Digital Commons Network^™

Counselors’ Stigma Toward Addictions: Increasing Awareness And Decreasing Stigma, Natalie M. Ricciutti

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The purpose of this study was to explore licensed counselors’ level of stigma toward individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) and process/behavioral addictions (PBAs) and note any differences. A total of 138 licensed mental health counselors from one Midwestern state completed the SRTSS and the BRTSS to determine levels of stigma toward SUDs and PBAs, respectively. Participant scores from the SRTSS and BRTSS were normally distributed, and 15% to 32% of participants’ scores were reflective of stigma toward individuals with either SUDs or PBAs. A significant difference was not found between participants’ stigma toward individuals with SUDs or PBAs. Hypotheses …

A Call To Action: Person-Centered Care Aligned With Reproductive Justice For Incarcerated Pregnant People With Substance Use Disorder, Essence Hairston, Aunchalee El Palmquist, Andrea K. Knittel, Kevin Mensah-Biney, Crystal M. Hayes, Amelia Mack, Hendrée E. Jones

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Although research has proven that jails and prisons are ineffective in preventing or reducing substance use among pregnant people, the USA continues to rely heavily on the criminal legal system as its intervention. Pregnant people with an opioid use disorder are more likely to experience incarceration than pregnant people without an opioid use disorder. In some states, pregnant people are transported from jail to prison through the process of safekeeping in order to receive physical or mental health care that the jail does not provide, despite conviction status. When pregnant and postpartum safekeepers with an opioid use disorder experience incarceration, …

Naloxone Education To Improve Distribution In Primary Care: A Quality Improvement Project, Joanna Boback

DNP Projects

Significance and Background: Opioid overdose is a major public health problem in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed guidelines for prescribing opioids which have not been widely integrated into practice. These guidelines specify co-prescribing naloxone with opioids as a form of harm reduction. A policy to reflect these recommendations was needed to guide prescribing at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Connecticut to increase low naloxone prescribing rates. Evidence supported the use of provider education to increase prescribing rates.

Purpose: Deliver education to providers across the health system on best practices related to …

A Grounded Theory Of Counselors’ Post-Graduation Development Of Disability Counseling Effectiveness, Michele Rivas, Nicole R. Hill

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Many persons with disabilities engage in counseling services in a variety of settings. However, the development trajectories of counselors who seek to compensate for the lack of training and advance their post-graduation skillset to work effectively with clients with disabilities has not been explored. This grounded theory study illuminated several dimensions involved in twenty-one Licensed Professional Counselors’ post-graduation development of disability counseling effectiveness. In this study, counseling effectiveness refers to self-perceived improved skillset rather than a benchmark (i.e., competence). The core category, Evolving Commitments, was common to all participants’ trajectories when developing disability counseling effectiveness. The other categories (causal conditions, …

Application Of A Secondary Opioid Risk Tool In The Management Of Patients On Opioids In The Adult Pain Management Clinic: A Quality Improvement Project, Monica Kastanaras

DNP Projects

Introduction—Significance and Background: Aggressive opioid prescription practices play the biggest role in opioid-related behaviors and contribute to an epidemic of abuse. If started on long-term opioid therapy without screening, patients who are high risk for opioid abuse could overdose on their prescribed opioids. Current practice does not follow guidelines on monitoring opioid misuse behaviors utilizing a secondary screening tool for patients on long-term therapy.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to help clinicians identify whether a patient, currently on long-term opioid therapy, may be exhibiting aberrant behaviors associated with misuse of opioid medications, using the Current Opioid Misuse Measure …

Altop (Alternatives To Opioids), Fall 2022, Dr. Susan L. Davis, Rn & Richard J. Henley College Of Nursing

News, Magazines and Reports

In this issue:

• New Principal Investigator (PI) ALTOP Grant
• 2021-2022 Graduating Class
• ANEW HRSA 2022-2023 Awardees
• Students Quality Improvement Projects
• April 9th, 2022, Preceptor Workshop Photos
• New Clinical Partner: The Bridgeport Rescue Mission/ Sage Health Care
• Save the Date: Annual DNP Colloquium

The Experiences Of Collegiality By Early-Career Counselor Educators, Jessica M. Tyler, Malti Tuttle, Marina Naviaux, Sara Ellison

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

It is essential to develop a work culture that supports faculty needs, be it professional for promotion and tenure, or personal. This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of collegiality by early-career counselor educator faculty members (CES) working in a CACREP institution. Relational support, expectations, administration, and doctoral experiences emerged as themes from these narratives. Implications for the field are discussed to address these experiences and provide recommendations to counselor education faculty and departments.

