Social Work Commons^™

Evaluation Of A Youth Emergency Room Enhancement Program For Behavioral Health, Anne Thatcher

Dissertations

Problem. Pediatric mental health complaints and subsequent hospitalizations have been steadily increasing. The Behavioral Health Network (BHN) developed an intensive outreach case management program aimed at reducing youth mental health emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient psychiatric admissions. The Youth Emergency Room Enhancement (YERE) program was a process improvement initiative to provide immediate case management to youth and caregivers for mental health care.

Methods. A Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method utilizing a retrospective case record review occurred over a six-month period. A convenience sample of youth aged 6-20 years presenting to one of eight healthcare facilities for either ED or inpatient hospitalization …

Preserving The Bond: Child Welfare Professionals' Perspectives On The Opportunities And Challenges Of Parent-Child Visitation, Lina M. Munoz

Dissertations

The foster care system was designed to be a temporary placement for children when their parents are unable or unwilling to provide proper care and supervision. A permanency plan must be established for all children in care, stating clear goals for a permanent living arrangement to facilitate the child's reunification with his/her family. The current Illinois Child Welfare Practice Model promotes a family-centered, trauma-informed, and strength-based practice approach when providing child welfare services to families in foster care with the caseworker serving as the primary vehicle for facilitating change.

This study explored how this child welfare practice model is reflected …

A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of Child-Parent Interventions For Children And Adolescents With Anxiety Disorders, Kristen Brendel

Dissertations

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in childhood (Walkup & Ginsburg, 2002; Hirshfeld-Becker & Biederman, 2002), occuring in approximately twenty percent of the population (APA, 2000; Langley Lindsey, Bergaman & Piacentini, 2002). Children and adolescents with anxiety disorders often experience many detrimental effects such as low-self esteem, issues with social and family relationships, and a decrease in overall functioning, including academic performance. In addition, if left untreated or unrecognized, anxiety disorders in childhood often lead to more severe symptoms in adulthood including depression, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and other comorbid anxiety disorders. Evidence suggests that anxiety disorders are …