Social Work Commons^™

Clinical Practice With Children And Adolescents Involved In Bullying And Cyberbullying: Gleaning Guidelines From The Literature, David S. Byers, Faye Mishna, Carolyn Solo

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Bullying and cyberbullying have received unprecedented international scholarly attention over the last three decades, including increasingly sophisticated descriptive models, measures of associated harm, and studies of whole-school intervention programs. Despite an abundance of articles related to bullying and cyberbullying, there has been relatively little attention to clinical practice with children and adolescents involved in bullying and cyberbullying. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed academic journal articles published between January 1990 and June 2018 pertaining to individual and group psychotherapy with clients involved in bullying and cyberbullying. Based on this review, we identify four …

Exploring The Personhood And Citizenship Of Persons With Disabilities Among Konkombas In Rural Ghana, Festus Moasun

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Persons with disabilities (PWDs) are susceptible to various forms of mistreatments, particularly in the developing world, such that their personhoods are called to question. It was for this purpose that I set out to explore the personhood and citizenship of PWDs in rural Ghana. I used the constructivist paradigm in addition to the personhood and critical disability theories to guide the study which was conducted using an interpretive phenomenological research approach. To make the findings of the study participant driven, semi-structured interviews were held with PWDs. The findings revealed personhood to be perceived in a rank order of three semi-fluid …

Beneficial Mourning By Inmates Who Have Lost A Significant Person, James Bradley Shoemaker

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Incarceration is already replete with loss before someone of significance to an inmate dies. The prison environment challenges every aspect of grieving, and failing to effectively mourn pathologizes grief, reduces quality of living, and results in behaviours that cause recidivism. It is a poignant interaction between this researcher in his role as a chaplain and a particular inmate that provides the impetus for this study. This study begins with a qualitative meta-synthesis that examined 10 qualitative articles and dissertations published over the last 30 years to explore how some inmates manage to effectively grieve the loss of a significant person. …

The Experience Of Mindful Self-Compassion, Erika Ristok

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Given the benefits seen in the literature with regards to mindful self-compassion, embodiment of positive emotion, and the efficacy of brief interventions, this study sought to advance an understanding of the experience of mindful self compassion. Eight participants were taught a brief self-compassion exercise along with a step that embodies a feeling of comfort. The participants were drawn from a wait-list for counselling services at a Family Health Team site. They were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format following training and practice with the self-compassion exercise. Qualitative phenomenological analysis was used in order to gain an understanding of the essence …

Understanding Health-Related Behavior Among Adolescents Living With Hiv In Lima, Peru, Carly A. Rodriguez, Emiliano Valle, Jerome Galea, Milagros Wong, Lenka Kolevic, Maribel Muñoz, Leonid Lecca, Molly F. Franke

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: The global HIV burden among adolescents ages 10–19 is growing. This population concurrently confronts the multifaceted challenges of adolescence and living with HIV. With the goal of informing future interventions tailored to this group, we assessed sexual activity, HIV diagnosis disclosure, combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) adherence, and drug use among adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) in Lima, Peru.

Methods: Adolescents at risk or with a history of suboptimal cART adherence completed a self-administered, health behaviors survey and participated in support group sessions, which were audio recorded and used as a qualitative data source. Additionally, we conducted in-depth interviews with …

Review Of Child Welfare: An Integrative Perspective. Cathleen A. Lewandowski, Yemo Duan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Cathleen A. Lewandowski, Child Welfare: An Integrative Perspective. Oxford University Press (2019), 320 pages, $65 (paperback).

Review Of Social Work Practice With Survivors Of Sex Trafficking And Commercial Sexual Exploitation. Amanda J. Nichols, Tonya Edmond, And Erin C. Heil (Eds.), Fei Wang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Amanda. J. Nichols, Tonya Edmond, & Erin C. Heil (Eds.), Social Work Practice with Survivors of Sex Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation. Columbia University (2018), 448 pages, $50.00 (hardcover).

Introduction To The Special Issue On Structural Competency, Tina Sacks, Leah Jacobs

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Review Of Just Medicine: A Cure For Racial Inequality In American Health Care By Dayna Bowen Matthew,, Karen Flint Stipp, Trista Smith

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of:Dayna Bowen Matthew, Just Medicine: A Cure for Racial Inequality in American Health Care. New York University Press (2018), 288 pages, $18.00 (paperback).

Training Future Mental Health Professionals In An Evidence-Informed System Of Care, Julia R. Cox

Theses and Dissertations

High quality mental health services do not reach the youth who need them, leading to efforts to implement effective treatments more broadly. One focus of these efforts concerns training the mental health workforce, of which master’s-level social workers represent a large proportion. However, the curricula of master’s in social work (MSW) programs do not often emphasize evidence-based approaches. One possible solution is Managing and Adapting Practice (MAP; PracticeWise, LLC), a system that allows clinicians to (1) identify clinically indicated evidence-based programs by searching a growing evidence-base of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and (2) build individualized evidence-informed treatment plans by focusing …

Substance Use Treatment Needs For Survivors Of Commercial Sexual Exploitation Of Children, Emma Elisa Riley-Horvath

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) is the sexual exploitation of minors

for commercial profit. The intersection between sex trafficking victimization and substance use has not yet been explored in clinical research and is not reflected in current clinical treatment of survivors when they exit their exploitation. The research question explored in this study focused on the substance use treatment considerations and challenges clinical social workers face when treating survivors of CSEC living in Massachusetts. Subquestions included understanding how cumulative trauma from CSEC impacts substance use treatment and how the coercive use of substances aimed at maintaining victim submission impacts …

