Social Work Commons^™

A Look At Empathy, University Belonging, And Intersectionality: How To Support A Diverse Student Body Amid The Covid-19 Crisis, Shantalea Johns, Stephanie Hawkes

Social Work Faculty Publications

The present short essay discusses the impact COVID-19 has had on college students. As universities work to build supportive learning environments during these unprecedented times, it is important for practitioners to consider how mental health and student identity impact student success. The framework proposes that empathy, university belonging, and an intersectional approach to academic support can contribute to a student's mental health, identity, and emotional well-being as they transition back to academic life.

Exploring Bullying And Peer Victimization Among African American Adolescents In Chicago’S Southside, Jeoung Min Lee

Wayne State University Dissertations

Adolescent bullying is a serious concern for adolescents, parents, teachers, school officials, and the public. While many studies have explored serious forms of violence (e.g., gang violence and homicide) among urban adolescents, relatively few studies have examined “less serious forms of violence,” such as bullying among these adolescents. This dissertation research, which is divided into three studies, aims to examine antecedents of bullying and peer victimization as well as psychosocial outcomes of peer victimization from a sample of 639 urban African American adolescents in Chicago’s Southside. The first study applies Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems perspective and explores factors that are correlated …

The Modifiability Of Risk Factors Associated With Adolescent Suicide And Its Preventions, Nastaeen Tajin

Honors College Theses

Adolescent suicide has been of major concern in the past few decades, with the rates steadily increasing every year. Suicide can be defined as the act of intentionally taking one’s life. Adolescent refers to children between the age of 13 and 19, although the term will be used interchangeably with ‘teen’ throughout this paper. The purpose of this study had been to identify the risk factors of suicide associated with children of this age range, and propose preventative measures based on the modifiability of these risk factors. In order to achieve this, the two search catalogs utilized were the Wayne …

A Qualitative Study Of Reflective Supervision From The Supervisee Perspective: An Ecological View, Carla Caringi Barron

Wayne State University Dissertations

The infant mental health (IMH) field has identified reflective supervision (RS) as a clinically-supported, best-practice supervisory strategy to support professionals working with high-risk infants and their families, yet there is a paucity of empirical evidence to corroborate this view. This dissertation used a qualitative, cross-sectional, grounded theory design to investigate supervisee perspectives of RS. Semi-structured focus groups and individual interviews with 50 IMH professionals who were receiving reflective supervision were collected and analyzed with the goal of developing a deeper understanding of how supervisees operationalized RS and whether and how it impacted outcomes. Supervisees described essential components of RS as …

Domestic Violence And Parental Substance Misuse In Child Welfare-Involved Families, Bryan Gary Victor

Wayne State University Dissertations

Child welfare worker routinely screen for domestic violence and parental substance misuse given their association with child maltreatment and poorer foster care outcomes such as lower rates of family reunification and higher rates of system reentry. Although childhood exposure to either domestic violence or parental substance misuse in and of itself does not constitute maltreatment in most child welfare systems, workers may consider these factors in their decision-making and service planning when identified. A set of three studies are therefore presented here that sought to determine the impact of caseworker-identified domestic violence and substance misuse on decision-making and service planning …

Preparing To Parent: Mindfulness In Expectant Parents Exposed To Adversity, Laurel Marie Hicks

Wayne State University Dissertations

Expectant parents who have been exposed to psychosocial risk encounter deleterious psychological (Ashley et al., 2016), and physiological (V. H. Pereira, Campos, & Sousa, 2017) effects. This not only affects the parent-to-be, but also may affect the developing fetus (E. P. Davis et al., 2011) and is linked to poorer infant development (Lefmann & Combs-Orme, 2014). However, not all risk-exposed individuals experience this, many are resilient and still thrive in the face of adversity. Understanding potential risk and resiliency factors in expectant parents is advantageous, so tailored interventions can be devised to improve outcomes. One potential resiliency factor, mindfulness, is …

Self-Care Among Older Adults With Heart Failure, Sumayya Attaallah, Kay Klymko, Faith Pratt Hopp

