Social Work Commons^™

Essential Policy Design Elements For Statewide Child Development Accounts, Margaret M. Clancy, Michael Sherraden, Sondra G. Beverly

Center for Social Development Research

This Fact Sheet defines 10 essential and well-established design elements of state CDA legislation. Several states have adopted CDA policies, some by legislation and others by administrative rule, all using their 529 plans as the financial platform. Those interested in creating a statewide policy can view a full discussion and documentation of sample legislation in full in the Policy Summary from which this work is adapted.

Incompetency To Stand Trial: An Informational Guide, Natalie Baur

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

At Monterey County Behavioral Health, we serve people with a variety of mental illnesses. They range from moderate to severe- whether it be schizophrenia or depression, we provide services that will help them deal with their symptoms. We strive to cultivate positive relationships in the community with our clients and contracted facilities. In this essay, I am going to talk about a certain population of who we serve: those who are found incompetent to stand trial and the toll it takes on them and their families. Moreover, I will be talking about the challenges and uncertainties that clients and their …

Child Development Accounts At Scale: Sample State Legislation, Margaret M. Clancy, Michael Sherraden, Sondra G. Beverly

Center for Social Development Research

Statewide Child Development Accounts (CDAs) provide assets and encourage saving for postsecondary education through deposits into investment accounts. Several states have adopted CDA policies, some by legislation and others by administrative rule, all using their 529 plans as the financial platform. This Policy Summary is intended to inform states interested in enacting universal, automatic, statewide CDA legislation.

It presents select examples of legislative from state CDA policies in Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Illinois, and California. Delivering CDAs at scale—to all newborns in families across the full socioeconomic and geographic (rural and urban) spectrum—and in a financially sustainable way requires a sound policy …

Statewide Child Development Accounts And Local Partnerships: A Scalable Model That Can Include All Families, Margaret M. Clancy, Michael Sherraden, Jim Huang, Sondra G. Beverly, Youngmi Kim

Center for Social Development Research

This brief presents a policy model for partnering statewide Child Development Accounts (CDAs) with other federal, state, city, and community services for financially vulnerable families. Statewide CDAs use 529 plans as the financial platform.

The brief first outlines the different strengths of local municipalities, social service organizations, and statewide CDAs, and then illustrates the benefits of a combined policy model. The model is designed to increase the positive impacts at scale and ensure that statewide CDAs complement but do not replace efforts by local organizations and governments. With partnerships formed and common challenges met, statewide CDAs, local municipalities and …

Lessons And Policy Implications From The Flint Water Crisis, Amy Krings, Dana Kornberg, Shawna Lee

Center for Social Development Research

The results of the Flint water crisis were disastrous. Permanent damage has been done to Flint’s most vulnerable residents, the city’s water system, and residents’ trust in government institutions.

This policy brief describes the shortcomings of Michigan’s emergency management (EM) system and informs policymakers on potential improvements for its eventual replacement. It frames the EM system within the logic and practice of urban austerity politics and demonstrates how emergency manager policies are not race-neutral approaches to solving urban financial crises. It considers what the Flint water crisis suggests about policy mechanisms that might prevent future environmental health crises, outlining the …

Helping Parents Navigate The Child Welfare System: Partnering With Casa To Create Self-Advocacy Resource Kits, Amanda Warnock

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

There are 442,995 children in contact with child welfare systems in the U.S. today (HHS, 2018). While some children represented in this statistic were victims of abuse, such as physical (12%) or sexual abuse (4%), many of these children and their families come to the attention of child protection authorities because of neglect (62%), meaning that their parents/caregivers lack adequate resources to properly provide and care for their dependent children (HHS, 2018). For some families, involvement with child protection authorities means being separated–with children placed in foster care and parents working through the court-mandated requirements in order to be reunified …

Financially Vulnerable Families Reap Multiple Benefits From Child Development Accounts, Jin Huang, Sondra G. Beverly, Youngmi Kim, Margaret M. Clancy, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Financially vulnerable families face numerous challenges that can adversely affect their children’s development. This brief reports on the effects of Child Development Accounts (CDAs), a financial capability intervention, in families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or Head Start. The results show that CDAs positively shape several financial and nonfinancial outcomes for these families.

