Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Adjustments To Social Work Practice During The Covid-19 Adjustments To Social Work Practice During The Covid-19 Pandemic In North Carolina: Effects On Burnout And Commitment Pandemic In North Carolina: Effects On Burnout And Commitment, Aaron Brown, Jayme E. Walters, Aubrey E. Jones, Lara Cates

Social Work Faculty Publications

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for social workers in the U.S. and abroad has increased. There is demand for more social workers in North Carolina due to ongoing and increasing mental health, substance use disorder, and child welfare needs. COVID-19 has taken a toll on the personal and professional lives of social workers, and research is needed to understand the pandemic’s effects on burnout and commitment among social workers. The present study sought to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the personal and professional lives of social workers practicing in North Carolina and to determine how …

Provision And Long-Term Assessment Of A Specialized Clinical Evidence-Based Practice Curriculum For Master Of Social Work Students, Susan Reay

Social Work Faculty Publications

This study investigated social workers’ knowledge of the common elements in evidence-based practice to treat youth mental health conditions following a specialized curriculum during their Master of Social Work (MSW) education. Participants’ knowledge was measured during their MSW education and in their first 5 years of social work practice after graduation. The quantitative study measured participants’ knowledge of common elements three times; 86 social workers participated in the study with 67 sets of scores at three data points. Study results showed that participants knew more after completing the curriculum but knew less one to five years after graduation. Overall, however, …

Fueling Prosperity: The Positive Economic Ripple Effects Of Increasing Wages For Nebraska’S Direct Care Workforce, Ernest Goss, Susan Reay

Social Work Faculty Publications

The goals of this study are to estimate the impact of increasing support for direct service providers for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and its impact on the state economy. Specific goals of the study are to: 1. Estimate the economic impact to Nebraska if the state increased the pay to direct service providers delivering care to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (hereafter IDD) to a level more competitive with other states. a. Estimate the impact on the overall state economy, employment in the state and on the top 20 Nebraska industries. b. Estimate the impact of …

Parent Physical And Psychological Aggression And Youth Dating Violence: A Latent Class Analysis Approach, Heidi Adams Rueda, Kaitlyn Paxton Ward, Steven Hoffman

Social Work Faculty Publications

Adolescent dating violence is a national public health issue and research suggests that aggressive parenting may predict the likelihood that a child will subsequently experience abuse. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of parent physical and psychological aggression on adolescent dating violence perpetration and victimization. Data derived from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study resulted in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of adolescents in dating relationships at the age of 15 years (N = 952). Utilizing both parent and adolescent data which assessed parenting practices at ages 3, 5, 9, and 15, …

“This Person Is Safe”: An Exemplar Of Conducting Individual Interviews In Qualitative Research With Black Women, Quenette Walton, Olulbunmi Oyewuwo, Other Co-Authors

Social Work Faculty Publications

Significant conceptual and empirical evidence has been found through qualitative research about the benefits, limitations, and uses of individual interviews. However, there is scant research illustrating how researchers use specific techniques that center participants’ intersecting identities to build rapport, trust, and authentic connections during individual interviews, and especially during interviews with Black women. We illustrate how we used eight empirically grounded techniques in our qualitative individual interviews with Black women. Through our analysis of the interviews, the concept of safety emerged. “This person is safe” reflects the combined stories the women reported regarding their experiences engaging in individual interviews. In …

Assessing Capacity In Rural Nonprofits, Jayme Walters, Aaron R. Brown, Dorothy Wallis, Janice Snow

Social Work Faculty Publications

Organizational capacity is necessary for nonprofits to meet their missions and contribute to society. Less is known about rural nonprofits’ organizational capacity and characteristics, as most research focuses on urban nonprofits. The present study first considers the utility of an organizational capacity assessment and identifies pertinent areas of organizational capacity in rural nonprofits. The second objective of the study is to examine relationships between areas of organizational capacity and organizational-level characteristics. In May 2019, nonprofits (n = 290) from persistently poor, rural counties in 14 southern states participated in a survey providing organizational characteristics and assessing organizational capacity. An …

Mexican American Adolescents’ Conversations About Goals: The Centrality Of Financial Aspiration To Career And Educational Pursuit, Heidi Adams Rueda, Qihao Zhan, Lela Rankin, Deaven Greenberg

