Digital Commons Network^™

Local Policy Stakeholder Attitudes About Implementing And Sustaining Needle Exchange Programs In The Inland Empire, Katarina Kucavikova-Fillippelli

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to explore attitudes of local policy stakeholders in regards to needle exchange programs (NEPs), focusing on Riverside Council Members to conduct face-to-face interviews using nine closed and open-ended questions. The majority are opposed to implenting NEP's in their ward. Additionally, the majority of participants are opposed to the idea of harm reduction approach with intravenous drug users. This study may be helpful to anyone attempting to establish NEPs in Riverside in designing a public relations campaign that would effectively address the stigma associated with intravenous drug use, HIV/AIDS and needle exchange services.

Evaluation Of Support Groups For Adults With Diabetes, Julie Angelita Gonzalez

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of the study is to evaluate support groups for people with diabetes to find out information about the facilitators, social workers involvement, if any, details of how the groups are facilitated, resources used and the way in which behavioral change is addressed.

Medical Practitioners' Death Anxiety And The Advance Directive, Daisy Macias, Natalie Macias

Theses Digitization Project

This study examined whether there is a correlation between medical practitioner's level of death anxiety and communication about the advance directive. Even though there is a lot of common sense in stating the obvious complexity of issues surrounding end of life, there is also a clear discomfort with accepting the advance directive and the patient's wishes at face value and the underlying reasons for that may lie in the physician's own feelings over death.

Organizational Behavior In Mental Health Services: A Needs Assessment, Geovana Varela

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to know the needs of non-profit organizations that will help increase their effectiveness and enhance the delivery of mental health services.

Social Workers' Perceptions Of Self-Determination In The Mentally Ill, Tristin Dawn Alfred

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to add to existing literature regarding social worker's perceptions of and attitudes about self-determination in the mentally ill population. In addition, the study looked at how these biases affect the mentally ill population. A total of 51 social workers were asked to participate in this study.

The Impact Of Treatment On Parental Substance Misuse And Parenting Capacity, Dommonique Juanita Nichol Knox, Jennifer Leah Miller

Theses Digitization Project

This study assessed the parenting capacity of parents who have received various forms of substance abuse treatment and interventions throughout San Bernardino County. The study hoped to attain useful data on how these services have contributed to the parents' parenting capacity now that they are free from substance abuse and/or misuse.

The Effects Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder On Family Relationships, Melissa Leigh Weissmiller

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to explore the impacts that a loved one's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has on family relationships. With the majority of resources focused on the afflicted, the impacts on the family member and the relationship have implications for further programs and resources that should be focused on the family.

Alcohol Availability And Neighborhood Poverty And Their Relationship To Binge Drinking And Related Problems Among Drinkers In Committed Relationships, Christy M. Mckinney, Karen G. Chartier, Raul Caetano, T. Robert Harris

Social Work Publications

The authors examined the relationship of alcohol outlet density (AOD) and neighborhood poverty with binge drinking and alcohol-related problems among drinkers in married and cohabitating relationships and assessed whether these associations differed across sex. A U.S. national population couples survey was linked to U.S. Census data on AOD and neighborhood poverty. The 1,784 current drinkers in the survey reported on their binge drinking, alcohol-related problems, and other covariates. AOD was defined as the number of alcohol outlets per 10,000 persons and was obtained at the zip code level. Neighborhood poverty was as having a low (<20%) or high (≥20%) proportion of residents living in poverty at the census tract level. We used logistic regression for survey data to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals and tested for differences of associations by sex. Associations of neighborhood poverty with binge drinking were stronger for male than for female drinkers. The association of neighborhood poverty with alcohol-related problems was also stronger for men than for women. We observed no relationships between AOD and binge drinking or alcohol-related problems in this couples survey. Efforts to reduce binge drinking or alcohol-related problems among partners in committed relationships may have the greatest impact if targeted to male drinkers living in high-poverty neighborhoods. Binge drinking and alcohol-related problems, as well as residence in an impoverished neighborhood are risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) and other relationship conflicts.