Increasing Opioid Abuse Screening In Primary Care Clinic: An Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Project, Carlos Milla

DNP Projects

Introduction

To address substance abuse multiple organizations recommend increase drug abuse screening as part of routine health care. CAGE AID is five-question tool used to screen for drug and alcohol use, answering yes to two or more questions indicates further assessment is advised. Unfortunately, most primary care centers do not use screen for substance abuse using validated instrument tools such as the CAGE-AID tool.

Purpose

The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project is to implement the CAGE-AID Substance abuse screening tool by nurse practitioners students in a family clinic located in Bridgeport in order to increase to number of …

Enhancing Depression Screening For The Adolescent Population In The Pediatric Emergency Department By Utilizing The Patient Health Questionnaire: A Quality Improvement Project, Chelsea Alvarez

DNP Projects

Background:

Mental health disparities make up 16% of the global burden of disease and injury in people ages 10-19. Many cases of mental health are unidentified and left untreated. Failure to address mental health disorders in children can lead to poor outcomes of health and well-being. Evidence-based practice supports the utilization of screening tools such as the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression screening in adolescents ages 12-18 years.

Objectives:

By implementing the PHQ-9 in the pediatric emergency department, the goals for this quality improvement project were to increase staff knowledge on the PHQ-9, improve staff screening compliance, and to …

Altop (Alternatives To Opiods) Newsletter, Spring 2022, Dr. Susan L. Davis, Rn & Richard J. Henley College Of Nursing

News, Magazines and Reports

In this issue:

• Southwest Community Health Center Quality Improvement Staff (QIS)
• FNP-DNP Student's Quality Improvement Project
• Paul L. Jones Scholarship Recipients
• SHU Alumni Kimberly Testo's AANP National Year Award
• Preceptors' Workshop CEU Credits

Shu Altop News Issue #4, Fall, Dr. Susan L. Davis, Rn & Richard J. Henley College Of Nursing

News, Magazines and Reports

Updates from the Davis & Henley College of Nursing Sacred Heart University Alternatives to Opioids for Pain Grant.

Alternatives to Opioids for Pain (ALTOP) is a HRSA funded project to help combat the opioid epidemic in Connecticut.

In this issue: • New Roles in Our Team • ANEW HRSA 2021-2022 Awardees • Southwest Community Health Center Chiropractic Care Services • Student Quality Improvement Project • Sacred Heart University Alumni Working at New Solutions Pain Management Clinic.

Folate As Adjunct Therapy To Ssri/Snri For Major Depressive Disorder: Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis, Rabail Altaf, Irasema Gonzalez, Kimberly Rubino, Eric C. Nemec

Physician Assistant Studies Faculty Publications

Objective: Evaluate depression scores, response, and remission rates in patients with major depression receiving adjunct therapy with folate (L-Methylfolate or folic acid) compared to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SSRI or SNRI) monotherapy.

Methods: Academic Search Premier, CINAHL Complete, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Medline with Full Text, PsychInfo, PubMed, ClinicalTrials.org, and Google Scholar were searched utilizing specific key words. Identified studies were independently screened for inclusion by two reviewers, were assessed for risk of bias using the Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (RoB2), then meta-analyzed using a random effects model with Review Manager (5.4) software.

Results: The …

Shu Altop News Issue #3, Summer, Dr. Susan L. Davis, Rn & Richard J. Henley College Of Nursing

News, Magazines and Reports

Updates from the Davis & Henley College of Nursing Sacred Heart University Alternatives to Opioids for Pain Grant.

Alternatives to Opioids for Pain (ALTOP) is a HRSA funded project to help combat the opioid epidemic in Connecticut.

Training Needs Of Counseling Trainees In Corrections: A Survey Of Clinical Directors, Frank Dicataldo, Brett Dejesus, Don Whitworth

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

As the mental health treatment needs of adults and adolescents within the criminal justice system has garnered increasing attention, the training of mental health professionals has increasingly focused on serving individuals in forensic and correctional settings. We surveyed 55 clinical directors of mental health programs in forensic and correctional settings in a New England state. Respondents reported that Clinical Mental Health Counselors (CMHCs) broadly participated in assessment, treatment and supervision within these programs. Counseling experience emerged as the most important knowledge/experience domain for prospective job applicants and CMHCs were rated as providing a large share of the treatment within these …

Shu Altop News Issue #2, Spring, Dr. Susan L. Davis, Rn & Richard J. Henley College Of Nursing

News, Magazines and Reports

Updates from the Davis & Henley College of Nursing Sacred Heart University Alternatives to Opioids for Pain Grant.

Alternatives to Opioids for Pain (ALTOP) is a HRSA funded project to help combat the opioid epidemic in Connecticut.