Social Work Faculty Publications

We explored Mexican American adolescents’ goals as discussed with a romantic relationship partner. Thirty-four Mexican American hetero-dating couples aged 15 to 17 (M = 11.71 months dating) from an urban city in a Southwest border state participated in a video-taped discussion. Drawing on Social Cognitive Career Theory, we inductively coded for themes and found that youth prioritized career, education, family planning, travel, and relationship goals. We were sensitized to the centrality of financial aspiration to each of these themes, and further operationalized youth’s level of financial aspiration as either modest, ambivalent, or high. Applying this template, we analyzed the …

Playing Well With Others: Evaluating An Intervention To Prepare Students For Interprofessional Collaborative Learning, Kelli S. Fox

Social Work Faculty Publications

National trends in health care delivery focus on quality team-based care, patient safety, reducing costs and improving practitioner satisfaction (Interprofessional Education Collaborative, 2016). Health profession students, including social workers, are expected to be workforce ready for a complex interprofessional work environment. Educators are charged with developing effective ways to teach collaborative team skills as part of the curriculum (Rubin et al., 2018; Thistlethwaite et al., 2014). Educators across health professions recognize the importance of providing opportunities to immerse students in experiential, person-centered interprofessional teamwork to adequately prepare them for the workforce. (Cohen Konrad et al., 2017; Mokler, 2020). Planned interprofessional …

Do Degrees Matter? Rethinking Workforce Development For Youth With Intellectual Disabilities And Mental Health Challenges, Susan Reay, William E. Reay, Kris Tevis, Lisa Patterson

Social Work Faculty Publications

The global workforce crisis significantly impacts how evidence-based treatment is provided to youth with developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions. Addressing the workforce crisis requires re-examining the long-standing methods of selecting individuals for employment based on academic degrees. This project offers an innovative workforce development option that provides specialized training to staff with advanced education degrees and staff with less education. The participants in this study were employed in a rural area of the USA within the mental health, child welfare, and correctional industries. All participants worked with youth experiencing intellectual disabilities and mental illness. Results indicated that participants …

Grace Abbott Training And Supervision Academy Annual Report 2022, Michelle Nelsen, Susan Reay, Ellen Rice, Katie Robbins Case

Social Work Faculty Publications

GATSA trainings target social workers, students, and other professionals in practice areas including major mental disorder, addiction, LGBTQ bias and stigma, aging and dementia, children and families, corrections and forensics, suicide, cultural literacy, public and private mental health, supervision, research/policy/ licensure, domestic violence, rural and underserved communities, and school social work.

A Mixed Methods Evaluation Of A World Health Organization Competency-Based Training Package For Foundational Helping Skills Among Pre-Service And In-Service Health Workers In Nepal, Peru And Uganda, Gloria A. Pedersen, Pragya Shrestha, Josephine Akellot, Alejandra Sepulveda, Nagendra P. Luitel, Rosco Kasujja, Carmen Contreras, Jerome T. Galea, Leydi Moran, Vibha Neupane, Damodar Rimal, Alison Schafer, Brandon A. Kohrt

Social Work Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Perinatal Depression And Implementation Of The “Thinking Healthy Program” Support Intervention In An Impoverished Setting Of Lima, Peru: Assessment Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Margot Aguilar, Carmen Contreras, Giuseppe Raviola, Alejandra Sepúlveda, Maricielo Espinoza, Leydi Moran, Lourdes Ramos, Jesús Peinado, Leonid Lecca, Gloria A. Pedersen, Brandon A. Kohrt, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Socios En Salud (SES) implemented the Thinking Healthy program (THP) to support women with perinatal depression before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lima Norte. We carried out an analysis of the in-person (5 modules) and remote (1 module) THP intervention. Depression was detected using PHQ-9, and THP sessions were delivered in women with a score (PHQ-9 ≥ 5). Depression was reassessed and pre- and post-scores were compared. In the pre-pandemic cohort, perinatal depression was 25.4% (47/185), 47 women received THP and 27 were reassessed (57.4%), and the PHQ-9 score median decreased from 8 to 2, p < 0.001. In the pandemic cohort, perinatal depression was 47.5% (117/247), 117 women received THP and 89 were reassessed (76.1%), and the PHQ-9 score median decreased from 7 to 2, p < 0.001. THP’s modalities helped to reduce perinatal depression. Pregnant women who received a module remotely also reduced depression.

