Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Female Headed Households Caring For Children And No Spouse In Gentrification In Los Angeles, Jovita Murillo

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Gentrification is the “in-migration of a relatively well-off, middle- and upper-middle-class population” into historically marginalized communities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Matsuoka et al. 2017). Literature has repeatedly shown that gentrification is placing cost and rent-burdened residents at risk of displacement due to the hike in housing prices and rents. Most cost and rent burdened households are female-headed households caring for children without a spouse (FHHCCNS) (Colburn and Allen, 2018). Given there is a lack of literature describing the role of gender in gentrification, this descriptive study aims to describe the gentrification profile in Los Angeles using multiple …

Reproductive Justice Disrupted: Mass Incarceration As A Driver Of Reproductive Oppression, Crystal M. Hayes, Carolyn B. Sufrin, Jamila B. Perritt

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

We describe how mass incarceration directly undermines the core values of reproductive justice and how this affects incarcerated and nonincarcerated women.

Mass incarceration, by its very nature, compromises and undermines bodily autonomy and the capacity for incarcerated people to make decisions about their reproductive well being and bodies; this is done through institutionalized racism and is disproportionately done to the bodies of women of color. This violates the most basic tenets of reproductive justice—the right to have a child, not to have a child, and to parent the children you have with dignity and in safety.

By undermining motherhood and …

An Analysis Of The Effects Of Trauma On Foster Youth Aging Out Of The Florida Foster Care System: Implications For Supportive Interventions And Practices, Kesia Vazquez

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

In the U.S. there are approximately 25,000 youth that leave the Child Welfare System without a stable long-term housing arrangement and are left to age out of foster care and transition into adulthood (Dion, Dworsky, Kauff, & Kleinman, 2014, p. iii). These foster youth alumni (FYA) travel through various paths yet share many traumatic events that cause long-term effects that influence coping skills. This qualitative and phenomenological study aims to investigate the various traumas experienced, before and during foster care, and the coping skills that FYA have developed. A total of 16 FYA, from the Florida Child Welfare System, were …

Parenting From Prison: Perceptions Of Incarcerated Parents' Ability And Influence, Gabrielle Hadorn

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Incarcerated parents are at a substantially higher risk for losing their legal right to parent than the general public. This study assessed implicit perceptions and biases that may play a role in these legal decisions, specifically the perceptions of incarcerated parents’ ability to parent and influence their children’s lives. Court appointed special advocate (CASA) volunteers’ (N = 242) perceptions of incarcerated parents based on the parents’ personal characteristics, characteristics of their children, and characteristics of their criminal activity were assessed through a true-experiment design. Ordinal regression analyses revealed that age of child, level of violence in the crime committed, and …

Privacy And Access In The Massachusetts Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Children Records, Jessica Holden, Ana Roeschley

Joseph P. Healey Library Publications

Archival collections that include records about victims and survivors of child abuse present unique challenges regarding privacy, access, and representation. With a long tenure of collecting on the history of social welfare, University Archives and Special Collections (UASC) in the Joseph P. Healey Library at the University of Massachusetts Boston had to address these challenges before processing and making available the historic inactive records of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC). UASC and the MSPCC took steps to ensure that the MSPCC collection would be accessible to the survivors represented in the records and to …

An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study Of Geographic Mobility And Homeless Service Use In Northeastern New York State, Amanda Aykanian

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study used a mixed methods design to explore the geographic mobility of homeless service users in northeastern New York State and the relationship between mobility and homeless service use, engagement, and delivery. For the quantitative component, a sample of Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data—that includes adults accessing homeless services in 2017 across 21 counties in northeastern New York State—was used to describe service users’ mobility and the demographic, background, and service use characteristics associated with mobility. For the qualitative component, semi-structured interviews with homeless service providers in those same counties were used to understand providers’ views of mobility, …

Georgia Government Leaders' Lived Experience Creating And Implementing Health Equity Policies, Tracy M. Clopton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Georgia’s racial and ethnic minority communities have a continual problem of disproportionately worse health outcomes, including higher chronic disease and behavioral risk factors, compared to their nonminority counterparts. The average cost per year for chronic disease between 2016 and 2030 could be $64.6 billion in medical costs and $26.8 billion in lost employee productivity for Georgia. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of Georgia legislators and health program staff to determine policy solutions to reduce chronic disease and behavioral risk factor disparities in the racial and ethnic minority population. The theoretical lens for the study …

