Throwing a Wrench in the Work(s): Using Multicultural and Social Justice Competency to Develop a Social Justice–Oriented Employment Counseling Toolbox

This article presents a social justice toolbox from which employment counselors can draw when working with various populations at multiple levels. First, the authors introduce social justice and its relationship to employment counseling (the toolbox). Second, the skills and knowledge required to integrate social justice into employment counseling (the tools) are presented. Finally, strategies are offered to maintain social justice competency so that the tools can be maintained and applied ethically and effectively.     

Housing and Child Welfare: Emerging Evidence and Implications for Scaling up Services

Inadequate housing threatens family stability in communities across the United States. This study reviews emerging evidence on housing interventions in the context of scale‐up for the child welfare system. In child welfare, scale‐up refers to the extent to which fully implemented interventions sustainably alleviate family separations associated with housing instability. It incorporates multiple aspects beyond traditional measures of effectiveness including costs, potential reach, local capacities for implementation, and fit within broader social services. The framework further encompasses everyday circumstances faced by service providers, program administrators, and policymakers who allocate resources under conditions of scarcity and uncertainty. The review of current housing interventions reveals a number of systemic constraints for scale‐up in child welfare. Reliance on rental assistance programs limits capacity to address demand, while current practices that target the most vulnerable families may inadvertently diminish effectiveness of the intervention and increase overall demand. Alternative approaches that focus on homelessness prevention and early intervention must be tested in conjunction with community initiatives to increase accessibility of affordable housing. By examining system performance over time, the scalability framework provides an opportunity for more efficient coordination of housing services within and outside of the child welfare system.     

Knowing so much,yet knowing so little: a scoping review of interventions that address the stigma of mental illness in the Canadian context

Stigma can have detrimental effects on the health and wellbeing of individuals living with a mental illness. This scoping review describes the nature, range, and extent of intervention research aimed at reducing public and self-stigma of mental illness in the Canadian context. The review was guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. A search of databases and relevant websites identified 35 primary studies. Most studies used quantitative research methods and included predominantly youth or middle-aged adults, women, and white Canadian-born people. Guided by different conceptualizations of stigma, direct or indirect contact, education, and advocacy-focused interventions, aimed to provide information, and/or develop skills to address self and public stigma. Most studies evaluated interventions’ effectiveness short-term. Of the few studies that followed-up participants long-term, some were able to reduce stigmatizing attitudes post-intervention, however, these targeted only specific groups such as students or health care professionals. Lack of diversity among the samples, and limited evidence of long-term effectiveness of interventions, were some of the studies’ limitations. What is currently known about interventions aimed at reducing the stigma of mental illness in the Canadian context is not informed by research among vulnerable groups, such as people living with a mental illness, older adults, immigrants, and people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Interventions that are informed by clear conceptualizations of stigma and rigorously evaluated in a range of ethno-cultural groups would create a knowledge base that is useful for policy-makers, community leaders, and agencies serving various ethnic communities in Canada.     

See the Triumph Healing Arts Workshops for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault

Existing research demonstrates the potential value of arts-based interventions for survivors of abuse and other forms of trauma. The See the Triumph Healing Arts Workshops were designed to provide survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault with an opportunity to express themselves and connect with others through arts-based interventions. When appropriate, using the art developed through the workshops to create an art exhibit can be useful for raising awareness and giving voice to survivors in the local community. The preliminary results of the pilot evaluation suggest that the workshops were well-received and allowed participants to experience emotional expression, connection with others, and greater self-awareness.     

The outcomes of effective career discussion at work

This article examines the outcomes that resulted from career discussions experienced by 104 employees. Employees appeared to benefit from discussions about their careers with individuals in a wide range of roles. Many effective career discussions produced multiple outcomes, and some of these were long-lasting. The most common types of outcomes experienced were a clearer view of future direction, self-insight, awareness of opportunities, and feeling reassured or better about self or work. The findings highlight the need for future research into the effectiveness of career interventions to take more account of multiple outcomes and how these evolve over time. Also, organizations need to encourage informal career discussions and informal mentoring.     

The Effect of Active Supervision and Pre-correction on Minor Behavioral Incidents in a Sixth Grade General Education Classroom

This study examines the effect of using active supervision, pre-correction, and daily data review on occurrences of minor behavioral incidents in a sixth grade general education classroom. The results suggest a functional relationship between the use of the teacher-training package and concomitant decreases in minor behavioral incidents. The findings from this study extend the existing literature on the use of active supervision and pre-correction, and establish a useful model for bringing teachers in contact with proactive instructional strategies.     

