Social Work Commons^™

Reaping What We Sow: The Implications And Outcomes Of Mississippi House Bill 1125, The “Regulate Experimental Adolescent Procedures (Reap)” Act, Kerigan Brewer

Honors Theses

Mississippi House Bill 1125 (MS HB1125), also known as the “Regulate Experimental Adolescent Procedures (REAP) Act,” was signed into law by Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves in early 2023 (REAP Act, 2023). It is one of multiple policies passed into law that limit the rights of transgender people. This thesis aims to clarify the history of the trans community, dispel myths around gender-affirming health care and the trans identity, and discuss the current state of anti-trans laws and transgender rights. Using a policy analysis framework by DiNitto (2011), MS HB1125 is analyzed on points like its social and economic costs, the …

Alternative Approaches To Police Interventions When Responding To Mental Health Crises Incidents, Karen Rivera Apolinar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Purpose: This study explored mental health workers perspectives on alternative approaches in responding to mental health crises.

The study was carried out in Southern California, in collaboration with mental health workers who currently work or previously have worked in mental health crisis. It adopted a post-positivists paradigm and data was gathered through individual interviews with mental health workers who have direct experience with mental health crisis response in the community and with the police. The twenty participants in the study were men and women working in the mental health field, and of various backgrounds, licensures, and ages.

The study found …

Applications Of Transformative Justice Principles For Centering Transgender And Gender Expansive Experiences In Social Work Education And Practice, E. Bickford, Angela Matijczak, Aaron Kemmerer, Florence Martinez, M. Alex Wagaman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social work education has traditionally used frameworks, such as cultural competency, to guide implicit and explicit curricula that shape how we think about communities that live and thrive outside of white supremacist and cis/heteronormative norms and values. While the cultural competency framework intends to promote a level of consciousness and attention that is required to practice with diverse individuals, families, and communities whose identities differ from that of the social worker, it instead inadvertently creates a knowledge base that reinforces harmful power dynamics between social worker and client/community. The cultural competency framework is absent of historical and structural context and …

Domestic Violence In Immigrant Communities: Case Studies (Polish), Ferzana Chaze, Bethany Osborne, Archana Medhekar, Purnima George

Books

This document contains excerpts from the book Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities: Case Studies by Dr. Ferzana Chaze, Dr. Bethany Osborne, Ms. Archana Medhekar and Dr. Purnima George that have been translated into Polish so that a wider audience can access them. The book is a freely accessible educational resource to be used in training with social work and legal practitioners.

The translated case studies in this document are real life stories of immigrant women who have experienced domestic violence in Canada. The cases emerged from closed legal case files handled by Archana Medhekar Law Office and reflect the stories …

The Role Of Social Work In Residential Aged Care Facilities: Evaluation Of A Pilot Program In Australia, Jodie L. Lee Ms, Michael Splawa-Neyman Mr, Fiona Mcdermott Associate Professor

The Qualitative Report

In some international settings, social workers are employed within aged care settings. However, in Australia, social workers rarely work in residential aged care facilities. In an innovative program, an Australian health network employed a social worker in an aged residential care facility from 2010 to 2011. In this research we examine and evaluate this program. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with nine key stakeholders and data extraction from medical records were conducted. Data from medical records and interview transcripts were coded and themes extracted using thematic analysis. Thematic analysis identified five key themes reflecting the roles performed by the social worker. These …

Community-Oriented Policing: Building Trust And Collaborative Relationships With The Black Community, Tunice M. Cole

DSW Capstone Projects

Black people die at the hands of police at a disproportionate rate. In the United States, Black citizens are three times more likely to be killed by police than White citizens. This, along with other factors, has caused a lack of trust, legitimacy, and relationships between police and the Black community. Examining this problem from a socio-ecological and social constructivist perspective suggests that the solution encompasses the use of community feedback and experiences to build and develop a model of community-oriented policing that addresses the issues of the community being served.

Product one of this capstone was a systematic literature …

School Social Workers’ Perceptions On Bullying In Elementary Schools, Anna Marie Gustafson Clum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The social problem of bullying in schools has been an area of study among researchers, but there is a gap on how school social workers can help. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore elementary school social workers’ perceptions on bullying, contributing factors of bullying, and organizational culture on bullying. Sociocultural theory aided in interpretation of results and understanding the social problem of bullying. Nine elementary school social workers participated in semi structured telephone interviews. The phone interviews were analyzed using open coding methods, in vivo codes and phrases, categories, and themes. The study’s findings revealed that …

Domestic Violence In Immigrant Communities: Case Studies (Hindi), Ferzana Chaze, Bethany Osborne, Archana Medhekar, Purnima George

Books

This document contains excerpts from the book Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities: Case Studies by Dr. Ferzana Chaze, Dr. Bethany Osborne, Ms. Archana Medhekar and Dr. Purnima George that have been translated into Hindi so that a wider audience can access them. The book is a freely accessible educational resource to be used in training with social work and legal practitioners.

