Homelessness and housing problems in admitted psychiatric patients in Flanders, Belgium.

Homelessness in psychiatric patients in Flanders, Belgium, has never been investigated. Advocacy groups from patients with lived experience of psychiatric disorders have sounded the alarm on the scarcity of suitable housing options, the strain on psychiatric institutions, and the challenges faced by social service workers. To investigate the extent of the problem a survey on the topic was initiated. A "homelessness-in-mental-health-questionnaire" was designed by experts in the field. The social services of all Flemish psychiatric hospitals and all psychiatric wards in general hospitals were contacted and invited to complete this survey. 24 of 70 contacted services responded. The total number of homeless patients in the inpatient setting on an annual basis are estimated to an average 19.5%. 18% of homeless patients remain longer in admission due to the lack of housing options. 13.7% of homeless psychiatric patients are referred to a community care facility such as an assisted living facility. Social service respondents reported spending an average of 27.4% of their work time on housing issues. The main focus points according to the respondents are the lack of priority measures for homeless psychiatric patients, psychiatric problems as a barrier to housing options and the shortage of adapted housing capacity. The conclusion of this study is the need for comprehensive policy interventions to ensure an adequate supply of suitable social housing for psychiatric patients, accessible mental health care, alternative housing options and crisis accommodation facilities. We propose a 10-point action plan on housing for psychiatric patients for policymakers and politicians.

Perceived helpfulness of caregiver support resources: Results from a state-wide poll.

Objective: Our goal was to identify specific types of services desired by caregivers and determine subgroups most interested in each service type. Methods: Caregiving questions were added to a state-wide poll conducted in a majority-rural state. Those who identified as caregivers (n = 428) were asked to report on the helpfulness of 6 domains of services. Descriptive analysis and logistic regressions were conducted. Results: Top resources caregivers identified as potentially helpful included hands-on services (33.9%), help coordinating care from multiple providers (21.5%), help with finances (18.9%), and help managing emotional stress (17.8%). Only 15% indicated no caregiver resources would be helpful. Younger caregivers endorsed several service domains as more helpful than older caregivers; caregivers reporting higher stress were more likely to endorse most domains as helpful. Conclusion: Data reinforces the overwhelming need to offer caregiver services. Navigation and integrated and tailored service models may be beneficial to help caregivers identify and access appropriate services within healthcare systems. Innovation: This study uses an innovative approach to identifying needs of caregivers, who are often invisible within the healthcare system. Our findings suggest a paradigm shift is needed to broaden the scope and depth of services offered to caregivers.

Families' Perspectives on Social Services Navigation After Pediatric Urgent Care.

BACKGROUND: Interest is growing in clinic-based programs that screen for and intervene on patients' social risk factors, including housing, food, and transportation. Though several studies suggest these programs can positively impact health, few examine the mechanisms underlying these effects. This study explores pathways through which identifying and intervening on social risks can impact families' health. METHODS: This qualitative study was embedded in a randomized clinical trial that examined the health impacts of participation in a social services navigation program. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 27 English or Spanish-speaking caregivers of pediatric patients who had participated in the navigation program. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Caregivers described 3 pathways through which the navigation program affected overall child and/or caregiver health: 1) increasing families' knowledge of and access to social services; 2) helping families connect with health care services; and 3) providing emotional support that reduced caregiver isolation and anxiety. Participants suggested that navigation programs can influence health even when they do not directly impact resource access. DISCUSSION: Social care programs may impact health through multiple potential pathways. Program impacts seem to be mediated by the extent to which programs increase knowledge of and access to social and health care services and support positive relationships between families and program personnel.

Beyond lectures and practical courses: Teaching pharmacology using imaginative pedagogical tools.

