Social Work Commons^™

The Role Of Validation Experiences And Sense Of Belonging In Academic Self-Concept And Intent To Persist Among Four-Year College Students, Sarah Slates

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

Research indicates that historically underrepresented college students are more likely to report alienating campus climates which can contribute to decreased sense of belonging and wellbeing. In turn, a lack of a sense of belonging and poor mental health may lead to decreased academic engagement and increased likelihood of attrition. Theoretical and empirical literature on critical race theory (CRT), validation, and sense of belonging identifies key factors across individual and institutional levels that influence student wellbeing and academic outcomes without relying on a deficit-based framework. Using an interactional, ecological conceptual framework drawing together CRT, validation theory, and sense of belonging my …

Primary Care Physicians’ Experiences Treating Patients With Behavioral Health Needs, Lauren E. Dennelly

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

The delivery of behavioral health care in primary care shapes the patient-physician relationship, which is a core area of focus for examining patient outcomes. Though early research demonstrates the benefit of integrating physical and behavioral healthcare to the patient experience and health outcomes, little research examines the relational implications of this care from the perspective of the primary care physician, including the role of physician burnout. The following study utilized a mixed methods approach to first examine the experience of burnout among primary care physicians who work with patients with behavioral health needs and then, to explore the dynamics of …

Tracing The Evolution Of Welfare Discourse From 1990 To 2016, Jenifer A. Norton

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

In August 1996, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) as the primary cash welfare program for single mothers and children. A political debate during the early to mid-1990s that was particularly hard on welfare recipients culminated in a block grant to states tied to mandatory work requirements and time-limited lifetime benefits for recipients. Media coverage during this period closely tracked the unfolding political discourse around welfare reform and recipients. Following TANF’s implementation, though, coverage dwindled to near nonexistent levels. At this writing in early 2022, TANF remains part of the social safety …

How Do Refugees Experience A “Sense Of Place” In A Community Garden? Exploring An Intervention To Mitigate The Consequences Of Displacement, Amy E. Stein

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

As a consequence of displacement, refugees grapple with significant resettlement challenges, such as social isolation, language barriers and depression, anxiety, and trauma. A growing body of literature focuses on place-making, or emplacement, to promote health and well-being for re-settlement challenges. This qualitative study helps social service providers understand the neces-sity for community-based interventions to improve the resettlement process for refugees, using a place attachment model. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Karen and Chin Burmese (Myanmar) adult refugees who participated in a community garden program in Phil-adelphia (ages 28 to 82). Data analysis revealed that community gardens offer an opportunity for …

White Clinicians’ Way Of Being With Their Black Clients, Briana Bogue

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

Within the context of pervasive racial social inequality in mental healthcare (Lund, 2020), this dissertation sought to explore how white people who inherently hold racial bias according to critical whiteness theory (Olcon, Gilbert, & Pulliam, 2019), navigate this within their therapeutic work and relationships as clinicians with Black clients. Using the framework of clinician way of being, the conscious attitudes and beliefs that clinicians hold towards clients (Fife, Whiting, Bradford, & Davis, 2014), this phenomenological study used semi-structured interviews with key informants, practicing white clinicians (N=19). Content analysis of verbatim transcripts suggests that whiteness and conscious navigations of emotions and …

Impacts Of Housing Insecurity On Health Care Utilization And Parental Awareness Of The Early Intervention Program, Sarah M. Farash

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

Among children under three experiencing housing insecurity associated with poor developmental outcomes and decreased medical visit adherence, parental lack of awareness of the Early Intervention program (EI) may foreshadow racial and economic disparities in EI utilization rates. Informed by a social determinants of health and health equity model, I explore whether housing insecurity impacts children’s access to routine well-child pediatric visits where parents have opportunities to become aware of EI. Utilizing logistic regression analyses of cross-sectional telephone interview data collected from parents of three-year-old children in Rochester, NY, I find that parents of multiracial and African American children are less …

The Use Of Trauma-Informed Care In Programs Serving Families Experiencing Homelessness, Lisitski L. Jeannine

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

Using a qualitative research design, the purpose of this research was to explore practitioners understanding and utilization of trauma-informed care (TIC) as well as factors that facilitate or deter its’ implementation within transitional housing programs for families experiencing homelessness. Directed content analysis was used with a theoretical framework including trauma theory, the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), and the Bioecological Systems Theory (BST). Thirtyfive practitioners from 23 programs participated. Participants primarily used the SanctuaryÒ Model of TIC. TIC practices identified were varied, general, and defied rigid proscriptions including mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and other social work practices. Programs faced many …

Combat-Related Reproductive Trauma: Implications For Quality Of Life And The Reproductive Narrative, Laura S. Covington

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

Little research exists on the experiences of a combat-related injury that impairs fertility. This dissertation is a qualitative exploration of the lived experiences of military members after a genitourinary (GU) injury. It addresses the biological, psychological, and social impact on quality of life during recovery and subsequent attitudes about family development and sexual functioning. Building on both the life course perspective and the reproductive story model, this dissertation reviews literature on military culture, GU injury, and infertility to give a context to further analyze the essences of the phenomenon (Elder & Giele, 2009; Jaffe & Diamond, 2011).

This study is …

Placement Of The Borderline/Narcissistic Personality On A Continuum Of Mental Health, Terry Carrilio

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

This research attempted to clarify and test a theory of the borderline/ narcissistic personality. This particular personality type has recently received a great deal of attention by practitioners. A literature review was done to identify major points in the theory, and a formulation geared towards the needs of social work practitioners was developed.

A rating scheme cujodying the theoretical formulation was applied. There were thirty-six out-patient subjects from three clinics and three private therapists. One to four taped sessions per subject were rated by independent judges based on the rating scheme developed out of theory. Independent diagnosticians placed subjects in …