Social Work Commons^™

Staying Ahead Of Substance Abuse: The Changing Landscape Of Marijuana Use, Jennifer Smith, Pamela Ashley, Jeanette Harder

Reports

In their comprehensive report, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) (2017) concludes that the United States is in a pivotal time in the world of cannabis policy and research one in which “Shifting public sentiment, conflicting and impeded scientific research, and legislative battles have fueled the debate about what, if any, harms or benefits can be attributed to the use of cannabis or its derivatives” (p. 2).

Drug Overdose Prevention: Promising Practices, Dawne Frain, Rachel Lubischer, Jessica Groeneweg, Lynn Castrianno, Jeanette Harder, Gaylene Armstrong

Jeanette Harder

This report on best practices informs a needs assessment on the capacity of Nebraska systems to respond to surges or clusters of intentional, unintentional, and unknown drug overdoses, especially in high burden areas and with a focus on opioids.

Drug Overdose Prevention: Needs Of Healthcare Professionals And First Responders, Jessica Groeneweg, Lynn Castrianno, Gaylene Armstrong, Jeanette Harder, Rachel Lubischer, Dawne Frain

Jeanette Harder

Purpose and Background
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) partnered with Support and Training for the Evaluation of Programs (STEPs) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Grace Abbott School of Social Work, to complete a statewide needs assessment between October 2018 and April 2019. The purpose of this needs assessment was to gauge the capacity of statewide systems in Nebraska to respond to surges or clusters of intentional, unintentional, and unknown drug overdoses, especially in high-burden areas and with a focus on opioids. The hope of the results from this needs assessment is to inform DHHS …

Domestic Violence And Sexual Assault: Protection Order Findings, Shelby Connett, Jeanette Harder

Jeanette Harder

SASA views their legal advocacy program as a way for them to inform, guide, and assist their clients in obtaining one tool to achieve safety: a protection order. They also view this program as a way to advocate for system changes to be made regarding how and why protection orders are or are not awarded. SASA’s legal advocacy program strives to be an agent of cultural, community, and system change. This report showcases data derived from protection order affidavits and interviews to help determine whether SASA’s legal advocacy program is reaching their mission and goals.

Dop-Coroners’ Study 2019 Final Report: Assessing Coroners’ Needs, Brittany Willmore, B. Shine Cho, Jeanette Harder

Reports

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) partnered with Support and Training for the Evaluation of Programs (STEPs) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha to assess the needs of Nebraska county coroners in conducting drug overdose death investigations.

To develop a clear understanding of the Nebraska county coroners’ needs, STEPs conducted an online survey of 91 county coroners who are serving 93 Nebraska counties, according to Nebraska DHHS’s internal data. STEPs administered the survey on July 23, 2019, and closed it on August 16, 2019. 28 people participated in the survey and 25 completed it, giving a …

Drug Use Behaviors: A Needs Assessment Of Treatment Providers, Rachel Lubischer, Jodi Gabel, Lynn Castrianno, Kristina Faimon, Dawne Frain, Jeanette Harder, Josie Schafer, Gaylene Armstrong

Reports

The goal of this needs assessment is to better understand individuals’ drug-use behaviors in Nebraska through the lens of treatment providers. The results of this study will aid the Drug Overdose Prevention (DOP) program in providing training and other resources to treatment centers, focusing prevention efforts, and informing the statewide crisis response plan and future studies. Ultimately, this study will support DOP’s efforts to reduce opioid-involved fatal and non-fatal overdoses in Nebraska.

Drug Use Behaviors: A Review Of National And State Trends In The Literature, Dawne Frain, Rachel Lubischer, Lynn Castrianno, Jeanette Harder

Reports

Purpose
This report informs a needs assessment to gauge drug-use behaviors, treatment needs, and prevention efforts through the lens of treatment providers across Nebraska.

Methodology
After determining the scope of the literature review in collaboration with DHHS, researchers gathered relevant information from a variety of sources. The primary areas of interest include:

• National and Nebraska statistics.
• Prevention.
• Initiation to drug use.
• Treatment.

