Social Work Commons^™

Caregiver Incarceration, Stigma, & Mental Health, Megan West, Megan Madden, Ramsey Wilson, Brandon Pelletier

Thinking Matters Symposium

Parental incarceration has adverse effects on children and young adults socially, physically, and mentally (Phillips et al., 2002). Caregivers with either past or present incarceration experiences increase adolescents’ tendency to correlate behaviors with exposures to traumatic events (Kautz, 2017). Our research question for this project is, “what is known about perceived stigma, mental health symptoms, and caregiver incarceration?” A systematic literature review has been conducted to determine various themes that arise in research examining stigma, mental health symptoms, and parental incarceration. The group has been conducting this research through twenty-eight separate databases in order to compare themes that have been …

Understanding How Nimby-Ism Shapes Portland, Maine’S Homeless Policies: A Qualitative Study, Eleanor Ginder

Thinking Matters Symposium

On June 17, 2019, after a prolonged period of community concern, the Portland City Council voted to relocate the city’s homeless shelter from the rapidly gentrifying Bayside neighborhood to a wooded area at the city limits. As municipal shelters continue to move away from metropolitan areas, the impact of NIMBY-ism on local and state policies related to homelessness cannot go unnoted. By analyzing publicly available testimony that occurred in the months after the decision to relocate, a variation of NIMBY-ism begins to emerge. This phenomenon, which could be referred to as “neo-NIMBY-ism” is characterized by individuals with lived experience of …

Intersectionality And Accessibility To Social Services, Nora Khuder

Thinking Matters Symposium

In times of a crisis the intersectionality of sex, class, and ability creates a vulnerable population. Many available “resources'' are exhausted, due to high demand. Intersectionality signifies the impact of multiple intersecting identities in society as a direct correlation to the specific and unique barriers of marginalized groups. Resources are currently limited due to the lack of representative data. Although many studies have been conducted, many researchers have failed to capture the need of social services in rural areas.

Indigenous Experiences Of Social Services, Oaklin Blaisdell, Haley West, Sammy Ellie Mackinnon, Brianna White

Thinking Matters Symposium

Native, Aboriginal, and First Nations individuals experience higher rates of homelessness, food insecurity, sexual violence, and other social inequalities than people of other races (Christensen et al., 2017; Shoemaker et al., 2020; Du Mont et al., 2017; Wahab & Olson, 2004; McCarron et al., 2018; Moullin et al., 2019; Myhra et al., 2015; Stevens et al., 2015; Cueva et al, 2020), and there is a distinct lack of resources for these individuals. However, when individuals do access available resources, they often experience anti-Native sentiment (Hoss & Blum, 2019; Pedersen et al, 2006). Thus, we hope to learn about Indigenous peoples’ …

Effect Of Nutrition On Resilience In Adults With Childhood Trauma, Carrie Merrill, Nicole Wickstrom, Katie Munn, Timothy Mclaughlin

Thinking Matters Symposium

While previous studies have shown that healthy nutrition has a positive effect on our physical and emotional well-being (Marsman et al., 2018; Harbottle, 2019), it is unknown whether those benefits extend to individual levels of resilience among those who have suffered childhood trauma. The purpose of this research is to better understand how nutritional habits influence the relationship between childhood trauma and resilience. A Qualtrics survey design was used to collect data related to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), resilience, and nutritional intake, and was sent via email to University of Southern Maine students and faculty of the school of social …

Opioid Use And Harm Reduction, Elise Bourassa, David Lee, Jason Rogers, Christian Silverthorne

Thinking Matters Symposium

Calls for various harm reduction approaches to the opioid epidemic are increasing in activist communities (Chapkis, 2020; Kennedy-Hendricks et al., 2019; Sederer & Marino, 2018). Given that harm reduction approaches, if implemented, will be provided by people in various helping professions, the current study investigates the relationship between choice of human service-focused college major and level of support for harm reduction interventions for people who use opioid drugs. A quantitative survey that aims to measure knowledge and perceptions of harm reduction strategies has been disseminated to students in social work, counseling, public health and nursing departments at the University of …

