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Engage & Empower: Foundations Of Social Work Practice, Elhanan Marvit

Open Touro Created

2025

Engage & Empower: Foundations of Social Work Practice is an open educational resource for social work students in “foundations of social work practice” courses. It begins by explaining Open Educational Resources and their benefits. Students then explore social work fundamentals, including the diverse roles of social workers.

With this foundation, students engage with the NASW Code of Ethics’ key terms, and principles. This ethical grounding prepares them for the “growth work” needed to develop cultural competence and cross-cultural awareness. They then learn to apply various Generalist Practice skills across different-sized systems to empower client populations.

Next, the book explores …

Enduring Impacts Of Child Development Accounts: Increased Parental Expectations And College Preparation, Jin Huang, Sicong Sun, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Parental educational expectations exert a substantial influence on children’s educational achievement. Elevated parental expectations can move families to prepare for a child’s education beyond high school, both by intentional planning and financial steps to increase the likelihood of attending higher education. This Research Brief explores findings from a detailed study of long-term positive impacts of Child Development Accounts on parental educational expectations and college preparation. Drawing upon analyses of the pre-COVID data collected in 2020 as part of Wave 3 of the SEED for Oklahoma Kids experiment, the brief highlight effects sustained over 13 years.

A full reporting of the …

A Narrative Of Interprofessional Group Development, Leyla Feize

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Interprofessional education is a new movement that is being adopted more by educators in higher education. In other words, it has come to stay. This is the story of a collaboration across five disciplines at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to implement a Primary Care Behavioral Health certificate program that benefits both the students and the community of Rio Grande Valley. Tuckman and Jensen’s (1977) model of group development frames this narrative, with its stages of Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning.

Examining Firefighters’ Perspectives On Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, Olivia O'Hare

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Firefighters are routinely exposed to critical incidents, potentially resulting in mental health consequences. Critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) is a common postcritical incident intervention used among fire departments in the United States to address these mental health impacts. Understanding the perspectives of firefighters’ experience with CISD can contribute information to the social work profession, may engage firefighters in the discussion surrounding their mental health needs, and could provide effective postcritical incident coping strategies. The purpose and research questions of this study were focused through a vicarious trauma lens was to understand firefighters’ perspectives and experiences of CISD, explore CISD trauma …

Transforming Care: An Academic And Community Symposium On Transgender Care And Experience, Alison Sutton-Ryan, Kimberly Van Vulpen

Transforming Communities

Background: Transgender experience is often excluded from education and training. An emphasis has been often placed on sexual identities instead of gender differences rendering transgender care invisible in the healthcare system (Gahagan & Colpitts 2017). Lack of education and training has created significant barriers to accessible gender-affirming care, contributing to disproportionately high levels of discrimination for transgender individuals seeking medical services (Redcay et al., 2021). Purpose: The Interprofessional Education Symposium on Transgender Care and Experience was an innovative initiative developed by the newly formed Transgender Interprofessional Care Team (TICT) at a medium-sized suburban university. This collaborative team, comprising key …

Stepping Into Who I Fully Am: A Creative Exploration Of Autistic Menopause, Mx Rose Matthews, Christine A. Jenkins, Margaret Janse Van Rensburg, Miranda J. Brady, Rachel L. Moseley, Julie M. Gamble-Turner

Faculty and Staff Publications

Research suggests that perimenopause can compound existing struggles for some Autistic people, with potentially catastrophic consequences. Barriers to self-expression due to communication differences are also well-documented. Acknowledging this, our neurodiverse research team invited creative submissions themed around Autistic experiences of menopause, receiving works from six Autistic participants including paintings, poetry, and graphic works. Engaging with the six creative submissions, Autistic Community Researchers on our team produced reflexive, polytextual response works. Creative exploration of Autistic menopause encouraged emotional catharsis, self-understanding, and activism/artivism. Autistic Community Researchers noted transcendent, almost “magical” dimensions of connecting with other Autistic people’s lived experiences. Our creative emancipatory …

