Social Work Commons^™

Evaluation Of The Impact Of Social Work Services In Rural School Districts, Breanna Heinrich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students in rural communities are often subject to unique barriers and challenges that impact their holistic emotional, cognitive, physical, and social success in school. Because these factors have a strong impact on school attendance, behavior, and overall success, educators have begun to implement social work programs within both rural and urban school districts across the nation. While existing research affirms the effectiveness of school social work, very little research has been conducted to determine the effect in rural school districts. This paper evaluates the impact of a newly developed social work pilot program in two West Texas school districts implemented …

Social Relationships In Young Offenders: Relevance To Peers, Poverty, And Psychological Adjustment, Victoria Sabo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The increasing influence of peers in adolescence is related to a developing array of skills, aspirations, attitudes, and behaviours. The nature and magnitude of this influence and the potential association of certain youth with deviant peers is among the most prominent risk factors in predicting youth crime. This becomes of greater concern for economically disadvantaged youth, whose neighbourhoods harbour greater susceptibility to negative peer influence. With social affiliations at the forefront of youth development and criminality, research efforts need to further characterize the nature, constitution, and influence of peers on adolescent offending. Two hundred and eighty-one Canadian youth were sampled …

Development Of The Ableist Microaggression Scale And Assessing The Relationship Of Ableist Microaggressions With The Mental Health Of Disabled Adults, Shanna Katz Kattari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 20% of U.S. residents are currently living with a disability. Ableism values a specific type of physical, mental and/or emotional capital as well as supports socially constructed expectations of ability, valuing these expectations over different types of ability and disability. One way in which ableism is perpetuated is through microaggressions, at the more interpersonal, or micro level. Microaggressions are everyday interactions that perpetuate inequalities and stereotypes against people who belong to marginalized communities. Experiencing multiple microaggressions has been referred to as death by a thousand paper cuts, indicating the severity of the sum total of these casual types of …

Preparing To Parent: Mindfulness In Expectant Parents Exposed To Adversity, Laurel Marie Hicks

Wayne State University Dissertations

Expectant parents who have been exposed to psychosocial risk encounter deleterious psychological (Ashley et al., 2016), and physiological (V. H. Pereira, Campos, & Sousa, 2017) effects. This not only affects the parent-to-be, but also may affect the developing fetus (E. P. Davis et al., 2011) and is linked to poorer infant development (Lefmann & Combs-Orme, 2014). However, not all risk-exposed individuals experience this, many are resilient and still thrive in the face of adversity. Understanding potential risk and resiliency factors in expectant parents is advantageous, so tailored interventions can be devised to improve outcomes. One potential resiliency factor, mindfulness, is …

Exploring Clinical Best Practices For Working With The Co-Occurrence Of Psychosis And A Trauma History, Sierra Leah Black

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative research study explored clinical practices most effective in helping people who experience co-occurring psychosis and a trauma history. The research was conducted through interviews with nine mental health professionals, who reported they created their own skill base in working with clients with a co-occurrence of psychosis and trauma. Although every respondent reported this co-occurrence as common, they all expressed a lack of confidence and expertise in treating the population. Best practices for treatment were found to be a combination of psychiatric medication, psychotherapy, and community support. Themes of treatment included the need to establish trusting relationships, appreciate client …

The Impact Of Islamophobia On The Muslim American Community : Accounts Of Psychological Suffering, Identity Negotiation, And Collective Trauma, Areeza Ali

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The rise of Islamophobia has undoubtedly disrupted the identity and way of life of Muslim Americans in the last decade and half. This study centers the voices of eight Muslim Americans discussing the mental health impact of anti-Muslim discrimination and prejudice, the pervasiveness of xenophobic and Islamophobic perspectives in the U.S., and the normalization and acceptance of discrimination as evidenced by the presidential victory of Donald Trump.

The major findings of this study indicate that the marginalization and othering of Muslim Americans have manifested in adverse psychological symptoms including fear, stress, worry, isolation, numbness, desensitization and insecurity. In addition, this …

A Correlative Analysis Of Mystical Experiences And Lasting Symptom Improvement From Mdma-Assisted Psychotherapy For Treatment-Resistant Ptsd : A Project Based Upon An Investigation Sponsored By Multidisciplinary Association For Psychedelic Studies (Maps), Michiko A. Mitsunaga-Whitten

