Social Work Commons^™

Advocacy In Action: A Framework For Implementation Of The American Counselors Association Advocacy Competencies On A Local Level, Jeffrey M. Lown

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Despite calls from within the professional field and external forces, counselors have faced ongoing challenges in their efforts to be effective advocates for their clients and themselves. A review of the literature reveals that throughout the history of the profession, prominent figures have called on counselors to assume advocacy roles, and that some initiatives have been successful in fostering lasting change. However, as counselors and their clients’ needs continue to evolve, so too must strategies to address these needs be reevaluated and new initiatives put into place.

In this paper, I have outlined a committee structure and agenda that seeks …

Prescription For Critical Thinking: A Discussion Of Psychotropic Medication And Counseling, Barton W. Biggs

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

This paper examines questions about the safety and efficacy of psychotropic medication, and looks at how these questions should impact the field of counseling. The paper first looks at increasing rates of use of psychotropic medication, and establishes that nearly every clinical mental health counselor will work with clients who are taking or considering taking such medication. The paper next examines the scientific literature and establishes that there is a legitimate basis for questions to be raised about the safety and efficacy of these medications. The paper goes on to establish that there is a foundation in ethical codes and …

Prescription Drug Diversion: Predictors Of Illicit Acquisition And Redistribution In Three U.S. Metropolitan Areas, Shana Harris, Valentina Nikulina, Camila Gelpi-Acosta, Cory Morton, Valerie Newsome, Alana Gunn, Heidi Hoefinger, Ross Aikins, Vivian Smith, Victoria Barry, Martin J. Downing Jr.

Publications and Research

Objective: Prescription drug diversion, the transfer of prescription drugs from lawful to unlawful channels for distribution or use, is a problem in the United States. Despite the pervasiveness of diversion, there are gaps in the literature regarding characteristics of individuals who participate in the illicit trade of prescription drugs. This study examines a range of predictors (e.g., demographics, prescription insurance coverage, perceived risk associated with prescription drug diversion) of membership in three distinct diverter groups: individuals who illicitly acquire prescription drugs, those who redistribute them, and those who engage in both behaviors.

Methods: Data were drawn from a cross-sectional Internet …

Wanda And Joseph: Language Development In The Context Of Family Stress And Trauma, Isabel Jay

Child Development Theses

Much has been written on child language development and recent years have seen a burst of research on the psychological and physiological impact of trauma and stress. This study seeks to review existing research on how family trauma influences language development, and consider existing interventions. A case study is presented of work with a mother and her language-­‐delayed child through preventive services. Interventions focused on increasing the mother’s capacity for mentalization and playful interaction with her child were found to be useful in ameliorating communication barriers and increasing the child’s social engagement.

A Phenomenological Study Of Anticipated Intimacy And Sexual Expression Needs Of Aging Male And Female Baby Boomers., Charles Shawn Oak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the phenomenon of how heterosexual Baby Boomers define and understand intimacy, sexual expression, along expectations and desires relating to their respective expressions across the lifespan through their individual experiences and reflections. A set of guiding questions were used in a hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative research design. Data was gathered from thirteen subjects (n=13) using the Rappaport Time Line (RTL) that was used to develop individualized semi-structured interviews and follow-up interviews that were professionally transcribed. These were coded to identify emergent themes. Results of the study provided insight into the phenomenon of how heterosexual …

Critical Time Intervention For People Leaving Shelters In The Netherlands: Assessing Fidelity And Exploring Facilitators And Barriers, Renee De Vet, Danielle A. M. Lako, Marielle D. Beijersbergen, Linda Van Den Dries, Sarah Conover, Albert M. Van Hemert, Daniel Herman, Judith R. L. M. Wolf

Publications and Research

International dissemination of evidence-based interventions calls for rigorous evaluation. As part of an evaluation of critical time intervention (CTI) for homeless people and abused women leaving Dutch shelters, this study assessed fidelity in two service delivery systems and explored factors influencing model adherence. Data collection entailed chart review (n = 70) and two focus groups with CTI workers (n = 11). The intervention obtained an overall score of three out of five (fairly implemented) for compliance fidelity and chart quality combined. Fidelity did not differ significantly between service systems, supporting its suitability for a range of populations. The eight themes …

Improving Process And Enhancing Parent And Therapist Satisfaction Through A Coordinated Intake Approach, Sharla Piecowye, Devona Gibson, Janis Carscadden, Kayla Ueland, Gregory Wells, Scott Oddie

