Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Institution
-
- California State University, San Bernardino (7)
- University at Albany, State University of New York (4)
- University of Denver (3)
- Walden University (3)
- Western Michigan University (3)
-
- Selected Works (2)
- Abilene Christian University (1)
- City University of New York (CUNY) (1)
- Cleveland State University (1)
- Montclair State University (1)
- Nova Southeastern University (1)
- Portland State University (1)
- Sacred Heart University (1)
- SelectedWorks (1)
- St. Catherine University (1)
- The University of Akron (1)
- University of Kentucky (1)
- University of Louisville (1)
- University of Southern Maine (1)
- University of Washington Tacoma (1)
- Virginia Commonwealth University (1)
- Wayne State University (1)
- Publication Year
- Publication
-
- Electronic Theses and Dissertations (5)
- Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations (5)
- Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024) (4)
- The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare (3)
- Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies (3)
-
- Theses Digitization Project (2)
- Theses and Dissertations (2)
- DSW Capstone Projects (1)
- Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works (1)
- Dissertations and Theses (1)
- Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects (1)
- Elián P. Cabrera-Nguyen (1)
- JaeRan Kim (1)
- Johanna K.P. Greeson, PhD, MSS, MLSP (1)
- Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers (1)
- School of Social Work Faculty Publications (1)
- Social Work & Criminal Justice Publications (1)
- Social Work Faculty Publications (1)
- Thinking Matters Symposium (1)
- Wayne State University Dissertations (1)
- Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects (1)
- Publication Type
Articles 1 - 30 of 38
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Prosecutors Or Helpers: An Institutional Ethnography Of Child Protective Services Casework, Anna Maria Rockhill
Prosecutors Or Helpers: An Institutional Ethnography Of Child Protective Services Casework, Anna Maria Rockhill
Dissertations and Theses
Millions of families come into contact with child welfare every year (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2020). The mission of child welfare is to strengthen the ability of families to care for their children and to protect children and provide aid, services, or referrals to families where maltreatment is said to have occurred (Congressional Research Services, 2020). The vast majority of the families who become involved with child welfare are multiply disadvantaged (e.g., Mersky et al., 2009; Sedlak et al., 2010; Testa & Smith, 2009) and child welfare is a key feature of the array of public supports …
Prolonged Exposure To Congregate Care And Foster Youth Outcomes, Tiffany Acklin
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 …
Impact Of Employee-Supervisor Attachment Styles On The Prevalence And Symptomatic Expression Of Secondary Traumatic Stress In Public Child Welfare Workers., Lisa Purdy
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Child welfare organizations throughout the nation grapple with turnover rates estimated to be as high as 65% (e.g., CWLA, 2016; Edwards & Wideman, 2018). Turnover contributes negatively to client outcomes, organizational financial shortages, and to perpetuating stressful conditions for the child welfare workforce. One factor found to contribute to turnover within child welfare is that of secondary traumatic stress (STS). Child welfare workers are known to experience higher rates of STS than any other helping professional (Brady, 2017). However, while many risk and protective factors for secondary traumatic stress have been evaluated, there remains a gap in the literature as …
Crossing Over: A Description Of Dual Status Youth In Taylor County, Texas, Kimberly S. Putnam
Crossing Over: A Description Of Dual Status Youth In Taylor County, Texas, Kimberly S. Putnam
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study explores and describes the experiences of ten dual status youth in Taylor County, Texas by examining the factors of race, sex, child welfare allegation, and juvenile justice offense. A review of the literature suggests that this population has unique challenges in and outside the courtroom, including being at increased risk for disparate outcomes in later adolescence and adulthood. This study compared single-system child welfare and juvenile justice data from Texas DFPS Region 2 and Taylor County to raw data provided on a sample of ten dual status youth identified in Taylor County from 2017–2021. Findings included a disproportionately …
Exploring Permanency Rates Within The Southern California Counties Of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino And San Diego, Karrene Turner
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 …
Professional Discretion Of Child Protective Services Investigators In Foster Care Placements, Leonard Fikes
Professional Discretion Of Child Protective Services Investigators In Foster Care Placements, Leonard Fikes
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Families of color in North Carolina have been disproportionately affected in the child welfare system, particularly in the foster care system. The purpose of this qualitative research study examined the discretionary powers of Child Protective Services (CPS) investigators and how they interpreted and applied child welfare policies that disproportionally impacted African American families from marginalized, underrepresented communities. Guided by Wallander and Molander’s professional discretion as the framework, this research expanded the current literature and increased awareness of racial disproportionality and the continued disproportionality of African American children in the child welfare system, especially foster care placements. The central research question …
Preferred Practices To Retain Black Female Caseworkers Employed In Child Welfare, Anna Koehle
Preferred Practices To Retain Black Female Caseworkers Employed In Child Welfare, Anna Koehle
Theses and Dissertations
