Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding Social Care, Teresa Brown, Kevin Lalor

Books/Book chapters

As the English writer L. P. Hartley noted in opening his 1953 novel The Go-Between, ‘The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there’. The previous edition of this book was published in 2013, and indeed Ireland then was in many ways a substantially different place. It was a country that had suffered the ignominy of being ‘bailed out’ by our European partners after the trauma of the financial crash that had commenced in 2008. Hard to believe now, but commentators bemoaned the excessive level of construction of houses and hotels, marriage equality for LGBTQ+ people was still …

Deep Community Partnerships: The Future Of Community-Based Senior Care In A Value-Driven Era, Diana Wilcox

DSW Capstone Projects

This capstone reviews three scholarly products that examine how chronically ill older adults interact with healthcare systems and senior service delivery systems in the United States. The systematic literature review examines how community-based senior programs that are funded by the Older Americans Act (OAA) positively impact health outcomes and promote health and wellness among the older adult population. The conceptual paper examines how Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) interact with the patient and with one another using the lens of Systems Theory. The practice application paper examines best practices regarding care coordination …

The Problematizing Of Teen Pregnancy Is A Feminist Issue, Amy E. Nourie

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Teen pregnancy has long been considered a social and moral problem in the United States. Politicians and community organizations have repeatedly attempted to ameliorate this social issue by enacting legislation and promoting educational campaigns for prevention. These campaigns and legislative measures mention the long-term consequences of bearing a child as a young woman, though they fail to discuss how and why teenage pregnancy became an American issue in the first place. While feminists critique public responses to motherhood and mothering, teen pregnancy is not necessarily seen as a feminist issue. The problematizing of teen pregnancy in American social history, however, …

A Descriptive Account Of The Practicum Experiences Of Trans And Nonbinary Social Work Students, Jama Shelton, Sj Dodd, Jamie Borgan, Gabriel San Emeterio, Ana Rikki Wilhelm

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Current anti-transgender legislative activity necessitates social workers take action in solidarity with transgender and nonbinary (TNB) individuals and communities. Pervasive discrimination and marginalization of TNB people across multiple public domains, including education, is irrefutable (James et al, 2016). Social work education is no exception. Not only is there a documented lack of affirming educational and practicum opportunities for TNB social work students (Austin et al., 2016), social work students also report being ill-prepared to practice with TNB individuals and communities (Craig et al., 2015). Social workers are ethically obligated by their professional identification to demonstrate competency related to service provision …

Disparities In Mental Health Technology Among African Americans: Breaking Cultural Inclusion Barriers, Nyoki Cosey-Brown

DSW Capstone Projects

Mental health technology is a healthcare delivery model of the future. The engagement in virtual healthcare was intensified when traditional healthcare methods were inaccessible during the federal restrictions implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing digital apparatuses for healthcare improved the convenience, efficiency, and accessibility of various mental health services that were inoperable in past healthcare models. However, the historical constructs of stigma, discrimination, inequity, exclusion, and structural racism in mental healthcare were prevalent problems that remained present in virtual mental health platforms concerning the experiences of African-American patients and professionals who utilized the spaces.

This research explored mental health …

Technology As A Change Agent For Social Work Supervision, Hermaya Onunwor

DSW Capstone Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a critical impact on the social work profession, with social workers relying heavily on technology to deliver services. There have been concerns about the effectiveness of these evolved practices, and practitioners are questioning whether they are acceptable as emergency orders caused by the pandemic begin to lapse. To address these concerns, a systematic literature review was conducted to synthesize scholarly literature on the effectiveness of telesupervision in social work practice. This capstone project aims to provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of telesupervision in social work practice

When evaluating the training and development of social …

Development Of A Conversational Agent For Individuals Ambivalent About Quitting Smoking: Protocol For A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Uma S. Nair, Karah Yeona Greene, Stephanie Marhefka, Kristin A. Kosyluk, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. Despite the availability of a plethora of evidence-based smoking cessation resources, less than one-third of individuals who smoke seek cessation services, and individuals using these services are often those who are actively contemplating quitting smoking. There is a distinct dearth of low-cost, scalable interventions to support smokers not ready to quit (ambivalent smokers). Such interventions can assist in gradually promoting smoking behavior changes in this target population until motivation to quit arises, at which time they can be navigated to existing evidence-based smoking cessation …

