Adverse Effects For Siblings Who Witness Child Abuse, Leslie Chaires

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research explores the adverse effects on the mental health of children who have witnessed child abuse on siblings or relatives and interventions that can help mitigate adverse effects. The adverse effects of being abused have continued to be studied by different fields, such as child development and social work, but the children not directly abused are the missing voice in the literature on child abuse and mental and behavioral health. Social workers frequently have contact with children who have been victims of abuse or have witnessed child abuse. Social workers and other mental health providers can bring further insight …

Prolonged Exposure To Congregate Care And Foster Youth Outcomes, Tiffany Acklin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Long-term exposure to congregate care settings can place foster children at greater risk for negative life outcomes in adulthood such as homelessness, incarceration, and substance use. The significance of this quantitative study is found in the benefits to both the micro and macro fields of social work as well as the practical applications to child welfare practices regarding placing children in congregate care settings. These findings are essential for guiding and improving the already existing child welfare policies and practices regarding the length of stay in congregate care settings as well as providing supportive services to children who are already …

Safety Organized Practice Training And Implementation In Central California, Alison Lucado

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study focused on the macro level implementation of the Safety Organized Practice framework for best practice in Child Welfare social work. Safety Organized Practice is a social work framework for engagement with families that is used in California and various other states. It is a relatively new approach to social work in Child Welfare so many agencies are in various stages of implementation. This study gathered qualitative data through virtual interviews with social workers.

The key findings of this study were that Safety Organized Practice implementation needs to start at the supervisor and management level to ensure social workers …

Staff Turnover In Child Welfare, Maleena Flores

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The turnover rate amongst child welfare workers is an ongoing problem that has yet to find a durable solution. Past studies have examined factors that contribute to workers’ intention to leave and factors that may impact that decision. Purpose: This study explored this issue from the perspective of present and former child welfare workers in southern California counties by examining the relationship between turnover intention and psychological safety. Methods: This observational study used a cross sectional design to gather quantitative data via self-report through an online survey. Pearson product-moment correlation analyses were performed to examine the relationships between psychological …

Examining The Relationship Between Technological Skills And Success In Higher Education Among Formerly Incarcerated Individuals, Ebony Cubias

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background and purpose: Research has tended to focus on the outcomes of how digital inclusion for incarcerated individuals has helped reduce the rate of recidivism rather than the success rate in higher education for formerly incarcerated individuals. This study was implemented to examine the relationship between technological skills and academic achievement amongst formerly incarcerated individuals in higher education. Methods: This observational study used cross-sectional data from participants recruited from Project Rebound in California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB). Participants were recruited using purposive sampling method. Students who participated were over the age of 18, formerly incarcerated, and currently enrolled in …

How Has The Covid-19 Pandemic Impacted Clients Of The Early Development Center, Daniella Loera

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The research project explored the impact of factors that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic and families and children in the early development center, resulting in a decrease of child attendance. This research sought to analyze the impacts in one community to prepare for future national emergencies across different communities. The study was conducted with clients of a non-profit organization that offers services through their early development center for ages six weeks to five years old. Data was obtained through survey responses from participants to analyze their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses were analyzed through statistical analysis using SPSS. The …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Resilience In Social Work, Margeaux Wilkins, Jazmine Salazar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

High turnover rates continue to plague the field of social work highlighting the need for a new approach. This mixed-method study explores the relationship between the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) of social workers and their resilience in the field. Quantitative data was gathered from an online survey including demographic information and social workers’ ACEs scores. Qualitative data was gathered from interviews relating to social workers’ resilience and coping mechanisms employed in the field. The quantitative data was analyzed for any correlations and patterns based on demographic information. A thematic analysis was completed to identify common themes and points of discussion …

Examining Social Determinants Of Health Of Formerly Incarcerated California Students Who Graduated From Project Rebound, Ashley C. Adams

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Project Rebound is an educational based program that supports justice impacted individuals in obtaining higher education. The purpose of this study is to explore specific social determinants of health for these justice impacted students, and how these social determinants may improve after graduation. Specifically, this study will examine participants’ housing, mental health, substance use, employment, and finances during and after their participation in Project Rebound. This study is important, as there is little research on Project Rebound, their alumni, and how social determinants of health may be impacted by enrollment. This study is quantitative, and uses online surveys to gather …

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 …

School-Based Suicide Prevention Program For Lgbtq Students, Ching Lok Tse

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Purpose: The study focused on the school-based suicide prevention program for LGBTQ students. It aimed to identify risk factors facing LGBTQ students and examine the areas for improvements on the current suicide prevention program to better support LGBTQ students.

