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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Perceptions Of Licensed Independent Social Workers On How Their Master Of Social Work Program Prepared Them To Work With Substance-Using Clients, Kelly A Vacca Jun 2024

Perceptions Of Licensed Independent Social Workers On How Their Master Of Social Work Program Prepared Them To Work With Substance-Using Clients, Kelly A Vacca

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to a lack of accreditation standards requiring Master of Social Work (MSW) degree programs to include substance use and addiction-related courses, many MSW graduates in the United States are unprepared to meet the needs of this growing population. The purpose of this qualitative study, which was underpinned by Bandura's self-efficacy theory, was to explore the perceptions and experiences of licensed independent social workers (LISW) regarding the role their MSW program education played in preparing them to work with substance use and addicted populations. The six participants identified as having graduated from an accredited MSW program, holding a bachelor’s degree …


Exploring Social Work Leadership Skills At The Veterans Health Administration: A Transformational Leadership Perspective, Jose Arturo Camacho May 2024

Exploring Social Work Leadership Skills At The Veterans Health Administration: A Transformational Leadership Perspective, Jose Arturo Camacho

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the problems in the field of social work leadership is the lack of a theoretical framework to guide its practice. Bass' transformational leadership theory (TFL) offers a framework for the field of social work leadership. However, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the largest employer of social workers in the United States, has not examined TFL skills with its social work leaders nor its effect on employee job satisfaction. This quantitative, cross-sectional, web-based study was designed to bridge the gap between social work leadership practice and leadership theory. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) survey was administered to 26 VHA …


White Clinical Social Workers’ Comfort With Black People’S Mental Illness, Lushunda Wood-Buckson May 2024

White Clinical Social Workers’ Comfort With Black People’S Mental Illness, Lushunda Wood-Buckson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers constitute one of the largest clinically trained groups in the helping professions delivering mental health services in the United States. Most U.S. social workers are White and provide mental health services to diverse people. The social work literature has limited information about White clinical social workers’ comfort with delivering mental health services to Black people with mental illness. The aim of this study was to better understand how White clinical social workers who self-identify as culturally competent describe their perceptions of comfort when delivering mental health services to Black people with mental illness. This basic qualitative study was …


The Role Of Social Support In The Mitigation Of Social Worker Burnout During The Aftermath Of Hurricane Maria, Miguel Angel Soto May 2024

The Role Of Social Support In The Mitigation Of Social Worker Burnout During The Aftermath Of Hurricane Maria, Miguel Angel Soto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers are among the first responders to be activated during a natural disaster, and they remain aiding victims through the final stages of the recovery process. During the aftermath of natural disasters, social workers are required to work under extreme pressure and are at an increased risk of developing mental health issues that can affect their ability to provide adequate services. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the experiences of social workers who responded to Hurricane Maria regarding the role of social support and its relation to burnout. A purposive selection methodology was applied to …


Strategies Employed By School Social Workers In Virginia To Help Children Cope With Parental Death, Jamitta Covington Apr 2024

Strategies Employed By School Social Workers In Virginia To Help Children Cope With Parental Death, Jamitta Covington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has indicated that school social workers employ a variety of strategies or interventions that affect the child’s adjustment in school. The psychological, physical, and social issues impacting children after the death of a parent can have long term effects on their development. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding strategies that provide support for children’s adjustment to the grief process following a parent’s death. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to identify strategies to improve, enhance, and contribute to social work practice. The study was guided by Kubler-Ross’s grief theory, ecological systems theory, and assumptions of …


Strategies For Coping With Racial Microaggressions Among African American Medical Social Workers, Robert Ebot Tambe Ebot Apr 2024

Strategies For Coping With Racial Microaggressions Among African American Medical Social Workers, Robert Ebot Tambe Ebot

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial microaggressions are prevalent in the field of social work. Social workers have reported experiencing racial microaggressions from coworkers, patients, and patients’ families. However, little is known about coping strategies that African American medical social workers use to mitigate the effects of racial microaggressions in the workplace. Therefore, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to increase understanding of how African American medical social workers perceive and cope with racial microaggressions in the workplace. A generic qualitative approach was used to explore this topic, as well as how these social workers subsequently cope with perceived racial microaggressions. Twelve African …


Aging And Depression: Identifying Strategies To Prevent Suicide And Restore Integrity, Nekka A. Herbert Apr 2024

Aging And Depression: Identifying Strategies To Prevent Suicide And Restore Integrity, Nekka A. Herbert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have documented a projected increase in the older adult population and a foreseeable increase in older adult suicides associated with shortcomings in the mental health field related to providing adequate mental health treatment to individuals 65 and older. Researchers have concluded that these shortcomings are due to ageism, lack of awareness, lack of knowledge in gerontology, and inadequate training for professionals entering the field. Studies have highlighted the growing number of older adult suicides but have lacked effective treatment strategies to reduce depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts/behaviors, specifically in the older adult male population, which has the highest number …