Will I Be Able To Cast My Ballot? Race, Income, And Voting Access On Election Day, Gena Gunn Mcclendon, Kyle A. Pitzer, Michael Sherraden, Aura Aguilar

Center for Social Development Research

A multimethod study of electoral process and access among registered voters in St. Louis City and County.

This quantitative and qualitative study examines differences in electoral process and access, and how these differences may affect the participation of registered voters, with particular attention to race and income. Disparities in the voting process and access are understood as a form of voter suppression, whether intended or not. The research is community grounded, building on strong researcher–community relationships. Data were collected at a sample of polling locations during the November 2018 elections in St. Louis City and St. Louis County. The analysis …

Healing Policies For Black Boys And Young Men In St. Louis: Priorities In 2019, Sean Joe, Robert Motley, Alexandra Ivory, Alyssa Finner, Janet Frederick

Center for Social Development Research

What policy reforms are needed to remove the structural barriers that make it difficult for Black boys and young men to thrive in St. Louis?

Presenting findings from research with social service providers, this Brief Report from the Race and Opportunity Lab’s HomeGrown STL project seeks to inform policy decisions, advocacy efforts, and collective impact strategies in order to improve outcomes for Black boys and young men in the St. Louis region.

Race, Income, And Voting Access On Election Day, Aura Aguilar, Gena Gunn Mcclendon, Michael Sherraden, Kyle A. Pitzer

Center for Social Development Research

This Fact Sheet summarizes findings and recommendations from Will I Be Able to Cast My Ballot? Race, Income, and Voting Access on Election Day, a Research Report from the Voter Access and Engagement initiative’s multimethod study of electoral process and access among registered voters in St. Louis City and County.

Who Will Help Children? Building Brain Regimes, William F. Tate Iv

Center for Social Development Research

“Why can’t we organize public–private partnerships to protect and to nurture the brains of our children?”

In this Perspective, William Tate IV makes the case for constructing brain regimes—public–private partnerships designed to nurture and support the healthy development of children. Illuminating the ways in which communities and schools shape individual outcomes in Missouri, he offers seven evidence-based recommendations for fostering brain development and positive outcomes.

Who Will Help Children? Building Regional Brain Regimes is based in part on “Beyond Education Triage: Building Brain Regimes in Metropolitan America,” Chapter 11 in Facing Segregation: Housing Policy Solutions for a Stronger Society …

Volunteering And Measures Of Human Development, Benjamin J. Lough Phd

Center for Social Development Research

Through volunteering, millions of people actively participate in the work of overcoming challenges to human development. But how do differences in income, gender, access to education, labor-force participation, and other factors influence people’s participation in volunteering? Created as part of a global research agenda to inform connections between volunteering and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, this brief reports results on correlations between national rates of volunteering (both formal and informal) and key indicators of human development. The findings suggest that differences in levels of human development, standards of living, and other key indicators play roles in whether a nation’s …

Wood County Project Connect: Final Report For Event Held October 17, 2018, Mamta Ojha, Melissa W. Burek, Marisa Hutchinson, Sierra Leone Cunningham, Michelle N. Blue, Deborah D. Rayford

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Wood County Project Connect: Final Report For Event Held October 17, 2018, Melissa Burek

Melissa Burek

No abstract provided.

Mental Health Services In An Exclusive Latino Community Versus A Diverse Community, Karina Amador, Natalie Salas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examined whether Latino immigrants’ community environment influenced perceptions about the meaning of mental health and accessing mental health services. The two environments analyzed in were an exclusively Latino community (primarily Latino members) and a diverse community (composed of different ethnicities including Latinos). The research method used in this study was a qualitative survey design. A semi-structured interview guideline with questions on the meaning of mental health, mental health services access, and community norms on mental health was utilized with 24 respondents. Responses were then analyzed to find themes. Findings from this study found similarities as well as differences …

How Internalized And Externalized Behaviors In Adolescents Impact Academic Achievement In Faith-Based Institutions, Subira Brown, Chioma Tait, Jade Callahan, Deyana Cox

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

The purpose of this literature review is to address how internalized and externalized behaviors in adolescents impact academic achievement in faith-based institutions. This research intends to bring awareness to the prevalence of mental health concerns faced by adolescents, as well as the need for mental health services in the education system. This research will also identify the relationship between internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and academic achievement. Based on the findings, the next steps will be to evaluate the deficits within the Adventist school system and begin developing programs and resources necessary to support the mental health needs of children and …

Segregation And A Path Forward To Inclusion In St. Louis, Henry S. Webber

Center for Social Development Research

Segregation and a Path Forward to Inclusion in St. Louis is adapted from an address given during Facing Segregation: Building Strategies in Every Neighborhood, the 2019 annual conference of the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council, on April 12, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, St. Louis, Missouri. This Perspective is presented here through a partnership between the Center for Social Development and the council.

