Pocket Guides from BASW

BASW have produces 5 downloadable pocket guides with basic information, hints and tips for practicing professionals and students of social work. The guides are:

• Alcohol and other drugs
• Children families and alcohol use
• Mental health and substance use
• Alcohol and older people
• Young people and alcohol

PDFs for all five can be downloaded from the link above.

Parental Substance Misuse

SCIE have created a free interactive e-learning resource on parental substance misuse, it's affects on children and parenting capacity and the implications for social work practitioners.

Social work intervention for recovery

Evidence of the effectiveness of social work interventions for people with alcohol or drug misuse problems is assessed in a new study from the Scottish Government:
Galvani, S., et al. (2011). Social work services and recovery from substance misuse: a review of the evidence. Scottish Government.

Drugs Issue

This weeks Community Care, dated 14th October 2010, is a special issue on social workers' needs for knowledge on drug misuse and the future of treatment. Substance misuse was found to be a factor in 25% of child deaths examined by Ofsted in the period 2008-2009, yet substance misuse is not a compulsory part of many social work courses. Community Care magazine can be found at Serials 362 in Jordanhill Library.

Drug Knowledge Quiz

With increasing demand that social workers should receive more training on the symptoms of drug misuse, Community Care's blog carries a drug awareness quiz. Test you knowledge here. Community Care journal is available online via our catalogue or in print at Jordanhill Serials 362.

British Journal of Social Work

The latest issue of the British Journal of Social Work, April 2010 Volume 40, no. 3 is now available on line via the library catalogue. This months articles include:
Selwyn, J. (2010). The views of young people on being cared for by an independent foster-care provider.
Parker, J. (2010). When things go wrong! Placement disruption and termination: power and student perspectives.
Glavani, S. (2010). Working with alcohol and drug use: exploring the knowledge and attitudes of social work students.

Substance Exposed Infants - Paper from the USA

Substance-exposed infants: state responses to the problem
It might be interesting to contrast this paper from the US. Department of Health and Human Services, National Centre on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare with current practice in the UK.