Experiences And Challenges Of Social Workers Providing Services To Elderly Veterans, Maritza Rivera-Moret

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The social work practice problem of this doctoral action research project was the unmet mental health needs of veterans 65 and older in Puerto Rico. This action research project explored the experiences and challenges of social workers when they offer mental health services to veterans 65 and older. This study was framed using social support theory, integrating the 3 core elements of tangible support, emotional support, and informational support. The data collection technique included a semistructured interview protocol used in a focus group setting. Purposive sampling was used to identify 9 participants who were licensed social workers in Puerto Rico. …

Women's Empowerment By Group Sewing Training: A Microfinance Study In El Salvador, Sharleen Andrews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This case study explored the lived experiences of 8 participants in a microfinance sewing program in El Salvador. Numerous studies focused on empowering women by employing microfinance projects or programs in many countries; however, a lack of empirical data exists regarding Salvadoran women's perceptions about how a sewing program with teamwork affects women's empowerment. The purpose of this case study was to understand the women's personal stories, their obstacles as well as any factors they saw as empowering them. Guided by a constructionist framework, a sample of 8 participants: 5 who were sewing students and 3 who were employees, who …

Trauma Social Workers' Perspectives On The Response Of Rural Social Work Agencies To Vicarious Trauma, Tiffany Ann Hardman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers are susceptible to the potential negative impacts of vicarious trauma. Perspectives of trauma social workers on the responsiveness of rural social work agencies to vicarious trauma have not been explored even though the trauma-informed care model has been available since 2006 and outlines best practice in all settings of trauma social work. Considering the risk factors and negative effects vicarious trauma has on social workers, an increased understanding of the perspectives of social workers on how rural social work agencies are responding to vicarious trauma was needed. The purpose of this study was to explore this response through …

Separated By The Child Welfare System: The Journey Of One Set Of Fraternal Twins, Jocelyne Coan Bond

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the separation of twins in foster care and examined how their lived experiences relate to their interpersonal relationships as adults. Many researchers have studied the long-term impact of nontwin sibling separation in foster care, but little is known about the separation of twins, leaving a significant gap in existing literature. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences twins who were separated in foster care as relates to their interpersonal relationships during adulthood. A qualitative, narrative approach was used to gather the lived experiences of one set of twins. The research questions examined how …

Cooking Up The Kampung Spirit: Ngiam Su-Lin, Ishan Singh

Social Space

Meet Ngiam Su-Lin, 44, Co-founder and Executive Director of ArtsWok Collaborative, an arts- based NPO that engages the general public via community-based arts projects, research and advocacy. The ArtsWok team partners with organisations and groups to put up participatory performances and public art installations examining various social issues, presents plays by young people on social issues in an annual theatre festival, and trains and mentors practitioners in arts and community work. Su-Lin herself is no stranger to the local arts scene—she’s worked in this space for almost two decades, producing community theatre and festivals—but she’s also a trained counsellor and …

Plan D: Design And Social Responsibility, Harah Chon

Social Space

Most are familiar withthe use of this term as a noun, in which design refers to finished objects, forms, services and solutions. Design is often used as an adjective to describeaesthetic qualities or the utility and function of things. As a pronoun, however, design emphasises the networks or systems involved in the industry as a whole. But what sets design apart from all other human activities is in its useas a verb, denoting its many approaches, perspectives, actions, processes, ideations, interpretations and implementations.

Editorial: We Can Do Better Than "Adolescence", Ben Anderson-Nathe, Grant Charles

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Editorial. The author discusses the concept of adolescence and its acceptance as a biological imperative, a developmental mandate, and an explanation for young people's behavior. Topics discussed include the shift of the fundamentals of labor from largely agrarian to predominantly industrial forms, the 1904 naming of adolescence as a distinct life stage in the human experience, and adolescence as the default starting point for most adult interactions with youth in the academic and practice literatures.

The Mentor's Guide To Youth Purpose: The Art Of Helping A Young Person Find Meaning, A Sense Of Self, And Ways Of Giving Back To Their World, Meghan Perry

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

We can all benefit from purpose— an intention that supports our engagement in activities, causes, or contributions that invigorate us, get us planning ahead, and thinking beyond ourselves. Some people experience a plethora of purpose—a mindset that reinforces their engagement in a range of meaningful experiences while contributing to others— while many others have never, or only occasionally, identified or experienced opportunities to explore purpose. Wherever you happen to be on this spectrum, you found your way to this resource because you care about young people. And as a caring adult, you can tend to both individual and communal wellness …

Assessing The Impact Of Factors On Parental Grief Among Older Chinese Parents, Yongqiang Zheng, Leslie Wuest

Faculty Publications - College of Social Work

A sample of 206 older Chinese bereaved parents was recruited and the effects of attachment style, coping strategy, social support, and spirituality on parental grief were investigated utilizing structural equation modeling. The results revealed problem-focused and dysfunctional coping strategy, insecure attachment style, less social support from family and friends would likely lead to higher levels of parental grief. The study explored how the unique context of Chinese culture and policies may shape the severity and duration of parental grief. It provides a baseline to understand the complexity of parental grief in China and to design and improve future interventions