Social Work Commons^™

Assessing Moral Injury And Existential Well-Being In Returning Servicemembers Using The Spiritual Attitudes Inventory - Revised (2010)., Leann E. Armes-Bruce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Military personnel returning from deployment often report a variety of distressing symptoms stemming from exposure to prolonged, extreme deployment stress, and traumatic experiences. In addition to reporting symptoms consistent with the diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, they are also known to report struggling with existential angst often leading to great despair and a sense of profound changes in the core of their being. While this phenomenon, referred to herein as Moral Injury, has traditionally received little attention, it is beginning to emerge as a potentially viable construct in practice and research and may assist in explaining the effects of war …

Impact Of Education On Poverty Reduction In Costa Rica: A Regional And Urban-Rural Analysis, Rafael Arias, Gregorio Giménez, Leonardo Sánchez

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

In this article, we analyze the relationship between levels of education and poverty for the different planning regions and also according to urban and rural areas. For the purposes of the study, we use the methodology of Unsatisfied Basic Needs (UBN) to measure poverty in a multidimensional way: access to decent shelter, access to health, access to knowledge, and access to other goods and services (consumption capacity). Based on empirical evidence that uses data from the Population Census of 2011, we conclude that achieving greater levels of education helps people from rural and urban areas and people living in the …

Volunteering In Oregon: Strengths And Opportunities In The Nonprofit Sector, Callie H. Lambarth, Lindsey Anne Cochran

Equity & Diversity

The Volunteering in Oregon (VIO) project, conducted in 2016 and commissioned by The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF), sought to explore key questions related to volunteering in Oregon among nonprofits in the state. The VIO project included a statewide electronic survey with a random sample of nonprofit organizations, an electronic survey with a convenience sample of volunteers within these nonprofits, interviews with representatives from nonprofit organizations, and three case studies based on a document review and key stakeholder interviews with representatives of each organization. Ultimately, the aim of the VIO project was to identify recommendations and action steps for how OCF …

Engaging Msw Students In Faculty Research: Students’ Perspectives Of Involvement In A Program Evaluation, Rebecca Thomas, Christina M. Chiarelli-Helminiak, Kyle Barrette, Brunilda Ferraj

Christine Chiarelli-Helminiak

Engaging social work students in research is challenging, in part, because of the way research is taught in the classroom and the need for learners to effectively develop connections between the “abstract world” of research concepts with the “real world” of professional experiences. This article describes the experiences of graduate social work students involved in a process and outcome evaluation of a community-based program. Analysis of student learning outcomes and the team-based model used to engage students in the evaluation are provided to put forth a paradigm of teaching social work research through direct, supervised, and collaborative engagement.

The Poet/Practitioner: A Paradigm For The Profession, Rich Furman, Carol L. Langer, Debra K. Anderson

Rich Furman

This article explores a new paradigm or model for the professional social worker: The poet/practitioner. The training and practice of the poet are congruent with many aspects of social work practice. An examination of the practice of the poet, and the congruence of these practices to social work, reveals a paradigm with the capacity to focus social workers on the essential values of our profession. This paradigm, which highlights the humanistic, creative, and socially conscience role of the social work practitioner, may be particularly important today given the medicalization of social problems and the conservitization of society.

Music Therapy Among The Elderly: What Social Workers Need To Know, Adriana Navarrete-Campos

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of music therapy among the elderly. This qualitative study utilized interviews as a means to extract themes from the experiences of music therapists who have provided music therapy to the elderly. Results were transcribed to written form. Qualitative analysis procedures were followed to identify themes and subthemes. Areas of particular interest to the social work profession were the emotional, social, physical, and mental benefits and challenges of music therapy among the elderly. Through the guidance of systems theory and the concept of holism, spiritual benefits and challenges were also …

Beliefs About Religion And Spirituality Among Social Workers, Aida Araceli Pelayo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The present study focused on the social workers perspectives regarding the integration of religion and spirituality in therapy. Understanding these components will expand the knowledge of social workers and it will enhance the therapeutic relationship among clients and clinicians. It also allows social workers to provide a comprehensive service to a multicultural and diverse population. In order to provide a holistic approach, social workers need to address the issues of clients through a biopsychosocial perspective that includes religion and spirituality. For the most part, religious and spiritual people use these components in their daily lives to cope with unanswerable questions …

