Digital Commons Network^™

Deportation Effects On Children: Rural Latina Single-Parent Families With Children In Lower Grade School Who Suffer From An Adjustment Disorder With Anxiety, Amber Millard

Student Projects

Single-parent families, especially those headed by Latina mothers, face stressors that harm both parents and their children. This is especially true for those who have been negatively affected by deportation. Deportation is a frequently overlooked cause for single-parent households. Roughly 5.7 million children live with parents who do not obtain legal residency documentation, and approximately 500,000 children had at least one parent detained or deported within the last 2 years (Rayburn et al., 2021). Due to the deportation of parents, some of these children develop anxiety-related adjustment disorders. Research into effective methods for aiding these families is limited. However, experiential …

Affordable Housing Solutions: Navigating The Cienega Heights Application Process, Valerie Solorzano

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The lack of affordable housing and widespread knowledge about the eligibility and application process in Santa Cruz County has created significant challenges for the community. This project focuses on addressing these issues by increasing public awareness of affordable housing opportunities and providing guidance on the application process. MidPen Housing, a nonprofit organization specializing in affordable housing, serves as a key example of efforts to meet this need. Their development in Watsonville provides housing for low-income and farmworker families.

A key component of this project involves conducting a public educational outreach event to inform the local community about qualifying for Cienega …

The Effect Of A Virtual Covid-19 Interprofessional Educational Module On Knowledge, Confidence, Attitude, And Practice Among Health And Allied Health Professions Students, Tsu-Yin Wu, Jenni L. Hoffman, Grigoris Argeros, Sarah Lally, Andrea Gossett Zakrajsek, Jillian Graves, Alice Jo Rainville, Olivia Ford, Angela Lukomski, Renuka Roche, John Sonnega, Joan E. Cowdery Phd

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

Purpose: The purpose of this research study was to examine the effect of an innovative, online COVID-19 interprofessional educational module among health and allied health professions students.

Methods: This study utilized a pre- and posttest design with quantitative and qualitative data collected winter 2023 and spring/summer 2023 semesters, and consisted of health and allied health professions students (N=143) from three Midwestern, urban, public universities. Participants completed a pretest, then an IPE module on COVID-19, and a posttest immediately after the educational intervention, and another (the same) posttest one month later. Quantitative and qualitative data were subject to statistical …

Casar Auc Community Lecture: ‘Gender-Based Violence,Women And The Law In Egypt And The Us’, The Prince Alwaleed Center For American Studies And Research Casar

Performances, Events, and Presentations

This engaging - AUC community only - special topics lecture discussed the social challenges and legal obstacles women face when discussing gender based violence crimes in Egypt shedding a comparative light on the US given the recent election results.

This event hosted Counselor Mohamed Samir Ahmed, Spokesperson of the Administrative Prosecution Authority (APA) in Egypt, Independent Lecturer in Political Science & Gender Based Violence Crimes.

The event was moderated by CASAR Assistant to Director & Adjunct Faculty Yasmeen El-Ghazaly.

This lecture was a collaboration between The Prince Alwaleed Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR AUC EGYPT ) and the …

“You Could Have Did Us Better Than This”: Reparative Housing Policies And The Struggle To Right Harms To Black Communities, Amie Thurber, Lisa K. Bates, Susan Halverson, Keisha Muia

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper contributes to the burgeoning literature related to reparative planning, with an emphasis on housing policy. After exploring the state of theorizing related to reparative planning, this paper describes its three central dimensions: public recognition, material redistribution, and social/spatial transformation. The authors use these dimensions to evaluate a housing policy designed to repair harms to Black residents in Portland, Oregon. This in-depth analysis draws on survey, interview, and focus group data to explore the degree to which residents’ experiences of the policy reflect these three dimensions. The paper concludes with implications for other municipalities considering reparative housing policies, namely …

