Social Work Commons^™

Homelessness: Relationships Between Program Completion At A Transformational Shelter And Mental Illness, Substance Abuse, And Trauma, Richard T. Mccutcheon

Theses & Dissertations

Each and every evening many people do not have a home to return to. Solving the epidemic problem of homelessness is an ongoing pursuit. Analyzing issues related to homelessness will help solve the problem of homelessness for some individuals and families. Data was gathered, prioritized and analyzed to determine correlations and relationships between completion of a transformational shelter’s program and mental illness, substance abuse, and trauma. Demographic variables were assessed as well. A person is more likely to complete the program if they have a substance abuse issue. Females are more likely than males to complete the program. Program completion …

Analysis Of The Real World Application Of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy For The Treatment Of Complex Trauma, Marie Elaine

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The focus of this research was to gain a better understanding of the challenges of working with clients who have experienced severe or chronic trauma. The conceptual framework used for this research project is based on neurologically informed attachment theory as it is presented by Daniel J. Siegel in his book Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology: An Integrative Handbook of the Mind (2012). The sample consisted of five professional mental health therapists who currently work with clients in the treatment of trauma. All participants also completed the Level I Trauma Training for Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. This sample of therapists reported …

The Well-Embodied Professional: Attitudes Around Integrating Massage Therapy & Psychotherapy When Treating Trauma, Deborah S. Frank

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Immediate and long-term effects of trauma result in mental, emotional, and physical symptoms that ultimately can inhibit normal daily functioning and cause dissociation and disorganized attachment. Previous studies highlight effective strategies in cognitive and physiological approaches to treating trauma. However, limited research has been found in the area of integrative approaches that include the use of touch. This qualitative study examines the professional attitudes around the integration of massage therapy and psychotherapy into a sound clinical practice for treating trauma. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five massage therapists and five licensed independent clinical social workers from Minnesota, all having clinical …

Walking Two Worlds: Healing From Trauma In The American Indian Community, Sierra R. Asamoa-Tutu

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

American Indian populations are known to be affected by high rates of trauma, including the impact and perpetuating effects of historical trauma. In an effort to better understand effective ways of healing from trauma, this study explores the methods utilized by American Indian people to facilitate healing, specifically from symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Qualitative interviews were used to collect the stories and experiences of eight practitioners working with American Indian clients as they relate to the use of traditional healing practices and use of Western mental health services. Findings revealed four themes that are consistent with prior research, and yet …

Disorganized Attachment And Trauma In Children, Anya K. Esch

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Children who experience trauma often experience a disruption in the formation of attachment with their primary caregiver. This research aims to address how this disruption may lead to attachment disorders in children, and what developmental challenges children exposed to trauma may face. Using a qualitative interview case study of a children’s’ mental health professional, this study examines the impact of trauma on attachment, based on the experiences of this clinician. This study set out to investigate what treatment methods are currently used to treat children with histories of trauma and attachment disorders. From the qualitative interview 4 main themes were …

Cultural Coping Strategies And Their Connection To Grief Therapy Modalities For Children: An Investigation Into Current Knowledge And Practice, Philip D. . Kuehn

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Dealing with the death of a loved one can be a difficult time in the life of an individual, especially a child. In certain cases, adults and children can develop extreme grief responses as a result of this significant loss. An individual’s culture can play a major role in the way they understand and respond to the death of a loved one. To find out more information regarding the interplay between culture and grief responses, it was useful to interview professional grief therapists on this topic. These interviews sought to discern whether or not there was a useful connection between …

Mental Health Practitioners’ Views On Why Somatic Experiencing Works For Treating Trauma, Michelle C. Olssen

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Trauma is an issue that affects many people, and traditional trauma treatment techniques have fallen short of helping people to completely heal. The purpose of this project was to explore the views of mental health practitioners as to why Somatic Experiencing (SE) works in the treatment of trauma. Using a qualitative design, ten mental health practitioners currently utilizing SE techniques were interviewed about their experiences applying SE with trauma clients. Data was analyzed using content analysis and an inductive approach in which categories were first developed from the interview responses via open coding and then were linked to previous related …

