Digital Commons Network^™

Developing Transformational Curriculum To Educate Social Work Students About Indigenous Peoples And Indigenous Knowledge, Deborah Thibeault

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

While efforts to recruit Indigenous social work students must be continued, social work educators need to ensure that non-Indigenous social work students are learning about the history, culture, and wisdom of Indigenous peoples. Additionally, social work students need to become aware of the impact the social work profession has had on this population. This awareness and understanding will help social workers practice from a place of being an ally and will assist in altering the views many Indigenous people have about social work. There are three products in this banded dissertation that focus on engaging social work educators in a …

Military Social Work: Utilizing Interprofessional Practice And Education To Increase Efficacy, Stephanie Grant

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

This banded dissertation examines the use of interprofessional practice as a framework to increase efficacy in military social work practice and consists of three distinct but related scholarly products. The first scholarly product is a conceptual article that explores the alignment between the Air Force’s resilience initiative Comprehensive Airman Fitness (CAF) and the Council on Social Work Education’s Advanced Social Work Practice in Military Social Work Standards. Conceptualizing interprofessional practice and the ecological perspective, this article endorses the efforts to advance military social work practice competencies by connecting with CAF and other Department of Defense (DoD) resilience initiatives. Leveraging resources …

Achieving Optimal Volition And Well-Being: Facilitating Movement Along The Motivational Continuum Through Self-Determination Theory, Andrew Thompson

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

The dissertation comprises three products that considered self-determination theory (SDT) as theoretical framework to support interventions that promote satisfaction of basic psychological needs among recipients of assertive community treatment (ACT) and forensic assertive community treatment (FACT). The first product is a paper that conceptualized and integrated elements of self-determination (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) in the implementation of assertive community treatment and forensic assertive community treatment. The integration of implementation of these basic psychological needs provided a framework to increase autonomy and self-determination, which has proven effective at increasing enhanced client wellness and optimal outcomes. The second product is a cross-sectional …

Lack Of Services In Rural Social Work: Ethical Issues And The Impact On Parenting, Judy Zimbelman

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

The unique set of challenges in rural social work adds new dimensions to social work practice needs. Issues of poverty, substance abuse, and mental health issues are often ignored in the rural setting. The conceptual framework used in this banded dissertation is the ecological model, which applies the concept of systems to apply when working with individuals, families, and communities.

The first product, a conceptual paper, identifies the impact of the lack of services on parents and provides creative solutions to establishing resources for parents in rural areas. The number of professionals working in rural areas is limited, there is …

Civic Engagement And Social Action In Social Work Education, Terri Klemm

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

This banded dissertation comprises three scholarly products that address the importance of civic engagement and social action in social work education. Throughout the banded dissertation, the conceptual lens of critical social theory, which presupposes that education is fundamental to democracy, provides a framework in which to consider social work educators’ responsibility to effectively prepare students to engage in a broad range of civic activities, including social action, in order to address crucial social problems.

The first product, an exploratory historical research study, provides historical context with an examination of the role of social work in a democratic society from the …

Amplifying Lgbtq Voices In Social Work, Carey A. Winkler

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

This banded dissertation is focused on amplifying LGBTQ voices in social work education and practice through an exploration of language, policies, standards, and practices used in social work education. Using a historical lens, feminist, queer, and critical theories were used to examine issues of power, voice, context, and social justice.

The first product is a conceptual paper that examines the history of the language used in social work education related to how we think and talk about diversity. This examination includes a critique of the use of the term difference and the othering impact it can have on LGBTQ individuals …

Enhancing The Effectiveness Of Assertive Community Treatment For People Of Color: Practice & Theory, Laura E. Escobar-Ratliff

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

Disparities in mental health treatment have been well documented over the last 30 years. Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is poised to be able to address these disparities for people experiencing severe mental illness if we ground practice (i.e., ACT) in theory (i.e., ecological perspective of social work). The ecological perspective pushes social workers and other practitioners to be critically aware of the complexities of humanity and be expansive in our outlook and approach to practice.

Product One was a systematic review focused on primary research that assessed the outcomes of the effectiveness of ACT with people of color who are …

Rescuing Emotion From The Margins Of Social Work Education, Judith Mary Hoy

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

Based on advances in brain imaging technology that provide evidence that emotion plays a critical role in learning and integrating new knowledge, this dissertation presents three articles to assist social work educators in developing an understanding of the emotional processes of learning and how they impact students.

The first conceptual article provides a brief overview of findings from brain science that demonstrate the importance of emotion in learning, challenging the enduring cognitive bias in higher education. Barriers to engaging student emotions are identified and discussed, and the philosophy of Humanism is used to articulate the connection between emotional expression and …

Focusing On Adjuncts: Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness And Academic Quality Through Institutional Support, Marshelia Denise Harris

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

The increased use of adjunct faculty in academic institutions presents both challenges and opportunities for students, faculty, and administrators (Clark, Moore, Johnston, & Openshaw, 2011). Most of the challenges center around the lack of preparation and knowledge required for the responsibilities of teaching in an academic setting. This banded dissertation explores educational opportunities and supportive programs to prepare adjunct faculty for success in academia.