Physical Inactivity: A Behavioral Disorder In The Physical Therapist’S Scope Of Practice, Matthieu P. Boisgontier, Maura D. Iversen

SHU Faculty Publications

In health, the gold standard is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.This state is weakened by physical inactivity, which involves a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, depression, and obesity. Moreover, 6% to 10% of all deaths from non-communicable diseases worldwide can be attributed to physical inactivity. These adverse effects of physical activity provide evidence that physically active individuals are closer to the gold standard of health than inactive individuals. Therefore, physical activity – not inactivity – should be the standard reference behavior. In this framework, physical inactivity is a clinically significant disturbance in an …

Shu Altop News, Vol. 1, Dr. Susan L. Davis, Rn & Richard J. Henley College Of Nursing, Susan M. Denisco, Kerry A. Milner

News, Magazines and Reports

Updates from the Davis & Henley College of Nursing Sacred Heart University Alternatives to Opioids for Pain Grant.

Alternatives to Opioids for Pain (ALTOP) is a HRSA funded project to help combat the opioid epidemic in Connecticut. Through the creation and support of academic clinical practice partnerships at two federally qualified health centers, family nurse practitioner students are gaining clinical training and experience in the appropriate use of opioids and alternative pain modalities, in primary care settings. This project directly benefits the medically underserved areas in Bridgeport.

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Linking Motor And Process Skills, Sensory Patterns, And Psychiatric Symptoms, Lola Halperin, Janet Falk-Kessler

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Background: Consistent evidence suggests sensory abnormalities and skill deficits in people with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder (SSD). Further exploration of their sensory patterns and performance skills is warranted to promote community participation among these individuals.

Method: This study examined sensory patterns and motor and process skills in relationship to psychiatric symptoms in adult patients with SSD. Participants were evaluated using the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile, the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills, and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale.

Results: Of the 18 participants, the majority showed sensory differences, deficits in motor and process skills, and the presence of moderate to severe symptoms. …

Pressure To Be Perfect, Genevieve Nitzsche

Sacred Heart University Scholar

Eating disorders have become more prevalent in recent years, as societal standards have gotten harsher. Typically, when non-athletes think about the type of people who develop eating disorders, they may not consider athletes to be among those that are most affected. However, in sports such as wrestling and aesthetic sports, like gymnastics and figure skating, the emphasis of image and the pressure from coaches can be extremely harmful to athletes’ mental health. This article discusses specific statistics of the incidence of eating disorders in various sports, but mainly focuses on figure skating, gymnastics, and wrestling. The claim that the main …

Why Should We Care? Psychodynamic Theory And Practice In Counselor Preparation, Elyssa Smith

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Abstract

This constructivist grounded theory investigation explored the experiences and perceptions of seven counselors-in-training regarding psychodynamic theory and practice. Two categories, five themes including three subthemes, and a tentative theory which spoke to the experiences, perceptions, and attitudes of students regarding contemporary psychodynamic psychotherapy emerged. Implications for counselor education and the training of counselors are discussed.

Keywords: counselor preparation, psychodynamic, reflective practice

Use Of A Unique Farmers’ Market Program Targeting Lower-Income Community Members, Brittany Lawrence, Anna E. Greer, Anne Marie Zimeri, Daphne C. Hernandez, Sangnam Ahn, Shaakira Jones, Matthew Lee Smith

Public Health Faculty Publications

We examined use of a farmers’ market that leverages community partnerships to provide free produce to lower-income persons. Participants (n = 422) were asked to complete a questionnaire and given an ID number, which was used to track market use from 2014 to 2015. Chi square tests were used to examine associations between 2014/2015 market use and reasons for market use, financial support received, and how attendees had learned about the market. Ordinal regression was used to identify household characteristics associated with increased market attendance. Although the proportion of lower-income attendees declined over the study period, a substantial proportion of …

Sensory, Motor And Process Skills As Compared To Symptom Severity In Adult Patients With Schizophrenia, Lola Halperin

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness affecting millions of Americans. It is characterized by positive and negative symptoms; cognitive impairments; and sensory, motor, and process skill deficits; as well as compromised motor learning, functional difficulties, and diminished quality of life. Neuroscientists attribute the above deficits to abnormal brain development, exaggerated synaptic pruning, and neurodegenerative processes, causing disrupted connectivity and diminished plasticity in the brain, neurotransmitter dysfunction, and impaired sensory processing.

Presently, there is no cure for schizophrenia. Numerous medications and rehabilitation modalities exist; however, many of the affected individuals continue to struggle daily. Recovery of these individuals implies symptom management …

The Surgeon General's Facing Addiction Report: An Historic Document For Healthcare, S. Levy, J. P. Seale, Victoria A. Osborne, K. L. Kraemer, D. P. Alford, J. Baxter, D. S. Finnell, H. Kunins, A. Y. Walley, D. C. Lewis, D. Maclane-Baeder, A. J. Gordon

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The publication of Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health presents an historic moment not only for the field of addiction medicine, but also for the United States as a nation. The Board of Directors of the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA), on behalf of our organization, would like to express our appreciation of the efforts of Dr. Vivek Murthy and the Surgeon General's Office to publish the first surgeon general's report covering substance misuse and substance use disorders.