Prevalence Of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) Among Child Service Providers, Nina Esaki, Heather Larkin Holloway

Social Welfare Faculty Scholarship

Despite increasing evidence in the public health field about the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the general population, little is known about the prevalence of ACEs among social service providers. Trauma backgrounds may influence both worker susceptibility to vicarious traumatization as well as clinical decision making. Similarly, individuals with trauma backgrounds are vulnerable to re-enactment of their history. With pressure on social service agencies to demonstrate successful client outcomes, it is critical that agencies explore factors that influence high-quality care. This exploratory study is the first investigation of ACE prevalence among workers in an agency that provides residential …

Impact Of Dual Disorders, Trauma, And Social Support On Quality Of Life Among Women In Treatment For Substance Dependence, Suzanne Brown, Min Kyoung Jun, Meeyoung Oh Min, Elizabeth M. Tracy

Social Work Faculty Publications

Objective Women with dual disorders report lower levels of social support than women with substance dependence alone, and lower levels of social support have been associated with lower quality of life among individuals with substance use disorders. However, little is known about the impact of trauma symptoms and violence exposure on quality of life for women with dual disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of dual disorders, trauma, and social support related to recovery on various domains of quality of life among women in substance abuse treatment.

Methods This study utilized multiple standardized measures and …

The Efficacy Of Aggression Replacement Training With Female Juvenile Offenders In A Residential Commitment Program, Jody Anne Erickson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Female adolescents are increasingly being charged with crimes of violence, and the literature is lacking as to how best to reduce their aggressive tendencies. In the past, girls represented a small portion of all youths involved in criminal justice systems, and studies involving effective treatment options for them were rarely conducted.

Aggression Replacement Training® is a 10-week, evidence-based, group treatment intervention designed to advance moral reasoning, improve social skills, and manage angry feelings. Numerous outcome studies of Aggression Replacement Training® with both offending and non-offending male adolescents and with male and female adolescents together have yielded mixed results. The question …

Agency Or Agencies? Catalysts Of Resilience In Drop-In Participants, Andy D. Bayer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this thesis, the factors that contribute to resilience are explored in a sample of participants who attend a food bank/clothing bank drop-in program in North Hamilton, Ontario. Resilience is defined as obtaining positive outcomes despite a level of risk to development. This thesis expands on the literature clarifying the concept of resilience. This thesis also contributes importantly to the smaller amount of literature on resilience in adults and older adults. Purposive sampling was used to obtain participants from the drop-in program at which the researcher volunteers. Phenomenology was utilized for this research, semi-structured interviews were used for data collection, …

An Exploration Of Social Supports And Cultural Traditions On The Development Of Posttraumatic Growth Among Adult Haitian Immigrants, Patricia L. Weldon

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The research objective was to explore how post-traumatic growth is expressed in Haitian immigrants and what role social supports and cultural traditions may play in the development of post-traumatic growth. Post-traumatic growth is defined by positive changes in one or more of five domains including; personal strengths, relating to others, appreciation of life, spirituality and life philosophy (Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2006). Conceptual frameworks of constructivism (Rodwell, 1998), strength based approach (Saleebey, 2000)and eco systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) were employed to guide the study.

Factors Affecting End Of Treatment Symptom Severity For Children Receiving Trauma-Informed Evidence-Based Treatment, Jessica G. Eslinger

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

The purpose of this project is to examine how the factors of gender, placement status, type of treatment, the number of different types of trauma experienced, and a child’s age at the start of treatment may influence end of treatment symptom severity scores for children ages 2-12 years who received trauma-informed evidence-based treatment for trauma. Method: Caregivers and children receiving outpatient services (N=134) completed the Child Behavioral Checklist, Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children, and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children-Alternate Version at baseline and end of treatment. Hypotheses were tested with a series of ANCOVA analyses, Independent t-Tests, …