The problem addressed by this study was that the turnover rate among social workers has been highest for Black female child-welfare caseworkers. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of Black female child-welfare caseworkers and effective strategies for retention. Ten experienced Black female caseworkers in child welfare were interviewed; participants represented five U.S. states. Participants were asked about mentorship programs, preservice training, financial incentives, major concerns related to retention, and recommendations for retention initiatives to specifically address the needs of Black female caseworkers. Themes emerged related to Black female caseworkers in child welfare. Mentorship programs …
Child Protection Policy Dimensions Across Catholic Archdioceses And Civil Statutes : A Comparative Content Analysis, Jeffrey Trant
Child Protection Policy Dimensions Across Catholic Archdioceses And Civil Statutes : A Comparative Content Analysis, Jeffrey Trant
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Since 2002, the Catholic Church in the United States has enacted a national child protection framework to address child sexual abuse. However, child protection policies within the context of the Catholic Church are currently not well understood. This study was guided by the following questions: (1) How do child protection policy dimensions differ in Catholic archdioceses in the United States? (2) How do child protection policy dimensions differ across and between Catholic archdioceses and civil statutes? The present study utilized a generic qualitative methodology employing comparative content analysis to conduct a policy analysis using publicly available child protection policies from …
Child Welfare: Workforce Retention, Competence, And The Connection To Social Work Education, Brittany Stanley
Child Welfare: Workforce Retention, Competence, And The Connection To Social Work Education, Brittany Stanley
DSW Capstone Projects
While there are many avenues to discuss and explore, the key area of interest for the Capstone Project is that of retention of a competent frontline workforce. Each state has their own set of guidelines for hiring frontline workers which allows for variety in the educational backgrounds of the investigative and ongoing workers. This can become problematic when the educational background may not be the most suited for the work and challenges faced by child welfare workers.
During the development of the Capstone Project, one could not help but wonder that if workers were adequately prepared for the demands of …
Child Welfare Workers’ Development Of Cultural Competency For Clients In Poverty, Rachel Armstead
Child Welfare Workers’ Development Of Cultural Competency For Clients In Poverty, Rachel Armstead
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Children of families living in poverty are at a higher risk of being victims of child maltreatment than children of families not living in poverty. Many families involved in the child welfare system live in poverty and have low socioeconomic status. The National Association of Social Workers requires all social workers to have a level of cultural awareness, knowledge, and skill to engage clients from diverse cultures. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore child welfare workers’ understanding of cultural competence and their implementation of culturally sensitive practices as they engage clients living in poverty. Bacote’s cultural competence …
Child Welfare Service Worker's Perspective Of The Juvenile Justice System, Valorie Antone, Kathryn Whitehead, Alexander Comeau, Zoe Donvan
Child Welfare Service Worker's Perspective Of The Juvenile Justice System, Valorie Antone, Kathryn Whitehead, Alexander Comeau, Zoe Donvan
Thinking Matters Symposium
Prior literature indicates youth who have had adverse childhood events or are diagnosed with a mental illness are more likely to become involved in the juvenile justice system (Chappard & Maggard, 2020). While research has been performed to involve juvenile justice workers and juveniles that have been involved in the system, there has been little involvement by the child welfare workers who have followed the trajectory of the youth from the beginning of involvement. This study investigates the perceptions of child welfare workers regarding youth involvement in the criminal justice system, addressing a current gap in the literature. In terms …
Understanding Awol As A Crisis Response In Out-Of-Home Placement Settings, Stephen James Oby Jr
Understanding Awol As A Crisis Response In Out-Of-Home Placement Settings, Stephen James Oby Jr
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Youth elopement from out-of-home placement settings, an act colloquially referred to as AWOL, is a frequent and extremely risky outcome for youth and a key concern for child welfare entities. AWOL is hypothesized here as a maladaptive coping response to the experience of out-of-home placement as a crisis-inducing event. Conceiving of AWOL as a response to a crisis state redefines apparent risk factors as crisis origins and enables an understanding of which youth may experience a removal and out-of-home placement event as crisis inducing. Factors related to AWOL outcomes are embedded within an ecological systems framework and the interactions between …
Childhood Trauma Within The Child Welfare System, Valarie Schulz, Angelica Bautista
Childhood Trauma Within The Child Welfare System, Valarie Schulz, Angelica Bautista
Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations
Childhood trauma among children in foster care is a major concern in the child welfare system and its impacts often go unaddressed. The purpose of this study was to gain knowledge from a social worker’s view on early trauma intervention for children in foster care and their successful transition into adulthood. This study used an exploratory qualitative method to collect data through face-to-face interviews with 7 social workers who have experience working with foster children. This approach gained participant’s unique insights pertaining to their experiences working with children impacted by childhood trauma.
