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Frontline Job Redesign Louisiana - Evaluation Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

The QIC-WD evaluation was conducted with the support of the Louisiana Department of Children and Families to determine if a Job Redesign was effective in improving workforce and child welfare outcomes.

Research Questions

A key research question concerned the extent to which the job redesign reduced the amount of time caseworkers spent on administrative tasks and increased time spent on clinical work with children and families. The QIC-WD also tested questions related to the expected effects of the redesign on workers’ perceptions of their job complexity, role overload, and work-life balance, and how these perceptions relate to job satisfaction, case …

Competency-Based Personnel Selection Oklahoma - Intervention Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

A Competency-based Personnel Selection process was the intervention designed as part of the QIC-WD project to address inconsistencies in hiring and to identify candidates with the desired competencies to be hired as Child Welfare Specialist (CWS) I/II with Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) (for more information see the Site Overview). The Competency-based Personnel Selection process is a standardized hiring procedure that includes a structured interview with behaviorally anchored rating scales, a typing assessment, and a writing assessment. Additionally, research was conducted on a set of academic and commercial hiring assessments to determine how well these measures of personality, cognitive skills, …

Onboarding Program Eastern Band Of Cherokee Indians - Evaluation Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

The QIC-WD evaluation was conducted with the support of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Family Safety Program (EBCI FSP) to determine if an Onboarding intervention was effective in improving workforce outcomes.

Research Questions

The evaluation of the newly developed onboarding program for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Family Safety Program (EBCI FSP) was designed to understand both implementation and early outcomes. Examples of primary implementation questions from the new employee’s perspective included:

• To what degree was the new employee’s workspace ready on their first day?
• Did the new employee have individual meetings with their supervisor in weeks 1-5? …

Git (Gender-Informed Trauma) In Black N Blue Boys / Broken Men: How Concepts Of Gender Restrict The Black Male Actor’S Creative Process And The Methods He Can Use For Creative Freedom., Tyler Tate

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how the black male actor’s creative process can be affected by historical and cultural constructions of masculinity connected to race, sexuality, and physical movement. My research on black men’s experience with gender identity finds that social and cultural forces lead black men to reproduce behaviors that mirror a prescribed masculine ideal through physical movement. This prescribed masculine behavior is typically coded in terms of stiffness or lack of expression. This study explores how self-imposed restrictions reiterated by social standards of masculine behavior limit the creative freedom in the black male actor’s creative process. Specifically, black male actors’ …

Narratives Of Distinctiveness Or Similarity And Connection - A Response To Korman, De Jong And Jordan’S Steve De Shazer’S Theory Development, Guy Shennan

Journal of Solution Focused Practices

In 2020 the Journal of Solution Focused Practices published an article called Steve de Shazer’s Theory Development. This surveyed the whole of de Shazer’s career, which the authors divided into four phases, from which they distilled six axioms they believe are foundational to de Shazer’s thinking and practice. In their commentary on the six axioms there is a considerable emphasis on the distinctiveness of SFBT, which the authors are keen to establish as different, in each of its foundational aspects, from most or perhaps all other therapies. This article is a response to this particular aspect of Steve de Shazer’s …

From Exposure To Violence Between Mother And Her Intimate Partner To Suicidality Experienced By Urban Adolescents In Chicago’S Southside, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Although the relationship between exposure to intimate partner violence and youths’ psychological and other wellbeing has been widely studied, there is limited research about how youths’ exposure to violence between mother and her intimate partner may be related to youth psychological wellbeing. The study used a sample of urban adolescents in Chicago Southbound to examine whether youths’ exposure to verbal conflict between mother and her intimate partner is related to their suicidality and whether youth depression and aggression may be in between such a linkage. Our findings indicated that one-third of the youth had suicidal thoughts or suicidal/self-hurting attempts. Youths’ …

Organizational Constraints, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What are organizational constraints?

Organizational constraints are work conditions that interfere with an employee’s motivation or ability to perform (Spector & Jex, 1998). Though the overall definition sounds quite broad, the assessment focuses on 11 specific types of constraints: inadequate training, incorrect instruction, lack of necessary information about what to do or how to do it, poor equipment or supplies, lack of equipment or supplies, organizational rules and procedures, conflicting job demands, other employees, the supervisor, inadequate help from others, and interruptions by other people (Spector & Jex, 1998). Respondents indicate how frequently these factors make it difficult or impossible …

Supportive Supervision And Resilience Alliance To Address Secondary Trauma In Ohio: Preliminary Findings On Impact, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

In early 2018, as part of a needs assessment process, the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) conducted surveys with 588 Ohio child welfare workers across nine counties to assess organizational culture and climate (OCC), and secondary traumatic stress (STS). The results found that the organizational culture and climate across all participating counties was above average in rigidity and resistance, and below average in engagement. In addition, 53% of respondents experienced elevated levels of STS symptoms. STS can mimic the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Bride, 2007) including nightmares, sleep disruption, avoidance, and irritability. STS in child welfare has …

