Social Work Commons^™

Racial Inequality And The Implementation Of Emergency Management Laws In Economically Distressed Urban Areas, Shawna J. Lee, Amy Krings, Sara Rose, Krista Dover, Jessica Ayoub, Fatima Salman

Amy Krings

This study examines the use of emergency management laws as a policy response to fiscal emergencies in urban areas. Focusing on one Midwestern Rust Belt state, we use a mixed methods approach – integrating chronology of legislative history, analysis of Census data, and an ethnographic case study – to examine the dynamics of emer- gency management laws from a social justice perspective. Analysis of Census data showed that emergency man- agement policies disproportionately affected African Americans and poor families. Analysis indicated that in one state, 51% of African American residents and 16.6% of Hispanic or Latinos residents had lived in …

Smoking Behaviors Among Adolescents In Foster Care: A Gender-Based Analysis, Svetlana Shpiegel, Steve Sussman, Scott E. Sherman, Omar El Shahawy

Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Background and objectives: Adolescents in foster care are at high risk for cigarette smoking. However, it is not clear how their smoking behaviors vary by gender. The present study examined lifetime and current smoking among males and females, and explored gender-specific risk factors for engagement in smoking behaviors. Method: Data from the Multi Site Evaluation of Foster Youth Programs was used to evaluate patterns of smoking among adolescents aged 12–18 years (N = 1121; 489 males, 632 females). Results: Males and females did not differ significantly in rates of lifetime and current smoking, or in the age of smoking initiation …

Reflections On The Implementation Of Improved Outcomes For Children And Its Impact On The Capacity Of Child Welfare Workers To Deliver Services, Rita Sanchez-Torres

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The emergence of the New Public Management with its emphasis on performance measurements and managerial strategies such as accountability, efficiency, and cost effectiveness have encouraged nonprofit child welfare agencies in New York City to pursue the practice of the private sector. In the current environment, service delivery has become more entrepreneurial, strategic and outcome minded on the assumption that the market-oriented approach is more effective (Watson-Bishop, 2007). This study examines the relationship between policy and service delivery. Specifically, it investigates the impact of the initiative known as Improved Outcomes for Children on child welfare supervisors in a managerial environment.

The …

Mental Health And Academic Outcomes Among Adolescents In South Korean Orphanages, Hollee Ann Mcginnis

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research conducted over the past 100 years in Western nations support the adverse effects of orphanages on children’s emotional, developmental, and social well-being as well as economic costs to society (Save the Children UK, 2009; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Van IJzendoorn & Juffer, 2008; Williams & Greenberg, 2010). Globally, the number of orphaned and abandoned children is conservatively estimated to be around 143 million, of whom the majority reside in Asia, followed by Sub-Saharan Africa (UNICEF, UNAIDS, & USAID, 2004). South Korea (hereafter “Korea”) is an exemplary nation for study because it has a well-established child welfare system, including family-based alternatives (domestic and …

Does Fathers' Involvement In Services Affect Mothers' Likelihood Of Reunification With Children Placed In Foster Care?, Amy D'Andrade

Faculty Publications

Social science literature shows associations between fathers' involvement with their children and beneficial developmental outcomes of those children. A related but smaller body of research in the child welfare services arena has found measures of father involvement to be positively associated with beneficial child welfare outcomes, including child's reunification with parent after placement in foster care. However, the pathway by which father involvement affects reunification likelihood has not been determined. This study builds on the existing body of literature by testing a theoretical basis for the relationship between father involvement (measured as service use) and mothers' reunification in a model …

Supporting Mothers With Mental Illness: Postpartum Mental Health Service Linkage As A Matter Of Public Health And Child Welfare Policy, Jesse Krohn, Msed, Jd, Meredith Matone, Drph, Mhs

Journal of Law and Health

Through our work in youth advocacy as, respectively, legal and public health professionals, we are all too aware of the high levels of health care fragmentation experienced during pregnancy and postpartum by poor, young mothers of color. Meredith Matone’s research highlights the heightened risk of fragmentation for girls with histories of child welfare involvement. For example, she found that 66.7% of young mothers who had resided in out-of-home placements and who had taken antipsychotic medication prior to becoming pregnant failed to fill prescriptions for antipsychotics in their first postpartum year. Put another way, two-thirds of these vulnerable young mothers—a far …

2017 Final Evaluation Report For Better Together, Jeanette Harder, Heather Bird, Jodi Mcquillen, Jieru Bai, Pamela Ashley, Joseph Forrest, Natalie Scarpa

Reports

Program Description
Heartland Family Service (HFS) partnered with Nebraska Families Collaborative (NFC) and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS) to begin Better Together, a comprehensive support service program for families affected by substance abuse in Omaha, Nebraska. Better Together seeks to prevent infant abandonment by increasing wellbeing, improving permanency, and enhancing the safety of infants and young children who have been exposed to dangerous drugs.

