Digital Commons Network^™

Ucedd Innovations Lead To Idd Networks’ Driving Change: Envision, Empower, Employ, Suzzanne Freeze, Jean Winsor, Brittany M. Powers, Amy Huppi

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

State systems responsible for administering employment services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) must acclimate to changing demands, address new regulations, and continue to meet needs in an era of high workforce turnover and uncertain funding. While improvements have been made across the U.S., there are still far too many individuals seeking meaningful employment and contributory roles in the community who are not supported to achieve those goals. A key success factor is providing publicly funded state systems with the information needed to strategically pivot toward priorities and ensure smooth transitions of organizational change. Our country’s …

Improving Equity In Financial Aid Policy For Students With Disabilities, Ryan S. Wells, S. Kate Farmer, Morgan D. Woroner

Journal of Student Financial Aid

Disabled college students face significant barriers to degree completion, including systemic inequities in financial aid policies. This Issue Article investigates financial aid policies that unfairly limit aid to disabled students, at times forcing them to choose between maximizing their financial aid and the recommended accommodations to which they have a legal right, such as a reduced courseload. We highlight how current policies, including Pell Grant proration, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements, and lifetime funding caps, create financial and administrative burdens that disproportionately affect disabled students. By examining federal and state-level policy responses, we identify both promising practices and persistent gaps …

Ovma Resiliency Program: A Holistic Approach To Supporting Veteran And Military-Connected Students, Ken Marfilius, Brenic Nam, Natalie Hawes

Voices of Service Symposium

The Syracuse University Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA) Resiliency Program (ORP), launched in August 2024, is an innovative initiative designed to support veteran and military-connected students. Developed in partnership with the OVMA, School of Social Work, and Hendricks Chapel, the program provides tailored resources and support networks to help students navigate academic, financial, physical, social, and mental well-ness challenges. Staffed by an Associate Director and graduate-level social work interns, the ORP addresses the critical needs identified in a U.S. Government Accountability Office report on veteran college experiences. Through dynamic support systems, the ORP fosters success and engagement, advancing …

Targeted Federal Advocacy For Financial Stability: Recommendations For United Way Of The Bluegrass, Jefferson Abney, Lou Hurst

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Advocacy refers to activities undertaken with the intent of influencing policy change. For nonprofit organizations, advocacy can be a critical aspect of furthering their mission. Successful advocacy requires a comprehensive, dynamic understanding of the needs and priorities of stakeholders, as well as an understanding of the political context in which the organization operates and the challenges and opportunities that context poses for its institutional goals. A policy agenda helps nonprofit organizations identify and communicate the most pertinent policy needs for consideration when making decisions around advocacy.

For this project, in response to a request from United Way of The Bluegrass …

Providing End-Of-Life Counseling: A Narrative Inquiry, Carol Hecht, Sibyl West

Adultspan Journal

This qualitative study aimed to address the gap in the research related to end-of-life counseling by exploring the experiences of counselors working with clients at end of life. While counseling literature and education are lacking regarding end of life, many counselors will work alongside clients approaching death. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to better understand the nuanced experiences of counselors providing end-of-life counseling and (b) to explore the supports and preparations helpful for counselors to provide end-of-life counseling. A narrative approach, using the Listening Guide (Gilligan, 2015), was employed to analyze and present the stories of three …

The Influence Of A Caregiver Support Program On Consumer Well-Being, Wallace Thomas Peake

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Caregiving has been shown to be a potential burden for the well-being of caregivers. The focus of this study was a caregiver support program whose managers lacked an understanding of the efficacy of the program in enhancing the well-being of the consumers of the program. The purpose of this quantitative study was to develop and administer a consumer satisfaction survey that evaluated the efficacy of caregiver support program services from the consumer perspective. This study was grounded by the positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment model, which informed the development of the survey that was administered to the participants …

The Influence Of A Caregiver Support Program On Consumer Well-Being, Wallace Thomas Peake

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Caregiving has been shown to be a potential burden for the well-being of caregivers. The focus of this study was a caregiver support program whose managers lacked an understanding of the efficacy of the program in enhancing the well-being of the consumers of the program. The purpose of this quantitative study was to develop and administer a consumer satisfaction survey that evaluated the efficacy of caregiver support program services from the consumer perspective. This study was grounded by the positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment model, which informed the development of the survey that was administered to the participants …

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. A …

Exploring Jury Nullification: Its Political History, Current, And Potential Impact On Policy, David Harold Penny