The translated case studies in this document are real life stories of immigrant women who have experienced domestic violence in Canada. The cases emerged from closed legal case files handled by Archana Medhekar Law Office and reflect the stories …

"We Had To Rely On Each Other": Voices Of Latinx Foster Youth With Experiences In Care With Siblings, Isabella B. Ginsberg

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

Relationships between members of sibling groups have been found to impact well-being for children who enter foster care (Herrick & Piccus, 2005). Being placed in stranger foster care is often challenging and can be traumatic with children reporting confusion, worry, and loss of identity and sense of belonging (Herrick & Piccus, 2005, Unrau et al, 2008). While there is some research that explores the experiences of siblings groups in foster care and others separately that examines Latinx children in foster care, there is very little information that looks into the potentially unique experiences of Latinx individuals who were in care …

Domestic Violence In Immigrant Communities: Case Studies (Brazilian Portuguese), Ferzana Chaze, Bethany Osborne, Archana Medhekar, Purnima George

Books

This document contains excerpts from the book Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities: Case Studies by Dr. Ferzana Chaze, Dr. Bethany Osborne, Ms. Archana Medhekar and Dr. Purnima George that have been translated into Brazilian Portuguese so that a wider audience can access them. The book is a freely accessible educational resource to be used in training with social work and legal practitioners.

The translated case studies in this document are real life stories of immigrant women who have experienced domestic violence in Canada. The cases emerged from closed legal case files handled by Archana Medhekar Law Office and reflect the …

Domestic Violence In Immigrant Communities: Case Studies (Punjabi), Ferzana Chaze, Bethany Osborne, Archana Medhekar, Purnima George

Books

This document contains excerpts from the book Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities: Case Studies by Dr. Ferzana Chaze, Dr. Bethany Osborne, Ms. Archana Medhekar and Dr. Purnima George that have been translated into Punjabi so that a wider audience can access them. The book is a freely accessible educational resource to be used in training with social work and legal practitioners.

The translated case studies in this document are real life stories of immigrant women who have experienced domestic violence in Canada. The cases emerged from closed legal case files handled by Archana Medhekar Law Office and reflect the stories …

Life Through The Eyes Of An Undocumented Immigrant In The United States, Yesenia Torres

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research project focused on how undocumented immigrants experience their lives in the United States, taking in mind the multiple barriers that prevent them from integrating into the community. This research project surveyed the California State University of San Bernardino School of Social Work students who work or engage with undocumented immigrants. A positivism paradigm research design was used to obtain quantitative data of participant's knowledge of immigrants' past and present experiences while living in the United States. The study's goal was to bring mental health awareness to the well-being and emotional experiences during the resettlement and acculturation of undocumented …

Domestic Violence In Immigrant Communities: Case Studies (Arabic), Ferzana Chaze, Bethany Osborne, Archana Medhekar, Purnima George

Book

This document contains excerpts from the book Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities: Case Studies by Dr. Ferzana Chaze, Dr. Bethany Osborne, Ms. Archana Medhekar and Dr. Purnima George that have been translated into Arabic so that a wider audience can access them. The book is a freely accessible educational resource to be used in training with social work and legal practitioners.

The translated case studies in this document are real life stories of immigrant women who have experienced domestic violence in Canada. The cases emerged from closed legal case files handled by Archana Medhekar Law Office and reflect the stories …

Mediating Effects Of Foster Care Experiences On Employment And Educational Outcomes In Aged Out Former Foster Youth, John Campbell

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The economic well-being outcomes of youth who are removed from foster care status due to reaching the age of ineligibility (i.e., age out) is an important issue in public health and social work. This study investigated the interrelation between simultaneously embodying both a sex and race/ethnicity (i.e., intersectional identity), circumstances experienced through age 19 (i.e., foster care experiences), and economic well-being indicators at age 21, using secondary administrative data from a 4-year longitudinal study (N = 4657). In terms of intersectional identity, findings indicated that intersectional identity was directly related to employment and postsecondary education outcomes. In terms of foster …

Domestic Violence In Immigrant Communities: Breaking The Cycle, Ferzana Chaze, Bethany Osborne, Archana Medhekar, Purnima George

Dissemination Event

Dr. Ferzana Chaze and Dr. Bethany Osborne, and their fellow authors family lawyer Archana Medhekar, and Dr. Purnima George, Ryerson University discuss their recently published book Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities: Case Studies. This book opens up an important conversation about the impact of domestic violence within immigrant communities and seeks solutions for how the social service and justice sectors can work more effectively to support vulnerable immigrant women and their families.