The Impact Of Sex Offender Registration Laws On Offenders’ Reintegration Into Society, Stephanie Rose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information related to the experiences of sex offenders required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act of 2006 is predominantly based on quantitative data, and the majority of information relates to the factors that contribute to sexual offenses, recidivism rates, and public opinion of the sex offender registry. There is a lack of research on the lived experience of sex offenders who are required to register, specifically those in rural Pennsylvania. Research is also lacking on how sex offenders and the professionals with whom they interact perceive the registry. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological study was …

Relationship Between Novice Teacher Well-Being, High-Stakes Testing Stress, And Intent To Leave, Laura Elizabeth Dawes Baker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Standardized tests are considered high stress because consequences such as loss of certification and replacement of school staff affect teacher morale and self-efficacy. The purpose of this concurrent complementarity mixed-methods study was to examine the relationship between novice teachers’ high-stakes test stress, their well-being, and their intent to return to school the next year. The concepts of teacher stress and teacher well-being provided the conceptual framework for the study. Twenty-five teachers participated in a survey measuring their well-being and high-stakes test stress level. Eight of those teachers also participated in individual phone interviews. Results of the quantitative (Pearson correlations) and …

Disaster Survivors’ Experiences With Disaster Volunteers, Christa Frances Lopez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The intention of this qualitative case study was to understand the disaster survivors’ experiences with disaster volunteers. Understanding the experiences of the survivors with the volunteers may determine how disaster volunteer training could be improved to inform how overall assistance is provided to disaster survivors. The community affected by the disaster can be overwhelmed by the impact of the disaster on their homes and possessions. This stress can be alleviated by the offerings of volunteers. However, volunteers may also pose a challenge as they may lack the appropriate training, may not understand the culture or community norms, and thus may …

Experiences Of Long-Term Stay Among Homeless Millennials In New York City Shelters, Xellex Z. Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of homeless millennials seeking shelter in New York City (NYC) increases

nightly. Aside from seeking shelter services, millennial adults are also staying in shelters longer than the time allotted by the city. Their extended stay places a burden on city resources and taxpayers. Although there is research on the millennial generation and homelessness in NYC, more research is needed on the experiences of single, millennial adults who stay in shelters for extended periods of time. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore the experiences of 4 long-term-stay millennials, 25 to 34 years of age, …

Homeless With Breast Cancer On Skid Row, Los Angeles: A Review Of Services For Women, Eva Dittrich

Theses and Dissertations

This study reviews the literature on breast cancer in general and narrows to within the context of the homeless population of Skid Row, Los Angeles, positing that the experience of breast cancer while homeless is a compounded traumatic experience with complex and numerous practical challenges. It poses the following question: What services are available to homeless women on Skid Row, Los Angeles, the information about which can be found online? Which and how many services are dedicated to breast cancer screenings and treatment? Are other types of cancer screening and treatment services advertised on the included service organizations' websites? A …

A Qualitative Study On The Perceived Value Of Emotional Intelligence Training On Foster Parents, Omar Shere Johnson

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The experiences of a child in the foster care system rely heavily on the preparedness ofthe foster parent. For decades, researchers and practitioners have written about the challenges that foster children face while in the foster care system and discussed ways to assist them. This research discusses another way to improve the preparedness of a foster child as they go through the foster care system—improving the parenting skills of the foster parent using emotional intelligence. The entirety of this study is the analysis and study of this specific research question, “What perceived impact can emotional intelligence training (IV) have on …

Social Justice, Inclusive Education, And Teacher Agency, Jennifer Sanguiliano Lonski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Public school education in the United States has a long history of supporting societal norms within the curriculum and classroom. Through the use of social justice and inclusive education (SJIE), teachers have the unique ability to disrupt the social reproduction of inequity within their content and curriculum. In order to do this, teachers must first understand social justice and inclusive education (knowledge) and feel comfortable and confident implementing it within their classroom (agency). This study focuses on 13 public school teachers who attended a weeklong professional development program which focused on social justice, privilege, trauma-informed education, mindfulness, and inclusive education …

Abc County’S Welfare-To-Work (Wtw) Program Participation Rate, Alberto Banuelos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Welfare-to-work (WTW) programs are an essential part of societal assistance made available to families in need. In ABC County, CA, problems have been found with the implementation and success rates of their WTW program: Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). Even with funds allotted for the program, ABC County has not been able to design a WTW program that meets the TANF program work participation requirement of 50% of active TANF recipients in a WTW activity. The purpose of this study was to address this need as it related to the TANF program specifically. A qualitative, exploratory, single case study …