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Before the Controlled Substance Act of 1985 categorized psychedelic substances as criminalized schedule I drugs, psychiatrists used ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as a catalyst to psychotherapy. Over two decades later, this project seeks to contribute to the renaissance of psychedelic research. Specifically, this study focuses on participants’ experience of treatment in the recent FDA approved Phase 2 clinical study, “A Randomized, Triple-Blind Phase 2 Pilot Study Comparing 3 Different Doses of MDMA in conjunction with manualized psychotherapy in 24 Veterans, Firefighters, and Police Officers with Chronic, Treatment-resistant PTSD.” The current study presents results from correlation analyses of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire …

From Yellow Peril To Model Minority : ǂB Deconstruction Of The Model Minority Myth And Implications For The Invisibility Of Asian American Mental Health Needs, Lynda Anne Moy

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The model minority myth is a racial stereotype imposed upon Asian Americans, often depicting them as a successful and high-achieving monolithic group in the United States. This paper examines sociopolitical functions of the term “model minority” and implications for this broad and diverse racial group by reviewing existing literature and conducting an analysis of qualitative interviews with 12 Asian Americans. The findings of this study suggest that while the model minority myth appears to be a positive stereotype, it may lead Asian Americans to experience distress through (a.) a sense of confinement, (b.) treatment as foreigners, and (c.) …

The Influence Of Social Support And Mental Illness On Punishment For Rule Violations Among Male Prisoners, Missy T. Malone

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Mental illness among prisoners is higher than the general population (James & Glaze, 2006). The purpose of this exploratory-descriptive study was to investigate the social support and mental health factors that best predict punishment severity for institutional rule violations among prisoners. I conducted a secondary data analysis on 2004 Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The survey participants in this study consisted of a sample of 11,569 male prisoners. Bivariate analyses of interrelationships were conducted to assess whether significant relationships exist between the severity of punishment …

Mental Health Practitioners’ Understanding Of Informed Consent With Adolescents, Blanca I. Santana

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of informed consent on the delivery of psychiatric services to adolescents and the way in which mental health practitioners understand and address informed consent in their treatment of adolescents. A key focus of this study examined how informed consent influenced adolescent mental health utilization and retention.

The study sought to explore the following questions: (1) How do practitioners understand adolescent informed consent? (2) How does informed consent affect adolescent access to mental health treatment and utilization as perceived by practitioners? (3) How do practitioners understand and describe the impact informed …

Challenges Of Social Workers Giving Mental Health Services To Juveniles Who Have Been Incarcerated For Drug Use, Nathalie Marie Jones

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research examined challenges social workers face when delivering mental health services to juveniles who have been incarcerated due to drug use. Through the use of a web-based survey program a total of ten research questions were examined statistically. The research questions discussed what challenges social workers face when trying to administer services to juveniles who have been incarcerated for drug use and also what services are available to juveniles with or without a mental health problem who have been incarcerated for drug use. Questionnaires were sent out electronically, with a response rate of twenty-seven participants. SurveyMonkey® was used to …

Beliefs About Mental Health Services Among Emerging Adult Latinos, Ashley Maxine Cortez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Latino populations continue to utilize mental health services at lower rates than their non-Latino counterparts. This is concerning for several reasons. Mental illness, is extremely prevalent in the general population. The population of Latinos (particularly younger individuals) in the United States is rapidly increasing. Acculturation has been found to negatively impact mental health issues in Latino populations. And finally, emerging adult’s unmet mental health needs / issues place them at risk for failing to adapt to adult roles, impacting their lives in many ways. This mixed methods study implores primarily quantitative design and includes two qualitative questions to explore the …

Understanding Service Utilization Within Co-Occurring Population, Ildelisa M. Zapata

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

A specialized system of care for co-occurring clients can be an asset to this population, if the services offered deliver adequate results that contribute to the overall wellbeing of this community. Therefore, providers, including social workers and other professionals to determine the effectiveness of these programs, should routinely assess established programs that are design to meet the most basic needs of co-occurring populations. This will permit an increase the knowledge and understanding of outcomes and perhaps develop alternative resources to connect gaps in the delivery of services. This research evaluated the effectiveness of services that co-occurring clients received from Cedar …

Significant Emotional And Behavioral Problems In Early Childhood, Samantha Johnson

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Significant emotional and behavioral problems in early childhood are a growing concern for social workers, mental health professionals, teachers, day care providers and others involved in the care of children ranging in age from 18 months to six years old. The purpose of this research study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the professional experience and perspective of mental health professionals in meeting the mental health needs of children with significant emotional and behavioral problems in early childhood. A semi-structured interview was used with the six mental health professionals that participated in the study. Three major themes from the …

Social Workers Treating The Whole Person: The Need For Holistic Therapy Coursework, Tracy A. Toner