The Impacts Of Social Media Sites Such As Instagram And Facebook On Emerging Adult’S Perceptions Of Self-Esteem And Body Satisfaction, Wynne Cushing, Samantha Shandorf, Courtney Piccirillo, Abby Frazier

Thinking Matters Symposium

This study investigated the impacts of social media use, specifically Facebook and Instagram, on emerging adults’ perceptions of self-esteem and body satisfaction. Limited research exists regarding the influence of demographic variables, such as gender, race, and geographic location, on the relationship between social media use and negative outcome variables. The researchers utilized a cross-sectional survey design with a target population of University of Southern Maine students. Researchers hypothesize that emerging adults who spend more time on Facebook and Instagram are more likely to have lower self-esteem and body satisfaction than emerging adults who spend little to no time on Facebook …

Educator Wellbeing During Covid-19: Caregivers Vs. Non-Caregivers, Elizabeth Larsen, Judy Gagnon, Yana Davis, Nicole Hudson

Thinking Matters Symposium

The phenomenon of the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the format of public education, putting stress on the educational system and its teachers. This research study aims to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the role of teachers in Maine, specifically focusing on the added responsibility that parents may experience while simultaneously meeting professional obligations. Researchers posed the question: “What is the relationship between caregiving responsibilities and emotional wellbeing of teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic among public school teachers in Maine?” Participants from K-12 public schools around the state were recruited through direct contact or via building administrators who distributed …

A Program Review Of Trauma-Informed Mindfulness: An Alternative Treatment Program For Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Nicole Hale

Undergraduate Research Conference

This study was conducted as part of the student’s senior field practicum experience at the Montgomery County Women’s Center (MCWC) during the Spring 2020 semester. Current literature identifies symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (such as stress and anxiety) to be consistent with symptoms experienced by survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). As noted by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk, a leading expert in the treatment of complex trauma, the goal in treating those who experience symptoms related to PTSD with mindfulness techniques is to help those individuals learn to live and function in the present, without being held …

*Socioeconomic Status And Ethnicity: How Does It Affect Civic Engagement?, Jonathan R. Pinero

Campus Research Day

This presentation will cover the someone's civic engagement (voting, community outreach, etc.) and how it is effected by their socioeconomic status and ethnicity.

The Power Of Connection: A Therapeutic Approach To Utilizing Technology And Social Media To Build Attachment, Tiffany Monk, Shalandra Whaley

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

This session will explore how technology has become enmeshed in many aspects of daily life and elaborate on how to use technology and social media to foster healthy attachment in the classroom setting.

Educators and helping professionals will also learn safety implications and self-care that must be applied to lessen negative effects of technology use.

Act To Save A Life: Evidence-Based Youth Suicide Prevention, Meghan Diamon

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Youth suicide is a preventable tragedy that can occur when children's mental health needs are unmet. Participants will discuss published research on risk factors for youth suicide, how to implement an evidence-based prevention program, and how to tackle common obstacles encountered. Participants will be prepared to mobilize school staff, parents, and community members to address the critical issues of depression awareness and suicide prevention.

Understanding The Traumatized Brain, Sam Marion, Elizabeth Marston

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Students who have experienced trauma are often in need of behavioral intervention due to challenging behaviors and reactivity. Understanding the body’s threat response system gives insight into these behaviors and allows for empathy within the interventions. This presentation will outline basic neuroscience theories, propose interventions focused on self-regulation, and demonstrate how adding basic elements to existing interventions can increase efficacy.

People's Resource Center And Food Insecurity, Jaclyn Logan

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

The People’s Resource Center addresses both food insecurity and poverty. The PRC has a long history of serving those in need since 1975. They have a multitude of programs including a food pantry and a clothes pantry. It is through our services that those experiencing food insecurity and poverty can get their necessities, even without having as much money.