Pharmacology has broadened its scope considerably in recent decades. Initially, it was of interest to chemists, doctors and pharmacists. In recent years, however, it has been incorporated into the teaching of biologists, molecular biologists, biotechnologists, chemical engineers and many health professionals, among others. Traditional teaching methods, such as lectures or laboratory work, have been superseded by the use of new pedagogical approaches to enable a better conceptualization and understanding of the discipline. In this article, we present several new methods that have been used in Spanish universities. Firstly, we describe a teaching network that has allowed the sharing of pedagogical innovations in Spanish universities. A European experience to improve prescribing safety is described in detail. The use of popular films and medical TV series in biomedical students shows how these audiovisual resources can be helpful in teaching pharmacology. The use of virtual worlds is detailed to introduce this new approach to teaching. The increasingly important area of the social aspects of pharmacology is also considered in two sections, one devoted to social pharmacology and the other to the use of learning based on social services to improve understanding of this important area. Finally, the use of Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation in pharmacology allows to know how this approach can help to better evaluate clinical pharmacology students. In conclusion, this article allows to know new pedagogical methods resources used in some Spanish universities that may help to improve the teaching of pharmacology.

"Safety Is Elusive:" A Critical Discourses Analysis of Newspapers' Reporting of Domestic Violence During the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated incidences of domestic violence (DV). The framing of DV within media sources contributes to the public's understanding of DV. Using critical discourse analysis (CDA), this paper explores representations of safety within newspapers' reporting of DV during the pandemic. The sample included newspaper articles (n = 31) from U.S. newspapers. The analysis involved multiple rounds of coding and employing "structured questions." These articles depicted limited courses of action for DV survivors and represented safety as unattainable. Safety was constructed in four ways: homes are unsafe, social services are overburdened, government failures, and the elusiveness of safety. These discursive formations provide insight regarding "idealized" social responses to DV.

An Exploration of Sex Trading for Compensation and LGBTQ+ Inclusive Screening Practices: Perspectives of Young People who have Experienced Sex Trading and/or Homelessness.

Young people's perspectives on social and healthcare providers' assessments of sex trading for financial compensation are lacking. This is particularly important for LGBTQ+ youth who experience substantial barriers in navigating health and social services. Further, increased internet access (because of COVID-19 and other factors) has changed the landscape of the sex trades in ways that are not fully understood. Our study aimed to understand (1) how young people trade sex, and (2) provider strategies that increase youths' comfort in disclosing sex trading and related risks. This community-based participatory research study surveyed currently or formerly homeless youth (ages 16-29). We co-created a cross sectional survey that explored youths' perceptions of: (1) sex trading type, compensation, and meaning; and (2) practices to increase youths' comfort in disclosing sex trading. Participants (N = 103; Mage = 22.9 [SD = 3.5]; 34% white, 55% ciswomen/21% trans; 51% queer) reported that "sex trading" signified multiple meanings, ranging from sex work/occupation to exploitation/trafficking, and included diverse in-person and virtual forms for varied compensation types. Youth reported being more comfortable disclosing when the provider indicated they would advocate for them if they are victims of discrimination. Compared to cisgender youth, trans youth reported feeling significantly more comfortable disclosing sexual activity when a service provider used gender/sexuality inclusive practices (e.g., pronoun pins). Findings suggest important implications for gender-inclusive practice strategies to ultimately reduce potential harms of sex trading and multi-item measures to assess the complexity of sex trading.

A health-social service partnership programme for improving the health self-management of community-dwelling older adults: a hybrid effectiveness-implementation pilot study protocol.

BACKGROUND: The ageing population requires seamless, integrated health and social care services in the community to promote the health of older adults. However, inadequate financial resources, a lack of clear operational guidelines, and various organisational work cultures may affect the implementation quality and sustainability of these services. As a unique approach, this study seeks to examine the preliminary effects of a health-social partnership programme on the health self-management of community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong. Additionally, the study seeks to ascertain key insights into the mechanisms and processes required to implement and sustain a self-care management programme in broader practice in community settings. METHODS: This study will use a hybrid effectiveness-implementation design. During the 3-month programme, subjects in the intervention group will receive four Zoom video conference sessions and four telephone calls conducted by a health-social service team that will include a nurse case manager, community workers, general practitioners, a Chinese medicine practitioner, and social workers. Subjects in the control group will receive a monthly social telephone call from a trained research assistant to rule out the possible social effect of the intervention. The reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance framework (i.e. RE-AIM framework) will be used to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness outcomes. Of the five dimensions included in the RE-AIM framework, only effectiveness and maintenance outcomes will be collected from both the intervention and control groups. The outcomes of the other three dimensions-reach, adoption, and implementation-will only be collected from subjects in the intervention group. Data will be collected pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and 3 months after the intervention is completed to evaluate the maintenance effect of the programme. DISCUSSION: This programme will aim to enhance health-promoting self-care management behaviours in older adults dwelling in the community. This will be the first study in Hong Kong to use the hybrid effectiveness-implementation design and involve key stakeholders in the evaluation and implementation of a health self-management programme using a health-social service partnership approach. The programme, which will be rooted in the community, may be used as a model, if proven successful, for similar types of services. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04442867. Submitted 19 June 2020.