Elders Helping Elders: The Impact Of Stress On The Informal Caregiver, Denise Diane Smith Apr 2024

Elders Helping Elders: The Impact Of Stress On The Informal Caregiver, Denise Diane Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Informal older caregivers who care for other older adult's experience stress that can harm them. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between perceived stress and the physical health, quality of life, and coping skills of the informal older caregiver. The stress process model was used as the conceptual framework for this study. Using the Self survey using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), World health Quality of Life BREF (WHQOL-BREF) Scale, and the Brief-COPE Inventory, a total of 80 informal older caregivers were selected as participants. Pearson chi-square and Pearson’s r were used to analyze the …


The Relationship Between Ohio Start Peer Recovery Services And Parental Sobriety, Jennifer Mcclellan Apr 2024

The Relationship Between Ohio Start Peer Recovery Services And Parental Sobriety, Jennifer Mcclellan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parental substance use is associated with an increased risk for child maltreatment. The rise of parental substance use in Ohio led the state to implement Ohio START (sobriety, treatment, and reducing trauma), an evidence-based model that incorporates lived experience through peer recovery services embedded within child protection agencies. Researchers have studied the benefits of peer recovery services in community settings but have not extensively explored potential impacts among child protection populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the timeliness and quantity of Ohio START peer recovery services and the length of parental sobriety at case …


Foster Parents’ Views Regarding Lack Of Attachment In Children In Foster Care, Ronease Yvette Thompson Apr 2024

Foster Parents’ Views Regarding Lack Of Attachment In Children In Foster Care, Ronease Yvette Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


Challenges To Implementing Culturally Competent Mental Health Practices With African Americans In Hospital Settings, Eric Ejem Mar 2024

Challenges To Implementing Culturally Competent Mental Health Practices With African Americans In Hospital Settings, Eric Ejem

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


Moral Injury From A Non-Combat Perspective: The Lived Experience Of Army Veteran Chaplains, Sarah Vanderzanden Mar 2024

Moral Injury From A Non-Combat Perspective: The Lived Experience Of Army Veteran Chaplains, Sarah Vanderzanden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


Impact Of The Lived Experience Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Adult Homelessness, Arlene Marcellette Smith Mar 2024

Impact Of The Lived Experience Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Adult Homelessness, Arlene Marcellette Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


Barriers To The Use Of Injectable Naltrexone In An Outpatient Setting, Heather Schultz Mar 2024

Barriers To The Use Of Injectable Naltrexone In An Outpatient Setting, Heather Schultz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The opioid epidemic is a public health concern that impacts thousands of individuals across the United States. There was a lack of clear understanding of what leads opioid addicts to decline use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with injectable extended release naltrexone (XR-NTX). The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional correlational study was to examine the relationships between past XR-NTX status and demographic factors (gender, age, race, education level, time sober in days, and employment status) and the attitudes about encouragement from providers about engaging in MAT, as well as perceptions about MAT in individuals currently in a MAT who chose not …


Social Workers, Positive Behavior Interventions Supports, And Exclusionary Discipline Of Black Males, Jacqueline Binion Mar 2024

Social Workers, Positive Behavior Interventions Supports, And Exclusionary Discipline Of Black Males, Jacqueline Binion

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School social workers play an instrumental role in providing school faculty members with skills and interventions to facilitate positive outcomes in both schools and the community at large. It is not known what role social workers play in the suspension and exclusion of Black male high school students. The research questions for this generic qualitative study explored the perspective of high school teachers and social workers from various South Mississippi counties perceptions of the roles social workers play in the implementation of positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) and social workers’ impact on the exclusion of Black male students from …


Lived Experiences Of Young Adults Raised With A Sibling With Autism, Lamika Demitris Thomas Feb 2024

Lived Experiences Of Young Adults Raised With A Sibling With Autism, Lamika Demitris Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When a child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the family structure is affected. Although researchers have documented increased stress and depression among parents of children with ASD, they have not adequately explored siblings’ perspectives on the emotional, physical, and/or psychological implications of having a brother or sister with ASD. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore siblings’ lived experiences of growing up in a household with a sibling with ASD. The conceptual framework for this study was grounded in the siblings embedded systems framework (SESF), which helps contextualize siblings’ experiences, including interacting factors, and how these experiences …


Public Benefits Access And Use Among Low-Income Individuals In Dover, Delaware, Kofoworola Lawal Jan 2024

Public Benefits Access And Use Among Low-Income Individuals In Dover, Delaware, Kofoworola Lawal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


Social Workers’ Education In Identifying Victims Of Human Trafficking, Simmone Lafette Jones Jan 2024

Social Workers’ Education In Identifying Victims Of Human Trafficking, Simmone Lafette Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


Intimate Partner Relationships And Infidelity Among Female Adult Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse, Kellyanne Rodriguez Jan 2024

Intimate Partner Relationships And Infidelity Among Female Adult Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse, Kellyanne Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