Do Foster Care Agencies Discriminate Against Gay Couples? Evidence From A Correspondence Study, Mattie Mackenzie-Oiu, David Schwegman, Leonard M. Lopoo

Center for Policy Research

There has been considerable recent debate regarding proposed policies that would allow foster care administrators to discriminate on the basis of the sexual orientation of the foster parent. To date, however, we know very little about the level of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the foster care system. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical investigation to ask whether foster care agencies, the public and nonprofit firms that facilitate foster care placements, respond similarly to emails sent by fictitious same-sex and heterosexual couples who inquire about becoming foster parents. Our results suggest that …

Poverty And Nonprofits: Investigating The Relationship Between Poverty And Nonprofit Activity In The United States, Megan Combs

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In order to better understand our society and institutions, we can look at the relationships between institutions, social infrastructure, and human conditions. Social and institutional networks can influence the flow of resources on a scale that individuals cannot. These structures can perpetuate or alleviate social and human conditions but, alternatively, social conditions can mobilize and influence institutional structures. As systemic poverty remains a social issue, various US programs and forms of aid continue to be delivered despite limiting and varying levels of success. One such mode of aid is provided by nonprofits. Studies have shown that nonprofits empirically do very …

Interview With Marvin Kaiser, Marvin Kaiser, Oona Fisher Campbell

Conflict Resolution Oral Histories

Marvin Kaiser was interviewed by Oona Fisher Campbell on May 15, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. Also participating in the interview are Patricia Schechter and Cleophas Chambliss.

In this interview, Kaiser, who has a background in social work, discusses the structural obstacles in our society that create conflict and emphasizes the role that the university and higher education in general can play as a community public service.

The Next Step: A Guide To Framing And Designing Permanent Supportive Housing For Caritas Housing, Julianne Reno, Ryan Dyar, N. Janine Gates, Joshua Ollinger, Hugo Hamblin-Agosto

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

Caritas Housing of Oregon develops affordable housing for persons experiencing homelessness across the state. In January 2020, staff reached out to students in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program seeking planning assistance. Caritas wanted help planning for the needs of future residents and navigating what is frequently an emotionally-fraught and politically-charged development process. Upstream Planning worked with Caritas Housing to create resident-informed development criteria and design a framework for public communication. The Upstream Planning team created two documents, Development Criteria Guide and Public Communication Guide, that work towards the singular goal of helping Caritas develop permanent supportive housing …

Integrating Technology Acceptance Model And Health Belief Model Factors To Better Estimate Intelligent Tutoring System Use For Surge Capacity Public Health Events And Training, Sarah Matthews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The U.S. public health system is continually challenged by unexpected epidemiological events that pose significant risks to the health of the community and require a commensurate surge in the public health system capacity to stem the spread of the disease. The complexity and even changing nature of funding and surge events drives agencies to innovate in order to maintain and support a competent workforce as well as update, or evolve the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA) necessary to prevent, mitigate, or even eliminate the health crisis arising from a disease. This research investigates the capability of an agent-based, online personalized …

Heart Work: A Phenomenological Analysis Of School-Embedded Program Facilitators In High-Need South Florida Schools, Takia Bullock

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Student misconduct leading to youth violence has been recognized as a major public health problem requiring intervention. To reduce antisocial behaviors, school districts and non-profit organizations promote prosocial behaviors and problem-solving skills. Positive youth development, social emotional learning, positive behavioral intervention support, and conflict resolution programs have been implemented in many school districts; yet problems associated with aggression, poor decision-making, and low student achievement still occur. This Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study explored the lived experiences of seven school-embedded positive intervention program facilitators implementing programs with conflict management components for at-risk students in high need South Florida schools. Semi-structured interviews were …

Evaluating Academia During A Pandemic, The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute At Virginia Commonwealth University, Mary Fain, Nicholas Georges, Janina Golob Deeb, Lisa Mathews-Ailsworth, Rita Shiang, Patrick Smith

GEHLI - 2026 VCUL Team Project Publications

COVID-19 disrupted educational instruction which transitioned into remote learning and testing modes. Faculty adopted various platforms of remote learning, however, the students' perception of efficacy and adequacy remains unclear. Curriculum delivery transformation should be based on student feedback to align it with their needs and expectations. As remote learning evolves, it is important to identify perceptions from faculty and students. Our project might help improve and potentially enhance remote teaching and learning techniques.

