Social Work Commons^™

Ethical Dilemmas In Clinical Social Work Practice : How Are Social Workers Affected And How Do We Respond?, Jennifer S, Graves

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This mixed-methods exploratory research was undertaken to gain insight into how social workers perceive, are affected by, and respond to situations in which they are not able to enact social work ethics, or are asked to facilitate perceived injustice because of workplace restrictions. Seventy-four social workers responded to my online mixed methods survey. In quantitative responses, Likert scaled responses rated participants’ frequency and level of distress when encountering ethical dilemmas involving structural racism, classism, cultural insensitivity, sexism, heterosexism, protocols prioritizing funding over client care, protocols interfering with the treatment relationship, and protocols interfering with client self-determination. Participants also rated their …

Sensory Processing Disorder, Invalidating Childhood Environments, And Mental Health Outcomes In Adulthood, Emma Ross

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study examined the interpersonal and mental health outcomes of children with sensory processing difficulties or Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). SPD occurs when the ways in which we interpret sensory input in over-sensitive or under-sensitive ways. This can create a variety of difficulties, including impairment in the areas of touch, taste/smell, auditory, visual, proprioceptor, vestibular, and activity level/emotional reactivity. Previous studies have focused on the biological underpinnings of SPD, however few have looked at the interpersonal relationships of children with sensory processing difficulties as well as the mental health outcomes as those children mature into adults.

Methods:

This mixed methods …

Working With Compassion : The Impact Of Loving Kindness Meditation On Compassion Satisfaction And Compassion Fatigue Among Social Workers And Other Mental Health Workers, Dianne Gallo

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Loving kindness meditation is a practice that involves actively cultivating compassion and intentionally directing compassion towards one’s self and towards others. Compassion fatigue refers to burnout and secondary traumatic stress that may result from caregiving, while compassion satisfaction refers to the enjoyment and sense of fulfillment that may come from caregiving. This mixed-methods study explored the impact of one week of a daily ten minute loving kindness meditation practice on mental health clinicians’ levels of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. Eleven participants committed to a daily ten minute loving kindness meditation practice for one week during which they worked with …

The Use Of Specialization : ǂB Are Artists A Clinically Distinct Population?, Camila D. De Onis

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This research study explored how clinical social workers perceive their practice with clients who self-identify as artists. The study was based on qualitative interviews with 13 participants who described their clinical experiences with people who self-identify as artists and discussed whether they believe that this type of client is clinically distinct. Using grounded theory (Engel & Schutt, 2013), the study analyzed responses, clinical examples, nature of interventions, and personal reflections that each participant shared about her or his practice. Case vignettes provided real-world examples of the great satisfaction participants feel about their work with so-called artist-clients as well as concrete …

Santeria And Mental Health : Bridging The Gap Between The Social Work Profession And Orisha, Penelope Williams

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study was conducted with the purpose of exploring how Orisha priest and priestesses dealt with issues of mental health with in their Iles and/or community. This study was made possible by the participation of seven priests and priestess, by conducting semi-open ended narrative interviews. The findings indicated that issues of mental health were present and dealt with in a number of ways by elders in the community. The results show that collaborative measure need to be supported between elders in the Santeria community and the social work profession, in order to establish culturally competent and therapeutic results to …

Caregiver Involvement In Child And Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatient Care : A Clinician's Perspective, Erika Wentworth

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This mixed-methods exploratory study aimed to contribute to the knowledge about caregiver involvement during child and adolescent inpatient psychiatric treatment, as it is the most agreed upon factor of treatment outcomes by both psychiatric providers and previous research. Thirty-two licensed clinicians who either currently work or worked within the last five years on child and/or adolescent psychiatric inpatient units completed an online survey. The survey included both multiple choice and open ended questions about participants’ perceptions of how they involved caregivers during treatment as well as the involvement of the unit and day programming. The findings of the study confirmed …

Incarceration, Identity And Resilience : Understanding The Long-Term Psychological Impacts Of Racial Trauma On Japanese Americans Who Were Imprisoned During World War Ii, Kyla M. J. Lew

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this exploratory study was to deepen the understanding around the impacts of racial trauma and civil rights violations on Japanese Americans’ enduring sense of belonging and legitimacy in the United States. The study used semi-structured interviews with 13 Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during WWII to gather qualitative data around their experiences, in order to explore the long-term psychological impact of imprisonment and additionally, how the psychological effects are related to the current social environment. The major findings of this study are that formerly incarcerated Japanese Americans experience long term psychological consequences as a result of their …

"My Choice, My Voice, My Opinion" : An Exploration Of A Strengths-Based Model Used With Youth In Hip Hop Therapy : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At Beats, Rhymes, & Life (Brl), Julia S. Fogelson

