Digital Commons Network^™

Parents’ Perceptions Of The Philly Goat Project’S All Abilities Ramble: A Qualitative Study Of Animal-Assisted Intervention For Intellectual And Developmental Disorders, Patricia Flaherty-Fischette, Jenée Lee, Yvonne D'Uva-Howard, Elizabeth P. Cramer, Karen Krivit, Sarah Meehan

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are a growing population. Considering the wide diversity in IDD and the financial burden of traditional treatment modalities, Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) has emerged as an innovative and non-traditional treatment for individuals with a range of disabilities, including individuals with IDD. To the authors’ knowledge, the present study was one of the first to explore a goat-assisted therapy experience for children with IDD. This study explored the experiences of 23 children with the All Abilities RAMble – a goat-assisted therapeutic activity offered by the Philly Goat Project (PGP). Key themes in our study included …

From Spirit Toward Liberation: Msw Professional Portfolio, Claire Cw Compton

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Portfolio of work accomplished in Master of Social Work program. Includes the Five Elements of Advanced Integrated Practice (Finn & Molloy, 2021), 10 social work competencies, and four dimensions of practice.

Utilizing Interprofessional Collaboration To Assist Clients And Communities With Disaster Relief, Baylen D. Bellamy

Social Work Masters Capstone Projects

Hello and thank you for reading my capstone project, which focuses on utilizing interprofessional collaboration to assist clients and communities with disaster relief. My practicum placement was at a crisis center in the next town over. I shadowed and assisted staff with working with clients and the community. A natural disaster had occurred while I was at my practicum placement. Near the end of July in 2022 a massively, devastating flood had hit South Eastern KY and several surrounding counties. The flood happen so sudden people hardly had any warning. People’s homes, vehicles, animals, and personal belongings were washed away. …

Utilizing An Evidence-Based Treatment Program For Offenders With Mental Health Disorders To Demonstrate Interprofessional Social Work Practice, Erica Kessinger, Ann Callahan

Social Work Masters Capstone Projects

Sixty-four percent of jail offenders, 54% of state prisoners, and 45% of federal prisoners have a mental illness (Taylor, 2022). Mental illness increases the risk of recidivism. Individuals with mental illness have limited access to appropriate treatment. They are more likely to respond negatively to the prison environment. This can lead to infractions and solitary confinement. In addition, 51% of incarcerated individuals, whether they received mental health treatment or not, are likely to experience recidivism (Pflueger et al., 2015). The practice of interprofessional social work inside the American prison system is desperately needed. The following paper proposes an evidence-based treatment …

Stitching The Pieces Together, Julie C. Nissi

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Spinning A Yarn: Exploring Social Work And Artistry, Cal F. Erasmus Tronson

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

The Challenges Of “Moving At The Speed Of Trust”: How Women Navigate New Public Management Dynamics In Power-Based Community Organizations, Mary L. Dungy, Amy Krings

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

The practice of professional community organizing aims to create a more equitable, inclusive society. However, power-based community organizing in the Alinsky tradition has historically been criticized for being unwelcoming to women, especially those who are caregivers at home. To better understand the paradox of working for social justice within an occupational context where one is not fully welcome, this exploratory interview-based study used an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis to explore how women organizers understand, experience, and navigate gendered features of new public management within power-based community organizations in Chicago. Our findings indicate that women community organizers experience significant tensions due to …

Using Interprofessional Collaboration To Assist Refugees, Hannah E. Hoekstra

Social Work Masters Capstone Projects

This capstone will demonstrate my competency and ability to use interprofessional collaboration with the nine Eastern Kentucky University (2022a) Master of Social Work (MSW) program interprofessional social work practice competencies. I will begin by describing my practicum setting and learning goals (EKU, 2022b) for the MSW program, as well as the two sub-groups within the agency I primarily worked with. Next, I will do a literature review of previously researched interprofessional collaboration with the two sub-groups, before demonstrating my practice of the nine competencies using my practicum experiences. I will then finally end with evaluating the effectiveness of interprofessional collaboration …