The Perception Of Vicarious Trauma Among Master Of Social Work Students, Breyana De Sha Jackson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social workers are being sought out more often to treat traumatized individuals. In turn, social workers are at risk of vicarious traumatization. Vicarious trauma is a form of indirect trauma that may occur by working with traumatized clients. Master of Social Work (MSW) students should be educated on vicarious trauma as they will have many responsibilities when they begin their work in the field; including treating traumatized individuals. Education on vicarious trauma could lessen the risks of experiencing the pathology. The purpose of this study is to explore the perception of vicarious trauma among MSW students. Sixty-seven students from the …

Social Workers Perspectives Of The Protective And Risk Factors That Affect Youth In The Juvenile Justice System And Child Welfare System, Guadalupe Citlalli Torres, Victoria Vanesa Mariscal

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Youth who have experienced maltreatment and the dysfunction of multiple placements are at risk of engaging in delinquent behaviors. Studies from various professionals found specific risk and protective factors that affect youth from being involved in the juvenile justice system. The current study adds significantly literature by identifying the risk and protective factors that affect foster youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice system based on social workers perspectives. The results indicate almost 93% of the participants agreed that multiple placements, 74% agreed that physical abuse, 61% agreed that group homes, and 67% agreed that sexual abuse serve as …

Suicide Attempts From Adolescence Into Young Adulthood: A System Dynamics Perspective For Intervention And Prevention, Saras Yu Chung

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though the reduction of suicide-related deaths has been a national priority for over a decade (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001) and over $22 million per year (National Institutes of Health, 2015) have been invested to prevent suicide, rates of suicide have not declined (CDC, 2012). In fact, for some groups of adolescents, these rates seem to be on the ride (Wasserman, Cheng, & Jiang, 2005). The ineffectiveness in reducing deaths by suicide despite increased funding and coordinated efforts suggests the need for a new perspective on examining why and how adolescents begin to desire and attempt suicide …

An Exploratory Study: How Do Licensed Social Workers Approach Complex End-Of-Life Conversations With Patients, Families And Physicians, Angela Mueller

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This paper adds to the growing body of literature in social work research by exploring how social workers' facilitate complex end-of-life conversations with patients, families and physicians. Limited research, and practice efforts have focused on end-of-life care and social work involvement. Importance and perceptions of healthcare proxy/advanced directives use have been previously examined to understand social workers' expanding role in end-of-life planning. Findings from this study have illustrated the approaches social workers use within complex end-of-life conversations which span across patients and their families, their physicians and the greater population. Processes that were found, although variable, were cohesive within areas …

Systematic Review: Social Work School Interventions For Food Accessibility Among Impoverished Children, Rebecca Christensen

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Mothers and children from impoverished families discuss the continuous sacrifices related to food insecurity. Sacrifices like trade-offs can lead to attention of a family’s immediate needs like food but these often come with the cost or sacrifice of other long term needs such as a means of income. Working with children and their families in attending to the underlying causes for their food insecurity may not only help to alleviate their immediate but also their long term needs in maintaining a standard of living. This systematic literature review was designed to investigate the research question: What interventions are being taken …

Implementation And Utilization Of Alternative Interventions In Hospice, Kayle Jo Dietrich

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Lost In Translation: Social Workers’ Perceptions Of The Benefits And Challenges Of Spoken Language Interpretation In Medical Settings, Flora Hsu

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

With the increasing number of foreign born individuals in the United States, the usage of spoken language interpretation is also increasing in order to provide equal and quality services for patients with limited English proficiency. Understanding the dynamics of working with interpretation is important in order to achieve best practice for social workers. The purpose of this study is to explore the social workers’ perception of spoken language interpretation use in a medical setting. The study examines the amount of interpretation usage and the different type of interpretation usage. The study also explores the satisfaction of the interpretations’ performance in …

