Social Work Commons^™

Governance In Motion: Service Provision And Child Welfare Outcomes In A Performance-Based, Managed Care Contracting Environment, Bowen Mcbeath, William Meezan

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Examining the linkage between service provision and client outcomes is important in performance-based human service environments. Since most performance initiatives reward agencies for improving client outcomes rather than providing specific services, managers may have incentives to streamline workers’ efforts and reduce resources devoted to services considered nonessential. This article uses data from a performance-based child welfare initiative to examine the relationship between child permanency outcomes, the services provided by caseworkers, and the environment surrounding frontline service provision. Findings indicate that greater service efforts are required to reunify children with parents than to reach other outcomes, including adoption and placement with …

Mapping The Participatory Process, Barbara J. Friesen, L. Kris Gowen, Pauline Jivanjee, Abby Bandurraga

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation explores the use of Practice-Based Evidence methodologies to support social work with Native American youth. It is based on a five-year collaborative effort between the Native American Youth and Family Center, National Indian Child Welfare Association, and the Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health. The researchers aims were to develop strategies for documenting the effectiveness of services, and to develop a process for conducting evaluations based on known outcomes of community based programs.

Policy Brief: Strengthening Mentoring Opportunities For At-Risk Youth, Timothy A. Cavell, David L. Dubois, Michael J. Karcher, Thomas E. Keller, Jean E. Rhodes

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mentoring the next generation of youth is critical to the future health and prosperity of our nation. Yet, millions of young people are currently growing up without the guidance and support from parents or others that is needed to prepare them to become well-adjusted and contributing members of society. Making progress in addressing this need will require substantial commitments of time and resources at all levels-from individuals to communities to government. These investments must be made carefully and strategically. For guidance, this brief summarizes the latest research on youth mentoring. Several new directions for programs and policies aimed at connecting …

Breaking The Silence: Parents' Experiences Of Courtesy Stigmatization In The Workplace, Eileen M. Brennan, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Anna M. Malsch

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article discusses "courtesy stigmatization," defined as the prejudices, negative judgments, and discrimination extended to others -- particularly partners, family members, and close friends -- who are caring for, or significantly connected to, an individual with a mental health disorder. The author explores how this affects parent, caregivers and the workplace, and brings to light an area of study that human resource professionals are just beginning to address.

Policy Supports For Working Parents Of Children With Disabilities: A Cross-National Comparison, Eileen M. Brennan, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Anna M. Malsch, Lisa Maureen Stewart, Jean Mollenkamp Kjellstrand, Daniel Coleman

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

PDF version of a presentation given at the Community, Work and Family III International Conference, Utrecht, Netherlands, April 2009.

"It's Personal:" Does Disclosure Of Family Circumstances Influence Organizational Response To Employee's Requests For Flexibility?, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Eileen M. Brennan, Anna M. Malsch, Katherine J. Huffstutter

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

PDF version of a presentation given at the Community, Work and Family III International Conference, Utrecht, Netherlands, April 2009.

A Professional's Guide To Supporting Families Of Children With Mental Health Disorders, Eileen M. Brennan, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Anna M. Malsch, Lisa Maureen Stewart, Kayti Mills

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

PDF version of a presentation given at Building on Family Strengths: Research and Services in Support of Children and their Families, Portland, OR, June 2009.

Pathways Across The Work-Life Boundary: How Parents With Children With Mental Health Challenges Avoid Stigmatization And Reach Flexibility, Lisa Maureen Stewart, Anna M. Malsch, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Eileen M. Brennan

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Slides from a presentation delivered at the 13th annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Research that Promotes Sustainability and (Re) Builds Strengths, New Orleans, LA.

Where Professional Meets Personal: A Curriculum To Improve Conversations Between Human Resource Professionals And Employed Parents, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Anna M. Malsch, Eileen M. Brennan, Lisa Maureen Stewart, Kathryn L. Mills

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

PDF version of a presentation given at Building on Family Strengths: Research and Services in Support of Children and their Families. Portland, OR, June 2009.

Taking It On: Disclosure, Stigmatization, And Self-Esteem, Eileen M. Brennan, Anna M. Malsch, Lisa Maureen Stewart, Julie M. Rosenzweig, John Conley

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Employed parents of children with emotional or behavioral disorders face many potential challenges when striving to find balance between their work and family responsibilities. While responding to the demands of the workplace, they must also attend to the unique caregiving needs of their children such as facilitating on-going treatment, responding to frequent emergencies, and arranging adequate child care (Rosenzweig, Brennan, Huffstutter, & Bradley, in press). These parents often develop strategies to gain the flexibility at work they need in order to care for their child while still maintaining a high level of job performance (Rosenzweig, Brennan, & Ogilvie 2002). Whether …

Differences In Physical And Mental Health Symptoms And Mental Health Utilization Associated With Intimate Partner Violence Vs. Child Abuse, Christina Nicolaidis, Bentson H. Mcfarland, Maryann Curry, Martha Gerrity

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: There is ample evidence that both intimate-partner violence (IPV) and childhood abuse adversely affect the physical and mental health of adult women over the long term. Objective: The authors assessed the associations between abuse, symptoms, and mental health utilization. Method: The authors performed a cross-sectional survey of 380 adult female, internal-medicine patients. Results: Although both IPV and childhood abuse were associated with depressive and physical symptoms, IPV was independently associated with physical symptoms, and childhood abuse was independently associated with depression. Women with a history of childhood abuse had higher odds, whereas women with IPV had lower odds, of …

Stigma And The Cycle Of Avoidance: Why Young People Fail To Seek Help For Their Mental Distress, Lucy Biddle, L. Kris Gowen

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Illness behavior is the set of purposeful actions taken by someone when faced with being unhealthy. According to Dingwall,3 the three stages of illness behavior are: evaluating symptoms, deciding to act, and monitoring the effects of the chosen actions. Although presented in a linear fashion, these stages are in fact cyclical, as reassessment occurs when symptoms change or unsuccessful actions require new approaches.

However, it is common that people never act, or delay acting, on their symptoms; this is especially true for people experiencing mental distress. Young people in particular are unlikely to seek professional care for mental health concerns—it …

The 2009 Portland National Youth Summit Report, Rebecca Strachan, L. Kris Gowen, Janet S. Walker

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

The following report outlines the planning process, the agenda, and the outcomes of the 2009 Portland National Youth Summit. The purpose of the Youth Summit was to invite systems-experienced youth (e.g., those who have been involved with the services such as mental health, child welfare, and/or juvenile justice systems) together to create a “Call to Action” that outlines positive solutions to improve the mental health services they receive. This Summit took place in conjunction with the Research and Training Center’s (RTC) Building on Family Strengths Conference, Monday, June 22, 2009. A Youth Summit Advisory Board comprised of four young members …

A Look At Technology Use Across The Country: State Implementation Of At Practices For Infants And Toddlers, Jill A. Hoffman, Philippa H. Campbell, M. J. Wilcox, Amy Guimond

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

EI professionals from across the country recently participated in the Tots-n-Tech’s (TnT) Assistive Technology (AT) Program Self-Assessment. Part C Coordinators designated agency and program directors, regional coordinators, or other relevant people in their states to respond to the on-line self assessment of AT practices. The self-assessment is designed to provide a picture of how well recommended AT practices are implemented within state communities. Information from all respondents is combined to provide state-wide and regional views of how programs are doing in making AT available for infants and toddlers with disabilities or delayed development.