Kathy Kristof: Going into public service could win student-loan forgiveness

Journalist:  Kathy Kristof      

 

Date:  July 27, 2008

 

Summary:  This article describes a recent Act passed to encourage college graduates to enter and remain in public-service careers.  The College Cost Reduction and Access Act was passed last fall and the provision of the Act eliminates student-loan debt including the principal and interest after an individual has made monthly payments for a period of ten years.

 

Relevance:   Student loan forgiveness has been an issue for social workers due to the low salaries when compared to some other occupations. 

 

Questions:

                 

                  1.      What disqualifies an individual from the program?

2.      What types of careers are considered public service?

3.      Does the Act apply to all student loans?

4.      What are some other provisions of the Act?

 

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Social workers close to strike action over job cuts ‘meltdown’

Journalist:  Julia Horton     

 

Date:  July 28, 2008

 

Summary:  This article describes the consideration by child protection workers in Scotland to strike over work conditions.  The workers’ union is concerned that job loses will cause a service “meltdown”.  

 

Relevance:   This article raises the issue regarding social workers should take strike action.

 

Questions:

  

1.      Why are the social workers considering a strike action?

2.      What is the average caseload of the social workers?

3.      Does the union feel that needed resources for children and families are being addressed?

4.      What are the pros and cons of strike actions?

5.      Should social workers take strike actions?

 

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Parents sentenced to jail, lashings for abuse of 4-year-old

Journalist:  Unknown    

 

Date:  July 27, 2008

 

Summary:  This article describes the sentencing of two Saudi parents for abusing their four year old daughter.  The Ministry of Social Affairs has asked the court to consider commuting the mother’s sentence so that she will provide social work services instead of serving time in jail.

 

Relevance:   Mandatory reporting and the handling of child abuse are not the same globally. 

 

Questions:

  

1.      How was the abuse discovered?

2.      What sentence did both parents receive?

3.      On what grounds are the parent’s appealing the verdicts?

4.      How is child abuse reporting handled in Saudi Arabia?

 

 

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Social work, ‘a scarce skill’

Journalist:  Unknown    

 

Date:  July 21, 2008

 

Summary:  This article reports that universities in South Africa graduate approximately 300 students per year.  Approximately 18,000 social workers are needed, therefore South Africa is experiencing a shortage of professionally trained social workers.

 

Relevance:   This article describes issues in international social work practice.

 

Questions:

 

1.      Why is South Africa experiencing a shortage of professionally trained social workers?

2.      How will the shortage of professionally trained social workers be addressed?

3.      What are your thoughts regarding “training other people to compliment social workers”?

 

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Online educations gain credibility

Journalist:  Nate Legue    

 

Date:  July 21, 2008

 

Summary:  This article describes the increase in the number of college students taking online courses and one person’s experiences with online education.

 

Relevance:   Social workers need to consider the impact that online courses may have on professional social work education.

 

Questions:

 

1.      Describe the increase in the number of students taking online courses that occurred between 2002 and 2006.

2.      What are some of the advantages of taking online courses?

3.      In your opinion, are online course appropriate for social work education? What types of course are or are not appropriate for social work education?

4.      Have you ever taken an online course? What were your experiences with the course?

5.      According to the article, what types of online degrees are being offered?

 

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South Africa: Education on social work must improve to meet the demand

Journalist:  Gabi Khumalo Durban  

 

Date:  July 21, 2008

 

Summary:  This article describes the events that occurred during a five day congress sponsored by the Department of Social Development and Association of South African Social Work Education Institutions.  The congress examined ways to improve the relevance of social work education for meeting service needs.  The congress provided an opportunity for professionals to examine the ways that social work students are prepared in the classroom for the realties outside of the classroom.

 

Relevance:   Social workers need to consider the connections between classroom education and social work practice in the real world.

 

Questions:

 

1.      Do you feel that social work education prepares students for practice realties that occur outside of the classroom? If so, how? If not, what can be done to improve social work education?

2.      What measures are mentioned in the article that can be used to improve social work education?

3.      According to the article what is the “real test” of social work’s contribution?

4.      According to the article what is the mandate of social work?

5.      What has been the impact of the shortage of social workers?

 

 

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More students are doing social work to make their CVs more attractive to companies, foreign varsities

Journalist:   Abhinav Dayal 

 

Date:  July 14, 2008

 

Summary:  This article describes the efforts of students in India to gain social work experience in order to enhance their CVs and become more competitive for companies in India and universities abroad.  Companies have agreed that social work experience is an asset on a CV. 

 

Relevance:  Social work skills are relevant for many employment positions, and college admission.  

 

Questions:

1.      How does participation in extra-curricular activities differentiate students with similar test scores and recommendations?

2.      Do you consider the activities of these students social work experience? Why of why not?

3.      Why do students associated with Students in Free Enterprise (SIFR) receive more attention from universities worldwide?

 

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Town now searching for first social worker

Journalist:  Christian Schiavone  

 

Date:  July 14, 2008

 

Summary:  This article describes the efforts of a town to create a social work position and hire a social worker for a community social services coordinator position.  Although town officials opposed creating the position, voters in the town approved the position.  The town is moving quickly to fill the position.

 

Relevance:  Social workers are employed in a wide variety settings.  

 

Questions:

1.      Based on the design of the position, what is the social worker expected to do?

2.      What are the requirements for the position?

3.      How was the job description developed?

4.      What will be the primary duties of the social worker?

5.      Is the position part-time or full-time? What is the staring annual salary?

6.      How much did town officials cut from the town budget? What percent of the budget cut does the salary of the social work position represent?

 

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UNC study: Out-of-pocket health care costs for disabled children vary widely by state

Journalist:  Patric Lane    

 

Date:  July 14, 2008

 

Summary:  This public release describes the results of a study that investigated the out-of-pocket health care costs of families caring for disabled children.  The study was conducted by two schools of social work and included 39,000 families in the sample.  The study found that parents who live in states with higher average incomes payed less of their income on the health care health costs for their disabled children, whereas parents who in live in poorer states payed more of their income to cover their child’s health care costs.

 

Relevance:   Social workers work with families who provide care to disabled children and are in need of resources to assist with care.

 

Questions:

 

1.      In which state did families fare the worst in terms of paying their own income on the health care health costs for their disabled children?  How much more did they spend compared to the national average?

2.      What other state exceeded the national average? How much did families spend annually?

3.      What organization funded the study?

4.      Why are the costs of caring for special needs children higher than those associated with caring for typical developing children?

5.      What types of services do disabled children require?

6.      Of the 39,000 families included in the sample, what percentage spent some money out-of-pocket on health care costs for their disabled children?

 

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Babies stylish to some teens

Journalist:  Megan K. Scott    

Date:  July 7, 2008

 

Summary:  This article describes recent trends in teenage pregnancy rates.  The factors that contribute to teenage pregnancy and make it easier for teens to become sexually active without fully realizing the implications of becoming sexually active are discussed.

 

Relevance:   Pregnant teens often require a variety of social work services.

 

 

Questions:

 

1.      What are some of the factors associated with teen pregnancies?

2.      What factors make it easier for teens to become sexually active?

3.      From 2005 to 2006 did the teen birth rate increase or decease?

4.      In your opinion, what are the implications of the report issued by Experian Consumer Research?

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