A Social Justice Perspective on Medicare Part D in an Age of Reform: Critical Implications of Trends in Health Care Policy and Advocacy

This article examines the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) in its current form and explains why a critical perspective is useful when analyzing the policy and reform efforts. Using this approach, we consider the development of the policy and describe ways that gender and racial differences may hinder equal access to medications for some of the most vulnerable older adults. This article explores the implications of gender and racial disparities under the MMA and ramifications of health care reform efforts that could potentially impede, rather than promote, a social justice agenda. Beyond the political advantage of the MMA\u27s current structure, reconsideration should include the potentialfor disproportionate negative economic and health effects for women and people in historically disadvantaged minority groups

Keeping Families Together? Exploring placement of children with severe emotional disturbances in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems

Mona, a parent of five children all diagnosed with several emotional disturbances (SED), describes the moment she made the decision to place her daughter (age 16) into the juvenile justice system: “…her behaviors were so bad she was assaultive to her younger siblings…in order to protect them and to make sure that her medical needs were met, because she was eloping at the time. I had to take her to court, um, file charges against her…” Mona’s name is a pseudonym, but her story is real. In this study, parents describe the circumstances preceding their decisions to voluntarily relinquish custody of their children and place them into the child welfare or juvenile justice system. This paper introduces some of the trends and an initial socioeconomic picture of this phenomenon in Michigan. Parents’ perspectives on the circumstances that led them to relinquish custody are shared, as well as their suggestions for support that might have prevented them from having to make this difficult decision

Life History and Narrative Analysis: Feminist Methodologies Contextualizing Black Women\u27s Experiences with Severe Mental Illness

This paper discusses a methodological approach to research that enhances critical analysis by contextualizing qualitative research findings within participants\u27 individual experiences. We demonstrate the combined use of life history methods and feminist narrative analysis to explore Black women\u27s everyday experiences with mental illness, from their perspectives. These interpretive methods reach beyond pathologized conceptions of identity and adjustment that often narrowly characterize mental illness among Black women. Instead, these methods holistically describe a participant\u27s experiences and strategies she uses to pursue goals and enhance her life. The use of the methods is illustrated with examples from the life narrative of Maria, a Black woman living with serious mental illness. Our findings underscore the need for rigorous, culturally appropriate methods and further research to evaluate participants\u27 standpoints and needs, and interventions to facilitate understanding and improved outcomes

Using Complex Adaptive Systems Theory to Identify Best Adaptive Practices for Inclusion within Systems of Care: The Impact! System of Care and its Model Theory of Change

Systems of Care (SOCs) are distinctive among health care organizations because they focus on process as much as outcomes and consider families as equal partners in improving clients’ outcomes. Because SOCs attend to interactions among all aspects of the clients’ world, we may think of them as ecosystems with continually changing environments. “Theories of Change” (TOCs) are logic models that structure and coordinate SOCs’ conceptualization, implementation, evaluation, and adaptation. Of these elements, current SOC literature is least focused on adaptation, though adaptive practices are vital to addressing clients’ interests. A Complex Adaptive Systems model is used to analyze an exemplary SOC’s Theory of Change to show how analyzing well-defined adaptive strategies within organizations is critical to uncovering the most valuable elements, processes, and innovations for working effectively with at-risk families, given their specific context

Collaborative Approaches to Undergraduate Research Training: Information Literacy and Data Management

The undergraduate research experience (URE) provides an opportunity for students to engage in meaningful work with faculty mentors on research projects. An increasingly important component of scholarly research is the application of research data management best practices, yet this often falls out of the scope of URE programs. This article presents a case study of faculty and librarian collaboration in the integration of a library and research data management curriculum into a social work URE research team. Discussion includes reflections on the content and learning outcomes, benefits of a holistic approach to introducing undergraduate students to research practice, and challenges of scale