Data Sources Used
This literature review includes a combination of scholarly articles, federal and state agency documents, and key stakeholder publications. Local news sources were also reviewed to capture current information relevant to Nebraska.

Impact Of Hotel/Motel Trainings On Realizing, Recognizing, And Responding To Human Trafficking, Rachel Lubischer, Jodi Gabel, Jeanette Harder

Reports

The Coalition on Human Trafficking (CHT) is focused on bringing trafficking awareness and prevention to the Omaha, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs, Iowa, communities, as well as building coalitions regionally, nationally, and internationally. Because hotels and motels are a trafficking hotspot, CHT launched their “Realize, Recognize, and Respond” campaign in 2016 to train hotel-motel staff within a 50-mile radius of Omaha.

The Coalition on Human Trafficking (CHT) partnered with Support and Training for the Evaluation of Programs (STEPs) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha to conduct an assessment of CHT’s Hotel/Motel Training Program between April 1, 2018 and May 31, …

Drug Overdose Prevention: Needs Of Healthcare Professionals And First Responders, Jessica Groeneweg, Lynn Castrianno, Gaylene Armstrong, Jeanette Harder, Rachel Lubischer, Dawne Frain

Reports

Purpose and Background
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) partnered with Support and Training for the Evaluation of Programs (STEPs) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Grace Abbott School of Social Work, to complete a statewide needs assessment between October 2018 and April 2019. The purpose of this needs assessment was to gauge the capacity of statewide systems in Nebraska to respond to surges or clusters of intentional, unintentional, and unknown drug overdoses, especially in high-burden areas and with a focus on opioids. The hope of the results from this needs assessment is to inform DHHS …

Domestic Violence And Sexual Assault: Research Practices For Protection Orders, Shelby Connett

Student Work

Mission Statement: “To be a source of help, hope, safety, and inspiration to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. We embrace and focus on the story of each individual with deep concern and care in order to understand, facilitate, advocate, and support.”

SASA has been in existence for 40 years serving individuals and families in many important ways. Their current set of service provisions can be found detailed below in an organizational chart.

Habitat For Humanity Omaha: Homeownership Program: Quantitative And Qualitative Report, Rachel Lubischer, Heather Carlson

Student Work

This report includes quantitative results, qualitative results, an overall summary, and recommendations. The Quantitative Introduction includes an demographic analysis of 2018 Quarter 3 applicants to the Homeownership Program. The Quantitative Data pages include an explanation of quantitative methodology, data collection, and analysis procedures. Additionally, a comparison of applicant demographic and outcome data, an overall summary, and research limitations are provided. The Qualitative Data pages include information on the data collection process, coding procedures, and primary themes identified. A concept map of qualitative themes and categories, an overall summary, and research limitations are also provided. The Summary provides an overall summary …

Sexual Violence Prevention Best Practices For Nebraska Rpe, December Lange Treacy, Claire Rynearson, Jeanette Harder

Reports

The purpose of this report is to provide sexual violence prevention advocates and practitioners in Nebraska with support in choosing evidence-based or evidence-informed programs for implementation in their communities.

The beginning sections of this report will provide you with background information and a foundation for selecting a model. This includes information on the socio-ecological model, CDC strategies and approaches, evidence-based programs, evidence-informed practices, fidelity, appropriate adaptations, and considerations for rural communities. Our hope is for this information to provide you with the resources you need to determine what type of evidence-based or evidence-informed practice will be the best fit for …

2019 Evaluation Report For Omaha Girls Rock–A Youth Empowerment Organization, Dawne Frain, Jessica Groeneweg, Jeanette Harder

Reports

Purpose of Evaluation
Omaha Girls Rock invited Support and Training for the Evaluation of Programs (STEPs) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha to assess processes and outcomes for the 2019 Girls Rock summer camp program. STEPs evaluators endeavored to discover the degree to which Girls Rock achieved program outcomes of growth mindset, confidence, skill development, teamwork, and future focus for participants in their 2019 summer camp. STEPs evaluators accomplished this by 1) observing and recording behaviors during a full day of camp programming, 2) analyzing camper survey data and demographics provided by Girls Rock, and 3) conducting post-camp phone …