Longitudinal Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) Acceptability, Initiation And Adherence Among Criminal Justice-Involved Adults In The Usa: The Southern Prep Cohort Study (Specs) Protocol, Katherine Lemasters, Carrie B. Oser, Mariah Cowell, Katie Mollan, Kathryn Nowotny, Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein

Sociology Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: HIV prevalence among criminal justice (CJ)-involved adults is five times higher than the general population. Following incarceration, CJ-involved individuals experience multilevel barriers to HIV prevention. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a widely available, daily medication efficacious in preventing HIV. Little is known about PrEP knowledge, acceptability, initiation and sustained use among CJ-involved persons or about how these outcomes vary by multilevel factors. The Southern Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Study (SPECS) will investigate barriers and facilitators for PrEP initiation and sustained use among CJ-involved adults, building a foundation for PrEP interventions for this underserved population.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: SPECS uses a mixed-methods sequential …

Cultural Intelligence, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is cultural intelligence?

Cultural intelligence (CQ) is “a person’s adaptation to new cultural settings and capability to deal effectively with other people with whom the person does not share a common cultural background and understanding” (Earley & Ang, 2003, p. 34). Note that this is about general capabilities that cut across different cultures, rather than effectiveness in a specific culture (Ang et al., 2015). Though this definition sounds like it includes all types of intercultural interactions, the focus is a bit more limited—work settings and situations that involve differences in race, ethnicity, and nationality, either within or across countries. …

Addressing Work-Related Traumatic Stress Nebraska - Intervention Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

CFS Strong–Building a Resilient Workforce (known as CFS Strong) was the intervention designed as part of the QIC-WD project to address secondary traumatic stress (STS) among child welfare workers and supervisors in Nebraska’s Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) agency (for more information see the Site Overview). CFS Strong included multiple components:

• Resilience Alliance (RA), developed by the New York City Administration of Children’s Services-New York University Children’s Trauma Institute, to create a better and healthier work environment, and to help staff develop skills and behaviors that promote their physical and psychological well-being, thereby putting them in the …

Onboarding Program Eastern Band Of Cherokee Indians - Site Intervention Logic Model, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

four main components: inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. Collectively, these demonstrate the resources and actions required to implement the program, as well as the associated result or changes anticipated through implementation of the program. The hypothesized relationships are represented by the pathways connecting the listed activities and anticipated outcomes. For more information see Site Overview.

Communication Is Key To Success, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

QIC-Tips

Research on organizational communication describes a connection between poor communication, negative attitudes towards the workplace, and decreased worker satisfaction. Conversely, in an environment where communication is valued by management, staff can be encouraged to participate in practice and policy change. Too often new initiatives are announced and then fade away. Clear lines of communication, involving varying levels of staff and using a variety of methods, are key to gaining staff buy-in and keeping workers informed of initiative progress.

The Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) is working with eight jurisdictions to develop and test promising workforce interventions. Effective communication …

Frontline Job Redesign Louisiana - Site Intervention Logic Model, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Each QIC-WD site developed a logic model to serve as a visual representation of their selected intervention. All logic models included four main components: inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. Collectively, these demonstrate the resources and actions required to implement the program, as well as the associated result of changes anticipated through implementation of the program. The hypothesized relationships are represented by the pathways connecting the listed activities and anticipated outcomes.

A Brief Report Of The Prevalence Of Chronic And Acute Health Conditions Among Blind American Adults, Nazanin M. Heydarian, Yessenia Castro, Osvaldo F. Morera

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Prior research demonstrates disparities in the prevalence of certain chronic and acute health conditions among persons who are blind (PWB) compared to non-blind persons, such as diabetes and infectious diseases. However, a comprehensive understanding of the prevalence of chronic and acute health conditions among PWB is currently lacking.

Objective: The present study addressed this gap by examining the prevalence of chronic and acute conditions among blind persons, and examining differences by gender.

Methods: The present study surveyed 410 PWB residing in the U.S. about their health conditions and activities. Lifetime prevalence for eight chronic and six acute health conditions …

The Cost Of Being Black In Social Work Practicum, Nia Johnson, Paul Archibald, Anthony Estreet, Amanda Morgan

Publications and Research

The social work profession is not exempt from fueling institutional racism, which affects the provision of social work practicum education for Black social work students. This article highlights how the historical and current social cost of being Black in the United States presents itself within social work education’s signature pedagogy. Social workers who hold bachelor’s degrees in social work (BSW) are more likely to be Black than those holding master’s degrees in social work (MSW; Salsberg et al., 2017). It takes Black students longer to earn an MSW degree though they are more likely to hold a BSW while also …