Significant Race Differences In Factors Related To The Detention Recidivism Of Youthful Offenders, Christopher A. Mallett, Miyuki Fukushima, Patricia A. Stoddard Dare, Linda M. Quinn

Social Work Faculty Publications

A significant number of youthful offenders in the United States are held in juvenile court detention centers. Of broad concern is the disproportionate impact these placements have on minority youth, with African American and Hispanic youth much more frequently detained in these facilities compared to Caucasian youth. This U.S. study of a 2-county youthful offender population in the Midwest (1 urban, 1 rural) investigated racial differences in both extralegal (demographic, educational, mental health, and history of abuse or neglect) and court-related legal variables that predict detention placement upon recidivism—in other words, a second detention placement. Findings from logistic regression analysis …

Goebl-Parker Administers Cure With Art Therapy, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Adolescent Heavy Drinking On The Timing And Stability Of Cohabitation And Marriage, Lela Rankin Williams, Laura Wray-Lake, Eric Loken, Jennifer L. Maggs

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

Based on prospective British Cohort Study data, adolescent alcohol use predicted the timing and stability of committed partnerships between 16 and 34 years (n = 3278; 59% female). Propensity score methods balanced age 16 heavy drinkers (32.4%) and nonheavy drinkers on a range of relevant risk factors assessed in infancy and childhood. Adolescent heavy drinking predicted having ever cohabited, earlier transitions into cohabiting and marital relationships, more breakups, and an increased likelihood of divorce. Gender and social class moderated these relationships; heavy-drinking working-class males were especially likely to cohabit and to experience early entry into cohabitation and marriage. Implications …

Culture Ontogeny: Lifespan Development Of Religion And The Ethics Of Spiritual Counselling, Glen Milstein, Amy Manierre

Publications and Research

The counsellor has an ethical obligation to treat the whole person. Humans are cultural beings and the foundation of most cultures is religion. Religion and culture are received from our early relation~ ships and modified through later relationships across the lifespan. The paper introduces the term "culture ontogeny" to emphasize that this is a biological process wherein abstract ideas of culture and religion become material in the developing neurophysiology of each brain. A framework and methods are offered to examine the changing roles of religion in clients' emotional self~ structure, inclusive of those who describe themselves as spiritual, not religious. …

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Group Curriculum, Julie M. Wood

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The social workers at the MSH are treating many patients who have previous placements in chemical dependency treatment in addition to previous hospitalizations for their mental illness. Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselors (LADC) are employed at the hospital but not on unit 800 which is the crisis and intake unit. The hospital does not have funds available in their budget to add additional LADC staff at the present time.

Having a treatment group focusing on dual diagnosis would enable the patients to receive education and therapy for their addiction issues much earlier in the course of their treatment at MSH. …

Addressing The Physical Health Challenges Impacting Young Individuals With Major Mental Illness, Ryan P. Melton

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

Research has found that individuals who suffer from major mental illness, such as schizophrenia, are dying on average 15-25 years earlier than those who do not suffer from schizophrenia.1 Many causes for this shortened lifespan are suspected. Those causes include: lack of access to health care, suicide, poverty, substance use and side effects from anti-psychotic medications. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has challenged mental health providers treating major mental illness to address this disturbing trend by promoting their “10x10” campaign. The goal of the campaign is to increase the lifespan of individuals who suffer from major …

Sew It Seams: Wearing The Symbols Of Distant Neighbors, Tamar Reva Einstein

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This art-based expressive therapy study investigated opinions and feelings about cultures in the city of Jerusalem and the country of Israel at large. A coat, designed and sewn by the researcher, was covered with symbols that were identified with peoples who have been victims of violence, discrimination, dehumanization, and conflict within and across cultural groups in Jerusalem. The symbols of the cultures in Jerusalem were placed on the coat so that they touched each other at the seams. Following Phase 1 of the study, which included 24 participants, Phase 2 of the study included 4 additional participants who were selected …

"First Impression": Creating An Intake Procedure That Is Welcoming To Clients And Useful To Clinicians, Brandi Embacher

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Have you ever contacted an agency and felt doubtful about their ability to help you due to the phone interaction or written correspondence you received? The significance of this Capstone project is to create an intake procedure that will leave a positive first impression for individuals seeking services with Mankato Marriage and Family Therapy Center (MMFTC).