Patient Experience Journal

Recent research indicates that, in Canada, approximately one in five children entering school are not meeting age appropriate milestones in physical, social, language, or cognitive development. Even where support services are available families often face barriers in accessing these. With the goals of improving access to programs, reducing barriers and increasing consistency and efficiency, a new Coordinated Intake Approach (CIA) was developed for families accessing Children’s Rehabilitation Services. It was expected that the CIA would result in 1) parents finding the intake process more satisfactory and easier to complete, 2) therapists feeling more supported and satisfied and 3) a decrease …

In Search Of Safety, Negotiating Everyday Forms Of Risk: Sex Work, Criminalization, And Hiv/Aids In The Slums Of Kampala, Serena Cruz

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation offers an in-depth descriptive account of how women manage daily risks associated with sex work, criminalization, and HIV/AIDS. Primary data collection took place within two slums in Kampala, Uganda over the course of fourteen months. The emphasis was on ethnographic methodologies involving participant observation and informal and unstructured interviewing. Insights then informed document analysis of international and national policies concerning HIV prevention and treatment strategies in the context of Uganda. The dissertation finds social networks and social capital provide the basis for community formation in the sex trade. It holds that these interpersonal processes are necessary components for …

Disabled Women’S Attendance At Community Women’S Groups In Rural Nepal, J. Morrison, T. Colbourn, B. Budhathoki, A. Sen, D. Adhikari, J. Bamjan, S. Pathak, A. Basnet, J. F. Trani, A. Costello, D. Manandhar, N. Groce

Brown School Faculty Publications

There is strong evidence that participatory approaches to health and participatory women’s groups hold great potential to improve the health of women and children in resource poor settings. It is important to consider if interventions are reaching the most marginalized, and therefore we examined disabled women’s participation in women’s groups and other community groups in rural Nepal. People with disabilities constitute 15% of the world’s population and face high levels of poverty, stigma, social marginalization and unequal access to health resources, and therefore their access to women’s groups is particularly important. We used a mixed methods approach to describe attendance …

Colon Cancer Care And Survival: Income And Insurance Are More Predictive In The Usa, Community Primary Care Physician Supply More So In Canada, Kevin M. Gorey, Sindu M. Kanjeekal, Frances C. Wright, Caroline Hamm, Isaac N. Luginaah, Emma Bartfay, Guangyong Zou, Erc J. Holowaty, Nancy L. Richter

Social Work Publications

Background: Our research group advanced a health insurance theory to explain Canada’s cancer care advantages over America. The late Barbara Starfield theorized that Canada’s greater primary care-orientation also plays a critically protective role. We tested the resultant Starfield-Gorey theory by examining the effects of poverty, health insurance and physician supplies, primary care and specialists, on colon cancer care in Ontario and California.

Methods: We analyzed registry data for people with non-metastasized colon cancer from Ontario (n = 2,060) and California (n = 4,574) diagnosed between 1996 and 2000 and followed to 2010. We obtained census tract-based socioeconomic data from population …

Immigrant & Refugee Family Wellness Through Yoga & Zumba, Elizabeth Crawford, Faith Swenson, Angela Serrani, Kathleen Cassidy, Brittany Roy

Immigrant and Refugee Family Wellness Engagement Through Yoga and Zumba

Research poster stemming from IPEC mini-grant funded student project Immigrant And Refugee Family Wellness Engagement Through Yoga And Zumba. Students from multiple health professions collaborated to provide Yoga and Zumba classes at the Riverton Community Center. The project aimed to increase the participants’ ability to utilize stress reducing activities through a blend of student created heath education materials and yoga and zumba classes for refugee women and children.

The Sixties Scoop Among Aboriginal Veterans: A Critical Narrative Study, Munira Abdulwasi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study explored the experience of Aboriginal Veterans adopted and/or fostered during the Sixties Scoop using critical narrative inquiry. The objectives were to: 1) understand the lived experience of Aboriginal veterans adopted and/or fostered during the Sixties Scoop, 2) explore any health needs expressed by Aboriginal veterans adopted and/or fostered during the Sixties Scoop, and 3) provide recommendations for the implementation of health services and programs to assist this group of Aboriginal veterans with their health needs. Eight individual interviews were conducted with participants in Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Vancouver. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using …

Parents’ Needs After Their Child Receives A Diagnosis Of Developmental Disability, Talia Pearl

Child Development Theses

In the existing literature, there seems to be a lack of attention focused on the needs of parents of children with developmental disabilities. For this thesis, I analyzed survey data and examined case material to try to identify parents’ needs after their child receives a diagnosis of developmental disability. Through my work I identified three major themes: parents’ yearning for more information, the degree to which every family’s needs are individualized and unique, and the significant degree of psychosocial stressors this population experiences. At the end of the thesis, I provide recommendations for an agency such as the one I …

