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Focal Point, Volume 16 Number 02, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

The articles in this issue describe a variety of strategies communities have used to systematically engage the perspectives of family and community members. With these strategies in place, family and community members have the opportunity to play a central role in making and monitoring concrete action plans for increasing cultural competence.

Focal Point, Volume 16 Number 01, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

Strengths-based practice is not just about supporting consumers as they identify and use their own positive capacities and assets. It is also about finding community assets which help link the consumer to these potential informal and community supports. For many people—consumers and providers alike—there is a great appeal to the idea of building an individual’s strengths while drawing on the community to build a supportive, individualized network of relationships and involvements. Yet when it comes down to planning and providing services and supports for children with emotional and behavioral disorders and their families, it is often difficult to see whether …

The Voices Of Survivors Documentary Using Patient Narrative To Educate Physicians About Domestic Violence, Christina Nicolaidis

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article describes a method of developing physician education materials using analysis of domestic violence patient experiences and patients' descriptions of their experiences. The process began with interviews of 21 domestic violence survivors, focusing on what they wanted to teach physicians. Qualitative analysis of these interviews identified 4 main themes regarding what survivors wanted physicians to understand about life in an abusive relationship: that domestic violence is universal, that it is more than just physical assaults, that it is all about power and control, and that it affects the entire family. Because what survivors wanted from physicians differed depending on …

In Thought, Word, And Deed: Suicidal Behaviors Of Adjudicated Youth, Kevin Corcoran, Thomas Crofoot Graham

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examines suicide ideation, plans, and attempts by youth in two juvenile justice settings: incarcerated youth (n=83) and youth with community service sentences (n=144). The incarcerated sample reported 51% suicide ideation while the community sample reported 22%. For both samples, suicide contemplators were quite likely (60-70%) to have a suicide plan, while about 35% reported a suicide attempt in the past 12 months. Contemplators were distinguishable from noncontemplators on scores for external problems of delinquency and aggression, internal problems of anxiety, depression, withdrawal and somatic complaints, general depression, and general health status. The results have implications for assessment, triage, …

Inclusive Child Care: Challenges And Strategies, Eileen M. Brennan, Elizabeth Haran Caplan, Shane Ama, Jennifer R. Bradley, Olivia Warfield

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Responding to the need for research regarding models of inclusion in child care, the Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health is in the process of conducting a series of studies aimed at guiding the design and implementation of inclusive child care policies and programs. In the course of previous research studies, our research team found that there did exist quality programs and family care arrangements that successfully included children with emotional or behavioral challenges in child care settings (Brennan, Rosenzweig, Ogilvie, Wuest, & Ward, 2001). Our goal was to learn more about the provider and …

Models Of Inclusion: Standing At The Cross Roads. Building Inclusive Child Care Through Child Care Development Funds, Eileen M. Brennan, Shane Ama, Elizabeth Haran Caplan, Olivia Warfield, Sherry Archer

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 has produced a growing recognition that children with disabilities have the same rights as other children to participate in community-based child care settings (Whitney, Grozinsky, & Poppe, 1999). But even a legal mandate is not sufficient to guarantee access to realistic and suitable child care options for every family, particularly those having children with emotional or behavioral disorders (National Child Care Information Center [NCCIC], 1997). The presentation addressed governmental policy and planning efforts to include children with emotional or behavioral challenges in settings with typically developing children. Particularly, presenters …

Identifying And Building On Strengths Of Children With Serious Emotional Disturbances, Michael Orval Taylor

Dissertations and Theses

The aim of this study is to explore strengths assessments and the participation of parents in assessment of strengths and functioning of their children challenged by serious emotional disorders. The children in this study have a high level of exposure to mental illness, domestic violence and substance abuse in their biological families. These children are living with family members or foster families in the community, with the majority at continuing risk of placement outside of their homes and communities due to serious emotional and behavioral problems.

The research questions investigated are the concordance of families and professionals in assessment of …