Session: Current Innovative Social Work Research Using the NIH K-Award Mechanism (Research that Promotes Sustainability and (re)Builds Strengths (January 15 - 18, 2009))

Social Work has seen recent growth in practice-relevant empirical and rigorous studies related to practice in various settings and populations. The National Institutes of Health provide K-Award career development mechanisms to assist researchers in answering behavioral and social science questions of importance in the field. In this symposium, we provide faculty exemplars of current innovative K-Award research in social work and discuss the process and advantages to further an independent research career. We report on four studies in the areas of substance abuse, children's mental health, cancer, and gerontology. The first K01 research paper examines how culturally adapted drug abuse prevention curricula improve evidence-based practice and how the adaptation processes effect participating diverse groups of high-risk youth. Specifically, youth adapted the evidence-based “Keepin' it REAL” curriculum for their peers in several unique settings. The study process found that by involving youth (n = 422) as substance experts in the context of their culture, a prevention curriculum can be systematically tailored to include true-to-life experiences of the participating youth, making it culturally relevant. The second paper presents data on the development of a mental health services model for foster children with behavior problems. Focus groups were held with caseworkers (N = 8) and foster parents (N = 10) to understand their perspectives on a proposed home visiting model and the feasibility of caseworkers using teaching materials during home visits. Identified themes supported the need for support and training of both foster parents and caseworkers. The aims of the third study were to enhance the ability to assess and examine the unique ways in which cancer impacts quality of life for young adult survivors of childhood cancer, and explore the ways in which cancer's long-term physical, psychological, social, and spiritual/existential effects are related to the age/life stage at which cancer is diagnosed and treated. Young adult survivors of childhood cancer (ages 18-39) were identified from the registries of oncology units at four children's hospitals in the US and recruited to participate in semi-structured qualitative interviews. Eighty-six participants describe how having had cancer as a child or teenager has affected, or continues to affect, their lives. One hundred twenty-nine codes represented content across four quality of life domains. Participants indicated impacts with regard to their bodies and health, health behaviors, needs for medical information, and use of health care services. They reported experiences of stigma and discrimination, challenges with employment, school and finances, and participation in social activities. The final paper describes the outcomes of a pilot controlled trial that tests the efficacy of Problem Solving Therapy as a treatment for geriatric depression in 62 homebound medically ill older adults. Outcome data suggested significant reductions in depression symptomatology as measured by the Hamilton and Geriatric Depression scales. The symposium will conclude with a discussion of the implications of this body of knowledge and potential benefits and lessons learned of the pursuit of a K-Award for social work research.