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Holistic therapies have become an integral part of everyday life in the US. We use holistic therapies for many reasons, for exercising, relaxing, and healing alternatives to the traditional. This research survey explored the use of holistic therapies by social workers who are providing clinical social work to their clients primarily in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. Using a quantitative design, the research measured the number of clinical social workers who are now or have previously provided mental health counseling services and are using holistic therapies in addition to standard interventions. This exploratory research additionally hoped to identify the …

School Based Mental Health Services, Scott Graham

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Mental health impacts children socially, emotionally, and academically. While one of every five children/adolescents has a diagnosed mental health disorder. It is also estimated that one out of five children who need mental health services do not receive them (Van Landeghem, & Hess, 2005). Almost all children attend school for some time in their lives; therefore, school is the ideal setting for implementing collaborative interventions aimed at improving a child’s emotional development and overall mental health. Schools have become one of the largest providers of mental health services with many different stakeholders (Barrett, Eber, & Weist, 2013). This study seeks …

Women, Shame, And Mental Health: A Systematic Review Of Approaches In Psychotherapy, Vienna Miller-Prieve

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Shame is a self-conscious emotion that affects self-esteem, self-concept and evaluation of the self. Shame is seen more often in women than men; in part due to societal and cultural standards placed upon women that create negative self-evaluations in women when those standards are not met. Shame is seen in mental health diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and eating disorders. When a woman presents for therapy or counseling, shame may be apparent and necessary to work on during therapy. This systematic review was designed to answer the research question: what therapeutic approaches are used in psychotherapy targeting …

Quantitative Research: Social Workers’ Perceptions Of Mental Illness, Daniel Nordlund

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This study examines Minnesota Licensed Social Workers’ perceptions of mental illness. The researcher developed a quantitative survey consisting of 39 questions from four pre- existing surveys, as well as the researcher’s own questions, to measure different types of stigma associated with mental illness. Three major themes were analyzed: level of education, personal experience, and professional experience, and how they related to possible stigma towards mental illness. A combination of frequency distributions, Chi Square, Pearson Correlation, and Independent T-test were utilized to answer the question: “What are social workers’ perceptions on mental illness related to stigma; and how does this vary …

Dbt For Co-Occurring Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders, Eric Spagenski

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Current research available identifies that when treating Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) the empirically supported model of choice is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and BPD is known to impact approximately 1% of the population. However, it is estimated that 23 million Americans (or 10%) of the population meets criteria for a Substance Use Disorder (SUD). With a non-completion rate in upwards of 60% when a person has co-occurring BPD & SUD this research sought out to identify what current practices DBT providers in Minnesota implemented to increase patient successes, and what the perspectives were from DBT providers as it relates to …

Understanding School Social Workers’ Roles In Bullying Prevention And Intervention, Jessica Staples

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The primary purpose for this research was to gain a better understanding how school social workers are assisting in bullying prevention and intervention efforts at schools. Semi-structured interviews were done with three school social workers and three school administrators from school districts around the Twin City metropolitan area, in Minnesota. Interview questions were asked regarding: understanding of roles, consideration of school bullying prevention programs, exploring opinions about bullying prevention policies, understandings of laws and policies, talking through the successes and lack of success of the current bullying program in the school and lastly, exploring roles in policy making. Findings from …

Best Practice Methods For Social Work With North Koreans, Bethany Johnson

Selected Honors Theses

The people of North Korea are in deep need of social work aid. This systematic literature review highlights key best practices for working with North Koreans, both in and out of their home country. Areas of work highlighted included addressing mental illnesses, specifically PTSD, reintegration into South Korea and other neighboring nations, advocating for international human rights policies, and humanitarian aid. Specific best practice suggestions are made for each section. In addition to this review, interviews were conducted with two expert professors in order to gain greater insight on the topic.

How Different Technological Mediums May Reduce Attitudinal Barrier To The Utilization Of Psychotherapeutic Relationships, Collin T. Browne

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explored the use of communication technologies in the context of psychotherapeutic relationships, examining how technology might affect attitudinal barriers preventing young people from utilizing psychotherapy. Research findings emerged from semistructured Skype interviews with 10 participants (age 18-30 years) focused on their beliefs on psychotherapy, communications technology, and the idea of integrating technology into the psychotherapeutic relationship.

