Digital Commons Network^™

Locked Up: A Look Into Healthcare Behind Bars, Ella Davis

BUHealth

The United States incarceration rate is the highest in the world. Incarcerated individuals are guaranteed a right to healthcare but, it falls short in many correctional facilities, as systemic barriers and inadequate funding often result in substandard care and poor health outcomes. There are multiple challenges that come with providing healthcare in prisons such as limited resources, lack of funding, and staff shortages. Prisoners at every level of the correctional system are known to be less healthy than the general population, and despite multiple efforts to improve healthcare, many prisoners still receive inadequate healthcare. Improving prison healthcare and increasing funding …

Impact Of Discharge Teaching On 30-Day Readmission Rates In The Incarcerated Patient Population, Natasha P. Walker

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Problems Statement: Current incarcerated patient policy prohibits communicating discharge information to the patient on day of discharge to mitigate elopement risk. Purpose: The purpose of this DNP project is to improve hospital quality metric 30-day readmission rates in the incarcerated patient population by implementing a trial period of discharge teaching the day of discharge. Method: Implementation of discharge teaching utilizing the Krames patient education standardized discharge teaching tool integrated within the health system’s electronic health record. Analysis: The project’s initial plan to use the Pearson correlation coefficient to evaluate relationship between 30-day readmission rates and standardized discharge teaching on the …

Analyzing African American College Student Willingness To Participate In Clinical Trials, Caitlin B. Ulmer

Senior Theses

Previous studies regarding African American participation in clinical trials have found that African Americans participate at a significantly lower rate than other ethnic/racial groups. Scholars argue that this lack of participation in clinical trials is a direct result of historical trauma linked to unethical experiments and African American distrust in the healthcare system. However, there is a gap in the literature because these studies focus on African American individuals above the age of 30. This study aimed to fill the gap by examining clinical trial participation among African American college students within the ages 18 to 23. This study also …

Impact Of An Opioid Harm Reduction Consortium: Emergency And Justice Engagement, Maren Wright Wright Voss, Gabriele Ciciurkaite, Matthew Huntington, Melissa Flint, Emily Hamilton, Jennifer Peatross

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah State University Extension engaged first responders and law enforcement officials in a consortium to identify local needs related to opioid use disorder (OUD). To this end, the Tooele Opioid Response Network (TORN) conducted three first-responder harm reduction summits to meet local overdose prevention needs. The initiative trained over 200 personnel, which resulted in an 87.5% increase in knowledge related to harm reduction. TORN also facilitated the acquisition of $90,000 in funding for jail-based opioid medication and the disbursement of 400 naloxone kits and training to incarcerated persons at discharge.

Racial/Ethnic Group Differences In Older Adults' Involvement With Adult Protective Services, Kenneth J Steinman, Jason Burnett, Rebecca Hoffman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This paper represents the first study to focus on quantifying racial/ethnic group differences in older adults' involvement with adult protective services (APS).  Across 3 independent county programs, the rate of APS reports was about twice as high for Black older adults compared to White older adults.  These differences were greater for clients who were older and male but remained similar across allegation type.  The percent of reports validated was slightly but consistently lower for Black clients than for White clients, and a lower percentage of Black clients' cases were closed due to investigation or service refusal. Findings for Hispanic clients …

The Social Determinants Of Health And Reentry: An Exploratory Study, Makayla Lewis, Brian Schaefer, Heather Ouellette

The Cardinal Edge

Being released from jail affects a person’s ability to secure basic needs such as health, housing, and employment. Compounding these barriers are issues related to returning to impoverished communities, complicated relationships with families and support systems, and minimal reentry opportunities within jails and upon release. This study explores how the Opportunity Network’s reentry workbook is working to address the social determinants of health and improve perceptions of successful reentry outcomes.

Pedophilia: Understanding The Origins And Problems Within The Criminal Justice System, James K. Mcelhaney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Societal stigma, criminal sanctions, and the mental illness or disorder of pedophilia are explored in this paper because of the considerable research gaps that have accumulated over the past decade. Most of the data acquired regarding individuals with pedophilia have been predominantly from male offenders, with most of the information coming from reports to local law enforcement and the FBI. The outcome of multiple studies shows that neuroimaging, associated brainwaves, and related sexual attraction are significantly different for individuals with pedophiliac tendencies than for others. Studies also reveal that research has been limited to prevention techniques and therapy for nonoffenders …

A Review Of Federal And Statewide Guidelines And Their Effects On Orthopedics, Johann Braithwaite, John M. Tarazi, Joshua Gruber, Jarret Boroniec, Randy Cohn, Adam Bitterman