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine how the Academy program at Beats, Rhymes, & Life, Inc. (BRL) utilizes a strength-based therapeutic approach. This study focused on identifying facets of a strength-based model utilized by the Academy, and exploring the effect of a strengths-based approach on participants. Using semi-structured interviews with seven current and past Academy members, the study found that the strengths-based approach positively impacted all participants in three distinct ways: (1) Valuing multiple forms of knowledge in a non-hierarchical manner, which included processes related to collaboration, self-directed learning, and use of a multicultural perspective, (2) Honoring client …

A Qualitative Study Of Mental Health Experiences And College Student Identity, Erin M. Frawley

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study uses a qualitative approach to capture the voices of nine students who self identified as having mental health experiences and who were also taking actions to cope with their mental health experiences from a small private arts college on the west coast. Students participated in one hour-long interviews that focused on students’ conceptions of mental health in relation to their identity, students’ actions related to mental health and students beliefs about the role of mental health in their sense of mattering. The findings suggest that mental health is constructed within student experience and identity differently depending on the …

African-American And Black Women's Process Of Learning, Unlearning And Resisting Internalized Racism, Bianca M. Blakesley

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to address the research question, how do African American/Black Women unlearn internalized racism, and to understand the relationship between internalized racism and racial identity development. Internalized racism was defined as the acceptance of negative, stereotypical or devaluing ideas and beliefs about ones own racial group, and about oneself as a member of that group.

A series of 11 interview questions explored the processes in which Black women learn and unlearn racism over time. Thirteen self-identified Black/African-American women were interviewed regarding their experiences. They were further questioned regarding their methods of coping with and resisting …

How Different Technological Mediums May Reduce Attitudinal Barrier To The Utilization Of Psychotherapeutic Relationships, Collin T. Browne

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explored the use of communication technologies in the context of psychotherapeutic relationships, examining how technology might affect attitudinal barriers preventing young people from utilizing psychotherapy. Research findings emerged from semistructured Skype interviews with 10 participants (age 18-30 years) focused on their beliefs on psychotherapy, communications technology, and the idea of integrating technology into the psychotherapeutic relationship.

A theme analysis of the interviews produced four major findings: (1) psychotherapy is an especially difficult endeavor to begin and maintain; (2) certain qualities of the therapist (trust, expertise, and ‘fit’) are of particular importance; (3) voice and body language are …

Filial Responsibility In The Family Of Origin Experiences Of Social Workers, Aphrodite Easton

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory quantitative study examined social workers’ family of origin experiences of filial responsibility, including emotional and instrumental caregiving. Additionally, this investigation explored the relationship between social workers’ past and current caregiving experiences, reported coping strategies, and the perceived fairness of their families of origin. This research was carried out through an anonymous, online survey of 46 part- and full-time MSW students and MSW graduates using self-report measures including a demographic survey, the Filial Responsibility Scale-Adult, and the Proactive Coping Inventory.

In support of the study’s main hypothesis, participants’ childhood experiences of filial responsibility were significantly correlated with adulthood experiences …

"You Are In A Better Position To Protect People When You Feel Like You're Protected Yourself" : To What Extent Does Union Membership And Ethical Clinical Social Work Practice Align? : An Exploratory Study, Robyn K. Douglass

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the question: “to what extent does union membership and ethical clinical social work practice align?” by interviewing Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) working within unionized environments. The study focused on the experience of these clinicians within their current working environment and how being a union member allowed them to be able to provide ethical clinical social work practice to their clients/patients. The most compelling findings from this research were that the clinicians felt that union membership did align with providing ethical clinical social work practice to their populations within their agencies or …

The Therapeutic Use Of Nurturing Touch With Childen In Play Therapy, Scott S. Folsom

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Play therapy has become a popular treatment model for children that addresses a spectrum of disorders and behaviors. While utilizing play techniques, the use of touch between client and therapist often introduces itself into the therapeutic relationship. Whether incidental, intentional, or initiated by the client or therapist, nurturing touch has become a topic of discussion in regards to its appropriateness, purpose and efficacy. While there has been extensive research into the use of touch with adults in psychotherapy, there is limited information in regards to its use with children. The lack of research and literature leaves therapists, with limited information …

Client's Experiences And Perceptions Of The Therapist's Use Of Swear Words And The Resulting Impact On The Therapeutic Alliance In The Context Of The Therapeutic Relationship, Hollyanne J. Giffin

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This thesis explores how clients perceive therapist swearing in the context of a therapeutic relationship. This was done via an exploratory, mixed methods research study. Individuals whose therapists had used swear words during their individual therapy were surveyed about their own personal swearing habits, their opinions of swearing and therapist swearing in general, their specific experiences and perceptions of their therapist swearing, as well as demographic information. The majority of the study’s respondents reported that their therapist’s use of swear words had helped their therapeutic relationship. While participants reported they were happy with the frequency and context of their therapist’s …

The Integrationists : Exploring The Experiences Of Third Culture Kid Psychotherapists, Carly S. Inkpen

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study was undertaken to explore how being a third culture kid (TCK) impacts the experience of working as a psychotherapist. A TCK is a person who spent a significant part of their developmental years living outside their passport country, often moving between numerous countries. This study sought to understand the unique perspective that TCKs bring to psychotherapy work and to increase the visibility of transnational, multicultural therapists and clinicians of color in the clinical literature.