The Stephen Klein Wellness Center As A Community-Centered Health Home - A Partnership Between Jefferson And Project Home, James D. Plumb Md, Mph, Lara Weinstein Md, Mph, Monica Mccurdy Pa-C, Mhs

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Youth Homelessness: Prevalence And Associations With Weight In Three Regions, J. J. Cutuli, Caren Steinway, Staci Perlman, Janette E. Herbers, Karin M. Eyrich-Garg, Joe Willard

J. J. Cutuli

This study investigated the utility of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) to document associations between homeless status and weight while estimating the prevalence of youth homelessness in three regions. A school-based survey, the YRBS includes youths who have been difficult to involve in past research. Analysis of 2011 YRBS data produced populationweighted estimates of youth homelessness prevalence separately for Connecticut, Delaware, and Philadelphia. Public high school students anonymously reported their housing status, height, and weight on the YRBS. Height and weight were converted to body mass index (BMI) percentile-for-age scores. Homelessness was associated with higher BMI percentile scores for …

Paramedicine And Social Work: Case Studies In Authentic Student Recruitment, Nathalie Collins, Lynelle Watts, Renee Strauss, David Hodgson

eCULTURE

Selling the course experience to future students has been corporatised across the Higher Education sector. At many universities marketing and sales specialists, such as ECU’s Student Recruitment Team, rather than academic staff, field prospective student enquiries. Representing courses authentically is crucial to matching future students with an appropriate course experience and career, as well is managing future students’ expectations. A challenge for academics is communicating the course/career experience to university sales agents (recruiters). A challenge for recruiters is conveying an authentic course experience to future students when they have not taken a course themselves. This paper selects two ECU courses, …

Grandmother Kinship Care Providers: Predictors Of Elevated Psychological Distress, Deborah M. Whitley

Deborah M. Whitley

Most children in kinship care with grandmothers in the U.S. have been abandoned or maltreated. The challenges these caregivers encounter often include poverty, social isolation, and diminished health. These factors may hinder the grandmother’s ability to provide a supportive family environment. The purpose of the present study was to determine levels of psychological distress in African American caregiving grandmothers and identify predictors of increased distress in African American custodial grandmothers. We hypothesized that diminished grandmother health, family resources and support, as well as increased child behavior problems, will predict psychological distress.

Practice Matters: Screening And Monitoring Hyperlipidemia, M. Laurie Branstetter Dnp, Maria E. Main, Tonya Bragg-Underwood Dnp

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide Faith Community Nurses with current information on hyperlipidemia, a chronic disease responsible for the leading cause of death worldwide. Current guidelines for cholesterol screening and a risk calculator resource for estimating cardiovascular risk are provided. Myths and truths are presented for review with patients. Suggestions and resources for lifestyle modifications and patient education are included. Faith Community Nurses are at the center of community health and actively involved with improving health outcomes related to chronic disease.

The Development Of A Faith Community Nursing Intervention To Promote Health Across The Life Span, Donna M. Callaghan

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Purpose: To report the development of a faith community nursing intervention to promote health across the life span. Studies by Callaghan (2003, 2005, 2006), that investigated the relationships among self-care agency, self-care self-efficacy, and health-promoting self-care behaviors, support the importance of spiritual growth on older adults’, adults’, and adolescents’ initiative and responsibility for self-care. This report will focus on applying these results and the research evidence that supports the integration of these concepts in the development of a health promotion intervention.

Procedures: Data was merged from Callaghan’s studies (2003, 2005, 2006) in order to investigate to what extent do self-care …

Preserving, Interpreting, And Displaying Mental Health History: Establishing The Patton State Hospital Museum And Archive, Shannon Rene Long

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

There are few museums in the western half of the United States that provide an opportunity to educate the public about the history of mental health care. Recently, a mental health museum and archive of artifacts, photographs, and documents was established on the grounds of Patton State Hospital in Highland, California. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the establishment of this museum and archive and to provide an account of the 125 year history of Patton State Hospital. Understanding the history of Patton provides an opportunity to understand the history of mental health care in the United …

Utilization Of Specialized Camp Services Among Parents Of A Child With A Disability, Heather Ann Wroten

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the utilization of specialized camp services among parents of a child with a disability. This study sought to investigate specialized camp services as respite for families. The data was gathered utilizing a mixed method survey approach. The surveys were distributed to primary caregivers of a child with a disability who have attended Camp Paivika within the past three years. The sample size of this study was 69 respondents. The results show that the family unit benefits by way of de-isolation. The camper increases social skills, confidence, and independence. The caregivers experience emotional …

The Relationship Between Self-Determination And Client Outcomes Among The Homeless, Samuel M. Hanna