Inspiring Macro Practice Through Rural Social Work: Teaching Notes On Experiential Learning, Dana C. Branson

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Experiential learning is the cornerstone of social work education and has been shown to be highly beneficial to students, especially with increased self-confidence in skills, interest in similar work post-graduation, cultural humility, application of theory to practice, problem solving skills, and critical thinking. Additionally, experiential learning opportunities support the nine competencies of social work education and provides students with an opportunity to try out their budding skills with the guidance and supervision of seasoned social workers. This paper discusses an innovative course project that allowed a group of social work students to engage in macro-level social work practice and grant …

Teaching Place For Social Work Practice, Cindy A. Sousa, Susan P. Kemp, Bree Akesson

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Reshaping The Narrative, Crystal Little Owl

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

International Social Work Field Education, Shelli Gregory

DSW Capstone Projects

International Social Work Field Education (ISWFE) involves a set of unique challenges. For the literature review of this capstone project 20 peer-reviewed journal articles written between the years 2009 and 2018 were reviewed to answer the following research question: What are the unique challenges associated with ISWFE and the best practices for combatting these challenges? The challenges most frequently mentioned in the literature are the perpetuation of colonial mindset; students experiencing emotional vulnerabilities, stress, & distress (guilt, shame, loneliness, fear, helplessness, isolation, and homesickness); supervisory issues; language barriers; funding; culture shock, disequilibrium, or clash; safety concerns; administrative problems such as …

Finding Employment For Individuals With Disabilities Utilizing Interprofessional Collaboration, George G. Gaertner

Social Work Masters Capstone Projects

This capstone is going to demonstrate my abilities to practice and apply all nine social work competencies. I will be conducting a case study on one of my clients that I have been able to assist during my time at my practicum placement. This capstone will begin by discussing my practicum placement and the agency's goals. The capstone will then thoroughly examine each competency as I describe how I have been able to utilize interprofessional social work practice and skills while working with my client. Lastly, this capstone will discuss the case outcome and how the outcomes were evaluated by …

Utilizing Interprofessional Collaboration To Support And Broaden Perspectives Of First-Generation, Low-Income Students, Taylor Stratman

Social Work Masters Capstone Projects

First-gen, low-income students face significant barriers when it comes to postsecondary education. In order to be successful, professionals working with this population has utilized value-led programming and provided expansions of their cultural perspectives.

Interprofessional Collaboration And The Use Of Social Work Competencies In Therapeutic Foster Care, Virginia Hall

Social Work Masters Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Msw Capstone, Angela Marple

Social Work Masters Capstone Projects

abstract not available

Teaching And Learning Social Change, Amie Thurber, Helen Buckingham, Jordenn Martens, Rebecca Lusk, Darrylann Becker, Stacey Spenser

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

How can social work courses prepare students to be scholars of social movements, and also to act in solidarity with movements for social justice? How can graduate programs reimagine the professional socialization of social work students from aspiring for expertise toward a stance of life-long learning? How can instructors more deeply leverage our teaching practice to advance justice in our communities? This paper traces one attempt to answer these questions through a three-quarter graduate social work course designed to deepen students’ skills and knowledge in practices for social transformation, while amplifying existing social justice movements. Drawing on reflections from the …

Competency-Based Social Work Education: 25 Years Of Innovation & Leadership, Zoë Breen Wood, Marjorie N. Edguer, David L. Hussey, Mark Chupp, Grover C. Gilmore, Paul M. Kubek

