The percentage of MSW students specializing in administrative practice has been declining in recent years, as has the percentage of NASW members who identify themselves as administrators or supervisors. One of many possible explanations for these trends is that schools of social work are inhospitable environments for social work administration. The research reported in this article sought to determine if administration students perceive the school climates at three different universities to be hostile to social work management practice, and, if so, to explore the dynamics of how these climates influence the choices made and the education of administration students. We found that at all three schools, nonadministration students were perceived to be critical of students who selected administration concentrations and administration as a career path, that majorities of students experienced anti-management comments and attitudes in a variety of forms, and that administration students thought their foundation courses provided inadequate background for their advanced studies. The article concludes with a discussion of the findings and recommendations for change.

The author presents empirical information on the extent and nature of advocacy activity among a random sample of social workers. Almost all employed social workers in the sample performed both job-related and volunteer advocacy. They averaged less than five hours per week of on-the-job advocacy and less than one hour per week of volunteer advocacy. Agency goals and functions as well as job characteristics strongly influence the amount of job-related advocacy a social worker does. As a rule, social workers tend to be involved in case advocacy while at work and class advocacy while volunteering. Social workers were case oriented in their advocacy for or with their clients and were inclined to use approaches internal to their agency. An advocacy research agenda is recommended.

The implementation of recovery-oriented and evidence-based practices has become a major challenge for mental health systems and front-line practitioners. This study developed an instrument that would assess the benefits or results that accrue from supervision, including client-centered supervision. The Perceptions of Supervisory Support Scale was administered to 262 case managers. Analyses (including factor analyses and repeated measures analysis of variance) confirmed content validity and reliability. Sub-scales included: (1) emotional support; (2) support for client goal achievement; and (3) professional development support. The scale could guide support for front-line practitioners in delivering client-centered care and could be useful for future research.

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This study seeks to determine whether a juvenile arbitration program can alter the reach of the court in a unique fashion. Using an interrupted time-series design with a comparison group, it shows that the preprogram trend of increasing rates of judicial handling shifted to a decreasing pattern but that the rates of judicial supervision continued to climb. In addition, there were changes in the court's decision making relating to probation and commitment to residential programs associated with the implementation of the arbitration program. The author concludes that this new style of diversion, one that is sanction oriented, results in larger numbers of youth being in the system longer, subject to system requirements and control.