ABSTRACT Latino communities in the U.S. experience disproportionately high rates of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes yet remain underrepresented in prevention programs. This qualitative study conducted a needs assessment with 70 Latino adults at risk for diabetes in Los Angeles, recruited via Instagram and local community events. Barriers to prevention included limited accessible information, low program availability, and cultural influences and stigma. Facilitators included program flexibility, incentives, Spanish-language services, and financial assistance. Findings highlight culturally responsive and equitable strategies for social workers to effectively engage Latino populations in diabetes prevention and management.

ABSTRACT The psychosocial transition during military training poses a significant public health risk requiring preventive, health-integrated responses. This study applied latent class analysis to identify five social support profiles among 2325 military trainees in Taiwan and examined associations with depressive symptoms and future orientation. Family cohesion and extraversion predicted membership in higher-support profiles. Trainees in the low-support profile reported elevated depressive symptoms and weakened future orientation, indicating a clinically significant risk group. The identified profiles translate interpersonal dynamics into indicators for health and military social workers, supporting risk stratification, early screening, and targeted micro- and mezzo-level interventions within integrated healthcare systems.

ABSTRACT Families affected by cancer need psychosocial support, however few family interventions have been scientifically evaluated. The Family Talk Intervention (FTI) was pilot tested in pediatric oncology with 26 families. Issues raised and addressed during FTI meetings were explored by analyzing hospital social workers’ (HSWs) fieldnotes. The findings show a range of severity in the family issues raised. These encompassed families’ wellbeing, communication, conflicts, strengths, and needs for further support. Findings indicate that FTI can be a structured, yet flexible, way for HSWs to identify and address the complex psychosocial needs of these families.

ABSTRACT This study explores the impact of life course socioeconomic status (SES) and childhood trauma on depressive symptoms in Chinese middle-aged and older adults, while also examining the role of chronic diseases and implications for social work practice. Using data from 9,942 participants, structural equation was established to investigate these relationships. Results reveals that low childhood SES positively affects depressive symptoms through low SES in mid-to-late life (std. β = 0.168, p < .001), and domestic child abuse negatively impacts depressive symptoms through low SES in mid-to-late life (std. β=-0.020, p < .001). Additionally, experiencing peer bullying is directly associated with depressive symptoms (std. β = 0.145, p < .001). Exposure to domestic violence is directly related to depressive symptoms (std. β = 0.078, p < .001) and indirectly leads to more severe depressive symptoms through chronic disease (std. β = 0.023, p < .001). Social workers in healthcare settings can utilize these findings to better understand risk factors for depression and provide trauma-informed care and economic assistance across the life course. Additional training for social workers on the lasting impacts of childhood adversity is warranted. By intervening at both individual and policy levels, social work practitioners can help break cycles of poverty and poor health stemming from childhood.

ABSTRACT Older adults often experience different forms of discrimination, whether it be on the basis of their age, gender, race, or ethnicity (Rochon et al. 2021). Many older adults have stated they have experienced the health care system differently because of their race or ethnicity . Understanding older adults’ experiences and their perceptions of ageism and racism can guide future work. This observational cross-sectional study captured community-dwelling older adults’ perceptions about their experiences with ageism and racism. A few opened-ended questions were included in the cross-sectional survey. While results did not yield differences with respect to perceptions of ageism by race; there were statistically significant results in regard to perceived racism, with higher scores on the racism scales for individuals who self-identified as Black. Discussion and implications for practice, policy and research are explored.

This Department of Social Work Services (the Department) is one of the largest hospital social work departments in the country, with almost 600 staff, in the largest of eight hospitals and one medical school of a major health system. The Department’s senior directors (three current and one former) share its innovative and effective collective leadership model that was initially developed in response to a confluence of unprecedented complex events stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic. The experiences of these co-leaders, an evaluation of the model, future internal considerations as its applicability to other health care settings will be discussed.

ABSTRACT This cross-sectional study investigated the effect of caregivers’ care (n = 100) burden and psychological resilience on the psychosocial adjustment of patients (n = 100) with open heart surgery. Patients had poor psychosocial adjustment. Caregivers who felt incompetent in providing care had a higher care burden and a lower psychological resilience than those who did not. In addition, patients whose caregivers had higher resilience and lower burden of care had better psychosocial adjustment. The results of this study compellingly demonstrate the importance and necessity of supportive and preventive clinical social work interventions to enhance patients’ adaptation to a new lifestyle and compliance with treatment during the cardiac rehabilitation process, and reduce the burden on caregivers.

ABSTRACT This paper describes the Wellness in Chronic Care (WCC) model, an innovative integrative clinical intervention method aimed at helping social workers manage the care of patients living with chronic illnesses and their families. The goal is to propose appropriate clinical responses to the changing reality of the health system. This new reality poses new challenges that require caregivers (social work practitioners and family members) to develop suitable skills and expertise. The intervention method we developed offers a new paradigm that entails partnership and the need to assume responsibility in decision-making while coping with the illness over time. The intervention provides practical tools and methods for coping and managing the illness. These factors have contributed to building a specifically tailored intervention program for patient and family care to achieve an effective and meaningful wellbeing. An assessment of the training program of the intervention model and its implementation is presented. The model was found to be essential yet some found it difficult to make the needed changes.

ABSTRACT Introduction The purpose of this systematic literature was to summarize the literature on pregnancy options counseling for women and patients who experience an unintended pregnancy across healthcare and social service settings. Methods We conducted a systematic literature review using the PRISMA Checklist. Following the literature search of 8 electronic databases, we used a three-stage search process to screen articles for inclusion. Results A total of 20 peer-reviewed articles met the inclusion criteria for this study. Half (n = 10) of the articles reviewed were empirical studies utilizing quantitative or qualitative methodology while the other half (n = 10) were conceptual or non-empirical. The articles affirmed a shared definition of pregnancy options counseling, but terminology differences were noted over time. Lastly, variations of intervention practices appeared across practice settings, with referral practice variations being the most notable. Conclusion Pregnancy options counseling practices varied across settings, suggesting patients who received this intervention may not have accessed equitable or ethical care.

ABSTRACT This retrospective chart review examined care coordination among pediatric patients with varying levels of medical complexity who received care in a rural-urban health system. Care coordination utilization across patient acuity levels was examined for meaningful differences in frequency and duration of care coordination services. Results indicated that patients with more severe medical complexity had increased frequency and duration of care coordination services, as well as different patterns of care coordination activity utilization. This model of pediatric outpatient care coordination provides a flexible and highly targeted approach for stratification of care and services based on the needs of the individual patient.