Gender And Empowerment In Supported Housing : A Consumer-Oriented Empowerment Model For Adults With Psychiatric Disabilities And Histories Of Homelessness, Eleanor M. Jaffee

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Using data from an evaluation of a supported housing program for adults with psychiatric disabilities and histories of homelessness (n = 59), the relationships of gender and the presence of children with subjective measures of mental health, personal mastery, personal empowerment, social support, and quality of life were explored, and the results informed the development of a revised consumer-oriented empowerment model. Key findings include a significant relationship between gender and personal mastery and empowerment with women scoring significantly lower than men on measures of this construct, and the role of personal mastery and empowerment as a mediator between psychiatric symptoms …

Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practices In Opioid Substance Abuse Treatment, Elizabeth V. Keck

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project is to begin the implementation of evidence-based practices for opioid substance abuse population in the rural community of Owatonna, MN and the surrounding communities.

Examining Multicultural Competency Education In The Creative Arts Therapies, Donna C. Owens

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

In the changing landscape of the United States, the skills and competencies of helping professionals must continue to address the unique needs of its various populations. As a growing field, the creative arts therapies must adopt multicultural values and standards necessary to remain competitive and relevant.

This study addressed the issue of multicultural counseling competency training in the creative arts therapies from three perspectives: the governing association, the training institution, and the student/trainee. Throughout this study the term creative arts therapies includes art, dance/movement, drama, expressive arts, music, poetry, and psychodrama.

Information concerning the associations for each of the seven …

The Relationship Of Social Stress, Economic Hardship, And Psychological Distress To Addiction Severity Among Kentucky Substance Abuse Treatment Participants, Elizabeth A. Wahler

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Stress is associated with poor mental health, specifically anxiety and depression, and stress and mental health problems are predictors of substance dependence and relapse. Social characteristics, such as racial/ethnic minority status, female gender, and low socioeconomic status, are often associated with increased psychological distress and substance use disorders. Pearlin’s social stress theory postulates that this association is due to increased exposure to stress and subsequent experiences of distress related to social disadvantage and decreased access to resources for coping with stress. This project uses a social stress theoretical perspective to examine predictors of substance use after treatment entry and follow-up …

The Effectiveness Of The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Across Cultures, Caylin Cedergren

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This project has two purposes. First, to evaluate the effectiveness of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) across cultures since it is the standard depression tool used across Mayo Clinic Health System. Second, to develop a Standard of Care that would create consistency in the follow-up provided to patients at Mayo Clinic Health System – Springfield Clinic whose PHQ-9 score reflects signs of depression.

Stroke Rehabilitation, Length-Of-Stay, And Re-Admission Rates: A Literature Review, Morgen Hagedorn

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Stroke is shown to be a significant U.S. health problem with a profound impact on the nation’s rising healthcare costs (Hall, Levant, & DeFrances, 2012). Longer patient length-of-stay [LOS] and higher re-admission rates have brought consequences to healthcare systems as institutional budgets are unable to reconcile the additional services and the influx of healthcare demands. Through a comprehensive literature review, the author illustrates the general knowledge available on the stroke experience, on stroke care and rehabilitation, and on patient LOS and re-admission rates. The literature review is based on general medical research with a focus on the stroke population. The …

Policies In Hospital Social Work, Jolene L. Reisdorfer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The goal of this project was to create an environment that provides a professional standard of care to ensure patient safety. This project will address the absence of policies in the Social Service Department at Mayo Clinic Health System, Southwest Region. A standard of care is a detailed standardized model of an intervention process that discusses the goals, objectives, settings, process, procedures and interventions (Gayle, 2005). Policy development must occur to assure that patients with social service needs are being identified appropriately and are being provided necessary interventions to meet their needs (Gordon & Rehrs, 1969). The project also identified …

