Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Burnout Among Bilingual Social Service Providers, Marlene Reyes

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study focuses on burnout among bilingual Social Service Providers (BSSPs) and examines their thoughts and beliefs on the interconnection of their bilingual/bicultural skills and higher risk of burnout. The findings from this study have significant ramifications for the social service field on both Macro and Micro levels. At a Micro scale, the data validates the additional responsibilities of BSSP’s, while bringing more awareness to this group of professionals. Additional findings contribute to new policies regarding BSSPs job responsibilities; for example, accurate job descriptions and training for positions that require translation and interpretation. An exploratory study using qualitative data was …

The Effects Of Working Memory Training And Encoding Strategy On Working Memory Capacity, Frank Tuthill

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Undergraduate students from California State University, San Bernardino were recruited to examine the effects of working memory training and encoding strategy upon working memory capacity. Participants will be prescreened for low working memory capacity, and then will be tested on a battery of complex span measures. Participants will be divided into several strategy conditions: rehearsal, visual, and control. Then participants will be tested on their verbal working memory both before and after the 20 session n-back working memory training program. Participants are predicted to do the same or worse with the strategy instruction before working memory training while they will …

Challenges For Male Therapists Working With Commercially And Sexually Exploited Female Adolescents, John Caballero

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The commercial and sexual exploitation of children has become a global multi-billion dollar industry over the past several decades. Throughout history, therapists from various backgrounds have not only advocated against child trafficking but also provided therapeutic services to victims of such an inhuman crime—most of whom are female adolescents. Compared to their female counterparts, male therapists have been assigned CSEC cases involving female clients in excessively lower ratios. Researchers, however, have not fully captured what has prevented the female CSEC population from drawing interests from male counselors. This study explored potential reluctance in male therapists with regard to working with …

The Effects Of A Blind Selection Process On Gender Discrimination In Applicant Selection, Stephanie Ann Ingalls

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effect of a blind selection process on gender discrimination. Due to persistent gender discrimination in selection processes, the intention of the current study was to investigate a blind selection process as a means to decrease gender discrimination against women. A total of 391 individuals were recruited through SONA and convenience sampling to participate in the current study. Materials included a selection scenario, three applicant résumés with applicant names and three with applicant ID numbers, a rank order form, and measures for procedural justice and fairness, modern sexism inventory, and the …

The Role Of Mentoring And Ethnicity On Career Advancement And Leadership Aspirations: Looking At Hispanic Women, Arlette Osorno

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Hispanic women in leadership are vastly understudied and little is known as to what factors influence their leadership aspirations and ultimately their career advancement. Mentoring has been found to have a positive influence on women’s perceptions of career advancement and the gender of the mentor plays a role (Tharenou, 2005). The purpose of this study was to examine how career-related mentoring influences the protegee’s career advancement and how the gender of the mentor may change that relationship. Furthermore, the relationship between psychosocial (emotional) support and the protegee’s leadership aspirations were examined, as well as the role of the mentor’s gender …

Correctional Officers’ Perceptions And Attitudes Toward Mental Health Within The Prison System, Alexandra Rose Serafini

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research explored correction officers’ perceptions and attitudes in relation to inmates with mental health issues. In a qualitative fashion, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five correction officers in Southern California (N = 5) during the Winter 2018 Quarter. Using thematic analysis, this study identified six major themes from the interview data: mental health has remained a prominent issue within the prison population; correction officers were fairly knowledgeable about mental health; correction officers perceived themselves as having to play a limited role in the rehabilitation of inmates with mental health problems; constant prompts in daily activities and medication management were …

Mexican Women's Perception Of Mental Health Service Use, Claudia Perez, Samara Yael Cardona

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to explore Mexican women’s perceptions about utilizing mental health services and to explore the barriers encountered during the process. Previous research suggested Mexican women’s diverse experiences when seeking and utilizing mental health services. The study used a qualitative approach with open-ended and closed-ended questions. The sample size of this study was fifteen individuals who self-identified as Mexican women who reside in Southern California recruited using a snowball approach. Major themes identified included Mexican family values and beliefs, cultural barriers, structural barriers, Mexican women’s strengths, and community suggestions for social work practice. This study …

What Impact Does Religious Beliefs Have Among African Americans Attitudes Towards Getting Mental Health Services?, Vanessa House

