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Social Work Supervision Education: Pennsylvania Social Workers Reflect On Education And Supervisory Competence, Morgan Ann Daugherty

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Supervision is an essential component of social work education and ongoing professional development for those employed at all levels of practice, having been identified as a protective factor against compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary trauma. Supervision education encompasses the direct training of students in how to be a supervisor to include knowledge, skills, and abilities of effective application. Supervision education is taught via multiple methods such as supervision education courses, supervision education embedded into the curriculum, post-degree certificate programs, continuing education coursework, including field educator training and on-the-job training. With vague competency expectations outlined by the Council on Social Work …

Residential Care Staff Views On The Training That They Receive And Their Perceptions On Preparedness In Regard To Working With Residents, Deziray Sorieya Marroquin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze residential care staff’s views on the training that they have received at residential group care facilities. Training is an important component of preparing staff to work with children within the child-welfare system. The literature review suggested that there were various factors that hindered residential care staff from being able to provide the necessary care for the residents. Such factors included inadequate training, supervision, burnout, and high turnover rates within residential group care facilities.

The study used a qualitative, exploratory design. The data was collected from in depth interviews with six participants who …

Healthcare Workers’ Perceptions, Practices, And Knowledge Of Trauma-Informed Care In The Hospital Setting, Emily Gayle Tippens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Psychological trauma has become a pervasive term throughout the mental health field but has been slow to gain momentum in the healthcare field. Hospitals have always been a place where people with mental health concerns or psychosis seek help, but hospitals have historically not implemented a trauma-informed care (TIC) approach. As the mental health crisis continues to become more detrimental, trauma-informed care skills will become more valuable. This study measured the knowledge, opinions, perceptions healthcare professionals in West Texas have regarding trauma-informed care. This study hypothesized that healthcare workers in West Texas would benefit from TIC training. This study hypothesized …

The Impact Of Crisis Intervention Team Training On Correctional Officer Burnout In A Southeastern State Prison, Jennifer L. Boyd

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This dissertation sought to ascertain whether or not Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training could lower burnout in correctional officers (CO) in a Southeastern state prison system. Using an experimental learning theory in a quantitative, quasi-experimental approach, the researcher administered the pre-test and post-test assessments using Maslach Burnout Inventory to CO before CIT and 4-weeks after they completed CIT. The researcher concluded that CIT lowered burnout on CO in all areas of the MBI but was statistically significantly lower for emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.

Social Workers’ Knowledge And Preparedness In Serving Clients With Experience Of Intergenerational Trauma, Geneva Gandelman

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research study explored intergenerational trauma and self-assessed competency levels of social workers who serve clients experiencing possible intergenerational trauma. Intergenerational trauma is a wide-spread issue, as it affects over a quarter of children and over half of adults in the United States. Intergenerational trauma, though affecting many clients, is not often discussed, and many mental health professionals are either uninformed on this topic or not interested. This study explored social workers’ self-assessed general knowledge of intergenerational trauma, training on intergenerational trauma, and whether they have knowledge of interventions or techniques tailored to working with families and individuals with possible …

Assessing Professionals Working With Latinx Families With Special Needs In Monterey County, Jose Francisco Hernandez Rivera

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Special Kids Connect (SKC) is a nonprofit organization serving children with disabilities and their families in Monterey County. This capstone project concentrated on the professionals working with children as part of SKC’s Early Start Intervention Program. The project’s objective was to discover local agencies' professional development training needs that serve Latinx families with disabled children between 2 to 8 years. Seventy-five child-care providers, early intervention service professionals, regional center staff, and school district personnel responded to the survey. They indicated an overall 60 % needed an understanding of systems related to IEPs, Early Start Services, Developmental Screenings, Social-Emotional Screenings, Regional …

A Qualitative Study: Exploring The Connection Between Therapeutic Foster Parent Training And Placement Disruption, Emmanuel Camarillo

Ed.D. Dissertations in Practice

Each year close to 500,000 children spend time in foster care (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2019). According to Leathers et al. (2019), 18.9% of children who enter care experience two different placements in their first 18 months after entering foster care, while 64% of children who stay in care for 24 months or longer experience three or more placements. Many placement disruptions occur because therapeutic foster parents feel they lack the training needed to support the children in their care. This study aimed to answer the following research question: What trainings result in positive fostering outcomes for therapeutic foster parents …

