This paper explores the concept of racial microaggressions, everyday slights and offensive behaviors experienced by people of color, particularly focusing on their manifestation within social work education programs. Black social work students, in particular, frequently encounter instances tied to stereotypes about their intellectual abilities, perpetuating historical prejudices and contributing to mental health challenges such as anxiety and impostor phenomenon (IP). The historical trauma endured by Black individuals adds a distinct layer to the struggles faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students in social work education. Despite the evident impact, there exists a significant gap in scholarship addressing these issues, emphasizing the urgent need for the social work profession to confront and comprehend how implicit biases and racial microaggressions impede the success of Black social work students. This theoretical exploration aims to spark vital dialogue on the manifestations of implicit biases and racial microaggressions, probing their link to feelings of IP and historical trauma. Central to this inquiry is the examination of the critical consciousness framework\'s efficacy in social work education, uncovering its role in raising awareness among professionals regarding their inadvertent perpetuation of oppressive systems. By leveraging this framework, the paper seeks to unearth structures of oppression and privilege, promoting awareness of unintentional complicity in upholding these structures. Recommendations align with the critical consciousness framework, advocating for future dialogues and the implementation of effective microaggression scales to incorporate and analyze frequencies and the impact of racism in social work research.

An online qualitative survey explored perceived training, readiness, and needs of recent SW graduates serving older adults. Over half (N = 14) held a master\'s in social work, with 70% having taken an introductory aging course. Nearly halfcompleted other aging-specific coursework, and 80% did fieldwork with older adults. Participants indicated moderate proficiency in assessing issues like lossestransitions (46.7%), and physical health (53.3%), and advanced expertise in cognitive assessments (60.0%) and caregiver stress management (53.3%). Training deficiencies were noted in disaster readiness, telehealth, and resource coordination. Findings underscore the need for educationfor early-career social workers, ensuring their effective support to older adults.

This qualitative study explores social work educators\' perceptions on the role of lived experience in teaching within undergraduate and postgraduate social work education programmes across universities in Britain. Thirty-five semi-structured online interviews were conducted with social work educators from 27 universities across Scotland, Wales and England. Findings were that educators indicated specific ways that people with lived experience (PwLE) can transform student learning. They give an opportunity to expose students to different perspectives, challenge stereotypes about people who access services, help students reflect on their own personal and professional values, demonstrate that the curriculum is connected to and grounded in the real world, and provide crucial preparation before practice. While the extant literature highlights the positive benefits of PwLE involvement in higher education programmes, ongoing work is required to support PwLE involvement consistently and sustainably, and to ensure more diverse representation of PwLE in order that students are exposed to a broader, real world understanding of practice.

This article examines a recent research project that explored the lived experiences of 5 final year social work students in Scotland who graduated during the coronavirus pandemic. The project used Photovoice as the primary data collection method, followed by a 3 hour long online focus group where the participants and the researcher worked collaboratively to identify themes for further analysis. The findings demonstrated that while the data collected by participants through the photographs and captions were highly personal to each participant, there were recurring themes that connected all of them which were identified broadly as; (dis)connection, closure and identity - all of which were discussed in great detail in a virtual focus group after the data was collected. This article focusses predominantly on the Photovoice method adopted for the study and how this was an effective method for participatory research. This article also focusses on how the pandemic affected the transitionary period between the participants\' identity shift from students to professionals. This study followed the principles of Participatory Action Research which meant that participants and the researcher worked together to cultivate and analyse the data collected and the findings that are discussed here reflect this collaborative process. As this report is being written, numerous new studies, reports and predictions as to the pandemics impact on our collective mental health emerge daily and so it is hoped that this project will serve as a small time stamp as to how the pandemic impacted this small group of students in Scotland and will honour their stories, creating a lasting space for them to be heard among the ever-increasing bombardment of news.

The COVID-19 pandemic evoked a disruption to social work (SW) practice education and this brief note describes discoveries made in teaching SW practice virtually. One example is Virtual Practice Fridays, adapted to build SW practice competencies online, and another example is a re-designed course on cross-cultural SW practice using simulation-based learning.

UNASSIGNED: Social work field education has experienced major disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while also embracing new opportunities to grow. The Transforming the Field Education Landscape research partnership developed a cross-sectional web-based survey with closed- and open-ended questions to understand student perceptions of COVID-19\'s impacts on social work field education. The survey opened during the first wave of the pandemic from July 8 to 29, 2020 and was completed by 367 Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) students across Canada. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.
UNASSIGNED: Respondents experienced reduced practicum hours and placements terminating early or moving online. Students were concerned about gaining adequate experience for future job prospects. They were generally positive about academic institutional responses to COVID-19 but described financial challenges with tuition costs and a lack of paid practica. Respondents were mostly satisfied with practicum supervision. They experienced negative impacts of COVID-19 on mental health with isolation and remote learning and described a lack of institutional mental health support. Students were concerned with missing direct practice skills, while some students reported more flexible hours, access to online events beyond their region, and increased research experience. They expressed a need for practicum flexibility and accommodation.
UNASSIGNED: Recommendations include an increase in flexibility and accommodations for practicum students, exchanges of promising and wise field education practices, and accessible postsecondary mental health supports. Professional development opportunities should support graduates who missed learning opportunities in their practicum.