Feminist Narrative Inquiry: Stories Of Five Young Adults Who Aged Out Of Florida Foster Care, Amy E. Nourie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are approximately 400,000 children in foster care in the United States and, each year, more than 20,000 reach the age of majority without achieving permanency, also known as aging out (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2022a). Research has consistently called attention to the negative effects of foster care on youth including issues relating to substance use, housing instability, educational obstacles, and mental health concerns (Forkey & Szilagyi, 2014; Sarri et al., 2016). These negative outcomes are often even more pronounced for young adults aging out of foster care and transitioning into adulthood (Haggman-Laitila et al., 2019). Despite the decades of …

When Is Teasing Abuse? A Grounded Theory Of Teasing Among Mexican American Adolescent Dating Couples, Heidi Adams Rueda, Lela Rankin, Kim Peace-Tuskey

Social Work Faculty Publications

This study examined the use of teasing during observed videotaped interactions of Mexican American adolescent dating couples (N = 34; 15–17 years old) from an urban area of the Southwest United States. During the interaction task, couples discussed two relationship problems for 14 min and nearly all interactions (88.2%) contained teasing. In turn, we developed a grounded theory of teasing that delineated who initiated the teasing (boys/girls), teasing types, levels of severity of teasing incidents, youth’s motivations for teasing, and the resulting consequences of teasing in real time. We found that most teasing incidents were mild to moderately severe …

Who Cares For The Caregiver? Exploring Extension’S Role In Informal Caregiving Support, Mckenzie R. Tuttle, Erin L. Martinez, Aimee Fox

Journal of Extension

Family caregivers provide invaluable service by taking on the responsibility of caring for older adults in the United States. With a growing aging population, the need for family caregivers and demands on their time and resources will continue to increase. Although a variety of caregiving resources and support services exist, family caregivers often lack the awareness, time, transportation, or financial resources to connect to services. There is a critical need to address the barriers that prevent caregivers from accessing services. In this commentary, we highlight barriers and make recommendations for improving conversations, research, and practice to meet this growing problem.

Exploring The Wealth Creation Struggles Of Black Millennials, Jasmine Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The equity gap for Black millennials continues to lag compared to other racial groups. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the experiences of Black millennials in navigating the landscape of quality internships, high-paying careers, and generational wealth through the lens of individual, interpersonal, organizational, and community system levels. Using a narrative approach, the qualitative analysis of narratives from eight participants who have experienced these obstacles is presented. A purposive sampling technique through social media platforms was used. This study was guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. Thematic analysis was employed. The themes were (a) limited exposure, (b) …

Challenges, Coping Strategies, And Benefits Of Animal-Assisted Crisis Response Following Disasters And Traumatic Events, Yvonne M. Eaton-Stull, Batya G. Jaffe, Kay Scott, Makenzie Shiller

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Animal-assisted crisis response (AACR) is an innovative intervention whereby highly trained comfort dogs offer support in the aftermath of disasters and traumatic events. This qualitative cross-sectional exploratory study investigated the experiences of specialized, experienced AACR handlers. A snowball sampling yielded 99 experienced responders who completed an anonymous electronic survey. Data was analyzed using a qualitative coding process with Atlas.ti. This study explored emotional challenges, handlers’ coping strategies, and benefits provided by the AACR comfort dog. Forty-eight percent of AACR handlers saw human-made crises as the most challenging deployments. Seventy-two percent of handlers rated their distress during a deployment a 3, …

Exploring Help Seeking Barriers For Military Sexual Trauma Veterans, Clarence Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military sexual trauma (MST) among military personnel has grown and the effects of this sexual trauma vary by individual. One out of three women fail to share their victimization with their providers or wait decades before getting help, despite actions taken by Congress to prevent and address sexual assaults in the military. High prevalence and low reporting continue to exist due to barriers, such as fear of retaliation, not being believed, lack of awareness of available resources, gender-related distress, and disruption of the unit. In this qualitative study, a purposive sampling technique was used to identify 13 survivors of MST …

Passing Ashley’S Law – Protecting Persons With Disabilities From Violent Crimes, Paula Vigil, Jeff Spears

