Social Work Commons^™

A Multicase Study Exploring Women’S Narratives Of Infertility: Implications For Counselors, Staci L. Born, Christin L. Carotta, Kristine Ramsay-Seaner

The Qualitative Report

Infertility affects 6.7 million women in the United States (Chandra, Copen, & Stephen, 2013). Women’s experiences with infertility are not only influenced by biological health factors, but also by social, cultural, and personal variables. Given the prevalence and complexity of infertility, additional research is needed to further examine the nuances of women’s experiences. The purpose of this multicase study, as informed by four individual cases, was to explore how women construct their infertility narratives. Review of reflective journals found five common elements: (1) Emotional Rollercoaster, (2) Mind-Body (Dis)Connection, (3) Secret Identity, (4) Supportive vs. Constrained Communication Patterns, and (5) Fatalistic- …

Asset Building As Social Investment, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Asset-building policies have been widely adopted since the middle of the 20th century, but most lack features that would make them accessible to all populations—features such as universal at-birth enrollment and progressive incentive structures. Because these policies are not inclusive, they primarily serve the well-off and are highly regressive. In this contribution to Social Investments, Asset Building, and Social Development—the State of the Art: A Special Issue in Honor of James Midgley, Michael Sherraden continued the work of formulating a proposal for a national policy to foster broad economic security by extending the benefits of asset accumulation to all members …

Financial Capability As Social Investment, Mary Caplan, Margaret S. Sherraden, Junghee Bae

Center for Social Development Research

In this contribution to Social Investments, Asset Building, and Social Development—the State of the Art: A Special Issue in Honor of James Midgley, the authors discuss trends in financial vulnerability, identify global indicators, and present a series of case studies that collectively illustrate the state of efforts to broaden financial capability. They suggest ways in which those efforts fit within a social investment framework.

The Global Research Agenda On Volunteering For Peace And Development, Benjamin J. Lough Phd, Cliff Allum, Peter Devereux, Rebecca Tiessen

Center for Social Development Research

This brief discusses the global research agenda on volunteering in activities designed to advance peace and foster development, reviewing the agenda’s history, objectives, and priorities. It also revisits key areas of research progress made from 2015 through 2018 and discusses the resources needed to further advance this agenda through 2025.

Incomplete Democracy: The Relationship Of Race, Income, And Education To Voter Participation, Gena Gunn Mcclendon Phd, Kyle A. Pitzer, Austin T. Tolani

Center for Social Development Research

Does the growing number of registered voters represent the diverse population of the United States, particularly the population’s racial, economic, and educational diversity? This research brief examines the characteristics of voters and whether their demographics are associated with voter participation rates in the City of St. Louis, Missouri, and in St. Louis County. It presents findings from zip code–level analyses of voting and registration data. The authors propose a two-pronged strategy for strengthening electoral participation and offer specific policy recommendations.

Statedata: The National Report On Employment Services And Outcomes Through 2016, Jean Winsor, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, John Butterworth, Alberto Migliore, Daria Domin, Agnes Zalewska, John Shepard, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Recent legislation and regulation governing Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA), and settlement agreements between states and the U.S. Department of Justice are clarifying federal intent and paving the way to supporting opportunities for people with disabilities to have meaningful jobs in their communities. With an increasing emphasis on integrated employment and an Employment First philosophy, the nation is poised for transformation that could put Americans with disabilities on a path out of poverty and towards self-sufficiency. However, there remains a significant gap in employment rates between people with and without …

(S)Expectations Abroad: Male Traveler Interactions With Southeast Asian Economies, Elliot J. Glotfelty, Glenn M. Miles

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Interacting with locals is a highlight of the tourism experience; however, these interactions may be accompanied by unsolicited propositions for the traveler to participate in the sex industry. Through the lens of Thailand’s largely visible sex industry, this work addresses issues of tourism and travel intertwined with the sex industry in greater Southeast Asia. Governments, a variety of businesses and individuals benefiting financially from a burgeoning sex tourism industry encourage persistence of a viable local sex trade. Although subtleties exist between human trafficking, the sex industry, and sex tourism, each can be intertwined. This article provides an overview of the …

Service Providers Perspective On The Unique Needs Of Sexually Exploited Women And Children In The Inland Empire, Ruth Harrison

