Social Workers’ Suggestions for Effective Rural （社会工作者的建议有效的农村）.pdfVIP

SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE Social Workers’ Suggestions for Effective Rural Practice Joanne Riebschleger ABSTRACT Two focus groups of participants at a national rural social work conference answered the research question, “What are your suggestions for engaging in effective social worker practice in rural areas?” The participants offered specific recommendations for social work practice with rural people and communities. They supported these recommendations with illustrations from their experiences as social work practitioners in rural settings. Text data drawn from transcribed audiotapes of the focus groups were coded into open, axial, and selective data themes. While gen- eralizability is limited, this small sample of social workers offered a glimpse of their views of rural practice. They offered practical, down-to-earth advice for rural social work practitioners within main data themes of community, connections, generalist practice, and diversity. magine that Jane Smith accepted her first social work metropolitan residents from areas with 50,000 people or position in an agency that serves a population of 3,000 less; rural people compose more than 25% of the U.S. pop- I people spread across 4,500 square miles. What will Jane ulation and occupy over 83% of the U.S. terrain (Ginsberg, need to know to engage in effective social work practice in 2004; Hickman, 2004; United States Department of this rural area? What will Jane need to do to engage in cul- Agriculture, 2004). Following the Jane Smith example, one turally competent practice with rural people, groups, fam- assumption of this study is that social workers practicing il