Transforming Communities

This commentary is the personal story of Paula Vigil and common macro practice strategies implemented to pass Ashley’s Law. Ashley was the daughter of Paula and suffered from Rett Syndrome. Rett syndrome is a rare genetic neurological disorder that leads to severe impairments, affecting nearly every aspect of life. Rett particularly affects speech, purposeful hand use, and coordination, leaving individuals understanding more than they can communicate. In 2021, Ashley was raped by her mother’s boyfriend and passed away in the Spring of 2024 due to the trauma and complications of Rett Syndrome. The boyfriend received a sentence of 13 years …

It’S Complicated: The Level Of Risk Assigned To A Missing Person, Time They Were Missing For, And The Tasks Performed By Police Investigators., Karen Shalev, Craig Collie

International Journal of Missing Persons

This study examines the number of tasks police investigators perform by the level of risk assigned to cases and the length of time the investigations take to resolve. It analyses 40,091 solved cases from 2019 using data from eight English police forces, as part of a wider research project of missing person investigations demand on police resources. The findings show that (1) low and high risk with a search area cases have a relationship to the duration of the investigation; (2) there is a relationship between the risk classification and the number of tasks assigned to the case; (3) the …

Supporting & Protecting Repeat Missing Children From Different Residential Environments: A Scoping Review, Kirsty Bennett Dr, Petra Salisbury, Rebecca O'Keefe, Sharon Vincent, Bethany Mccarthy

International Journal of Missing Persons

Repeat missing children pose a significant financial burden onto services, including the police, social services, and health providers. Recognising that 37 to 65 percent of missing child reports each year are repeats, efforts have been made by academics and practitioners to understand this societal problem. Research has identified the risks causing children to go missing and the harms that they experience, but these focus primarily on children missing from residential care only. This PRISMA (2020) scoping review of 76 studies explores strategies implemented to prevent repeat missing episodes, and the role/influence of the home environment (e.g., with parents/guardians, and foster …

Hypertension In Black Adult Women: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Leacha Clark, Lindsay Gietzen

Pacific Journal of Health

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, each year, more African American women die from heart disease than breast cancer, lung cancer, and strokes. According to research, hypertension extends from lack of exercise, smoking, poor diet, and obesity. Moreover, many other contributing factors elevate blood pressure, such as stress, anxiety, trauma, environmental surroundings, and genetics. Stress influences blood pressure, which onsets through maladaptive coping, such as smoking, high alcohol consumption, poor diet, and poor lifestyle choices. How does stress affect Black women experiencing multidimensional stress, racial discrimination, and social disadvantage from daily irritants, which may continue to be …

Use Of The Dla-20 For Multidisciplinary Assessment And Treatment Of Asd, Elizabeth Kipana Walton Brummett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study involved exploring multidisciplinary professionals’ perceptions of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) treatment using a focus group. Using the ecological systems theory (EST), this study involved exploring the Daily Living Activities (DLA-20) assessment as an assessment and treatment planning tool for ASD. Clients are considered by those involved in ASD treatment to be high or low-functioning based on IQ variance or other areas of functioning. Research on using the DLA-20 for assessment and treatment planning could build knowledge for communicating ASD treatment needs based on specific areas of functioning. The two focus groups in this research project included mental health …

Collaboration Of Social Workers And Other Support Professionals Working With Individuals Diagnosed With Autism, Brooke Ashley Humphrey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism is occurring at an increasing incidence in the United States, and it does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status; therefore, the need for collaborative care across multiple support systems is increasing as well. There are few studies that described collaborative approaches across systems for individuals diagnosed with autism. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to better understand how social workers and other support professionals use interprofessional collaboration when working with individuals diagnosed with autism. The concepts that grounded this study included Sundet et al.’s collaborative, dialogue-based clinical practice (CDCP) model. Data were collected through …