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Mental Health in America is a continuous and on ongoing concern for families across the nation. For African Americans there are certain contributing factors that can increase the likelihood that an individual will suffer from a mental health disorder. African Americans have been identified as persons who are less likely to seek mental health services. By using the positivist paradigm, the research question, “What Impact Does Religious Beliefs Have Among African American Attitudes Towards Getting Mental Health Services? is explored. In order to conduct this study, the researcher constructed a survey of 16 questions for African American male and female …

Spirituality Of Substance Abuse Counselors, Matthew Sasso

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of spirituality among substance abuse counselors for those who in the recovery process. The research demonstrates the effectiveness of how personal beliefs of substance abuse counselors influence the treatment experience. This study uses a qualitative post positivist paradigm to study the impact of practitioners’ personal beliefs towards spirituality in the treatment of clients. It addresses essential factors from a spiritual and religious framework and reveals the consideration of personal beliefs of substance abuse counselors and its impact on the treatment experience of an individual’s recovery. The content of the research …

Seasonal Round Travel Routes And The Cost Of Mobility, Evan Mills

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In 1985 a settlement and subsistence model of seasonal round mobility was proposed by Statistical Research, Inc. This model proposed four travel routes used by the Late Prehistoric Serrano to access the higher elevation village site known as Rock Camp to gather acorns and pinyon nuts in the fall. This research investigates the proposed routes, as well as an additional route, for energy efficiency and archaeological evidence of use in prehistory. Data collection involved using experimental methods designed to gather controlled physiological data for evaluating the efficiency of traveling each route. Archaeological sites present on the travel routes and within …

Perceptions Of Service Related Trauma In Female Service Members, Reservists, And Veterans, Sara Cathryn Klepps

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to explore female service members, reservists, and veterans feelings regarding service related trauma and what they want clinicians to know regarding treatment. This was a qualitative study that used a snowball sample to interview seven women; data collected was transcribed from recordings, analyzed, and categorized into themes. Qualitative themes included vulnerability, connection to clinician, and mental health stigma. Potential changes endorsed included understanding gender roles, clinician’s ability to build better therapeutic relationships, and decreasing mental health stigma. Limitations included not being able to generalize the study as service members, reservists, and veterans were …

Different Therapists, Different Outcomes? Do Referrals To Different Providers Impact Reunification Of Child Welfare Clients?, Heather Marie Martinell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child welfare agencies are responsible for the overall care and custody of children removed from their caregivers due to substantiated child abuse allegations. After the children are removed it is standard department procedure to offer court mandated reunification services. The only exception of this is when parent’s rights are terminated. Both the parents and children are ordered services based on the needs of the family. These services include but are not limited to parenting classes, drug treatment, and therapeutic services.

The purpose of this study is to examine whether families in different geographic areas, who are referred to different therapeutic …

The 'Lean In' Theory, Validated By Three Supreme Court Justices, Celene Valenzuela

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The definition of leadership is not gender specific; however, the role of a leader continues to be defined in mostly male terms by society. While, women have outpaced men in gaining an undergraduate education, women are not being hired for top leadership roles. There continues to be a gender leadership gap in both the private and public sector. Women continue to advance in their education and career, yet they are unable to break the invisible glass ceiling and attain top leadership roles.

This study proposes that in order to gain equality and reduce the gender leadership gap, in both the …

Identifying The Role Of Faith And Spirituality In The Recovery And Wellness Of Alcohol Abusers, Andrea Elisabet Masdeu

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

There is extensive literature available on the topic of recovery from alcohol abuse. The research focus of this study explores diverse ways in which the practice of faith and spirituality in any form have affected individuals’ recovery and wellness from a post-positivist perspective. The following question is addressed: How does faith and spirituality impact the recovery process and wellness of alcohol abusers? The study was conducted by interviewing volunteer members of three Alcoholics Anonymous mutual-help groups located in Southern California. Participants were asked 15 open ending questions interview. The study uses open and axial coding for analysis. The indirect variables …

Perceptions Of Self-Disclosure Impacting The Supervisory Relationship And Recognizing Countertransference, Melissa Alvarez Torres, Jessica Elizabeth Wilinski

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Clinical supervision is an essential component in a social work student’s education and development in the field. Social work students should feel comfortable with their clinical supervisors in order to appropriately self-disclose during supervision and gain the ability to recognize countertransference when working with clients. The significance of this is that students should be aware of their feelings and learn how to process these reactions during supervision. A mixed methods approach was utilized, surveying and interviewing students and clinical supervisors affiliated with California State University, San Bernardino. A Pearson correlation coefficient was conducted to determine the relationship between the strength …