Data obtained from this study identified early trauma …
The Inclusive Family Support Model: Facilitating Openness For Post-Adoptive Families, Jaeran Kim, Angela Tucker
The Inclusive Family Support Model: Facilitating Openness For Post-Adoptive Families, Jaeran Kim, Angela Tucker
JaeRan Kim
Open adoptions have increased over the past few decades, and although guidance for considering and creating open adoption agreements exist, one area of needed post-adoption support is helping adoptive birth/first families navigate open-adoption relationships after finalization. Adoption agencies have a responsibility to assist adoptive parents, who may have fears and concerns about openness, see the potential benefits rather than only the challenges. This article describes a practice model designed by one agency to help families navigate post-adoption openness. The Inclusive Family Support model is conceptualized through the theoretical perspectives of family systems theory, ambiguous loss and disenfranchised grief, and the …
The Inclusive Family Support Model: Facilitating Openness For Post-Adoptive Families, Jaeran Kim, Angela Tucker
The Inclusive Family Support Model: Facilitating Openness For Post-Adoptive Families, Jaeran Kim, Angela Tucker
Social Work & Criminal Justice Publications
Open adoptions have increased over the past few decades, and although guidance for considering and creating open adoption agreements exist, one area of needed post-adoption support is helping adoptive birth/first families navigate open-adoption relationships after finalization. Adoption agencies have a responsibility to assist adoptive parents, who may have fears and concerns about openness, see the potential benefits rather than only the challenges. This article describes a practice model designed by one agency to help families navigate post-adoption openness. The Inclusive Family Support model is conceptualized through the theoretical perspectives of family systems theory, ambiguous loss and disenfranchised grief, and the …
Incarcerated Mothers Achieving Reunification: Providing Support To Child Welfare Social Workers, Francesca Villarreal
Incarcerated Mothers Achieving Reunification: Providing Support To Child Welfare Social Workers, Francesca Villarreal
Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations
This project explores the barriers to reunification with their children for incarcerated mothers in an effort to provide more support to child welfare social workers who engage with this population. Project participants were selected from one regional office of a child welfare agency in Southern California to complete qualitative interviews. Participants included seven Social Service Practitioners (SSPs), two Supervising Social Service Practitioners (SSSPs), and one Data Analysist. Each participant’s interview was digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed following the systematic manual coding method with the assistance of Microsoft Word (Ose, S, 2016). Five common barriers were identified: child visitations with incarcerated …
The Implementation Fidelity Of The Family Finding Intervention Through The Lens Of Permanency Specialists, Liat L. Shklarski
The Implementation Fidelity Of The Family Finding Intervention Through The Lens Of Permanency Specialists, Liat L. Shklarski
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
The Family Finding intervention is a six-stage intervention that aims to improve the well-being of youth lingering in foster care by searching for and engaging adults who can provide them with permanent relational connections (Campbell, 2010). Preliminary research on fidelity to the Family Finding intervention indicated gaps in its implementation (Malm, Vandivere, Allen, Williams, & McKlindon, 2014; Vandivere & Malam, 2015). This study sought to explore how implementation fidelity occurs in real-world settings and the factors that promote implementation fidelity for the intervention.