Keeping the Spirit of Community Partnerships Alive in the Scale Up of HIV/AIDS Prevention: Critical Reflections on the Roll Out of DEBI (Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions)

DEBI, or the Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions is the largest centralized effort to diffuse evidence-based prevention science to fight HIV/AIDS in the United States. DEBI seeks to ensure that the most effective science-based prevention interventions are widely implemented across the country in community-based organizations. Thus, this is a particularly timely juncture in which to critically reflect on the extent to which known principles of community collaboration have guided key processes associated with the DEBI rollout. We review the available evidence on how the dissemination of packaged interventions is necessary but not sufficient for ensuring the success of technology transfer. We consider additional principles that are vital for successful technology transfer, which were not central considerations in the rollout of the DEBI initiative. These issues are: (1) community perceptions of a top-down mode of dissemination; (2) the extent to which local innovations are being embraced, bolstered, or eliminated; and (3) contextual and methodological considerations that shape community preparedness. Consideration of these additional factors is necessary in order to effectively document, manage, and advance the science of dissemination and technology transfer in centralized prevention efforts within and outside of HIV/AIDS.     

Reflections on the Field of School Attendance Problems: For the Times They Are a-Changing?

This article presents reflections on the seven articles included in this special series. The classification of school attendance problems (SAPs) based on structured checklists of SAP types (school refusal, truancy, school withdrawal, and school exclusion) together with functional analysis opens the way for establishing norms and social referents. We discuss how authorized nonattendance can also be problematic if it is persistent, and that it is important to take this type of SAP into account if the field is to effectively understand and respond to the complex range of bio-psycho-socio-cultural determinants of absenteeism. We highlight other gaps in the current literature, one of which is the lack of attention to evidence-based prevention and early intervention strategies. Avenues for future research are suggested, with emphasis on the need for pragmatic approaches to address the complexities of SAPs. Promising work is beginning to address the SAPs that are prevalent in special populations such as those with autism spectrum disorder. Overall, our reflections highlight the incremental changes that have characterized the field, exemplified by this series of articles, and the promise of transformational change in tackling the major challenge of SAPs as research in the field continues.     

Work engagement interventions can be effective: a systematic review

Work engagement is associated with important individual and organisational outcomes (e.g. employee health and well-being, performance). This narrative systematic review aims to synthesise the increasing number of work engagement interventions and inform future research by exploring: (1) the specific intervention foci, delivery methods and content of engagement interventions; (2) intervention effectiveness; and (3) underlying mediators and moderators. A systematic search for interventions employing a validated engagement measure revealed 40 studies. Five were personal resource building, twelve job resource building, three leadership training, eighteen health promotion, and two job and personal resource building. Twenty (50%) studies observed significant positive effects on work engagement, two (5%) had a negative effect, and eighteen (45%) had no effect. Job and personal resources, job demands and well-being were important mediators. Moderators included the specific intervention focus and delivery method, employee participation, manager support, and intervention level (top-down vs bottom-up). Bottom-up interventions, and job crafting and mindfulness interventions particularly, were most successful. Implementation difficulties were common, including poor response and attrition rates, and adverse factors (e.g. organisational restructuring, redundancy, economic downturn). We highlight implications for research and practice and stress the need to test underlying theories to build knowledge around how, why, and when interventions work.     

Infant mental health home visiting in the context of an infant—toddler court team: Changes in parental responsiveness and reflective functioning

This article describes an infant–toddler court team in Michigan, the community-based participatory research approach to the implementation evaluation, and the resulting changes in parenting. Like other court teams, Michigan's Baby Court is led by a science-informed jurist, and all service providers are knowledgeable about the developmental needs of young children and engage in collaborative communication throughout the case. Relationship-based treatment in the form of infant mental health home-visiting was provided to families. Sixteen parents participated in pre- and posttest evaluation visits to assess changes in parents’ reflective functioning and interactions with their child. Findings suggest improvements in parents’ responsiveness, positive affect, and reflective functioning, with moderate effects. Higher risk parents demonstrated significant changes in reflective functioning, as compared to those at lower risk. These findings add to and support the limited literature on the effectiveness of infant–toddler court teams, which include relationship-based and trauma-informed services.