Social Work Commons^™

Misbehaviors Of Front-Line Research Personnel And The Integrity Of Community-Based Research, Gala True, Leslie B. Alexander, Kenneth A. Richman

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

There has been little empirical research into misconduct and misbehavior among community research workers who recruit and collect data in vulnerable and marginalized health populations and are also members of those same communities. We conducted qualitative interviews with community research workers and traditional research assistants to understand the context and consequences of misbehaviors that pose a threat to research ethics and data integrity. In our sample, more community research workers acknowledged engaging in research wrongdoing than did traditional research assistants. These behaviors were most prevalent among community research workers who were not well-integrated into the research team. We suggest best …

Race And The Local Politics Of Punishment In The New World Of Welfare, Richard C. Fording, Joe Soss, Sanford F. Schram

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

To illuminate how race affects the usage of punitive tools in policy implementation settings, we analyze sanctions imposed for noncompliant client behavior under welfare reform. Drawing on a model of racial classification and policy choice, we test four hypotheses regarding client race, local context, and sanctioning. Based on longitudinal and cross-sectional multilevel analyses of individual-level administrative data, we find that race plays a significant role in shaping sanction implementation. Its effects, however, are highly contingent on client characteristics, local political contexts, and the degree to which state governments devolve policy control to local officials.

Review Of Theories Of Social Capital: Researchers Behaving Badly, By Ben Fine, Sanford F. Schram

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Making Sense Of Meta-Analysis: A Critique Of "Effectiveness Of Long-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy", Julia H. Littell, Aron Shlonsky

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Evidence-based practice depends in part on knowledge derived from relevant research. For any given topic, there are likely to be many, potentially relevant studies; a careful appraisal and synthesis of the results of these studies is needed to understand the state of the empirical evidence. Meta-analysis is widely used to combine results of quantitative studies; yet this method is unfamiliar to many people and, as a result, meta-analyses are often uncritically accepted. In this article, we argue that meta-analysis is only one component of a good research synthesis. We critique a recent meta-analysis on the effectiveness of long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy, …

Conflict, Health Care And Professional Perseverance: A Qualitative Study In The West Bank, Cindy A. Sousa, Amy Hagopian

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

The past three decades have been a time of considerable global conflict, affecting over 50 countries and causing substantial impacts on civilian health. While many effects are direct results of violence, conflict also impinges on health through indirect means. The restricted mobility of health care staff and patients, targeting of health care workers, and stressful working conditions disrupt the ability of health care workers in conflict zones to function effectively. This paper explores the challenges experienced by health care workers in West Bank, Palestine, as well as their strategies of persistence. Research activities included participant observation and interviews with health …

Familism And Family Environment Among Suicidal Latinas: Three Family Types, Juan B. Peña, Jill A. Kuhlberg, Luis H. Zayas, Ana A. Baumann, Lauren Gulbas, Carolina Hausmann-Stabile, Allyson P. Nolle

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

This study examined the relationship between familism and family environment type as well as the relationship between family environment type and suicide attempts among Latina youth. Latina teen attempters (n=109) and non-attempters (n=107) were recruited from the NYC area. Latent class analysis revealed three family environment types: tight-knit; intermediate-knit; and loose-knit. Tight-knit families (high cohesion and low conflict) were significantly less likely to have teens that attempted suicide as compared to intermediate-knit families or loose-knit families. Moreover, familism increased the odds of being in the tight-knit family vs. the loose-knit family and the odds of being in the tight-knit family …

Ganando Confianza: Research Focus Groups With Immigrant Mexican Mothers, Carolina Hausmann-Stabile, Luis H. Zayas, Sandra Runes, Anna Abenis-Cintron, Esther Calzada

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Immigrant families with children with developmental disabilities must be served using culturally sensitive approaches to service and research to maximize treatment benefits. In an effort to better understand cultural issues relevant to the provision of parenting programs for immigrant Mexican mothers of children with developmental disabilities, we conducted sustained focus groups through which we could learn more about our participants and thereby improve services. This paper reports on the challenges and lessons learned from these groups. We characterize the key lessons as (a) recruitment and retention is more than agreement to participate; (b) confidentiality is not just a word but …

Challenges And Solutions For Latin American-Trained International Medical Graduates In Psychiatry Residency, Carolina Hausmann-Stabile, Luis H. Zayas, David Hauser, Carlos Carvajal, Carlina Mejia, Delia Nieves

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Objective: Latin American-trained international medical graduates (IMGs) in psychiatry residency face multiple challenges that go beyond their medical training. These challenges call for innovative problem-solving. Although the professional development of IMGs has been discussed in the professional literature, little is written about their experiences. In this report, a group of IMGs reflect on their experiences and describe how they solved challenges. Method: Using cogenerative ethnography, four IMGs trained in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico provided insights on their

challenges and solutions while adapting to psychiatric residency training. Individual interviews, focused discussion, and written reports were analyzed using data reduction, …

Family Relationships And Latina Teen Suicide Attempts: Reciprocity, Asymmetry, And Detachment, Lauren E. Gulbas, Luis H. Zayas, Allyson P. Nolle, Carolina Hausmann-Stabile, Jill A. Kuhlberg, Ana A. Baumann, Juan B. Peña

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Using qualitative data collected from adolescent Latinas and their parents, this article describes ways in which family relationships are organized within low-income Latino families (n = 24) with and without a daughter who attempted suicide. Based on a family-level analysis approach, we present a framework that categorizes relationships as reciprocal, asymmetrical, or detached. Clear differences are identified: Families of nonattempters primarily cluster in reciprocal families, whereas families with an adolescent suicide attempter exhibit characteristics of asymmetrical or detached families. Our results highlight the need for detailed clinical attention to family communication patterns, especially in Latino families. Clinicians may reduce the …