Grand Challenges in Social Work

Grand Challenges in Social Work
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Grand Challenges in Social Work
Several grand challenges for social work have been identified. Below is an annotated bibliography focusing on scholarly resources for three of the twelve grand challenges:
Close the Health Gap
Roberson, J. (2019). Teachinh Note- Closing the Health Gap and Social Work Education. Journal of Social Work Education, 55(1), 188-193. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2018.1498416
Summary
This article focuses on what social work educators can do to ensure that the Close the Health Gap is addressed in the classroom to ensure that social work students become competent in addressing this particular challenge. Roberson (2019) suggests that the content of this challenge can be integrated into existing social work classes in the form of an assignment. He further notes that there is limited room in the curriculum to incorporate the grand challenges and as such, social educators have to be intentional and look for ways to incorporate the grand challenges in social work courses. He suggests that educators should give students assignments whereby students identify specific social determinants of health and examine how these determinants influence health inequities or how policy influences the determinants. This all depends on the class the student is taking. The students should then present their findings in a 20-minutes presentation and include possible solutions to address the social determinants and health inequities based on what other countries have done. The author concludes that this approach would improve competency in addressing health inequities.
Evaluation
The author of this article is an educator with experience in the field of education and as such, understands how educators can influence competency in various social work areas. The article is published in a peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Social Work Education) that focuses on education in the field of social work. As a peer-reviewed journal, the research published is of high quality. Thus, the article is a reliable journal article with an abstract, introduction, body, and conclusion sections. The content of the article is also supported with sufficient sources which are appropriately cited and a reference list provided in case readers want to confirm some of the claims.
Reflection
This source has made it clear to me that for social workers to address health inequities, they need to have an educational foundation that gives them the competencies necessary in the field. I now understand that for this challenge to be addressed there needs to be a holistic approach that begins with intentional education to prepare students who are venturing into the social work practice. I understand the role that educators play in addressing the grand challenges and this information will be crucial in my upcoming assignment as well as in my social work practice.
Gomez, A., Downey, M., Carpenter, E., Leedham, U., Begun, S., Craddock, J., et al. (2020). Advancing Reproductive Justice to Close the Health Gap: A Call to Action for Social Work. Social Work, 65(4), 358-367. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swaa034
Summary