Interplay of One's Personal and Professional Lives. A Fitness Program for the Social Worker. Having Fun in Social Work. 3. Merging the Person's Art with the Profession's Science. The Social Worker as Artist. The Social Worker as Scientist. II. THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE. 4. The Roles and Functions Performed by Social Workers. Defining Professional Roles. 5. Guiding Principles for Social Workers. Principles Focused on the Social Worker. Principles that Guide Practice Activities. 6. Practice Frameworks for Social Work. Requirements of a Practice Framework. Guidelines for Selecting a Practice Framework. Selected Practice Frameworks. Selected Practice Theories and Models. 7. Facilitating Change Through Decision Making. Elements of the Planned Change Process. The Context of Planned Change. Factors Affecting Clients' Need for Change. Identifying the Actors in Planned Change. Phases of the Planned Change Process. Critical Thinking in Planned Change. Decision Making in Planned Change. III. TECHNIQUES COMMON TO ALL SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE. 8. Basic Communication and Helping Skills. Creating an Effective Helping Relationship. Verbal Communication Skills. Nonverbal Communication. Helping Skills. The "I-Statement." Understanding Emotions and Feelings. Responding to Defensive Communication. Elements of Professional Behavior. Making Ethical Decisions. Using Cultural Competence in Helping. 9. Basic Skills for Agency Practice. Report Writing. Letter Writing. Effective Telephone Communications. Using Information Technology. Maintaining Casenotes for Narrative Recording. Problem-Oriented Recording (POR) and the SOAP Format. Managing Time at Work. Controlling Workload. Planning for a Temporary Absence. IV. TECHNIQUES AND GUIDELINES FOR PHASES OF THE PLANNED CHANGE PROCESS. 10. Intake and Engagement. Introduction. Section A. Techniques and Guidelines for Direct Practice. Section B. Techniques and Guidelines for Indirect Practice. 11. Data Collection and Assessment. Section A. Techniques and Guidelines for Direct Practice. Section B. Techniques and Guidelines for Indirect Practice. 12. Planning and Contracting. Section A. Techniques and Guidelines for Direct Practice. Section B. Techniques and Guidelines for Indirect Practice. 13. Intervention and Monitoring. Section A. Techniques and Guidelines for Direct Practice. Section B. Techniques and Guidelines for Indirect Practice. 14. Evaluation and Termination. Section A. Techniques and Guidelines for Direct Practice. Section B. Techniques and Guidelines for Indirect Practice. V. SPECIALIZED TECHNIQUES AND GUIDELINES FOR SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE. 15. Guidelines for Working With Vulnerable Client Groups. The Client Who Is Poor. The Client Who Is a Child. The Client Who Is an Adolescent. The Client Who Is Elderly. The Client Who Is in Crisis. The Client Who Is A Battered Woman. The Client Who Is at Risk of Suicide. The Client with Cognitive Delay. The Client with Brain Injury. The Client with a Serious Physical Disability. The Client Who Is Chemically Dependent. The Client with a Serious Mental Illness. The Client on Psychotropic Medication. The Client Who is Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual. The Client with an Eating Disorder. The Client Experiencing Grief or Loss. 16. Techniques for Sustaining Social Work Practice. Getting a Social Work Job. Developing Self-Awareness. Stress Management. Coping with Bureaucracy. Dealing with Sexual Misconduct. Avoiding Malpractice Suits. Testifying in Court. Dealing with Managed Care. Giving and Receiving Supervision. Building and Maintaining Mentoring Relationships. Reading, Writing, and Interpreting Professional Literature. Presenting to a Professional Audience. Improving the Social Work Image. Becoming a Leader. Appendix: Using the Cross-Referencing Guide. Author Index. Subject Index.

Bradford W. Sheafor

Papers

Techniques and Guidelines for Social Work Practice

Techniques and Guidelines for Social Work Practice: Quick Guide to the Internet for Social Workers