In this webinar they are joined by an exciting panel of experts, to discuss the importance and relevance of the topic, and possible next steps in breaking the …

Promote Healing And Restore Lives: Clinicians’ Reflections On Their Experiences In Working With Survivors Of Trafficking, Brittany Burch

McNair Scholars Research

Humans are shaped by their personal beliefs, values, and individual philosophies of life. Personal ideologies of humanitarian aid can root a deep desire to provide help and assistance to the vulnerable within our community. This desire often manifests itself specifically in clinicians seeking to provide healing, hope, and restoration in the lives of women and men. (Thullesen, 2019). Human trafficking is a prominent human rights and social justice issue that is embedded within our society. This study focused on clinicians’ experiences and perspectives in working with victims of human trafficking.

The data was collected through interviews of clinicians working directly …

Domestic Violence In Immigrant Communities: Case Studies (Spanish), Ferzana Chaze, Bethany Osborne, Archana Medhekar, Purnima George

Book

This document contains excerpts from the book Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities: Case Studies by Dr. Ferzana Chaze, Dr. Bethany Osborne, Ms. Archana Medhekar and Dr. Purnima George that have been translated into Spanish so that a wider audience can access them. The book is a freely accessible educational resource to be used in training with social work and legal practitioners.

The translated case studies in this document are real life stories of immigrant women who have experienced domestic violence in Canada. The cases emerged from closed legal case files handled by Archana Medhekar Law Office and reflect the stories …

Domestic Violence In Immigrant Communities: Case Studies, Ferzana Chaze, Bethany Osborne, Archana Medhekar, Purnima George

Books & Chapters

“Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities: Case Studies” is a freely accessible eCampus Ontario Pressbook containing case studies of immigrant women experiencing domestic violence to be used as educational materials. The contents were created by analysing closed legal case files of 15 immigrant women living in Ontario who experienced domestic violence. The comprehensive case studies that emerged from this research present domestic violence experienced by immigrant women in all its complexity, highlighting their unique vulnerability at the intersections of race, gender and immigration status. The book also highlights the different legal processes that these women encounter in seeking justice and the …

Clinical Preparedness Of Clinicians For Lgbt Clients, Martin Rojas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study used surveys to measure the clinical competency of clinicians and their clinical preparedness, attitudes, knowledge of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clients using an exploratory quantitative research design. The purpose of the research was to assess clinician knowledge, preparedness, and attitudes to identify to what extent further training is needed to work effectively with the LGBT population. Data was collected from seventy-eight participants from southern California. Findings were that clinicians’ knowledge regarding LGBT clients was high, attitudes were open towards this population, and preparedness was also relatively high. Comparisons between LGBT participants and other participants, social workers …

The Social Construction Of Arab Identity In The U.S.: The Historical Complicity And The Modern Responsibility Of Social Work, Suhad Tabahi, Jacob Bucher

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper presents the sociopolitical experiences of early Arab migrants in the United States (U.S.) and the process of contradictory and socially constructed racial categorizations favoring white supremacy. While there is much discourse of the racial formation of Arab immigrants since 9-11, the actual racial project started in the early twentieth century, through varies entities including the social work profession where the “othering” process of early Arabs Americans existed in social welfare practice. Examples of the pejorative attitudes towards Arab immigrants from the early social work discourse are examined through proceedings from the National Conference on Social Welfare (NCSW) in …

Social Work’S Contribution To Research Regarding Suicide Among African Americans, Darius Reed

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Suicide among African Americans has increased significantly in the past 15 years, yet it remains a neglected topic in social work research. Social workers are the largest direct provider of mental health services in the United States. However their valuable person-in-environment perspective has not been incorporated into research to provide insight on ways to decrease incidents of suicide among African Americans. This systematic review examines social work’s contribution to suicide research while focusing on the social context in which African Americans live. The systematic review also examines protective factors specific to African Americans that can be used to mitigate suicide …

“Navigating The Impact Of Trauma In The Classroom: An Analysis Of The Trauma-Informed Care In Three Alternative Public Schools”, Hanna Mcwilliams

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Trauma-informed care is a growing strengths-based model in the world of social and human services that focuses on understanding past trauma to create sustainability and build a strong relationship between the client and service provider. Though it is used in various types of agencies, this thesis focuses on the implementation of the trauma-informed care model within three alternative public schools in three cities. The trauma-informed care model is used specifically in public school systems’ alternative schools to influence success for children who have experienced behavioral issues within traditional school settings in light of the consideration that these issues may have …