Lessons Learned In Co-Creating A Virtual Village For People Ageing With Hiv, Jasmine L. Lopez, Andrea N. Polonijo, Annie L. Nguyen, Karah Y. Greene, Jerome T. Galea, Moka Yoo-Jeong, Jeff Taylor, Brandon J. Brown

Social Work Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Adolescent, Caregiver And Provider Perspectives On Tuberculosis Treatment Adherence: A Qualitative Study From Lima, Peru, Silvia S. Chiang, Liz Senador, Elmer Altamirano, Milagros Wong, Catherine B. Beckhorn, Stephanie Roche, Julia Coit, Victoria Elena Rapoport, Leonid Lecca, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Objectives: To understand the perspectives of adolescents (10–19 years old), their caregivers and healthcare providers regarding factors that impact adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment among adolescents.

Design: We conducted in-depth interviews using semistructured interview guides based on the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Five Dimensions of Adherence framework, which conceptualises adherence as being related to the health system, socioeconomic factors, patient, treatment and condition. We applied framework thematic analysis.

Setting: Between August 2018 and May 2019, at 32 public health centres operated by the Ministry of Health in Lima, Peru.

Participants: We interviewed 34 adolescents who completed or were lost to …

Retention And Viral Suppression Among Adolescents Newly Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy In Adult Hiv Care In Lima, Peru: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Miyu Niwa, Eduardo Matos, Carly Rodriguez, Milagros Wong, Renato A. Errea, Alicia Ramos, Liz Senador, Carmen Contreras, Jerome T. Galea, Andrew Lindeborg, Carlos Benites, Sonya S. Shin, Leonid Lecca, Molly F. Franke

Social Work Faculty Publications

Purpose: Published data on outcomes among adolescents newly initiating antiretroviral treatment in the Latin American context are sparse. We estimated the frequency of sustained retention with viral load suppression (i.e., successful transition) and identified predictors of successful transition into adult care among youth (aged 14–21 years) with recently acquired HIV in Lima, Peru.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 184 adolescents and young adults who initiated antiretroviral therapy in an adult public sector HIV clinic between June 2014 and June 2019. Sustained retention (no loss-to-follow-up or death) with viral suppression was calculated for the first 12 and 24 …

Editorial: Noncommunicable Diseases And Mental Health Experiences Before And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rahul Shidhaye, Annika C. Sweetland, Jerome T. Galea, Mir Nabila Ashraf, Malay K. Mridha, Hannah Maria Jennings, Aliya Naheed

Social Work Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Grace Abbott Training Supervision Academy: A Year Of Growth, Collaboration, And Impact, Susan Reay, Grace Abbott Training And Supervision Academy, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Social Work Faculty Publications

I am pleased to share with you our 2023 Grace Abbott Training and Supervision Academy Report: A Year of Growth, Collaboration, and Impact. As you read through our report, you will see that in 2023, we focused on refining our offerings to meet the needs of our loyal base of social workers, mental health practitioners, and critical stakeholders who are passionate about learning and collaborating to improve people's lives. The Grace Abbott Training and Supervision Academy provides evidence-based workforce development through continuing education and supervision for behavioral health practitioners at any career stage. We are committed to breaking down barriers …

Development Of A Conversational Agent For Individuals Ambivalent About Quitting Smoking: Protocol For A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Uma S. Nair, Karah Yeona Greene, Stephanie Marhefka, Kristin A. Kosyluk, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. Despite the availability of a plethora of evidence-based smoking cessation resources, less than one-third of individuals who smoke seek cessation services, and individuals using these services are often those who are actively contemplating quitting smoking. There is a distinct dearth of low-cost, scalable interventions to support smokers not ready to quit (ambivalent smokers). Such interventions can assist in gradually promoting smoking behavior changes in this target population until motivation to quit arises, at which time they can be navigated to existing evidence-based smoking cessation …

The Covid-19 Pandemic As A Catalyst For Integrated Global Mental Healthcare And Tuberculosis Care, Alexander L. Chu, Aneeta Pasha, Carmen Contreras, Leonid Lecca, Annika C. Sweetland, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Mental disorders are common among persons with tuberculosis (TB), and the COVID-19 pandemic has only amplified the mental and physical health consequences of this deadly synergy. Here, we call to attention the immense vulnerability of people with TB to mental disorders during the pandemic and highlight the unique challenges and opportunities that the pandemic brings to the future integration of global TB and mental healthcare. We argue that the pandemic era is an ideal period to accelerate this integration and we provide research and policy recommendations to actualise this urgent need.

