Social Work Commons^™

New Measures Of Economic Security And Development: Savings Goals For Short-Term And Long-Term Economic Needs, Yunju Nam, Yungsoo Lee, Shawn Mcmahon, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

The long-term economic security and development of a family depend largely upon saving and asset-accumulation, yet most measures of economic well-being focus on short-term consumption needs. This study takes a broader view, developing precautionary, retirement, homeownership and education savings goals. Together these savings goals constitute a new set of asset-based measures of family financial well-being. Estimated savings needs depend upon family type and other assumptions, and we consider investment gains and differences in dollar values over time in our calculations. This study shows that families should save $155 to $572 every month to address all four savings needs. The number …

Implementing Outside The Box: Community-Based Social Service Provider Experiences With Using An Alcohol Screening And Intervention, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd, Alex T. Ramsey, Carissa Van Den Berk-Clark

Brown School Faculty Publications

Objective: The aim of this study is better understand perceptions of front-line social service workers who are not addiction specialists, but have to address addiction-related issues during their standard services. Method: Six social service organizations implemented a validated alcohol assessment and brief education intervention. After a 3-month trial implementation period, a convenience sample of 64 front-line providers participated in six focus groups to examine barriers and facilitators to the implementation of an alcohol screening and brief intervention. Results: Three themes emerged: (1) usefulness of the intervention, (2) intervention being an appropriate fit with the agency and client population, and (3) …

Childhood Poverty And Psychological Health Of Youths In Hong Kong: Mentoring As A Social Capital Intervention, Hor Yan Lai

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Considering that one out of five youths live in poverty in Hong Kong, and poverty is found to have a negative impact on youths' psychological well-being, this dissertation proposes mentoring as a social capital intervention to improve the psychological health of these young people, both who are locally born and who immigrated from Mainland China. In this dissertation, mentoring is defined as a social capital intervention that changes the social resources available to youths living in poverty, and such changes enhance young people's positive psychological outcomes. Based on the social capital theory, poverty-related and psychological theories, three aims were formulated. …

Baseline Survey Of The Third Cohort: A Supplemental Report From The Youthsave Ghana Experiment, Gina Chowa, David Ansong, Rainier Masa, Shiyou Wu, Yalitza Ramos, Meli Blake Kimathi

Center for Social Development Research

Baseline Survey of the Third Cohort: A Supplemental Report From the YouthSave Ghana Experiment

Economic Intervention And Parenting: A Randomized Experiment Of Statewide Child Development Accounts, Yunju Nam, Nora Wikoff, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Objective: We examine the effects of Child Development Accounts (CDAs) on parenting stress and practices. Methods: We use data from the SEED for Oklahoma Kids (SEED OK) experiment. SEED OK selected caregivers of infants from Oklahoma birth certificates using a probability sampling method, randomly assigned caregivers to the treatment (n = 1,32) or control group (n = 1,098), and provided college savings incentives only to the treatment group. We run regression analyses on a parenting stress scale and six continuous measures of parenting practices. Results: There were no significant differences in parenting outcomes between treatment and control groups, with the …

The Early Good News About Child Development Accounts, Sondra G. Beverly, Margaret Clancy, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

This brief summary of early research findings from the SEED for Oklahoma Kids experiment may help Child Development Account (CDA) proponents communicate the value of such accounts to policymakers, educators and others.

Program Knowledge And Savings In A Child Development Account Experiment, Yunju Nam, Elizabeth Hole, Michael Sherraden, Margaret Clancy

Center for Social Development Research

This study investigates whether participants’ program knowledge is associated with savings outcomes in Child Development Accounts and whether differences in program knowledge explain racial and ethnic disparities in savings outcomes. Analyses of data collected from treatment participants in the SEED for Oklahoma Kids (SEED OK) experiment (N = 1,39) indicate that knowledge of SEED OK program features is low: on average, participants are aware of 1.24 of three features, and averages are lower among Blacks and Hispanics. Logit and Tobit regressions show that program knowledge is positively related to likelihood of holding a SEED OK participant-owned account and to individual …

The Effectiveness Of Community-Based Rehabilitation Programmes: An Impact Evaluation Of Quasi-Randomised Trial, Mauro Vincnzo, Mario Biggeri, Sunil Deepak, Jean-Francois Trani

Brown School Faculty Publications

Background Community based rehabilitation (CBR) programs have been described as highly effective means of promoting the rights and opportunities of persons with disabilities (PwD). Although CBR are often the main way in which PwDs in low and middle income countries access rehabilitation services, there is little literature providing rigorous evaluation of their impact on people’s well-being. Methods Data was collected in the Mandya and Ramanagara Districts of Karnataka state, India, between December 2009 and May 2010. 2,540 PwD were identified and interviewed using stratified random sampling: 1,919 CBR beneficiaries (who joined the program between 1997 and 2009) and 621 persons …

A Mixed Methods Multiple Case Study Of Implementation As Usual In Children's Social Service Organizations, Byron James Powell

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Increasing the adoption and sustainment of evidence-based treatments (EBTs) in children's mental health and social service systems will require the development of evidence-based implementation strategies. In order to ensure that these strategies are feasible, acceptable, sustainable, and scalable, efforts to identify and develop implementation strategies will need to be grounded by a thorough understanding of real world service systems as well as organizational stakeholders' preferences for particular strategies. In other words, there is a need for a better understanding of usual care settings, and in particular, what constitutes "implementation as usual."

