Trupti Rao, PsyD, is director of psychology training; Elizabeth Reiman, PhD, LCSW-R, is coordinator of forensic and clinical services; and Ashley Ausikaitis, PhD, NCSP, is psychology postdoctoral fellow, Westchester Institute for Human Development, Valhalla, NY.
Soc Work. 2019 Apr 1;64(2):131-138. doi: 10.1093/sw/swz004.
Children with developmental disabilities are overrepresented in the child welfare system. Although caseworkers play a key role in ensuring that the special needs of these children are met, little is known regarding caseworkers' knowledge about, exposure to, and comfort with people with developmental disabilities. In this exploratory study, through use of an online anonymous survey, local county caseworkers (N = 251) were asked to self-rate their knowledge, exposure, and comfort levels. Findings indicated caseworker agreement regarding the relevance of having knowledge and training about this population within the child welfare system. Furthermore, caseworkers with more training felt more knowledgeable and comfortable than those with less training. In addition, personal exposure to individuals with developmental disabilities was considered relevant.
发育障碍儿童在儿童福利系统中所占比例过高。尽管社工在确保这些儿童的特殊需求得到满足方面发挥着关键作用，但对于社工对发育障碍人士的了解、接触和适应程度，我们知之甚少。在这项探索性研究中，通过使用在线匿名调查，要求当地县社工（N=251）自我评估他们在儿童福利系统中对这一人群的知识、接触和舒适度。研究结果表明，社工一致认为在儿童福利系统中拥有关于这一人群的知识和培训是相关的。此外，接受过更多培训的社工比接受过较少培训的社工感觉更有知识和更舒适。此外，个人接触发育障碍人士被认为是相关的。