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: It is estimated that 5.7 million Americans are living with heart failure (HF) today. Despite the fact that HF is one of the most common reasons people aged 65 years and older are admitted into the hospital, few studies describe the self-care in this older adult population. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to review the current literature on self-care in this population to better understand the influence of selected factors on self-care and health outcomes. Methods: A literature search was completed and resulted in including 28 studies. Results: Multiple factors have been reported as barriers to self-care …

An Examination Of Quality Of Life Of Parents Of Adult Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Christina Noel Marsack

Wayne State University Dissertations

Previous research on parental caregivers has focused primarily on caregivers of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, rather than focusing specifically on parents of adult children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Most research on ASD has centered on parents of young children with this diagnosis, but not on parents of adult children with ASD. Understanding the experiences of parents caring for adult children with ASD is important given the increase in the prevalence of individuals with ASD and the lack of information regarding parents of adult children with ASD. A nonexperimental, quantitative, correlational design was used to examine effects …

Factors Associated With Primary Care Providers' Willingness To Deliver Routine And Transition Care To Transgender Individuals, Deirdre Aisling Shires

Wayne State University Dissertations

Transgender individuals report being denied healthcare services, but very little is known about primary care providers’ (PCP) willingness to deliver either routine or transition care to the transgender community. The purpose of this study is to examine PCP willingness to deliver routine care, continue a hormone therapy (HT) regimen initiated by another provider, and initiate HT for transgender patients using a theoretical framework informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior and Intergroup Contact Theory. The study sample was all family medicine, internal medicine, and women’s health providers in a large integrated Midwestern health system. Eligible participants were emailed a unique …

Evaluating Trauma-Informed Educational Practices With Trauma-Exposed, Female Students, Shantel Deanna Crosby

Wayne State University Dissertations

Youth who have experienced psychological trauma, such as court-involved youth, encounter unique challenges and barriers to their academic success (Burley & Halpern, 2001; Courtney et al., 2001; Courtney, Terao & Bost, 2004; Pecora et al., 2005). For court-involved students, many of whom come from racial/ethnic minority backgrounds (Brandt, 2006; Lawrence & Hesse, 2010; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013b), a school’s response to student behavior can further complicate these challenges (Cole et al., 2005). Unfortunately, little research exists on the educational well-being of female students in this population (Crenshaw, Ocen, & Nanda, 2015) and trauma-informed educational practices have …

The Mental Health And Medication Experiences Of Youth In Foster Care, Caitlin Waters

Wayne State University Theses

Nearly half of children in the child welfare system have clinically significant emotional or behavioral issues (Bums et al., 2004; Leslie et al.,2004), and are medicated at higher rates than their non-foster peers (e.g. Leslie et al., 2011; Zito et al.,2003). Research shows prescription of multiple medications is also a common occurrence in foster care. The proposed study seeks to answer the question: what are foster care youth’s mental health and medication use while in placement? This research employs a quantitative descriptive study to examine medication and conduct reports for foster youth in a residential placement. Findings suggest there is …

Program Evaluation Of The Wayne State University (Wsu) Transition To Independence Program (Tip), Dinah Ayna

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background: A significant number of children in the US are placed in the child welfare system every year. Among the multiple negative outcomes associated with being in the foster care system is a wide academic achievement gap between foster students and the general population, as well as other disadvantaged groups (e.g. low income). Low academic achievement is particularly pronounced in college. The government and higher education institutions are recognizing these educational gaps and developing specialized programs to address the unique needs of foster students; however, the effectiveness of these programs remains unclear. This study aims at evaluating the effectiveness of …

Delinquency And Self-Control Outcomes For Youth In Middle Childhood: Variations By Neighborhood Context, Race And Gender, Takisha V. Lashore

