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What are the best social work journals to have publications in?

Hi There I am seriously contemplating PHD in social work. I just get an extra kick from learning and research that I don't get from practice. However, I feel somewhat caught between two worlds --- practice and research --- and don't want to let go of either. Wondering if people can speak to this -- do you intend on focusing full time on your studies in doing PHD? Or do you plan to be attached to practice while studying. I am also considering life circumstances. Will be in my 30s as a PHD student so financially, it's difficult to give up practice as well. Anyone else have these dilemmas? Thanks!

That's excellent! I am still in the early stages and researching programs.

I would be interested in applying - but in the next few years. What draws you to University of Ottawa?

It could also be because schools of social work that require students to do research - such as Mac, Ryerson, and York, fund students because of the fact students do research - which, in academic institutions, is a recognized form of currency and work (regardless of what becomes of it). Schools of social work that do not require students to engage in original research, such as Laurier, Windsor, and UFT, typically offer limited funding - reserved to a handful of scholarships. That being said, I do think you are onto something about tuition fees being connected to "best placement opportunities". If you go on some of the hospital websites, you will see that they are affiliated with UfT, and that money is involved - which probably comes from tuition fees as the source of university's money making

I think you are making an assumption by accusing myself and YWEANG that the information we are posting is irrelevant to applying to MSW. I know many students at Laurier and UFT's MSW programs who are absolutely miserable as these McMSW schools tend to be an oasis for straight, middle class white women and wished that they knew this information.

I am actually kinda sceptical of UFT's MSW Indigenous Trauma and Resiliency program. Is it a way to support Indigenous self-determination and decolonize the academy (and social work)? or is it just another way to make a buck in a time of 'truth and reconciliation'? Although there are many references to Indigenous culture in the program description, no where are the words such as "discrimination", "colonialism", or "racism" mentioned. The page is also rich in references to medicalized trauma discourse - wonder if that will reify any racist stereotypes. I wonder if Indigenous professors will be hired in full time permanent positions - as well as the elders. Or, will the resources go to support the 'clinical' whiter mainstream programs. I dunno- I question "clinical" knowledge. It sounds very medical and barely intelligible as social work. It's useful to have a skills set that you integrate into practice with critical thinking; however, in my encounters with UFT MSW grads (especially the 2 year McMSWs), they just seem to just memorize and spout out psychology concepts ... How impoverished social work education is to directly import psychology! Maybe it might advance your career but I probably because it makes you compatible for an increasingly business-oriented profession that welcomes psychologists, biologists, and even real estate agents over critical thinking and advocacy.

Clearly, you are a social work n00b (Let me guess, you are an applicant to a 2 year McMSW* program?). Within the social work community, UFT Factor Inwentash school of social work is known to be notoriously white and not very inclusive of many marginalized communities. It is even acknowledged in UFT's most recent self-assessment (http://socialwork.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/UTQAP-Self-Study-Final-September-2014.pdf pg. 144). The appendices of this self-assessment report note the overrepresentation of white female social work students: The MSW program especially welcomes applications from visible minority groups, Aboriginal persons, and persons with disabilities; however, the desired diversification and similarity to the population of the Greater Toronto area was not evident among the MSW students with whom we met, who were predominantly young white females ( http://socialwork.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/UTQAP-APPENDICES-PDF-KW-revision-page-3.pdf, pg 5). The school acknowledges that there is a gap between who they invite to the table and who actually gets to dine. But... as soon as I saw a glimmer of critical thinking and reflexivity at UFT's school of social work, I went on to read the school's insinuation that men are oppressed in social work (http://socialwork.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/UTQAP-APPENDICES-PDF-KW-revision-page-3.pdf,; pg 3). [face palm]. * McMSW = McDonalidzation of social work education, the trend in which schools of social work are trying to cram five years of social work education into a cheapened two year program.

As a master of social work student at York University, I feel compelled to comment on the quoted post. I feel that there are a lot of assumptions in this post that are in contradiction with social work values and demonstrate a lack of knowledge of the profession. First of all, I would like to state that, prior to commencing my MSW studies, I was highly suspicious of all two-year MSW programs and saw (and continue to see) them as an outgrowth of the neoliberal academy. I do not think two years of MSW education can adequately capture the rich learning that occurs during the years it takes to complete a BSW and gain practice experience. Through my work experience, I have encountered several graduates of two-year MSW programs and despite holding a higher-level social work degree, they seemed to lack social work knowledge and uncritically accepted medical knowledge (i.e. “clinical” knowledge) as superior to social justice perspectives, which is the heart of social work. I was pleasantly challenged by some of the 2-Year MSW cohort at York and found many of these students do share a similar knowledge and value base, such as that which is cultivated at the BSW level. That being said, I find that they tend to be self-conscious about not having enough practice experience and often express that they do not learn “clinical” skills (this word is thrown around a lot to discursively align social work with medicine). The skills discussed in the quoted post are fairly basic and although reviewed at the BSW program, they are acquired through direct practice.I continue to encounter many of the UFT 2 year MSW students and they are hopelessly ignorant and come from erroneous backgrounds (ex. Real estate, Business, Neuroscience, and Psychology). UFT 2 Year MSW students and graduates tend to uphold neoliberal values in their practice and tend to align with medical and business (cost-saving) models rather than social work. It's true that York does not have a lot of partnerships as UFT has unfairly made a market. That being said, as I am nearing the end of the MSW program, I find that when I am contacted by employers, they have told me that they were interested because I also hold a BSW and have some experience, and not necessarily because of my practicum or school. I do not really have any suggestions to offer. I think that although York University’s Two-Year MSW program fosters a critical foundation for students, many would benefit by completing a BSW first to gain some foundational skills. I don't think UFT's Two-Year MSW program fosters the foundation that a BSW programs would provide and they would benefit from a BSW as well. You also have to wonder about equity issues as well; the Two Year MSW programs at both UFT and York are dominated by white people; this is not the case in the 1 year MSW program at York and Ryerson. I am glad that York limits the number of 2 Year MSW students they accept; the situation at UFT is quite uncontrolled and this has implications on the social work profession itself as we are flooded by those who think more like real estate agents, entrepreneurs, neuroscientists, and psychologists rather than social workers. By the way, I am curious what program would constitute a “clinical BSW”? All accredited BSWs are regulated by the CASWE and from my conversation with other holders of BSWs, the programs are similar in structure.