Social Work Commons^™

The Present Struggles Of Immigrant Farmworkers In California, Leslie Torres, Angelica Huerta

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Immigrant farm workers continue to be a vulnerable community despite the numerous services available to them. By interviewing people who work with immigrant farmworkers, we can determine what has worked in terms of efforts to help immigrant farm workers and what issues persist today. Prior research has shown the many troubles these individuals have faced due to the type of work they do, as well as the ramifications due to their undocumented status. The purpose of this research was to find what can be causing these persistent barriers to a more safe, healthy, and long fulfilling life, and attempt to …

Barriers To And Facilitators Of Care: Exploring How Low-Income Women Access Reproductive Healthcare In A Rural Community, Sydney Taylor Casey

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to gain a comprehensive understanding of the experiences of low-income women living in a rural community when accessing reproductive care and bring awareness to the barriers and facilitating factors they encounter. The present study adopted a post positivism paradigm and was conducted in a rural county in Northern California. A combination of quantitative and qualitative data was gathered through demographic surveys and individual interviews with twenty-two participants. A bottom-up approach was utilized for the phases of qualitative data analysis, which included open coding, axial coding and selective coding. Data analysis revealed thirteen open …

The Caregiver-Biological Parent Relationship’S Impact On Reunification, Karol Valencia Reynoso

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child welfare cases that require the removal of children from the parents require court involvement. Children in foster care are placed in a foster home. Foster caregivers are responsible for the daily care of the court Dependent meanwhile their parent(s) is participating in Family Reunification services.

Interviewing social workers with family reunification case work experience allowed for identification of common barriers or commonalities caused by the relationship between foster caregivers and biological parents. Visitations between the children and bio-parents are a great indicator of reunification likelihood based on the child-parent bond. The study was centered on child welfare social worker’s …

Barriers To Higher Education Among Calworks Recipients, Esther Ramirez, Melissa M. Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Individuals and families in poverty face an abundance of barriers to self-sufficiency with the lack of higher education being the most prominent of them. The California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program has been the primary intervention to aid poverty following the welfare reform of 1996. Through their work first approach the CalWORKs program intends to set recipients on the path to self-sufficiency. Although education is the biggest weapon against poverty, CalWORKs recipients face a plethora of barriers while pursuing a college degree, as CalWORKs regulations are rigid and unsupportive toward higher education. Due to the minimal research …

Perceptions About Disproportionality And Disparity Among Black Families Within The Child Welfare System, Kania Alexince Long

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The over-representation of Black children within the child welfare system has been an ongoing topic of discussion for decades across the country. The common theme, across the United States, is that Black children are entering the child welfare systems at disproportionate rates compared to their counterparts and they tend to experience disparities in outcomes including higher recidivism rates and lower reunification rates. Although many studies examine the factors that contribute to this alarming trend, the problem still exists within child welfare systems across the country. This quantitative study’s purpose was to examine the perceptions of MSW Title IV-E students related …

Perceived Preparedness Of California Social Workers To Discuss Physician Assisted Death, Shanda Marie Brennan, Meliza Quinonez Kinney

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Effective June 9, 2016, many terminally ill patients residing in the State of California will now have the legal option of terminating their life because of protections offered under The California End of Life Options Act. Social workers whose population of care includes terminally ill patients will likely be engaging in conversations about end of life options, including physician assisted death, with their patients. Little research exists addressing what factors may influence social workers perceived preparedness to discuss physician assisted death with patients, yet the expectation that social workers be prepared to discuss all available end of life options with …

Substance Use Counselors' Perceptions Of Effective Treatment Modalities For Women With Children, Sally I. Gonzales, Jessica Monique Martinez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) conducted a study and determined that approximately one-third to two-thirds of child neglect cases had some form of substance abuse related to the case. Further, it is reported that women who use alcohol or drugs are two times more likely to lose custody of their children than non- using mothers. The purpose of this study is to examine which treatment modalities substance use counselors find most effective when treating women with children. This study utilized a qualitative design asking eight open ended questions to fourteen substance use counselors employed at Prototypes …

A Descriptive Study Of The Elderly In California Substance Abuse Treatment Programs, David Berenschot