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Delinquency and Self-Control Outcomes for Youth in Middle Childhood: Variations by Neighborhood Context, Race and Gender

by

TAKISHA V. LASHORE

August 2016

Advisor: Dr. Heather Dillaway

Major: Sociology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between neighborhood context factors and youth outcomes for youth in middle childhood in southeast Michigan, specifically in 6th grade. This study focused in on the notion that youth with high perceived neighborhood disorganization and feelings of threats to personal safety are more likely to have low self-control and exhibit delinquent activity. In addition, this study explored the …

Navigating The Transition Into Motherhood: Women's Experiences Of Control, Emotions, And Social Ideals, Jody Sue Sauer-Sargent

Wayne State University Dissertations

In this dissertation, I sought to give postpartum women their own voices so that they could help define the postpartum experience on their own terms. It fills important gaps within the literature on new mothers’ experiences. A phenomenological approach was used, emphasizing the lived experiences of the women, with an overlay of autoethnography, where the personal experience of the researcher becomes important primarily in how it illuminates the phenomenon being studied. Thus, my personal experience of pregnancy into early motherhood is interwoven throughout this dissertation. Forty-two women participated in the in-depth, face-to-face interview, followed by a questionnaire. The qualitative data …

What Impacts Life Satisfaction Of Aging Adults Following Stressful Life Events?: An Examination Of The Buffering Effect Of Personal Resources, Cassandra Barragan

Wayne State University Dissertations

Purpose: Existing research has shown that elders experience changes in their life satisfaction following stressful life events. There is an abundance of literature supporting the predictive nature of not only stressful life events on life satisfaction, but social support, autonomy, and financial security. What the literature is lacking, is examination of the buffering effect of social support, autonomy, and financial security on the relationship between stressful life events and life satisfaction. This study hypothesizes that increases in social support, autonomy, and financial security will buffer the impact of SLEs for elders and thus, they will experience increases in their life …

African American Grandparents Residing In A Nursing Facility: Perceptions Of Influence With Their Grandchildren, Family, And Community, Monica Bester

Wayne State University Theses

African American older adults have historically been identified as vital members of the African American family and community (Hill, 1972; Cox, 2002; Waites, 2008). Unfortunately, research has shown an increasing number of older African Americans are being admitted into nursing facilities (Paul, 2004; Feng et al., 2011). Between the years of 1998-2008, it was projected African Americans living in nursing homes increased by 10.8% (Feng et al., 2011).

This study explores the intergenerational relationships of older African American adults with their grandchildren, family, and community through the lens of Intergenerational Family Systems Theory. By viewing this qualitative study through the …

Ending Poverty In Mongolia: From Socialism To Social Development, Richard J. Smith

Social Work Faculty Publications

While recent literature on social welfare has included Asian countries, less is known about low-income and former socialist countries in Central Asia. This article combines a documentary-historical method with a value-critical approach to analyze Mongolia’s social policy response to poverty. Mongolia is unique in Asia because it transformed from nomadic pastoralism to socialism without a phase of capitalist industrial development. The case study found that Mongolia lost social welfare when it transitioned from socialism, a statist model, to market liberalism and multiparty democracy. In the 21st century, Mongolia has been aspiring to promote social development by redirecting mining revenues to …

Personal Network Recovery Enablers And Relapse Risks For Women With Substance Dependence, Suzanne Brown, Elizabeth M. Tracy, Min Kyoung Jun, Hyunyong Park, Meeyoung O. Min

Social Work Faculty Publications

We examined the experiences of women in treatment for substance dependence and their treatment providers about personal networks and recovery. We conducted six focus groups at three women’s intensive substance abuse treatment programs. Four coders used thematic analysis to guide the data coding and an iterative process to identify major themes. Coders identified social network characteristics that enabled and impeded recovery and a reciprocal relationship between internal states, relationship management, and recovery. Although women described adding individuals to their networks, they also described managing existing relationships through distancing from or isolating some members to diminish their negative impact on recovery. …

Termination Of Parental Rights For Parents With Substance Use Disorder: For Whom And Then What?, Jun Sung Hong, Joseph P. Ryan, Pedro M. Hernandez, Suzanne Brown

