Although adjusting to changing circumstances is a part of life that effects almost everyone, there are some situations that call for coping strategies that test resilience. As social workers, we need to become aware of those circumstances and be prepared to assist family members cope before these challenges have led to family crisis. Research studies provide us with a sharper focus that allows us to better define problem areas and offer interventions in a timely way. This issue of the JFSW examines 5 areas of concern to many Americans.
The need for support in facing a transition was thoughtfully examined in “Military Spouses transition, too! A call to action to address spouses’ military to civilian transition.” In this conceptual paper, authors Mary Keeling, Elisa Borah, Sara Kintzle and colleagues explored the issues that military spouses encounter as they along with their partner transition to civilian life. Although their partners are offered support through various programs in key areas such as employment, health and community integration, similar support is seldom offered to them. This paper sheds light on an important challenge and calls for research to investigate the needs of the veteran spouse.
There are also unique challenges for seniors who are managing cancer treatment. This is particularly so for seniors and their caregivers who live in rural areas. In “Barriers and Facilitators to Cancer Treatment Adherence for older Rural African Americans: Understanding the experience from the view of patients and their caregivers” authors. Schwartz, and C. Jenkins present their research on the challenges faced by seniors and caretakers in a rural area of North Carolina. In this qualitative study, subjects discussed transportation and financial barriers, as well as factors that facilitated treatment adherence.
Successful treatment adherence is a factor that also effects families who are coping with emotional problems. The successful engagement of youth and their caregivers in systems of care is particularly important, given the efficacy of early intervention in preventing more serious problems. The experiences of youth ages 8 to 18 with severe emotional challenges who were enrolled in a school-based care system were studied along with their caregivers’ perspectives. In Comparing Youth and Caregiver Experiences in a School-Based System of Care, authors
Robey Champine, Alayna Schreier, Melissa Whitson, and Joy Kaufman, present their findings on how family members evaluated different aspects of this system of care. Factors such as cultural sensitivity and relevance of services as well as improvements in different areas of functioning were considered.
The importance of cultural sensitivity and barriers to successful interventions is a subject area that is explored in “Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: Tailoring Treatment to Meet the Sociocultural Needs of an Adoptive Foster Child and Family.” Although evidence informed models have been helpful in assisting adoptive foster families transition to new family additions, models may need to be adjusted in order to fully address the needs of multi-racial families. In this paper, authors Ayanda Chakawa, William Frye, Jamie Travis and Elizabeth Brestan-Knight present a clinical case design that illustrates their successful implementation and tailoring of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy in their work with a multi-racial family who adopted a 4-year-old boy with behavior problems. The authors highlighted the importance of culturally responsible treatment delivery in response to the themes of family adjustment, unequal parent attachment, and trauma-related backgrounds.
Social workers are often called on to help parents better understand and respond to the needs of their children. This can be particularly challenging for parents who have immigrated from different cultures and are parenting adolescents who have been influenced by American values and norms. In Parental Monitoring in Turkish immigrant families in the United States, author Aslihan Nisanci presents the findings from a qualitative study of 14 Turkish families living in a large Midwestern city. Parental monitoring strategies included those that were accommodative as well as those that were conflictual. It is interesting to note the dilemmas faced by parents who recognize their overprotectiveness as well as its effect on their adolescents.
Taking care of children is also examined by authors Christina Marsack-Topolewski and Jillian Graves, who studied the concerns of parents over the age of 50 who were raising an adult child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASPD). In “I worry about his future!” Challenges to Future Planning for Adult Children with ASD, parents openly discussed their concerns and need for help and support in planning for their children when they are no longer able to provide the care that is needed.
As can be seen by the range of populations presented in this volume, adjusting to family life under challenging circumstances effects many social work service consumers. As we struggle to stay current with emerging needs it is reassuring that there are authors like the ones represented in this issue who can help delineate important concerns and offer well-informed recommendations.