This study employed a mixed methods, multiple-case study of …

Rebound Neighborhoods In Older Industrial Cities: The Story Of St. Louis, Hank Webber, Todd Swanstrom

Center for Social Development Research

Rebound Neighborhoods in Older Industrial Cities: The Story of St. Louis

Heterogeneous Effects Of Child Development Accounts On Savings For Children's Education, Jin Huang, Youngmi Kim, Michael Sherraden, Margaret Clancy

Center for Social Development Research

In this study, we use data from SEED for Oklahoma Kids (N = 2,77), a statewide policy experiment testing Child Development Accounts (CDAs), to examine effects on individual savings for children’s postsecondary education. Built on the account structure of the Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan, the experiment automatically opened state-owned 529 accounts for children in the treatment group with a $1,000 initial deposit, and encouraged their caregivers to open and save in participant-owned 529 accounts. Using quantile regressions and statistical match, the study focuses on the effects of CDAs on the shape of the savings distribution among participants who hold …

Education Loans And Wealth Building Among Young Adults, Min Zhan, Xiaoling Xiang

Center for Social Development Research

This study examines the association between education loans and postcollege wealth accumulation among young adults. Data come from the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, and the analyses control for a number of student characteristics, college experiences, and parental income. Results from a treatment-effect model indicate that having education loans upon leaving college is negatively related to postcollege net worth, financial assets, nonfinancial assets, and value of primary housing. Furthermore, having education loans also has a negative impact on the value of net worth among Black young adults. The relationship between the amount of education loans and wealth accumulation is …

Lack Of Emergency Savings Puts American Households At Risk, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Blair Russell, Brad Tucker, Krista Comer

Center for Social Development Research

Lack of Emergency Savings Puts American Households at Risk

Organizational Leaders’ And Staff Members’ Appraisals Of Their Work Environment Within A Children’S Social Service System, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd, Catherine N. Dulmus Phd, Eugene Maguin Phd, John Keesler, Byron James Powell

Brown School Faculty Publications

Several studies have demonstrated the effect of an organization’s culture and climate on the delivery of services to clients and the success of clinical outcomes. Workers’ perceptions are integral components of organizational social context, and in order to create a positive organizational culture and climate, managers and frontline staff need to have a shared understanding of the social context. The existing literature does not adequately address that discrepancies in perceptions of culture and climate between frontline staff and managers impact the implementation of policies and services. The purpose of this study is to compare the workgroup-level culture and climate of …

Motivating Students Through Classroom-Based Service Learning: Toward Adoption And Impact, Anne S. Robertson, Amanda Moore Mcbride, Saras Chung, Allison Williams

Center for Social Development Research

Motivating Students Through Classroom-Based Service Learning: Toward Adoption and Impact

Social Challenges And Policy Innovations By Social Workers In Australia, Manohar Pawar

Center for Social Development Research

By summarizing the social challenges in the contemporary Australian context, this article aims to discuss policy innovations by Australian social workers. Acknowledging that the concept of policy innovation is broad and sometimes ambiguous, it looks at four examples by social workers. Drawing on secondary data analysis, it discusses how social workers played an important role in introducing legislative changes/amendments to protect children in difficult circumstances, resisted a refugee policy that incarcerates innocent children, challenged and changed procedures and policies within an organization, and influenced policymakers to revert budgetary decisions to enhance access to services. These examples show the social workers’ …

Estimating The Prevalence And Correlates Of Psychiatric Disorders And Mental Health Problems Among Undocumented Mexican Immigrants Using The National Latino And Asian American Study, Elián P. Cabrera-Nguyen

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the prevalence and correlates of psychiatric disorders and mental health problems among undocumented Mexican immigrants using the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS). Two approaches were used to obtain estimates for likely undocumented Mexican immigrants (LUMIs): (1) creation of a proxy variable, and (2) multiple imputation using chained equations. Results indicated that LUMIs had greater prevalence rates for specific anxiety disorders, depressive disorders and poor self-rated mental health compared to documented Mexican immigrants. Next, potential mediators of poor mental health were identified. Finally, LUMIs were compared with other Latino groups by nativity status. This study concludes …

Research Report: Assessing The Impacts Of Service Learning On Middle School Students: Wyman's Teen Outreach Program®, Amanda Moore Mcbride, Anne Robertson, Saras Chung

Center for Social Development Research

Research Report: Assessing the Impacts of Service Learning on Middle School Students: Wyman's Teen Outreach Program®