Social Work Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlates of termination of parental rights (TPR) for parents with substance use disorder (SUD) and to determine what happens with regard to permanency once a TPR decision is made. Bivariate techniques and hierarchical non-linear modeling are used. Parents of older youth, boys, and Hispanics were less likely, while parents who failed to make progress in substance use treatment and parenting skills are more likely to experience TPR. At follow up, 85% of the children were adopted, 7% remained in a substitute care settings, and 7% were reunified with their parents. Concerns …

Student Perspectives On How Trauma Experiences Manifest In The Classroom: Engaging Court-Involved Youth In The Development Of A Trauma-Informed Teaching Curriculum, Shantel D. West, Angelique G. Day, Cheryl L. Somers, Beverly A. Baroni

Social Work Faculty Publications

This study explores how the lived experience of court-involved youth impacts learning and school culture, and solicits youth voice in creating a trauma-informed intervention to improve student educational well-being. Thirty-nine female students, ages 14 to 18, participated in focus groups to describe externalizing behaviors that they have both witnessed and personally struggled with in the classroom, discuss the perceived causes of these behaviors, and their suggestions for improving school culture to reduce these behavior manifestations in the classroom. Two major categories of behavior were identified, including: “anger emotions” and “aggressive actions.” Students described the causes of behavior as, “environmental influences” …

In The Best Interest Of The (Adult) Child: Ideas About Kinship Care Of Older Adults, Tezra Jennings, Tam E. Perry, Julia Valeriani

Social Work Faculty Publications

This article uses a qualitative, ethnographic approach to examine the experiences older adults and their kin, as the older adult engages in relocation. Studies looking at caregiving by kin for older adults highlight burdens for the adult child. This study offers a life course perspective on kinship care, analyzing older adults’ decisions’ to move. It was found that many older adults are strongly influenced by the desire to not be cared for by their kin as well as to select housing near their existing social network, which might exclude kin. In conclusion, policy implications are discussed.

Relocation Remembered: Perspectives On Senior Transitions In The Living Environment, Tam E. Perry, Troy C. Anderson, Daniel B. Kaplan

Social Work Faculty Publications

The experience of aging may necessitate transitions in living environments, either through adaptations to current residences or relocations to more supportive environments. For over a half century, the study of these transitions has informed the work of researchers, health and mental health providers, policymakers, and municipal planners. In the 1970s and ‘80s, knowledge about these transitions advanced through Lawton & Nahemow’s ecological theory of competence and environmental press, Wiseman’s behavioral model of relocation decision-making, and Litwak & Longino’s developmental perspective on senior migrations. This paper revisits influential theoretical frameworks which contribute to our understanding of senior transitions in living environments. …

Trauma Exposure, Posttraumatic Stress, And Depression In A Community Sample Of First-Time Mothers, Mickey Sperlich

Wayne State University Dissertations

The adverse effects of posttraumatic stress and depression have separately been well-documented in the perinatal mental health literature. However, few studies have considered the comorbidity between trauma, posttraumatic stress and depression. This dissertation study brings attention to this comorbidity and explores implications of recent changes to diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder related to the ability to predict postpartum depression and impairments in mother/infant bonding. Following a conceptual framework which outlines the effects of violence and trauma on adverse childbearing outcomes, hypotheses were that many women with depression in pregnancy would endorse trauma and would be at risk for subthreshold …

Go To The Hospital Or Stay At Home? A Qualitative Study Of Expected Hospital Decision Making Among Older African Americans With Advanced Heart Failure, Faith Pratt Hopp, Christina Marsack, Jessica Camp, Shirley Ann Thomas

Social Work Faculty Publications

To address the need for more information concerning hospital decision making, we conducted in-depth interviews among African Americans with heart failure and their family caregivers (n=11 dyads). Using a case scenario, we asked participants about their anticipated hospitalization decisions. Most patients indicated that they would seek care to avoid further deterioration or death from their worsening condition. Many family caregivers anticipated having an active influence on hospitalization decisions. Findings suggest that social workers should encourage the development of adequate home-based services, recognize diverse communication styles, and use this information to facilitate medical decision making by these patients and …