UNASSIGNED: Social workers support clients\' psychosocial and resource needs across care settings. Social workers are typically not, however, trained to engage in emergency response practices such as the ones that may be necessary to support needs brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This article reports findings from a cross-sectional survey of social work students and recent graduates entering the field of social work during COVID-19, exploring their preparation, perceived readiness, and training needs.
UNASSIGNED: The study sample (N  =  94) included 70 students and 24 recent graduates. The sample was 52% White, 22% Hispanic, and 21% Black/African American. Respondents reported training needs in the areas of trauma-informed care (70%), behavioral health (57%), culturally competent practice (49%), telehealth (48%), loss and grief (44%), and emergency management (43%). No significant differences emerged in self-efficacy ratings of students and recent graduates; both groups reported low self-efficacy in their ability to apply advanced practice skills. After controlling for demographics, receiving training specific to the COVID-19 pandemic (β  =  .271, p < .05), perceived readiness (β  =  .779, p < .001), and satisfaction with training/preparation (β  =  .4450, p < .001) significantly contribute to levels of perceived self-efficacy among SW students and recent graduates.
UNASSIGNED: Social work curricular developments, and continuing education, are needed to prepare and support emerging social workers for practice in the context of COVID-19 and its long-term implications. This includes enhancing social workers\' readiness to engage in telehealth, trauma-informed practice, emergency management, policy interpretation, self-care, and grief support.

UNASSIGNED: Language, as an integral aspect of human interaction, plays a pivotal role in the reformation process within the correctional setting. Nigerian correctional centers consist of a diverse population of incarcerated individuals originating from various cultural backgrounds, each possessing distinct linguistic abilities and comprehension. However, a conspicuous gap in the literature remains concerning the language practices of instructors in Nigerian correctional education programs and the active participation of incarcerated individuals in shaping their own educational experiences. The present study investigates the complex dynamics of language utilization in the correctional education system, with a specific focus on the perspectives and experiences of convicted incarcerated individuals.
UNASSIGNED: The study gathered data from a sample of 20 convicted incarcerated individuals who were actively participating in correctional education programs, using semi-structured interviews as the primary method of data collection. Information on the various forms of language utilization within correctional institutions, the impact of language on the learning experiences of incarcerated individuals, and linguistic obstacles encountered in accessing high-quality education were thematically analyzed.
UNASSIGNED: The study revealed that formal language, technical language and everyday language are the various forms of language used in correctional centers. However, the form of language used by the instructor can make or mar the incarcerated person\'s learning experience thereby defeating the main goal of correctional education.
UNASSIGNED: Correctional educators should employ clear language to convey information. Insights into the influence of language on the rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals can inform the development of social work curricula.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated student food insecurity on college campuses and exposed the vulnerability of institutions with no food emergency response. During the COVID-19 pandemic and for years to come, the need for social work to lead efforts on college campuses to address student food insecurity is even greater. The need will continue to be significant for social workers in higher education to support students with basic needs, including resources for food, housing, childcare, and transportation. As has been true after other pandemics and economic downturns, professionally trained social workers are critical to brokering resources for individuals in crisis. This article critically examines the role of social work education in addressing the issue of student food insecurity. Through a conceptual lens, it explores the many dimensions of this problem and highlights vital contributions that social work can make within a higher education setting to alleviate food insecurity, enhance student well-being, and promote equitable opportunities for academic success.

UNASSIGNED: In 2021, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published a report revealing that over 46 million individuals in the United States had a substance use disorder (SUD). In the same year, a record number of drug-related overdose deaths were reported. Social workers play an important role in connecting with people who use substances and providing adequate care and treatment; yet, negative attitudes and lack of holistic knowledge about individuals who use substances create challenges in providing effective care. Social work curricula that integrates substance use content has been identified as one way to address this.
UNASSIGNED: A 14-week course was introduced in one institution\'s Master of Social Work curriculum with the goal of providing students with a comprehensive education on SUDs. Foundational knowledge and practical skill development were covered. Seventeen trained instructors taught a total of 1204 students between May 2020 and January 2022. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to explore changes in student\'s self-perceived knowledge, attitudes, and skills related to substance use.
UNASSIGNED: Among those who completed the survey (N = 553), the majority felt that the course would have a positive impact on their future work and professional development. Specifically, 96.4% reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the course overall. Among those who completed a 30-day follow-up survey (n = 69), data revealed an increase in students\' self-perceived knowledge, accompanied by a shift in attitudes and positive changes in self-perceived client-centered care skills.
UNASSIGNED: Findings from this article support the development, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based substance use content within social work curricula. This has implications for improving knowledge, attitudes, and skills among social workers who work with people who use substances.