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Jury nullification (JN) is when a jury knows a defendant is legally guilty, but states they are not guilty, believing that their verdict better serves justice in that case. The problem is the violation of the Constitution’s equal protection clause for all citizens, caused by the intentional omission in most judges’ instructions to juries of JN. The purpose of the study was to fill the gap in the literature on jury behavior and address the problem of JN. The study framework is chaos theory as applied by Horowitz to jury behavior. It describes judges and lawmakers mistrust of juries associated …

Exploring Jury Nullification: Its Political History, Current, And Potential Impact On Policy, David Harold Penny

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Jury nullification (JN) is when a jury knows a defendant is legally guilty, but states they are not guilty, believing that their verdict better serves justice in that case. The problem is the violation of the Constitution’s equal protection clause for all citizens, caused by the intentional omission in most judges’ instructions to juries of JN. The purpose of the study was to fill the gap in the literature on jury behavior and address the problem of JN. The study framework is chaos theory as applied by Horowitz to jury behavior. It describes judges and lawmakers mistrust of juries associated …

The Covid-19 Pandemic And The Implementation Of The Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments Act In Higher Education: Discretionary Practices Of Disability Services Professionals, Crystal Denise Hill

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic abruptly transformed the landscape of higher education. The urgent nature of procedural changes in academic and administrative higher education services did not exempt leadership, faculty, or staff from their legally mandated responsibility to provide equal access to the educational environment for students with disabilities as outlined within title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA). The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies used by disability services professionals to implement the ADAAAA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sources and preferred formats of policy guidance were explored. The priorities of department, division, and institution-level …

Before It Is Over: A Family’S Experience With End-Of-Life Care During Covid-Related Restrictive Visitation Policies, Andjela H. Kaur

Patient Experience Journal

It is not uncommon in the American medical community that a personal narrative sparks a conversation about a controversial topic. In 1988 the Journal of American Medical Association published a narrative by a medical doctor which provoked a debate on euthanasia within the readership of the journal and the greater public. The testimony that I am presenting aims to invite a public dialogue on the harmful effects of restrictive visitation policies brought on by the COVID -19 pandemic. The story of my family’s experience during the end-of-life care for my mother, a COVID patient, illustrates how urgent is the need …

The Moderating Effects Of Disability On The Relationship Between Job Embeddedness And Turnover Intention Among Veterans, Beverly Maier

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Nearly 26% of American adults have a disability. The goal of vocational rehabilitation for individuals with disabilities is to participate in the labor market and improve their quality of life. Employment is an excellent community reintegration. The U.S. Department of Labor reported that in 2020, a total of 4.7 million veterans received a rating of the service-connected disability from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or the U.S. Department of Defense. The unemployment rate for veterans with a disability is 6.2%, which is not a significant difference from the unemployment rate of 7.2% for veterans without a disability. According to …

The Issue Of Unemployment Among People With Disabilities, Angelina C. Pagano

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

The rate of unemployment for people with disabilities continues to rise greatly above that of people without disabilities. The issue seems to be exacerbated by employer biases and concerns which are not supported in the face of evidence. A lack of employer education on disability related subjects causes this misconception among both employers and the public as a whole. To resolve the underlying problem of miseducation, an increase in the self-identification of people with disabilities is necessary to provide researchers with data to assist in the formation of a revised curriculum.

Psychosocial Impacts And Employment Preparedness Of Participating In An Hiv Peer Program: Implications For Tailoring A Vocational Counseling Model For Plwh, Erin R. Mckinney-Prupis

Dissertations and Theses

Background:

Medical advancements in HIV care should have reduced barriers to employment for PLWH, yet in 2017 only 47.7% of PLWH reported being employed, as compared to 62.9% in the general population. Employment is a significant social determinant of health, it impacts a variety of factors related to health, including earned income, access to healthcare, and social connectedness. Quantitative and qualitative studies have identified several concerns PLWH have about entering the workforce; the most pressing being fear of losing benefits. Targeted work readiness programs for PLWH is an important approach to help PLWH overcome their unique barriers to work, such …

Attrition In A Holistic Job Skills Training Program: A Qualitative Study, Jeaniece Silas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today thousands of individuals and families are unemployed or underemployed and are seeking ways to combat poverty and become employed. One way that individuals seek to gain employment is by attending job skills training and adult education programs. However, there are barriers that hinder those individuals from successfully completing the programs. The purpose of this study is to explore the experience of applicants of a nonprofit job skills training program called FaithWorks and explore the reasons why applicants were not able to continue and, or complete the program. This study was conducted, through qualitative interviewing of four participants (N=4) utilizing …