Centering Historical Oppression in Prevention Research with Indigenous Peoples: Differentiating Substance Use, Mental Health, Family, and Community Outcomes.

The purpose of this pilot study was to understand how historical oppression relates to changes in outcomes for people who participate in the culturally grounded Weaving Healthy Families (WHF) program (i.e., alcohol and drug use, symptoms of anxiety, parenting practices, and communal mastery [CM]). This nonexperimental and longitudinal design used repeated measures regression analysis and generalized estimating equations (GEE) to examine postintervention changes according to reported levels of historical oppression among 24 participants in eight families. How do postintervention changes differ for WHF participants reporting lower and higher levels of historical oppression? Results indicated that participants reporting lower historic oppression reported greater postintervention improvements as indicated by declines in alcohol use, anxiety, and poor parental monitoring. All participants reported increases in CM, regardless of the level of historical oppression. Given historical oppression drives psychosocial conditions, such as substance abuse, mental health, and family challenges, settler colonial oppression must be addressed within social service interventions. Social service providers must work redress historical oppression rather than replicate them. The WHF program holds promise to center structural determinants in social service programs. Future inquiries assessing longitudinal changes in perceptions of historical oppression change and how they are associated with psychosocial outcomes are needed.

El desarrollo psicomotor en niños menores de 5 años con cardiopatía congénita, Madre de Dios-Perú / Psychomotor development in children under 5 years of age with congenital heart disease, Madre of Dios-Peru / Desenvolvimento psicomotor em crianças menores de 5 anos com cardiopatia congênita, Madre de Dios-Peru

A nivel mundial, la cardiopatía congénita en los niños es la malformación más común que puede tener un bebé al nacer. Objetivo. Analizar el comportamiento del desarrollo psicomotor de los niños menores a 5 años con cardiopatía congénita en la región de Madre de Dios, Perú. Materiales y métodos. Se consideró un enfoque cuantitativo, de tipo observacional analítica con diseño de cohorte prospectivo, con muestreo no probabilístico y una muestra de 6 infantes a quienes se aplicó el instrumento de recolección de información "observación del desarrollo psicomotor en niños con cardiopatía congénita". Resultados. El género del paciente varón en promedio es de 33.33%, la edad en promedio de los pacientes con cardiopatía congénita es de 2 años; el tipo de cardiopatía congénita de los pacientes es atresia pulmonar y estenosis aortica, mostrando un desarrollo psicomotor promedio de nivel medio; el tipo de cirugía desarrollado en el paciente en promedio es de tipo definitivo; alcanzando de esta manera una estancia hospitalaria de 16 a 30 días en promedio y alcanzando un estado nutricional promedio de desnutrición severa. Además, la relación entre el tipo de cardiopatía congénita con el desarrollo psicomotor es positiva, toda vez que, ante un incremento del desarrollo psicomotor de los pacientes, entonces los casos de cardiopatía congénita incrementan (ρ de Pearson =0.6919). Conclusiones. Se determinó que, en los pacientes estudiados el desarrollo psicomotor es de nivel medio; la misma que está relacionado por el tipo de cardiopatía congénita que tiene, donde el 33.33% de los pacientes presentan atresia pulmonar y el 16.67% tiene estenosis aortica; lo que demuestra que la relación entre el tipo de cardiopatía congénita con el desarrollo psicomotor es positiva o directa.

