Social Work Commons^™

Society's Response To A Social Ignominy - Unmarried Adolescent Mothers: A Policy Analysis Of Welfare Reform Legislation For Parenting Or Pregnant Minors, Monica J. Rudawski

Theses and Graduate Projects

Adolescent pregnancy continues to rise in the western world, as does the poverty in which these young women and their children live. Proposed policies responding to unmarried pregnant or parenting adolescents include "The Personal Responsibility Act", "The GOP Iradership Welfare Reform Bill', "The Real Welfare Reform Act", and "The Welfare and Teenage Pregnancy Reduction Act". The purpose of this study is to analyze proposed legislation for welfare reform in the state of Minnesota. This legislation is designed to restructure Aid to Families with Dependent Children guidelines as they relate to pregnant and parenting minors. Results of the analysis indicate that …

Expansiontrends In Wisconsin Dairying: Evidence From The 1994 Atffi Dairy Farmer Poll, B. Barham, F. Buttel, J. Mcnichol, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, S. Wood

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

For several years there have been growing concerns about the long-run decline of farm incomes and the future viability of the dairy industry in Wisconsin. These problems are sometimes attributed to declining milk prices, and indeed the average milk price per hundredweight received by Wisconsin farmers has declined by over 40 percent since 1980 when inflation is taken into account. But there is now little optimism that the long-term decline of milk prices can be reversed. There is virtually no chance that the 1995 Farm Bill will raise the federal support price for milk products, and if anything there may …

Assessing Crime Victim Satisfaction With Probation Services, Janet L. Isaacson

Theses and Graduate Projects

The field of Community Corrections has been mainly focused on identifying the needs and wants of the offender and the safety of the community. As the voices of crime victims are getting louder in the criminal justice system, probation departments are evaluating how to improve response to victim needs. A new framework that is being implemented in Community Corrections to meet those needs is a model called Restorative Justice. This model incorporates services to the offender, the victim, and the community.

A pilot project which offered specific victim services was developed out of the restorative justice concept through the Community …

Interventions With Older Adults With Hoarding Behaviors Living In "Garbage Houses", Henry J. Schoonover

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore what interventions are being used on older adults living in what are described as "garbage houses." This study interviewed seven human service professionals to find how they intervened, what techniques they used, and what theoretical orientations influenced their intervention choices. With the help of articles in the literature and the findings from the respondents interviewed in this study, a hypothesis was developed emphasizing the systems perspective and problem solving method to establish a theoretical construct for an intervention. The intervention recommended would vary according to the individual client's need, but include short …

Evaluation Of The Crisis Intervention Program In A Family Preservation Services Agency, Mary Lou Kley

Theses and Graduate Projects

This is an investigative and evaluative study of a Crisis Intervention Program, part of Family Preservation Services. It is in response to issues concerning the effectiveness of Family Preservation Services and how that effectiveness is measured. An inductive analysis of case records was performed to gain a better understanding of factors which contributed to putting families at risk of placing children out of the home, what interventions were used that seemed to benefit most, and the experiences and techniques of the crisis intervention workers that seemed most helpful in resolving family crises. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from in-take …

Client Satisfaction With Transition Services Provided By Hennepin County, Services For Persons With Disabilities, Julie Zinski

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to explore client satisfaction with transition services provided through Hennepin County, Services for Persons with Disabilities. Historically, few studies have been conducted in the literature that address satisfaction of people with disabilities in the services they receive. Without this important element in developing and implementing new programs, complete success cannot be achieved.

In this study, individuals who were receiving services through the program for a period of six months or more, and were between the ages of 18 and 23, were selected to be contacted by mail to participate in an interview. The study …

Case Manager's Perceptions Of The Use And Effectiveness Of Sanctions In The Stride Program, Suzanne Hansen

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study explores the perceptions that case managers have regarding the use and effectiveness of sanctions in the STRIDE program. STRIDE is Minnesota's welfare reform effort which came out of the federal Family Support Act of 1 988. Ninety-four case managers through out Minnesota were surveyed. Participants shared their views on the purpose and results of sanctions with mandated school attenders. Participants also shared ideas for alternative approaches to sanctioning. A review of the literature explored theories of motivation, learned helplessness and social obligation which provide a foundation for the study. The effectiveness, advantages and disadvantages of mandatory welfare programs …

A Program To Facilitate, Integrate, And Transform Masculinity And Femininity In Teachers To Enhance Wholeness And Creativity, Gwenneth A. Litke

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this paper is to provide school social workers with a program to facilitate the integration of teachers' masculine and feminine dimensions. Any changes in teachers will have an effect on students' wholeness and broader implications within the school. The program focuses on the integral role of one's family in nurturing or limiting the psychological characteristics of masculinity and femininity. Strategies are provided to increase creativity, enhance learning for students, and decrease gender stereotyping. The program offers personal and professional growth to teachers in an effort to provide a more creative and energetic learning environment for students.