Retention And Viral Suppression Among Adolescents Newly Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy In Adult Hiv Care In Lima, Peru: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Miyu Niwa, Eduardo Matos, Carly Rodriguez, Milagros Wong, Renato A. Errea, Alicia Ramos, Liz Senador, Carmen Contreras, Jerome T. Galea, Andrew Lindeborg, Carlos Benites, Sonya S. Shin, Leonid Lecca, Molly F. Franke

Social Work Faculty Publications

Purpose: Published data on outcomes among adolescents newly initiating antiretroviral treatment in the Latin American context are sparse. We estimated the frequency of sustained retention with viral load suppression (i.e., successful transition) and identified predictors of successful transition into adult care among youth (aged 14–21 years) with recently acquired HIV in Lima, Peru.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 184 adolescents and young adults who initiated antiretroviral therapy in an adult public sector HIV clinic between June 2014 and June 2019. Sustained retention (no loss-to-follow-up or death) with viral suppression was calculated for the first 12 and 24 …

Bibliography, Whitney Harper

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bibliography of publications by Whitney Harper.

An Analysis On Mental Health In College Sports At A Small Faith-Based Midwest University, Terrence Jordan, Mckinley Egland-Young, Kendrick Maynor Jr.

Concordia Journal of Communication Research

Throughout universities around the world, every day, the mental health of college students is tested. Specifically, collegiate athletes may feel uncomfortable, or uncertain seeking out resources to assess their overall mental health. There are numerous reasons athletes may be either comfortable, or uncomfortable seeking out these resources. Some reasons can include being seen as a sign of weakness, there are no resources for athletes, or they are uncertain about what resources are available to them. The researchers chose to investigate the mental health of two different sports teams at a university. Specifically, the researchers explored these athletes and their mental …

Mediational Effect Of Teacher-Based Discrimination On Academic Performance: An Intersectional Analysis Of Race, Gender, And Income/Class, Eric Kyere, Saahoon Hong, Carolyn Gentle-Genitty

Founder’s College - Scholarship and Professional Work

Drawing on prior research, this study applies an intersectional framework to investigate discrimination in the context of teacher–student relationships and its influence on students’ academic outcomes. Outcomes assessed were inclusive of self-efficacy, school attendance, and grade point average (GPA). For this analysis, structural equation modeling was used with a cross-sectional sample of the Maryland and Adolescent Development in Context Study (MADICS) and the youth self-administered (YSA) questionnaires administered when the youth were in 8th grade (Wave 3). A total of 1182 students completed the survey, of whom 704 were selected for this study. Findings show teacher discrimination as a mechanism …

Integrating Feminist Approaches In Counseling Work With Adult Women, Kristen M. Toole

Adultspan Journal

The scope of ‘women’s issues’ in counseling is an ever-evolving landscape. Recent events such as the reversal of Roe v. Wade and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on women serve as powerful reminders of the necessity of this focus while underscoring a deep-rooted history of oppressive patriarchal structures. Therefore, counselors must remain informed of the unique considerations surrounding adult women in counseling and acquire proficiency in versatile techniques to meet this population’s nuanced needs. This article examines the complexity of contemporary womanhood and explores the fundamentals of Feminist Counseling Theory (FCT), a holistic, multiculturally conscious, social justice theory in counseling. …

Feeling Connected: Examining The Importance Of Human Connection On The Personal Outlook Of Social Service Providers Working With The Homeless During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Darci M. Graves, Ines W. Jindra, Nicholas Evans

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Abstract

This research study explores the lived experiences of social workers and social service providers (collectively referred to as ‘providers’) working with the homeless and homeless-adjacent populations in the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. We examine how the pandemic changed the work providers do, and how providers coped with and adapted to these changes. This research utilizes traditional qualitative interviews with a total of twenty providers located in the North-Western United States (NW-US). Key findings from this research indicate providers' outcomes were influenced by the extent of their social connections to community, clients, and coworkers throughout the pandemic. This …

