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The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Minnesota Hospice Industry, Anna Lee Roberts

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership Theses

In the year 2020, the respiratory virus SARS-CoV-2, also known as the novel coronavirus-2019, or COVID-19, had a significant impact on the nation’s health care system, of which the hospice industry is a part. Research about the specific impact of the virus on this industry is still emerging and to date, no known scholarly qualitative research examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospice industry of Minnesota. This qualitative research project collected the perspectives of hospice industry members in the state of Minnesota, in the form of 5 hospice leader interviews and a survey of 144 hospice industry …

Perspectives And Experiences Of Participation By Individuals With Disabilities: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Mckenzie Brink, Kelsey Holmer, Sydney Hrastich, Kelly O'Connor, Simon Olmstead, Stephen Schuster, Hailey Valencour, Mikael Viazcan, Julie D. Bass

Graduate Occupational Therapy Research and Projects

This Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project considered the following question: How do individuals with disabilities describe their perspectives on and experiences with participation?

Trauma Experiences And Perspectives: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Libby Blattner, Melanie Homan, Ellie Leabch, Jennifer Malwitz, Faye Mcguire, Rachel Mcpherson, Julia Rupp, Maria Tonn, Hannah Zenisek, Julie D. Bass

Graduate Occupational Therapy Research and Projects

This Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project examined the following questions:

• How do individuals who have experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences describe their experiences and the impact trauma has had on their life?
• How do healthcare professionals describe their experiences of working with individuals who have experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences and their perspectives on trauma-informed training and approaches?

The Influence Of Smart Technology On An Older Adult’S Communication With Family, Skye Galegher Thompson

Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy Theses and Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate an older adult’s perspective on the influences of smart technology on her communication with a family member. The participant in this single case study was included in a larger, phenomenological qualitative research study that investigated the impact of smart technology on senior care. She lived alone in a senior living facility apartment. The participant received smart home sensor technology, which tracked activity patterns and alerted a designated family member if deviations from typical activity patterns were detected. The participant also received Amazon Alexa® (2018) as part of the technology package. In-depth qualitative …

Examining The Lived Experience Of Mild Cognitive Impairment: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Kaitlyn Kurtz, Rachel Matuseski, Ava Mckee, Vincent Murphy, Megan Peterson, Rachel Polland, Leigha Rudd, Elly Ryan, Maddie Troske, Julie D. Bass

Graduate Occupational Therapy Research and Projects

This Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project addressed the following question: What are the perspectives, experiences, and self-reports of adult individuals, groups, or populations who have MCI or report problems with Functional Cognition (and / or their caregivers)?

Perspectives And Experiences Of Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Falling: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Laura Rand Berger, Kara Nelson, Hannah Okerstrom, Michelle Sullivan, Caitlin Swertfeger, Jessica Tadesse, Megan Thoemke, Skye Thompson, Jordan Yira, Julie D. Bass

Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy Theses and Projects

This project sought to answer the following Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) question: What are the perspectives and experiences of community-dwelling older adults with falling?

Making & Sustaining Change From Psychotherapy: A Mixed Method Study, Kelsi Dankey, Heather Karson, Arielle R. Yahnke, Sara Lemon, Tricia Downing, Danae Hoffman, Natia Wilcek

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This mixed method study explored both (1) how changes are made and (2) what encourages the maintenance of change after psychotherapy. Literature has called for further exploration into what helps clients to make and sustain change from their perspectives. While the effectiveness of approaches such as: psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, and other disorder-specific treatments has been demonstrated broadly, less is known about individual variables, and specifically about how individuals participate in and support their recovery. This study used a mixed method sequential design. Wampold & Imel’s (2015) contextual model was used as a conceptual framework throughout the study. Using secondary data …

School Based Mental Health Services, Scott Graham

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Mental health impacts children socially, emotionally, and academically. While one of every five children/adolescents has a diagnosed mental health disorder. It is also estimated that one out of five children who need mental health services do not receive them (Van Landeghem, & Hess, 2005). Almost all children attend school for some time in their lives; therefore, school is the ideal setting for implementing collaborative interventions aimed at improving a child’s emotional development and overall mental health. Schools have become one of the largest providers of mental health services with many different stakeholders (Barrett, Eber, & Weist, 2013). This study seeks …

Truancy In The Eyes Of The Stakeholders, Lindsay Hjermastad

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The intent of this qualitative study was to examine what relevant stakeholders believe serve as significant causes of truancy and what can be done to reduce or eliminate it. This study utilized a qualitative, exploratory research design to better understand what a sample of stakeholders believed would help reduce truancy rates in youth ages 13-­‐17. The sample of this study was made up of five professionals who currently work or have worked with families and youth involved with truancy related issues. Two of the participants were high school counselors, two were community outreach workers, and one participant was a county …

Medical Social Worker’S Understandings Of Spirituality In Patient Care, Sarah Huiskes

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Spirituality is defined as “an individual’s connection or relationship with God or with some other kind of transcendent being or dimension (Hodge & Horvath, 2011, p. 307).” Based on past literature, a patient’s spiritual or faith belief has the potential to influence their healthcare outcomes, coping ability, decision-making surrounding their healthcare, as well as their quality of life (Puchalski, Ferrell, Otis-Green, & Handzo, 2015). As social workers in the medical setting aim to provide psychosocial support, the inclusion of a spiritual assessment to determine the spiritual and faith needs of each patient in order to deliver individual patient care seems …