Sixteen TCK psychotherapists on five continents were interviewed, responding to a range of questions about how their TCK identities impact their experience of clinical …

Differential Diagnosis Of Emerging And Young Adult Disorders : A Case Vignette Study Of Ptsd And Psychotic Disorders, Elizabeth L. Liepold

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The present study investigated the diagnostic decision-making process of clinical social workers. The study sought to explore how they distinguish between psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations, and post-traumatic stress symptoms, such as flashbacks, in emerging and young adults. One objective of this study was to understand clinician diagnostic choices in order to increase diagnostic accuracy with young adults who may be particularly vulnerable to first episode psychosis. Sample. The study’s sample included 105 licensed clinical social workers, who actively practiced in the United States. Methods. The study used an exploratory - descriptive design implemented through an online survey. The …

Experience Of The Undocumented Worker In The Berkshires : An Exploratory Study, Tristan Muriel

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative exploratory study attempts to understand how undocumented workers navigate living in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Berkshire County is known as a fairly liberal area of the state of Massachusetts. This can be observed through the most recent election turn out which was taking place during this study, where 84% of the total Berkshire active voting population voted for democratic primary candidates while 10% supported Donald Trump and his anti-immigrant sentiment. Observing this, more respectful treatment towards undocumented workers can be expected in this area. This study recruited 12 undocumented workers through a snowball non-probability approach. Each participant was interviewed …

Social Workers' Education, Training, And Experience In Practice With Clients Bereaved By Suicide Death, Nicole S. Nejad

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study is a mixed-methods descriptive survey of social workers with and LCSW or LMSW about their understanding of suicide survivorship, and their access to professional training related to treatment of survivors of suicide loss. The purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes and experiences of clinical social workers with regards to their education and training, as well as their knowledge and comfort level, in treating patients who are bereaved by a suicide death. Results show that social workers have limited opportunities for education and training in suicide bereavement, however they desire increased training opportunities in a variety …

"War Was Either Going To Be A Skeleton In My Closet Or I Could Try To Make It Something Else" : An Exploration Of Moral Injury, Moral Repair, And Veteran Anti-War Activism, Zoe Rose Rudow

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory study investigates the impact of collective anti-war organizing on veterans’ experiences of moral injury. Moral injury refers to the emotional, psychological, and spiritual unrest that emerges as the result of “perpetrating, failing to prevent, [or] bearing witness to… acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations” in the context of war (Litz et al., 2009, p 695). While current literature centers treatment for moral injury through clinical interventions, this study investigates if and how anti-war activism can provide a process for moral repair. Qualitative interviews with six veteran anti- war activists reveal that many intervention steps proposed …

Social Workers' Experiences Related To Online Dating : A Descriptive Study, Miriam B. Stevens

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This descriptive, mixed methods study was undertaken to explore social workers' experiences related to online dating. This study aimed to describe social workers' attitudes and approaches to online dating, determine the type and frequency of ethical and clinical issues that social workers may encounter in the course of online dating, learn how social workers are addressing these issues, and determine the extent to which there is a need for guidance and policies related to online dating as a social worker.

Using availability and snowball sampling, data was collected from 577 social workers and social work students using an online survey …

"Resisting Disconnection" : An Exploratory Study Of Transgender Adults' Experiences Of Community Support And Resilience, Aj Metthe

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study collected narrative data from transgender adults about their experiences of community support from other transgender individuals and about their experience of their own resilience. Due to previous research findings about the marginalization of transgender populations, particular attention was paid to narrative data that explicitly suggest structural oppression. Narrative data were collected from two samples drawn from adult transgender populations. One sample (N=12) participated in hour-long semi-structured individual interviews (Interview Sample [IS]). Another sample (N=4) participated in a Focus Group [FGS]) conducted at a transgender conference in the northeast.

