Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Stress Management, Choices, And Self-Confidence, Pamela P. Thompson

MSW Capstones

Abstract

When adolescents do not learn appropriate coping mechanisms for stress, they are more likely to develop problem behaviors that can inhibit their abilities to live productive and meaningful lives. When adolescents do not learn the appropriate ways to cope, they can sabotage their self-esteem, confidence, and learn negative coping strategies. A focus group was held of adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17 years of age. They discussed their point of view of what is stressful and how they handle the stress. All information was compared to evidence based research of coping strategies and the best practices to …

Army Family Readiness Groups (Frgs): Are They All That They Can Be? A Curriculum Menu And Guide To Conduct Frg Meetings On Joint Base Lewis-Mcchord, Lauren K. Mcbride

MSW Capstones

This intervention addresses the current, complex needs of Army military families and the ability of Family Readiness Groups (FRGs) to address and support those needs as a resource. It is a curriculum to reduce stress on all FRG members by providing a menu for commanders and leaders to select from, conduct meetings and thus, empower its members. The curriculum also implements common outcome indicators and measurable goals to assess if families are obtaining needs and fulfilling the FRG mission. Army personnel including a battalion commander, two company commanders, one Family Readiness Support Assistant (FRSA), one soldier and three spouses from …

The Invest Program: An Education To Employment/Post-Secondary Education Transition Program For Students With Mid To High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alicia E. Schmoker

MSW Capstones

The time of transition from adolescents to adulthood is a difficult one for many individuals, disability or not. One of the biggest challenges within this large developmental milestone is that of transitioning from secondary education to competitive employment or post-secondary education. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a continuum of disorders that impact an individual’s ability to function in daily life. The impacts of ASD range from mild to severe. This disorder is believed to be persistent and one that commonly causes significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges that can result in lifelong adjustment needs and supports. These autistic symptoms …

Staying Well: A Training For Understanding, Remembering, And Making Informed Decisions, Caitlin W. Simmons

MSW Capstones

Low health literacy can cause poor health outcomes, and anyone can have low health literacy regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, or class. Efforts to reduce health literacy have focused primarily on healthcare practitioners, and little effort has been put toward educating patients. To remedy this, a health literacy articulated training was developed. Staying Well: a training for understanding, remembering, and making informed decisions is an interactive and self-paced educational presentation lasting 20-30 minutes. Grounded in the asset model of health literacy, systems theory, and social learning theory, the Staying Well demonstrates simple analytical skills that support greater knowledge …

Discovering Compassion: A SchoolʼS Guide To Working With Difficult Children, Youth And Teens, Allyson Land

MSW Capstones

On a daily basis school teachers, administrators, counselors, and social workers deal with students who present inappropriate classroom behaviors. These behaviors can create barriers for their future success. Mental illness, poor discipline, violence in the community, and the inability to understand cause and effect can all be contributing factors influencing poor behavior. Each of these lead to poor coping skills, little respect for authority, desensitization to violence, and lack of remorse for their actions in childhood and adulthood. Typically these children come from single, low-income families and spend more time in school and daycare than with their families. For this …

Promoting Safe Relationships With African Immigrant Women, Caroline Waceke

MSW Capstones

Women who immigrate to the United States from the continent of Africa are “at risk” of continued abuse from their spouses and significant others due to the conflicting cultural beliefs and expectations. The African culture supports men having power and control over their women while the American culture supports women having the right to live a life free of any abuse. The PAMOJA Connect is a support group whose mission is to improve the quality of life for immigrant women from Africa by empowering them to ensure they are safe in their relationships. Twenty women will participate by attending twelve …

Helping White People See White: Creating A Social Movement, Anne Phillips

MSW Capstones

Whites benefit significantly from privilege economically, politically, and socially; yet, they also suffer because of it. Privilege affects the quality of life for all people living within a community and feeds the causal loop of systemic social injustice. These factors indicate the need for an intervention that raises awareness and educates Whites as to the negative effects and costs of privilege. An intervention using social media, as well as building partnerships with human service agencies, was designed to satisfy the recognized need. The intervention consists of educational posts to a Facebook page, which encourages readers to comment and participate in …

Prison 2 Society, Heidi S. Collins

MSW Capstones

Abstract

Returning to the community from jail is a complex transition for most offenders, as well as for their families and communities. Upon reentering society, former offenders are likely to struggle with substance abuse, lack of adequate education and job skills, limited housing options, and mental health issues. This project illuminates the difficulties that adults face as they transition out of jails back to the community and presents a model of a one-stop-shop that is designed to include all the transition resources an adult may need to successfully re-integrate back to the community after incarceration, all housed at one, easily …

Transforming Our Roles As Co-Educators; A Parents Guide To Meaningful Engagement., Toni M. Stallman

MSW Capstones

When schools and families support each other, students of all backgrounds and various abilities achieve at higher levels. Research indicates levels of parental engagement tends to decline as children progress through the educational system. Parents need to understand and transform their roles to become collaborative co-educators as their children transition from elementary to middle school in order to improve academic outcomes. This intervention, a summer workshop series for parents of children in or approaching middle school, aims to increase home-based and school-based activities and strategies which foster parental engagement. Participants will attend four workshops and be provided interactive workbook to …