Effectiveness Of A Social Work Informed Casework Training Curriculum For Paraprofessionals In Non-Profit Social Service Agencies, Mindy L. Mccormick

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

This work presents a comprehensive study of the effectiveness of a social work informed casework training curriculum specifically developed for use with paraprofessionals, those without a four-year degree, working in a social service agency. Many studies have been written outlining the benefits of paraprofessional support in social service agencies, but little exists in how to properly train and support those paraprofessionals in their job roles. This study was designed to evaluate a new training curriculum to be utilized in meeting that need within the field. Multiple inferential analyses were conducted using pre-/post-test scores of 143 participants working in a national …

Evaluating The Perceptions Of Preschool Teachers And Administrators On Mental Health Services In The School Setting, Celia Tavarez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Mental health can impact a child’s success in many aspects, including in the school setting. School settings are very often the only place that provide an opportunity for families to be able to receive mental health services for their children. It is imperative that schools meet the mental health needs of the children who attend their schools. This research project examines data and information gathered from educators and school administrators to help us understand their experiences, successes, and/or displeasure about the services that are offered or not offered within the agency they work for. The literature review discusses the definition …

Attrition In A Holistic Job Skills Training Program: A Qualitative Study, Jeaniece Silas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today thousands of individuals and families are unemployed or underemployed and are seeking ways to combat poverty and become employed. One way that individuals seek to gain employment is by attending job skills training and adult education programs. However, there are barriers that hinder those individuals from successfully completing the programs. The purpose of this study is to explore the experience of applicants of a nonprofit job skills training program called FaithWorks and explore the reasons why applicants were not able to continue and, or complete the program. This study was conducted, through qualitative interviewing of four participants (N=4) utilizing …

Social Work Students' View On The Integration Of Religion In Social Work, Araceli Delgado

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study focused on social work students’ views on the integration of religion in social work. This study allowed students to gain knowledge and insight on the importance of discussing religion with clients. The study examined social worker students’ experiences during their involvement in the social work program which looked into how prepared they were in situations where religion was necessary to discuss with clients and other outcomes.

Qualitative interviews were conducted with ten participants who discussed their experiences in internships during their involvement within the social work program. Participants were in different years in the BASW and MSW program …

Unheard Warriors: Creating An Effective Child Welfare Workforce, Yina Cordero

Community Engagement Student Work

As child abuse and neglect cases continue to increase in the United States, child welfare workers continue to experience challenges that have made it increasingly difficult to adequately care for the children and families in the child welfare system. Unfortunately, this has led to increased turnover rates among child welfare workers. Policy surrounding the child welfare workforce have pushed for changes that do not appropriately address issues such as the lack of education, training, and unsafe organizational environment that child welfare workers experience daily. An extensive overview of the current state of the child welfare workforce, has demonstrated a need …

Evaluation Of A Sexual Health Training For Child Welfare Workers, Katie Massey Comsb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Elevated rates of early pregnancy and parenting among youth in foster care (YFC) are well documented. Training child welfare workers to provide sexual health information and resources is stated throughout the extant literature as a pressing need in efforts to prevent unintended pregnancy among YFC. However, few child welfare agencies offer such training to their workers, and little is known about the extent to which conversations about sexual and reproductive health already occur between child welfare workers and youth. Thus, this study aimed to: a) assess baseline attitudes, knowledge, and communication among child welfare workers regarding sexual health of …

Active Shooter Preparedness Training, Berenice Dougherty, Nyemal Thuok Chuol

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examined the effectiveness of active shooter preparedness training on students for the purpose of assessing whether or not undergoing such training helps ease students’ level of anxiety, sense of preparedness in the event of a mass shooting attack at their California State University campus, or an attack occurring at their place of internship. This data was collected by offering an active shooter training to student participants, facilitated by the Risk Management department, at a large University in Southern California. Following the training, first-year Bachelors and Masters students within the School of Social Work were given a self-administered questionnaire. …

A Case Study On Learning Transfer In A Social Service Organization, Cynthia A. Barnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Support from managers, training specialists, and human resource development specialists is needed if social service employees are to transfer learning to their organizations. There is a gap in the literature about managers, training specialists, and HRD specialists familiarizing employees with learning transfer expectations. This study addressed the way social service employees transferred what was learned after attending normal training classes. The research questions focused on learning transfer expectations for the employees, conditions that addressed during the learning transfer, processes that are in place where there was not a learning transfer initiative, and the way learning was used by employee. The …

