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In this reflection, three social work colleagues discuss three different perspectives on one statement about racism. We detail our emotionally challenging conversations about racism, microaggressions, and the meaning of social justice in social work to build a different bond and sense of understanding. We delve into how we understand each other, our differing viewpoints on the murders of Black people in American society such as George Floyd, and our perspectives on social workers’ relationships to social justice, racism, and social change in the context of the 2020 turmoil.

Decolonizing Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A Reader for an Anti-Oppressive Approach challenges the socialization of preservice social workers by examining the complex features of individuals, families, groups, and societies and how they present themselves within the context of the multiple and simultaneous influences on behavior, cognitions, and emotions.This text is divided into three distinct units. Unit I development at the individual level and the influences that shape human behavior, including adverse childhood experiences, identity development through social media, resilience, and chronic illness. Unit II focuses on interpersonal dynamics with articles that explore grief theories, the transgender experience, intergenerational trauma, privilege, and more. Unit III examines structural social systems such as institutional racism, religious-based prejudice, and structural violence.Written to help social work students and professionals begin the process of decolonizing their education and practice, Decolonizing Human Behavior in the Social Environment is an essential and timely reader for courses and programs in social work. It is also an exemplary resource for practitioners at all levels.

College graduates need to have specific leadership-related skills, behaviors, and traits when entering the workforce. Campus involvement is one way for students to develop such areas. Therefore, this qualitative study explored the self-reported leadership skills of first-generation college students who were actively participating in intramural sports. Twelve students from a 4-year public university in the Northeast were interviewed about the research-driven photographs they submitted depicting leadership skills they engaged in during intramural sports participation. Photograph captions and interviews were analyzed using Kouzes and Posner's (2014) leadership model. Findings revealed that students reported engaging in behaviors and actions aligned with the leadership practices described by Kouzes and Posner (2014). These findings can help inform the decisions campus recreation professionals make about the role leadership development plays in program offerings.

Background: Despite national and institutional policies, American colleges do not currently provide student-athletes with disabilities equal access to sports opportunities. Disabled youth who wish to pursue their academic and athletic dreams in college thus have prohibitively limited options, even with popular American sports such as basketball. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics and factors that may facilitate the development and perpetuation of collegiate wheelchair basketball programs in the United States. Methods: Five qualitative interviews were conducted with coaches and/or program administrators of established college wheelchair basketball programs. Interviews were coded and analyzed to explore common themes. Results: Thematic data analysis uncovered five common themes important to the development and maintenance of these programs: a) coach characteristics, b) actions to recognize and address equity, c) boosters, d) institutional barriers, and e) network effects. Conclusion: These common factors are important in the development, sustainability, and longevity of college wheelchair basketball programs and should be considered by those interested in starting similar programs. 

Play in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is often atypical, yet consensus regarding effective occupational therapy strategies for improving play is not established. To examine the efficacy of strategies used in occupational therapy to improve play in ASD, authors completed a systematic review of papers from January 1980 through January 2019. Search terms included autism, Asperger’s, ASD, autistic in combination with play, playfulness, pretend, imagination, praxis, creativity, and generativity. Twenty papers met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Reviewed interventions included parent education, modified play materials or environments, imitation of the child, and modeling by an adult, a peer, or video. Moderate to strong support exists for the specific strategies of imitation of the child and modeling for the child, with lesser or mixed support for other strategies. Certain strategies commonly used in occupational therapy may be effective in improving the occupation of play in ASD.

Objective: To describe faculty efforts to deliver and evaluate health disparities–related education in US online undergraduate and graduate public health courses. Design: A pre- and post-survey was given to a cohort of 46 US college students in three public health courses taught asynchronously online over an 8-week period in 2017. This study took place at a mid-sized, public, rural, midwestern US university. Method: Faculty received professional development and online training and were assigned to develop courses for a new public health programme. Following the receipt of ethical approval, students completed anonymous, online pre- and post-surveys to assess effect of intentional instructional approaches on their knowledge and attitudes about health disparities. Curricula incorporated various assessment methods and teaching strategies. Descriptive statistics were used to compare pre- and post-survey scores and analyse demographic data. Paired t-tests and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyse pre- and post-survey test scores. Results: At post-survey, students demonstrated a positive change in mean scores for several items, including for ability to discuss the role of theory in understanding health behaviour and disparities in health status (3.20 vs 4.06; p < .001) and ability to discuss strategies health promotion programmes can use to reduce health disparities (3.47 vs 4.40; p < .001). Post-survey response rate was 87%. Conclusion: Results suggest an effective way to increase health disparities knowledge among online college students. Additional research is encouraged to expand upon these findings.

