Smith College Studies in Social Work (“Smith Studies”) has played significant role in the discipline of social work since its inception in 1930. Initially an in-house journal for Smith College School for Social Work, the country’s first psychiatric social work school established in 1918, Smith Studies has published a number of seminal articles that helped advance the specialized practice and education of clinical social work. As the School and the social work profession evolved over time to better address the challenges posed by changing social, cultural, and political climates, I spent the past year engaging in discussions and consultations with key stakeholders on the journal’s future. Consequently, we decided that now is an optune time to rename the journal to better reflect its long-term objectives. I am honored to share that we have renamed the journal Studies in Clinical Social Work: Transforming Practice, Education and Research! This endeavor would not have been possible without our active and committed Editorial Advisory Board, comprising scholars, educators, and practitioners from diverse backgrounds. I also extend my gratitude to Ms Maria Maldonado-Morales, who works alongside me as the journal’s Editorial Assistant, as well as Ms Christine Kelly and colleagues from Taylor & Francis.
As we approach the journal’s centennial, this title change signifies our ongoing and new commitments. The first part of the title, Studies in Clinical Social Work, underscores our continued dedication to promoting scholarly excellence in clinical social work as a specialized area of practice. While the journal remains affiliated with Smith College School for Social Work, the new title without the School’s name emphasizes our explicit commitment to disseminating theoretical ideas and research findings from clinical social workers locally and globally. The second part of the title, Transforming Practice, Education and Research, conveys our commitment to scholarly work not only focused on clinical practice, but also on education, including clinical supervision, and relevant research (both study results and methods). Perhaps, the most critical keyword in the new title is “transforming.” The profession of clinical social work is facing such a critical time. As I write this editorial, we bear witness to so much pain and suffering both domestically and globally. We are confronted by violence and losses in the wars occurring in Israel-Gaza and Russia-Ukraine. More locally, we grieve deeply over many harmful policies across the United States, such as the ending of affirmative action in college admissions, the banning of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work, as well as many versions of legislations against reproductive justice and trans health, among others. In these challenging times, clinical social workers are called upon to identify innovative, creative, and effective ways to support communities that are intentionally silenced, targeted and exploited. To create change, we must depart from old patterns of thinking and find ways to transform our practice. The word “transforming” in the new title signifies a call to action for clinical social workers to critically reflect on the past, revitalize the present, and reimagine the future of the profession.
Despite the title change, we remain committed to disseminating quality scholarship for our readership of clinicians, educators, and scholars in social work. We publish a diverse range of theoretical and empirical articles that tackle research questions relevant to clinical social work. For theoretical work, we highly value the author’s critical engagement with their chosen theory, be it biological, psychological, relational, social, or structural in nature. Empirical contributions are welcome from various methodological traditions, including qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, arts-based, and other approaches. Topics relevant to our journal include, but are not limited to: (Re)defining and (re)conceptualizing clinical social work and its practice; a range of therapeutic or healing practices; promoting racial and social justice in clinical practice (e.g., decentering whiteness, decolonizing clinical practice); theoretical or empirical interrogation of an issue relevant to clinical practice or education (e.g., the use of self, change and healing process, assessment and diagnosis, the use of technology, working in a non-traditional clinical setting, the role of language and culture); innovative and/or effective models of working with individuals across the lifespan, couples, families, and small groups; innovative and/or effective models of teaching, including clinical supervision; and social problems and policy issues that have direct impacts on clinical social workers. While clinical social work is a regulated profession rather specific to the U.S. (along with a limited number of other countries), we welcome articles that have relevance to those who work in an international context. Regardless of research questions, all articles must have strong implications for clinicians, educators, and/or social work scholars. In addition to full-length articles, we also offer the option of Brief Notes, which can be submitted as Practice Notes, Teaching Notes, or Research Notes. These Brief Notes are designed for authors to describe innovative practices that have yet to be formally evaluated. We are also committed to publishing at least one Special Issue per year. Later this year, for instance, we will be publishing a Special Issue on Queering Clinical Social Work Praxis with Guest Editors who have an expertise in this area of work. I encourage you to reach out to me directly at [email protected] if you have any questions about submitting an article to the journal or have potential ideas for a Special Issue.
The Current issue
This inaugural issue of Studies in Clinical Social Work features articles that were originally submitted to and published online first by the journal under the previous name. All four articles – two from the U.S., one from Israel, and the other from South Africa – address important issues and questions for the profession of clinical social work. In the first article, Rozenberg and Potik discuss a range of clinical issues relevant to working with those with sexual offense histories in a group setting. Their insights offer valuable recommendations that can help group workers effectively engage these clients. Next, Spett shares a qualitative study on equine-assisted services, an innovative approach to supporting a range of client populations. Grounded in the experiences of clinical social workers, Spett’s findings suggest ways in which this novel approach to practice can be strengthened for better supporting its service users. This is followed by another empirical study. Olonisakin and colleagues from South Africa conducted a survey study to examine various psychosocial and behavioral outcomes among Black participants. Their results shed light on the legacy of trauma from the Apartheid and enduring impacts on South Africa’s Black communities. This issue concludes with an article by Pasupuleti and colleagues, who examined burnout, a phenomenon highly relevant to clinical social workers. Surveying U.S. social workers, the authors underscore the important of enhancing organization justice as a mechanism for preventing and alleviating burnout among clinicians.
As I conclude this editorial, a profound sense of pride fills me as I embark on the journey of upholding the tradition and legacy of Smith Studies and its esteemed former editors. As the inaugural Editor-in-Chief of Studies in Clinical Social Work, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the dedicated readers and authors of the journal, expressing sincere gratitude for your continued support!