Development Of A Workshop For Older Adult Volunteers Using A Life Strengths Guide With Clients, Karen A. Strom

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to develop a training workshop that teaches older adult volunteers about a Life Strengths Interview Guide that can be used when working with clients. The framework of the workshop focuses on Erik Erikson's life cycle theory with a strengths perspective. The interview guide is divided into eight sections that relate to Erikson's eight psychosocial stages of life. Each section contains questions related to a specific stage in life and is intended to get the client talking about the strengths that are found in these specific areas of his or her life. The workshop is …

Homeless African-American Familtes And Transitional Housing : An Ecological Perspective, Sandra Coleman

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this exploratory/descriptive study is to explore the variables associated with the uderrepresentation of African-American families in Minneapolis transitional housing programs. This underrepresentation is notable given the fact that African-American families were overrepresented in Twin City Metro Area emergency shelters. The Twin City Metro Area includes the city of Minneapolis. Lastly, homeless single parent families headed by women are the fastest growing segment within the homeless population, and urban homeless families are disproportionately African-Americans. The methodology involves conducting phone interviews with key informants from the Minneapolis transitional housing community. The collected data will cover three categories: (1) 1994 …

Minneapolis Kinship Mentoring Program: A Descriptive And Exploratory Study, Susan J. Kramer

Theses and Graduate Projects

Children are growing up with a diminished level of adult contact that affects their social and emotional well-being. Structured adult-to-youth mentoring programs provide stable, caring adult mentors for youth in need of additional adult support. This qualitative study describes the Kinship Program, its program population and explores the nature of mentoring relationships between children and mentors from the Minneapolis Kinship Program. For this thesis, personal interviews were conducted with parents whose children were matched with mentors from the Kinship Program. Fourteen interviews were completed; this was a 47 percent response rate. Interview results indicated that parents believed mentors developed trust …

School Social Workers' Perceptions Of Their Role In Preventing And Eliminating Discrimination Toward Gay, Lesbian And Bisexual Students, Jennifer E. Corniea

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this research was to explore school social workers' perceptions of their role in advocating for and providing services to gay, lesbian and bisexual students. The focus of the research was on Minnesota school social workers who were working in a school(s) which served any grade between sixth and twelfth. The research design included both qualitative and quantitative methods. A survey was developed and distributed to 250 school social workers in Minnesota. Ninety-eight of those who were eligible for the research elected to participate. Findings indicate that school social workers assume a variety of roles within the school …

The Use Of Adoption As An Expedient Foster Care Permanency Plan, Wendy G. Cook

Theses and Graduate Projects

The number of children in foster care continues to rise despite an emphasis on permanency planning in the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-272). Adoption, one type of permanency, is identified as the plan for 15% of children in foster care throughout the U.S., according to the American Public Welfare Association. Individual states, however, may differ greatly from the national figure. This study was undertaken to assess state efforts to use adoption as a permanency plan. Surveys of data across years 1988-1993 were sent to 51 state foster care system supervisors (each of the 50 states …

The Relationship Between Service Utilization And Psychiatric Hospitalization Among People Diagnosed With Borderline Personality Disorder, Craig S. Schwalbe

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory study was conducted to determine the relationship between service utilization and the psychiatric hospitalization among people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Secondary analysis was performed on the case files of 12 female adult clients of a rural county social service mental health department who are diagnosed with BPD. Results indicate that service utilization by this population is comparable regardless of time spent in acute psychiatric hospitals. Results further indicate that history of childhood sexual abuse was a predictor of hospitalization in this sample. A replication of this study which utilizes multiple methods is recommended. Implications for direct …

An Exploration Of Nursing Home Social Workers' Training And Support Networks In The Area Of Death And Grief, Gena Du Bois