Managing Occupational Stress Among Nigerian Police Officers Deployed To Borno State, Nigeria, Babatunde Salmon Alabi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The police officers in Borno State, Nigeria, lack adequate training to manage the occupational stress when deployed to perform their civic duties of protection of lives and properties. Using the theory of psychological stress and coping, the purpose of this general qualitative study was to explore strategies that police officers deployed to Borno State of Nigeria used in managing occupational stress when discharging their duties. The research question was written to address the strategies required by police officers deployed to Borno State, Nigeria, in managing occupational stress when discharging their duties. Using semistructured interviews, 15 participants were selected who had …

Education Support For Foster Care Youth: The Impact Of Federal Spending On Employment Outcomes, Carlisle C. Bates

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the extent to which supportive services funded through the federal John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCP) are associated with academic success and employment in foster care youth. Studies suggest that this group experiences poorer employment outcomes (Gypen, Vanderfaeillie, De Maeyer, Belenger, & Van Holen, 2017; Okpych & Courtney, 2014) and earn less money annually (Gypen et al., 2017; Okpych & Courtney, 2014; Pecora, 2012). Despite a 29.4-billion-dollar annual budget for foster care services, individuals with a foster care history struggle after they transition out of care.

The CFCP is intended to help states improve education …

State Roles In Promoting Community Life Engagement: Themes From The State Employment Leadership Network’S Working Group, Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

As states focus on expanding integrated employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and phasing out sheltered work, they are finding a need to concurrently examine Community Life Engagement (CLE) supports as a wrap-around to ensure individuals’ engagement in the community is maintained and they continue to receive sufficient levels of support, despite fluctuations in job status and hours. In January through June of 2017, the State Employment Leadership Network (SELN) hosted a working group of member states to discuss ideas and share strategies for encouraging quality CLE supports while maintaining a focus on Employment First (see …

Statedata: The National Report On Employment Services And Outcomes Through 2016, Jean Winsor, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, John Butterworth, Alberto Migliore, Daria Domin, Agnes Zalewska, John Shepard, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Recent legislation and regulation governing Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA), and settlement agreements between states and the U.S. Department of Justice are clarifying federal intent and paving the way to supporting opportunities for people with disabilities to have meaningful jobs in their communities. With an increasing emphasis on integrated employment and an Employment First philosophy, the nation is poised for transformation that could put Americans with disabilities on a path out of poverty and towards self-sufficiency. However, there remains a significant gap in employment rates between people with and without …

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 …

The Predictors Of Juvenile Recidivism: Testimonies Of Adult Students 18 Years And Older Exiting From Alternative Education, La Toshia Palmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study was to identify and describe the importance of the predictors of juvenile recidivism and the effectiveness of efforts to prevent/avoid juvenile recidivism as perceived by previously detained, arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education in Northern California. A second purpose was to explore the types of support provided by alternative schools and the perceived importance of the support to avoid recidivism according to adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education.

Methodology: This qualitative, descriptive research design identified …

توظيف سلوكيات القيادة البارعة لتعزيز سلوك العمل الابداعي دراسة استطلاعية لآراء عينة من أعضاء الهيئة التدريسية في كليات جامعة القادسية, صالح عبد الرضا رشيد

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى التعرف على مدى تأثير سلوكيات القيادة البارعة لرؤساء الاقسام العلمية على السلوك الابداعي لأعضاء الهيأة التدريسية في كليات جامعة القادسية . وقد تم اختبار سلوكيات القيادة البارعة من خلال نوعين من السلوكيات هما السلوكيات المنفتحة والسلوكيات المنغلقة ، فيما تم اختبار السلوك الابداعي من خلال نوعين من السلوك أيضا هما السلوك الابداعي الاستكشافي ببعديه الفرعيين استكشاف الفرصة وتوليد الفكرة ، والسلوك الابداعي الاستثماري ببعديه الفرعيين الترويج للفكرة وتنفيذ الفكرة . وقد تم استطلاع آراء عينة من أعضاء الهيئة التدريسية في كليات الجامعة بلغ عدد أعضاءها (287 ) تدريسيا وتدريسية واعتمدت الدراسة الاستبانة أداة رئيسة للحصول على …

التمكين النفسي وتأثيره على السلوك الابداعي دراسة تطبيقية في مديرية بيئة القادسية, خيريه عبد فضل الخالدي