A Synthesis Of E-Therapy In Social Work: An Ecological Perspective, Caitlin Hurley

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this research is to explore how empirical studies surrounding e-therapy may affect the social work profession from an ecological perspective. Technology has played an important role in expanding contemporary society’s ability to connect to one another. Currently, there is a significant number of people who are in need of mental health services but do not have access for a variety of reasons such as lack of local resources, financial issues, or simply the stigma surrounding seeking mental health treatment. This review explores eleven quantitative research articles in an effort to determine who is being treated with online …

Exploring Shame Within The Supervisory Relationship, Kendra Holloway

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The importance for supervisors to approach shame in their supervisees is outlined in the research, as well as methods that supervisors can utilize to promote shame resiliency in supervisees. The purpose of this study was to gain knowledge about shame within the supervisory relationship from a social work perspective, as this topic has been primarily examined through the field of psychology. This qualitative study of five LICSW supervisors served to educate the social work community, both supervisors and supervisees, about the concept of shame in supervision and the perceived best ways of approaching it. The findings formed into seven themes …

Mindfulness Meditation As A Self-Care Practice In Social Work, Aneesha Kelly, Ifeoma Okolo

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Self-care is an important aspect in social work practice, and mindfulness meditation can be used to reduce stress, provide a sense of calmness and increase awareness. Since the benefits of using mindfulness meditation as a form of self-care for social workers has been minimally studied, this research focused on whether mindfulness meditation could have a positive impact on self-care for social workers. This study used mixed methods of data collection and a single subject design methodology using the researchers as the subjects. Pre and post test data on self-care measures were analyzed following a 6 week mindfulness intervention period. Data …

Preventing Burnout: An Exploration Of Social Workers’ Challenges And Coping Strategies, Lawren Rohling

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

In this systematic review, the researcher synthesized literature regarding the stressors and de-stressors that social workers endure in their careers. Using SocINDEX, PsycINFO, and Social Work Abstracts, 13 studies meeting criteria for the review were then analyzed. Themes identified included: stressors coming from the work place, coping strategies that social workers use to deal with their stress, symptoms from stress, social workers working with children having more stress than those working with adults, and reasons why social workers do not quit their jobs. The studies included in this review found several main reasons for stress and ways to cope with …

Compassion Fatigue And Educational Preparation Among Mississippi Child Welfare Workers, Meredith D. Mcphail

Honors Theses

The prevalence of trauma among youth involved with the child welfare system affects not only these individuals but also child welfare service providers, namely social workers, who experience this trauma indirectly through interaction with the children. This exposure places service providers at risk for compassion fatigue, in which these workers themselves experience trauma symptoms or are less able to complete job tasks. It is especially important to address the issues of negative personal reactions among this population in order to best care for social service workers in Mississippi and identify strategies to effectively improve Mississippi’s child welfare system. As such, …

Transnational Terrorism, Kylie E. Faxon, Daejanna Preston, Amanda Stables, Sarah Powazki

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The goal of this presentation is to review the literature regarding transnational terrorism. We hope to identify four aspects of terrorism within the United States, the Middle East and Nigeria. We will explore homeland attacks and recruitment in the United States, the Middle East as an active site of terrorist origins, and Nigeria where the terrorist group Boko Haram has violated the country’s safety and rights. First we will look at the history of terrorism and its origins. Second, we will discuss the environmental and psychological factors that lead to the formation of terrorist groups and the goals behind their …

Evaluating Interprofessional Fast Forward Rounds For Transition Of Care Education, Laura Cummings, Ashley J. Smith, Mike Pelyhes, Zachary Jenkins, Phillip L. Thornton, Maurice Lee, William Matcham

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Background: Interprofessional Education is gaining recognition by key pharmacy organizations for its value in healthcare education, producing various models for implementation among healthcare students and professionals. Unfolding cases incorporating transitions of care may improve student skills and attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration.

Objectives: This project assessed the efficacy of unfolding cases in improving interprofessional skills and attitudes among pharmacy, nursing, and social work students. The ultimate goal is to integrate this model, if proven effective, into the curricula of multiple health science centers.