Age-Friendly Environments And Self-Rated Health: An Exploration Of Detroit Elders, Amanda J. Lehning, Richard J. Smith, Ruth E. Dunkle

Social Work Faculty Publications

While a number of organizations and government entities have encouraged the development of more “age-friendly” environments, to date there has been limited research linking these environment features to elder outcomes. Using a representative sample of older adults living in Detroit, this study examined the association between age-friendly environment factors and self-rated health. Results indicated that access to health care, social support, and community engagement were each associated with better self-rated health, while neighborhood problems were associated with poorer self-rated health. Moreover, individual-level income and education no longer predicted self-rated health once age-friendly environment factors were taken into account. These findings …

Developing Cross-System Communication To Promote Educational Well-Being In Foster Care Youth: Recommendations For A National Research, Practice, And Policy Agenda, Angelique Day, Cheryl Somers, Joanne Smith-Darden, Jina Yoon

Social Work Faculty Publications

This study captures the voices of school-based behavioral specialists who are employed across the state of Michigan to share how well schools and child welfare agencies communicate and collaborate to address the educational well-being of foster care children on their caseloads. This includes knowledge of federal policies and how they support and hinder communication across systems. Participants included a total of 249 K-12 employed school psychologists, counselors, and social workers. Survey methodology was used and both inferential and narrative analyses revealed that these school practitioners were highly unaware of how to identify the foster care children in their schools, and …

Identifying Appropriate Sanctions For Youth Sexual Behavior: The Impact Of Age, Gender, And Sexual Orientation, Erin B. Comartin, Poco D. Kernsmith, Roger M. Kernsmith

Social Work Faculty Publications

Although statutory rape laws were initially developed to protect youth from coercion by adults, youth are sometimes also prosecuted under these laws. This article investigates public attitudes regarding sanctions for youth engaging in sexual behaviors with peers. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to determine if age and gender of the offending youth, and sexual orientation of the relationship,has an impact on the public's level of agreement for sanctioning youth for three types of sexual behavior: intercourse, oral sex, or touching. The study participants (N= 757) were drawn from the general population of adult Michigan residents; the sample was racially representative …

The Influence Of Individual And Perceived Organizational Characterisitics On Teacher Interventions In Bullying Situations, Sarah Vanzoeren

Wayne State University Dissertations

Complex issues, such as bullying, have brought to light the importance of expanding school social work to include interventions focused on multiple levels of practice. Recognizing that teachers play an important role in influencing educational, social, and emotional outcomes for students, this study seeks to broaden our understanding of what motivates teachers to intervene in bullying situations in order to inform school social work practice as well as future anti-bullying programs and policies. A cross-sectional descriptive design was utilized to gather data from middle school teachers in ten districts across the state of Michigan (n=176). Participants completed an online survey …

A Social Worker's Report From The United Nations Conference On Sustainable Development (Rio+20), Richard J. Smith

Social Work Faculty Publications

In June 2012, heads of state convened to finalize a policy framework on sustainable development called “The Future We Want” at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro (Rio+20). To date, this is the largest United Nations gathering ever held with over 12,000 government officials and over 10,000 representatives of major groups (United Nations Department of Public Information, 2012). The two main themes of the conference were a) “a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and 2) the institutional framework for sustainable development”(United Nations, 2011a). The conference attendees presented ways to …

When Does Confidentiality Become An Impediment Rather Than A Pathway To Meeting The Educational Needs Of Students In The Foster Care System?, Angelique Day

Social Work Faculty Publications

The benefits of public, child welfare and education collaborations are numerous. However, different privacy laws that dictate professional practice within each respective system may cause tensions to surface across service agencies in the interpretation and implementation of these policies. A new perspective on the interpretation of these confidentiality policies is offered to guide the child welfare and education workforce in cross-disciplinary decision-making that maximizes the educational well-being of children in care.