Human Services Professionals’ Perceptions Of Messaging From Administration About Serving Diverse Clients, Tina Cheree Martin Jan 2024

Human Services Professionals’ Perceptions Of Messaging From Administration About Serving Diverse Clients, Tina Cheree Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


Perceptions Of Competence Development In The Field Of Gerontology And Dementia, Janice Braxton Jan 2024

Perceptions Of Competence Development In The Field Of Gerontology And Dementia, Janice Braxton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


Stress Management Experiences Of Msw Graduates Transitioning From College To Child Welfare, Danielle Linette Young Dec 2023

Stress Management Experiences Of Msw Graduates Transitioning From College To Child Welfare, Danielle Linette Young

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


Psychotherapists’ Connection With College Students Diagnosed With An Anxiety Disorder And Cannabis Use Disorder., Kervil Durand Dec 2023

Psychotherapists’ Connection With College Students Diagnosed With An Anxiety Disorder And Cannabis Use Disorder., Kervil Durand

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


The Intersection Of Racial And Sexual Minority Identities For Black Sexual Minority Mothers, Leshaunda Rockett-Dixon Nov 2023

The Intersection Of Racial And Sexual Minority Identities For Black Sexual Minority Mothers, Leshaunda Rockett-Dixon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


Child Abuse Assessment And Reporting By Social Workers: An Action Research Project, Audra Willsey Nov 2023

Child Abuse Assessment And Reporting By Social Workers: An Action Research Project, Audra Willsey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.


Human Service Professionals’ Experience With Vicarious Trauma, Saundra Mcglothan Jan 2023

Human Service Professionals’ Experience With Vicarious Trauma, Saundra Mcglothan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the vicarious trauma (VT)experiences of nonlicensed human service professionals (HSPs) between the ages of 30 and 65 from Central Texas who work with male intimate partner violence (IPV) victims. The conceptual framework that guided this study was the constructivist self-development theory. A purposive sample of 11 HSPs who experienced VT because of working with male IPV victims was obtained through flyers posted on social media. Huberman and Miles’s approach to thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and create codes, categories, and themes. The 13 themes that were identified …


Challenges In Discharge Planning For Adults Transitioning From An Inpatient Psychiatric Level Of Care Experiencing Homelessness, Deanna` R. Mccaskill Jan 2023

Challenges In Discharge Planning For Adults Transitioning From An Inpatient Psychiatric Level Of Care Experiencing Homelessness, Deanna` R. Mccaskill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental illness and the homeless population are a growing concern in the United States. Homeless individuals utilize emergency rooms and acute inpatient stays more than those with housing. Social workers play a vital role in discharge planning, starting on the first day of admission. This action research study explored the challenges of social workers developing discharge plans for adults transitioning from an inpatient psychiatric level of care experiencing homeless. The theoretical framework implemented in this study was systems theory. Data were collected from 12 purposively selected master’s level social workers in the format of individual and focus group interviews. Eight …


The Experiences Of Female Sexual Minority Service Members After 2013, Ada I. Rivera Jan 2023

The Experiences Of Female Sexual Minority Service Members After 2013, Ada I. Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2010, the United States Armed Forces ended the policy Don’t Ask, Don’t Tellthat excluded sexual minorities from being able to serve openly in the military. Full military benefits were extended to them and their family members in 2013. Despite these changes, victimization, stigma, and discrimination have continued to impact the lives of service members who identify as a sexual minority, as the result of microaggressions due to their sexual orientation. Past literature has examined experiences of sexual minorities, but little research has focuses on sexual minority women whose minority gender identity creates greater risk to experience micro assaults with …


Perceptions And Experiences Of The Benefits Of Premarital Counseling Among African American Couples, Evelyn N. Roberts Jan 2023

Perceptions And Experiences Of The Benefits Of Premarital Counseling Among African American Couples, Evelyn N. Roberts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have conducted studies on the benefits of premarital counseling. However, little was known about the experiences of African American couples. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore African American couples’ perceptions and experiences concerning the benefits of premarital counseling. Social learning theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with eight heterosexual African American couples. Colaizzi’s seven-step method of coding was used to analyze participants’ responses. Four themes emerged: couples’ expectations of premarital counseling, influences regarding participation, quality and structure of sessions, and overall experience. Findings could impact social change by …


Social Workers’ Philosophical Attitudes Towards Harm Reduction Services In Housing First Organizations, John Gay Woolley Jan 2023

Social Workers’ Philosophical Attitudes Towards Harm Reduction Services In Housing First Organizations, John Gay Woolley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOver the past three decades, harm reduction has gradually become more prevalent among social workers and is now viewed as an instrumental approach in treating people with drug and alcohol problems. Although there have been several studies that described how harm reduction approaches were applied in Housing First (HF) settings, there are few studies that have described social workers’ perspectives of their philosophical attitudes regarding harm reduction in HF settings. The purpose of this study was to understand social workers’ perspectives of their philosophical attitudes toward harm reduction services and how those attitudes were apparent in their interactions with substance-using …