Social Workers’ Suggestions for Effective Rural Practice

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 generalizability 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.

Comprendre les masculinités rurales : un portrait basé sur la santé psychologique

“…Malgré certaines problématiques préoccupantes, notamment la santé psychologique des hommes ruraux, les populations rurales et leurs problématiques spécifiques demeurent sous-représentées (Pugh et Cheers, 2010;Riebschleger, 2007). Par exemple, il est connu depuis longtemps au Québec que les taux de suicide sont plus élevés dans les régions rurales que dans les régions urbaines.…”

Localization of Social Work Knowledge through Practitioner Adaptations in Northern Ontario and the Northwest Territories, Canada

“…This view allows the creation of a separate social work knowledge base for each community of practice that is consistent with the needs of that community. We acknowledge that within the literature there are consistencies among the findings in studies of rural social work practice that suggest commonalities of the conditions of social work practice in these settings (see, for example, Green, 2003;Saltman et al, 2004;Turbett, 2006;Riebschleger, 2007). The question then becomes one of identifying which theoretical approach consistently meets the needs of the communities and individuals accessing social services in northern, remote regions.…”

“…The first involved the basic interviewing skills of being empathetic and attending to the needs and stories of the client. These skills, used in a generalist practice approach, were also identified by Riebschleger (2007) in his study of the unique characteristics of rural social work practice. Training in community development was also identified as beneficial because many respondents were faced with challenges in accessing necessary resources.…”

Evidence-Based Social Work Interventions to Improve Client Attendance in Rural Mental Health: An Overview of Literature

“…As one participant in Riebschleger's study stated, when working in rural communities, "The community is the client". 6 Others have also noted that rural communities have a higher level of concern for other rural residents with many informal helpers from neighbours to churches. Because of these strong community ties, rural socials workers are encouraged to become involved within the community to better understand the individuals, families, and groups being served.…”

“…5 This makes up a small portion of the population; however, "rural people should be considered an at-risk or diverse group based on their high rates of poverty, lower life opportunities, and stigmatized social status". 6 The purpose of this paper is to review evidence-based social work interventions used in rural mental health to improve client attendance. It is important to address this topic because of the lack of research and the unique barriers experienced by residents in rural areas.…”