The Experiences Of Huntington’S Disease Caregivers, Alisa Kanuit

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a genetic, inherited, and terminal neurological disorder that affects both physical and mental capacities. The most recent estimates state that 1 in every 10,000 Americans has HD and more than 250,000 are at risk of inheriting the disease from a parent (Huntington’s Disease Society of America, 2013). Caregivers can be defined as informal or formal. Informal caregivers are typically family members such as spouses, children, or siblings. Formal caregivers are paid, professional caregivers. Family members often become caregivers for diagnosed individuals, however, the need for formal and paid care increases as the disease continues to progress. …

Access To Fresh Produce: A Corner Store Owner Perspective, Kelly C. Freeburg

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

There is an understood difficulty for the average American to meet the daily nutritional recommendations; but to numerous of neighborhoods across the United States, access to healthy food items is scarce (Kirkpatrick, 2012; Weill, Cooper, Hartline-Grafton, & Burke, 2011). In low-income environments, it is common to find “corner stores.” Corner stores do not often carry as many items as compared to a grocery store, especially “healthy” items. Because of a biology professor’s experience with soil, crops, and an abundance of produce, the department and local health department staff started a delivery system to corner store sites which offers attractive, fresh …

Exploring The Use Of Mindfulness With Individuals Diagnosed With Alzheimer’S Disease, Gina L. Hemmesch

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. This is a progressive disease with no cure. Are there interventions available to give individuals with Alzheimer’s disease hope? One such intervention is the use of Mindfulness practices. The purpose of this research is to explore how professionals working with individuals with Alzheimer’s disease use mindfulness in their practice and what the benefits of using mindfulness may be. Using a qualitative design, three participant were interviewed who use mindfulness with individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. The data was analyze using inductive coding of the research. Four themes …

School Engagement And Academic Success Of Students With An Ebd Educational Label: Perspectives Among Helping Professionals In Schools, Kristin Weeker

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

With less than half of students educationally labeled as having an Emotional or Behavioral Disorder (EBD) graduating from high school, this student demographic faces both lower graduation rates and higher dropout rates when compared to their peers. Previous research findings provide several theories for these students’ lack of academic success, including: their likely exposure to risk factors such as mental health concerns and living in poverty, challenges in building and maintaining positive social relationships with peers and school staff resulting in a higher likelihood for school disengagement and lack of belonging, and the tendency for these students to be taught …

“I Haven’T Been Able To Do It On My Own:” Experiences Of Teen Parents On The Minnesota Family Investment Program, Aryn Rae Karstens

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Teen pregnancy and welfare spending have been popular topics in the media in the recent years. The purpose of this study was to expand on previous research on the experiences of teen parents on the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) and allow the teen parents a chance to share their stories. Specifically, respondents were asked about their experiences leading up the decision to apply for MFIP, their current opinions of the program, and future plans. Professionals who work with teen parents were also interviewed and the responses were then compared and contrasted. Using a semi-structured interview format, four teen parents …

A Qualitative Investigation Of Mindfulness Practice With Clients Suffering From Anxiety, Amy G. Steiner

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Mindfulness has been proposed as a potentially important new approach for the treatment of anxiety and has been increasingly used in clinical practice. However, to date no studies have researched the approaches that clinicians use in practice with anxiety. The goal of this study was to qualitatively investigate these approaches for anxiety using interviews with therapists on the ways they incorporate mindfulness in their approach with clients with anxiety. Six therapists outside of the formal approaches of mindfulness were interviewed. The interviews were semi-structured and questions were asked about their use of mindfulness in practice with anxiety. The interviews were …

Women’S Experiences Of Birth Trauma And Postpartum Mental Health, Ashley Ashbacher

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Approximately a third of childbearing women report their birth experience as traumatic (Ford, Ayers, & Bradley, 2010). This experience is subjective and what qualifies as trauma varies among the women who report it. Research surrounding birth trauma is primarily quantitative in nature and does not fully address the personal and emotional experience of birth trauma. The goal of this study was to examine the thoughts and emotional experiences among women who self-identified as having a traumatic birth. Qualitative interviews were conducted with nine women who reported the birth of at least one child as traumatic. Interviews focused on participants’ …

Linking Ebd Student Achievement To Attachment: Exploring The Role Of Relationship In Encouraging School Success, Jennifer Braaten

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Less than one half of students educationally labeled Emotionally or Behaviorally Disordered (EBD) graduate. Previous research findings suggest some reasons for this lack of success including: lack of educator training, mental health issues of students, the effect of poverty and how the nature of early childhood attachment impacts learning. Specific attention has been given to early childhood attachment patterns form the neurological pathways upon which a student may base future interactions. This qualitative study focused on the nature of the student-educator relationship and how that relationship can impact the learning of EBD students. There were ten participants interviewed for this …

The Experiences Of Caregivers Caring For Loved Ones With Dementia, Molly E. Wassman

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The Alzheimer’s Association indicates there are almost 15 million caregivers providing care to those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia (2011). Oftentimes family members willingly assume the role of caregiver for their loved ones as dementia progresses and cognitive abilities begin to fail. As a result, this qualitative research sought to explore the experiences of caregivers caring for a loved one with dementia. Seven participants were asked open-ended questions designed to elicit responses that explained their experiences caring for a loved one with dementia. The research participants were the primary caregivers for their loved ones for whom they were either …

Exploring Possible Connections Between Traumatic Brain Injury And Homelessness, Stacy Zimmer

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The incidence and awareness of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in the general population has become more prevalent in recent times; however, limited public knowledge and research exists regarding the prevalence of TBI among the homeless population. Through an exploratory, qualitative pilot study, this research investigated possible connections that might exist between TBI and homelessness. Nine expert respondents from various disciplines, ranging from social work to neuropsychology, were interviewed to solicit their professional impressions, opinions and experiences about this subject. Findings indicate that there is a significant connection between TBI and homelessness. Specifically, TBI is believed to be both a causal …