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Tuning "The System": An Evaluation Or Restorative Practices In San Lorenzo School District, Amber White

Master's Projects and Capstones

In 2013, The Director of Student Support Services for the San Lorenzo Unified School District (SLZUSD) implemented a Restorative Practices program in an effort to improve relationships on campus and decrease suspension and expulsion rates in SLZUSD. The Directors push for RP was fueled by the passing of Assembly Bill 1729 (AB-1729), when the California Education Code changed to allow for alternative disciplinary actions. States nationwide have passed bills similar to AB-1729 and allowed schools to use alternative punitive practices. Despite good natured intentions there were many faculty members who did not respond with enthusiasm and there has since been …

Impact Of Peer Relationship And Exposure To Violence On Posttraumatic Stress For Children At Risk For Maltreatment, Aura Ankita Mishra

Open Access Theses

Post-traumatic Stress (PTS) symptomology includes ruminating thoughts and feelings around trauma, inability to feel and express emotions, and avoidance of things related to the traumatic event (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Children and youth exposed to child maltreatment (abuse and neglect) are at higher risk of experiencing PTS. Extra-familial support, including peer support can reduce post-traumatic stress among youth (Pina et al., 2008). In the present study, Witnessing, Victimization, and Both Witnessing and Victimization due to Exposure to In-Home Violence and Peer Relationship Quality are evaluated as to their relative impact on PTS for children at risk for child maltreatment. Peer …

Introduction To The Special Section: Positive Developmental Strategies For Engaging Emerging Adults And Improving Outcomes, Janet S. Walker, Celeste Seibel, Sharice Jackson, John D. Ossowski

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

As compared to any other age cohort in the US population, young people in late adolescence and early adulthood have a higher rate of unmet need for mental health services. Not only are these young people (from about 16 to 25 years old, and referred to here as “emerging adults”) more likely to experience a serious mental health condition (SMHC), but they are also less likely to engage in services. Furthermore, when emerging adults do engage in services, they face multiple barriers to service continuity, particularly as they come up to “milestone” ages at 18, 21, and 24.

There is …

Providing Pediatric Patients With A Voice : Understanding How Children Want To Live Before They Die, Nina Friedman

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper explores what quality of life is for pediatric patients and how health care professionals, a certified child life specialist in particular, can help the patient, family, and medical team to navigate treatment options and decisions regarding end-of-life.

Applying Experience-Based Co-Design With Vulnerable Populations: Lessons From A Systematic Review Of Methods To Involve Patients, Families And Service Providers In Child And Youth Mental Health Service Improvement, Alison Mulvale, Ashleigh Miatello, Christina Hackett, Gillian Mulvale

Patient Experience Journal

The objective was to identify methods used to involve patients, family and service providers in child and youth mental health service improvement research. We analyzed the alignment of methods used with Experience-Based Co-Design (EBCD) methodology, and how power imbalances among participants were addressed. A systematic review of the English-language peer review literature since 2004 was carried out. The EMBASE, Scholar’s Portal, PubMed, Web of Science databases and the Ontario College of Art and Design University libraries were searched electronically for variations of ‘child’, ‘mental health’, ‘experience-based co-design’, ‘participatory research’ and ‘health care services’. Textual data was systematically extracted and analyzed. …

The Impact Of Foster Care On Depression: An Examination Of Placement Type And Mental Health Service Utilization Among Children And Adolescents, Kisha Cummings

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Children and adolescents in foster care with a history of complex trauma such as neglect, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse have a greater odds of being clinically diagnosed with depression in adulthood compared to children and adolescents without such a history. The current study examines the prevalence of depression in a national sample of children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 years. This study asks whether a) foster care is associated with a greater prevalence of depression among children and adolescents in foster care compared to children and adolescents not in foster care; b) there is an association between …

Missoula’S Homeless Children: Effects Of Homelessness On Mental, Emotional And Social Health, Sarah L. Shapiro

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Missoula’s Homeless Children: Effects of Homelessness on Mental, Emotional and Social Health

The mental, emotional, and social health of children are greatly affected by being homeless. Being homeless as a child could effect a person’s coping skills and lead to mental health issues that increase the likelihood of substance abuse , suicide attempts, or adult homelessness. The purpose of this research project is to explore the negative effects of homelessness on Missoula children, and to identify services that could be useful in combating those effects. Methods for this project, included two data collection strategies. First, a literature review was completed …