Faculty Sponsor: Lisa Higgins

Sustainable Development And Environmental Justice: Connecting Students To Global Issues, Sierra T. Davis

Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

This pilot study will contribute to the literature surrounding study abroad using a new framework to gauge the effect travel has on knowledge of global issues. The United Nations created a list of sustainable development goals meant to rectify pressing issues in the United States and abroad. The goals have been separated into the categories of ending poverty, ensuring prosperity for all, and protection of the planet. Using them as the framework for a quantitative study, data were collected from college-level students around South Carolina on perceptions of global issues through a sustainable lens. The project has had two phases; …

Engaging With A Prevention Approach: System Supports Needed In Child Abuse And Neglect Prevention, Silvia L. Vilches, Beth S. Mcdaniel, Haley Sherman, Brianna Burks, Allie Merritt, Terra Jackson, Synithia W. Flowers

Southeastern Council on Family Relations Conference

Public policy has been shifting from child abuse and neglect (CAN) intervention toward prevention, using public health style frameworks, which emphasize shared community and legislative responsibilities to support families (Browne, 2014; CDC, 2014). Analysis of qualitative data from statewide focus groups held in 2019 in Alabama with 99 community-based CAN prevention workers shows strengths in community collaboration, but also, struggles to help families meet basic needs because of lack of community resources, such as transportation and quality child care, and other barriers, including stigma. The results demonstrate confusion between prevention, which is intended to build family resilience to avert crisis, …

Open Adoption: An Expansion Of Family, Madeline Huisjen

Southeastern Council on Family Relations Conference

95% of adoption in the United States are open adoptions (Siegel & Smith, 2012). Past research has focused on the satisfaction of the adoptive parents, birth mother and adoptee in open adoption (Colaner & Scharp, 2016). However, there is a gap in research considering communication within the open adoption relationship (Grotevant, 2009). This qualitative phenomenological study sought to understand the experiences of birth mothers and adoptive parents in open adoption relationships as well as determine what is helpful and/or harmful within this relationship. The researchers conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with birth mothers and adoptive parents. Through open coding, key findings …

The Journey Of Life Before, During And After Foster Care And The Path To Resilience, Sara B. Wood

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Children who are impacted by abuse and situations that result in foster care have the ability to overcome trauma with the support of stable and nurturing adults. This presentation will take participants on a journey of the life of a foster child from the early years to adulthood from the point of view of a foster child, social worker, and teacher.

Act To Save A Life: Evidence-Based Youth Suicide Prevention, Meghan Diamon

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Youth suicide is a preventable tragedy that can occur when children's mental health needs are unmet. Participants will discuss published research on risk factors for youth suicide, how to implement an evidence-based prevention program, and how to tackle common obstacles encountered. Participants will be prepared to mobilize school staff, parents, and community members to address the critical issues of depression awareness and suicide prevention.

We Need Sex Ed, Too! : Addressing The Sexual Risk Behaviors Of System Involved Youth, Nadine Finigan-Carr

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

System involved youth (e.g., youth in child welfare or juvenile services) are a vulnerable population with increased risk for unintended pregnancy, HIV, and STIs. This workshop is designed to (1) identify their sexual reproductive health risk behaviors; (2) describe the related determinants; and, (3) improve awareness of how educators can promote the development of positive sexual risk behaviors among them.

“Re/Imagining Culturally Responsive Educational Practices (Crep) And Effectively Implementing Crep To Meet The Needs Of A Diverse Student Population”, Rena' Glass-Dixon, Shelbie Dixon-Brown

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

The aim of this interactive workshop for educators and administrators is to promote cultural awareness and reflect on the impact that our own cultural influences have on the teaching and learning process. This interactive session will also allow professional educators and leaders to apply culturally informed practices to foster positive school climate, learning and academic achievement relevant to a widely diverse student population. The workshop strives to encourage dialogue between educators, administrators and interdisciplinary/inter-agency team members through the application of evidence-based practices for the development of a deeper understanding of ourselves and how our views as educators, schools and districts …

Get Teens Talking: A Hands-On Approach To Sel Through The Arts, Gina H. Moore, Gina H. Moore

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Explore the power of art to give tweens and teens a vehicle for healthy self-expression and life skills that can take them from risk to resilience. Interact and connect in this hands-on session that demonstrates engaging activities to create a sense of community within groups. Exercise your creativity and leave with unique artwork and a written guide to facilitate the activities in your programs.