Impact Of Covid-19 On The Mental Health And Well-Being Of Latinx Caregivers Of Children With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar, Mansha Mirza, Vanessa L. Errisuriz, Weiwen Zeng, Jasmine P. Brown, Sandra Vanegas, Nazanin M. Heydarian, Deborah Parra-Medina, Paula Morales, Hilda Torres, Sandy Magaña

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the entire world in unprecedented ways. However, populations that have had a history of marginalization have experienced a more profound impact. One such group is Latinx families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the Unites States. In this study, we used a mixed methods approach to explore the impact of the pandemic on the mental health and well-being of Latinx caregivers of children with IDD. Specifically, we (1) identified which social determinants of health are correlated with maternal caregivers perceived general health, mental health, and well-being; (2) explored the impact of the …

Addressing Work-Related Traumatic Stress Nebraska - Intervention Logic Model, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Each QIC-WD site developed a logic model to serve as a visual representation of their selected intervention. All logic models included four main components: inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. Collectively, these demonstrate the resources and actions required to implement the program, as well as the associated result or changes anticipated through implementation of the program. The hypothesized relationships are represented by the pathways connecting the listed activities and anticipated outcomes. For more information see Site Overview.

Onboarding Program Eastern Band Of Cherokee Indians - Intervention Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

The QIC-WD coordinated with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Family Safety Program (FSP) to create an onboarding program for child welfare social workers. The intervention was designed to address role clarity, social integration, and understanding of Cherokee history and culture for new hires. (For more information see the Site Overview.) The 5-week onboarding program included activities completed by the new employee, his/her supervisor, and other FSP team members. Onboarding program elements included:

• A structured, interactive review of FSP’s policies and procedures;
• A mock family case to illustrate the full case process;
• Content related to Cherokee culture, historical …

Supportive Supervision And Resiliency Ohio - Logic Model, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Each QIC-WD site developed a logic model to serve as a visual representation of their selected intervention. All logic models included four main components: inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. Collectively, these demonstrate the resources and actions required to implement the program, as well as the associated result of changes anticipated through implementation of the program. The hypothesized relationships are represented by the pathways connecting the listed activities and anticipated outcomes.

Supportive Supervision And Resiliency Ohio - Intervention Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Coach Ohio, a multi-level supportive supervision intervention, was designed as part of the QIC-WD project to help child welfare staff within the six Ohio implementation counties prevent and mitigate the effects of burnout, secondary trauma, employee dissatisfaction, and disengagement from families and children served by the agencies (for more information see the Site Overview). Coach Ohio initially included two components: Resilience Alliance (RA) was developed by the New York City Administration of Children’s Services-New York University Children’s Trauma Institute to mitigate the effects of secondary trauma, create a healthier work environment for child welfare staff, and to help staff develop …

Identity Transformation Through Substance Use Disorder Recovery: Introducing The Six Stage Model, Naomi Watkins, Austin Mcneill Brown, Kayce Courson

The Qualitative Report

Narratives of substance use disorder recovery experience can provide useful qualitative conceptual categories and novel theories about the way in which recovery is experienced by individuals. This information can better inform definitions, concepts, and supports for recovery processes. The current study reviewed 30 written personal recovery biographies which were contained within student applications to the collegiate recovery program housed in the Center for Young Adult Addiction and Recovery at Kennesaw State University. Using grounded theory methodology, common benchmarks, or topographic recovery features were revealed involving the evolution of identity as an inter-negotiated process throughout the addiction and recovery biographies (Charmaz, …

A Qualitative Study Examining The Quality Of Working Alliance As A Function Of The Social Identifies Of Clients And Therapists During The Mental Health Intake, Ora Nakash, Michal Cohen, Liron Aharoni, Shir Zur, Maayan Nagar

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

Therapists are faced with the challenge of developing effective ways to advance cross-cultural engagement with a rapidly growing diverse client population. In this qualitative study, we characterized the way clients and therapists described the quality of working alliance during the mental health intake and examined whether these descriptions vary as a function of their social identities. We conducted in-depth interviews with Ashkenazi (socially advantaged group; n = 22) therapists and their Mizrahi (socially disadvantaged group n = 29) or Ashkenazi (n = 26) clients immediately following their intake session in four mental health clinics in Israel. We performed a thematic …

الضغوط الحياتية وعلاقتها بقلق الموت لدى مقدمي الخدمات الصحية بمحافظات غزة, محمد العثامنة ماجستير ارشاد نفسي

Journal of Al-Azhar University – Gaza (Humanities)

الملخص:

تهدف الدراسة الحالية للكشف عن العلاقة بين الضغوط الحياتية وقلق الموت لدى مقدمي الخدمات الصحية بمحافظات غزة، ومعرفة الفروق التي تعزى لمتغيرات (الجنس، والخبرة)، وقد تألَّفت عينةُ الدراسة من (80) طبيباً وممرضاً، تمَّ اختيارهم بطريقة العينة العشوائية البسيطة من المجتمع الأصلي للعام (2020)، ولتحقيق أهداف الدراسة استخدمت مقياس الضغوط الحياتية من إعداد الخطيب (2020)، ومقياس قلق الموت إعداد الباحث، وتوصلت نتائج الدراسة إلى أنَّ مستوى الضغوط الحياتية كان مرتفعاً بوزن نسبي (79.8%)، ولم تُظهِر النتائج فروق دالة إحصائياً في الضغوط الحياتية تبعاً لمتغير الجنس، كما أظهرت الدراسة فروق دالة احصائياً في الضغوط الحياتية تبعاً لمتغير الخبرة لصالح 10 سنوات …

Responding To The Call: Building A Training Program To Diversify The Academy In Alzheimer's Disease Research, Lucy Annang Ingram Phd, Mph, Marvella E. Ford, Christiana L. Johnson, Brianna Ashford-Carroll, Quentun Mccollum, Daniela B. Friedman Ph.D., Sue Ellen Levkoff

Faculty and Staff Publications

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) are at the forefront of the United States (US) public health agenda due to their tremendous human and financial burden. Further, disproportionately high ADRD rates among racial/ethnic minorities require incorporating the unique perspectives of racially and ethnically diverse scientists, which will necessitate diversifying the scientific workforce that investigates disparities in aging. The purpose of this paper is to describe the training and mentorship initiatives of the National Institute on Aging (NIA)-funded Carolina Center on Alzheimer's Disease and Minority Research, emphasizing lessons learned from our engagement with underrepresented minority and minoritized (URM) Scientists. We highlight …

Abusive Supervision, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is abusive supervision?

Abusive supervision refers to “subordinates' perceptions of the extent to which supervisors engage in the sustained display of hostile verbal and nonverbal behaviors, excluding physical contact” (Tepper, 2000, p. 178). Abusive supervision is most commonly measured using 15 items that describe abusive behaviors, and subordinates rate the frequency with which the supervisor engages in each behavior. Examples include “Ridicules me,” “Puts me down in front of others,” “Blames me to save himself/herself embarrassment,” and “Breaks promises he/she makes” (Tepper, 2000). Thus, subordinates do not judge whether they feel abused or consider their supervisors’ behavior abusive; they …

Evaluation Of Sex Education Curriculum And Policy Related To The Needs Of Lgbtq+ Latinx Youth, Olivia Nayler

University Honors Theses

Sex education is contentious and inconsistent in the United States but it is extremely necessary to address the health needs of young people and the adults they become. This study aims to evaluate how well comprehensive sex education curricula attend to the needs of high school age LGBTQ+ Latinx students. The curricula Our Whole Lives (OWL) and FLASH were chosen for the study as established sex education curricula based on their assertions of being factual and comprehensive, and for their adaptability in different settings and locations. A content analysis was performed on both curricula. In addition, an analysis of OAR …

Homeless Students' Barriers To Education: Before And After Covid-19, Linda M. Twidwell

University Honors Theses

This thesis is an examination of the barriers to education homeless youth may be faced with both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Using past literature, this paper will focus on three main barriers homeless students may have faced before the pandemic. These are homeless students’ lack of support needed to succeed, how federal policy shapes homeless students’ opportunities and rights, and that the rate of children experiencing homelessness is rising, and little is being done about the fact. After discussing the literature before March 2020, this paper will examine the literature that has come out since the pandemic’s beginning, …

An Integrative Review Of Fathers' Needs During The Transition To Fatherhood: Implications For Perinatal Education, Carli Cox

University Honors Theses

Aim: To examine the needs and experiences of fathers during the transition to fatherhood with the intent of improving perinatal education for fathers.

Background: The perinatal period is a highly transformational time for parents with implications in mental health, role development, identity formation, and relationship changes, to name a few. Unfortunately, research on fathers' needs and experiences during this time is limited, which consequentially restricts the development of father-inclusive perinatal education.

Method: An electronic search for qualitative studies was conducted using the PsycInfo database. Results were narrowed by a set of criteria and chosen studies' results were analyzed and organized …

Child Protection Policies And Practices In Mennonite Church Usa Congregations: A Follow-Up Study, Jeanette Harder, Elisabeth Wilder

Social Work Faculty Publications

While congregations have a spiritual mandate to be open and welcoming, they must be aware of the risks involved in ministry and be prepared to protect children from all types of abuse and neglect. In 2010 and again in 2018, Dove’s Nest, a nonprofit organization, conducted an online survey to determine the characteristics, practices, and experiences of Mennonite Church USA congregations with and without written child protection policies. The research questions for this study were: (1) What are the characteristics, practices, and experiences of congregations in regard to child protection, and how have they changed since 2010? (2) What is …