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore and expose the needs of sexually exploited women and children. The participants were recruited from a few non-profit agencies in the Inland Empire area. This study found one of the most underlying challenge facing the participants when working with sexually exploited victims was the unavailability of resources, particularly, shortage of transitional housing for them. Another finding that featured prominently in the study was related to a need for continuous training and education for the service providers in order to stay current with trends. The study also identified the rapport building …

Building An Evidence-Based, Holistic Approach To Advancing Integrated Employment, Allison C. Hall, John Butterworth, Jean Winsor, John Kramer, Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Since the introduction of supported employment in the Developmental Disabilities Act of 1984 and the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1986, there has been continued development and refinement of best practices in employment services and supports. Progress includes creative outcomes for individuals with significant support needs including customized jobs and self-employment, community rehabilitation providers that have shifted emphasis to integrated employment, and states that have made a substantial investment in Employment First policy and strategy. Despite these achievements, the promise of integrated employment remains elusive for the majority of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The number of individuals supported in …

Vampires In The Technological Mist The Sharing Economy Employment And The Quest For Economic Justice And Fairness In A Digital Future.Pdf, Lauri Goldkind, John G. Mcnutt

Lauri Goldkind

Promoting Savings At Tax Time: Insights From Online And In-Person Tax Preparation Services, Genevieve Davison, Ellen Frank-Miller, Stephen P. Roll, Michal Grinstein-Weiss

Center for Social Development Research

This report presents findings and insights from Refund to Savings: Applications for myRA, a collaborative project involving the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Washington University in St. Louis, and Intuit, Inc. The project explored methods of promoting the myRA (My Retirement Account) savings program at tax time—that is, when households file their taxes. It focused specifically on opportunities in an online tax-filing setting and in person at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites. The first component of the project examined the retirement needs of low- and moderate-income (LMI) tax filers through a large, national, online survey. It also …

Linking Molar Organizational Climate And Strategic Implementation Climate To Clinicians’ Use Of Evidence-Based Psychotherapy Techniques: Cross-Sectional And Lagged Analyses From A 2-Year Observational Study, Nathaniel J. Williams, Mark G. Ehrhart, Gregory A. Aarons, Steven C. Marcus, Rinad S. Beidas

Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Behavioral health organizations are characterized by multiple organizational climates, including molar climate, which encompasses clinicians’ shared perceptions of how the work environment impacts their personal well-being, and strategic implementation climate, which includes clinicians’ shared perceptions of the extent to which evidence-based practice implementation is expected, supported, and rewarded by the organization. Theory suggests these climates have joint, cross-level effects on clinicians’ implementation of evidence-based practice and that these effects may be long term (i.e., up to 2 years); however, no empirical studies have tested these relationships. We hypothesize that molar climate moderates implementation climate’s concurrent and long-term relationships with …

Refund To Savings 2015-2016: Field Experiments To Promote Tax-Time Saving In Low- And Moderate-Income Households, Stephen P. Roll, Genevieve Davison, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Mathieu R. Despard, Sam Bufe

Center for Social Development Research

This report covers the design and impacts of the R2S experiments in the 2015 and 2016 tax seasons (which include the 2014 and 2015 tax years), and also includes results from a 6-month follow-up survey conducted in 2015 to assess how the impacts of R2S interventions persist over time. These interventions reached a large number of tax filers in both of these years; 646,116 in 2015 and 284,125 in 2016.

Social Work Students' Perception Of Intimate Partner Violence Victims Who Stay With Their Abuser, Andrea Perez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Intimate partner violence is a widely recognized problem in today’s society and in the social work field. It is also often considered one of the most complicated issues to adequately address and prevent. There are many challenges in understanding how IPV can occur and worsen over time, as well as why some victims choose to stay with their abusers. Intervening in relationships and families that are experiencing IPV is not an easy task, especially if the social worker who is dealing with the issue is not knowledgeable or has pre-conceived biases about domestic violence. In this study, the terms …

The Impact Of Low Retention Of Nonprofit Organizations, Yolanda Phillips, Jessica M. Hernandez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explored the impact of low retention rates in nonprofit organizations and review factors that are associated with this low rate. Nonprofit organizations are a crucial and integral part of our community, there are many factors that are influential in the retention of employees which impact the service that is available to those in need. The need for this study emerged from the researcher’s desire to raise awareness of the factors that lead to low retention rates in social service non-profit organizations and its effects on service provision This study allowed for administration to implement strategies that address the …

