Social Work Student Interests in Rural Practice

This study of BSW and MSW students (N = 122) in the School of Social Work at New Mexico State University reports student attitudes, concerns and interest in rural social work practice and rural social work practice curriculum. Strong support for rural social work practice and concomitant rural curriculum was evidenced by 93% who believed that social workers should practice in rural areas and 22% who ideally want to practice only in a rural community. Originally conceptualized and conducted to gather background data in support of a rural social work practice curriculum minor, its broader implications for rural social work practice curriculum are reported and discussed. Special attention is paid to implications for social work educational programs in rural states

Family Preservation Conference Participants and the Internet: Opinions about On-Line Continuing Education

Development of distance and distributed learning continuing education (CE) opportunities for human services workers requires existence of such CE offerings, participant access to the Internet, knowledge of the Internet\u27s use, and willingness to enroll in such programs. A survey of human services professionals who attended the Family Preservation Annual Conferences in 2000 (N = 230) and 2002 (N - 197) revealed that 92% (n = 206) of 2000 survey participants and 98% (192) of 2002 survey participants have used the Internet, while 76% of 2000 and 56% of 2002 respondents reported no formal training in the use of the Internet and its features. Findings are reported that reveal substantial interest among subjects in the Internet as a medium for continuing education programs for professional development

Spirituality and Resilience Among Mexican American IPV Survivors

Women with abusive partners use a variety of coping strategies. This study examined the correlation between spirituality, resilience, and intimate partner violence using a cross-sectional survey of 54 Mexican American women living along the U.S.-Mexico border. The meaning-making coping model provides the conceptual framework to explore how spirituality is used as a copying strategy. Multiple ordinary least squares (OLS) regression results indicate women who score higher on spirituality also report greater resilient characteristics. Poisson regression analyses revealed that an increase in level of spirituality is associated with lower number of types of abuse experienced. Clinical, programmatic, and research implications are discussed