Cross - Professional Comparison Of Social Work Burnout, Heather Lynn Schaal

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Burnout in the social work field is becoming increasingly common due to the emotional intensity of the client-social worker relationship and job demands. Research has shown that burnout has detrimental effects not only on the social worker themselves but on clients and agencies as well. Limited research exists examining which professional setting of social work experiences the highest level of burnout. This study used secondary data collected by, Dr. Lizano in 2016 from the 4^thAnnual California State University, San Bernardino BASW and MSW Field Instructor Training. A quantitative method was used to analyze which setting of social work …

Informal Art Therapy Group Among Minority Seniors In Independent Living Communities, Jennifer Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The elderly population have developed some resistance toward accepting community-based social services. Such resistance could be detrimental to the well-being of low-income seniors by hindering their chance of accessing services intended for them in the first place. Art therapy is seen as a promising intervention against client resistance. This study evaluated the effectiveness of art therapy on reducing resistance to services among low-income seniors living in independent living communities. Through a pre-experimental design, this study analyzed administrative data for a sample of 37 participants from a social service agency in Southern California. Results from two non-parametric tests (WilcoxonSigned-Rank and Mann-Whitney-U) …

Authentically Disney, Distinctly Chinese: A Case Study Of Glocalization Through Shanghai Disneyland’S Brand Narrative, Chelsea Michelle Galvez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In 2016, the Walt Disney Company launched Shanghai Disneyland--the company’s first theme park in mainland China. Entering mainland China poses significant political and cultural challenges for American companies. To address these challenges, Disney pursued a “glocalization” strategy -- it accounted for local norms and values in launching Shanghai Disneyland. This paper examines how Shanghai Disneyland constructed its brand narrative to negotiate tensions in this glocalization process. A semiotic analysis of two Shanghai Disneyland commercials illustrates the ways in which Disney tapped into culturally meaningful themes of harmonic balance and collective identity to produce the park’s brand narrative--“China’s Disneyland.” A thematic …

Recovery Support Services For Young Adults: A Needs Assessment For A Collegiate Recovery Program At A Midsized Public University Located In Southern California, Micah Carlson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Substance use and substance use disorders continue to impact the health and safety of people across the United States. A population in which substance use and substance use disorders tend to be the highest being with college-age populations. In response to this growing public health concern, Recovery Support Services (RSS) are being implemented across colleges and universities nationwide. With each college or university being diverse based on its location, size, and demographics RSS resources do not look the same as they spread from campus to campus. This research project analyzed the current resources, how they are implemented, and how they …

Planning For A Future: A Developmental Blueprint Towards Success Among Current And Former Foster Youth, John Devine

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Over 425,000 youth currently reside in the U.S. foster care system. Youth enter the foster care system for the many reasons, including but not limited to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, neglect, incarceration of a parent, abandonment, and death of a family member. Once in the foster care system, many youth remain until they reach adulthood. The purpose of this study is to examine the perspectives of current and former foster youth who remained in foster care into their adulthood and who participated in the Independent Living Program (ILP), a program designed to help foster youth transition to adulthood and …

Spanish-Speaking Client-Worker Experiences At A California Child Welfare Agency, Koressa Castillo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

With the growing presence of Latino families across the United States, service providers must remain cognizant of this group’s unique sociocultural characteristics. Culturally competent service provision requires child welfare professionals to remain aware of the stressors often faced by this population. Immigration and acculturation issues, language and cultural barriers, poverty, discrimination, fear of deportation, and lack of access to a variety of services are a few of the stressors that are commonly experienced by this group. Linguistically competent practice requires service provision to be in a families’ native language; however, there are many other factors to consider even when doing …

Social Work Perceptions Of Pedophiles: Opening The Dialogue, Dana Rose Montes

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Pedophiles are the most stigmatized population in society (Jahnke, Imhoff, & Hoyer, 2015; Sanghara & Wilson, 2006). Social worker’s responsibility is to maintain standards and treat individuals with dignity and respect (NASW, 2017). It is important to explore bias against pedophiles because studies have shown bias is linked to offender recidivism rates (Jahnke, Schmidt, Geradt, & Hoyer, 2015). Social workers may unintentionally inhibit pedophiles from seeking treatment if they hold strong biases against them which could potentially negatively impact child abuse rates. The purpose of this study was to identify bias reduction techniques so that they could possibly be implemented …

