International Journal of Social Work

10-17

Authors: Ali Saleh Alshebami, D. M. Khandare

Imposing ceilings on the interest rate has recently become one of the new hottest topics in microfinance industry; various debates have been discussing this issue to know the effect of interest rate ceilings on the supply of credit in particular and on microfinance industry in general. However in spite of the good intention behind these ceilings, there was no absolute result stating that ceilings have really contributed to the improvement or protection of the poor clients, indeed, these ceilings have hurt those low income people instead of helping them, due to these ceilings most of MFIs left the market or reduced their scale due to the inability to continue operating with low interest rate leaving the very poor clients without access to credit. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to review the impact of imposing such ceilings on the interest rates and to find out what alterative solutions can be employed as substitutes for them. This paper is entirely based on the secondary data collected from various records related to microfinance such as microfinance books, official websites and reports, published papers, and other sources related to the research subject.

22-35

Authors: Kristin Richards, Jaclyn M. Williams, Thomas E. Smith, Bruce A. Thyer

The purpose of this article is to describe a new approach to practice for social workers, providing financial education services to their clients through the use of personal-finance video games. Addressing the financial concerns of individuals and families has long been part of social work practice. However, video games designed for educational purposes (i.e. digital game-based learning) provide a new interactive teaching method which emphasizes experiential learning. Some technological advantages to using video games for educational purposes are: interactivity, accessibility, individualization, low cost per user, the ease of updating the content, and the attractiveness of the graphics. Educational video games support and strengthen: school achievement, cognitive abilities, motivation towards learning, attention and concentration. Overall, the literature indicates that digital game-based learning is a viable and promising method for social workers to provide financial educational services to their clients.

15-33

Authors: Tina Maschi, Ronald H. Aday

The rapid growth of the incarceration of aging people in prison across the globe is particularly problematic in the United States, which has the largest incarceration rate per capita. This papers examines the aging in prison crisis through the lens of the social determinants of health, well-being, and justice. Case studies and promising practices are reviewed to assist in a coordinated human rights based response to address the aging in prison crisis at the grassroots, national, and international levels.

49-69

Authors: Mooli Lahad

The aim of the present study is to describe the accumulated knowledge and experience of experts working, treating and living under ongoing threat setting, an understudied research topic. Using focus group approach, psychologists, clinical social workers and art therapists, staff members of the Sha'ar HaNegev Psychological Services Center (PSC) located in South Israel, were asked to describe their clinical experience of working with trauma affected children, adolescents and adults. Effective use of techniques and protocols along phases of treatment, indication of less effective techniques, newly developed techniques and clients' experience are reported and discussed.

78-92

Authors: Abimbola Farinde

The purpose of this article is to examine the process of informed consent as it relates to the practice of psychology and as a part of Human relations Standards (3.10) of the American Psychological Association Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Before a psychologist provides any type of psychological service to a client/patient, whether it involves conducting research, administering a test or assessment/ therapy, counseling, clinical supervision, or providing consulting services, he or she must ensure that informed consent is obtained (oral, written, or other methods). This information must be delivered using language that is reasonably understandable to a competent individual. The term reasonably understandable describes the level of complexity and completeness that is required of psychologist when obtaining informed consent. The process of informed consent implies that a patient/client is made fully aware of the purpose as to why a service is being provided, the intended use of the information, and the benefits and risks associated with the process, involvement of any third parties, and limits and risks of confidentiality. It is recognized as a decision-making process where a psychologist communicates sufficient information to a potential client/patient so that he or she is able to make a well-informed decision as to whether they will participate in the professional relationship. If any information is taken during the session whether it is written, video, or audio, the client/patient is to be made aware of how this information will be used, if it will be released or disclosed to others a formal writing is to be provided indicating who these individuals will be. While the informed consent process is recognized as an important aspect for any psychologist to cover when it involves providing any type of service to a client this can often times be neglected which places the psychologists in jeopardy for lawsuits or loss of licensure. The informed consent process, is just that, a process, and not a single event not only protects the privacy rights of the client/patient but safeguards the psychologist from being liable in the case that a client/patient reports they were not adequately informed about a psychological service.