Worldwide, congenital heart disease in children is the most common malformation that an infant may have at birth. Objective. To analyze the behavior of psychomotor development in children under 5 years of age with congenital heart disease in the region of Madre de Dios, Peru. Materials and methods. A quantitative, analytical observational approach with prospective cohort design was considered, with non-probabilistic sampling and a sample of 6 infants to whom the data collection instrument "observation of psychomotor development in children with congenital heart disease" was applied. Results. The average gender of the male patient is 33.33%; the average age of the patients with congenital heart disease is 2 years; the type of congenital heart disease of the patients is pulmonary atresia and aortic stenosis, showing an average psychomotor development of medium level; the type of surgery developed in the patient on average is of definitive type; thus reaching a hospital stay of 16 to 30 days on average and reaching an average nutritional status of severe malnutrition. In addition, the relationship between the type of congenital heart disease and psychomotor development is positive, since, with an increase in the psychomotor development of the patients, the cases of congenital heart disease increase (Pearson's ρ =0.6919). Conclusions. It was determined that, in the patients studied, psychomotor development is of medium level; the same is related to the type of congenital heart disease they have, where 33.33% of the patients present pulmonary atresia and 16.67% have aortic stenosis; which shows that the relationship between the type of congenital heart disease and psychomotor development is positive or direct.

Em todo o mundo, a doença cardíaca congênita em crianças é a malformação mais comum que um bebê pode ter ao nascer. Objetivo. Analisar o comportamento do desenvolvimento psicomotor em crianças com menos de 5 anos de idade com cardiopatia congênita na região de Madre de Dios, no Peru. Materiais e métodos. Foi considerada uma abordagem observacional quantitativa e analítica, com um projeto de coorte prospectivo, amostragem não probabilística e uma amostra de 6 bebês aos quais foi aplicado o instrumento de coleta de dados "observação do desenvolvimento psicomotor em crianças com cardiopatia congênita". Resultados. O sexo médio do paciente masculino é de 33,33%, a idade média dos pacientes com cardiopatia congênita é de 2 anos; o tipo de cardiopatia congênita dos pacientes é atresia pulmonar e estenose aórtica, apresentando um desenvolvimento psicomotor médio de nível médio; o tipo de cirurgia desenvolvida no paciente é, em média, do tipo definitiva; atingindo, assim, uma permanência hospitalar de 16 a 30 dias, em média, e atingindo um estado nutricional médio de desnutrição grave. Além disso, a relação entre o tipo de cardiopatia congênita e o desenvolvimento psicomotor é positiva, pois, com o aumento do desenvolvimento psicomotor dos pacientes, aumentam os casos de cardiopatia congênita (ρ de Pearson = 0,6919). Conclusões. Foi determinado que, nos pacientes estudados, o desenvolvimento psicomotor é de nível médio; isso está relacionado com o tipo de cardiopatia congênita que eles têm, onde 33,33% dos pacientes têm atresia pulmonar e 16,67% têm estenose aórtica; o que mostra que a relação entre o tipo de cardiopatia congênita e o desenvolvimento psicomotor é positiva ou direta.

Influence of collaborative customer service by service robots and clerks in bakery stores.

In recent years, various service robots have been deployed in stores as recommendation systems. Previous studies have sought to increase the influence of these robots by enhancing their social acceptance and trust. However, when such service robots recommend a product to customers in real environments, the effect on the customers is influenced not only by the robot itself, but also by the social influence of the surrounding people such as store clerks. Therefore, leveraging the social influence of the clerks may increase the influence of the robots on the customers. Hence, we compared the influence of robots with and without collaborative customer service between the robots and clerks in two bakery stores. The experimental results showed that collaborative customer service increased the purchase rate of the recommended bread and improved the impressions of the robot and store experience of the customers. Because the results also showed that the workload required for the clerks to collaborate with the robot was not high, this study suggests that all stores with service robots may demonstrate high effectiveness in introducing collaborative customer service.

