This study investigates the position of civil justice within the trends in forensic social work research. For this purpose, it conducts an overview of domestic and international studies, especially those from previous conferences and published papers by the Japanese Society of Law and Forensic Social Services. Although civil justice, defined as “justice based on civil law, especially civil code,” is generally perceived as a concern of forensic social work, it has yet to be clearly established as a practical area in this field. Moreover, limited research has been conducted on civil justice, while treating forensic social work as a means of providing normative/substantive solutions and problem mitigation. In other words, this study argues that if civil justice has an affinity with social welfare and is one of the concerns of forensic social work, then social work should be applied to welfare issues in collaboration with legal representatives. It also calls for further research on the potential methods of collaboration by integrating forensic social work with both criminal justice and civil justice.

This study critically examines the development trajectory of self-help group theory and two tojisha social movements in the field of mental health welfare, with particular attention to their “social change function.” Initially, both self-help group theory and the tojisha social movement, guided the experts’ support, emphasized this function as a core component. However, over time, our analysis finds that practice theories have increasingly prioritized the “therapeutic function,” leading to a gradual marginalization of their transformative potential. Our findings highlight three key points: (1) the importance of the “attitude of waiting and believing in the power and potential of tojisha,” as presented by Teruo Yanaka in his livelihood assistance theory; (2) the tojisha and self-help groups involving the political tojisha social movement, despite being pushed to the periphery of theoretical, they hold practical and embodied knowledge that social workers should actively engage with and learn from; (3) establishing ethical partnerships by listening to the marginalized voices can serve as a foundation for both self-help group theory and contemporary social work practice. Moreover, the concept of self-help and self-help groups can be reframed as reflective tool for social work grounded in the human rights model of disability.

This study clarifies the process by which individuals with autism choose to pursue higher education, providing insights for support in higher education enrollment. For this purpose, interviews were conducted with eight university students and working adults with autism, after which the concepts related to their decision-making process were extracted. According to the results, there were two patterns in the selection process. The first pattern was based on the social positions and characteristics of individuals with disabilities, including the difficulty of employment for high school graduates with disabilities, workplace intolerance toward disability-related traits, and the desire to achieve the status of “non-disabled individuals.” In this regard, the participants exhibited signs of internalized discrimination, perceiving themselves as targets of bias. The second pattern was driven by academic-track class placement and the pursuit of personal interests. Overall, the findings suggest that career guidance staff should collaborate with school social workers to empower high school students with autism, thus promoting their positive transformation toward self-fulfillment.

This study is a literature review on supporting students with chronic illnesses to return to school in Japan. Its purpose was to determine the current status of research on supporting such students and examine the role of school social workers in this process. Based on the findings, previous studies have indicated the need for better coordination by the school, home, and hospital. However, the coordinating role of special education coordinators/school social workers was not clearly defined. In addition, there has been limited research on the support for parents of chronically ill children. Thus, future research should focus on the types of support provided by special education coordinators/school social workers to the parents of students with chronic illnesses as well as the students themselves when returning to school.

This study examined the roles of social workers based on the perspective of facility directors of special elderly nursing homes. For this purpose, a series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 facility directors of special elderly nursing homes in prefecture A, Japan. The results, analyzed through a qualitative descriptive research method, were divided into 14 categories, including “involvement in marketing,” “utilization of expertise and skills,” and “contribution to the local community.” Following previous research, it identified various categories such as administration, coordination, and counseling. Overall, the following roles of social workers were expected by the facility directors: 1) sustainable management; 2) involvement in the quality of care services; and 3) contribution to the local community.

This study conducted a program evaluation of Shiawase Namida (a non-profit organization that focuses on the eradication of victimization through sexual violence in Japan) and its activities related to the revision of criminal sexual offense laws for victims with disabilities. By employing a program evaluation approach, this study involved practitioners in the evaluation process and examined the practical methods of social action. Based on the evaluations, the initiative was achieved to some extent, although certain challenges remain. Meanwhile, the evaluation identified four key practical methods of social action: 1) setting clear goals and aims; 2) organizing program activities; 3) collaborating with diverse organizations and individuals; and 4) conducting process evaluations for program review and improvement. Overall, this study highlighted the significant influence of non-affected individuals, organizations, and social workers. However, future research should establish empirically grounded methodologies of social action.

The present study examined a sample of individuals in Japan who previously experienced foster care (care leavers), with focus on their relationships both during and after such care. For this purpose, a questionnaire survey was administered to the staff of 23 children’s homes and child psychotherapy facilities in Aichi Prefecture between April 2017 and March 2022 (408 valid responses). In this case, cross-tabulation (a chi-square test) was performed to show the relationship between the independent and dependent variables, while binomial logistic regression analysis with moderating variables was used to examine the relationship between these variables. Based on the findings, approximately 20% of the care leavers had no contact information. Meanwhile, among the independent variables, good relationships with the staff and other children revealed a statistically significant negative association. In other words, those who had not established a good relationship with the staff and other children during foster care were more likely to lose contact with them after such care.