Utilizing a community-based treatment setting, Better Together provides intensive outpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment to families impacted by substance abuse. NDHHS and NFC identify families as being at risk for out-of-home …

Information And Communication Technologies In Public Child Welfare: A Systematic Literature Review, Stephanie K. Schneider

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This systematic literature review synthesizes findings from empirical studies published between 1989 and 2016 to examine types, use, purpose and implementation of information and communication technology in public child welfare to determine if there are thematic reoccurrences in these arenas. Study results yielded information to the field of social work and public child welfare by determining themes in successful usage, purpose and implementation of information and communication technology in public child welfare to better serve those vulnerable populations. This systematic literature review contextualizes and identifies these themes across the literature. Studies included in this review were analyzed and categorized to …

Post-Adoptive Services' Impact On Adoption Outcomes, Sarah E. Cantino

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Adoption is a common occurrence within the field of social work, yet adoptees and their adoptive parents grapple with a multitude of challenges unique to this population. The needs of these children and families are continually scrutinized by social service professionals prior to adoption, but less is known of the needs and services available to this population after adoption is finalized. This study addressed the question: Does adoptive families’ use of post-adoptive resources increase positive adoption outcomes? Ten adoptive parents participated in semi-structured interviews as part of this study. Most participants felt they had access to adequate services, and struggled …

Beliefs About Substance Abusing Parents Among California State University Master Of Social Work Students, Angela R. Golden

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the beetles about substance abusing parents from California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB) NEW students. The biases that human device professionals hold toward substance abusers have the potential to negatively impact clients' health, well- being, and access to services. Understanding future social workers ' biases towards substance abusing parents is key as these future professionals are likely to serve families impacted by substance abuse in their future roles. This quantitative study used a self-administered, online survey to assess the beliefs of foundation and advanced-year MSW students from CSUSB. In general, the findings …

The Effects Of Undocumented Immigration Status On Family Reunification And Service Delivery In Child Welfare Services, Mayra E. Camargo, Rocio Silva

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Latino immigrants have a strong presence in Southern, California. Although the Latino population can be attributed with possessing significant strengths and resiliency, their unique barriers as to legal status, language, and culture, have led to the researchers’ developing an interest on how undocumented immigrant status affects family reunification and service delivery within the child welfare system. The following research study focuses on evaluating how undocumented immigration status affects family reunification and service delivery in child welfare. It seeks to answer how current case work practice addresses the needs of undocumented Latino immigrant families that become involved within the child welfare …

The Insight And Factors That Promote Job Longevity For Child Welfare Social Workers, Dakota Caitlin Meza, Loretta Reyes Broadnax

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The high turnover rate of child welfare social workers has been a chronic issue that society has yet to mitigate. To understand this problem, the researchers looked at contributing factors in comparison to the factors that promote job longevity. The researchers reviewed the multidimensional theory of burnout, to explore the ongoing issue of high turnover rates. Also, organizational support theory was examined to determine if support from organizations contributed to job longevity. The post-positivist approach was used to gather qualitative data from this study as to the potential factors promoting job longevity through individual interviews with seasoned child welfare social …

Correlation Between Use Of Family Visitation Centers And Family Reunification, Teri Posey, Cynthia Ann Munn-Haywood

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of San Bernardino County’s Family Visitation Centers (FVC) and their effect on improving rates of reunification in families that use the visit centers, as opposed to those families who do not use the visit centers. The FVC were developed out of the Department Human Services Redesign to enhance the visitation experience for families, staff and others involved in the process. The FVC centers are a place to provide safe visits, in a non-sterile environment, for children to maintain the bonds with their parents that they have been removed from by …

Kinship Care: Policy And Practice In The Shenandoah Valley, Anneliese L. Keeler

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Kinship care has a long history of being used as a system of care for children whose parents are unable to care for them. However, it’s formal utilization is much newer in the United States and has significant impact on both families, workers, and society in general. My research explored how the Shenandoah Valley has employed kinship care in various counties. The findings of the study were that while children benefit substantially from kinship care, it is largely underfunded and lacks the support that could allow it to make the biggest positive impact on all parties involved.

Understanding The Mental Health Impacts Of Non-Kinship Vs. Kinship Placements, Lena Bessas

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

In this systematic literature review, the researcher synthesized literature regarding the mental health impacts of non-kinship versus kinship placements on children who are involved with the child welfare system. Using SocINDEX with Full Text, PsychINFO, Social Work Abstracts, Child Development and Adolescent Studies and JSTOR, nine studies met the criteria for the review and were then analyzed. Themes that were identified included: Placement type, PTSD, depression and gender. The studies included in this review identified the mental health impacts on children depending on their placement type. This study gives evidence for the need of more research around this topic.

