#socialwork: Informal Use of Information and Communication Technology in Social Work

Mishna, Faye; Sanders, Jane E.; Fantus, Sophia; Fang, Lin; Greenblatt, Andrea; Bogo, Marion; Milne, Betsy

doi:10.1007/s10615-019-00729-9

Cited by 28 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Prior to COVID-19, there was a lack of research on informal ICT use by social workers with clients (Mishna et al 2014(Mishna et al , 2019. Our findings indicate that due to the pandemic there has been a paradigm shift in the ways social workers use ICT, with diverse ICT platforms having entered social work treatment.…”

Section: Implications For Researchmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…ICTs include mobile devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets), computer hardware/software and other communication media (e.g., social media, text messaging). In addition to the adoption of ICTs to deliver formal service (e.g., e-counseling, tele-psychology) (Boydell et al 2014), social workers were increasingly using ICTs informally with clients to communicate between sessions, as an adjunct to faceto-face practice (Mishna et al 2012(Mishna et al , 2014(Mishna et al , 2015(Mishna et al , 2019. In our recent survey, the majority of social workers in Canada (78.1% [n = 2034]), the U.S. (79.6% [n = 975]), Israel (74% [n = 285]), and the U.K. (86.9% [n = 106]) used ICTs informally with clients (Mishna et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Responding to COVID-19: New Trends in Social Workers’ Use of Information and Communication Technology

et al. 2020

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COVID-19 changed the context for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use globally. With face-to-face practice restricted, almost all communication with clients shifted to ICTs. Starting in April 2019, we conducted semi-structured interviews with social workers from four agencies serving diverse populations in a large urban centre, with the aim of exploring social workers’ informal ICT use with clients. Approximately 6 weeks after the cessation of face-to-face practice in March 2020 due to COVID-19 measures, we re-interviewed social workers (n = 11) who had participated in our study. Second interviews were based on a newly developed interview guide that explored social workers’ use of ICTs with clients in the context of COVID-19. Analysis of transcribed interviews revealed that the context of COVID-19 had generated two main themes. One, a paradigm shift for social workers was characterized by (a) diverse ICT options, (b) client-driven approach, and (c) necessary creativity. The second theme entails the impact of this transition which involved (a) greater awareness of clients’ degree of access, (b) confidentiality and privacy, and (c) professional boundaries. We discuss these themes and sub-themes and present implications for practice and research in a Post-COVID-19 world.

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Section: Implications For Researchmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Responding to COVID-19: New Trends in Social Workers’ Use of Information and Communication Technology

et al. 2020

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“…The purpose of the current research was to examine social workers’ informal ICT use with clients (see more detailed methodology in Mishna et al , 2021 ). To better understand informal ICT use among social workers in their practice, the researchers sought to answer the following questions: (i) What is the frequency of social workers’ informal ICT use with clients in Canada, the USA, Israel and the UK?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Canadian researchers ( Mishna et al , 2021 ) developed a cross-sectional online survey, #socialwork, to examine the frequency, nature and scope of informal ICT use in face-to-face practice. Questions were informed by a review of standardised surveys on ICT use in related fields ( Goldfarb et al , 2016 ; Mishna et al , 2021 ), and the researchers’ clinical and research expertise. The survey underwent several revisions to capture relevant data, focusing on face and content validity ( Singleton and Straits, 2010 ; Mishna et al , 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Questions were informed by a review of standardised surveys on ICT use in related fields ( Goldfarb et al , 2016 ; Mishna et al , 2021 ), and the researchers’ clinical and research expertise. The survey underwent several revisions to capture relevant data, focusing on face and content validity ( Singleton and Straits, 2010 ; Mishna et al , 2021 ). Review of the literature comprised step one of construct validation, by developing survey questions that measured the intended concepts ( Singleton and Straits, 2010 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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#socialwork: An International Study Examining Social Workers’ Use of Information and Communication Technology

Mishna

Sanders

Daciuk

et al. 2021

The British Journal of Social Work

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Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) permeated social work practice before coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In addition to ICT-based formal services (e.g. e-counselling), social workers used ICTs informally as an adjunct to face-to-face practice. Building on our previous research, our cross-sectional online survey examined social workers’ informal use of ICTs in four countries: Canada, the USA, Israel and the UK. The survey was administered through Qualtrics software among social workers across Canada (n = 2,609), the USA (n = 1,225), Israel (n = 386) and the UK (n = 134), and analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26. The findings substantiate the ubiquitous use of informal ICTs in social work practice, as an adjunct to face-to-face treatment, across the four countries. Given the current, unprecedented context of COVID-19, we discuss the meaning of our findings related to access, ethical considerations (e.g. professional boundaries) and supervision in the context of restricted face-to-face practice. We discuss the implications for social work practice, education and research, and conclude that in the COVID-19 context, there is an even greater need for research, clinical discussion, supervision and policy on informal ICT use in social work practice.

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Impact of ICTs on Social Workers: A Scoping Review

Haider

2023

The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems

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#socialwork: Informal Use of Information and Communication Technology in Social Work

Cited by 28 publications

References 56 publications

Responding to COVID-19: New Trends in Social Workers’ Use of Information and Communication Technology

Responding to COVID-19: New Trends in Social Workers’ Use of Information and Communication Technology

#socialwork: An International Study Examining Social Workers’ Use of Information and Communication Technology

Impact of ICTs on Social Workers: A Scoping Review

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