HPD Articles

In the past three decades, the use of opioids has risen tremendously. Pain was named the “fifth patient vital sign” in the 1990s, and from that point, opioid usage has continued to grow throughout the 2010s leading to its recognition as a crisis. The United States is responsible for 80% of the global opioid usage while only accounting for less than 5% of the global population. Previously opioids were mostly used to treat acute pain, however, opioids have been most recently used to manage chronic pain as well. The opioid crisis has presented new challenges in treating pain while preventing …

Needle Exchange Programs And Their Impact On Hiv Incidence In West Virginia: Is It Working?, Amber Graves, Katie Duty, Thomas Norton, Alberto Coustasse

Management Faculty Research

The opioid epidemic has had a strong impact on West Virginia, due to various social, economic, cultural, and environmental hardships. To aid users, Needle Exchange Programs (NEPs) were created to exchange used needles for new sterile ones and provide awareness of treatment and rehabilitation options. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of NEPs in reducing HIV and Hepatitis C infections in West Virginia, and the subsequent decrease in healthcare costs. In 2018 and 2019, there was an HIV outbreak in Cabell County, with 85 cases requiring CDC intervention in 2019. This occurred after the county-run needle exchange was reduced. …

Implementation And Outcome Evaluation Of La Door: A Proposition 47-Funded Program In Los Angeles: Cohort 2 Final Evaluation Report, Melissa M Labriola, Danielle Sobol, Heather Sims, Stephanie Brooks Holliday

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The Los Angeles Diversion, Outreach, and Opportunities for Recovery (LA DOOR) program is designed by the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office (LACA) to provide a comprehensive, health-focused, preventative approach that proactively engages individuals at elevated risk of returning to LACA on a new misdemeanor offense. In this study, the authors document the findings of a process and outcome evaluation of Cohort 2 of the LA DOOR program.

Nursing Perspectives On Intimate Partner Violence Screening In The Emergency Department, Justin Cabrera

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Using descriptive and quality descriptive (QD) analysis, emergency department nurses from around the country completed a modified version of the Physician Readiness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence Survey (PREMIS) tool to gain insight on their attitudes, knowledge, and preparedness about working with patient survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) regarding their willingness to and comfort in engaging in IPV screening practices. In total, 1,523 responses were received from emergency department nurses currently or formerly in practice.

Findings show that there was no correlation between emergency department nurses’ education and training on IPV and willingness and comfort with IPV screening with …

To Produce Or Not To Produce? Contrasting The Effect Of Substance Abuse In Social Decision-Making Situations, Laurent Avila-Chauvet, Diana Mejía Cruz, Óscar García-Leal, Bruno Kluwe-Schiavon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Substance use disorders (SUD) have been related to high criminal justice costs, expensive healthcare, social impairment, and decision-making deficits. In non-social decision-making tasks, people with SUD tend to take more risks and choose small immediate rewards than controls. However, few studies have explored how people with SUD behave in social decision-making situations where the resources and profits depend directly on participants' real-time interaction, i.e., social foraging situations. To fulfill this gap, we developed a real-time interaction task to (a) compare the proportion of producers (individuals who tend to search for food sources) and scroungers (individuals who tend to steal or …

(2011) Batterer Intervention Programs: The Relationship Between Session Completions And The Batterer’S Perception Of The Abusive Relationship, John P. Muldoon

Louisiana Journal of Counseling

The purpose of this study is to investigate the male batterer’s perception of his relationship with his partner and the impact the relationship has on session attendance and program completion in a batterer intervention program. The study investigated 198 male participants enrolled in a batterer intervention program in the southeastern United States. The findings suggest a complex interaction among the three variables of (1) the participant’s perception of the referral incident, (2) the batterer’s emotional commitment to the victim, and (3) the total number of sessions completed in a batterer intervention program. The implications of demographic and psychological variables affecting …

(2011) Entire Issue, Meredith Nelson, Peter Emerson

Louisiana Journal of Counseling

No abstract provided.

(2021) The Theory-Application Gap In Non-Clinical Settings, Victoria Rodriguez

Louisiana Journal of Counseling

Theoretical orientation is used to assist clinicians in understanding client behavior, treatment plan development, and evaluating treatment progress. Though the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) places a great emphasis on the importance of using theory in counseling, there is significant research that points to the existence of a gap between counseling theory and the application of theory within the therapeutic process (Murray, 2009; Proctor, 2004). This paper reviewed the barriers that counselors face when applying theory in community mental health settings, schools, medical settings, and, correctional facilities. The literature suggested that there are often distractions …

Neuroanatomical And Neurochemical Effects Of Prolonged Social Isolation In Adult Mice, Vibol Heng, Michael Zigmond, Richard Jay Smeyne

Department of Neuroscience Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: As social animals, our health depends in part on interactions with other human beings. Yet millions suffer from chronic social isolation, including those in nursing/assisted living facilities, people experiencing chronic loneliness as well as those in enforced isolation within our criminal justice system. While many historical studies have examined the effects of early isolation on the brain, few have examined its effects when this condition begins in adulthood. Here, we developed a model of adult isolation using mice (C57BL/6J) born and raised in an enriched environment.