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 …

The Influence Of Student Discipline Practices On Students, School Climate And Culture, Matthew J. Clark

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The enactment of Senate Bill 100/Public Act 099-0456 (SB100) in 2016 compelled school districts throughout Illinois to evaluate student discipline policies. This dissertation examines the impact SB100 had on middle and high schools throughout the state and within a large suburban K-12 school district. This dissertation is organized into three separate papers. Paper 1 provides a historical context for disciplinary practices used for students in public schools both in Illinois and throughout the country and explores new discipline practices that have emerged since the passing of SB100. Paper 2 examines the implementation of SB100 through an SDT framework to investigate …

The Racist Impact Of Redistributive Public Policies: Handout Versus Hand-Up, Mittie Davis Jones

Cultural Encounters, Conflicts, and Resolutions

Federal government policies, while benefitting some urban areas, have historically been detrimental to African-American people. Years of welfare and housing policies have placed central city residents, especially African-Americans, at a disadvantage which they have not overcome. Policies that once denied benefits to Black people, such as public welfare and federally-insured mortgages, morphed into stigmatized policies which, when available to Blacks, became obstacles to their advancement. These same policies enabled the majority White population to do what they were initially designed to do – provide a toehold during a period of temporary economic decline after which personal advancement was possible.

The …

Structured Savings And Asset Ownership: The Role Of Rotating Savings And Credit Associations Among African Immigrants In The United States., Habiba Ibrahim

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs) are commonly practiced in developing countries across the globe. The practice is also common among immigrants in developed economies. This study uses survey data collected from African immigrants in the United States to examine whether saving in ROSCAs is associated with asset ownership among the participants. The results found that after receiving the ROSCAs savings, asset ownership among participants increased. Home ownership increased by 13.6%, small businesses increased by 27.2% (including taxi and commercial trucks) and car ownership increased by almost 20%. In conclusion, ROSCA participation increased asset ownership.

Effects Of Government Regulations And Reimbursement Policies On Home Health Administration In Illinois., Sally Nwafor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent changes in government regulations and reimbursement policies threaten the financial viability and the ability of home health agencies to provide the necessary services. There is a gap in knowledge about the effect of the changes in healthcare policies on the administration of home health businesses in Illinois. The purpose of this study was to bridge the knowledge gap by investigating the effect of the regulatory and policy changes on home health administration in Illinois. The research question focused on the challenges that home health administrators face due to the changes in government regulation and reimbursement policies, and the strategies …

Understanding The Young Adult African American Male's Perceptions Of Civic Engagement, Carl Lee Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractCivic engagement and political involvement of the greater portion of the population of democratic societies are important to the maintenance of the quality of life of all members. Although 100% participation in these activities is rare, higher levels of involvement across all affected demographic groups will support a more equitable political environment in urban communities. In the midwestern metropolitan community that is the focus of this study, young adult African American males were found to participate in all forms of civic engagement at lower rates than any other demographic group. Using a critical race theory foundation, the purpose of the …

Contextualizing Performance Of Coordinated Care Network Of Veteran Services In Virginia, Marina Saitgalina, Donta Council

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

Coordinated care network is an approach to human service delivery that is recognized to improve client outcomes at a reduced cost. However, general mixed findings on the effectiveness of coordinated care networks warrant research contextualization. This article seeks to discover factors influencing the performance of a coordinated care network delivering social services to veterans and their families. The study provides a contextual analysis of a coordinated care network launched in 2016 in southeastern Virginia for two samples of 1,512 and 375 veterans and their families. Results of the regression analyses indicate that initial progress has been made both in efficiency …

The Experience Of Children's Mental Health Leaders During Times Of Constraint: A Narrative Study, Jody Levison-Johnson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Across the United States, each state has a public mental health system that is designed to support children and youth with emotional and behavioral challenges. This is critically important as recent estimates show that one in six children in the United States has a diagnosed mental health condition (Whitney & Peterson, 2019). The design and structure of these systems vary by state, but consistent across them is the presence of a state-designated leader who is faced with an array of constraining factors that influence their behavior and shape the resulting system. This study describes the experience of leaders in children’s …