Social Work Commons^™

Comparing Kin And Non-Kin Foster Parents' Emotional Investment In Their Young Children, Rhonda Norwood

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In 2003, there were reports of child maltreatment affecting over 5.5 million children in the United States. As a result of this epidemic, over 500,000 children are in foster care with an estimated additional 300,000 in voluntary kin placements. Because of a shortage of foster families and resources, Child Protective Services (CPS) agencies routinely seek and give priority to family members to serve as foster families to maltreated children. There is a large body of research that demonstrates that children in kinship care are often at greater risk than those children placed in non-kin foster homes, particularly in terms of …

The Relationship Between Homelessness And Women’S Health, Christine Paramonczyk

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Women are increasingly experiencing poverty in Canada (Townson, 2000). This study seeks to gain an understanding of how women experience an extreme form of poverty—homelessness—within Kitchener, a mid-sized city located within the Waterloo region in southern Ontario, and the relationship of this experience to health.

Employing social determinants of health (SDOH) theory, this study examines the relationship between homelessness in Kitchener and one focus group was held.

This study indicates that homelessness had an all-encompassing influence on women’s health. Women experienced both impeding and promoting factors influecing their access to housing, healthy food, employment, health care, income, and social support, …

Ida Accessibility: Learning More About Whether Individual Development Accounts Can Work For Canada’S Poor, Molly Elliott

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) or matched saving accounts are programs designed to facilitate the building of capital and assets in low-income households. Based on the model of asset-based welfare policy, these programs propose to combat poverty through inclusion of the poor in asset building opportunities, which traditionally have been available to only middle and upper income households. Described as an anti-poverty strategy, Individual Development Accounts are growing in international popularity with asset-based policies already being included in Canadian income assistance programs. In order to better understand what some of the barriers might be to this anti-poverty program structure, this thesis …

“To Thine Own Self Be True”: A Narrative Analysis Of Social Group Disengagement And Associated Identity Implications, Catherine De Boer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of individuals who had voluntarily disengaged from social groups that had once been central to their self-understandings. Theoretical underpinnings of the study proceeded from the distinction made by social psychologists between personal identity, self-definitions derived from an understanding of one’s self as unique, and social identity, self-definitions derived from an understanding and identification of one’s self as a member of social groups. The overarching aims were to: 1) determine if a disengagement process exists, and if so, to discover its defining characteristics and phenomenological aspects; 2) describe the shifts …

Who Has Seen What When? Pornography’S Contribution To The Social Construction Of Sexuality During Childhood And Adolescence, Bente Skau

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Pornography has a ubiquitous place in contemporary Canadian Society. With or without intention, children and youth are frequently exposed to pornographic images and depictions. There is little research detailing the types of exposure that occur and the impact of said exposure on this population. Through a detailed survey administered to approximately 450 first-year college and university students in Ontario, this retrospective and exploratory study answers the query, “when and to what type of pronography are children and young adults exposed and how does this exposure relate to subsequent sexual behaviours and attitudes?” Following a deatiled escription of pornography exposure, indicating …

A Qualitative Study Of Experiences Of Aboriginal Caregivers Of Children With Developmental Disabilities, Joyce Ellen Clouston

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A qualitative study of 20 caregivers of Aboriginal children with developmental disabilities revealed that caregivers continue to be guided by values rooted in traditional Aboriginal societies where all children were considered gifts of the Creator. The lives of vulnerable children had purpose, they were treated with respect, and the self-growth of the caregiver was connected to care of the child. The needs of young families were supported within a web of relationships in family and community. Disruptions to traditional family relationships began in the colonial era with the negation of Aboriginal culture and spirituality, and continue in many communities in …

An Exploration Of Bullying As Experienced By Sudanese Refugee Youths, Aislinn Clancy

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this research is to explore the experience of bullying among Sudanese refugee youths living in Kitchener-Waterloo. Voices in the literature assert that bullying is experienced differently by different social groups. This study proposes to understand the phenomenon of bullying from the unique perspectives of Sudanese refugee youths. As a White middle-class Canadian-born woman, I consider myself a partial outsider to this group. As a partial outsider, I use reflexive strategies to constantly reflect on the impact of my social location on the participants and on the whole research process. To understand how Sudanese youths experienced bullying, I …

