Whiting & Birch (E-Journals)
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The Community Rhino Conservation Initiative: A model for social action and self-directed community groupwork located along the southern border of Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park
No full textAs pressures on land and resources increase, so does an urgent call for social action and self-directed community groupwork to better address ecological concerns. Conserving the world’s myriad of species and their habitats is a top priority for ecosystem health; this is dependent on society’s actions and can in turn generate significant value for society. Designing and implementing models with positive social and ecological impacts requires multiple stakeholders to implement social actions that mutually benefit, and in some cases positively reinforce, each other. Collaborations born out of self-directed community groupwork are especially necessary for rural wildlife conservation and in areas of intense human-wildlife conflicts. These collaborations engage stakeholders, including locals, tourists, and ecologists, in partnerships for sustainable social action.
Along Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park’s southern boundary, ecotourism and its subsequent socio-economic development opportunities have empowered local communities to lead conservation action as exemplified by the Community Rhino Conservation Initiative (CRCI). The CRCI is a culmination of self-directed community groupwork that evolved during the Covid-19 pandemic; the lack of international tourists and the long stall in tourism had a resounding impact on the local communities and negatively affected local employment, interactions, and the establishment of community development projects. Instead of turning to poaching, communities pushed to reintroduce white rhino to the Hwange ecosystem on their very own communal lands in efforts to attract more tourists to the area. The CRCI aims to pioneer a replicable and scalable model for ecotourism and wildlife conservation while concurrently tackling global issues like poverty and biodiversity loss.
Key words:
Community Rhino Conservation Initiative, Zimbabwe, Hwange National Park, Conservation, Education, Healthcare, Water Security, Food Security, Ecotourism, Pandemic, Southern White Rhino, Community, Sustainability, Cooperation, Integration, Social Action, Self- Directed Groupwork, and Community Groupwork Practice.
 
Group Therapy Proposal for Parkinson's Patients
No full textParkinson’s Disease (PD) is a common, chronic, and progressive neurological condition that is associated with the loss of dopamine-producing cells deep in the brain. Every year, over 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s and over six million people worldwide are living with the disease (Girouz & Farris, 2019). Parkinson’s is classified as a movement disorder because the most recognized symptoms are movement related; however, psychological symptoms are also associated Parkinson’s. The primary psychological symptoms are depression, and anxiety. This group proposal is designed to address primary and secondary psychological symptoms in patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, or any other neuromuscular disorder
An Interprofessional Skills Development Program for Pre-Service School-Based Professionals
Full text linkThis article describes a pilot project conducted by an interprofessional team of faculty from Social Work, Education, Nursing, Counseling and Educational Psychology. University graduate students within these disciplines/programs were recruited to participate in a fully online, synchronous and asynchronous workshop focusing on interprofessional collaboration in the pre-kindergarten through 12th grade (PK-12) educational setting. First, faculty led a three-hour workshop via Zoom with didactic and interactive components to illustrate the value of interprofessional collaboration, build a culture of mutual respect, clarify professional roles, and highlight the importance of communication/teamwork. 15 students were then placed into mixed-discipline groups of five, with a member from each discipline, to engage in a series of four online asynchronous video discussions. Students completed a pre and post survey and participated in a focus group at the program’s end. Results from analysis of this pilot demonstrated that tools and approaches utilized to support Interprofessional Education (IPE) in healthcare, translate well to the domain of PK-12 education, and can improve students’ skills and attitudes toward Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC). A description of the project and materials are provided here for faculty seeking to facilitate collaborative interprofessional training among students of various disciplines preparing to work in the PK-12 educational setting
Compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among NeuroAffective Relational Model Therapists: How NARM serves as a protective factor for trauma therapists