Faculty Scholarship

The white paper chronicles the 25-year history of one graduate school of social work’s efforts in competency-based curriculum innovation. The authors argue that curriculum change is organizational change and share their experiences with a variety of curriculum assessment, design, and delivery efforts. Beginning with the development of the first social work competencies (labeled Abilities), pioneering efforts in assessment and holistic curricular design and delivery are reviewed. A new, one-semester, social work generalist curriculum is introduced. Emphasis is placed on the importance of developing a competency-based curriculum that is integrated both horizontally and vertically and that engages the social work student …

The Effects Of Digital Civic Engagement Training On The Political Knowledge And Internal Political Efficacy Of Social Work Students, Christian Andrew Mason

Social Work Theses - Archive

It is an ethical obligation for social workers to be civically engaged because the issues central to the profession, like poverty, are public issues. One widely used method to examine civic engagement is the civic voluntarism model developed by Verba et al. (1995). Furthermore, an emerging arena for civic involvement is the digital environment and its potential use as a training ground. This study was a pilot study to determine if a brief training in digital civic engagement for social work students could lead to an increase in the internal political efficacy and political knowledge of social work students. While …

Pediatric Oncology Social Work Job Analysis., Alyssa Ashlyn Middleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an examination of the tasks most important to the pediatric oncology social work role. It begins with an argument that pediatric oncology social work is a blend of four social work specialties: generalist medical social work, oncology social work, pediatric social work, and hospice and palliative care social work. Studies report pediatric oncology social workers feel unprepared for numerous tasks related to their role. Despite calls for increased education and training opportunities, few are available. Until now, there has been no study evaluating the tasks that pediatric oncology social workers deem most important to their role, nor …

Understanding The Effects Of Socioeconomic Variables, Career Motivation, And Msw Education On Practice Preferences: A Quantitative National Survey Of Msw Students, Tina B. Granger

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past several decades, there has been much debate over the role of social workers in the mental health field. Factors related to career motivation and practice preferences has had limited research and many have attributed materialistic and self-seeking motives as the reason for a social work career choice. Research has shown that there may be a divergence or ‘mission drift’ from traditional social work values and mission of social justice and social change at the systems level. Identifying factors related to career motivation and practice preferences is important in an ever-evolving field such as social work. This study …

Intersections Between Social Work And Public Administration: A Case Study Of Urban Water Poverty, Katherine M. Lindsey

Social Work Theses - Archive

Despite infrastructure advances, water testing, and environmental policies, there are still areas in the United States that lack clean water. Some communities are negatively impacted by policies, location, socioeconomic status, water obtainment methods, and racial, ethnic, or cultural differences. Social workers desiring to intervene may not know where to begin. To identify potential interventions, this case study examines how the community of Green Tree Estates gained access to clean water through advocacy efforts and community organizing. This community, located within a large city in Texas, is a previously annexed, small mobile home community consisting of a Hispanic, Spanish speaking population …

Assessing The Prepardness And Comfortability Levels Of Graduate Social Work Students Discussing Sex And Sexuality, Sarah Anne Champion Macedo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study utilized surveys to assess the preparedness and comfortability levels of graduate social work students discussing sex and sexuality with future clients using a quantitative exploratory research design. The purpose of the research was to assess graduate social work students' preparedness and comfortability levels discussing sex and sexuality and to determine possible recommendations for graduate social work education and potential policy changes concerning sex education for graduate social work students. The data was collected from sixty-two participants, from a Southern California University, who were sent a survey via their student emails. The data was analyzed using SPSS. The study …

The Privatization Of The Prison System In The United States: A Comparative Study Of Rehabilitative Resources, Wendi Witherell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Facing high rates of mass incarceration and prison overcrowding, the United States of America seems to believe that the privatization of its prison system could be a viable solution to the aforementioned problems. Despite the increased incarceration rates of the past few decades, the gradual privatization of the prison system is an understudied area. It is therefore important to understand the rationale behind the movement away from the public sector toward the private sector. This cross-sectional study adopted three theoretical approaches—Models of Incarceration Theory, Political Explanation Theory, and Overcrowding Theory—in an attempt to determine such rationale. It was hypothesized there …