Examination Of Evidence-Based Practices Implementation And Perceived Job Satisfaction With Mental Health Providers, Rafael Montoya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Job satisfaction among mental health providers continues to be an important area of inquiry, particularly in relation to professional development and training. However, limited studies have evaluated whether training in evidence-based practices (EBPs) is associated with different levels of job satisfaction compared to traditional training models. The purpose of this cross-sectional, quantitative study was to examine whether a statistically significant difference in job satisfaction exists between mental health providers trained in EBPs and those trained using traditional approaches. The study was guided by Spector’s multidimensional job satisfaction model, which categorizes job satisfaction into nine key domains. Data from 81 mental …

Letter To Congress From Harvey A. Friedman Center For Aging, June 24, 2025, Ernest Gonzales, Cal J. Halvorsen, Nancy Morrow-Howell

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

Letter to Members of Congress: We are gerontological social work researchers with expertise in productive aging; that is, activities that produce goods or services for society, whether paid for or not. We mainly focus on risk and protective factors to employment, caregiving, and volunteering in later life, and the many health, economic, and social outcomes.

Attached are peer reviewed scientific journal articles and policy briefs that underscore the importance of social policies that enable older adults to contribute to society through productive aging. In simple terms, increasing opportunities for older adults to remain productively engaged through work, volunteering, and caregiving …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Paraprofesionals' Use Of Mobile Technology To Coordinate Behavioral Support, Sean Erreger

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Technology that is utilized to track and assess behavior is being used more frequently in social work practice. Social Workers frequently participate and lead organizations that provide services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) face significant workforce challenges, but mobile technology may assist with reducing their administrative burden, assist in training needs, and increase the level of support felt by their supervisors. One of those technologies is the use of mobile devices to record behavior. The developmental disabilities field has started to implement the use of such mobile devices. The …

Impacts Of Early Childhood Trauma On Later Emotional, Behavioral, Educational, And Social Abilities, Stacey Merrill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Early childhood trauma has a long-lasting impact on individuals’ social interactions, mental health, academic skills, behaviors, and parenting skills for the future generations. Understanding how early interpersonal developmental trauma impacts an individual during adolescence can help providers and caregivers know how to help them become successful students and later adults. Helping individuals early in their development can prevent the cycle of abuse from continuing. Trauma informed care can help bridge the gap between those with and without known traumas. This study consisted of an interpretive phenomenological qualitative design using semi-structured interviews to understand the impact of early trauma on adolescence …

The Correlation Of Trauma-Informed Classrooms Without Support Infrastructure And Teacher Burnout, Sunshine O'Connor

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the impact of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) implementation in classrooms on teacher burnout, specifically focusing on settings with insufficient support infrastructure. While TIC is recognized as beneficial for all students, not just students affected by trauma, a synthesis of scholarly literature highlights the significant challenges faced by educators when proper resources, training, and institutional backing are lacking. Existing research indicates that teachers implementing TIC in inadequately supported environments report higher levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and overall burnout. These challenges appear most acute for teachers in schools with limited professional development, insufficient mental health resources, and weak administrative …

We Are Still Here: Intersectional Collaborations In Research, Practice, And Resistance Among Mfp Scholars, Antonia R.G. Alvarez, Sameena Azhar, Tyrone M. Parchment, Judith Perrigo, Anne S. J. Farina, Tania Paredes, Jonathan P. Edwards, Susan Klumpner

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

As Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) scholars, we formed meaningful connections as academics, students, and friends. Throughout this reflective article, we explore the profound impact of our intersectional and critical race-informed scholarship on our professional practice and pedagogy while highlighting the ways that collaborating on this work enriched our journeys as scholars of color. These collaborations have expanded our perspectives and fostered new ways of thinking about the unique health and mental health experiences of ethnoracial communities. Through these partnerships, we have advanced diverse scientific literature and addressed critical gaps within the existing canon of …