Receptivity towards Remote Service Delivery among Social Work Clients and Practitioners during COVID Times: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: This systematic review aims to identify and synthesize the available evidence on the receptivity toward, perceived advantages and challenges of remote service delivery among social work clients and practitioners during the context of COVID-19. METHOD: Two electronic databases were searched from 2020 to 2022. Identified papers were screened against the established eligibility criteria, yielding 15 papers. Two additional papers were further identified through hand-search. As heterogeneity of studies was high, a narrative synthesis was performed to summarize the overall evidence. RESULTS: Our review provides evidence that remote service delivery holds the potential to increase access to services among selected client populations as well as promote a sense of empowerment for clients and opportunities for practice enhancement for practitioners. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION: The findings from our study highlighted the need for innovative solutions and practical considerations for ongoing remote service, including the careful considerations of social work clients' and practitioners' suitability, the need for provision of training and ongoing support to optimize practitioners' well-being. As the delivery of services transition to face-to-face or remain remote, further research is needed to assess the promise of remote practice in optimizing overall service delivery, while maintaining client-reported satisfaction.

Cross-disciplinary method development for assessing dog welfare in canine-assisted pedagogical work: a pilot study.

Research on so-called social service dogs' welfare in schools is scarce and tends to suffer from positive bias; i.e., lacking critical approaches to claimed welfare benefits for dogs. To contribute method development for studying effects on dogs in pedagogical work, we applied and evaluated a combination of four data collection methods: Ethogram, Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA), ethnographic observations, and interviews with dog-handling pedagogues. We followed pedagogues (n = 5) and their dogs (n = 8) in their daily work, observing 16 canine-assisted sessions in total at five different schools. Follow-up semi-structured interviews were carried out with all pedagogues. Our findings suggest combining either ethogram or QBA with ethnographic data that gives contextual information on the events causing the dog's behavior. The method choice will, ultimately, depend on study design, but the specific premises of QBA seem to work particularly well with ethnography. We further suggest a shift from simultaneous (parallel) to synchronous (connected) documentation of data. To minimize anthropocentric bias and power arrangements involved in animal welfare research, it is necessary to critically scrutinize accepted conventions regarding social service dogs and their work situation.

Conservation benefit-sharing mechanisms and their effectiveness in the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem: local communities' perspectives.

Benefit-sharing mechanisms have been instrumental in securing the support of local communities living on the edge of protected areas to implement protected area goals and enhance biodiversity conservation outcomes. Understanding the acceptability of the types of benefit provided among diverse communities is crucial for co-designing benefit-sharing approaches that accommodate local perspectives. Here, we used quasi-structured questionnaires and focus group discussions (FGD) to assess the acceptance of the types of benefit received by the communities in the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem (GSE) in Tanzania and the effectiveness of the benefits in securing community support for conservation reserves. We found that the categories of social service provision, livelihood support, and employment described all the benefits provided across conservation institutions operating in the GSE. However, the types of benefit within these categories varied significantly among conservation institutions, in terms of level and frequency of benefits received by communities. Overall, student scholarships were highly rated by respondents as the most satisfying benefit received. Respondents who were dissatisfied with the benefits received thought that the benefits did not compensate for the high costs arising from wildlife incursions onto their land. Communities' acceptance of the benefits received varied greatly among villages, but only a small proportion of pooled respondents (22%) were willing to support the existence of a protected area without benefit. This study suggests that local people are willing to support conservation outcomes but require conservation institutions to give greater consideration to the costs incurred by communities, their livelihood needs, and access to natural resources or other benefits. We recommend that benefit-sharing be tailored to the local circumstances and cultures of people living close to protected areas, particularly communities expressing more negative views, to ensure adequate and appropriate compensation is provided. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10531-023-02583-1.

Implementation and evaluation of a model-based risk management process and service enhancement for home-based community care services amidst COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong: A mixed-method approach.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly challenged all public social services, particularly home-based community care services (HBCCS). Aberdeen Kai-fong Association (AKA) is a non-government organization (NGO) in Hong Kong that systematically manages the challenges to HBCCS. This paper presents a practical example of the implementation and evaluation of the risk management process for HBCCS. Methods: Mixed-method design was used to evaluate the implementation of the risk management process in encountering the challenges from existing and potential problems to maintain and enhance HBCCS in four major areas amidst the pandemic. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey and three qualitative focus group interviews were conducted by AKA from 30 December 2021 to 12 March 2022 to collect staff feedback on the institutional risk management process in four areas. Results: 109 HBCCS staff members (69% aged 40 years or above; 80% female) completed the questionnaire survey. For resource arrangement and staff training, over 90% of the participants agreed (including strongly agreed) that they had sufficient and reliable personal protective equipment and clear infection control guideline and effective training. Over 80% agreed they had safe working space and effective manpower allocation. However, only 75% agreed they had received emotional support from the organization. Over 90% agreed that the basic services were maintained for service continuation and enhancement, the service users and their families trusted the organization, and the provided services were adjusted according to users' needs. 88% agreed that the organization had obtained support from the neighborhood. For communication among stakeholders, over 80% agreed they had open discussions with the senior management team, and the senior management team was willing to listen. Twenty-six staff members joined the three focus group interviews. The qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results. Staff appreciated the organisation's work to enhance staff safety and continue advancing services during this difficult period. Regular in-service training, updated information and guidelines to staff, and proactive phone calls to service users, especially the elderly, were suggested to enhance the quality of services. Conclusions: The paper could help NGOs and others encountering management challenges in community social services in diverse settings amidst the pandemic and beyond.