Methods: The study was conducted with the support of mental health professionals serving high school students. The study adopted post-positivism and utilized ecological systems theory as the theoretical orientation. Qualitative research instruments including one-on-one interviews were employed for data collection.

Results: Seven themes emerged from this study, including the lack of social support and acceptance, internal struggles with identity in heteronormative …

Services Available In The Mixtec Community And The Barriers To Those Services, Currie Bailey Carmon

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Purpose: While outreach and services continue to expand within marginalized communities, this research aims to identify services accessible to the Mixtec population within the North County of San Luis Obispo and identify the barriers to accessing those services. Methods: This study was conducted by interviewing service providers 18 years or older, who work within the Mixtec community in the private sector, child welfare services and within the school settings. The researcher utilized the post positivist paradigm, and data was gathered through semi-structured Zoom interviews with the service providers. Results: The study sample featured 6 participants who work within the Mixtec …

Social Justice Theatre And The Impact On Theatre Artists, Stevie Taken

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Theatre as an agent for social change has significantly impacted communities and entire countries. Examining how subversive theatre impacts those who engage with it to affect positive social change is a worthwhile endeavor. Theatre possesses the power to inspire empathy in people, which leads to progressive political action. This study explores the impact of participating in social justice theatre has on the artists who engage in it.

The literature reviewed in this study examines the impact attending subversive theatre has on audience members, its aim is to inspire empathy as a tool to create progressive social change. This study expands …

Mental Health Literacy And Attitudes Toward Mental Health Help-Seeking Among College Students Of Non-Mental Health Professions, Hannah Metz

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

College students who do not study mental health-related topics are a population that are particularly susceptible to mental health problems due to the stress of higher education and potential lack of mental health literacy. If this population has low levels of mental health literacy, they may not recognize a need to seek help and may be influenced against seeking help due to perceived negative stigma. This study sought to measure the level of mental health literacy among this subpopulation, as well as their attitudes toward seeking help for mental health issues by using a survey questionnaire which included two instruments …

The Challenges Homeless Men With Hiv/Aids Face When Seeking Housing, Rosey Yvette Martinez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study sought to understand the challenges homeless men with HIV/AIDS face when seeking housing. The research used a post-positivist paradigm. The study included interviews with housing specialists who work with homeless men with HIV/AIDS. The housing specialists work at a non-profit agency serving a large urban county in Southern California. Information obtained from this research allowed the agency to provide better support and services to homeless HIV/AIDS men in the future.

The study uncovered the following challenges homeless men with HIV/AIDS face when seeking housing: affordable housing in safe areas, substance abuse in the homeless population, individuals with mental …

Social Workers Perspective On Barriers To Family Reunification, Laura Velasquez, Annamarie C. Merrill

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The focus of this study is social worker’s potential perspective on barriers to family reunification in a child welfare services agency located in Central California. A constructivist research paradigm was applied to this study as it permitted the researchers to use a subjective methodology for collecting qualitative data. The study gathered data using interviews with child welfare social workers to construct a joint understanding of social workers perspective on barriers they face when reunifying child welfare families. Child welfare social workers identified numerous barriers to effective social work both in practice and in policy. The barriers found were a lack …

The Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Gang Membership, Johanna Ulloa

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background and Purpose: Youth gang membership is on the rise and has become a significant problem within communities and has led to serious consequences, such as high degrees of delinquency and homicide. Prior research has proposed that history of exposure to childhood trauma is a significant risk factor. Objective:This study examined the association between adverse childhood experiences and gang involvement. Methods: This research was a cross-sectional observational study used to gather quantitative data, using a non-random sampling strategy. Participants for this study included adults (i.e., 18 years or older) within the general population, who were literate in English and …