How Do Changes To 529 Rules Affect Children’S Savings Account Programs?, Margaret Clancy, Shira Markoff, Justin King

Center for Social Development Research

Federal legislation enacted late in 2017 altered the statue governing 529 college savings plans, which were originally designed to hold assets for postsecondary education. Under the amended statute, funds in 529 plans may be used to cover K–12 tuition. This brief, developed through the Center for Social Development’s collaboration with Prosperity Now and New America, examines the implications of the changes for existing Child Development Account (CDA) policies and concludes that the new federal rule changes do not affect the ability of CDA programs to retain previous—or define new—restrictions for postsecondary education use. Yet, as the discussion illustrates, CDA programs …

Policy Recommendations For Financial Capability And Asset Building By Increasing Access To Safe, Affordable Credit, Julie Birkenmaier, Mathieu R. Despard, Terri Friedline

Center for Social Development Research

Strong credit is a prerequisite for financial well-being, but many U.S. consumers lack access to safe and affordable credit options. This brief, released through the Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative’s network toBuild Financial Capability for All, identifies policies that would enable households to build and maintain credit and that would ensure access to credit products with adequate consumer protections.

Policy Recommendations For Helping U.S. Households Build Emergency Savings, Mathieu R. Despard, Terri Friedline, Julie Birkenmaier

Center for Social Development Research

In households without emergency savings, an unexpected expense or financial shock can heighten stress and threaten the ability to meet basic needs. This brief, released through the Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative’s network toBuild Financial Capability for All, identifies three types of policies to enable U.S. households to save for emergencies.

Policy Recommendations For Expanding Access To Banking And Financial Services, Terri Friedline, Mathieu R. Despard, Julie Birkenmaier

Center for Social Development Research

Access to financial services is a necessity in the modern economy, yet many households lack such access. This brief, released through the Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative’s network toBuild Financial Capability for All, identifies policies with the potential to expand access to financial services for households in the United States.

Next Steps: Whither Social Work Education And Financial Capability And Asset Building?, Darla Spence Coffey

Center for Social Development Research

This CSD Perspective has been adapted from an address given by Dr. Coffey on April 17, 2018, as part of Coin a Better Future: Reaching Out to Financially Vulnerable Families, an event sponsored by the Center for Social Development at Washington University and the Center for Household Financial Stability at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

The Effects Of Organizational Commitment And Harmonious Passion On Voluntary Turnover Among Social Workers: A Mixed Methods Study, Ashley Scales

Dissertations

The retention of Social Workers (SWs) is a concern that affects government and private organizations and the workforce. Voluntary turnover among SWs is increasing at an alarming rate. Not only is voluntary turnover rising, but organizational commitment and harmonious passion are declining (Wharton University of Pennsylvania, 2012). This study explored and examined the effect organizational commitment and harmonious passion have on voluntary turnover among Child Protective Services (CPS) SWs. The study used a concurrent mixed method design. Data collected during the quantitative phase provided information on the perceptions of SWs regarding organizational commitment, harmonious passion, and their intent to leave. …

A Toolkit For Expanding Financial Capability At Tax Time, Genevieve Davison, Merideth Covington, Olga Kondratjeva, Stephen P. Roll, Michal Grinstein-Weiss

Center for Social Development Research

This work expands upon The Volunteer Income Tax Preparer’s Toolkit: Showing Clients Why Tax Time is the Right Time to Save, a 2015 Toolkit by the Center for Social Development. This new offering presents the current evidence underpinning various tax-time efforts to expand financial capability among low- and moderate-income households. It includes sections on creating a VITA program and on several financial-capability products and services that organizations can offer alongside free tax-preparation services. The evidence comes from a variety of sources, but we highlight findings from research conducted by CSD, particularly that conducted as part of the Refund to Savings …

Segregation Of Student Financial Aid In Higher Education: The Effects On Low-Income Students When Ebt Is Not Accepted At University Campuses In San Diego, Ca., Tanisha-Jean Martin

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

The student bodies of universities are made up of a diverse financial class of students which utilize various methods to cover financial obligations on campus, even with the use of welfare governmental assistance. Low-income students that are involved in government welfare programs are given an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card to support them while they are pursuing an education; however, every university in San Diego, CA (and nearly the entire United States), segregate EBT into an unacceptable category and refuse to accept the card at any venues on campus. The EBT card is a plastic card that can be used …

