A Systematic Review of Social Service Programs Serving Refugees

Keywords

refugee, forced migration, social service, casework, systematic review

Abstract

Purpose: The global forced migration crisis calls for responsive, research-supported social services. This systematic review examines available research on social service programs implemented with refugees worldwide. Methods: Through accessing academic databases, reviewing article reference lists and websites, and contacting experts, we identified 1,402 sources, 68 of which met review inclusion criteria and were selected for analysis. Results: Studies were conducted primarily in high-income countries (n = 57). Programs examined were related to general adaptation (n = 13), relationships (n = 20), financial and employment support (n = 15), or a specific area such as sport or gardening (n = 20). Few studies used pre–post (n = 6) or experimental designs (n = 1), and in a majority of studies, the theory underlying the intervention was not specified (n = 41). Discussion: Additional research is needed to better understand social service programming with refugees, particularly in understudied contexts.

Original Publication Citation

Shaw, S. A., & Funk, M. (2019). A Systematic Review of Social Service Programs Serving Refugees. Research on Social Work Practice, 29(8), 847–862.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2019-01-17

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/6808

Publisher

Research on Social Work Practice

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Social Work

University Standing at Time of Publication

Assistant Professor

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