Suicide Bereavement And Community Resource Use From A Clinician’S Perspective, Kristina Rose Culpepper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers, clinicians, and mental health professionals commonly work to positively influence their client’s lives. Social workers specifically abide by the principle of pursuing social change for vulnerable populations. As suicide remains one of the top mental health concerns worldwide, the suicide-loss population continues to grow. Suicide loss is a social problem that affects all cultures and impacts individuals and communities. The suicide-loss population is vulnerable with seemingly limited research-based interventions and resources. The research addressed how clinicians describe the availability and benefit of community resources at each system level. This study was guided by systems theory, which allows clinicians …

Social Workers' Challenges And Successes In Working With Black Men During Times Of Social Upheaval., Eric Dewayne Franklin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. social workers experienced challenges and successes when working with Black male clients in mental and medical health and addiction therapy or treatment settings before and during the simultaneous events of the COVID-19 pandemic, political elections, and racial violence/social injustice movements of the late 2010s–early 2020s. This project addressed the lack of knowledge regarding evidence-based practices to address the challenges and positive therapeutic experiences of social workers, specifically those working in clinical practice with Black American male clients. The theoretical framework for this study was Bell's critical race theory. The generic qualitative research design was used to address three research …

Burnout And Employee Satisfaction Of Mental Health Clinicians In Corrections, Jeremy C. Capuyon, Lindsay Gietzen

Pacific Journal of Health

Approximately 1.9 million individuals are currently incarcerated within the United States. Rehabilitation and preparation for parole back into the community is common goal amongst correctional facilities. Mental health clinicians (social workers and psychologists) within the correctional facilities are providers who assist in the rehabilitation of inmates. Unfortunately, mental health clinicians in correctional facilities experience high rates of burnout and low levels of job satisfaction, resulting in an increase in turnover rates. This research project looks to investigate the impact burnout and employee satisfaction has on mental health clinicians who work in correctional settings. Furthermore, this research project compares burnout and …

Co-Creating Experiences Through The Use Of Arts In Social Work Education, Keiron Hatton, Tracey Maegusuku-Hewett, Jo Redcliffe

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The inclusion of citizens in social work education was initiated over 30 years ago and continues to travel a ‘long and winding road’. Social work education in the UK faces increasing pressure from a range of stakeholders including citizens who use services, regulatory bodies and the media to demonstrate that newly qualified social workers are competent and uphold public trust. While social work education and practice within England and Wales draw on similar traditions in theory and practice, there are important differences in the national and institutional frameworks within which they operate. This article illustrates some of these differences through …

A Veteran Mental Health Approach Sustaining Identity Post-Military Life: A Comprehensive Overview, Darren Sosa, Lindsay Gietzen

Pacific Journal of Health

Veterans and their mental health face readjustment challenges based on veteran identity, intersectionality, and experiences from their time serving in the military. This comprehensive overview and PRISMA analysis investigate the current evidence-based practices of veterans' identity and intersectionality. Specifically, psychoeducation and evidence-based practices for veterans readjusting back into their communities. A gap identified in this research’s findings calls for suggestions for future research on the veteran population and intersectionality. No specific psychoeducation or evidence-based practices tailored for identity readjustment or veteran intersectionality were found. This research constructs a tailored framework of suggestions for current and future evidence-based practices for the …

Silent Suffering: The Plight Of Foreign Doctors In The Workplace, Minzhi Ye, Mamta K. Singh

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The narrator describes situations where she faced discrimination from health care professionals including her colleagues and patients. This left her feeling frustrated and unsafe in the healthcare environment.