Emotional Intelligence: The Effect On Social Media Use, Interpersonal Violence, And Gender, Gail Grabczynski

Scholar Week 2016 - present

This study investigated the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI), social media use, interpersonal violence and gender. EI is a relatively new topic of research that has been of interest to many organizations due to the proposition that EI assists in the development of individuals. With the proliferation of social media, interpersonal violence and women in the workforce, a determination of a relationship between EI and those variables was warranted. The study was conducted at a small private Christian university. An online survey was administered to 123 sophomores. This study was a cross-sectional quantitative design, that utilized three established instruments to …

Faculty Perspectives On Financial Capability And Asset Building In Social Work Education: A Research Report, Margaret S. Sherraden, Jin Huang, Lissa Johnson, Peter Dore, Julie Birkenmaier, Vernon Loke, Sally Hageman

Center for Social Development Research

This report is based on a study conducted in collaboration with the Council on Social Work Education. The report presents findings from a national online survey of social work faculty. Results identify financial and economic (F&E) content taught in the current curriculum, gaps in coverage, and strategies for improving the academic preparation of social workers in these areas. Findings will inform financial capability and asset-building curriculum and improve the academic preparation of social workers.

The Predictors Of Juvenile Recidivism: Testimonies Of Adult Students 18 Years And Older Exiting From Alternative Education, La Toshia Palmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study was to identify and describe the importance of the predictors of juvenile recidivism and the effectiveness of efforts to prevent/avoid juvenile recidivism as perceived by previously detained, arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education in Northern California. A second purpose was to explore the types of support provided by alternative schools and the perceived importance of the support to avoid recidivism according to adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education.

Methodology: This qualitative, descriptive research design identified …

Examining Jordanians' Attitudes Towards Five Types Of Developmental Disabilities, Najah Zaaeed Drph, Mohammad M. Mohammad, Peter Gleason, Khaled A. Bahjri Md, Naomi Modeste

Journal of Refugee & Global Health

Background: The diagnosis and reported rates of persons with developmental disabilities (PWDDs) in Jordan is steadily increasing. Although initiatives have been implemented to improve the lives of PWDDs, attitudes towards PWDDs hinder successful inclusion in the Jordanian society.

Objectives: To examine the relationship between Jordanians socio-economic status and attitudes towards persons with developmental disabilities: autism, blindness, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and muscular dystrophy.

Methods: Jordanians (N=259), ages 18-65 were recruited for this convergent parallel, mixed-methods study. Participants completed the modified 40-item Community Living Attitude Scale-developmental disability (CLAS-DD) and the modified Intellectual Disability Literacy Scale consisting of five vignettes, representing each …

An Exploratory Study Of Health Promotion And Disease Prevention Communication Among Haitian Mother–Daughter Dyads In West Central Florida, Stacy Eileen Kratz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study examined links between health communication and other constructs affecting health promotion and disease prevention among Haitian mother-daughter dyads living in West Central Florida, and the risk or protective factors for HIV. Risky sexual behaviors can be reduced with accurate and effective information provided through parent-adolescent communication (Coetzee et al, 2014; Ogle, Glasier & Riley, 2008; Hadley et al., 2009). In Haiti, a country that bears a disproportionate burden of HIV/AIDS, women are the most vulnerable (UNAIDS, 2016a); In the United States (U.S.), foreign-born Haitian women in the state of Florida experience health disparities in many areas and …

Build The Village That Raises The Child, Homegrown Stl

Center for Social Development Research

HomeGrown STL is an initiative to take on long-standing community disparities by improving the social mobility of the region’s 60,000 black boys and young men in one generation. More than 120 regional leaders and providers working to improve the lives of black boys and young men in St. Louis participated in the second annual HomeGrown STL Summit on February 8, 2018, at the Brown School of Social Work.

Collaborative Documentation For Behavioral Healthcare Providers: An Emerging Practice, Suzanne Maniss Ph.D., Lcdc, Ncc, Amanda G. Pruit Lpc

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This article considers the practice of collaborative documentation (CD) for behavioral healthcare providers; the legislative, technological, and philosophical milieu in which it developed; the attributed benefits for providers and clients; and the peer-reviewed research supporting its use. Collaborative documentation has emerged following significant legislative and technological changes in healthcare delivery and shifts toward client-centered healthcare practices including more shared decision-making between clients and practitioners.