"I Need Help" Recommendations For A Trauma Informed Care Training For Resource Parents, Jaspreet Kaur Bola

Master's Projects and Capstones

This report discusses the need for extensive trauma informed care training for resource parents (formerly known as foster care parents). A review of the literature and collection and analysis of data during group interviews with case managers and one-on-one interviews with resource parents was conducted. The review and data analysis found that resource parents are experiencing several challenging behaviors as a result of trauma from the foster child(ren) in their care and resource parents want more specific and detailed trauma informed care training that will help foster parents better address behavioral issues of the foster children in their care. Resource …

Preparing The Workforce For Integrated Healthcare, Denise Ratliff Black

Doctoral Dissertations

Integrated healthcare is recommended to deliver care to individuals with co-occurring medical and mental health conditions. Identifying the knowledge necessary for behavioral health providers to practice in integrated settings, and determining whether a computer application is an effective strategy to disseminate this knowledge, are essential steps to transitioning these individuals to integrated healthcare delivery systems. A literature review of U.S. based publications from 1999 to 2015 identified 68 articles that met inclusion criteria and identified specific knowledge for integrated healthcare settings. A survey completed by 154 behavioral health providers working in integrated healthcare settings examined the extent to which respondents …

Cultural Competency In Medical Social Work With Elders, Alexandra Pray

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this research study is to gain a better understanding of the importance of implementing cultural competency when working in medical settings with the older adult population. This is a qualitative exploratory study. To complete this study, six semi-structured interviews were completed with licensed social workers who are working in a medical setting and also have experience working with the older adult population. All LSW’s and LGSW’s who participated in this study currently work in the Twin Cities area. The researcher completed a brief literature analysis related to the impact of cultural competency within medical settings when working …

Working With Trauma : A Qualitative And Retrospective Exploration Of The Experiences Of Clinicians Who Work With Trauma, Allyson Rebecca Lent

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The current study explored the gap in understanding the experiences of clinicians who work with trauma given the interesting intersection of high prevalence of trauma and demonstrated lack of training in working with trauma survivors. To this end, this qualitative and exploratory study sought to gain a retrospective understanding of clinicians’ training and career experiences in an effort to glean what has worked well in preparing skilled clinicians to work with trauma. Findings confirmed that clinicians do not feel prepared to do trauma work upon graduating from their degree programs and that they must seek out training opportunities in order …

Understanding And Treating Shame: The Role Of The Clinician, Jennifer Perez

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Shame is a powerful emotion and experience that impacts how individuals interpret a situation, and often their behavior. It correlates with a number of mental health conditions that are commonly treated by psychotherapists, and yet the explicit or implicit treatment of shame directly or simultaneous to the disorder is less common. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted in an attempt to gather insight regarding the conceptualization, observation, and treatment of shame in the context of psychotherapy by both generalists and specialists (those with and without explicit training in relation to shame and its treatment). Themes that emerged from the data …

Practitioners Views On Effective Interventions For Victims Of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, Tracy Nibo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the present study was to explore methods of effective treatment interventions for victims of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) from the viewpoint of practitioners. Although risk factors are present the secretive nature of the DMST population make victims difficult to identify. The sensitivity of the trauma victims experience also make it difficult to determine effective interventions to utilize for treatment of this population. This study seeks to gain the perspectives of practitioners who work with the DMST population in order to overcome these barriers. This study utilizes a qualitative design in which 10 practitioners were interviewed …

Factors That Contribute To Foster Parent Turnover, Tricia M. Favela, Cristina Velazquez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Foster parents play a key role in providing care to children that have been removed from their families. The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify factors that contribute to foster parent turnover. A self-administered survey included 6 questions in each section of the following sections; interaction with agency staff, communication, and foster parent training. The study’s findings indicated that over 36% of the study’s participants reported that they were hesitant to discuss concerns with agency workers, and almost 45% were unsure of or did not believe that their worker was open and honest in providing relevant background information …

The Effects Of Continuing Education On Nurse Knowledge Of Safe Haven Laws In Illinois, Lindsay Thiemkey Gordon

