Social Work Commons^™

Mental Illness, Recovery, And Employment: A Grounded Theory, Francine M. Bates

Theses and Dissertations

This grounded theory study provides knowledge into the enduring unemployment of individuals in recovery from serious mental illness (SMI) who additionally receive supplemental security disability benefits (SSI). A constructivist framework was used in the development and implementation of this study. Grounded theory methods for data coding and analysis consisted of initial, focused and theoretical coding. Analysis continued in the development of theoretical concepts and emergent theory. Findings emphasize the complexity and amalgamation of study participants lived experiences that sustain unemployment. Theoretical concepts presented in this study are, composite barrier, encumbering reality, the obstructing impact of ambivalence and the someday dream ...

Un-Naming Collaboration: An Unexpected Catalyst For Understanding Participation In Critical Ethnography, Allison Anders, Joshua Diem

The Qualitative Report

In this article, we trace interactions with participants in two different research projects. Although the research settings were different, we focus on what the projects had in common: a commitment to collaboration, methodological training from the same faculty, and our respective decisions to turn away from labeling our work collaborative deep into each project’s development. In a narrative as chronicle, we represent ways each project unfolded and then why each of us abandoned claims of collaboration. Specifically, we share the critical positions we staked early in our research designs and the communication with participants that taught us to un-name ...

The Privilege Of Healthy Eating: A Qualitative Study Exploring The Local Food Choices Of Low-Income Families From Appalachia, Iryna Sharaievska Dr., Stephanie West Dr., Melissa Weddell Dr.

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Using qualitative semi-structured interviews, 15 low-income women of different ages were asked to discuss their perceptions of healthy eating, local farmers’ markets, as well as their visitation of farmers’ markets. The participants were also asked to share what features of farmers’ markets they found appealing. The results showed that most of the participants had either a deep or moderate understanding of what it means to eat healthy. However, many of them also believed they could improve their own patterns of eating. The data also showed that the low-income women who took part in the study had positive attitudes overall toward ...

Demystifying The Construction Of Qualitative Research Methodology: An Approachable Text For Doctoral Students, Stephanie A. Bluestein Ed.D.

The Qualitative Report

Durdella’s text, Qualitative Dissertation Methodology: A Guide for Research Design and Methods, breaks down the steps for conducting qualitative research in applied programs of study and social behavioral science fields. The book, also useful to department chairs and program directors, focuses on designing a qualitative study, conducting the study and analyzing the data. Useful advice drawn from Durdella’s experience as a dissertation committee chair, in addition to introspective questions for the student, help to demystify the methodology chapter and, thus, could have a positive impact on programs.

Be More: Buffering Against Gender Stereotypes By Building Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Erica Mohr

Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) Capstone Projects

Research shows that organizations perform better when women are represented on senior leadership teams. Yet women are not rising to the highest ranks of leadership at equivalent rates as men. Gender stereotypes negatively influence women’s self-efficacy, the internal beliefs of what they are capable of. Women hold themselves back when they respond to these low self-efficacy beliefs, by not aspiring, not applying, not asking, and not acting. This paper explores current leadership gap data and the consequences of the disparity between men and women in leadership roles. Next, the paper describes how stereotypes can create the underlying problem: limiting ...

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment: A Primer, Thomas M. Meuser

Social Work Faculty Publications

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment is an integrative approach to diagnosis, treatment and management of older adults that takes the whole person into account. While deficits may be a primary focus, strengths are also considered.

Life Review In Aging: A Primer, Thomas M. Meuser

Social Work Faculty Publications

Humans are narrative beings. We understand and speak of ourselves and the events of our lives in the context of stories. The stories we tell are influenced by our lived experiences, the quality of our memories (what’s recalled and forgotten), relationships, personality styles, values, accomplishments, regrets, spiritual beliefs, and a host of other factors. Telling our stories from the vantage point of old age is reflective of a maturational process of introspection and discovery called life review.

Book Review Of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Expanding Your View, Deborah Langosch

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

N/A for book review

Service Providers Perspective On The Unique Needs Of Sexually Exploited Women And Children In The Inland Empire, Ruth Harrison

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore and expose the needs of sexually exploited women and children. The participants were recruited from a few non-profit agencies in the Inland Empire area. This study found one of the most underlying challenge facing the participants when working with sexually exploited victims was the unavailability of resources, particularly, shortage of transitional housing for them. Another finding that featured prominently in the study was related to a need for continuous training and education for the service providers in order to stay current with trends. The study also identified the rapport building ...

The Effectiveness Of Disciplinary Interventions In School-Based Counseling, Dakota Blue Bates

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This project discusses the effectiveness of disciplinary interventions in school-based counseling. Participants were selected from elementary and middle school sites in a school district in Southern California. Qualitative interviews were conducted to give this researcher additional knowledge in the field of school-based counseling. The audio of the interviews that were conducted were recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed by this researcher. The knowledge of the participants and their unique experiences operating with a wide range of students in many years of experience allowed for a more comprehensive understanding of what intervention strategies are most beneficial to students and where schools and ...

