Social Work Commons^™

Sex Trading, Exiting, And Interactions With Police: A Mixed Methods Study Of Women Engaged In Street Level Sex Trading, Daria J. Mueller

Theses and Dissertations

Street level sex trading is associated with multiple risks to health, safety, and well-being, thus many individuals who are currently engaged would like to exit and/or have attempted to do so. Multiple facilitators and barriers at all levels of a person’s ecology have been found to affect the exiting process, such as substance use, formal and informal social supports, and the collateral consequences of criminalization of sex trading. Yet, a more comprehensive examination of the complex interplay of these factors has been lacking. In addition, little attention has focused on women’s encounters with police and the ensuing effects on their …

An Intersectional Analysis Of The Role Race And Gender Play In Welfare Recipients’ And Case Manager Experiences, Stephanie Baran

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an ethnographic study of food insecurity in Milwaukee and how people receiving benefit assistance understand themselves, others and how they thought others understand them. This frame was duplicated for social workers and poverty organizations in the Milwaukee area. Using a series of theoretical viewpoints, the study utilizes racial theories, as well as, symbolic violence and annihilation to discuss how various aspects of recipients, social workers and poverty organizations interact within the theoretical margins. Taking place over one and a half years and including 350 observation hours at a local food pantry, the study found that respondents feel …

The Life Course Impacts Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Individuals' Psychosocial Functioning, Lixia Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Research has shown that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as child maltreatment and household dysfunction are among the leading environmental causes of morbidity and mortality. Despite the proliferation of ACEs studies, many significant gaps in the literature remain. First, many ACEs studies have examined the physical health outcomes of older adults. To better understand the origins of disease and death, further research is needed that examines the effects of ACEs on mental health and behavioral health earlier in the life course. Second, although international interest in ACEs is on the rise, most ACE research has been conducted in the …

Overwhelmed: A Qualitative Study Of The Mental Health Experiences Of Mothers Of Minor Children After Release From Jail And Prison, Ann Elizabeth Stanton

Theses and Dissertations

Mass incarceration in US jails and prisons is a major public health concern. Over one million women are released from US jails and prisons each year. Incarcerated women experience disproportionately high rates of mental health issues and most incarcerated women are mothers of minor children. Mothers of minor children who leave jails and prisons with mental health issues face increased risks of experiencing substance use, risky behaviors, homelessness, and recidivism. Their children are also at increased risk for adverse mental health, behavioral, and social outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the mental health experiences of mothers of …

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy And Resilience Within Child Welfare, Katelyn Blair

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Children in foster care and their substitute caregivers (i.e., foster parents) lack access to evidence-based interventions designed to 1) mitigate the effects of maltreatment on child behavior and 2) strengthen parenting skills needed to effectively care for children with a history of maltreatment. Previous research has established that Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based intervention for children with a history of maltreatment. Yet, PCIT’s broader impact on child welfare outcomes (i.e., placement and permanence) and the implications of adapting PCIT for foster families remains largely unknown. Furthermore, intervention effects on children’s resilience remain largely unstudied, although interventions that …

Concurrent Polysubstance Use In College Students: A Brief Social Norms Intervention To Abate Use, Jennifer Lynn Hernandez-Meier

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Many college students engage in marijuana and alcohol use, as well as concurrent and simultaneous polysubstance use of both of these substances (CPU, SPU). The literature on CPU and SPU in this population has not been comprehensively reviewed. It is also unclear whether when compared with concurrent users, simultaneous users experience increased risk of substance-related problems (problems), and if a brief normative feedback (NF) intervention is feasible for and can impact marijuana and alcohol use by concurrent users. Methods: This study involved: Paper 1) a narrative review of literature on marijuana and alcohol use and CPU and SPU in …

Exploring The Relationship Between Neighborhoods And Intimate Partner Violence, Laura Aisha Voith

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Due to high prevalence rates and deleterious effects on individuals, families, and communities, intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health problem. Because IPV occurs in the context of communities and neighborhoods, research must examine the broader environment in addition to individual-level factors to successfully facilitate behavior change. Stemming in part from the lack of theory, predictors of the relation between neighborhoods and intimate partner violence are under-identified, and a dearth of mediation studies exist that inductively build and deductively confirm theoretical frameworks.

Methods: This dissertation contributes to gaps in the literature via a mixed methods study yielding …

Aged Out: Narratives Of Women Who Grew Up In Out-Of-Home Care, Lanetta Greer

Theses and Dissertations

This is a qualitative study involving young women who aged out of out-of-home care (OHC). Narrative inquiry will be the research methodology. Research questions will be centered on the participants’ description of their family life, growing up in OHC, and life after aging out. The results of the study will better inform service providers working with youth in foster/group homes, schools, juvenile justice placements, and community programs, offering them more effective ways of assisting, supporting, and advocating for youth to ensure a more successful transition to independence after aging out.

Differential Response And Agency Decision Making: A National Study Of Child Neglect Cases, Colleen Emily Janczewski

Theses and Dissertations

A growing number of child protective service (CPS) agencies have adopted differential response (DR), which allows for the provision of case management and support to moderate-risk CPS cases without launching a formal investigation. Previous research has established that DR does not compromise child safety, and that it promotes family engagement. Yet DR's broader impact on CPS agencies remains largely unknown. Given that DR diverts some cases from traditional investigations, this dissertation explored DR's impact on child neglect cases that do not get diverted. Specifically, the study examined how DR changes the proportion and characteristics of the population of children experiencing …

A Developmental Systems Approach To Exploring The Plasticity And Diversity Of Teen Childbearers' Parenting Behaviors, Andrea Gromoske

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Many empirical studies indicate that teen childbearers, in comparison to adult childbearers, are more likely to exhibit maladaptive parenting behaviors, including low responsivity, harsh discipline, and child maltreatment. Yet, it is unclear whether teen childbearers are likely to engage consistently in poor parenting over time, why they may continue to engage in poor parenting, and which teen childbearers are most likely to engage in poor parenting persistently. Methods: This study used secondary data to investigate the person-in-context, temporality, plasticity, and diversity of teen childbearers' parenting behaviors using cross-sectional regressions, latent growth curve models, and joint longitudinal cluster analysis. Results: …

Quality And Coordination Of Care For Persons With Brain Injury In The Community: Developing A Survey, Brian Philip Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Because of increasing demand on primary care physicians and a complex, fragmented, healthcare "system", people now must coordinate their own healthcare and services. In response, care coordination has become a clinical specialty, typically done by nurses or social workers. People with disabilities (PWD) also must coordinate their care, including health and disability-support services, knowing who to call, advocating for themselves, and scheduling appointments, among other things. Such demands can be particularly problematic after brain injury, which may impair abilities to prioritize, coordinate, manage, and schedule activities. Coordinating services requires participation of the PWD, and supportive significant others (SSO). At …