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Illegal and often fatal infant abandonment is a pervasive public health crisis. Safe Haven Laws (SHLs) help to prevent illegal infant abandonment by allowing specific professionals, including nurses, to accept unharmed newborns within statutorily defined parameters. SHLs have existed for nearly two decades, yet many healthcare workers are not knowledgeable about these laws: this implies that initial efforts to educate healthcare workers about SHLs have been ineffective. Continuing education supports lifelong learning which is a basic tenet of nursing practice. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to teach nurses about SHLs through evidence-based continuing education. Literature firmly …

Therapeutic Foster Parents' Perspectives Of The Efficacy Of Preservice Training, Mirae Jean Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preservice training programs offered in a city in the Pacific Northwest have not been assessed to determine whether they adequately prepare therapeutic foster parents (TFPs). This phenomenological study identified factors that influenced the impact of preservice training on parents' preparation to manage their foster children's behavior, foster parent attrition, and multiple moves of the foster children. Chamberlain, Rork, McNeil, and Christenson's work linking training programs with the success of foster children was used to frame this study. Data were generated from semistructured interviews of 12 certified local TFPs who had completed preservice training and had at least one child placed …

Foster Parents’ Key Barriers To Agency Training And Support Groups, Ruth Patton

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

In 2012, more than 185,000 American children lived in nonrelative foster homes. While some states do not require foster parents to receive ongoing training or agency support, these services have been shown to decrease foster parent attrition and improve the experience for both parents and children. Despite the benefits, foster parents do not regularly take advantage of agency training and support options. Previous research has revealed that common barriers to support and training group attendance are both structural (e.g., timing and inconvenience) and perceptual (e.g., relevance of training). This study showed that foster parents experience similar barriers, despite believing that …

Mandated Reporting And Child Maltreatment: Training And Experiences Of Minnesota Teachers, Allison N. Butts

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The state of Minnesota has no requirement for the training of mandated reporters for child maltreatment and teachers account for nearly 24% of child protection reports(Minnesota Department of Human Services, 2013b). This study looks to gain perspective on teachers’ experiences with mandated reporting, if and where they have received training on mandated reporting and child maltreatment, where they believe they should be receiving training and what they feel it should include. A mixed-mode online questionnaire with questions from the Teachers and Child Abuse Questionnaire, ECAQ and created by the author were used to survey 65 Minnesota teachers (Kenny 2001a; Kenny, …

How Does Education And Experience Impact Therapist Self-Disclosure Among Clinical Social Workers?, Ashley J. Grahek

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This mixed methods study asks clinical social workers about their experience with therapist self-disclosure. Clinical social workers (n=86) completed an online survey asking them about their understanding and use of self-disclosure, their comfort and competence in using self-disclosure, their experience and education regarding self-disclosure, and how education, licensure, training, and supervision might be strengthened or expanded to address the use of self-disclosure in clinical practice. Findings suggested that clinical social workers are comfortable and confident in their use of therapist self-disclosure. The majority of respondents believed education, training, and supervision could be strengthened or expanded to better address the use …

Training And Burnout Among Paraprofessionals Who Work With Children With Emotional Behavioral Disorders, Jenna Robinson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

To assist the Waseca school district in addressing the training and self-care needs of paraprofessionals, keeping the overall mission in mind of empowering students to succeed in the academic environment, this project examined the training received and factors related to subsequent professional burnout among paraprofessionals in Waseca schools.

Training And Burnout Among Paraprofessionals Who Work With Children With Ebd, Daniel Boston

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to learn about the experiences of paraprofessionals who are working with children with emotional behavior disorders and, more specifically, their perceptions about the adequacy of training and the burnout they may experience.

Behind The Scenes: Correctional Officers’ Perceptions On Serious Mental Illness Training, Teri Gerhardt,

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Correctional officers working within county jails are limited in training for mental health crisis intervention strategies. This study explored correctional officers’ insight after fulfilling training on SMI provided by the National Alliance on Mental Illness: Minnesota, in which insight was gained of professional attitudes and perceptions, evaluating program effectiveness. A focus group was employed with correctional officers who were purposefully invited to participate in this study as they have direct, firsthand knowledge of the strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement of the training. The findings indicate that correctional officers feel jail is not a place for individuals with a mental …