METHODS: From birth until 4 months of age C57BL/6J mice were raised in …

Socio-Economic Determinants Of Gender-Based Violence [Gbv]: Sdg Analytics On The Global Gbv Scenario With Special Reference To Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence And Adolescent Birth Rates, Chandra P. Daniel

NYMC Student Theses and Dissertations

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a multifaceted problem. The most rapidly increasing modern form of violence is the intertwined epidemic of ‘Technology Facilitated GBV’ [TF GBV] and sexual violence against women and girls. It was critical to investigate the global impact of this epidemic during COVID-19 since a disproportionate impact of violence was observed among women and girls in low and middle-income countries. A retrospective cross-sectional research design was adopted using linear regression analysis (univariate and multivariate) on SDG 5.2, a set of global indicators, to elicit the socioeconomic determinants of GBV. Phase-I results exposed the top-four socio-economic determinants …

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Peer Recovery Coaches For Addiction Recovery Among Indigenous Americans, Nicholas Guenzel

Theses & Dissertations

Addiction is a common and devastating problem among many Indigenous American (IA) groups around the United States. Too few IA health care providers are available to deliver care in a way that leverages IA values and traditions to support addiction recovery. Peer recovery coaches (PRCs) are individuals who have lived experience of addiction and have received specialized training in helping others in recovery. IA PRCs hold significant potential in helping to fill the gap of culturally-specific support in addiction. In this feasibility trial, we recruited a total of 120 adult (≥19 years) IAs with a substance use disorder through Facebook …

Certified Community Behavioral Health (Ccbhc) Outpatient Redesign For Behavioral Health Care, Fatmata Kula Jah

Master's Projects and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to review and utilize components of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model to create an outpatient redesign model for behavioral health (without duplicating it). This was accomplished by recommending greater use of, and comprehensive integration of, Peer Support Specialists within the current behavioral health continuum of care by increasing funding for the CCBHC demonstration program through legislative expansion by using Medicaid eligibility. This study also recommends enhanced utilization of technological innovations in order to provide equitable access to populations in rural areas. This will enable CCBHCs to fulfill their mandate of providing …

Improving Minors' Access To Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder: A Policy Analysis, Sara Jane Hamilton

Master's Projects and Capstones

As the opioid epidemic continues to have devastating effects on our communities, medications to treat opioid use disorder (MOUDs) are severely underutilized especially for adolescents. Unlike adults, minors need parental approval before obtaining MOUDs presenting a key barrier to timely treatment. Being able to treat adolescents as soon as they are ready is critically important for people with OUD, and while cost and other barriers have been addressed in the literature, there is a paucity on how parental consent affects the accessibility of treatment. This paper aims to explore a potential policy in California that addresses the lack of access …

Community Reintegration Of Formerly Incarcerated Persons: An Occupational Therapy Guidebook, Shauntrice Woodberry, Angela Labrie Blackwell Phd, Otr, Steven Gerardi Phd, Otr

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The recidivism rates in the US are the highest, as the current research suggests the majority of offenders (two-thirds) released from prison in any given year will be reincarcerated within three years (Eggers et al., 2006). The high rates of recidivism suggest that the criminal justice system has not been able to successfully identify the needs of incarcerated individuals necessary to support the success of their community integration process.

Since there are no published guidelines available to OT practitioners to guide their provision of community reintegration services to formerly incarcerated persons, the product of this capstone was a guidebook.

Enhancing Long-Term Outcomes: Implementing Community Engaged Research To Augment Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Kevin M. Quinn

Masters Theses

The Universal Evaluation Tool is an intuitive self-assessment instrument to enhance long-term treatment outcomes for Guiding Light’s residential addiction rehabilitation program. Designed as a versatile method for collecting primary data, the Universal Evaluation Tool can be administered to clients at any point during the recovery program (i.e., intake to discharge). The data collected from the survey can be used as a framework to guide treatment decisions, develop personalized care plans, offer insight into a client’s progress, and collect baseline data (e.g., sociodemographic characteristics) on a treatment population for use in grant applications.