Child Welfare's Paradox, Dorothy E. Roberts

All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of The Association Between Socio-Demographic Variables, Juvenile Offending, And Formal Vs. Informal Juvenile Justice System Handling In A Non-Urban Sample, Stephen W. Phillippi, Jr.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

PURPOSE: This study compares and contrasts first-time juvenile offenders enrolled in a community-based intervention program whose cases were processed either informally or formally, and examines empirically- and conceptually-relevant contributors to re-offending. METHODS: This is a longitudinal, secondary analysis of 1072 male and female offenders. The study includes descriptive univariate analyses; chi-square bivariate analyses of each independent variable with the dependent variables (level of processing and recidivism at both one and three years); and binary logistic regression analyses to identify significant predictors of the dependent variables. Independent variables include age, gender, race, family structure, marital status of biological parents, family income, …

An Other(Ed) Handmaid's Tale : Child Care Workers: Seen But Not Heard, Kathrine Alice Sarah Whitty

Theses : Honours

Child care workers seem to have been forever assigned the lowest rung on the career ladder. Their low status has been attributed to several intractable factors: the socially devalued 'caring' nature of the role; the relatively small, disparate and non-hierarchically structured workplace; intimate association with an increasingly more marginalized group - children in their early childhoods; and an assumed complicity with a pseudo-surrogacy role of mother rendering them transgressors within a pro-natalist landscape. The institution of exclusive maternal care, for children prior to school, holds fast against the inexorable call for women to paid work. This dilemma resonates strongly within …

Access To Child Care For Children With Emotional Or Behavioral Challenges: An Essential Element Of Family Support, Eileen M. Brennan, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Anna M. Malsch, Katherine J. Huffstutter, Lisa Maureen Stewart, John Conley

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Parents don't always feel they can disclose the special needs of their children to other families or even caregivers unless it is obvious they have had the training and skills to handle the situation. They also may not disclose their children's special needs to their employer, unless difficulties arranging and keeping child care make disclosure necessary. Major policy issue but unknown to public because many families do not disclose. Reality is that 1 in 5 families have a child with special needs. Research implications---parents develop strategies to keep their jobs and keep child care. Parents often have to choose between …

Taking It On: Disclosure, Stigmatization, And Self-Esteem, Eileen M. Brennan, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Anna M. Malsch, Lisa Maureen Stewart, John Conley

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

PDF version of a presentation given at the Building on Family Strengths: State of the Science Conference, Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health, Portland, OR, in May 2007.

Program Staff In Youth Mentoring Programs: Qualifications, Training, And Retention, Thomas E. Keller

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Considering the many ways in which program staff may influence the experiences of mentors, youth, and parents in mentoring interventions, the author advocates that greater attention be devoted to the recruitment, training, and retention of qualified and competent program professionals in the field of youth mentoring. Research from similar fields is informative, but inferences and implications drawn from these studies may not translate directly to the realities of youth mentoring programs. The investigation of staffing issues in youth mentoring presents an opportunity to guide investment in the infrastructure of the youth mentoring movement and to ultimately improve the quality and …

Interrelationships Between Demographic, Psychosocial, And Academic Characteristics And Ged Attainment Among At-Risk Youth, Judith L. Rhodes

LSU Master's Theses

This exploratory-descriptive research examines demographic, psychosocial, and academic characteristics of at-risk youth (N = 111) who attempted the General Educational Development (GED) Tests. Among students who passed and did not pass the GED Tests, numerous significant relationships emerged. Non-passers were more likely than passers to leave school for academic environment reasons (t = 2.21, df = 109, p < .05). As compared with those who passed the GED Tests, a greater number of moderately strong interrelationships among demographic, psychosocial, and academic characteristics emerged among students who did not pass. Most notably, for non-passers, significantly strong and positive relationships emerged between academic environment reasons for leaving school and two other variables: family reasons for leaving school (r = .55, p < .01) and psychosocial reasons for leaving school (r = .57, p < .05). In addition, a very strong and negative interrelationship emerged among non-passers between academic environment reasons for leaving school and the poverty indicator of status (r = -.68, p < .01). A multivariate perspective is critical for increasing knowledge regarding the social problem of dropout. Such knowledge is crucial for research and policy formation at the local, state, and national levels as well as for school social work practice and education.