First-Generation Social Work Latinas Balancing Life And Career, Angelica Venegas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The study focused on learning about the successes and challenges first-generation social work Latinas face in the labor sector. The research project shows how Latino cultural values, beliefs, customs, and educational attainment impact Latinas’ careers and overall well-being. The research utilized a post-positivist approach and qualitatively gathered data through interviews with first-generation Latina social workers in Southern California. The study presents qualitative research project results, with quantitative demographics, of first-generation post-graduate Latinas balancing life and career. Themes from the findings include job satisfaction/dissatisfaction, assimilation and enculturation, labor sector discrimination and oppression, familismo and marianismo projection toward individualization, feeling balanced or …

Interventions Available To Children And Adolescents With Oppositional Difiant Disorder: A Scoping Review, Megan George, Jacqueline Laitano

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research project aims to explore and identify empirical evidence-based interventions for children and adolescents with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). This study will highlight evidence-based, non-pharmaceutical type interventions discussed in current research, the significance and potential impact it has on the field of social work, and the way in which this scoping review will be conducted.

ODD is a type of childhood disruptive behavior disorder in which children show ongoing patterns of uncooperative, defiant, argumentative, and hostile behaviors. ODD is among the most commonly diagnosed mental health conditions in children. Early intervention and treatment are important since various risk factors …

Resilency And Fatherless Households, Joshua Ellis-Kennedy, Crystal Angelica Orellana

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Fatherlessness is a complex and prevailing issue in society associated with many vulnerabilities and unfavorable outcomes. This study seeks to describe and identify the contributing factors to resilience among individuals who were raised in fatherless homes. Findings from this research would contribute to the body of knowledge that focuses on promoting resiliency and would specifically provide insight on contributing factors to resiliency that can help mitigate the negative consequences of fatherless homes.

The Impact The Job Stress Of A Child Welfare Social Worker Has On The Quality Of Their Relationship With Their Intimate Partner, Nadine Cazares

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The study focused on identifying the impact the job stress of a child welfare social worker has on the quality of their relationship with their intimate partner. The study examined child welfare social workers in a Child Protective Services department in a county in Southern California. The study utilized a positivist paradigm with data gathered through self-administered online surveys. The researcher utilized the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for the data analysis. The research conducted a correlational analysis, as both the independent variable (job stress) and dependent variable (relationship quality) are interval levels of measurement. The results failed to …

Exploring Permanency Rates Within The Southern California Counties Of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino And San Diego, Karrene Turner

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The term permanency within child welfare is the right for all children to have a childhood with a nurturing and permanent family. For children within foster care, it means a permanent family-based living situation with one of the following: parents, permanent placement with relatives, reunification with parents or adoption (Freundlich et al., 2006). The purpose of this study is to examine the perceived differences in permanency rates within 12 months of entry in child welfare within the Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego within a 10-year time span. The study will use pre-existing data …

Social Determinants And The Sexual Health Of Lgbtq+ People Of Color In The Inland Empire, Irad Leon

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Little research exists on the health education and healthcare-seeking attitudes and experiences of LGBTQ+ people of color, especially in areas that are considered low-income. This study sought to find the barriers to sexual healthcare for LGBTQ+ people of color in the Inland Empire. This study was a quantitative, exploratory study that utilized a non-random selection and convenience sample method. Data was collected from seventy-eight participants through an anonymous online survey distributed by an LGBTQ+-centered agency and analyzed with SPSS. It was found that most participants experienced a disconnect between the topics they wanted to learn about in sex education and …

Examining The Contributing Factors To Aging Out Of Foster Care, Aida Justiz Skipper, Ericka Ross

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: There is a need for an enhanced understanding of factors contributing to foster youths’ decision to leave the foster care system prematurely and not participate in the Extended Foster Care (EFC) program given California has the largest population of non-minor dependents in care and a very small percent of transitioning foster youth participating in the EFC program. Purpose: This study examined the factors that impact a youth’s decision to participate in EFC and strived to answer the following question: Is there an association between the social worker-client relationship and a foster youth’s knowledge of EFC? Methods: This quantitative study …

Factors That Increase Social Worker Longevity In Child Welfare Services, Heather Lovejoy

