The Therapy Box in the Classroom: A Function-based Multi-Component Directive Play Therapy Treatment Package Intervention

The Therapy Box is a behavioral intervention being researched to determine its effectiveness as a Response to Intervention (RtI) Tier 2 and Tier 3 behavioral intervention for identified students. The Therapy Box assists students with developing self-regulatory skills and increasing their social-emotional literacy while providing a supportive, caring, and safe classroom environment. The Therapy Box is a treatment package that encompasses the theories of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the use of functional behavior assessments, B.F. Skinner\u27s theory of manding, Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DRA), and Directive Play Therapy. The hypothesis is that the student will be able to mand for calm down time with the box in lieu of an anger outburst/ episode within the classroom. The Therapy Box must be explained, and the student is part of the box creation during directive play therapy sessions. The intervention includes both student and teacher support to ensure skill generalization and successful outcomes. This research indicates that The Therapy Box proves to be an effective behavioral intervention for at- risk students

Exploring Regional Differences In Social Work Pedagogy: Attitudes Toward Poverty

This study explores regional differences in student learning outcomes from pre and post-test surveys of undergraduate and first year graduate social work students (N = 373) enrolled in a social welfare policy class at six different CSWE accredited institutions. As expected, overall results showed a shift in student attitudes away from a personal deficiency explanation for poverty, a decline in stigmatization of poverty, and toward a more structural explanation for the causes of poverty, but significant differences were reported by geographical region. Future research should explore the instructor, pedagogical, and geographical factors that may help of hinder attitudinal preparation for practice social work students

The Earned Income Tax Credit: Estimating Non-Claims Rates among Eligible Participants and Why It Matters to Social Workers

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is accepted as an excellent anti-poverty policy tool, with favorable outcomes in education, health, and well-being among low-income Americans while increasing labor force participation. However, not all eligible people claim it, with participation rates hypothesized to be lower than official estimates of 80–85%. This study describes several methods to estimate non-claim rates utilizing data from the Brookings Institution, the IRS, and the census. Findings suggest EITC non-claim rates at least 50–100% higher than current official figures. Social workers can promote access to the EITC among eligible low-income people

Editorial from Perspectives on Social Work Volume 7 (Spring 2009)

Editorial for volume 7 of Perspectives on Social Work, by journal editor Elena Delavega

Museums as an Avenue for Enhancing Engagement and Educational Outcomes for Underserved Students

Museums are the places where we hold treasures for display and study and where learning on a broad range of subjects can occur. However, for many marginalized populations, museums feel off-limits and inaccessible. There is evidence and research to support that exposing “at-risk” youth to programming within museums has a positive and lasting effect across multiple life domains. This article will review one specific museum-based pilot program as an intervention for improving outcomes for “at-risk” youth across domains of self-efficacy and knowledge in the field of science and education. Outcomes as well as recommendations for future replications will be shared

Five-Way Experiential Learning Model for Social Work Education

Social workers exercise their practice skills by helping clients find strengths and solutions. In order to comprehensively practice skills for diverse client situations, it is crucial to practice and fine-tune the applications of various therapeutic approaches through clinical drills. This paper presents an experiential learning model, expanded from Kolb\u27s Learning Cycle, which fits the dynamic pedagogical needs of the social work profession. It examines the implementation of the use of the ‘Five-Way Experiential Learning Model’ based on practice learning through personal reflections and professional evaluations. This practice learning study helped 79 MSW students define their ‘five-way learning’ and to analyze its impact on their acquisition of social work skills and clinical practice competencies. This process demonstrates the importance of the transtheoretical connection to achieve a better understanding of clients\u27 situations through the process of change and peer input. Discussions will focus on the model elements, results on experiential learning, and ethical considerations

Child savings accounts: Learning from poverty reduction policies in the world

This paper addresses the potential benefits of Child Savings Accounts (CSAs) in citizen-government partnerships on poverty reduction. CSA policies from 10 countries/regions in the world with official governmental website information are analyzed in terms of purpose, target age, account opening process, benefits, contributions, match, and fund usage as possible learning lessons for the USA. All 10 countries/regions with national CSA policies target low-income or disadvantaged children through five elements: 1) seed money for children\u27s education funds; 2) matching fund; 3) school attendance requirements; 4) graduation as a requirement; and 5) income determination. Aversion to higher taxes may still create difficulties in funding. © The Author(s) 2011