Disproportionality Of American Indian Children In Foster Care, Victoria White

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The practice of removing American Indian Children from their families, relatives, and communities and placing them in foster care with or adoption by White families is an ongoing problem despite the enactment of the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The purpose of this systematic study is to analyze previous research, examine effective interventions and explore what child welfare system changes and practices must occur to reduce disproportionality of American Indian Children in foster care. Research shows possible causes and contributing factors across the United States, however, no well-founded research definitively validates the reasons. To further understand this chronic social …

From The Father’S Heart To Our Hands: Christian Responsibility In The U.S. Foster System, Amelia Tam

Selected Honors Theses

Nearly half a million children are currently served by the child welfare system in the United States. This overwhelming strain on state departments and non-profit placement agencies is compounded by the fact that there are not enough available homes. There appears to be a shortage of capable and resilient foster and adoptive parents. Thousands of children who are ready to be adopted do not have anyone to take them in, and thousands more float in the system until new families agree to foster. This seeming shortage of homes is absurd considering the wealth of compassion and capability within the American …

In Search Of A Forever Home: Raising The Standards For Our Kids, Katarina Barrett, Shelby Marx, Moriah Mueller, Christopher Olson, Michelle Olund-Youngberg

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

There are currently 12,167 children in foster care in Minnesota and 32% experienced multiple placements in 2014. Many children are entering foster care due to concerns of child behavior, parental chemical use, or allegations of maltreatment. After an often unexpected separation from their family, children are then expected to adapt to a new foster family with a new set of family norms and rules. Many children are moved between multiple foster homes, or are returned to their caregivers only to be placed back in foster care at a later time. In the wake of media reports revealing stories of child …

Domestic Violence And Parental Substance Misuse In Child Welfare-Involved Families, Bryan Gary Victor

Wayne State University Dissertations

Child welfare worker routinely screen for domestic violence and parental substance misuse given their association with child maltreatment and poorer foster care outcomes such as lower rates of family reunification and higher rates of system reentry. Although childhood exposure to either domestic violence or parental substance misuse in and of itself does not constitute maltreatment in most child welfare systems, workers may consider these factors in their decision-making and service planning when identified. A set of three studies are therefore presented here that sought to determine the impact of caseworker-identified domestic violence and substance misuse on decision-making and service planning …

Looking Through A Trauma Lens: A Caregiver's Perspective Of Child Welfare Involvement, Erin Ruth Boyce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The majority of maltreatment perpetrated against children is at the hand of their primary caregiver, most often their mother. The reasons why caregivers maltreat their children are still being investigated. However, the caregiver's history of trauma, in particular cumulative trauma that leads to trauma symptomology is emerging as an explanation for maltreatment. Popular theory describes the coercive and oppressive nature of child welfare system policy and practices, as a source of re-traumatization for caregivers with a trauma history (Harris & Fallot, 2001). Currently, the field of child welfare practice is largely guided by the use of trauma-informed practices, which are …

Exploring Occupational Stress Through The Persepectives Of The Child Welfare Workforce, Ann Christine Obermann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The child welfare system is charged with providing safety, permanency, and wellbeing for millions of children impacted by abuse and neglect requiring a highly effective and efficient workforce. Unfortunately, the health of the child welfare workforce, organizations, and system have been described as substandard as evidenced by chronic rates of high turnover and burnout and their inability to consistently meet national child safety and wellbeing standards. One factor contributing to the substandard functioning is the workforces' experience of occupational stress. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the child welfare workforces' experience of occupational stress through a qualitative secondary …

Child Support Collections To Offset Out Of Home Placement Costs: A Study Of Cost Effectiveness, Trish Skophammer

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

Families experiencing out-of-home placement (OHP) are in crisis. The fact that a child has been removed from the home means the family has become involved with the child welfare or juvenile justice system. Families that experience OHP are disproportionately poor, and the reasons for OHP often stem from poverty. Because OHP is expensive, and society values parental responsibility, federal and state laws require that parents be referred to the child support system to help offset the cost of OHP through child support collections. This study explores practices around OHP cases in the child support system and adds to the small …

Kinship Diversion : Exploring Experiences Of Relative Probate Guardianship In Los Angeles, Ca., Alison Davies

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explored the characteristics and experiences of relative caregivers in Los Angeles County who were involved in a child welfare practice called “kinship diversion.” It specifically examined cases in which caregivers were diverted to probate court to obtain legal guardianship of their relatives' children as an alternative to opening a case with the child welfare system due to allegations of abuse or neglect against the biological parents. Five kinship caregivers were interviewed with a focus on answering the questions of who is diverted to legal guardianship, and why?

The findings of this study showed that diversion occurred …