Hard Conversations, Healthy Conversations: How To Respond When Tragedy Strikes, Elizabeth Marston, Samuel Marion

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

How do we talk to children and students about tragedy? How do we support families faced with a health crisis or unexpected death? This presentation will discuss the challenges of dealing with tragic circumstances and how we can best support children, students, and their families in a way to promote emotional health.

Practical Strategies For Regulating Students’ Brains, Kathy Van Horn, Joshua Macneill

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Knowing your students are impacted by trauma is only step one. It is more important to know what to do. This session will cover interventions such as brain breaks, fidgets, student curriculum and service dogs. We will share how we transformed four schools to meet the needs of struggling students. Whether you are an academic, clinical, or administrative staff, you will leave with tangible interventions you can implement immediately.

What’S In A Name? How The Language Of Mental Health Diagnoses Affects The Ability To Heal, Elizabeth Marston, Samuel Marion

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

When a person receives a mental health diagnosis, they are often started down a path of receiving help, but also of receiving stigma. This presentation will discuss how language around a diagnosis can affect a child’s sense of self as well as either help or hurt a student’s ability to manage and heal.

Protection Orders And Their Perceived Effectiveness - A Domestic Violence And Sexual Assault Crisis Center Program Evaluation, Shelby Connett

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

This presentation showcases the program evaluation of the Spouse Abuse Sexual Assault (SASA) Crisis Center's legal advocacy program in Hastings, NE. The quantitative and qualitative research components assessed the effectiveness of protection orders of individuals receiving services from SASA's legal advocacy program. Results, recommendations, and limitations are discussed.

Greencap In The House: Resilience Tools To Unify The Black Community, Rick Held, Treasure Hightower, Stan Johnson, Ida Miles, John Floersh, Kaleeisha Huffine

Black Issues Conference

GreenCAP in the House: Resilience Tools to Unify the Black Community

This presentation describes how a small, scruffy youth development organization is leveraging its community outreach and engagement efforts around environmental literacy in the 'hood to build a coalition of inner city organizations aligned to identify and address a broad swath of community resilience issues.

Rehabilitation Of Low Rise Rcc Structure Along 9m High Retaining Wall, Aniruddha Nakhawa Er, Vivek Deshmukh Dr

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Mumbai is the financial, commercial and entertainment capital of India, facing bigger challenges in accommodating its over growing population day by day. The Mumbai City has population of 18.4 million over its 634 km2 area, ie. Almost 350 ft2/person. This enormous rise in population density has restricted the development to expand vertically. This also, results in growth of major slums, which is almost 62% of the population dwelling in slums. Subsequently, the authorities is in need of a large scaled Slum Sanitation Program, which utilize the scarcely available land for construction of Community Toilet Blocks with involvement of NGO’s and …

Human Rights And The Smart City, Tina Reuter

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

This paper examines how technological solutions, information and communication technologies (ICTs), and smart city initiatives can become avenues to produce urban spaces that reflect fundamental human rights values such as non-discrimination, equality, and access for all.Cities today are drivers of human rights activity and serve as hubs for technological advances, political and economic innovation, and social justice. Nevertheless, the inclusion of marginalized communities continues to be a challenge. ICTs and smart city initiatives are often cited to foster urban integration, to improve citizen participation in decision-making processes, and to enhancecommunity resilience. At the same time, using technologies can amplify social …

Engaging And Mobilizing Men To Promote Women's Human Rights, Rus Ervin Funk

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

Over the past twenty years, there have been increasing of and progressively more effective efforts to engage, mobilize and organize men in support of advancing women’s human rights. The Declaration from the UN conference on Women in Beijing, the Declaration from the UN Report on, and the UNHCR Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women all make powerful statements as to the need to engage men and boys in efforts to promote and enhance gender equality and women’s human rights. Most recently, the UN HCR agreed upon Declaration 35/10 (2017) outlined in very concrete and specific ways that male …