Social Work Commons^™

Substance Use Treatment Within The Us Prison System, Timothy Hicks

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examines the challenges and effectiveness of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment within US prisons, focusing on treatment availability, accessibility, and outcomes. Through a literature review spanning PsycINFO, Academic Search Premier, Criminal Justice Abstracts, JSTOR, and PubMed, it addresses the literature gap and healthcare needs for incarcerated individuals. The research identifies limited SUD treatment availability and explores the impact of medication-assisted treatments (MATs) and therapeutic interventions. It highlights barriers such as systemic stigma and inconsistencies in treatment access and quality. Findings advocate for evidence-based treatment's role in reducing recidivism and call for policy reform and enhanced collaborative efforts to …

Eating Disorder Treatment: What Former Patients Attribute To Their Personal Recovery, Wendy Ingram

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the personal experience of people who have an eating disorder with a specific focus on what they attributed to their recovery. Eating disorders are a mental illness that affect one in 20 people. Thus, this prevalence coupled with a lack of significant research about eating disorders in the field of social work uncovered the need for this study.

Qualitative interviews were completed with five female students from a university in California. Each transcript was coded using conventional content analysis to uncover themes and subthemes, which included barriers to recovery, the need to …

Substance Use Counselors' Perceptions Of Effective Treatment Modalities For Women With Children, Sally I. Gonzales, Jessica Monique Martinez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) conducted a study and determined that approximately one-third to two-thirds of child neglect cases had some form of substance abuse related to the case. Further, it is reported that women who use alcohol or drugs are two times more likely to lose custody of their children than non- using mothers. The purpose of this study is to examine which treatment modalities substance use counselors find most effective when treating women with children. This study utilized a qualitative design asking eight open ended questions to fourteen substance use counselors employed at Prototypes …

Perspectives Of Mental Health Treatment, Dale Marie Craig

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study looks at the perceptions of mental health treatment that the general public may have. This study consisted of a sample size of 106 respondents to a survey that was placed on social media web sites. The positivist paradigm was used to assess the general public’s perceptions about mental health treatment and mentally ill persons. Descriptive analyses were used to discover the relationship of possible negative perceptions toward mental health treatment the general public may have on a mentally ill person. Findings of the survey showed no significant relationships of negative public perceptions that would adversely affect a mentally …

Social Work Students' Perceptions Of Sex Offenders, Mayra Bernal, Henry Christopher Meza

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social workers who choose to work in the field of child welfare will almost unavoidably be exposed to sexual trauma. This requires that social workers are prepared to understand and work with those who have been sexually abused, as well as the perpetrators of sex crimes. The purpose of this study was to explore social work students’ perceptions of sex offenders since it is anticipated that they will work with the sex offender population at some point in their careers. Exploring this topic could help future social workers gain valuable knowledge related to recognizing barriers that may exist when working …

What Clinical Approaches Have Service Providers Observed To Be Most Effective When Treating Young Survivors Of Human Sex Trafficking?, Elisa Lopez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Human sex trafficking of minors is generally thought of as a problem that occurs in third world countries; however recent incidents have begun to shine a light on domestic sex trafficking happening in the United States. Qualitative interviews were conducted with seven participants who work with this population and explored treatment approaches they have observed to be effective when treating victims. The common theme was the use of Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), especially when gathering information surrounding the trauma. It is important to note that although TF-CBT has been observed to be effective it does not meet all of …

Beliefs About Substance Abuse Among Adolescents: What Works?, Alma Elizabeth Hernandez, Stephanie Michelle Araiza

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore beliefs about what works in substance abuse treatment among adolescents. This was a qualitative study that was comprised of fourteen counselors who were interviewed regarding what works in substance treatment with adolescents. The study identified four themes that contribute to our knowledge about what works in substance abuse treatment among adolescents. The study recommends that future research explore further what works with adolescents in substance abuse treatment, including collaborating with family members, identifying strengths in adolescents, building an authentic rapport with adolescents, and using the latest evidence-based practices.