Preventable differences in health outcomes between U.S. population subgroups, related to factors such as race or ethnicity, income, and geographic location, are troubling. Geographically, rural American communities experience higher rates of adverse health conditions when compared with urban areas, further widening disparities in health outcomes. Such disparities necessitate the creation of effective curricula to enable students to address the health needs of underserved populations. By intentionally incorporating health disparities awareness content into the curricula, undergraduate and graduate public health programs can play an integral role in developing conscious health practitioners to help close gaps in health outcomes. Moreover, rural health courses may increase students’ interest in rural health careers. This article presents the process and results of faculty efforts to design and deliver health disparities–related education in undergraduate and graduate public health courses at a rural Midwestern U.S. university. Various teaching development programs inspired faculty to use intentional instructional approaches to teach students about health disparities. Consequently, faculty incorporated a variety of assessment methods and teaching styles to infuse health disparities awareness content into public health courses. Results from students’ course evaluations and reflections are discussed along with lessons learned and implications for future pedagogical directions.

There are emerging concerns about the preparedness of rural communities in the United States in the face of the 2019 novel coronavirus (called SARS-CoV-2, causing the disease COVID-19) considering the existing disparities across the social determinants of health between rural and urban Americans. Taking into account the current exponential rate of spread of the coronavirus, this article critically examines the risk facing the 60 million Americans living in rural areas, discusses possible solutions pertaining to rural COVID-19 prevention, and examines measures to consider to prepare for this epidemic before it reaches rural areas.

Breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy often experience severe levels of anxiety and depression within the African context. There is a gap in the research literature from Africa, particularly Ghana, with few studies focusing on depression among patients undergoing radiation treatment. The purpose of the study was to find various interventions for depression and anxiety among breast cancer patients in Ghana. A mixed method study examined breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy and their responses through a concurrent triangulation involving an interview with selected professional and a detailed patient survey. In all, 100 patients between the ages of 20-89 completed a questionnaire and individual interviews were held with 6 professionals with a minimum of 5 years of work experience. Themes were generated through open coding of the interview data, while multiple regression was performed to determine the relationship between depression and anxiety with the independent variables. In all, 89% had no family history of breast cancer, and the majority (55%) had the disease duration of one to three years. Almost 95% of patients with breast cancer had anxiety and depression in different categories. This included hair loss, discolored finger nails, cost of treatment, and fear of the unknown. Age and monthly income of patients were statistically significant in predicting the anxiety and depression among the patients. Coping mechanisms are essential for all patients undergoing treatment. This study’s implications will lead to positive change when all stakeholders assist in implementing measures to promote coping strategies for breast cancer patients in Ghana.

Foundations of Rural Public Health in America spans a wide variety of important issues affecting rural public health, including consumer and family health, environmental and occupational health, mental health, substance abuse, disease prevention and control, rural health care delivery systems, and health disparities. Divided into five sections, the book covers understanding rural communities, public health systems and policies for rural communities, health disparities in rural communities and among special populations, and advancing rural health including assessment, planning and intervention. Written by a multidisciplinary team of experienced scholars and practitioners, this authoritative text comprehensively covers rural health issues today.

Mounting evidence suggests that differential environmental exposures significantly contribute to a wide range of population health disparities. Adopting a life course approach to maternal and child health enables readers to uncover the mechanisms by which prenatal and early life environmental exposures potentially shape both short- and long-term physical and mental health outcomes. This chapter applies the life course approach to explore the adverse influences of environmental risk factors on maternal and child health. The following four case studies will be discussed: (1) the pervasive impacts of secondhand smoke; (2) the deleterious effects of lead exposure; (3) the development of asthma; and (4) the potential origins of autism spectrum disorder. The chapter also provides recommendations for programmatic and policy interventions to reduce the prevalence of four salient environmental hazards, including secondhand smoke, lead, air pollution, and pesticides, as well as proposed future directions in research regarding these exposures.