The major findings that emerged from participants’ reports of …

Clinical Perspective On Non-Suicidal Self Injury In Adolescents : A Qualitative Study, Rachel E. Weiner

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

There has been an increase in the number of adolescents who engage in non-suicidal selfinjury (NSSI). This qualitative study explored clinical social workers’ perceptions of the causes of NSSI and the processes whereby social workers develop treatment for this behavior. This research was based on 10 in-person interviews conducted with Massachusetts licensed clinical social workers (mean average experience=20 years) who treat adolescent self-harm. Findings suggest adolescents often feel pressure to cut in order to fit in and therefore are more likely to engage in self-harm if their peers are encouraging this behavior. Further findings suggest that many participants seemed less …

Standing On The Edge Of The "Rubyfruit Jungle" : Lesbians Recall The Experience Of Questioning In Therapy, Emily Willstatter

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was twofold: to pursue an existing gap in the literature on therapy with people questioning their sexuality; and to represent a lesbian perspective on the experience of questioning one’s sexual orientation. A previous study (Jones et al., 2003) found that gay and bisexual people who were uncertain of their sexual orientation at the start of therapy rated the treatment as overall less beneficial than gay and bisexual people who had begun therapy while certain of their identities. This study explored the possible reasons behind this finding by investigating a small (N=13) but diverse group of …

Clinician Perceptions Of Harm Reduction, Psychotherapy And The Role Of Traditional Abstinence Models, Abigail R. Vayda

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study sought to better understand clinicians’ perceptions of harm reduction, psychotherapy, and the role of traditional abstinence models when working with actively using clients. This study analyzed the results from a survey completed by 52 practicing clinicians in the United States. The survey contained demographic questions and Likert scale questions measuring attitudes toward harm reduction, abstinence, and psychotherapy with actively using clients. In addition to rating questions, there was also one open-ended question allowing participants to express their understandings of the development of a substance use disorder. The overall response to this survey was a positive attitude toward harm …

Climate Change On The Therapist's Couch : How Mental Health Clinicians Receive And Respond To Indirect Psychological Impacts Of Climate Change In The Therapeutic Setting, Elizabeth B. Seaman

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The scientific community has reached near consensus that climate change (also known as anthropogenic global warming) poses a significant and potentially dire threat to the ecosystems upon which we, as humans and as a society, rest. While climate change is most often discussed in terms of its effect on the natural environmental, its psychological impacts are also expected to be immense and varied and include indirect distress related to the threat that climate change poses. The purpose of this study was to explore how this kind of indirect distress gets talked about in the therapeutic setting. Using a mixed methods …

Beats, Rhymes, Life & Resilience : Hip Hop Therapy With Youth Of Color : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At Beats, Rhymes And Life Inc, Emily S.L. Schwartz

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study seeks to understand if participation in Therapeutic Activity Groups (TAGS) at Beats Rhymes & Life helps young people to develop greater resilience. In this paper, resilience is defined in two parts: the ability for participants to engage their inner strengths and characteristics to overcome adversity and the capacity to identify and utilize community and interpersonal resources. This study consists of a quantitative analysis to create a revision of the program’s existing pre/post treatment survey and examine resilience as reported by ten youth participants.

The findings revealed that participation in TAGs had a statistically significant impact on participant’s ability …

From Spitting Rhymes To Inspiring Minds : The Role Of Hip Hop Therapy In Treatment Engagement Amongst Latinx And Black Youth : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At Beats. Rhymes And Life, Tatiana R. Padilla

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the implications of utilizing an innovative cultural framework to engage at-promise youth in clinical group work. This researcher collaborated with Beats, Rhymes and Life, an Oakland based organization that has effectively engaged youth at-promise through Therapeutic Activity Groups (TAGs). Treatment effectiveness is evident in the continued requests from mental health providers in community mental health clinics to partner with BRL’s TAG program, youth self-referrals, and youth requests to repeat the program. Based on this, the current study aims to understand what aspects of the TAGs promote treatment engagement- indicated by re-enrollment- for …

The Prevalence Of Problem Gambling In The Chinese Community Of San Francisco With A Focus On Exploring Treatment Access, Vivian Hui, Linfang Zhao

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Problem gambling, as a significant mental health issue, has been sparsely researched, especially in how it affects Chinese immigrants. Since the 1999 study by Selina Toy and Annie Wong, limited research has been conducted on the prevalence of problem gambling in the San Francisco Chinese community. New data is greatly needed to demonstrate that problem gambling is still prevalent in the Chinese community. The purpose of this study was to utilize the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) to measure the prevalent rate of problem gambling in San Francisco’s Chinese community in comparison to a similar study conducted 16 years ago …

Masculine Ideology In Adolescent Male Relationships : A Quantitative Study, William D. Hall

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This research sought to investigate the following: is there a correlation between levels of happiness in interpersonal relationships and personal resistance to masculine norms? It was hypothesized that there will exist a positive correlation between resistance to masculine norms and positive relationships - as levels of resistance to masculine norms increase, self-reports of positive interpersonal relationships will increase as well. In order to examine this possible correlation, this study analyzed 42 males between the ages of 14 and 17. All participants were enrolled in high school in Boston, Massachusetts. The study utilized the most contemporary scale of masculinity in adolescents …