No full textThe NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) is a therapeutic model created to address Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) integrating both top-down cognitive and bottom-up somatic approaches. With the addition of C-PTSD in the ICD-11, treatment models are needed that address the specific needs of clients with C-PTSD. Working with clients with complex trauma exposes therapists to secondary trauma which can lead to secondary traumatic stress and burnout, the elements of compassion fatigue. Trauma therapists also experience compassion satisfaction, which are positive feelings about making a difference in their work. Training is identified as a protective factor against compassion fatigue. This mixed methods analysis examined the compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction of NARM Therapists. The study found that NARM Therapists (n=53) experienced lower compassion fatigue and higher compassion satisfaction than other trauma workers. Using the ProQOL5 measure (Stamm, 2024), 84.9% of NARM Therapists scored low in burnout, 83% of NARM Therapists scored low in secondary traumatic stress, and 67.9% of NARM Therapists scored high in compassion satisfaction. The study revealed four themes that represent the phenomenon of the impact of NARM on compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue from the perspective of NARM Therapists: expending less effort, improved boundaries, increased energy, and enhanced confidence. How NARM serves a protective factor for trauma therapists is discussed
The Impact of Peter Huxley’s Work: A personal and professional reflection
No full textThis paper explores the impact Peter Huxley had on one of his PhD students who went on to forge a career in mental health social work research. It provides a personal reflection on the stimulus and inspiration Peter provided through his research interests and his concern for methodological rigour. The paper relates a sequence of events through the author’s research career and their origins in Peter’s work. This began with a piece of practice research which provided a gateway to a Fellowship. Alongside PhD research, they collaborated on mental health social work workforce research and the development of social outcome measures in mental health services. This provided the foundation for the author’s subsequent focus on intervention research, through which Peter’s legacy is evident
Measuring subjective quality of life among users of mental health services in Norway
No full textContact and collaboration with Peter over more than two decades has led to the use of MANSA as a measure of quality of life of several thousand patients in some Norwegian studies: a study of service users of community mental health centres, a national survey of outpatients in mental health services, and a study of service users of Assertive Community Treatment teams. Research in Norway has shown that MANSA has adequate measurement properties, that quality of life varies among subgroups of service users, that quality of life is associated with aspects of service delivery, and that quality of life in specific life domains are related to specific types of practical and social functioning
Transformative online groupwork in a large not-for-profit organisation in Australia
No full textCommunity services groupwork significantly changed throughout COVID-19 due to the use of online practice. Relationships Australia NSW (RANSW), a relationship and counselling service in NSW Australia, found that the same level of client feedback and outcomes were achieved using online groupwork as compared to in-person groupwork. Often the problems with online groupwork occur when practitioners use the same skills as those commonly used in a webinar. An engaging group space is created when cameras are continually used, everyone is always unmuted, and strong interpersonal links and connections are facilitated between the participants. In online groupwork, there is a greater expression of disinhibition. While this may be problematic, it also presents a greater reflective space for change. This article reviews what is online groupwork, and the processes and techniques used to ensure that online groupwork delivers similar results as in-person practice. It is then the client’s choice as to what mode of service delivery is the most useful and beneficial to them.  
Social factors and Recovery: Out of the asylum but still a long way to go
Full text linkAbstract: Mental health interventions matter most where they result in improvements in the social lives of patients. Those resettled from the asylum preferred living in the community and experienced few adverse outcomes. Resettlement was undoubtedly institutional in nature, patients having little or no choice over where, when or with whom they moved. The underlying ‘train then place’ rehabilitation model persists to this day, with step-down towards independence contingent on the (re-)acquisition of daily living skills. Subsequent recognition of the importance of choice and person-centred care has led to interesting questions about this model. Emerging evidence suggests instead a ‘place then train’ approach, involving a rapid move to independent accommodation or to open job placement with support following as necessary. The relationship between service user and the professional providing care is critical for these optimistic person-centred interventions. It is therefore disquieting to observe declining continuity of care and care models that promote fragmentation of the care team
Review of: Student’s guide to placements in health and social care settings: From theory to practice
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