Factors associated with willingness and preferences to attend family services in Hong Kong: A population-based survey.

Objective: Family services are open to the community at large as well as vulnerable groups; however, little is known about the willingness of communities to attend such services. We investigated the willingness and preferences to attend family services and their associated factors (including sociodemographic characteristics, family wellbeing, and family communication quality) in Hong Kong. Methods: A population-based survey was conducted on residents aged over 18 years from February to March 2021. Data included sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, education, housing type, monthly household income, and the number of cohabitants), willingness to attend family services to promote family relationships (yes/no), family service preferences (healthy living, emotion management, family communication promotion, stress management, parent-child activities, family relationship fostering, family life education, and social network building; each yes/no), family wellbeing, and family communication quality (both scores 0-10). Family wellbeing was assessed using the average scores of perceived family harmony, happiness and health (each score 0-10). Higher scores indicate better family wellbeing or family communication quality. Prevalence estimates were weighted by sex, age and educational level of the general population. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for the willingness and preferences to attend family services were calculated in relation to sociodemographic characteristics, family wellbeing, and family communication quality. Results: Overall, 22.1% (1,355/6,134) and 51.6% (996/1,930) of respondents were willing to attend family services to promote relationships or when facing problems, respectively. Older age (aPR = 1.37-2.30, P < 0.001-0.034) and having four or more cohabitants (aPR = 1.44-1.53, P = 0.002-0.003) were associated with increased aPR of willingness for both situations. Lower family wellbeing and communication quality were associated with lower aPR for such willingness (aPR = 0.43-0.86, P = 0.018-<0.001). Lower family wellbeing and communication quality were associated with preferences for emotion and stress management, family communication promotion, and social network building (aPR = 1.23-1.63, P = 0.017-<0.001). Conclusions: Lower levels of family wellbeing and communication quality were associated with unwillingness to attend family services and preferences for emotion and stress management, family communication promotion, and social network building.

Frontline support services for boys who have experienced child sexual exploitation: A thematic review of survey data from seven countries.

Child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) affects all children, but research on the needs and experiences of boys is lacking, support services are limited, and workers lack specialized training to meet their specific needs. This paper explores the perspectives and experiences of 404 Frontline Support Workers providing services to children with CSEA experiences in seven countries, considering trends and implications for boys. A mixed-methods online survey of 121 questions explores characteristics of cases, perceived vulnerabilities, and gender-based challenges in CSEA response. A descriptive analysis of survey data, disaggregated by country, was conducted, allowing for a discussion of broad themes and trends. Despite differences, participants described similar vulnerabilities for boys across these contexts, including poverty as well as sex and sexuality-related taboos, stigmas, and other gendered beliefs, which were perceived to not only increase vulnerability to CSEA but also complicate disclosure in all countries. The implications of these findings on service delivery and recommendations are discussed.