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory study was formulated for the purpose of collecting data to define and substantiate the phenomenon of "Grieve out," coined by Dick Obershaw of Burnsville, Minnesota. "Grieve out" will be defined as ...emotional investment...staff invests and never divest of the relationship" upon the death of the resident. The definition of burnout will be discussed as it is not dissimilar to "grieve out." This thesis is based on Doka's theories of disenfranchised grief. Bowlby's attachment and loss theory, and Vachon's occupational stress theory. It is based on these theorists that this work will focus on boundaries. supportive networks, and specific …

The Degree Of Agreement In Defining Child Maltreatment Among Hennepin County Child Protection Workers In Minnesota, Emily Sprague Ryan

Theses and Graduate Projects

State laws set broad and vague limits on defining child maltreatment. Varying interpretations may occur between communities and within communities when defining maltreatment. The purpose of this study was to describe how consistent social workers at Hennepin County child protection define child maltreatment. The study analyzed any differences among the workers through examining background of the worker. The study involved an anonymous survey of 160 workers. The study findings indicated that workers were inconsistent 50% of the time The study was inconclusive in determining if position, race, age, years in social work, or years in current position changed perceptions of …

Women Surviving Traumatic Brain Injury, Wendy N. Gomez

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory study is to determine the effects of traumatic brain injuries on the lives of women, based on self-report. This research consisted of face to face interviews with five female head injury survivors. The interview schedule, a structured list of open-ended questions, focused on issues of family system, social, physical, cognitive and emotional changes, effects on employment and experience with formal and informal community services. As theoretical frameworks I discuss Kubler- Ross's theory of grief and loss, the ABC-X model of stress and adaptation, and the body of head injury research which has focused largely …

A Measure Of Success In An Alternative Junior High School, Jana B. Dannemiller

Theses and Graduate Projects

This project examined three aspects of the Alternative Junior High School program at Plymouth Christian Youth Center (PCYC), a social service agency in North Minneapolis. One aspect was this program's ability to retain students at risk of dropping-out of the educational system. A second was to examine whether the program increased the academic performance and attendance rates of these students. Finally, aspects of the program that students described as helpful are reported, as well as those that they described as needing improvement. The study compared the academic performance and attendance rates of the students in their last semester of public …

A Study Of Resources For Families Of Individuals Who Have A Mental Illness Within Hennepin County State Of Minnesota, Jody L. Friesen Grande

Theses and Graduate Projects

Families are the primary caregivers for individuals who have a mental illness. They experience mild to severe burdens attempting to cope and adapt with the mental illness of their family member. On the basis of a review of the literature most families feel that their needs are not being adequately addressed by mental health professionals. The purpose of this study is to identify providers of mental health services within Hennepin County of Minnesota, their attitudes, program goals and services that address the issues and needs of families of individuals who have a mental illness. The findings of this study show …

Barriers To Cardiac Patients Returning To Work: Program Planning Guidelines For Social Workers In Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs, Anne Powers

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to explore barriers to cardiac patients under the age of 65 in returning to their jobs following cardiac events and create program planning guidelines based on the findings. Reasons why patients do not return to work noted in the literature include job stress, anxiety and depression, cardiac invalidism, and/or physical limitations. Former outpatient cardiac rehabilitation patients were surveyed as well as professionals who work in hospitals or clinics with cardiac patients to assess barriers to returning to work following a cardiac event and how outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programs can assist patients in returning to …

Self-Reports About Homelessness: Single Women With Children, Kristen J. Pederson

Theses and Graduate Projects

The number of homeless families is on the rise. ln 1989 more than 60,000 families nationwide, four times the number recorded in 1984, were in homeless shelters. Seventy to ninety percent of homeless families are headed by women. To better understand the causes of homelessness this study obtained self-reports from 16 women with children residing in a metropolitan homeless shelter. An exploratory study was conducted using a questionnaire that gathered quantitative and qualitative data regarding demographics, reasons for homelessness, and preventative measures. Consistent with other research, the findings indicate varied reasons for homelessness including: circumstantial events, lack of relational support, …

Empowerment Of Patients In Health Care And Its Impact On Their Behavior, Laurie Dahley

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to determine if the lack empowerment in health care is demonstrated in overt negative behavior in patients. Previous research demonstrated increases in perception of pain, depression, and noncompliance with the medical regime to be common responses to the lack of empowerment. As the incenter hemodialysis population has a highly restricted medical regime, they were utilized as the subjects for this study.