Purpose In Pain: John Green's The Fault In Our Stars With The Gospel, Jasmine Depalmo, Michael Sherr, Justin D. Lyons

Social Work Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Suffering And Hope In Still Alive, Anna Hurt, Melissa D. Brown, Justin D. Lyons

Social Work Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Barriers To The Delivery Of Teen Dating Violence Programs In Urban School And After-School Settings Serving Mexican-Heritage Youth, Heidi Adams Rueda, Lela Rankin Williams, Abigail Vera

Social Work Faculty Publications

Teen dating violence (TDV) is increasingly recognized as a national health priority, impacting overall well-being and school success. However, there are overlooked barriers to TDV program delivery in schools and youth-serving organizations and these are ideal settings to reach youth universally. In this study, we conducted 10 focus groups with school (e.g., administrators, social workers, nurses) and after-school personnel regarding barriers to TDV programming within a large urban community serving predominantly Mexican-heritage youth. Findings offer practice-driven considerations for the implementation of programs within urban communities. These include attention to limited resources, inhibitive and non-existent policies, competing demands, a lack of …

Start Where The Social Worker Is: Social Workers’ Perceptions Of Clinical Licensure In Nebraska, Susan Reay, Henry J. D'Souza, Kris D. Tevis, Avery H. Fleck

Social Work Faculty Publications

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the perceptions of clinical social workers compared to other mental health professionals (OMHPs). Methods: This exploratory survey research evaluates the perceptions of clinical licensure from social workers (N = 519) and OMHPs (N = 624) in a midwestern state. Results: The results indicate that most respondents believe that universities should be evaluated based on whether students pass licensing exams, and that faculty should be licensed. Many social workers feel ill-prepared to take a licensing exam. There are significant differences between social workers and OMHP in several areas. Additionally, differences are distinct between …

A Pandemic Road Map: Creating Social Work Student Wellness Plans In Field Placement, Susan Reay

Social Work Faculty Publications

During the unprecedented early stages of COVID-19, few protocols were established to support overall student wellness in social work field placements. In response to the overwhelming need for a contextual framework to promote wellness and determine the next steps in mitigating health risks, faculty developed a unique solution in a dynamic situation. Rooted in the university-sponsored dimensions of wellness, BSW and MSW students developed wellness plans that were integrated into the field placement course. These plans were intended to enhance students' ability to evaluate their well-being and encourage them to plan wellness activities. The wellness plan was critical in determining …

Mexican Middle Schoolers’ Questions On Sexuality And Dating Relationships: A Descriptive Qualitative Analysis, Deaven Rodriguez, Heidi Adams Rueda, Steven Hoffman, Bethany Gutierrez

Social Work Faculty Publications

Research in Mexico has found a lack of comprehensive sexual health education in school settings, as well as a lack of youth perspectives on sexual health and dating. Little is known about the questions Mexican youth have about dating and sexuality, despite research finding that they desire this information and perceive few resources available to them. This collaborative study between a U.S. university and a multi-disciplinary team of middle-school psychologists in Central Mexico aimed to understand youth’s questions on sexual health and dating. This study was a follow-up to focus group conversations, where youth voiced that they wanted more information …

“This Person Is Safe”: An Exemplar Of Conducting Individual Interviews In Qualitative Research With Black Women, Quenette Walton, Priscilla P. Kennedy, Olulbunmi Oyewuwo, Phylicia Allen