Can The Lifeworld Save Us From Neoliberal Governmentality? Social Work, Critical Theory, And Habermas, Stephanie A. Bryson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Two years have passed since the 2016 election of Donald J. Trump, and U.S. social work is revisiting its radical stirrings and grappling with its conservative moorings. In this paper, I will argue that as U.S. social work appraises the adequacy of its intellectual leaders, the cultural relevance of its practice models, and its stance toward the Enlightenment ideals of reason, truth, and justice, it might usefully re-examine its relationship to the critical theory legacy of the Frankfurt School, especially the thinking of Jürgen Habermas. My goal is in this essay is to suggest ways in which Habermasian thinking could …

Social Work Crisis Interventions With Traumatic Death Survivors In Medical Settings, Sabrina R. Spencer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traumatic death survivors are an at-risk population that could benefit from social work interventions. This action research study explored social work perspectives on crisis practice with traumatic death survivors in acute medical settings. The research questions focused on whether early crisis interventions by social workers would benefit traumatic death survivors, which interventions were recommended in crisis practice with this population, the potential effects of repeated trauma exposure on the social workers providing the crisis interventions, and recommendations to manage this professional exposure to trauma. The purpose of the study was to explore social work perspectives on potential benefits of crisis …

Exploring Social Worker Knowledge, Conceptualization, And Use Of Cultural Humility In Hospice, Shelby L. Schiller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This capstone project examined social workers’ knowledge, values, and beliefs as related to the concept of cultural humility to determine how hospice care professionals treat patients’ cultural preferences and traditions with respect and sensitivity at the end of life; as such practices have the ability to improve the hospice experience. Research questions addressed in the study (a) how social workers in Nevada define cultural humility in the context of hospice social work practice, (b) the values or principles hospice social workers in Nevada consider most important in providing culturally appropriate care to hospice patients, and (c) the ways hospice social …

Processing Youth Adventure Wellness Experiences: Poetic Representations Of Youth’S Peace Bus Experiences, Ty Th Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This narrative inquiry explored how youth are processing their Peace Bus program experiences two and a half years after program completion. The purpose was to gain an understanding of (1) what program components the participants reflect on, (2) how they conceptualize their program experiences, and (3) what factors contribute to their reflection processes. This research sought to address the gap in literature where little is understood about the ongoing experiences of program participants of adventure wellness programs and the processes that lead to positive changes. As the researcher, I conducted a qualitative study using narrative inquiry and poetic representation methods. …

Their Sorrow, Their Story: The Lived Experience Of Individuals Impacted By The Death Of Special Forces Members In The 1996 Black Hawk Accident, Marion Ann Smyth

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

On the 12 June 1996, the Australian Special Forces were conducting night-time counterterrorism training when two Black Hawk helicopters transporting Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) troops collided mid-air. Eighteen personnel were killed, including members from the elite SASR and crew from the 5th Aviation Regiment. In the aftermath of this accident a charity, the Special Air Service Resources Trust, was established to provide ongoing support to the dependants of those killed. This trust is now the Special Air Service Resources Fund (SASRF), and it continues to support the dependants of those killed and the injured from the accident.

There is …

Shortage Of Licensed Independent Social Workers With The Training Supervision Designation, Justa Link

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a shortage of Licensed Independent Social Workers with the Training Supervision Designation (LISW-S) in a county in rural Ohio. If there are not enough LISW-Ss, social workers may not have the ability or opportunity to work independently or gain the supervision needed to become more competent in specific areas of practice. The purpose of this project was to gain a better understanding of why some social workers in rural Ohio decide not to pursue an LISW-S credential, as well as whether there are resources or incentives that might prompt individuals to pursue this credential. This action research project …

Muslim Veiled Women And Religious Discrimination: A Strength Perspective, Aishath Shizleen

Theses : Honours

The word ‘Islamophobia’ has gained and continues to gain wider currency in both the academic and public sphere. In the recent years, there has been an increase in literature focusing on Muslims and their experiences living in Western societies. It has been established that religious discrimination impacts negatively on self-esteem, mental wellbeing and one’s sense of identity. However, there is little research focusing on Muslim veiled women in particular even though it has been established that people who are visibly Muslim are more vulnerable to religious discrimination. This phenomenological study explored the lived experience of Muslim veiled women from South …

Fostering Forever Families: Implementing Trauma-Based Interventions In Diverse Settings, Natalie Higgs

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Within the past few decades, there has been a concern for adoptive parents to be able to attach and connect with their adoptive children. For many adoptive or foster families, behavioral issues arise that can disrupt placements. Also, a lack of attachment between adoptive parents and their adopted children can lead to a dissolution of adoption and can also traumatize the child even more than he/she might already be. Attachment and behavioral problems are not just with adoptive families either; the problems are also with foster families and children who have experienced trauma. To help correct behavioral issues and prevent …