Methodology: First, pharmacy, nursing, and social work students completed a pre-intervention survey regarding interprofessional skills and attitudes before …

Sow 3203 Intro To Social Work, Penne Williams

Service-Learning Syllabi

No abstract provided.

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.

Victimization Of The Homeless: The Role Of Public Perceptions And Implications For Social Work Practice, Marion Murray, Simon Funge, Jay Gabbard

Social Work Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Realizing The Human Right To Community Living For People With Disabilities: Challenges For Social Work In France And The United States, Nancy R. Mudrick, Béatrice Schmitt

Social Work - All Scholarship

Adults with disabilities have often been segregated and socially isolated in institutions, unable to choose their living circumstances. Disability rights laws enacted in France (2005) and the U.S. (1990) identify self-determination and community living as rights. However, with the same goal, the implementation structure of the laws is different. This poster summarizes our study that (1) assesses facilitators and barriers to inclusion in community living by examining the laws and their implementation in France and the U.S. and (2) examines how the aims for community living have affected the roles of social workers in each country. The analysis uses published …

The Politics Of Women’S Reproductive Health, Kori Bloomquist, Allison Gibson

Winthrop Faculty and Staff Publications

This presentation will focus on the politics of women’s reproductive health in the state of South Carolina and beyond. The presenters will discuss legislation aimed at restricting a woman’s access to safe services as well as the role of vital reproductive health, sex education, and general health care information in empowering clients and communities. Issues of health and well‐being as well as social justice will be explored.

Frederic Siedenburg, Sj: The Journey Of A Social Activist, Edward Gumz

Edward J. Gumz

This is an archival study of Frederic Siedenburg, SJ, a Jesuit, who founded the first Catholic-Jesuit School of Social Work in the United States at Loyola University of Chicago in 1914. This study examines the multi-faceted career of this sociologist who served at two Catholic universities from 1914 through the 1930s when Progressivism and the New Deal in the United States were attempts to deal with social reform; the Catholic Church, in a variety of ways, responded to these reform efforts. Siedenburg espoused Catholic social teaching and attempted to carry out its tenets within a Catholic context as an educator …

An Exploration Of Home-Based Therapists’ Supervisory Experiences: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Cherre Camper

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

In-home family therapy has become one of the most common options of treatment for providing services to families who do not typically utilize a private clinic (Lawson, 2005; Reiter, 2000; Yorgason, McWey, & Felts, 2005). Researchers have given some attention to the topic of home-based therapy and to general supervision, but little attention has focused on the actual supervision experiences of home-based therapy providers. This phenomenological study explored the supervision experiences of seven past and current in-home therapists: marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and social workers (MSWs). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants, and data was analyzed to develop …

Factors Associated With Primary Care Providers' Willingness To Deliver Routine And Transition Care To Transgender Individuals, Deirdre Aisling Shires

Wayne State University Dissertations

Transgender individuals report being denied healthcare services, but very little is known about primary care providers’ (PCP) willingness to deliver either routine or transition care to the transgender community. The purpose of this study is to examine PCP willingness to deliver routine care, continue a hormone therapy (HT) regimen initiated by another provider, and initiate HT for transgender patients using a theoretical framework informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior and Intergroup Contact Theory. The study sample was all family medicine, internal medicine, and women’s health providers in a large integrated Midwestern health system. Eligible participants were emailed a unique …

Engaging Msw Students In Faculty Research: Students’ Perspectives Of Involvement In A Program Evaluation, Rebecca Thomas, Christina M. Chiarelli-Helminiak, Kyle Barrette, Brunilda Ferraj

Social Work (Graduate) Faculty Publications

Engaging social work students in research is challenging, in part, because of the way research is taught in the classroom and the need for learners to effectively develop connections between the “abstract world” of research concepts with the “real world” of professional experiences. This article describes the experiences of graduate social work students involved in a process and outcome evaluation of a community-based program. Analysis of student learning outcomes and the team-based model used to engage students in the evaluation are provided to put forth a paradigm of teaching social work research through direct, supervised, and collaborative engagement.