An exploratory study utilizing existing data was conducted at Dakota Hospital Medical Center in Fargo, North Dakota. Nursing care plans were screened to identify the negative behavior in question for all patients currently …

Treatment Foster Parents' Perceptions Of Their Role With The Primary Family Of Foster Youth, Sheila M. Schmaltz

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study provides a description of treatment foster parents' perceptions of their role with the primary family of foster youth. This study also identifies a baseline measure of treatment foster parents' perceptions which can be utilized for agency program planning, policy and administration. The study sample includes 98 treatment foster parents licensed by the state of North Dakota, and supervised by Professional Association of Treatment Homes (PATH). A mail survey explores different levels of involvement between the treatment foster family and the foster child's primary family, whether or not treatment foster parents believe they can impact the primary families of …

An Exploratory Study Of The Similarities And Differences Between Special Care Units (Scus) For People With Dementia And Non-Scus With Recommendations For New Scus, Susan Ann Manning

Theses and Graduate Projects

Special care units for people with dementia are a relatively new phenomenon within the long-term care setting, having evolved as a way to meet the special needs of individuals with dementia. The numbers of people who will be affected by dementia is projected to rapidly increase in the future. The literature reveals that special care units are very heterogeneous in their physical characteristics, program designs, and therapeutic approaches, yet most appear to be based on common theoretical conceptual frameworks. This exploratory study examined the current nature of special care units designed for people with Alzheimer's disease/dementia in the Minneapolis/St. Paul …

Effects Of Witnessing Domestic Violence On Children, Theresa L. Bundy

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of domestic violence on children. The main questions explored were the effects of domestic violence on the self-perception and behavior of children. The children at a shelter for domestic violence completed the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children and the Self-Perception Profile for Children, depending on the child's age. The children also completed a questionnaire on their views of relationships and their future. The mothers of the children completed a standardized scale that paralleled the scale completed by the children, along with questionnaires on the …

Client Satisfaction In Home Healthcare, Leslie Throne

Theses and Graduate Projects

No abstract provided.

Nonprofit Community Service And The Hidden Cost Of Information Technology, Roger A. Lohmann, Nancy Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Will the information superhighway – like its concrete counterpart, the interstate highway system – turn out to be a good idea but too expensive to maintain properly? This paper will explore issues associated with the initial and ongoing costs of adopting information technology for nonprofit community service organizations, with particular attention to access and use of the information superhighway. Several possible explanations for the lag in adoption of internet technology will be explored. One of these will be the "null hypothesis" that resources and services currently available over the internet may still be insufficient to justify the costs involved for …

Philanthropic Partnerships: The Theory Of The Commons, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

In Anglo-American traditions, the concept of a commons has historically been most frequently attached to shared land in joint use by a village or community. The common theory of voluntary action presents organized collective action as consisting of shared purposes, shared resources and voluntary participation resulting in an evolving sense of mutuality, and moral order, consisting of shared norms of fairness and participation.

Resiliency In Children: Identifying And Nurturing Coping Skills Through Outpatient Mental Health Services, Sharon Michel

Theses and Graduate Projects

Resiliency is the ability to adapt successfully despite living in adverse conditions. It involves negotiation between risk and protective factors. Researchers have found that resiliency is not necessarily constant but rather contextual. Therefore, characteristics of resiliency, once identified, can be nurtured and to some extent taught. This research study attempts to identify characteristics of resiliency in children who are brought to an outpatient mental health center for behavioral difficulties and assess whether treatment services nurture such characteristics Problem and competence scales were collected from the parents about their children at intake and again for this study. A comparison was made …

Hypertext And The Docuverse: A Research Memo, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The term docuverse was first developed by Apple Computer guru Allen Kay in the late 1960’s. The underlying idea can be traced back decades earlier, to the visionary Vannevar Bush and the Memex (Bush, 1945). According to Kay, a docuverse is a set of related documents together with the linkages between them. In this paper, a docuverse is conceived as a collection of related scholarly documents together with the links, ties and bonds that can bring them together into an integrated logical and conceptual whole. Kay who also coined the term hypertext, which refers to an electronic document with existing …