Practice Development Research

What are the issues with which a Person With AIDS must struggle in deciding whether or not to reveal to friends and family that he or she has AIDS. What is the impact of this disclosure on personal relationships, coping behaviors, and feelings of anxiety and depression? How can practitioners be of most help in this process? These are questions which the Practice Knowledge Study is attempting to answer. Working under the leadship of Linda Bernstein of Columbia University, as part of the Center's Practice Development Studies Project, five MBCS social workers who work with PWA's are carrying out a series of single case design studies. The cases will be examined individually as well as in the aggregate in an attempt to explicate and enhance the practice model used. Instruments for this study are in the final stages of development and pilot testing. Formal data collection will begin this summer.

A number of other activities are also underway as part of the Practice Development Studies Project. Among them is a seminar on Single Case Design in Agency Practice offered through the JBFCS Advanced Training Program. Led by Ms. Berstein, and Dr. mark Mattaini, CUSSW, the seminar has been meeting weekly since October. The group began by studying research methodology and analyzing completed studies. The Current focus is on working as a group to develop individual studies which some seminar members will complete as part of their on going agency practice.