A Curriculum On Culturally Competent Practices To Prevent Retraumatization In Diverse Survivors, Luana Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This DNP project addresses the healthcare issue of intimate partner, domestic, and sexual violence (IPDSV), its impact on survivors, and reducing the potential for retraumatization by those who care for them in the clinical, behavioral, and social settings. Trauma-informed care interventions are designed to address the sequelae of trauma, promote recovery, and support resilience. Since IPDSV is a global health issue, supporting cultural needs of all clients is an essential aspect of trauma-informed care. This project was guided by a central research question that examined if trauma-informed, culturally competent curriculum be viewed by community stakeholders as an appropriate intervention for …

Social Contexts Of Infant Feeding And Infant Feeding Decisions, Ellen J. Schafer, Natalie A. Williams, Siri Digney, Marion E. Hare, Sato Ashida

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Background: Infant feeding takes place within a network of social relationships. However, the social context in which infant feeding advice is received remains underresearched.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the social contexts of infant feeding by examining individual and relationship characteristics of mothers and network members associated with advice to exclusively breastfeed, exclusively formula feed, or use a combination of breast milk and formula.

Methods: Information about 287 network members was reported by 80 low-income mothers during a one-time survey. Characteristics of relationships associated with mothers receiving advice (exclusively breastfeed/formula feed, combination feed) from each network …

Predicting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In Children With Prior Mental Health Diagnoses, Earnest E. Airhia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hurricane Katrina devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast and subjected the city of New Orleans to disastrous flooding, which resulted in numerous after effects that impacted the children and adolescents of the city. The disaster contributed to high levels of stress, increased risk of psychological disorders, and was associated with an increased percentage of New Orleans children presenting symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To help address these problems associated with hurricanes and other disasters, the current study investigated how age, gender, race, and pre-existing conditions increased or decreased the likelihood of a child being diagnosed with PTSD following Hurricane …

Foster Parents' Perceptions And Beliefs About Social Emotional Development In Infants And Toddlers, Susan R. Noel

DNP Projects

Infants and toddlers placed in foster care are at increased risk for social-emotional (SE) development dysregulation. Foster parents, as surrogate parents, play a critical role in a young child having the potential for healthy SE development. The transactional model supports the complex and intricate interplays and transactions of the child, the foster parent, and the environment that influences a healthy SE development. This qualitative descriptive study explored foster parent knowledge, behavioral cue recognitions, and role perception regarding a young child's SE development. Although the sample size was small, the study provides relevant information, from the on-going experiences of foster parents, …

Ethnic And Language Matching: Effects On Hispanics' Treatment Perceptions, Carlos Adrian Ojeda Cedeno

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cultural adaptations to mental health treatment have been recommended to improve treatment outcomes in minorities, including Hispanics (Griner & Smith, 2006). One such adaptation includes matching the therapist to the client on culturally salient variables, such as spoken language or ethnic background. Yet, most investigations about the efficacy of matching have been correlational or have not examined language and ethnic match together (Cabassa, 2007). I investigated the effects of both ethnic and language matching on Hispanics' perceptions of psychological treatment. Participants were 100 Hispanic adults (36 men) randomly assigned to one of four conditions. In each condition, participants read a …

Brief Intervention For Truant Youth Sexual Risk Behavior And Marijuana Use, Richard Dembo, Rhissa Briones-Robinson, Kimberly Barrett, Rocio Ungaro, Ken C. Winters, Steven Belenko, Lora M. Karas, Laura Gulledge, Jennifer Wareham

Faculty Publications

Substance use and sexual risk behaviors are common among adolescents, but research has focused attention on alcohol use. Much less is known about the relationship of marijuana use and sexual risk behavior among high-risk, especially truant, youths. We report interim findings from a NIDA-funded experimental, brief intervention (BI) study involving truant youths and their parents/guardians. Longitudinal data were analyzed to study (1) the relationships between the youths' marijuana use and sexual risk behavior and (2) the effects of a substance use BI on their marijuana use and sexual risk behavior. A growth model analysis for parallel processes was conducted to …

Trauma-Informed Research And Planning: Understanding Government And Urban Native Community Partnerships To Addressing Substance-Exposed Pregnancies In Portland, Or, Amanda Mercier

Dissertations and Theses

In 2011, representatives from the Multnomah County Health Departments and several Native-serving organizations came together to address substance-exposed pregnancies among urban Native Americans in Portland, Oregon. From these partnerships, the Future Generations Collaborative was formed representing a significant shift toward community-led maternal child health research and planning. Additionally, the Future Generations Collaborative adopted a historical trauma-informed community based participatory research and planning process. This is particularly significant considering government agencies' role in colonization within Native communities. The purpose of this case study is to explore partnerships between government agencies and the Portland Native community within the Future Generations Collaborative. Given …

Strategic Planning In The Non Profit Sector: Creating A Strategic Plan For Affinity 2014-2017, Emilee Taplin-Lacey

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The purpose of engaging in the creation of a strategic plan for Affinity is to integrate knowledge acquired through participation in the Public Policy and Nonprofit Management Master’s Degree program at the Muskie School of Public Service. In addition, my facilitation of a strategic planning process for Affinity is meant to meet the requirements of graduation and represents my capstone project in this regard.