Social Work Faculty Publications

Significant conceptual and empirical evidence has been found through qualitative research about the benefits, limitations, and uses of individual interviews. However, there is scant research illustrating how researchers use specific techniques that center participants’ intersecting identities to build rapport, trust, and authentic connections during individual interviews, and especially during interviews with Black women. We illustrate how we used eight empirically grounded techniques in our qualitative individual interviews with Black women. Through our analysis of the interviews, the concept of safety emerged. “This person is safe” reflects the combined stories the women reported regarding their experiences engaging in individual interviews. In …

Understanding Linkage To Biopsy And Treatment For Breast Cancer After A High-Risk Telemammography Result In Peru: A Mixed-Methods Study, Renato A. Errea, Patricia J. Garcia, Lydia E. Pace, Jerome T. Galea, Molly F. Franke

Social Work Faculty Publications

Objectives: This mixed-method study aimed to understand the effectiveness of linkage to biopsy and treatment in women with a high-risk mammography result (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System, BI-RADS 4 and 5) in the national telemammography programme and to explore women’s experiences during this process.

Setting: Quantitative component: we collected and linked health data from the telemammography reading centre, the national public health insurance, the national centre for disease control and the national referral cancer centre. Qualitative component: we interviewed participants from different regions of the country representing diverse social and geographical backgrounds.

Participants: Quantitative: women who underwent telemammography between …

Community-Based Accompaniment For Adolescents Transitioning To Adult Hiv Care In Urban Peru: A Pilot Study, Valentina Vargas, Milagros Wong, Carly A. Rodriguez, Hugo Sanchez, Jerome T. Galea, Alicia Ramos, Liz Senador, Lenka Kolevic, Eduardo Matos, Eduardo Sanchez, Renato A. Errea, Karen Ramos, Catherine Beckhorn, Andrew Lindeborg, Carlos Benites, Leonid Lecca, Sonya Shin, Molly F. Franke

Social Work Faculty Publications

We piloted a community-based intervention to improve outcomes among adolescents living with HIV who were transitioning to adult-oriented care in Lima, Peru. We assessed feasibility and potential effectiveness, including within-person changes in self-reported adherence, psychosocial metrics (NIH Toolbox), and transition readiness (“Am I on TRAC” questionnaire, “Got Transition” checklist). From October 2019 to January 2020, we enrolled 30 adolescents (15–21 years). The nine-month intervention consisted of logistical, adherence and social support delivered by entry-level health workers and group sessions to improve health-related knowledge and skills and social support. In transition readiness, we observed within-person improvements relative to baseline. We also …

Geographic Accessibility To Health Facilities Predicts Uptake Of Community-Based Tuberculosis Screening In An Urban Setting, Helen E. Jenkins, Sally Ayuk, Daniela Puma, Meredith B. Brooks, Ana Karina Millones, Judith Jimenez, Leonid Lecca, Jerome T. Galea, Mercedes Becerra, Salmaan Keshavjee, Courtney M. Yuen

Social Work Faculty Publications

Objectives: Annually, more than 30% of individuals with tuberculosis (TB) remain undiagnosed. We aimed to assess whether geographic accessibility measures can identify neighborhoods that would benefit from TB screening services targeted toward closing the diagnosis gap.

Methods: We used data from a community-based mobile TB screening program in Carabayllo district, Lima, Peru. We constructed four accessibility measures from the geographic center of neighborhoods to health facilities. We used logistic regression to assess the association between these measures and screening uptake in one's residential neighborhood versus elsewhere, with quasi-information criterion values to assess the association.

Results: We analyzed the screening locations …

Attitudes Toward Payment For Research Participation: Results From A U.S. Survey Of People Living With Hiv, Andrea N. Polonijo, Karine Dubé, Jerome T. Galea, Karah Yeona Greene, Jeff Taylor, Christopher Christensen, Brandon Brown

Social Work Faculty Publications

Little is known about how payment affects individuals' decisions to participate in HIV research. Using data from a U.S. survey of people living with HIV (N = 292), we examined potential research participants’ attitudes toward payment, perceived study risk based on payment amount, and preferred payment forms, and how these factors vary by sociodemographic characteristics. Most respondents agreed people should be paid for HIV research participation (96%) and said payment would shape their research participation decisions (80%). Men, less formally educated individuals, and members of some minoritized racial-ethnic groups were less likely to be willing to participate in research …