A Review Of Developmentally Appropriate Evidence-Based Effective Parenting And Resources For Parents, Kari Schwecke

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Krisma Counseling, a counseling center located in rural southern Minnesota, offers high quality and affordable consumer-centered mental health services to individuals, families, couples, including in-home therapy. In order to provide adequate services and care that abides by the Nation Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, there needs to be standard ethical practice rooted in evidence based literature. The purpose of this project was to research developmentally appropriate evidence-based effective parenting and create a resource guide for clinicians to use in their work with parents of children ages two to 17.

Bridging Tactics: Parental Support Systems: A Proposal For A Psycho-Educational Parent Group, Emily F. Thompson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this Capstone project is to design and present a new intervention program for increasing supportive services to the parents of clients being served through the infant/early childhood mental health program at CSSM. The goal of this project is to provide CSSM with a culturally-­responsive, theoretically grounded, evidence-­based proposal for the development of a psycho-educational group that includes a clear rationale for why this intervention is needed and how it will help the agency achieve the outcomes of infant/early childhood mental health program.

Rating Scale Analysis And Psychometric Properties Of The Caregiver Self-Efficacy Scale For Transfers, Daniel Cipriani, Francine E. Hansen, Danielle L. Mcpeck, Gina L.D. Kubec, Julie J. Thomas

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Parents and caregivers faced with the challenges of transferring children with disability are at risk of musculoskeletal injuries and/or emotional stress. The Caregiver Self-Efficacy Scale for Transfers (CSEST) is a 14-item questionnaire that measures self-efficacy for transferring under common conditions. The CSEST yields reliable data and valid inferences; however, its rating scale structure has not been evaluated for utility. The aims of this study were to evaluate the category response structure of the CSEST, test the utility of a revised rating scale structure, and confirm its psychometric properties. The Rasch Measurement Model was used for all analyses. Subjects included 175 …

An Overview Of Avoidant Personality Disorder, Kristin Dehrkoop

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Avoidant Personality Disorder presents very similarly to other disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV). What separates Avoidant Personality Disorder (APD) to other disorders that present similarly?

Headway Emotional Health Services: A Parent Satisfaction Survey And Needs Assessment, Eowyn T. Gatlin

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Headway Emotional Health Services seeks to transform lives and restore families by providing a variety of quality mental health services to children and families in the Twin Cities Metro Area. The Vision Program is a partnership between Headway and the Bloomington Public School system. The Vision Program serves K-12 students who qualify for level 3 Emotional and/or Behavioral Disability (EBD) services. All students are in a classroom at their mainstream school and receive daily support from the Vision Mental Health Specialist, a special education classroom teacher, and a paraprofessional. Many students are able to participate in some mainstream programing through …

Needs Assessment Of Emergency Department Social Workers In Southwestern Minnesota In Relation To Emergency Department Expansion, Gina Marie Njugunah

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Expansion of a hospital emergency department will affect the role of the emergency department social worker. This research project was conducted to assess the needs, concerns, and strengths of the social workers working in the emergency department of a regional medical center. The study included 13 participants who completed an on-line survey. Results showed that participants were concerned with the increase in patient volume as well as the possible increase in wait time for patients. Participants also expressed how concerns could be addressed. The most common solution was to track information about the cases, including wait times for patients, in …

Mental Health Inpatient Hospitalization And Smoking Cessation, Susan Warring

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Forty- four percent of cigarettes purchased, are by persons with serious mental illness. This population dies approximately twenty- five years earlier than the general population. In 1993, American hospitals were mandated to become smokefree. At that time, psychiatric facilities requested variances amid concerns that their patients may present adverse behaviors due to nicotine withdrawal. Within the last five years, smoking bans have become more prevalent, resulting in many psychiatric facilities adhering to a no smoking policy. The Owatonna Mental Health Unit at the Owatonna hospital currently has a variance to allow smoking breaks for their mentally ill inpatients.

Research Questions: …