Resources Matter: The Role Of Social Capital And Collective Efficacy In Mediating Gun Violence, Jennifer Lynne Dean

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This study explains how community activists make use of available social capital and collective efficacy while attempting to mediate gun violence. It specifically focuses on twelve in-depth interviews of activists' perspectives, processes and rationales to alleviate community gun violence, based on informal social control models. Findings suggest activists must establish trust and respect with youth they work with before mediation begins, which is established through similar life experiences or backgrounds. Once a strong bond is established with youth, activists identified five core processes to reduce violence: 1) improve the mindset, 2) provide life skills, 3) assist youth as their …

Coming Out, Coming Together, Coming Around: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Families' Experiences Adjusting To A Young Family Member's Disclosure Of Non-Heterosexuality, Denise M. Fournier Rodriguez

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Young people who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) are disclosing their sexual identity--or coming out--at progressively younger ages, making it more important than ever for the general population to understand, tolerate, and accept diversity in sexual identity. This study was designed to fill the gap in the existing literature about how the coming out process affects LGB young people's families of origin. Three LGB young people participated in the study, along with a member of each of their families. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with each of the participants, as well as a conjoint interview with each of …

An Introduction: Quantification Of The Hippocampal Bdnf Content Of Maternally Separated Rats Using A Western Blot Protocol, Bernajane M. Palisoc, Laurel M. Pritchard, Emily Hensleigh

McNair Poster Presentations

Among industrialized nations, the United States has the worst incidence of child maltreatment with 3 million cases per year (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). Studies have shown that individuals who were maltreated when they were young are more susceptible to drug abuse such as alcohol, cocaine, and nicotine (Maddahian, Newcomb, & Bentle, 1988). Early life stress (ELS) causes hyperactivation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary- Adrenal (HPA) Axis (Heim et al., 2000; Plotsky et al., 2005). The dysregulation of the HPA axis causes the secretion of glucocorticoid stress hormones by large amounts, which in return attenuates hippocampal Brain-derived neurotrophic factor …

Bringing Functional Family Probation Services To The Community: A Qualitative Case Study, Denise Lynmarie Austin

Dissertations and Theses

In March 2011, Multnomah County's Juvenile Services Division (JSD) in Portland, Oregon implemented a new program model called Functional Family Probation Services, a case management model based on the principles of Functional Family Therapy. Under this model JSD Juvenile Court Counselors deliver Functional Family Probation Services to medium and high-risk youth on probation; both to the youth and their family in their home. This qualitative case study examined the extent to which the Juvenile Court Counselors and Community Justice Managers implemented Functional Family Probation Service's components and recorded their opinions regarding Functional Family Probation Services as a case management model. …

A Community Art Exploration Of Bicultural Identity And Acculturation With Latino Adolescents, Stephanie V. Moreno

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This paper is an exploration among low-income Latino adolescents, which seeks to explore the experiences and the stressors from immigration, acculturation, and bicultural identity through art. The participants selected from Dolores Mission Parish in Boyle Heights California, created a personal art piece and a collaborative installation. The art explores and expresses their personal journeys with acculturation and bicultural identity. Multiple sources of data were collected including daily observation, group discussions, individual artwork, collaborative installation, and photographs taken during the workshop; to gain an understanding of what acculturation means to adolescents, how this process effects their lives, their experiences with biculturalism, …

Creating An Optimal Healing Environment For Pediatric Patients And Families : A Medical School Course On Child Life Theory And Practice, Erin Halman

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This project outlines an introductory child life course intended for medical students. The course covers salient topics from a graduate level child life curriculum, as well as skills identified as the most useful for physicians in a survey of certified child life specialists.

A Trip To The Epilepsy Monitoring Unit : Using Video Modeling To Prepare Children And Caregivers For Inpatient Eeg Monitoring, Peyton Katz

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The goal of this project was to outline the benefits of utilizing video modeling in the preparation of children and families within a child life department's preparation program.