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

High social worker turnover rates have impacted Child Welfare Services (CWS) for many years and remains a consistent issue. Retaining child welfare social workers is important to effectively serve clientele involved with CWS. This study sought to identify factors that increase social worker longevity in CWS. Using a post-positivist approach, the researcher gathered qualitative data from employees who previously and currently work for CWS in southern California through interviews. The researcher interviewed ten participants. Of those participants, four are no longer employed with a CWS agency and six remained employed with CWS, all with different lengths of employment and came …

Alternative Approaches To Police Interventions When Responding To Mental Health Crises Incidents, Karen Rivera Apolinar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Purpose: This study explored mental health workers perspectives on alternative approaches in responding to mental health crises.

The study was carried out in Southern California, in collaboration with mental health workers who currently work or previously have worked in mental health crisis. It adopted a post-positivists paradigm and data was gathered through individual interviews with mental health workers who have direct experience with mental health crisis response in the community and with the police. The twenty participants in the study were men and women working in the mental health field, and of various backgrounds, licensures, and ages.

The study found …

Assessing Rural Northern California Foster Parent Recruitment Strategies, Ava M. Hagwood

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Purpose: This research proposal aims to better understand the effectiveness of current recruitment of Resource Family Approved (RFA) foster parents in a rural Northern California region. Approximately half of the foster youth at the selected research site were placed out of county due to a lack of available in-county privatized foster homes or RFA foster homes. By assessing the effectiveness of current recruitment rates, researchers identified effective future recruitment efforts. This understanding can lead to an increase in local foster homes and aid increased Family Reunification efforts.

Methods: The study partnered with a rural Northern California Resource Family Approval (RFA) …

Services For American Indian/Alaska Natives Foster Youth Victims Of Sexual Exploitation: The Social Worker’S Perspective, Maria Marquez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study focused on child welfare workers and practitioners’ perceptions of Native American foster youth sex trafficked victim clients' most pressing needs. The research also sought to understand the perspectives of social workers and practitioners on services for the victimized youth. The study was conducted in a large urban county in Southern California, with social workers and practitioners that work with American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) foster youth in child protective services, clinical settings, and a tribal entity. The study adopted a post-positivism paradigm. The data was collected through interviews of individual social workers and practitioners servicing AI/AN youth in the …

Foster Parent Training, Retention, And Satisfaction: An Exploratory Study, Dennisse Moreno Romo, Dulcinea Catota

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Research has demonstrated that foster parents who experience high levels of stress and frustration with the foster care agency are more likely to consider terminating their participation in foster care agencies. This quantitative study's purpose was to explore the relationship between training and foster parents’ satisfaction in their foster care agency, and between training and foster parent retention in their foster care agency. Participants completed an online questionnaire using Qualtrics software. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21, using statistical tests including frequencies and Pearson's R. The hypothesis that training would correlate positively with satisfaction and retention of foster parents …

Impacts Of Poverty On Language Development How Low Socio-Economic Status Students Are At An Academic Disadvantage, Farbod Samari

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Socioeconomic status impacts a variety of mental health outcomes, including language development. Delays in language development have consistently been linked to poverty. Decreases in vocabulary and phonological awareness are among developmental delays in school-aged children living in poverty. This research aims to contribute to the field of human services by examining the negative impacts of poverty on language development from a social worker’s perspective. As social workers thrive to serve disadvantaged populations, this research brings awareness to how language development deficiencies occur in school-aged children living in poverty.

To fulfill the purpose of this study, a quantitative, descriptive/explanatory design …

How Stigma Impacts The Utilization Of Mental Health Services Among Young Adults' Within Three Different Ethnic Minority Communities, Ivette Garcia, Melissa E. Gomez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Mental health is an important aspect of every individual’s life. However, regardless of its importance, mental health is a topic that does not get much recognition. It is often simply brushed under the rug and ignored. Consequently, individuals who have mental health diagnoses may or may not choose to seek the necessary assistance. This specifically seems to be the case among adolescents and young adults within various ethnic communities, which may be due to the stigma surrounding mental health in their communities. To illustrate, regardless of the high prevalence rate of mental health issues among the minority youth, many of …