Depression In Student Athletes: A Particularly At-Risk Group? A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Shelley N. Armstrong, Michelle M. Burcin, Wendy Bjerke, Jody Early

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

Mental health initiatives are being implemented based on collegiate athletes being a high risk subculture for a variety of health behaviors that correlate directly to depression. This literature review used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method to investigate the association between depression and student athletes. An initial search of the research databases yielded 807 articles. After applying additional delimiting criteria, 30 articles were considered relevant for the critical review and 11 for the systematic review. Results showed that student athletes are actually less likely to be depressed when compared to their non-athlete peers due to …

How Do Older People Describe Others With Cognitive Impairment? A Multiethnic Study In The United States, Sarah B. Laditka, James N. Laditka, Rui Liu, Anna E. Price

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

We studied how older people describe others with cognitive impairment. Forty-two focus groups represented African Americans, American Indians, Chinese Americans, Latinos, Vietnamese Americans, and Whites other than Latinos (Whites) (N = 396, ages 50+), in nine locations in the United States of America. Axial coding connected categories and identified themes. The constant comparison method compared themes across ethnic groups. African Americans, American Indians and Whites emphasised memory loss. African Americans, American Indians, Latinos and Whites stressed withdrawal, isolation and repetitive speech. African Americans, American Indians, Vietnamese Americans and Whites emphasised ‘slow thinking’. Only Whites described mood swings and personality changes. …

Lifeskills Training Wellness Program: An Application For Young Adults In Supermarkets, Christopher Williams, Jessica Samuolis, Kenneth W. Griffin, Gilbert J. Botvin

Psychology Faculty Publications

To address the need for workplace substance use prevention programming, National Health Promotion Associates (NHPA) developed the LifeSkills Training Wellness Program (LST-WP) with funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Young Adults in the Workplace (YIW) grant program. LST-WP adapts and extends the highly effective, school-based LifeSkills Training (LST) model program (Botvin, 1998; Botvin et al., 1995) and provides comprehensive skills training for adolescent and young adult employees in communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, drug resistance, and related life skills. Overall, the program is designed to be highly flexible to meet employee and manager needs across different …

A Qualitative Study Of Coping In Mothers Of Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Heather Miller Kuhaneck, Tajhma Burroughs, Jamie Wright, Theresa Lemanczyk, Amy Rowntree Darragh

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

A significant body of research exists that explores the stressors of raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There are fewer studies, however, that examine specific effective coping strategies of mothers of children with an ASD. This qualitative study explored mothers’ perceptions of effective coping strategies for their parenting stressors. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 mothers to inquire about their personal coping methods. Interviews were coded and emergent themes identified which included coping strategies such as “me time,” “planning,” “knowledge is power,” “sharing the load,” “lifting the restraints of labels,” and “recognizing the joys.” The information from …

Alcohol Abuse In The Workplace: Developing A Workable Plan Of Action, Pearl Jacobs, Linda Schain

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Businesses readily acknowledge that employees who use illegal drugs pose a significant risk to the company and its employees. Alcohol use on the job creates an even greater risk yet companies often do not deal with the use or abuse of alcohol in the same manner as the use of illegal drugs. The danger in the use of alcohol is not limited to those diagnosed as alcoholics. A threat is present when an employee consumes two or three beers at lunch and then returns to work. These individuals do the most to create a hazardous situation. The abuse of alcohol …

Not On Our Watch!, Randall G. Glading

Education Faculty Publications

A zero-tolerance policy and a watchful eye ensure that student drinking at football games is a thing of the past.

Autonomy And Relatedness In Inner-City Families Of Substance Abusing Adolescents, Jessica Samuolis, Aaron Hogue, Sarah Dauber, Howard A. Liddle

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study examined parent-adolescent autonomous-relatedness functioning in inner-city, ethnic minority families of adolescents exhibiting drug abuse and related problem behaviors. Seventy-four parent-adolescent dyads completed a structured interaction task prior to the start of treatment that was coded using an established autonomous-relatedness measure. Adolescent drug use, externalizing, and internalizing behaviors were assessed. Parents and adolescents completed assessment instruments measuring parenting style and family conflict. Confirmatory factor analysis found significant differences in the underlying dimensions of parent and adolescent autonomous-relatedness in this sample versus previous samples. It was also found that autonomous-relatedness was associated with worse adolescent symptomatology and family impairment. Results …