The first product of this banded dissertation is a conceptual paper proposing three program options for offering ongoing institutional support to adjunct faculty. The conceptual framework guiding this scholarship agenda is Albert Bandura’s social learning theory, …

Exploring Student Perceptions Of Technology-Mediated Social Work Practice Through Supportive Education Frameworks, Janet Vizina-Roubal

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

Clinical social workers place a high value on personal relationships and therefore question the efficacy of technology-mediated therapy. A common concern with technology-mediated practice is the lack of body language that could impede the formation of a therapeutic alliance. Educators share these concerns and have developed the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework. This banded dissertation uses the COI framework that conveys the ideal online educational experience through the concepts of a social, cognitive, and teaching presence.

The first scholarly section of this banded dissertation is a conceptual article regarding the COI. This article is outlines how COI may be used …

Non-Traditional Social Work Students: Motivations, Challenges And Keys To Success, Anne Adcock

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

The field of social work routinely attracts the non-traditional student. For the purposes of this dissertation, non-traditional students were identified as meeting two or more of the criteria established by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): "being independent for financial aid purposes, having one or more dependents, being a single caregiver, not having a traditional high school diploma, delaying postsecondary enrollment, attending school part time, and being employed full time" (U.S. Department of Education, 2015, p. 1). Difficult life experiences including past trauma, addiction, abuse, and contact with the social service system lead non-traditional students to want to help …

The Deliberate Development Of Social Work Educators: Don’T Leave It To Chance!, Mary E. Tinucci

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

The deliberate formation of teacher-identities, philosophies, and pedagogical approaches, as well as the use of self-reflective practices, are essential to growth and development of social work educators. This banded dissertation focuses on the preparation of social work educators and explores the researcher’s development as a postmodern teacher/scholar. The constructivist paradigm is applied to both teaching and research and draws from both narrative theory and narrative inquiry in its theoretical framework. The first product addresses both the lack of attention given to preparing social work doctoral students for teaching in the academy and the infrequent use of self-reflective practices and research …

The Case For Humane Education In Social Work Education, Cini Bretzlaff-Holstein

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

Humane education is a form of education focusing on the intersectionality between human rights, environmental preservation, and animal protection. It is a solution-focused discipline striving for a healthier world for people, the environment, and animals. The argument throughout this banded dissertation is that humane education can potentially inform and collaborate with social work and social work education for expanding the ecological, person-inenvironment perspective to include the natural world and other living species.

The first product is a conceptual article making the case that humane education is an inter-disciplinary bridge for helping social workers and educators continue to expand their definitions …

The Quest For Inclusive Cultural Competence In Social Work Education, Retchenda George-Bettisworth

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

The focus of this banded dissertation is to gain a better understanding of how undergraduate social work programs are guided to provide culturally competent practice across the curriculum. Critical Race Theory (CRT) informs this scholarship.

For the first section, the author completed a content analysis of the historical EPAS to determine how CSWE guides programs in culturally competent practice. The study finds that concepts of culturally competent practice are throughout the editions of EPAS in the language, and in both the implicit and explicit curricula. However, findings suggest CSWE needs to reframe the concept of cultural competence as a multi-dimensional, …

Professional Socialization And Identity Development Of Social Work Students, Cindy E. Locklear

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

This banded dissertation furthers the scholarship of teaching and learning in the area of social work student professional identity development. The three scholarship products presented address how programs define and teach professional behavior through the explicit and implicit curriculum as defined by the Council on Social Work Education’s Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards and apply a developmental model to foster student professional identity development.

Product 1 is a conceptual article that introduces a model for undergraduate social work student professional identity development based on the Chickering and Reisser (1993) theory of student development. Conceptual links are made between this theory …

A Mutual Aid Conceptual Model For Teaching Interprofessional Education: The Art Of Developing Collaboration, Cooperation, And Communication, Rebecca E. Coleman

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

This banded dissertation proposed the use of mutual aid for teaching interprofessional education in healthcare. The structure of this dissertation includes seven sections: introduction, conceptual framework, discussion, implications, and three scholarly products. The first scholarly product was a phenomenological qualitative study. The research question sought to explore faculty perceptions of the most effective approach for teaching interprofessional education. Nine faculty members, who taught at least one graduate or undergraduate interprofessional activity, participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings suggested teaching approaches to interprofessional education should focus on the planning, teaching, and evaluation processes. The second scholarly product was a conceptual paper …

Self-Efficacy Matters: An Examination Of Its Impact On Education For Justice-Involved Adults, Tonya Van Tol

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

This banded dissertation is comprised of three scholarly works. Each of these products examines the impact of self-efficacy on the educational experiences of students who are criminal justice involved. Social cognitive behavior theory serves as the conceptual framework for this banded dissertation.

The first manuscript of this banded dissertation is a conceptual analysis that focuses on the intersection between self-efficacy and social capital. Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory describes the connection between self-efficacy and collective efficacy meaning the group impacts the individual. This work explores the impact of social capital and self-efficacy on student populations that have similar characteristics to those …

Perceptions And Penalties: Exploring Aspects Of Ethics In Social Work, Michelle Gricus

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

Social workers are responsible for interpreting their professional code of ethics in such a way that they can provide competent services dependably. This banded dissertation explores the effects of those interpretations. Symbolic interactionism provides a useful framework for understanding the ways in which people can interpret the same situation in different ways.