Association of social service counseling in breast cancer patients with financial problems, role functioning and employment-results from the prospective multicenter BRENDA II study.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the relationship between social service counseling (SSC) and financial and role functioning problems in primary breast cancer (BC) patients over a 5-year observation period. METHODS: In the multicenter prospective study, patients were approached before surgery (t1), before initiation of adjuvant treatment (t2), after therapy completion (t3), and 5 years after surgery (t4). We examined the proportion of BC survivors who had financial and role functioning problems and the proportion who were employed at t4. We examined how frequently patients were informed about, offered, or used SSC, and we used multivariate logistic regression analyses to examine the relationship between this and financial and role functioning problem prevalence. RESULTS: Of the 456 BC survivors, 33% had financial problems and 22% reported role functioning problems at t4. There was no evidence that women with increased financial problems were informed about SSC more often than those without (OR 1.1, p = 0.84) or that they used SSC more often (OR 1.3, p = 0.25). However, women with role functioning problems were informed about SSC significantly more often (OR 1.7, p = 0.02) and attended counseling significantly more often (OR 1.6, p = 0.03). Among participants aged < 65 years at t4 (n = 255), 70% were employed. Patients who had received SSC were more likely to be employed at t4 than patients who did not (OR 1.9, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: These findings underline the importance of SSC for BC patients with role functioning issues. They indicate that individuals who use SSC are more likely to be employed later on than individuals who do not.

Notas sobre as atribuições privativas dos(as) assistentes sociais no contexto da pandemia de covid-19 / Notes on the private duties of social workers in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic

Este artigo versa sobre as atribuições privativas dos(as) assistentes sociais no contexto de calamidade pública deflagrada pela pandemia de covid-19, cuja principal característica, no âmbito social e econômico, foi o aprofundamento da desigualdade social. Desse modo, nosso objetivo é trazer para o debate os desafios postos à profissão mediante suas atribuições privativas em um contexto que também demarcou mudanças significativas na atuação devido às novas demandas que exigiram do profissional novas competências, evidenciando a necessidade de uma formação continuada. Do ponto de vista metodológico, nos baseamos em referências bibliográficas e nos principais documentos que fundamentam a profissão

This article deals with the private attributions of social workers in the context of public calamity triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic whose main characteristic, in the social and economic sphere, was the deepening of social inequality. In this way, our objective is to bring to the debate the challenges posed to the profession through its private attributions in a context that also marked significant changes in performance through the new demands that required new skills from the professional, highlighting the need for continued education. From a methodological point of view, we rely on bibliographic references and on the main documents that support the profession

Teorias sociais e serviço social: análise sobre a condição do serviço social na região metropolitana de Belém/PA / Social theories and social service: analysis on the condition of social service in the metropolitan region of Belém/PA

O objetivo deste artigo é refletir sobre os processos de incorporação teórica na conjuntura profissional do Serviço Social e suas consequências na formação e atuação contemporâneas. Bem como, refletir estratégias de valorização da intenção de ruptura diante da tradição conservadora em que a profissão foi gestada. Para isso, utilizamos referencial bibliográfico e material empírico de dados coletados na última pesquisa do Grupo de Estudos em Serviço Social, Formação Profissional e Política Social (GEPSS/UFPA), do qual fazemos parte. As falas que ilustram nossa análise advêm de entrevistas semiestruturadas com profissionais formados sob a égide das novas Diretrizes Curriculares na Universidade Federal do Pará e em universidades particulares presenciais e a distância. Concluímos este artigo com a definição de que o neoconservadorismo ou a pós-modernidade tem influências significativas em nossa formação, mas que não ultrapassam a necessidade de conhecimento e valorização da intenção de ruptura. Isso indica a urgência em negritar este debate antagônico no âmbito profissional para fortalecer a profissão que, historicamente, se posiciona de forma crítica

The objective of this article is to reflect on the processes of theoretical incorporation in the professional environment of Social Work and its consequences in contemporary training and performance. As well as reflecting on strategies for valuing the intention to break with the conservative tradition in which the profession was created. For this, we used bibliographic reference and empirical material from data collected in the last research of the Group of Studies in Social Work, Professional Formation and Social Policy (GEPSS/UFPA), of which we are part. The lines that illustrate our analysis come from semi-structured interviews with professionals trained under the aegis of the new Curriculum Guidelines at UFPA and at private universities both on-site and at a distance. We conclude this article with the definition that neoconservatism or postmodernity has significant influences on our formation, but that do not go beyond the need for knowledge and appreciation of the intention of rupture. This indicates the urgency of highli-ghting this antagonistic debate in the professional sphere in order to strengthen the profession, which has historically taken a critical position