Volume 50, Issue 1 (2023)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

“An Institution Can Have Good Intentions And Still Be Atrocious": Transgender And Gender Expansive Experiences In Social Work Education, M. Killian Kinney, Darren Cosgrove, Tayon R. Swafford, Richard A. Brandon-Friedman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Educational settings have been found to be challenging arenas for transgender and gender expansive (TGE) youth and young adults due to misgendering, lack of affirming bathrooms, systemic exclusion (e.g., legal names and lack of inclusive gender identity demographic options), and frequent silence or avoidance related to TGE issues. Though studies of TGE adult experiences in higher education are emerging, most explore disaffirming experiences. Social work education focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion, along with how to promote social justice, which suggests more affirming environments for TGE individuals. However, little is known about the experiences of TGE students and even less …

Teaching Beyond Trans-Competency: Exploring Trans-Affirming Pedagogy Through Applied Case Studies, Sam Harrell, Sarah Mountz, Hazel (Bobbi) Ali Zaman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this paper, we share two applied case studies social work instructors can use to teach trans-affirming, anti-oppressive practice. These cases span two practice arenas, child welfare and low-barrier shelter services, and are derived from practice in the authors’ personal and professional experiences in the Northeastern and Midwestern regions of the United States. For each case, we describe the accompanying class context, share our pedagogical approach, name the underlying assumptions and structures that facilitate harm, explore relevant practice skills, and identify theoretical, philosophical, and ethical commitments essential for trans-affirming practice. Our approach to social work education on transgender and gender …

Between The Noise And Silence: An Autoethnography Challenging Schools Of Social Work To Evolve For Trans Students, Isaac M. Akapnitis, G. Trey Jenkins, Natasha S. Mendoza

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social work programs have been largely silent in the face of legislative at- tacks on transgender/nonbinary (TGNB or “trans”) communities across the U.S., which signals to TGNB students that they may not be supported in their respective programs. Consequently, TGNB students, staff, and faculty shoulder the burden to advocate for change within social work academic institutions and to speak out about violence perpetrated against TGNB communities. Using our voices as two trans doctoral students and a queer cisgender associate professor, we employed collaborative and critical autoethnography to share insights about the impact of this burden on TGNB social work students …

Committed To The Cause? Examining Social Work Education's Role In Supporting Ally Behavior For Transgender And Nonbinary People And Communities, Brittanie Atteberry-Ash, N. Eugene Walls, Brendon T. Holloway, Jayme Dooley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) youth and adults are under attack in the United States, with at least 300 state-level anti-transgender bills introduced thus far in 2022 (HRC, 2022). Social workers, guided by professional values and ethics, play a critical role in supporting and advocating for TNB youth and adults, clinically and through mezzo and macro approaches. Given the current political context and the goals of the social work profession, understanding correlates of ally behavior on behalf of TNB people among social work students can help guide improvements in social work education. Specifically, in this study, we examine how demographic differences, …

"We're All We Have": Envisioning The Future Of Mutual Aid From Queer And Trans Perspectives, Brendon T. Holloway, C. Riley Hostetter, Karaya Morris, Jax Kynn, Maximillion Kilby

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Mutual aid has prevailed for as long as humans have existed. However, the concept of mutual aid became popularized in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the racial uprisings in response to the continued police brutality toward Black people, and an increase in global climate crises. Mutual aid spread as a way of survival and collective care when formal systems, such as federal and local governments within the U.S., were failing to meet people's needs. Using a subset of data from semi-structured interviews, the current study relied on a desire-based research framework and foresight lens to capture the …

Applications Of Transformative Justice Principles For Centering Transgender And Gender Expansive Experiences In Social Work Education And Practice, E. Bickford, Angela Matijczak, Aaron Kemmerer, Florence Martinez, M. Alex Wagaman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social work education has traditionally used frameworks, such as cultural competency, to guide implicit and explicit curricula that shape how we think about communities that live and thrive outside of white supremacist and cis/heteronormative norms and values. While the cultural competency framework intends to promote a level of consciousness and attention that is required to practice with diverse individuals, families, and communities whose identities differ from that of the social worker, it instead inadvertently creates a knowledge base that reinforces harmful power dynamics between social worker and client/community. The cultural competency framework is absent of historical and structural context and …

Anti-Transgender Policies And Practices In Social Work Education, Accreditation, And Licensing: A Call For Change, Darren L. Whitfield, Liam Westgate, Rachel E. Gartner, Leah A. Jacobs, Brittanie Atteberry-Ash