Building An Evidence-Based, Holistic Approach To Advancing Integrated Employment, Allison C. Hall, John Butterworth, Jean Winsor, John Kramer, Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Since the introduction of supported employment in the Developmental Disabilities Act of 1984 and the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1986, there has been continued development and refinement of best practices in employment services and supports. Progress includes creative outcomes for individuals with significant support needs including customized jobs and self-employment, community rehabilitation providers that have shifted emphasis to integrated employment, and states that have made a substantial investment in Employment First policy and strategy. Despite these achievements, the promise of integrated employment remains elusive for the majority of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The number of individuals supported in ...

Increasing Access To Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) Among Transgender Women And Trans Feminine Non-Binary Individuals In New York City, Augustus Klein

All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the United States transgender women (i.e., individuals born male whose gender identity is on the feminine spectrum) are a highly vulnerable and marginalized population at high risk for HIV. Substance use, survival sex work, depression, unstable housing, and high levels of victimization and violence are commonly reported by transgender women and trans feminine individuals, indicating the potential for multiple concurrent HIV risks and underlying vulnerabilities. Structural forms of discrimination may contribute to these risk factors, possibly leading to poor outcomes such as unemployment or underemployment, homelessness, and lack of access to gender-affirming health care. Given this context, a ...

On The Front Lines: Managerialism In Substance Abuse Agencies, Jocelyn E. Lewiskin

All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Neoliberal economic policies have led to changes within the field of human services in the United States since the mid-1970s. These policies, which seek to reduce the role of thefederal government through tactics such as privatization, continue to be evident across human services organizations today. This policy approach is operationalized through New Public Management (NPM), which is also referred to as ‘Managerialism’, and is characterized by output-orientated, quantitative focused, performance based measures and evidence-based practice. These characteristics have impacted the workforce in human service organizations. Using qualitative semi-structured interviews of front line workers, this dissertation will examine the effects of ...

Vampires In The Technological Mist The Sharing Economy Employment And The Quest For Economic Justice And Fairness In A Digital Future.Pdf, Lauri Goldkind, John G. Mcnutt

Lauri Goldkind

A Mixed-Methods Examination Of The Relationship Between The Self And Adaptive Coping In Military Wives, Amy P. Page

Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) Dissertations

Purpose: Previous research indicates that identity relates to use of specific coping strategies. Exploring the relationship between self and coping in military wives is crucial to understanding how they manage military lifestyle-related stressors. The researcher hypothesized that levels of emotion-focused coping (EFC) strategies in managing stressors will be related to higher degrees of well-being and individuals who endorsed the most mature identity status and higher degrees of self-concept clarity, self-monitoring, and mastery will report greater use of EFC. Role conflict was hypothesized to predict greater use of problem-focused coping (PFC) strategies. Methods: 202 participants completed an online survey containing standardized ...

Teaching Content On Social Work Practice With Religious Congregations: A Curriculum Module, Michael E. Sherr, Terry Wolfer

Michael Sherr, Ph.D.

This pilot study represents an effort to implement and evaluate use of a curriculum module on Charitable Choice and social work practice in a faith-based organization. Using a nonequivalent control group design, repeated measures MANOVA showed significant differences between the treatment (n=54) and comparison groups (n=53) on knowledge and degree of comfort at posttest. Despite the use of a small sample (n=107) of MSW students at a public university in the Southeast, the findings provide initial support for further use and future evaluations of curriculum modules covering specific content on practice in faith-based settings.

Navigating Through Dual Relationships: Applying An Ethical Continuum In A Rural Field Placement, Arthur L. Evans, Michael E. Sherr

Michael Sherr, Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

Considering Family And Significant Others In The Faculty Recruitment Process: A Study Of Social Work Recruiting Practices, Michael E. Sherr, Johnny M. Jones

Michael Sherr, Ph.D.

One of the most important facets of quality social work education is the recruitment and retention of faculty. This mixed methods study uses findings from an on-line survey of 106 recent (within three years) faculty hires and their (n=24) spouse/partner/significant others (S/P/SO) to determine the degree to which family- integrative recruitment strategies were being used in recruiting social work faculty and the impact with which the presence or absence of these strategies have on retention. A majority of respondents reported that S/P/SO were excluded from the recruitment process.Though the few respondents who ...

How To Help Kids Succeed - School-Based Programs And Social Mobility, Theresa Bell

Honors Theses

Education is the key to Social Mobility and unless children from poor families get a college degree, their economic mobility is severely restricted (Tough, 2016 pg 2). In November of 2005, the City unveiled a college tuition incentive to Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) graduates, The Kalamazoo Promise. According to the Kalamazoo Promise website (2017), the purpose of the Promise is to, “provide a real meaningful and tangible opportunity for all students,” as “education is an important key to financial wellbeing.” Though access to an affordable college education is possible for Kalamazoo students eligible for The Promise, the numbers show that ...

Family Experiences In Engaging In Employment: How Do We Improve Outcomes?, John Kramer, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Session 018: Abolishing Exploitive Labour Practices Room: Freedom H

Sponsors: Disability Youth, Aging, and the Life Course

Organizer, Presider &

Discussant: Katherine Caldwell, University of Illinois at Chicago

Papers:

“Differences in Earnings among Persons with and without Disabilities,” Alexandra Krause, Florida State University

“Family Experiences in Engaging in Employment: How Do We Improve Outcomes?” John Kramer, University of Massachusetts Boston

“Shifting the Paradigm through Entrepreneurship,” Katherine Caldwell, University of Illinois at Chicago