The Embodiment And Experiences Of Gender Euphoria Among Transgender And Nonbinary Communities: A Mixed Methods Inquiry, Brendon T. Holloway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gender euphoria is a critical aspect of embodiment for transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people that has long been overshadowed in academic research by deficit narratives and gender dysphoria. While gender dysphoria is the distress an individual may experience related to their gender, gender euphoria encapsulates the positive emotions a TNB person may experience because of positive gendered experiences. Despite community documentations of gender euphoria since the 1970s, academic research on gender euphoria has only recently begun to emerge. This three-paper dissertation advances this body of scholarship by exploring how gender euphoria is conceptualized, experienced, and embodied in TNB communities. Utilizing …

Cultivating Resilience In The Anthropocene: Evaluating A Gssw Ecological Justice Curriculum, Windy Selig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice evaluated the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) Ecological Justice Pathway to examine how resilience is conceptualized and cultivated within the curriculum. Grounded in a constructivist paradigm and guided by an ecological justice framework, this evaluation explored the pedagogical and curricular strategies designed to prepare social work students for the emotional, ethical, and professional demands of practicing in the Anthropocene—a time marked by ecological degradation, climate crisis, and compounding social inequities.

Through qualitative methods, including faculty interviews and curriculum document analysis, the evaluation identified both explicit and implicit components that foster student resilience. …

Working Mothers And Children’S Social-Emotional Development: Struggling With Family And Job Roles In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Ignasia Paskal Mbatta

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study aimed at examining the socio-emotional development of employed mothers’ children in the metropolis of Dar es Salaam. Early childhood socio-emotional development is crucial for shaping a child’s short- and long-term well-being, relationships, and overall mental health. An exploratory qualitative approach employing a phenomenological design, guided this study. In-depth interviews, documentary reviews, and active participant observation were used to collect data. The study sample comprised of 42 working mothers, 9 domestic workers, and 90 children under five years of age of the same mothers. Purposive sampling was used to select working mothers, while domestic workers were selected incidentally. The …

A Survey Of Practice Models And Outcomes In Michigan Residential Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Lamart Hightower, Elissa Kent, Vikash Kumar, Lauren Michie, Alysha King, Tekoa Marshall

Journal of Social Work in the Global Community

The United States has a lengthy history of treating individuals experiencing substance use disorders (SUDs) from an abstinence-only framework. Harm reduction practices have grown a large base of empirical support in other parts of the world and have become central to treating individuals with SUDs. Within the United States, however, a substantial number of residential SUD treatment programs that continue to perpetuate an abstinence-only framework, which creates a lack of access for people who seek a harm reduction approach—and who likely need it the most. In this study, 66 residential treatment programs in Michigan were examined to determine whether they …

Leveraging An Arts-Based Approach To Foster Engagement, Nurture Kindness, And Prevent Violence, Yok-Fong Paat, Diego Garcia Tovar, Nathan W. Myers, Max C. E. Orezzoli, Anne M. Giangiulio, Sarah L. Ruiz, Angela V. Dorado, Luis R. Torres-Hostos

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Drawing from the insights of community partners, this study explored the roles and benefits of arts-based approaches to foster civic learning, critical media literacy, and community engagement. It also uncovered approaches to promote kindness, prevent violence, and combat online extremism, offering insights into strategies that may enhance community engagement and create a positive impact. We presented our model framework, a detailed case study of our project, and qualitative methods incorporating 15 interviews with our community partners to capture a broad range of perspectives and experiences. Interviewees were community partners who collaborated with our project in organizing events and activities using …

A Participatory Approach To Case Management: Co-Creation Of Effective Anti-Trafficking Programming Based On The Self-Identified Strengths, Needs, And Priorities Of Survivors, Angela Robinson Phd, Kelsey Morgan Phd

SMU Human Trafficking Data Conference

Some estimates claim the existence of 50 million victims of human trafficking and the U.S. Department of State suggests that less than 1% of survivors received services to prevent further exploitation. This presentation shares processes for co-creating knowledge with case management tools that empower survivors while gathering data to improve their care, assist service providers in effectively targeting supportive services, and strengthen anti-trafficking initiatives. Findings will be shared from Freedom Lifemap, a self-assessment used by human trafficking survivors to identity their own strengths, needs, and priorities to prevent the risk of re-exploitation and attain lasting freedom. Global patterns in data …