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The social work profession is guided by the values of social justice and the dignity and worth of the person. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics requires that all social workers act in a professional manner consistent with these values. These values mandate that social workers “challenge social injustice on behalf of and in concert with vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups.” Yet, historically, and contemporarily, the social work profession and national professional organizations (i.e., NASW, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), Associate of Social Work Boards (ASWB), Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR), …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Volume 50, Issue 2 (2023)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Racial Microaggressions And Asian Americans' Well-Being: A Scoping Review And Exploratory Meta-Analysis, Shinwoo Choi, Amy Alberton, Hyejoon Park, Eun-Jee Song, Heather Gough, Inyoung Stella Lee

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

BACKGROUND: Racial microaggressions continue to be a serious problem in the United States. While racialized microaggressions have been a long standing, though under explored, issue for all Asian Americans, Covid significantly amplified both overt and microaggression-based discrimination against Asian Americans because of the links between the origins of the viral spread and China (Lee & Waters, 2021). Despite this history of discrimination against Asian Americans, research in the area of microaggressions has lagged compared to other groups. However, research in this area has recently grown significantly, warranting a synthetic study of existing literature in order to better frame understandings of …

Book Review Of A Clinician's Guide To Gender Actualization: An Approach To Gender Affirming Therapy By Caitlin Yilmazer, Melinda Mccormick

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of A Clinician’s Guide to Gender Actualization: An Approach to Gender Affirming Therapy. Routledge, 2022. 157 pages.

Review Of The Philosophical Roots Of Loneliness And Intimacy: Political Narcissism And The Problem Of Evil By Ben Lazare Mijuskovic, Seunghyun (Max) Moon

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of The Philosophical Roots of Loneliness and Intimacy: Political Narcissism and the Problem of Evil. Springer Nature, 2021. 225 pages.

Review Of Rural Social Work: Theory And Practice By Hok Bun Ku, Baohong Wu, Yuanjin Zhou

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of Rural Social Work: Theory and Practice. Social Sciences Academic Press, 2018. 198 pages.

The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Mental And Physical Health For Low-Income Women Receiving Tanf, Elizabeth Hendrix, Mary Beth Vogel-Ferguson, Christina Gringeri

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to poorer mental and physical health in adulthood. We examine the experiences of low-income women (N = 884) receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance through a state workforce service agency. Participants averaged 4.66 out of 10 ACEs. Higher ACE scores were significantly associated with increased odds of: any physical health issue, fair/poor physical health, any mental health issue, fair/poor mental health, depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and drug misuse. We discuss implications for state TANF agencies and others administering employment programs, and recommend flexibility in eligible participation activities, including activities …

When Contraceptive Means No Pregnancy: Narrative Account Of Contraceptive Use Among Reproductive Women At The Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana, Akosua Bonsu Karikari, Nana Afia Karikari, Akua Afriyie Karikari, Amos Apraku

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Contraception is a major intervention in improving maternal health. There are about 214 million women of reproductive age in developing countries who are not using modern contraception to prevent pregnancy. For proper locale-specific analysis of female reproductive health issues in Ghana, it is vital to explore the knowledge base and hindrances to contraception use in local communities. We used a phenomenological design to study reproductive- aged women in the Tamale Metropolis of the Northern Region of Ghana in order to comprehend the life world of study participants. This research demonstrates that the majority of the women in the study area …

Lived Experiences Of Voluntary Retirees Within Ghana’S Semi-Urban Space, Michael Tuffour

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this study, we examined the lived experiences of voluntary retirees on formal pension schemes within a semi-urban space in Ghana. This was necessitated by the paucity of knowledge in voluntary retirement within a semi-urban space in Ghana and Africa. Besides, the concept of voluntary retirement within Ghana has not really come to the limelight of research. Based on this we situated our study within a qualitative method approach of phenomenology and used a thematic analysis to assess the lived experiences of seven voluntary retirees with respect to their knowledge of the pension scheme, the challenges they faced as early …

Examining The Early Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Black/African American Adults, Laurie Blackman, Kathryn S. Krase, Donna Wang, Anthony C. Hill, Megan Cambridge

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a disproportionate risk of the disease in communities of color. The present study explored the impact of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic on self-reported adaptation and coping, compared by the race of the respondent. Results from an anonymous, cross-sectional, online survey administered in June 2020 found that Black/African American adult respondents were less likely than non- Black/African American adult respondents to agree that they felt prepared for the COVID-19 outbreak; they were more likely than non- Black/African American adults to agree that they were personally affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, and more likely to …