Early Life Stress, Drug Abuse, Exercise Effects On Bdnf And Sex-Influenced Excercise Differences, Karissa Dold

Honors College Theses

In 2011, the U.S. reported 3 million child maltreatment cases, an uncomfortably high but recurring figure each year. Research shows exposure to early life stress (ELS) increases an individual’s susceptibility to substance abuse, specifically of nicotine, alcohol, and cocaine. Increased susceptibility may result from dysregulation of the HPA axis sustaining activation into adulthood after ELS. Hyperactivation of the HPA axis significantly reduces hippocampal BDNF, a neurotrophin involved in neuronal growth and plasticity. Reduced hippocampal BDNF may be a factor in substance abuse vulnerability. Additionally, research shows exercise protects hippocampal BDNF from stress induced down-regulation. To explore these relationships, this study …

Improving Access To Children's Mental Health Care: Lessons From A Study Of Eleven States, Donna Behrens, Julia Graham Lear, Olga Acosta Price

Center for Health and Health Care in Schools

Implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is well underway, creating long-overdue opportunities for growing the capacity of child and adolescent mental health systems and meeting children’s pressing needs. The good news is that as of January 1, 2014, coverage of mental health conditions and substance use disorders will be required as part of the broad Essential Benefits package of services under the ACA. While states will determine specific benefits, it is widely accepted that mental health and substance abuse coverage will substantially increase, though the details remain to be determined.1 Additionally, as a result of this …

Social Workers' Perceptions Of Psychotropic Medication Use On Children And Adolescents In Foster Care, Tina Latrice Johnson Hollman, Dominic Marcus Ruffin

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the attitudes of social workers' regarding psychotropic medication use on children in foster care. This study also addressed any prospective concerns that social workers may have had as they relate to psychotropic medications being administered to children in foster care.

The Adjustment Of Asian American Families To The U.S. Context: The Ecology Of Strengths And Stress, Yan Ruth Xia

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The number of Asian American families is on the rise. Asian American families are a diverse group. This chapter focuses on Asian American families that migrated to the United States in the last three decades. This chapter challenges the media’s depiction of them as a Model Minority. Because of this stereotype, many challenges that this group encounters may not gain adequate attention. The chapter examines their strengths and resiliency, along with the ecology of stress that influences family dynamics.

Tailoring A Physical Activity Promotion Program For A Rural Area, Gavin T. Colquitt, Moya L. Alfonso, Ashley Walker, Vanessa Dunmore

Community Health: Faculty Presentations (1993-2018)

Background/Purpose: VERBTM Summer Scorecard (VSS) has used social marketing to successfully promote physical activity for urban and suburban youth. The purpose of this study was to adapt the program to meet the needs of a minority, rural population.

Method: Qualitative marketing research methods including focus groups were used to gather data from parents (N = 12) and their children (N =12) in April 2012. A structured, open-ended focus group guide was developed specific to parents and youth and based on the social marketing framework. Marketing topics covered included Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Attention was given to testing two previously …

Stress, Coping And Suicide Ideation In Chinese College Students, Xiaoyun Zhang, Haiping Wang, Yan Ruth Xia, Xiaohong Liu, Eunju Jung

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The study was to examine 1) whether stress and coping styles could significantly predict the probability of suicide ideation; 2) and whether coping styles were mediators or moderators on the association between life stress and suicide ideation. The survey was conducted in a sample of 671 Chinese college students. Approximately twenty percent students reported having suicide ideation. Life stress, active coping styles, and passive coping styles all had independent effect on the probability of suicide ideation. Passive coping styles, especially fantasizing, mediated the relation between life stress and suicide ideation. Moderation hypotheses were not supported. Implications of the findings and …

Mountain Movement: The Design, Implementation, & Evaluation Of A Youth Yoga Program, Abigail A. Long

Capstone Collection

Abigail Ann Long – PIM 70

Mountain Movement: The Design, Implementation, & Evaluation

of a Youth Yoga Program

May 2012

Mountain Movement is a youth yoga program designed to introduce children to the sustainable practice of yoga as well as convey the ability to recognize stress and utilize relaxation techniques. Children face a number of challenges throughout their daily lives. These challenges, ranging from academic pressures to bullying, can create stresses with negative impacts. Yoga is an activity that can provide children with tools and methods to better deal with and cope with these challenges. Mountain Movement has demonstrated that …

New Hampshire Public Mental Health Consumer Survey Project: Summary Of Findings May 2012, Peter Antal

Institute on Disability

No abstract provided.