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

تناول هذا البحث التمكين النفسي وتأثيره على السلوك الابداعي لعينة من العاملين في مديرية بيئة القادسية . اذ يضم متغير التمكين النفسي اربعه ابعاد متمثلة بـ (المعنى , المقدرة, الاستقلالية, التأثير) ,اما متغير السلوك الابداعي فتمثل أبعاده ( توليد الافكار , ترويج الافكار , تنفيذ الافكار) , وقد اعتمد هذا البحث على المنهج التحليلي للبيانات التي جمعت من آراء عينة مكونه من (124) موظف في مديرية بيئة القادسية واختبرت فرضيات البحث باستخدام معامل الارتباط البسيط و تحليل الانحدار المتعدد وعدد من الادوات الاحصائية الاخرى الملائمة لتحقيق اهداف البحث الحالي باستخدام برنامج SPSS.v.24)). وقد أثبتت النتائج التطبيقية للبحث صحة الفرضيات التي …

Examining Jordanians' Attitudes Towards Five Types Of Developmental Disabilities, Najah Zaaeed, Mohammad Mohammad, Peter Gleason, Khaled A. Bahjri, Naomi Modeste

Public Health, Food Studies, and Nutrition

Background: The diagnosis and reported rates of persons with developmental disabilities (PWDDs) in Jordan is steadily increasing. Although initiatives have been implemented to improve the lives of PWDDs, attitudes towards PWDDs hinder successful inclusion in the Jordanian society.

Objectives: To examine the relationship between Jordanians socio-economic status and attitudes towards persons with developmental disabilities: autism, blindness, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and muscular dystrophy.

Methods: Jordanians (N=259), ages 18-65 were recruited for this convergent parallel, mixed-methods study. Participants completed the modified 40-item Community Living Attitude Scale-developmental disability (CLAS-DD) and the modified Intellectual Disability Literacy Scale consisting of five vignettes, representing each …

Relationship Between Employee Wages, Number Of Employee Referrals, And Employee Turnover Intention, Robert Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover is a significant contributor to the overall loss of hundreds of billions of dollars in profitability for many business organizations in the United States and abroad combined. Grounded in Maslow's theory of human motivation, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between employee wages, number of employee referrals, and employee turnover intentions. The population was composed of employees working in the Southeastern region of the United States. A convenience sample of 92 participants answered questions regarding their wages, number of employee referrals, and completed the Turnover Intention Scale. Results of the multiple regression analysis …

Correlating Residual Stress With Personal And Professional Characteristics In Aircraft Pilots, Erik Eckblad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Every day aircraft pilots must successfully resolve significant inflight situations and then manage the possibility of residual psychological and physiological stress. Previous research has shown primary attention is given to presignificant event training and stress management, however there remains an important gap in the current literature regarding postsignificant event stress within the aviation profession. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to use the observational lens of stress theory and survey U.S. pilots who have experienced an inflight emergency, looking for correlation between factors such as age, gender, flight experience, and training against a pilot's self-reported level of residual …

From War To Home: The Systematic Issues Operation Enduring And Iraqi Freedom Veterans Face Transitioning With Ptsd, Tiffany D. Ware

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the perceptions of Operation Enduring and Iraqi Freedom veterans with PTSD, who are transitioning from active duty to civilian life, regarding their participation in the Disabled Transition Assistance Program.

Methodology: The methodology for this research study will be qualitative from a phenomenological perspective. When thinking of research as it pertains to qualitative methods, it is appropriate to use when a researcher is trying to study the lived experiences of individuals (Flipp, 2014; Patton, 2015). This method will describe perceptions of Operation Enduring and Iraqi Freedom veterans with PTSD, who are …

Data Note: Time From Vr Application To Closure In Employment For Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Alberto Migliore, Uchenna Nwangwu, John Butterworth, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Getting a job as soon as possible after applying for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services is important for job seekers with intellectual disabilities. This DataNote describes how long it takes for job seekers with intellectual disabilities to go through the steps from application for VR services to determination of eligibility, completion of an individual employment plan, and closure into integrated employment.

Reliability And Stability Of The Six Question Disability Measure In The Current Population Survey: What The Data Can And Cannot Tell Us About Disability And Labor Force Participation, Jeffrey Joy Dr.

Theses and Dissertations

The Current Population Survey (CPS) has been a major source of disability data for public policy and research. The aim of this study was two-fold. First, the study examined the six disability measures added to the CPS in 2008 to determine if they are both a reliable and stable method of describing disability over a period of two survey administrations in a 12-month period. Second, this study then assessed the impact of disability upon labor force participation. This research used a subset of the respondents to the longitudinal CPS Annual Social and Economic Supplement; it included (N=11,721) respondents …