Creating Social Responses To A Changing Environment, Susan Kemp, Lawrence A. Palinkas, Lisa Reyes Mason, Shanondora Billiot, Felicia M. Mitchell, Amy Krings

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

Enhancing social work’s socioenvironmental impact is central to creating social responses to a changing environment, the Grand Challenge for Social Work detailed in this chapter. Worldwide, communities face unprecedented environmental change and degradation. Although climate change, extreme weather events, disasters, and other environmental challenges threaten the health, well-being, and survival of all people, their impacts fall most heavily on marginalized populations. Social work has a critical role to play in crafting social responses to these escalating threats. This chapter summarizes the activities of the Grand Challenge to Create Social Responses to a Changing Environment in five main areas: disaster preparedness …

Herstory: Women And Drugs. Women In The Environment Perspective Using Meta-Ethnography, Tammy Ann Shay

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Women are underrepresented in drug and alcohol treatment programs globally. Socio-economic inequities and stigma continue to plague women seeking treatment. The macro and mezzo environments are often ignored, with more of a focus on women "choosing" drugs over traditional feminine roles. Social consequences and punishment are used to deter rather than to treat. Meta-ethnography is a seven-phase qualitative evidence synthesis valuable method for social research. Meta-ethnography was used to explore the treatment barriers involved with women seeking drug treatment. Qualitative studies were examined from EBSCO, PubMed, ProQuest, JSTOR, PubPsych, ResearchGate, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Sage, yielding 422 peer-reviewed records. Inclusion …

Exploring The Relationship Between Historical Redlining And Place-Based Reproductive Health Inequities: A Qualitative Gis Approach, Kristi L. Roybal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individual-level risk factors and characteristics do not fully explain racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequities in preterm birth in the United States, and evidence suggests that medical advancements, increased access to prenatal care, and high per-capita spending on health care have done little to reduce these inequities. Health inequities research has shifted its attention from individual-level factors that influence health outcomes to the social determinants of health. Neighborhoods, considered an important upstream social determinant of health, can influence health outcomes through their social, service, and physical environments, and have been consistently linked to birth outcomes. Despite increased attention to neighborhood influences …

Trauma-Sensitive Leadership In Multidisciplinary Settings, Jennifer Griswold Withrow

DSW Capstone Projects

As the social work profession continues to expand into more diversified areas of practice, such as politics, environmental justice, governmental work, and international crisis work, it is critical to ensure that social workers have the tools necessary to be successful leaders in these extended areas. Utilizing Trauma-Sensitive Leadership is an important concept to incorporate into multidisciplinary teams to ensure employees and communities feel supported and understood. By implementing these concepts which are ingrained into the social work profession into expanded areas of practice, social workers can feel empowered to lead multidisciplinary teams and provide support and understanding to the staff …

Bolstering Leadership Engagement To Community Coalition Work In Rural Appalachia, Melissa Slone

DSW Capstone Projects

Rural Appalachian communities are overwhelmed with high cancer rates, diabetes, disabilities, and substance use disorder. The challenges in addressing these increase when you factor in workforce shortages and limited funding. The literature documents the effectiveness of coalitions in addressing healthcare challenges within communities. The need is for leaders to reduce their hesitancy to engage in community coalition efforts and increase awareness of the impact community coalitions can have on addressing rural populations' health and well-being needs.

Product One was a systematic review focused on research that examined agency leaders’ perspectives on community coalition involvement. The purpose of conducting the systematic …

Digital News Literacy And Social Work: Core Competencies, Cynthia H. Nover

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Digital news refers to online news, television news, and other electronic sources where individuals can gather information about the world around them. As college students increasingly get their news from online sources and comedy television, it is important for students to have appropriate media literacy skills to evaluate content. The relationship between news literacy skills and core competencies of social work education is discussed in this paper, with recommendations for incorporating news literacy in the classroom.