Ceo/Cfo Of Rural Area Nonprofits’ Experiences With Obtaining Grant Funding, Kimberly Michelle Bounds

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For many NPOs, obtaining funding can be a challenge. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore CEO/CFO rural area nonprofits’ experiences with obtaining grant funding for their programs. The conceptual framework that guided this study was the critical rural theory. Participants were obtained using purposeful sampling and snowball sampling via flyers placed on social media outlets. Data were collected from open-ended, semi-structured interviews with nine CEO/CFOs of rural area nonprofits. The data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six phases for thematic analysis. Seven themes were developed from the data analysis and placed in separate sections. The …

Enhancing Public Library Staff's Responses To Socially Vulnerable Patrons Experiencing A Psychological Crisis, Brianne Hanson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers and other specialized staff employed at U.S. public libraries work daily to de-escalate and provide crisis response to socially vulnerable patrons. However, there was a gap in cohesive and generalizable information regarding how specialized program staff respond to patrons’ psychological crises. The aim of this qualitative force field analysis study was to identify and document a model procedure for library staff to implement during a customer crisis. A secondary aim was to inform the actions and de-escalation approaches taken by staff members during these incidents. Study participants included 12 specialized staff members currently working in public library programming …

Interventions Human Service Professionals Provide To Prevent Human Trafficking, Danielle James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human trafficking is a global crisis that impacts individuals across all cultures and communities. The purpose of this single intrinsic case study was to explore the interventions that human service professional directors use to prevent human trafficking in Missouri. Trauma-informed approach was used as the conceptual framework. Participants included seven human service managers and program directors who have successfully implemented interventions to prevent human trafficking. Data were collected from one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with six participants. The data were analyzed using Yin’s five components of data analysis. Seven key themes emerged: the need for multiagency human service collaboration to prevent human …

Identifying The Benefits Of Black Owned Barbershops In The African American Community, Tanya Elizabeth Greene

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate why African American men are less likely to seek mental health support in conventional settings. Black-owned barbershops are a substantial presence in the Black community as they offer a dual purpose. Barbershops not only create a sense of male confidence internally and externally but offer an unorthodox way of healing. Insight into the perceptions, attitudes, and insights were gathered to acquire helpful information to contribute to more positive outcomes for African American men in mental health. Semi-structured interviews provided data to find common themes among 10 African American male participants to …

The National Fund For Children In Kazakhstan, Aytakin Huseynli, Li Zou, Michael Sherraden, Jin Huang

Center for Social Development Research

The government of Kazakhstan officially launched the National Fund for Children, a Child Development Account (CDA) policy, in January 2024. The policy represents a long-term commitment to investing in Kazakhstan’s future generations and to building a new post–fossil fuel economy. This brief documents what has occurred.

Planting The Seed: Using Research As A Tool To Revitalize Puberty Ceremonies In Anishinaabe Communities, Miigis B. Gonzalez, Alexandra Ziibiins Johnson, Lisa Awan Martin, Jillian Naawakwe, Jillian Fish, Lalaine Sevillano, Melissa L. Walls, Lee Obizaan Staples

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to honor the wisdoms of Anishinaabe Elders, community and culture by interweaving these teachings with my own (first author) Anishinaabe experiences and a research project. Ceremonies are an important health practice for Anishinaabe people. This project aimed to gain a clearer conceptualization of the protective role of Anishinaabe puberty ceremonies on health in adolescence and across the lifespan. Design/methodology/approach Spiritual offerings guided this project at every stage including inviting Elders and community members into shared spaces of storytelling and teaching elicitation and grounding me as I carefully adopted the use of a western …

Understanding The Dynamics Of Board-Executive Director Relationships In Nonprofits: A Qualitative Study Of Youth-Serving Nonprofits In Utah, Jaxon Didericksen, Jayme E. Walters, Dorothy Wallis

Social Work Faculty Publications

A functional positive relationship between the executive director (ED) and the board of directors (BOD) is crucial to nonprofits meeting their missions. The present qualitative study sought to identify factors—including traits, behaviors, processes, and experiences—associated with positive relationships between BODs and EDs in youth-serving nonprofits in Utah. Surveys were utilized to identify pairs (N = 6) of board chairs and EDs who had high relationship satisfaction. Individual semi-structured interviews were employed with each participant. Transcripts were analyzed using two-cycle coding, descriptive and pattern coding in which three themes emerged: (1) Background; (2) Roles; and (3) Leadership. The findings illustrated …