The Impact Organizational Factors Have On Role Ambiguity Amongst School Social Workers, Melissa Kichura

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore what organizational factors increase or decrease role ambiguity amongst school social workers. This study attempted to provide practical information for schools on the influence of specific organizational factors on role ambiguity so that they can provide a supportive work environment for school social workers and students. A cross-sectional survey design was used to provide a snapshot of the current organizational factors impacting the ambiguity of school social work roles from a sample of 73 members of the School Social Work Association of America. Some findings were not congruent with the literature. The …

Social Work’S Contribution To Research Regarding Suicide Among African Americans, Darius Reed

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Suicide among African Americans has increased significantly in the past 15 years, yet it remains a neglected topic in social work research. Social workers are the largest direct provider of mental health services in the United States. However their valuable person-in-environment perspective has not been incorporated into research to provide insight on ways to decrease incidents of suicide among African Americans. This systematic review examines social work’s contribution to suicide research while focusing on the social context in which African Americans live. The systematic review also examines protective factors specific to African Americans that can be used to mitigate suicide …

A Time Of Opportunity, Angela Glover Blackwell

Center for Social Development Research

A Time of Opportunity is adapted from the keynote address given during Race at the Forefront: Sharpening a Focus on Race in Applied Research, the inaugural conference of the Collaboration on Race, Inequality, and Social Mobility in America, at Washington University on March 28, 2019.

Falling On Deaf Ears: Social Workers’ Attitudes About Deafness, Hearing Loss, And Deaf Cultural Competence, Esperanza J. Garibay

LSU Master's Theses

D/deaf and hard of hearing people have lower health literacy and higher rates of misdiagnosis of serious illnesses than their hearing counterparts (Sheier, 2009). This is, in part, a result of the inaccessible and culturally incompetent care provided to d/Deaf and hard of hearing individuals (Kuenburg, Fellinger & Fellinger, 2016; Hoang, LaHousse, Nakaji & Sadler, 2010 Sheier, 2009). Inaccessible and culturally incompetent care may be byproducts of human service providers’ attitudes towards d/Deaf and hard of hearing people (Ulloa, 2014; Cooper, Mason & Rose, 2005), and providers’ level of competence with properly caring for d/Deaf and hard of hearing clients …

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

Staci Born

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- …

Seed For Oklahoma Kids Wave 3: Extending Rigorous Research And A Successful Policy Model, Margaret M. Clancy, Michael Sherraden, Sondra G. Beverly

Center for Social Development Research

With support from philanthropists, the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis (CSD) is conducting a third wave of research in the SEED for Oklahoma Kids (SEED OK) experiment. A research study of exceptional quality, SEED OK represents an opportunity to assess the long-term potential of Child Development Accounts (CDAS)—a national system of asset-building accounts for children and youth.1 Wave 3, taking place in 2019 and 2020, expands the original CDA in SEED OK with an automatic progressive deposit, and extends the longitudinal research to examine the impacts of the CDA when the children are in middle …

A Bill To Create The Bright Futures Plan Task Force: Testimony On H.B. 2389 Before The House Education Committee, Oregon State Legislature, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Legislation introduced in the Oregon House of Representatives early in 2019 proposed the creation of a task force to develop recommendations for increasing the number of children with savings for postsecondary education. The proposed Oregon Bright Futures Task Force would be obligated to submit its recommendations by January 2020. This document presents remarks prepared by Michael Sherraden and Margaret Clancy. Presented by Sherraden in testimony before the House Committee on Education on March 13, 2019, the remarks identify key design elements of Child Development Account policies and note experiences gained from research and as well as other policy engagements.