Research Summary: Testing Universal College Savings Accounts At Birth: Early Research From Seed For Oklahoma Kids, Sondra G. Beverly, Margaret M. Clancy, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

SEED for Oklahoma Kids is a large-scale policy test of automatic and progressive Child Development Accounts (CDAs), and it is the first truly universal model in the United States. The SEED OK CDA is universal in that it opens an Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan (OK 529) account on behalf of every infant in the treatment group. This report summarizes key findings and conclusions from SEED for Oklahoma Kids research. Even at this early stage, SEED OK research is informing policy and the design of college savings plans at the state level. Amore recent summary of SEED OK research is …

Alcohol Screening And Brief Intervention As Standard Practice In Indian Country, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd, Bonnie Duran, Catherine N. Dulmus Phd, Amy R. Manning

Brown School Faculty Publications

Alcohol use and the resulting problems associated with high-risk drinking in the American Indian/Native Alaskan (AI/NA) population are well-documented, as alcohol misuse has taken an incredible toll on many AI/NA communities. Presently, both overall health issues and alcohol use occur disproportionately within this population. This article provides an updated overview of the impact of alcohol use in the United States and within AI/NA communities specifically. It also provides recommendations for an alcohol-related screening and brief intervention instrument that social workers can begin using in their practice and can be utilized within the AI/NA community.

What Are The Ideal Characteristics Of Empirically Supported Treatment Adopters?, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd

Brown School Faculty Publications

There has been a clear and consistent shift in social work practice from offering treatment as usual to implementing empirically supported treatments (ESTs). As social work researchers and practitioners continue to evaluate the effectiveness of ESTs, their impact on clinical outcomes, and the various obstacles to their adoption, a developing literature could offer some guidance on characteristics of EST adopters. This paper provides a beginning discussion of the ideal characteristics of EST adopters both at the organizational and individual-levels. While this is a developing area of study, there are some important findings that could better serve community-based organizations, its work …

Automatic Deposits For All At Birth: Maine's Harold Alfond College Challenge, Margaret M. Clancy, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

The first statewide Child Development Account (CDA) in the United States announced a major change in strategy to automatically enroll all newborns. Evidence from CDA research has contributed to the decision by the College Challenge to remove its original opt-in requirement—in which parents must enroll their newborns in the state’s 529 college savings plan to receive a $500 grant—in favor of universal enrollment—in which every child is enrolled automatically at birth with a $500 grant.

Building A Lifetime Of Economic Security: Mobilizing For Change, Center For Social Development

Center for Social Development Research

Building a Lifetime of Economic Security: Mobilizing for Change

Refining The Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (Ebpas): An Alternative Confirmatory Factor Analysis, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd, Catherine N. Dulmus Phd, Eugene Maguin Phd, Nicole Fava

Brown School Faculty Publications

Barriers to adopting evidence-based practices into real-world mental health organizations have received considerable attention and study. One particular attempt is Aarons’s Evidence- Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS), which measures a worker’s attitudes toward adopting new treatments, interventions, and practices. This study follows Aarons’s work by conducting a confirmatory factor analysis of the EBPAS administered in a large child and family human service agency in New York state (N = 1,273). Replicating Aarons et al.’s four-factor model of the EBPAS, the authors found that, within the model, the pattern of factor loadings that was apparent in previous investigations held for their …

Refund To Savings: 2013 Results From A National Experiment To Build Financial Stability At Tax Time, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Krista Comer, Blair Russell, Clinton Key, Dana C. Perantie, Dan Ariely

Center for Social Development Research

Refund to Savings: 2013 Results From a National Experiment to Build Financial Stability at Tax Time

Refund To Savings: 2013 Evidence Of Tax-Time Saving In A National Randomized Control Trial, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Krista Comer, Blair Russell, Clinton Key, Dana C. Perantie, Dan Ariely

Center for Social Development Research

Refund to Savings: 2013 Evidence of Tax-Time Saving in a National Randomized Control Trial

Does Outstanding Student Debt Reduce Asset Accumulation?, William Elliott, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Ilsung Nam

Center for Social Development Research

In this study, the authors use the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) to assess whether student loan debt is associated with total assets. They find that median 2009 assets for households with no outstanding student loan debt ($207,000) are higher than they are for households with outstanding student loan debt ($174,000). Multivariate statistics indicate that a household with a four-year college graduate, outstanding student loan debt, and median assets ($451,520) in 2007 had $136,73 (36%) less home equity in 2009 than a household with a similar household with no outstanding student loan debt. The main policy implication of this study …

Social Impact, Edward F. Lawler, Patricia Anagos, Leslie Mccarthy, Ann Kittlaus, Terry Mcclain, Roslind Early, Timothy Poor, Anne Milford, Mary Margaret Mcmiller, Brittany Jewel Bethea, Toky Branding + Design, Michael Austin

Social Impact

No abstract provided.