Active Shooter Preparedness Training, Berenice Dougherty, Nyemal Thuok Chuol

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examined the effectiveness of active shooter preparedness training on students for the purpose of assessing whether or not undergoing such training helps ease students’ level of anxiety, sense of preparedness in the event of a mass shooting attack at their California State University campus, or an attack occurring at their place of internship. This data was collected by offering an active shooter training to student participants, facilitated by the Risk Management department, at a large University in Southern California. Following the training, first-year Bachelors and Masters students within the School of Social Work were given a self-administered questionnaire. …

Social Service Workers Knowledge On The Use Of Technology For Human Trafficking, Raquel Monique Holguin, Athena Noel Barber

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Human Trafficking is the modern-day equivalent of slavery. Those who perpetuate it do so because it is lucrative to invest in a product that can be resold multiple times (Ellis, 2017). The recent advancement of technology has tremendously helped traffickers thrive in the illicit business of Human Trafficking. Social media websites, online classifieds, and mobile applications are quickly becoming some of the major mediums perpetrators utilize to traffick their victims (Latonero, 2012). The purpose of this study was to examine social service workers’ knowledge on the use of technology for Human Trafficking. Face-to-face interviews were conducted and the participants were …

A Communication Guide For Ex-Offenders, Richard Anthony Contreras

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Incarceration rates and the release rate of ex-offenders into the community are both increasing. Studies have shown, on a consistent basis, that, while incarcerated, ex-offenders experience lower literacy levels than the general population, suffer emotional and mental distress from a harsh prison life, and suffer from the negative effects of public perception. Ex-offender anger abounds. These factors interfere with an inmate’s ability to communicate effectively. Notwithstanding, upon release from custody, how do we help such ex-offenders communicate? Many handbooks exist to help former inmates. However, the vast majority only offer assistance with locating government social services agencies, obtaining documents, and …

Knowledge Of School Resource Officer's Roles And Their Perceptions On School Social Worker's Roles, Cynthia Crystal Cervantes, Vanessa Vazquez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The study examined the perception of school resource officers (SROs) role in a school setting, the training they received prior to working in a school setting, their interaction with students, and their relationship with school administration, staff, and school social workers. Previous studies discussed SROs’ roles to be ambiguous and their primary focus of a school resource officer to maintain school safety, while other studies discussed the criminalization in schools due to the placement of law enforcement in the school settings.

The study employed a qualitative design with face-to-face interviews with seven participants who serve or have served as a …

The Self-Percieved Grief Competency Of Masters Level Therapists, Emily Rae Devries

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Bereavement is an experience that most people will encounter multiple times across their lifetime. Some people who experience grief are going to seek support in this process from a therapist. The NASW Code of Ethics suggests that social workers only practice in fields in which they are competent. This study will look at the self-perceived grief competency of master’s level therapists. Demographic data and a survey designed to measure the competency of a master’s level therapist was utilized to collect data to measure the self-perceived grief competency. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way between groups ANOVA, and correlation …

The Needs And Challenges Experienced By Latino Parents Of Children With Developmental Disabilities, Lizbeth Quintero

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

With an estimated 1.8 million children born in the US with a developmental disability in the past decade and a 43% increase in the Latino population in the same time period, there are more Latino parents who have children born with a developmental disability than ever before. Due to factors such as language barriers and legal status, Latino parents of children with developmental disabilities tend to experience higher needs. This study explored the challenges and needs Latino parents faced when caring for a child with special needs. The design of the study was qualitative. Participants were a convenience sample of …

Resilience And Resistance: How The Inland Empire Transgender Community Thrives, Raul Angel Maldonado

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Society’s current focus on the transgender community is complicated, and further heightened by the lack of protections for the transgender community. Current studies only assess the hardships transgender individuals face and the impact they have on their well-being. This study sought to explore what effects the lack of resources and support have on the transgender community in the Inland Empire. This study utilized a qualitative approach incorporating semi-structured interviews of participants. The author also sought to explore how the transgender community in this area are able to mitigate any negative experiences. The qualitative data provided rich grounding in understanding the …

Inclusive Leadership And Employee Engagement: The Moderating Effect Of Psychological Diversity Climate, Jose Luis Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Leadership is a well-known complex phenomenon that focuses on important organizational, social and personal processes, where leadership is dependent on a process of social influence, which occurs between the leader and follower (Bolden, 2004). Therefore, leaders need to operate with a certain understanding of leadership and the environment in order to address the increasing pressures and demands that come with being a leader. However, leadership concepts too often focus on leader behaviors apart from their effects on followers; in contrast, Inclusive Leadership (IL) highlights the importance of leadership as a social construction process between the leader and follower. The present …