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As gerontologists may know, there are a great deal of studies and a variety of academic literature on the misuse of alcohol and prescription medication amongst the elderly population. While there is a plethora of information on alcohol and prescription misuse, there is little reported data about the prevalence of other substance misuse experienced by this population. This study aims to help to fill that gap in the data by using quantitative methods to describe the scope of substance abuse of individuals 55-years or older. This study utilizes data from the Treatment Data Set Admission (TEDS-A). The TEDS-A is a …

Palliative Chemotherapy Among People Living In Poverty With Metastasised Colon Cancer: Facilitation By Primary Care And Health Insurance, Kevin M. Gorey, Emma Bartfay, Sindu M. Kanjeekal, Frances C. Wright, Caroline Hamm, Isaac N. Luginaah, Guangyong Zou, Eric J. Holowaty, Nancy L. Richter, Madhan K. Balagurusamy

Social Work Publications

Background: Many Americans with metastasised colon cancer do not receive indicated palliative chemotherapy. We examined the effects of health insurance and physician supplies on such chemotherapy in California.

Methods: We analysed registry data for 1199 people with metastasised colon cancer diagnosed between 1996 and 2000 and followed for 1 year. We obtained data on health insurance, census tract-based socioeconomic status and county-level physician supplies. Poor neighbourhoods were oversampled and the criterion was receipt of chemotherapy. Effects were described with rate ratios (RR) and tested with logistic regression models.

Results: Palliative chemotherapy was received by less than half of the participants …

Multiplicative Disadvantage Of Being An Unmarried And Inadequately Insured Woman Living In Poverty With Colon Cancer: Historical Cohort Exploration In California, Naomi R. Levitz, Sundus Haji-Jama, Tonya Munro, Kevin M. Gorey

Social Work Publications

Background: Many Americans diagnosed with colon cancer do not receive indicated chemotherapy. Certain unmarried women may be particularly disadvantaged. A 3-way interaction of the multiplicative disadvantages of being an unmarried and inadequately insured woman living in poverty was explored. Methods: California registry data were analyzed for 2,319 women diagnosed with stage II to IV colon cancer between 1996 and 2000 and followed until 2014. Socioeconomic data from the 2000 census classified neighborhoods as high poverty (≥30% of households poor), middle (5–29%) or low poverty (<5% poor). Primary health insurance was private, Medicare, Medicaid or none. Comparisons of chemotherapy rates used standardized rate ratios (RR). We respectively used logistic and Cox regression models to assess chemotherapy and survival. Results: A statistically significant 3-way marital status by health insurance by poverty interaction effect on chemotherapy receipt was observed. Chemotherapy rates did not differ between unmarried (39.0%) and married (39.7%) women who lived in lower poverty neighborhoods and were privately insured. But unmarried women (27.3%) were 26% less likely to receive chemotherapy than were married women (37.1%, RR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.58, 0.95) who lived in high poverty neighborhoods and were publicly insured or uninsured. When this interaction and the main effects of health insurance, poverty and chemotherapy were accounted for, survival did not differ by marital status. Conclusions: The multiplicative barrier to colon cancer care that results from being inadequately insured and living in poverty is worse for unmarried than married women. Poverty is more prevalent among unmarried women and they have fewer assets so they are probably less able to absorb the indirect and direct, but uncovered, costs of colon cancer care. There seem to be structural inequities related to the institutions of marriage, work and health care that particularly disadvantage unmarried women that policy makers ought to be cognizant of as future reforms of the American health care system are considered.

Experiences Of Young Adults In Extended Foster Care: An Explortive Study, Elaine Marie Contreras

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Currently, there are thousands of foster youth in the child welfare system. When they reach the age of 18, some of these youth emancipate from the system, while some of them participate in extended foster care. The extended foster care system was implemented to support and provide services to young adults passed the age of 18, to provide them a couple more years to obtain stability in their lives. In order to participate in extended foster care, they have to meet a few requirements, and sometimes this is the minimum level of commitment and effort they contribute. These requirements include: …

Information And Communication Technology In Child Welfare: The Need For Culture-Centered Computing, Richard J. Smith, Tara Eaton

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article discusses the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) in the California child welfare system. Drawing from anthropological literature, the authors emphasize the role of work practice and context associated with new ICT implementation. This case study uses a documentary- historical approach to analyze interviews with 386 workers who used the Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS) between 1997 and 2005. Data show the implementation of CWS/CMS impacted the work practice of the welfare system. The authors recommend culture-centered computing for future developments and upgrades of ICT in child welfare.