An explanatory sequential mixed methods inquiry was employed to examine permanency specialists’ perceptions of the implementation of …
Working Together To Achieve Safe And Timely Reunification: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Interprofessional Collaboration In The Child Welfare System, Jon D. Phillips
Working Together To Achieve Safe And Timely Reunification: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Interprofessional Collaboration In The Child Welfare System, Jon D. Phillips
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Various professionals play a role in ensuring that foster children achieve safe and timely reunification, including child protective services caseworkers, guardians ad litem, mental health therapists and substance abuse counselors. Guided by ecological systems and relational coordination theories, this mixed methods dissertation explored how communication and joint decision-making between these professionals - two key components of interprofessional collaboration (IPC) - affects the safe and timely reunification of foster children
The quantitative phase involved analysis of administrative data collected from one urban county in a mountain region state. Logistic regressions were run to test if caseworker communication and joint decision-making with …
Inequalities In Us Child Protection: The Case Of Sex Trafficked Youth, Lisa Werkmeister Rozas, Jason Ostrander, Megan Feely
Inequalities In Us Child Protection: The Case Of Sex Trafficked Youth, Lisa Werkmeister Rozas, Jason Ostrander, Megan Feely
School of Social Work Faculty Publications
This article demonstrates how structural social work theory and critical consciousness development can be used to help facilitate a transition from a deficit model approach to an inequities perspective in a child welfare system that was working to improve the identification of and services for domestic minor sex trafficked youth (DMST). The response of Connecticut’s child welfare system to the issue of DMST is provided as an example of how a child welfare systems could apply an inequities perspective to a population involved in and at risk for exploitation. Structural social work theory helps illustrate how neo-liberalist social structures in …
An Exploration Of Caregiver Engagement In Residential Treatment For Youth, Raquel Moriarty Derrick
An Exploration Of Caregiver Engagement In Residential Treatment For Youth, Raquel Moriarty Derrick
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Support for caregiver engagement in their child’s residential treatment is widespread and growing because of the benefits of caregiver engagement to a youth’s treatment process. This dissertation explores the construct of caregiver engagement, defined as caregiver motivation and expectation for their child’s treatment, caregiver bond with staff and caregiver collaboration on treatment goals and tasks among a cohort of 101 caregivers with a child in a Residential Treatment Center (RTC). Mixed methods were used to qualitatively and quantitatively explore caregiver perspectives and experiences that contribute to or detract from their level of engagement in their child’s treatment process. Findings reveal …
Examining Trauma Exposure, Organizational Climate, And Job Outcomes In Child Welfare, Shano Rodgers
Examining Trauma Exposure, Organizational Climate, And Job Outcomes In Child Welfare, Shano Rodgers
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Exposure to traumatic situations is routine for child welfare workers in California, and the attrition rate for newly hired social workers in some states is estimated to be nearly 50% in the 1st year of employment. Prior research has indicated that reasons for dissatisfaction included dysfunctional organizational climate and culture. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which trauma exposure contributed to secondary traumatic stress and intent to quit and to examine the degree to which organizational climate moderated the exposure among direct service child welfare employees. Kurt Lewin's field theory, Figley's theory of secondary traumatic …
Smoking Behaviors Among Adolescents In Foster Care: A Gender-Based Analysis, Svetlana Shpiegel, Steve Sussman, Scott E. Sherman, Omar El Shahawy
Smoking Behaviors Among Adolescents In Foster Care: A Gender-Based Analysis, Svetlana Shpiegel, Steve Sussman, Scott E. Sherman, Omar El Shahawy
Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works
Background and objectives: Adolescents in foster care are at high risk for cigarette smoking. However, it is not clear how their smoking behaviors vary by gender. The present study examined lifetime and current smoking among males and females, and explored gender-specific risk factors for engagement in smoking behaviors. Method: Data from the Multi Site Evaluation of Foster Youth Programs was used to evaluate patterns of smoking among adolescents aged 12–18 years (N = 1121; 489 males, 632 females). Results: Males and females did not differ significantly in rates of lifetime and current smoking, or in the age of smoking initiation …
Domestic Violence And Parental Substance Misuse In Child Welfare-Involved Families, Bryan Gary Victor
Domestic Violence And Parental Substance Misuse In Child Welfare-Involved Families, Bryan Gary Victor
Wayne State University Dissertations
Child welfare worker routinely screen for domestic violence and parental substance misuse given their association with child maltreatment and poorer foster care outcomes such as lower rates of family reunification and higher rates of system reentry. Although childhood exposure to either domestic violence or parental substance misuse in and of itself does not constitute maltreatment in most child welfare systems, workers may consider these factors in their decision-making and service planning when identified. A set of three studies are therefore presented here that sought to determine the impact of caseworker-identified domestic violence and substance misuse on decision-making and service planning …
Looking Through A Trauma Lens: A Caregiver's Perspective Of Child Welfare Involvement, Erin Ruth Boyce
Looking Through A Trauma Lens: A Caregiver's Perspective Of Child Welfare Involvement, Erin Ruth Boyce