Employed Parents Of Children With Mental Health Disorders: Achieving Work–Family Fit, Flexibility, And Role Quality, Eileen M. Brennan, Julie M. Rosenzweig, A Myrth Ogilvie, Leslie Wuest, Ann A. Shindo

Faculty Publications - College of Social Work

Extensive interviews with 60 employed parents of school-age children treated for mental health problems explored work–family fit, flexibility, family support, and work–life strategies in relation to role quality. Role quality was measured as employment and parenting rewards and concerns. Work–family fit was positively related to family flexibility but not work flexibility. Higher flexibility in work and family predicted lower job concerns, and work flexibility and work–family fit were predictors of job rewards. Parental concerns were dependent on flexibility and work–family strategies. Single parents had significantly fewer sources of family support and used fewer work–family strategies than caregivers with partners. Human …

Employed Parents Of Children With Mental Health Disorders: Achieving Work–Family Fit, Flexibility, And Role Quality, Eileen M. Brennan, Julie M. Rosenzweig, A. Myrth Ogilvie, Leslie Wuest, Ann A. Shindo

Faculty Publications - College of Social Work

Extensive interviews with 60 employed parents of school-age children treated for mental health problems explored work–family fit, flexibility, family support, and work–life strategies in relation to role quality. Role quality was measured as employment and parenting rewards and concerns. Work–family fit was positively related to family flexibility but not work flexibility. Higher flexibility in work and family predicted lower job concerns, and work flexibility and work–family fit were predictors of job rewards. Parental concerns were dependent on flexibility and work–family strategies. Single parents had significantly fewer sources of family support and used fewer work–family strategies than caregivers with partners. Human …

The Response Of Social Work To The Multicultural Reality In The United States: Reflections And Implications For Taiwanese Social Work, Muh Bi Lin

Faculty Publications - College of Social Work

The multicultural reality in the United States entails a harsh reality of oppressions and various forms of socio-economic injustice. The evolution of policies in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) represents a shift of recognition and response to this phenomenon. There has been increasing concern in academia for the importance and urgency of enhancing multicultural competence of social work practitioners. This paper introduces and critiques existing NASW and CSWE policies relating to multicultural competence in social work practice and evaluates various conceptual models on multicultural social work practice and education. Implications …

Social Impact: Perspectives With Enola K. Proctor: The Future Of Social Work Research, Betsy Rogers, Geoff Story

Social Impact

As an academic discipline and a profession, social work is undergoing a dramatic transformation, embracing new standards of evidence, effectiveness, and accountability in both research and practice. Characteristically, the Brown School is leading the way, and Enola K. Proctor, associate dean for research, has become a national champion for the new standards.

Social Impact: Love Or Money: The Rise Of For-Profit Social Services, Rick Skwiot

Social Impact

For better or for worse, for-profit social-service providers—in mental health, welfare, and medical care—are driving fundamental change in an industry previously driven largely by humanitarian concerns.

Social Impact, Edward L. Lawler, Tonya E. Edmonds, Enola K. Proctor, Julie Kennedy, Jessica Martin, Toky Branding + Design, Donna Boyd, Ellen Rostand, Michelle Kassman

Social Impact

From the Dean: Make Space for Social Work;

Perspectives: In the News: Social Work Faculty and Staff Comment on Civilian Service, Health Care Costs, and Native American Stereotypes;

Perspectives: Civic Service Worldwide;

Perspectives: The Future of Social Work Research with Enola K. Proctor;

Interview: Q&A with Greg Echele;

Scattered Image: Leaders in social work education agree that the profession has an image problem but remain at odds on the best way to change it.;

Place, Space, & People: Traditionally two disparate fields, architecture and social work are interacting in new ways that involve communities in producing socially innovative design.;

Sowing …

How Human Resource Professionals Manage Diversity: Decisions On Flexible Work Arrangements For Parents Of Children With Disabilities, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Eileen M. Brennan, Katherine J. Huffstutter, Daniel Coleman

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

PDF version of a presentation given at the Community, Work and Family II International Conference, Lisbon, Portugal, April 2007.