A pilot study to generate preliminary data was …

Examining Factors Impacting The Service Needs Of Unhoused Women, Holly Brott

Dissertations and Theses

Women account for a sizeable proportion of the unhoused population in the U.S. Over one-third (38.7%) of unhoused individuals are women, which is a 17% increase from 2016 (United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2019). The increased prevalence of women experiencing homelessness calls for a renewed examination of their service needs. This dissertation presents three studies examining factors impacting the service needs of unhoused women. The first manuscript examined factors contributing to unhoused mothers’ successful completion of transitional housing; highlighted participant-identified programmatic strengths; and investigated differences in facilitators to success across two geographic contexts: one rural and one …

Editors

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

No abstract provided.

Employment And Mental Matters Amongst Formerly Incarcerated Women, Convalecia Johnson, Monica Watford, Stephanie Riedmueller

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this project was to implement a program for formerly incarcerated women to provide employment preparation and mental health resources to address recidivism. An occupational therapy lens was used to develop and execute this program. One on one Zoom sessions were held for participants to work on resumes and mock interviews for employment preparation. Participants were also provided with a resource guide for future reference. A mixed methods approach was utilized to analyze the data from the pre and post program surveys administered to the participants. Based on the results, the participants found the program to be beneficial …

A Call To Action: Person-Centered Care Aligned With Reproductive Justice For Incarcerated Pregnant People With Substance Use Disorder, Essence Hairston, Aunchalee El Palmquist, Andrea K. Knittel, Kevin Mensah-Biney, Crystal M. Hayes, Amelia Mack, Hendrée E. Jones

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Although research has proven that jails and prisons are ineffective in preventing or reducing substance use among pregnant people, the USA continues to rely heavily on the criminal legal system as its intervention. Pregnant people with an opioid use disorder are more likely to experience incarceration than pregnant people without an opioid use disorder. In some states, pregnant people are transported from jail to prison through the process of safekeeping in order to receive physical or mental health care that the jail does not provide, despite conviction status. When pregnant and postpartum safekeepers with an opioid use disorder experience incarceration, …

Greater Portland Health Homeless Opioid User Service Engagement Program: Final Evaluation Report, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd, Evelyn Ali Bs, Tyler Egeland Ba, Katharine Freund Mph, Thomas Chalmers Mclaughlin Msw, Phd, Katie Rosingana Ba

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

Given the high rates of overdoses in the Bayside area of Portland, Maine, as well as the shortage of providers and services to meet the complex medical and social determinant of health (SDOH) needs of individuals who are experiencing homlessness (IWAEH), with funds from the State of Maine, Greater Portland Health and Preble Street collaborated to implement the HOUSE Program. The HOUSE Program was implemented in the Greater Portland metropolitan area with a specific focus on expanding the continuum of care at Greater Portland Health’s Bayside Homeless site to include comprehensive SUD treatment, case management and housing services to IWAEH. …

Evaluating The Association Between Social Determinants Of Health And Substance Use Disorder In A New York State Mental Health Population, Marum Sadiq

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

BackgroundOne in three adults in the United States had a mental illness or substance use disorder in 2021 and co-occurring disorders affect 7.6% of the adult population. Substance use disorders are more common in individuals with mental health problems, and serious mental illness is three times more prevalent in adults with substance use disorder (SUD). Social determinants of health such as socioeconomic status, criminal justice involvement, and unemployment may contribute to vulnerability for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between social determinants of health and substance use disorder in …

Mental Health And Parenting Among Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness With And Without Their Children, Rebecca Bergh

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Parent-child separation and custody loss are common among parenting young adults experiencing homelessness (YAEH). These experiences may be traumatic for YAEH, a population already vulnerable to mental health disorders and high levels of trauma. Little is known about how YAEH who have their children with them compare to YAEH separated from their children in terms of mental health and risk and resilience factors. Further evidence is needed to better understand the parenting and mental health support needs among YAEH, particularly surrounding parent-child separation.

Aims: This study aimed to examine the characteristics of (1) parenting YAEH living with their children …

Understanding Connections Between Public Health Districts And Individuals Who Have Recently Been Released From Carceral Systems In Idaho, Ashley Harris

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Background

Gaining a better understanding of the relationship between public health and individuals recently released from the carceral system in Idaho is vital. According to the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2020 Idaho had the highest female incarceration rate of all US states at twice the national average (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2020). The incarceration rate of women and girls has increased nearly 834% in the last 40 years and rates in Idaho follow this trend (Steinberg, 2018). Compared to 62% of women in prisons nationally, 80% of women in local jails report having children under the age of …