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The majority of maltreatment perpetrated against children is at the hand of their primary caregiver, most often their mother. The reasons why caregivers maltreat their children are still being investigated. However, the caregiver's history of trauma, in particular cumulative trauma that leads to trauma symptomology is emerging as an explanation for maltreatment. Popular theory describes the coercive and oppressive nature of child welfare system policy and practices, as a source of re-traumatization for caregivers with a trauma history (Harris & Fallot, 2001). Currently, the field of child welfare practice is largely guided by the use of trauma-informed practices, which are …
Accessing Alternative Response Services : A Multi-Level Examination Of Family And Community Characteristics On Racial Equity, Tana D. J. Connell
Accessing Alternative Response Services : A Multi-Level Examination Of Family And Community Characteristics On Racial Equity, Tana D. J. Connell
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Although research has identified factors associated with child welfare involvement, less attention has been given to how Black families are assigned to types of child welfare services. The advent of alternative response pathways allows child protective workers to assign child abuse prevention services to families based on the type and seriousness of the maltreatment, history of prior reports and age of the child. Given the history of disparate outcomes in child welfare for Black families and the fact that alternative response pathways are a promising approach for improving outcomes for families, this study examines the effect of family and community …
Staff Retention And Job Satisfaction In Child Protection, Brittany B. Kowalewski
Staff Retention And Job Satisfaction In Child Protection, Brittany B. Kowalewski
Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers
The purpose of this study is to provide the background and theoretical framework that contribute to staff retention and job satisfaction in child protection. This project intends to understand the factors and relationships associated in maintaining successful staff in child welfare. An anonymous mixed methods study was utilized and formatted with both quantitative and qualitative questions. This survey was distributed to four Southeastern Minnesota county child protection units and asked respondents specific questions in regards to personal characteristics, work factors, and agency factors that impact their job satisfaction and levels of compassion fatigue. This study indicates that work factors such …
The Misallocation Of Federal Funds In The U.S. Child Welfare System, Lauren A. Brown
The Misallocation Of Federal Funds In The U.S. Child Welfare System, Lauren A. Brown
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
This research paper will explore the impact that the federal financing structure has on the child welfare system in the United States. First, a historical policy analysis of the changing goals of child welfare and an overview of the current federal funding structure will be provided. Subsequently, the consequences of having a changing system with an unchanging funding structure will be explored. Finally, proposed solutions will be explored in terms of their impact on the field of child welfare as well as society as a whole. Unfortunately, antiquated federal programs are being used to fund progressive and innovative child welfare …
Development & Maintenance Of Social Support Among Aged Out Foster Youth Who Received Independent Living Services: Results From The Multi-Site Evaluation Of Foster Youth Programs, Johanna K.P. Greeson, Antonio R. Garcia, Minseop Kim, Allison E. Thompson, Mark E. Courtney
Development & Maintenance Of Social Support Among Aged Out Foster Youth Who Received Independent Living Services: Results From The Multi-Site Evaluation Of Foster Youth Programs, Johanna K.P. Greeson, Antonio R. Garcia, Minseop Kim, Allison E. Thompson, Mark E. Courtney
Johanna K.P. Greeson, PhD, MSS, MLSP
This study uses secondary data from the Multi-Site Evaluation of Foster Youth Programs, a randomized controlled trial of four independent living programs for youth in foster care. The subject of this investigation is the Life Skills Training Program (LST) of Los Angeles County, CA.We had three interrelated aims: (1) Evaluate the effectiveness of the LST program as compared to services as usual on the change in social support over time; (2) Examine the differences over time in social support by race and ethnicity among LST participants; and (3) Investigate the explanatory value of prosocial activities, educational involvement, current living arrangement, …
Experiences Of Young Adults In Extended Foster Care: An Explortive Study, Elaine Marie Contreras
Experiences Of Young Adults In Extended Foster Care: An Explortive Study, Elaine Marie Contreras
Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations
Currently, there are thousands of foster youth in the child welfare system. When they reach the age of 18, some of these youth emancipate from the system, while some of them participate in extended foster care. The extended foster care system was implemented to support and provide services to young adults passed the age of 18, to provide them a couple more years to obtain stability in their lives. In order to participate in extended foster care, they have to meet a few requirements, and sometimes this is the minimum level of commitment and effort they contribute. These requirements include: …
Needs Assessment For Animal-Assisted Interventions: Factors Influencing Implementation Of Dogs As Judiciary Aids In Criminal Justice Processes In Cps Cases, Maureen Macnamara
Needs Assessment For Animal-Assisted Interventions: Factors Influencing Implementation Of Dogs As Judiciary Aids In Criminal Justice Processes In Cps Cases, Maureen Macnamara
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The study presents findings from a needs assessment exploring the critical features or core elements that bear on professionals regarding the inclusion of dogs as judiciary aides in the investigation and prosecution of child maltreatment cases. Specifically, the objectives of the current needs assessment were examined through the following questions: (1) What are the perceived benefits of implementing programs with dogs as judiciary aids throughout criminal justice? (2) What specific roles do professionals identify for dogs within criminal justice, (3) What are potential barriers to the implementation of dogs as judiciary aids programs, and (4) How are the needs and …