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This paper has attempted to determine if there is a significant relationship between self-determination and client outcomes among the homeless. The study has been based upon the conceptual framework set forth in Self-Determination Theory. The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between self-determination and client outcomes among the homeless. Using a data collection instrument, based on empirically validated instrumentation, clients from several homeless service providers in the City of San Bernardino were assessed for the level of self-determination and autonomy support they experience within these agencies. Outcome measures included such things as whether the client was going …

Substance Abuse Among The Elderly: What Works In Treatment, Sophia Morelli

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social workers are trained during the course of their education to work with the elderly and to understand the various dynamics of aging. These professionals also receive education on substance abuse and how to assess clients as well as link them to appropriate supportive services. How can social workers be more inclined to effectively treat the elderly substance abuser? What are, if any, special considerations a social worker should be aware of when working with the geriatric population? What treatment modalities seem to be more effective with the elderly client? This study utilized a qualitative analysis consisting of interviews with …

University Scholar Series: Ed Cohen, Edward Cohen

University Scholar Series

Mental Health and Cultural Context in Vietnam

On May 6, 2015, Dr. Ed Cohen spoke in the University Scholar Series hosted by Provost Andy Feinstein at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. In this presentation, Dr. Cohen explored current research about mental illness and approaches to treatment in Vietnam, in addition to this country’s world view about illness, wellness and emotional health. Cohen is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work and a Co-Investigator of SJSU's Social Work Education Enhancement Program in Vietnam.

Effectiveness Of Proloquo2goTm In Enhancing Communication In Children With Autism During Aba Therapy, Taylor Eastin Krcek

Doctoral Dissertations

Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disorder presenting in early childhood that has a profound effect on an individual's ability to communicate. The iPad® with the Proloquo2Go^TM app is a multilingual Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) solution designed to assist people who have difficulty speaking or cannot speak at all. This study examines the effectiveness of the Proloquo2Go^TM app delivered via iPad® to enhance the tacting, manding, and verbal completion repertoires of children with autism. Participants included five children between the ages of three and four years old diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and with low to …

Shhh…Listen To Your Pebble Mindfulness Education: The Relationship Between Children, Imagination, And Nature, Jeanie Yeo

Child Development Theses

A culture of education embedded in mind-body learning experiences and mindfulness approaches to knowledge on multiple levels through awareness has the potential to cultivate versatile and flexible social individuals who are mentally, emotionally, and intellectually “capable.” Since children experience the world primarily through their bodies, movement and interaction with the environment are a means for them to explore, find, understand, and fortify the self to better regulate their physical, emotional, and social realms so that they develop into social individuals who find value in themselves and in others. Therefore, focusing on strengthening children‟s mind-body connection through mindfulness-based practices is a …

Investigating The Theory Of Ambiguous Loss: The Role Of Ambiguity Tolerance In Pre-Death Grief For Caregivers Of Individuals With Dementia, Megan Kale-Cheever

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis sought to investigate the relationship between ambiguity tolerance and caregiver grief within the framework of ambiguous loss theory. Thirty-one family caregivers completed a quantitative survey comprising two pre-existing scales and several demographic questions designed to assess level of ambiguity tolerance, level of grief, caregiver age and gender, type of relationship to the care recipient, living situation, length of caregiving career, level of Social support and frequency of difficult behaviors. Quantitative data analysis revealed that while no relationship existed between total ambiguity tolerance and total caregiver grief, a modest, inverse relationship exists between tolerance toward general-type ambiguity and burden, …

An Education Saved My Life: Silver Wolf’S Path To Promise, David Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya)

Books and Monographs

In An Education Saved My Life, Professor David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv unegv Waya) narrates his path from a difficult early family life, his introduction to alcohol and drugs as an adolescent, and a directionless early adulthood overshadowed by chemical dependency, to a series of events and encounters that transformed his life. Dr. Patterson Silver Wolf attributes not only the substance abuse, but the many turns that led to it, to what he calls a “poor belief system.” As the title suggests, by contrast, he attributes much of the success he has experienced since then to his education, but …

Improving Healthcare Outcomes Through An Interdisciplinary Effort Of Social Work And Pharmacy In A “Village” Model Setting, Elizabeth Hipp, Lauren Post

Ohio Association of Gerontology and Education Conference

No abstract provided.

"I'Ve Been There Too": Peers In Co-Occuring Services And Fidelity Over Time, Jennifer E. Harrison

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT) is an evidence-based pracitice (EBP) for adults with co-occuring mental illness and substance use disorders, a group with poor outcomes. In Michigan, IDDT has been altered by adding peer specialists to treatment teams in some of 68 teams and 122 fidelity reviews. Results included that fidelity significantly improved over time (F(2, 120) = 1.87, p