.png?lang=en-US&ext=.png){kind=logo}
.png?lang=en-US&ext=.png){kind=logo}
JSWE Award Winners for Volume 60
Best Reviewer Award
The Journal of Social Work Education (JSWE) recognizes an outstanding manuscript reviewer each year at the CSWE Annual Conference. The award is given based on the percentage of manuscripts accepted, average time taken to return reviews, and quality of feedback to authors.
Best Article Award
Each year the JSWE Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) chooses the best articles of the previous volume year. These important articles discuss timely issues and significantly expand or deepen the body of knowledge related to their topics. They show originality of thought and provide sound or innovative conceptualization of their topics. Empirical articles also demonstrate a logical and sophisticated methodology appropriate for the study conducted, use advanced statistical procedures that are appropriate for the data analysis, and provide clear implications that add significantly to the professional knowledge base and to social work education.
Best Reviewer
Congratulations to Dr. F. Ellen Netting, Professor Emerita (Virginia Commonwealth University), who has been selected as the JSWE Best Reviewer of 2025! The recipient of the Best Reviewer award is selected by the JSWE Editor-in-Chief to recognize a manuscript reviewer who has demonstrated exceptional service in responsiveness to requests for review, timeliness in submitting completed reviews, and quality of written reviews.
CSWE and the JSWE EAB would like to thank all the dedicated professionals who generously donate their time and expertise to review manuscripts and thus contribute to the value and success of the journal.
Best Articles of JSWE Volume 60
The criteria for choosing the Best Articles published in JSWE include the importance and timeliness of the content, originality of thought, innovative conceptualization of the topic, and presentation of conclusions and/or recommendations that add significantly to the professional knowledge base and to social work education.
Best Scoping Review
Leila C. Dal Santo, Scott D. Easton, Susan Coleman, & Kathleen Flinton. (2023). The Role of Field Education in Preparing Social Work Students for Trauma-Informed Care: A Scoping Review. Journal of Social Work Education, 60(3), 310–333. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2023.2215273
With mounting evidence over the last 20 years regarding the prevalence and severity of trauma histories among social work clients, there has been a concerted effort across schools of social work to embed trauma-informed principles within course content and training. As students work to integrate classroom skills into field practicums, field education departments play a critical role in guiding application of these skills and incorporation of self-care strategies into daily practice. We conducted a scoping review to understand what role field education departments across the United States have assumed in preparing students to work with trauma-affected populations. Following an exhaustive database search (1,523 titles and 895 abstracts were screened; 116 full texts were reviewed), 20 studies met inclusion criteria. The vast majority of initiatives, many of which were externally funded, involved facilitating trauma-informed field placements. Several studies described trauma-informed education models that paired coursework in core trauma concepts with a trauma-focused field placement. Only six initiatives explicitly detailed efforts to equip students with self-care awareness and skills. Findings suggest that while field education departments participate in or design trauma-informed programming, more cross-site and cross-discipline scholarship on best practices is needed.
Best Qualitative Article
Kelly Faye Jackson, Ijeoma N. Ogbonnaya, Ann Turnlund-Carver, Chandra Crudup, Cynthia Mackey, & Felicia Mitchell. (2024). Anti-Blackness in Schools of Social Work: A Black Feminist Polyethnography. Journal of Social Work Education, 60(3), 419–432. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2024.2338233
Considering the significant contributions of Black women social workers to our profession, and the unyielding stressors and expectations disproportionately affecting Black women in the context of Black Lives Matter and COVID-19, addressing anti-Blackness and understanding the lived experiences of Black women within higher education are essential first steps toward eliminating racism, the 13th and most recently adopted Grand Challenge. Guided by Black feminist polyethnography, this study examined how anti-Blackness is collectively felt and experienced by six Black and mixed Black women faculty and graduate students in schools of social work over their academic careers. Initial steps schools of social work can take to acknowledge and address manifestations of anti-Blackness within existing policies, procedures, curriculum, and dominant school culture are discussed.
Best Field Note
Lin Fang, Catherine Schmidt, Yu Lung, Lynn Nguyen, Gilda Hui, & Sylvia Delgado. (2023). Field Note—Talk It Out Counseling Clinic: A Field Education Innovation. Journal of Social Work Education, 60(4), 640–646. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2023.2260850
The COVID-19 pandemic introduced an unforeseen challenge to social work field education and drastically changed the landscape of social work direct practice. In March 2021, University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work launched the Talk It Out Counseling Clinic (the Clinic), training MSW students to provide short-term counseling and wellness workshops to residents in the Greater Toronto Area. Based on a community partnership model with an antiracism and trauma-informed service orientation, the Clinic provides services targeting those who face multiple barriers to health and equity and those who belong to Black and other racialized communities. In this paper, we introduce the Clinic, including its staffing and structure, partnership model, and training curriculum, present operation updates, and discuss future directions.
Best Conceptual Article
Isabel Logan, Robert Madden, & Matthew Solak. (2023). Preparing Social Workers for Emerging Roles in Police Social Work. Journal of Social Work Education, 60(1), 86–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2023.2244999
Schools of social work must prepare social workers to meet the demands of the rapidly emerging field of police social work. This article reports on the experiences of a social work program’s partnership with a police department. The authors identify an integrative practice model of police social work, specifying social work roles at the baccalaureate and graduate levels, as well as ethical issues. The model is based on the social work competencies and law enforcement best practices. The authors analyze the experiences of placing students directly into law enforcement settings and make recommendations to create successful experiences for students, social workers, and police. The importance of strategic partnerships, communication, trust, and support in building strong relationships is also highlighted.