Social Mobility: The Necessary Focus Of St. Louis Investment In Black Males, Sean Joe, Robert Motley

Center for Social Development Research

The tragic killing of Michael Brown at the hand of Darren Wilson, a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer, further highlighted the long-standing disparities in health, education, employment, and overall well-being disproportionately burdening Black boys and young men in the St. Louis region. Since that event and the associated developments, actions have centered on attending to structural determinants, racism, and equity. However, less attention has been devoted to the overall well-being of Black boys and young men ages 18 to 29 in the St. Louis region and to the paucity of available economic opportunities. This brief report seeks to shift the focus …

An Exploration Of The Experience Of Adults With Learning Disabilities Through Art, Adi Greenboim-Zimchoni

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study employed arts-based research with phenomenological, qualitative inquiry to understand and explore the perspectives of adults with learning disabilities and their sense of self and support in inclusive and special education classrooms in Israel during their school years. In this study, the researcher attempted to take Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979) one step further by examining the participants’ feelings and relationships with the people in their daily lives during childhood. The researcher met with 12 participants ages 18-31 diagnosed with learning disabilities between third and eleventh grade. Participants created drawings illustrating how they felt about teachers, parents, friends and …

The Meadowlark Scholarship Act: Testimony On L.B. 544 Before The Education Committee 106th Nebraska Legislature, Margaret Clancy

Center for Social Development Research

In late January 2019, legislators in the state of Nebraska introduced a package of bills designed to broaden access to postsecondary education and to encourage saving in the state 529 college savings plan. The proposed legislation’s central piece, the Meadow Lark Scholarship Act, would create a universal, at-birth, $100 seed deposit for every child born in the state. Other bills would authorize an automatic savings match program for low- and moderate-income families who save in the state 529 plan, exclude 529 contributions in determining eligibility for need-based public benefits, and make other changes to the 529 plan. On February 5, …

Inclusión Laboral De Excombatientes. Una Revisión A Las Acciones De Inclusión Laboral De La Agencia De Reincorporación Y Normalización A La Luz De La Responsabilidad Social Empresarial, Natalia Zulay Rodríguez Sotaquirá, Irma Constanza Montenegro Méndez, Diana Zavala Fierro

Maestría en Estudios y Gestión del Desarrollo – MEGD

Colombia es el país del mundo con mayor tiempo, experiencia y programas de reintegración de excombatientes aplicados. Parte fundamental del proceso de reintegración consiste en la Inclusión Laboral, razón por la cual esta investigación se concentra en el análisis de las acciones de Inclusión Laboral adelantadas por la Agencia de Reincorporación y Normalización –ARN-, a fin de identificar las fortalezas y áreas de oportunidad que desde la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial pueden ser abordadas. A través de una revisión documental cuidadosa y detallada de los documentos publicados sobre la Responsabilidad social empresarial del Siglo XXI y su interés en la construcción …

Seguridad Alimentaria En Colombia. Una Propuesta Para La Sostenibilidad De La Política De Seguridad Alimentaria Y Nutricional Psan, Paola Andrea Méndez Cotrino

Maestría en Estudios y Gestión del Desarrollo – MEGD

Colombia ha trabajado en la construcción de políticas alimentarias que respondan a una definición holística de la Seguridad Alimentaria y de sus componentes. Aunque la vigente Política de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional (PSAN) es ambiciosa, la inseguridad alimentaria persiste, las enfermedades asociadas a la alimentación son comunes entre la población colombiana y el sistema alimentario tiene problemas estructurales que impiden su óptimo funcionamiento. De forma paralela, el Desarrollo Sostenible se ha configurado como una apuesta de gobernanza del desarrollo a escala global, a través de un modelo en el que convergen actores e intereses de diversa naturaleza. Teniendo cuenta estos …

Estrategia Pedagógica Fundamentada En La Comunicación Y La Ética Del Cuidado Para La Implementación De La Cátedra De La Paz En La Institución Educativa Distrital Florentino González, Gina Vanessa Medina Rojas, María Camila Ríos Pabón, Iván Andrés Correa Sisa

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

El presente trabajo de grado, se realiza con el interés de proponer una estrategia pedagógica para el desarrollo de la Cátedra de la Paz en la Institución Educativa Distrital Florentino González, tomando como variables la ética del cuidado, Cátedra de la Paz y conocimiento de documentos como lo son la Ley 1732, el Decreto 1038, conocimiento de cartillas que aportan al desarrollo e implementación de la Cátedra de la Paz. Por consiguiente, se realizaron entrevistas a siete profesores de la jornada de la mañana de las asignaturas de sociales, inglés, matemáticas, la orientadora y la coordinadora académica. En esta investigación, …