A Half-Century Of California Poverty, Robert G. Mogull

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this article, poverty statistics are examined over the past 50 years for insights on trends. Data were tabulated by Decennial Censuses for the state of California and categorized by demographic group. Trends are revealed by evidence from unique calculations of Poverty Indexes, that is, of 'fair shares" of poverty. By examining 5 decades of evidence, it is found that some groups have clearly progressed-specifically Asians & Pacific Islanders, Blacks, and Hispanics, while others have found their recent poverty status deteriorate- especially the elderly, Native Americans, and Whites.

University Scholar Series: Amy D'Andrade, Amy D'Andrade

University Scholar Series

Improving State-mandated 'Reasonable Efforts': Innovative Strategies to Improve Outcomes for Families Attempting Reunification with Children Placed in Foster Care

On September 26, 2012 Dr. Amy D'Andrade spoke in the University Scholar Series hosted by Provost Ellen Junn at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Dr. Amy D'Andrade is an associate professor in the School of Social Work in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts (CASA) and director of the CASA Center for Applied Research in Human Services (CARHS). Her recent research focuses on the process of reunification between parents and their children placed in foster care. D'Andrade's studies …

Associations Of Physician Supplies With Colon Cancer Care In Ontario And California, 1996 To 2006, Kevin M. Gorey

Social Work Publications

BACKGROUND: This study examined the differential effects of physician supplies on colon cancer care in Ontario and California. The associations of physician supplies with colon cancer stage at diagnosis, receipt of surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy, and 5-year survival were observed within each country and compared between-country.

METHODS: Random samples of Ontario and California cancer registries provided 2,461 and 2,200 colon cancer cases that were diagnosed between 1996 and 2000, and followed until 2006. Both registries included data on the stage of disease at the time of diagnosis, receipt of cancer-directed surgery, receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy, and survival. Census tract-level data …

The Supply Of Physicians And Care For Breast Cancer In Ontario And California, 1998 To 2006, Kevin M. Gorey, Isaac N. Luginaah, Caroline Hamm, Madhan K. Balagurusamy, Eric J. Holowaty

Social Work Publications

INTRODUCTION: We examined the differential effects of the supply of physicians on care for breast cancer in Ontario and California. We then used criteria for optimum care for breast cancer to estimate the regional needs for the supply of physicians.

METHODS: Ontario and California registries provided 951 and 984 instances of breast cancer diagnosed between 1998 and 2000 and followed until 2006. These cohorts were joined with the supply of county-level primary care physicians (PCPs) and specialists in cancer care and compared on care for breast cancer.

RESULTS: Significant protective PCP thresholds (7.75 to = 8.25 PCPs per 10 000 …

Breast Cancer Care In Canada And The United States: Ecological Comparisons Of Extremely Impoverished And Affluent Urban Neighborhoods, Kevin M. Gorey

Social Work Publications

This study examined the differential effect of extreme impoverishment on breast cancer care in urban Canada and the United States. Ontario and California registry-based samples diagnosed between 1998 and 2000 were followed until 2006. Extremely poor and affluent neighborhoods were compared. Poverty was associated with non-localized disease, surgical and radiation therapy (RT) waits, non-receipt of breast conserving surgery, RT and hormonal therapy, and shorter survival in California, but not in Ontario. Extremely poor Ontario women were consistently advantaged on care indices over their California counterparts. More inclusive health insurance coverage in Canada seems the most plausible explanation for such Canadian …

Client Functionality, Filial Abuse And Agency Interventions, Julie Anne Hibbs, Stephen Michael Thomas

Theses Digitization Project

This study explores the relationship between the client's functionality, alleged filial abuse, and the effect of interventions as they relate to future Adult Protective Services (APS) referrals.

Long Term Drug And Alcohol Treatment Program: An Outcome Study Comparing Secular-Based Treatment With Faith-Based Treatment For Addiction, Ruby Lee Adams

Theses Digitization Project

The study was conducted to see if there is as much or more of a difference in outcome of treatment for addiction in faith-based treatment than secular-based treatment. The research was conducted using a sample of thirty-seven respondents from various sites in Southern California who volunteered to fill out the questionnaire. Data was collected using a self-administrated survey questionnaire.