A theme analysis of the interviews produced four major findings: (1) psychotherapy is an especially difficult endeavor to begin and maintain; (2) certain qualities of the therapist (trust, expertise, and ‘fit’) are of particular importance; (3) voice and body language are …

"Stop Resisting!" : An Exploratory Study Of Police Brutality And Its Impacts On Black And Latino Males, Their Communities, Mental Health And Healing, Manuel A. Ortiz

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the impacts of police violence on Black and Latino males and their communities while also examining avenues of healing that could be helpful for survivors. Generally, this study focused on this question: What is the potential mental health effect of police brutality on Black and Latino males and what are avenues for healing for those affected? Twelve individual participants who identified as activists, advocates, or organizers in the Bay Area of Northern California participated in qualitative interviews that explored the impact of police violence and healing avenues. Participants were asked …

Servicenet Participatory Action Research Program Evaluation : A Project Based On An Independent Investigation At Servicenet In Northampton, Ma, Heather L. Crawford, Caroline W. Evans, Margot E. Reilly

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This research project sought to evaluate if program participants of ServiceNet’s Mental Health Recovery Services (MHRS) feel supported to meet their self defined needs and goals. These researchers were guided by the principles of Participatory Action Research (PAR) and facilitated three focus groups who designed a mixed methods survey tool to be distributed by ServiceNet Recovery Counselors. Twelve surveys were refused and returned unopened, 56 program participants received the survey envelopes and did not return them, and 34 surveys were returned completed (n=34).

Participants demonstrated high satisfaction around housing, transportation, personal growth, emotional support, feeling treated like a human being, …

A Qualitative Study Of Mental Health Experiences And College Student Identity, Erin M. Frawley

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study uses a qualitative approach to capture the voices of nine students who self identified as having mental health experiences and who were also taking actions to cope with their mental health experiences from a small private arts college on the west coast. Students participated in one hour-long interviews that focused on students’ conceptions of mental health in relation to their identity, students’ actions related to mental health and students beliefs about the role of mental health in their sense of mattering. The findings suggest that mental health is constructed within student experience and identity differently depending on the …

Toxic Stress : Exploring Mental Health Narratives Of Environmental Justice In Richmond, California, Elizabeth Gonzalez

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this exploratory study was to gather narratives of residents and/or community members who perceive the presence of the Richmond Chevron Oil Refinery in their community as a psychological stressor. The study used semi-structured interviews with eight community organizers and activists to gather qualitative data providing personal accounts of the possible psychological impact of living near a toxic facility with great political power in the city. The common trend among the narratives was the tendency of the participants to focus on a macro interpretation of how mental health is affected by a corporate giant. A collective sense of …

Missoula’S Homeless Children: Effects Of Homelessness On Mental, Emotional And Social Health, Sarah L. Shapiro

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Missoula’s Homeless Children: Effects of Homelessness on Mental, Emotional and Social Health

The mental, emotional, and social health of children are greatly affected by being homeless. Being homeless as a child could effect a person’s coping skills and lead to mental health issues that increase the likelihood of substance abuse , suicide attempts, or adult homelessness. The purpose of this research project is to explore the negative effects of homelessness on Missoula children, and to identify services that could be useful in combating those effects. Methods for this project, included two data collection strategies. First, a literature review was completed …

Reducing Stress And Increasing Hope Among Typhoon Yolanda Survivors, Maria Victoria Del Fierro, Mary Elizabeth Huxster

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Hundreds of thousands of people are affected by natural disasters every year. Many of these people face mental and emotional consequences from the traumatic experience. Research indicates that the aftereffects of such experiences can result in social, familial, and educational impairments in children. The current study tested the efficacy of a brief cognitive behavioral intervention on elementary school aged children intended to alleviate the mental and emotional consequences following a natural disaster. The study applied quantitative methods through pre and post intervention assessments measuring stress and hope. The participants assessed included 18 Filipino children between the ages of 10-12 years, …

Millennial Men: A Correlational Study Between Masculinity, Emotional Expression, And Mental Health, Kathryn L. Driscoll

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This study aimed to explore the question: do American, millennial men that try to achieve masculine ideals have less ability to express themselves emotionally and do they have less positive mental health and well-being? The population sample gathered consisted of 44 American, male participants between the ages of 35 and 21. The data was measured via a survey that consisted of two questionnaires, the Gender Role Conflict Scale and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale as well as several demographic questions consisting of a total of 55 questions for the survey. The survey was administered online via Qualtrics Survey Software. The …

Metaphoric Generative Genograms: A Journey To Bring Genograms To Life Through Metaphorical Components, Elisa Garcia

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to offer a greater understanding of the potential of genograms through my clinical work from a Bowen Family Systems lens. I account for how I processed and effectively blended metaphorical components, by examining six cases from my two-year journal entries, of bringing genograms to life in sessions. I also explain how I created a useful tool, the Metaphoric Generative Genogram, that can benefit other clinicians working with children and families in the foster care community.