Tribal and Non-tribal Agencies
A Comparison of how Social Work with Families is Conceptualized in the United States
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31265/jcsw.v9i2.115Keywords:
Family, family definition, tribal social work, child welfare, nonprofit agency, extended family, direct practiceAbstract
As definitions of “family” have evolved in the US over the past several decades, so too has child welfare agencies’ need to provide appropriate and meaningful services. This article discusses the findings and conclusions drawn from a case study involving two different types of social work agencies: Native American child welfare and not- for-profit family services. Within this discussion, the authors use their findings from case study vignette focus groups to explore how the definitions of family impact the provision of services.At each agency, participants addressed issues surrounding domestic violence, teen pregnancy, child welfare involvement and the inclusion of extended families as part of client’s support network. By focusing on the changing social concept of “family,” the study’s respondents discussed the need for direct practice using broader, more inclusive approaches to family and child welfare. Through the comparison of two agencies which serve different demographics, the article makes clear that further study is needed, and a wider scope must be considered, in order to adequately serve America’s expanding population in need of family services, direct practice and extended support.
References
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Bould, S. (1993). “Familial Caretaking”, Journal of Family Issues, 14, 1, 133-151.
California Department of Social Services (2007). “Child Welfare in California: Facts at a Glance” http://www.cdss.ca.gov/cdssweb/res/pdf/Factatglance.pdf 1-2.
California Legal Indian Services (2012). California Judges Benchguide: The Indian Child Welfare Act.
Carillo, S., Ripoll-Nunuz, K., & Schvaneveldt, P. L. (2012). Family Policy Initiatives in Latin America: The Case of Columbia and Ecuador. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 21, 75-87.
Carter, B., & McGoldrick, M. (1999). The Expanded Family Life Cycle: Individual, Family and Social Perspectives. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Duggleby, W. (2005). “What about Focus Group Interaction Data” Qualitative Health Research, 15, 6, 832-840.
Eskelinen, L., & Caswel, D. (2006). “Comparison of Social Work Practice in Teams using Video Vignette technique in a multi-method Design.” Qualitative Social Work, 5, 4, 489-503.
Fook, J. (2012). Social Work: A Critical Approach to Practice, Los Angeles; Sage.
Forgey, M. A., Allen, M., & Hansen, J. (2014). “An Exploration of the Knowledge Base Used by Irish and US Child Protection Social Workers in the Assessment of Intimate Partner Violence.” Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 11, 58- 72.
Gabrielson, M. L. (2011). “We Have to Create Family: Aging Support Issues and the Needs Among Older Lesbians.” Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 23, 3, 322-334.
Gabrielson, M. L., & Holston, E. C. (2014). “Broadening Definitions of Family for Older Lesbians: Modifying the Lubben Social Network Scale.” Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 57, 2-4, 198-217.
Gates, G.J. (2013). “LGBT Parenting in the United States.” The Williams Institute. http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/LGBT-Parenting.pdf
Jacobson, L. A., Mathers, M., & Dupuis, G. (2012). “Household Change in the United States.” Population Bulletin, 67. 1.
Karger, H. J. & Stoesz, D. (2002). American Social Welfare Policy: A Pluralist Approach. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Khoo, E. G., Hyvonen, U., & Nygren, L. (2003). “Gatekeeping in Child Welfare: A Comparative Study of Intake Decision Making by Social Workers in Canada and Sweden.” Child Welfare, LXXXII.
Koerner, A. F., & Fitzpatrick, M. A. (2004). Communication in intact Families. In A. L. Vangelisti (Ed.), Handbook of Family Communication. (177-195). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum.
Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2000). Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Letendre, J., & Rankin Williams, L. (2014). “I Hear You: Using Focus Groups to Give Voice to Adolescent Girls’ Experiences with Violence.” Social Work with Groups.
Miller, K., Cahn, K., Anderson-Nathe, B., Cause, A. G. & Bender, R. (2013). “Individual and Systemic/Structural Bias in Child Welfare Decision Making: Implications for Children and Families of Color.” Children and Youth Services Review, 35, 9. 1634-1642.
Patton, M. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Peterson, C. (2013). “The Lies That Bind: Heteronormative Constructions of “Family” in Social Work Discourse.” The Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 25, 4, 486-508.
Pryce, J. G., Shackelford, K. K. & Pryce, D. H. (2007). Secondary Traumatic Stress and the Child Welfare Professional. Chicago: Lyceum Books and Company, 29-34.
Rothwell, E. (2013). “Analysing Focus Group Data: Content and Interaction” Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 15, 2 176-180.
Schene, P. A. (1998). “Past Present and Future Roles of Child Protective Services” Protecting Child from Abuse and Neglect, 8, 1, 23-38.
Stokes, J., & Schmidt, G. (2012). “Child Protection Decision Making: A Factorial Analysis Using Case Vignettes.” Social Work, 57, 1.
United States Census (2011). “Census Bureau Reports 64 Percent Increase in Number of Children Living with a Grandparent Over Last Two Decades” United States 2010 Census. http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/children/cb11-117.html
United States Census (2012). “U.S. Census Bureau Projects Show a Slower Growing, Older, and More Diverse Nation a Half a Century from Now”, United States 2010 Census. http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb12-243.html
United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Adolescent Health (2014). “Trends in Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing.” Reproductive Health.
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Published
2014-10-01
How to Cite
O’Neill, M., & Gonzalez, D. L. (2014). Tribal and Non-tribal Agencies: A Comparison of how Social Work with Families is Conceptualized in the United States. Journal of Comparative Social Work, 9(2), 148–173. https://doi.org/10.31265/jcsw.v9i2.115
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