Factors Associated With Applying To Graduate/Professional Degrees For Students Engaged In Undergraduate Research Experiences At Minority Serving Institutions, Lourdes E. Echegoyen, Kala M. Mehta, Karsten Hueffer, Jacob D. Kagey, Thomas E. Keller, Kathleen M. Morgan, Stephen B. Aley, Chi-Ah Chun, Payam Sheikhattari, Amy Wagler

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction:

This study investigates the impact of undergraduate research experiences on applications to graduate and professional programs, particularly for underrepresented minority students at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).

Methods:

The study analyzes data collected at 10 MSIs participating in the NIH BUILD program to understand the relationship between research participation (in formal programs vs. informal research), student demographics, science self-efficacy, GPA, and application to advanced degree programs.

Results:

Results indicate that undergraduate research participation, especially in formal programs for extended periods of time, positively influences applications to graduate/professional programs, with similar outcomes observed across underrepresented minority and non-minority students.Discussion

Findings indicate …

Identity Ramifications, Tina E. Wilson

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

No abstract provided.

Building A Theory-Based Understanding Of Sexual Health Provider Stigma: A Phenomenological Study, Harit Agroia, Rebecca Reno, Maytal Bach, Jenette Spezeski, Erin Starzyk

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Unraveling provider-level sexual health stigma requires building an understanding of contributing factors, such as provider knowledge, values, beliefs, medical training, and other intrapersonal or interpersonal factors that may influence its manifestation at the clinic level during patient–provider interactions. Healthcare provider stigma has not been sufficiently understood or explained using classic psychological theories, such as Cognitive Dissonance Theory (CDT) or Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). We build a theory-based understanding of sexual health-provider stigma by proposing modifications to the SCT to develop the Modified SCT (M-SCT) model, where cognitive dissonance is hypothesized to influence the personal/cognitive and behavioral factors of the M-SCT. …

Community-Engaged Learning For Online Courses, Marsha W. Maxwell Phd, Katarina Friberg-Felsted Phd, Jacqueline L. Eaton Phd, Megan R. Medina, Denise Crismon

Transforming Communities

This article explores how to ensure the quality of community-engaged learning (CEL) course outcomes for online courses. We share insights and knowledge of three instructors who have successfully integrated CEL into their online courses. Based on these instructors' experiences, this article discusses four key topics related to online CEL courses: finding mutually beneficial partnerships, managing expectations, managing student-partner interactions, and following up with students. While we have found that the benefits of CEL outweigh the drawbacks, adding CEL to the dynamics of an online course can prove complicated for instructors, who must consider the time commitment, communication challenges, and course …

Social-Emotional Learning (Sel) Support Through Social Work Case Management In K-12 Schools, Dina Michelle Garrett-Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Existing research revealed that K-12, school-based social work clinicians were utilized in various ways to support students' social-emotional learning (SEL) needs in public K-12 schools in the United States. However, there was a gap in knowledge about the unique approaches K-12 school-based social work clinicians employed to address the SEL needs of non-at-risk students. This basic qualitative study explored how K-12 school-based social work clinicians used empowerment case management practices to address the SEL needs of non-at-risk students. The theoretical framework grounding this study was empowerment theory. Using purposive sampling, semistructured interviews were conducted with five K-12 school-based social work …

Building Youth Hope: Assessing Community Assets And Opportunities For Supporting Youth Well-Being In The Sagadahoc County Area, Emma Schwartz, Jillian Foley, Timothy Atkinson

Justice Policy

This report aims to build upon previous research and provides updated information on community assets to support youth in the Sagadahoc County area. The report examines the strengths, challenges, and opportunities for community investment with the goal of improving outcomes related to youth hopefulness, belonging, and well-being. The project team engaged community members in a variety of asset mapping and data collection activities which are summarized in this report. The report authors also make recommendations related to expanding youth connections to informal supports and third places, ensuring access to a variety of assets that are responsive to their holistic needs, …

