In this paper, we examine social work supervision policies and practices in the Chinese Mainland. We begin with an overview of the development of the social work profession and social work education. Their impact on supervision is also discussed. At present, few cities in China with a well-established social work system have developed supervision practice. The supervision models and quality of supervision vary across regions and unique socio-cultural issues play an important role in supporting supervision practice in the Chinese Mainland. This paper also reveals the challenges facing both supervisors and frontline social workers.
This article draws on research studies and journal articles to examine the historical development of knowledge in social work supervision. The findings highlight the process and details involved in supervision. In addition, organizational culture, empirical studies, cumulative knowledge, and contextual environment are of critical importance to the formation. In the future, supervisory practice will need to take account of the balance of administrative and educational functions of supervision, to create more opportunities for professional autonomy, and the demands of implementing evidence-based supervisory practice.
This study investigates the influence of career motivation and perception of organizational career support on job satisfaction of Chinese social workers in Mainland China. Four hundred and twenty social workers were asked to rate their perception of career motivation, organizational career support and job satisfaction. Exploratory factor analysis revealed factor structures for career motivations. Regression analysis of variance tests revealed the influences of different variables on the level job satisfaction. The results are discussed and implications for social work organizations. Moreover, future research should discover ways to identify the highly motivated social workers and how different motivational factors influence social workers’ job satisfaction.
Summary: School social workers and school counselors play an important role in providing support to the parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Issues regarding the barriers to parental involvement have not been well-explored empirically in social work. By means of semistructured interviews, this study explored the perspectives of 20 Mainland Chinese parents about parental involvement in their children’s education and in schools, parent–teacher relationships, the social factors that affect individual families, and the cultural and contextual factors that hinder parental involvement in children’s education. Findings: Using thematic analysis, the researchers identified major themes: (a) emotional overinvolvement of parents in children’s education; (b) withdrawal of fathers; (c) positive and negative teacher–parent relationships; (d) contextual factors: school culture, system, and policies; and (e) parents’ preferred sources of support. Applications: This research provides insight for school social workers and school counselors to develop supportive measures for parents of children with ADHD. Furthermore, it is recommended that social workers mediate tensions that arise from conflicts between teachers and parents. Social workers need to be sensitive to the power and cultural issues embedded in a parent–teacher relationship to facilitate parental involvement in school mental health services for children with ADHD. In particular, the cultural beliefs that affect parents and teachers relationships should not be ignored.
22 February 2022 in Journal of Social Service Research
High social worker turnover is a serious challenge to the social work organizations in Guangdong Province in Mainland China. Little is understood about the relationship between the social workers’ satisfaction with organizational career management (OCM) and their turnover intentions. A quantitative survey was undertaken to gather information from 212 registered social workers employed by 43 social work organizations in eleven cities in Guangdong Province. This study reveals that social workers’ satisfaction with OCM had significant influence on turnover intentions. Implications of the study are discussed and further research can explore social workers’ career aspirations and its relation to participation in OCM practices.
Purpose: The research project is to investigate how effective metaverse life story museum reminiscence therapy is in improving the psychological well-being of older adults, promoting positive aging, and enhancing reminiscence functions. Method: A quasi-experimental design with three metaverse reminiscence group therapy sessions were conducted with 15 older adults. Standardized measurements were taken before and after the therapy sessions. Qualitative methods were also employed to collect feedback. Results: The results indicated an increase in reminiscence functions and improvement in gerotranscendence based on the quantitative data. The qualitative findings revealed that the metaverse museum was a valuable tool for stimulating memory and helping older adults remember important life episodes. Discussion: The findings contribute to a better understanding of the utilization of metaverse in social work practice. Social workers are encouraged to introduce metaverse technology to older adults and provide them with training on how to use it safely and securely.