Assessing The Business Case For Flexible Work Arrangements, Eileen M. Brennan, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Katherine J. Huffstutter, Lisa Maureen Stewart, Daniel Coleman

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

PDF version of a presentation given at the 87th Annual Convention of the Western Psychological Association. Vancouver, BC, May 2007.

What Makes Mentoring Effective? How Research Can Guide You In Selecting A Program, Julia M. Pryce, Michael Stokely Kelly, Thomas E. Keller

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article focuses on how mentoring can be made more effective through research which would allow a better means for evaluating various mentoring programs

Book Review Of, Foundations Of Evidence Based Social Work Practice, Daniel Coleman

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reviews the book "Foundations of Evidence Based Social Work Practice", by Albert R. Roberts and Kenneth R. Yeager

Parents As Navigators: How Caregivers Of Children With Mental Health Difficulties Find Supports In The Workplace, Katherine J. Huffstutter, Jennifer R. Bradley, Eileen M. Brennan, Marlene Penn, Julie M. Rosenzweig

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

For some parents, the gap between the demands of work and family and the resources they have available to meet these responsibilities is too great, particularly for employed parents of children with emotional or behavioral disorders (Brennan & Brannan, 2005). While responding to the increasing demands of the workplace for dedicated performance and significant facetime, parents must also arrange for their children's treatment, see that their educational needs are met, and provide enrichment opportunities in the community (Huang et al., 2005). Despite challenges, these parents have used creative approaches to "cobble together" flexible arrangements that work for both their families …

Best Practices For Increasing Meaningful Youth Participation In Collaborative Team Planning, Janet S. Walker, Barbara J. Friesen, Rujuta Gaonkar, Beckie Child, Laurie E. Powers, Ariel Holman

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Human service and educational agencies and systems often convene teams to work collaboratively on plans for serving children or youth. This is particularly true for children and youth who are involved with multiple systems or who are felt to be in need of intensive intervention. hese kinds of planning teams include IEP (Individualized Education Plan) teams, wraparound teams, foster care Independent Living Program teams, transition planning teams, youth/family decision teams, and other teams that create service or treatment plans. Unfortunately, it is often true that these plans are created for youth, with little input or buy-in from the young people …

The Feast Of First Mourning, Sumeia Williams

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

No abstract provided.

State Agency Promising Practices: Employment First! Making Integrated Employment The Preferred Outcome In Tennessee, Jean Winsor, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

The Tennessee Division of Mental Retardation Services (DMRS) implemented the Employment First! initiative in 2002. The goal of Employment First was to make employment the first day service option for adults receiving supports funded by DMRS, Medicaid, or the state. Employment First set the standard that employment was the preferred service option for adults with mental retardation and developmental disabilities (MR/DD).

State Agency Promising Practice: Integrated Employment Outcomes Through Person-To-Person Technical Assistance: New Hampshire, Allison C. Hall, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

New Hampshire implemented an innovative technical assistance model that promoted organizational change to expand individual employment opportunities. This person-to-person change began at the micro level but “trickled up” through organizations across the state. In 2000, realizing that the state’s growth in integrated employment had stalled, the Bureau of Developmental Services invested aggressively in expanding its intervention strategy by recruiting a community provider to work directly through the bureau. The bureau hired John Vance-the director of ACCESS, a small individualized support organization in New Hampshire-half-time to provide individualized technical assistance to providers across the state. As part of the bureau, Vance …

Assessing The Need For And Impact Of An Emotions Regulation Booster Program For Elementary School Aged Children, Angela Hammond

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

K-W Counselling Services has offered emotions management programs to children ages 6-15 in the Waterloo region for the last 10 years. This mixed methods study was conducted in two phases. Phase One explored whether the parents of children who had participated in S.T.E.A.M. or Temper Taming groups three years prior felt there was a need for a “booster program” to help refresh their child’s memory about the concepts. Twenty-two parents were interviewed, two of whom had two children in the programs. This meant that feedback was offered in relation to twenty four children participants. The parents were asked with open …