Representations Of Residential Child Care In The Irish Times Newspaper From 1870 To 2022, Niamh Caldwell

Masters

Guided by Social Representations Theory, this study explores how representation of residential childcare in The Irish Times have changed over time. A newspaper was chosen as the data source as mass media is proposed to have power over creating and communicating representations to the public. The representations explored include those of children, the construction of childhood and children’s needs, and the role of other people/parties in the lives of children in care. Grounded in the pragmatic paradigm, quantitative and qualitative content analyses were conducted. Data was collected from ten time periods between 1870 to 2022 from The Irish Times Digital …

Black Incarcerated Veterans And Va Service Access, Kimona S. Spencer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study investigates racial disparities in access to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) services among incarcerated Veterans, with a specific focus on Black incarcerated Veterans. Drawing from critical race theory and the minority stress model, the study explores how race, discharge status, military experiences, and mental health conditions intersect to affect potential eligibility for and receipt of VA healthcare and benefits. Utilizing a secondary analysis of data from the Survey of Prison Inmates (SPI), the research employs quantitative methods to examine whether disparities exist in discharge characterizations, potential eligibility for VA care, and service utilization by race. Findings highlight …

From Unmotivated To Motivated: Hermeneutic Inquiries Of Experience Of Community-Based Bsw Students In An Innovative Internship Seminar, Hyungjung Shin, Rana Hong, Philip Young P. Hong

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

Providing a pathway for disadvantaged community college students in social work education aligns with the goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion in social work education. This hermeneutic phenomenological study aims to explore the experiences of an innovative internship seminar incorporating an evidence-based workforce training model, Transforming Impossible into Possible (TIP), in a community college-based bachelor’s of social work program in South Korea. Of the 59 students who attended the TIP-infused social work internship seminar course in Spring 2018, 11 students participated in repeated in-depth interviews. The results revealed the themes of perception changes in self, others, and the lifeworld and …

Supporting The Mental Health Of Adolescent Mothers In Kenya And Mozambique: Pilot Protocol For The Thriving Mamas Programme, Tatiana Taylor Salisbury, Maria Suzana Bata Maguele, Fernando Chissale, Málica De Melo, Margrette Hanselmann, Kethakie Lamahewa, Evaline Chepchirchir Langat, Flávio Mandlate, Lucy Nyaga, Marleen Temmerman

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Background: Poor mental health among adolescent girls during pregnancy and the year after birth (the perinatal period) has been found to have a significant detrimental effect on girls and their children. The Innovative approaches to adolescent perinatal wellbeing (INSPIRE) project co-designed an intervention (Thriving Mamas) to improve adolescent perinatal mental health in Kenya and Mozambique. The aim of the current study is to pilot test the co-designed intervention to understand how it can be adapted for further testing or scale-up.

Methods :A mixed-method, pilot cluster-randomised, efectiveness-implementation Hybrid Type II trial will be conducted among 80 adolescent girls (aged 15–19 years) …

Piloting Trauma-Informed Workshops To Enhance Life Skills In Housing Transitions: Action Research, Negar Ghaderi

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

This action research pilot project explores how trauma-informed, life skills workshops grounded in critical and creative thinking methods can support Housing First (HF) residents transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing. The study is based on the understanding that addressing homelessness requires more than housing provision—it demands attention to the cognitive and emotional impacts of trauma through co-created, resident-centered interventions. Using iterative cycles of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting, the project engages a small, fluctuating group of 4–5 participants from a diverse community of 60 HF residents. The pilot program includes six workshops, one focus group discussion, and individual interviews over …

Sociology: Culture, Marcia Morrison

Open Educational Resources

This work examine culture. It begins by examining the foundations of culture to include norms, values, language, symbols and knowledge. In looking at each, it breaks down the implication of each to the development of ourselves as well as the person in the environment. It moves on to look at contexts of culture such as dominant cultures juxtapose to competing cultural systems, and how the various elements of culture can serve to either promote or minimize the various cultural constructs within society.