A systematic review of the literature reveals that social workers’ perceptions of what constitutes ethical and unethical practice are inconsistent. These inconsistencies can, at times, lead to social workers engaging in unethical or unprofessional practice.

An exploratory mixed methods study examines a group of social workers disciplined by …

Lessons From Listening To The Voices Of Unaccompanied Central American And Mexican Children, Susan G. Schmidt

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

Children make up half of the world’s refugees, yet limited research documents the views of youth about their own migratory circumstances and recommendations. This dissertation contributes new knowledge of migrant youths’ views by analyzing selected secondary data from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) interviews conducted with unaccompanied children from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico in the custody of the U.S. federal government for entering the United States without the proper documents.

In light of prior research focused on unaccompanied children’s protection issues outside of the home, the first section of this banded dissertation analyzes interviews with unaccompanied …

Exploring Trauma-Informed Practices In Social Work Education, Anne Wellington Vande Berg

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

This banded dissertation consists of three distinct but related scholarly works, and examines the role of trauma-informed educational practices in social work education. The ecological perspective and the trauma-informed perspective serve as conceptual frameworks throughout. Each scholarly work is represented, and overarching implications for social work education and research are discussed.

The first portion of this banded dissertation is a conceptual analysis that examines the need for a trauma-informed perspective in social work education, possible reasons for this curricular gap in undergraduate social work education, and highlights models of curriculum change used in graduate level social work programs to incorporate …

Identity And The Academy: Social Work And 21st Century Liberal Education, Britt E. Rhodes

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

Grounded by Arthur Chickering’s Student Development Theory, this banded dissertation uses an ecological framework to examine trends in higher education and the importance of intercultural development, trauma-informed care, and contemplative pedagogy to promote a holistic approach to higher education. While exploring student development, the goal was to develop a conceptual framework that utilizes contemplative practice to foster intercultural development and attend to students’ personal experiences with trauma by using contemplative practices.

The first article, Social Work Education and Trauma-Informed Contemplative Pedagogy, bridges the literature on trauma-informed care and contemplative practices and introduces trauma-informed contemplative pedagogy as a model for social …

Innovations In Assessing Practice Skills: Using Social Cognitive Theory, Technology, And Self-Reflection, Mary Kay Brennan

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

The dissertation seeks to bridge the research and practice domains in social work education by advancing disciplinary thinking and pedagogical approaches informed by social cognitive theory, reflective practice, and the use of technology. The use of social cognitive theory (Bandura 1977, 1995, 1997) and reflective practice (Schön 1983, 1987) are proposed as complementary constructs. Together these theories have the potential to guide educational approaches that result in evidenced-informed, skills-trained social workers with the capacity for critical thinking and self-reflection, thus bridging the evidence to practice gap.

The first product, a conceptual paper, advances disciplinary thinking and pedagogical approaches for teaching …

Terraforming Public Child Welfare Practice In The U.S. - Enhancing Worker Retention Through Intentional Resiliency, William C. Wong

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

This banded dissertation consists of three products addressing organizational factors causing turnover among public child welfare (PCW) workers, and explores pathways to terra-forming PCW practice. A conceptual article calls for resiliency content in social work education; a systematic review clarifies organizational factors causing worker turnover; and the dissertation concludes with a critical analysis of a peer-reviewed presentation by the author addressing workforce retention strategies. Theoretical and conceptual frameworks used are cognitive dissonance theory, self-efficacy, and the ecological model.

The literature attributes ethical distress, hostile work environments, and leadership issues as greater concerns amplifying conditions for role-confusion, burnout, turnover, and job …

Supporting The Development Of Racial Identity And Cultural Humility In Higher Education, Amy Lary White

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

This banded dissertation consists of three sections which provide a social work perspective on the impact of microaggressions on racial identity for students of color (SOC) in a predominantly white institution (PWI). The dissertation suggests a developmental paradigm for social work educators to increase student understanding of systemic racial oppression and support for the development of cultural humility. Critical race theory provides a framework to analyze inequities in higher education and a guide to the creation of inclusive learning environments.

Effective engagement in diversity assumes students understand the role of privilege and marginalization and how each contributes to one’s life …

Examining Interdisciplinary Education And Collaboration In Higher Education, Sarah Migas Collins

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

This banded dissertation contains three related products examining interdisciplinary education and collaboration in higher education, and discussing implications for research, curriculum development, and social work. Specifically, it addresses the role of interdisciplinary education in social work programs, and examines students’ perceptions of interdisciplinary education and collaboration. Bronstein’s Model of Interdisciplinary Collaboration serves as a framework to guide this banded dissertation.

The first product is a conceptual analysis examining the need for social workers to develop interdisciplinary skillsets. It discusses the extent to which interdisciplinary skill-building curricula exists in baccalaureate social work programs, offers an explanation about the barriers that stifle …