Staying Safe, Smart, And Well Online: Empowering Older Adults In The Digital Age Conference Summary, Minzhi Ye, Rebecca Cole

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Summary of the two-day, bilingual community conference that brought older adults, caregivers, service providers, researchers, and local organizations together to build digital confidence and prevent fraud.

The Role Of Commuting Stress On Job Satisfaction: Burnout As Mediator, Andreas Ari Kristiyanto, P. Tommy Y. S. Suyasa

Psychological Research on Urban Society

Abstract

This study examines the role of commuting stress on job satisfaction, with burnout as a mediating variable. Data were collected from 113 commuting employees in urban areas, primarily within Greater Jakarta, an area known for severe traffic congestion, using a quantitative approach. Participants completed three validated questionnaires: the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) for job satisfaction, the Multimodal Commuting Stress Scale (MCSS) for commuting stress, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) for burnout. Data were analyzed using SEM-PLS and processed using SmartPLS 4.0. The results indicate that CS has a direct negative effect on job satisfaction and is positively associated …

Between Care And Compliance: A Mixed-Methods Examination Of Social Workers' Perspectives On Behavior Contracts In Healthcare, Katelyn E. Murphy

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Behavior contracts are frequently used in healthcare environments to manage behaviors labeled as disruptive; however, their use presents many ethical, legal, and practical concerns. This mixed-methods study examined behavior contracts through a social work lens, with particular attention to their impact on patient-centered care, professional ethics, and the patient–provider relationship. Based on the Person-in-Environment theory and core bioethical principles, the quantitative aspect of the study assessed healthcare social workers’ attitudes regarding the ethical implications of behavior contracts and their alignment with patient-centered care. The study looked further at how these perceptions differed based on years of professional experience as a …

A Grounded Theory Approach To Explaining Leadership And Leadership Processes Among Oncology Social Workers, Larmender Amia Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The absence of comprehensive field-specific leadership theories leaves oncology social work leaders insufficiently equipped to navigate organizational challenges such as policy shifts, financial pressures, and workforce dynamics. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to generate an explanatory theory of leadership grounded in the experiences of social work leaders practicing in oncology settings. The grounded theory and a conceptual framework on leadership processes, ethical identity, and organizational context guided this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 12 oncology social work leaders in the United States. Five categories emerged and were analyzed using the constant comparative method: …

Perceived Influence Of Childhood Domestic Violence Exposure On Intimate Relationships Among Heterosexual African American Men, Ronnie Lyman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood exposure to domestic violence (DV) remains a significant and underexplored issue within clinical social work, particularly as it pertains to African American men. This doctoral project involved addressing limited understanding of how heterosexual African American men who were exposed to DV in childhood perceived these early experiences in terms of shaping their emotional wellbeing and intimate partner relationships in adulthood. Guided by the intergenerational transmission of violence theory, this study involved exploring reflective narratives of men who experienced such exposure. Via a basic qualitative research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with seven purposefully selected participants who were …

Arts Integration: Teaching Through The Senses Just Makes Sense!, Isabella Shenouda, Noah Karnafel, Hongming Xu

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Arts Integration is a high-impact teaching practice for both higher education and K-12 settings. Because students bring diverse backgrounds, learning preferences, and ways of making meaning, the arts offer flexible, multi-sensory pathways to content comprehension that traditional lecture-based and text-based instruction often cannot. Drawing on classroom evidence from an Honors First-Year Seminar at UNLV in which students identified an arts-based workshop as their favorite lesson, we argue that creative, hands-on activities deepen knowledge retention and foster genuine intellectual engagement. Arts Integration is inherently an asset-based and inclusive practice, as it encourages students to connect through various sensory learning experiences, whether …

Disrupting The Link Between Exposure To Violence And Adolescent Delinquency: The Protective Role Of Expectations About The Future, Eunbyeor Sophie Yang, Seohyun Kim, Su-Kyung Oh, Hyeyoung Kang, Ick-Joong Chung

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Exposure to violence significantly influences adolescent delinquency, posing a critical public health concern. We examine the moderating role of expectations about the future in this context, particularly whether their impact differs between minor and severe delinquency. Analyzing data from the fifth wave of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (n=1,272), we employed hierarchical linear regression and the PROCESS macro. Our findings reveal that exposure to violence is positively associated with delinquency; meanwhile, expectations about the future are negatively associated with adolescent delinquency. Positive expectations about the future significantly mitigate the impact of exposure to violence on adolescent delinquency …

Center For Social Development Report To The Community: 2026, Center For Social Development, Washington University In St. Louis

Center for Social Development Research

For more than 30 years, the Center for Social Development (CSD) has been a hub for implementing and testing applied social innovations. As the 2026 "Report to the Community" underscores, we remain dedicated to our mission to advance policies and practices that support individuals, families, and communities in achieving their goals and contributing to society and the economy.

Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Christian Women’S Response To Their Spouses’ Pornography Use, Margaret Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study explored the emotional responses Christian women experience upon discovering their spouse’s pornography use and how they perceive their spouse’s openness during and after disclosure. Guided by Husserl’s descriptive philosophy, the study used confidential Zoom interviews and a focus group with Christian women aged 18 and older to gather first‑person accounts of the phenomenon. Through phenomenological reduction, repeated readings, and the refinement and synthesis of meaning units, six superordinate themes emerged: faith as an Interpretive lens; pornography as a violation of relational, emotional, and moral boundaries; discovery as an emotional and relational turning point; communication as a …

Human Service Professionals’ Perceptions Culturally Competent Resources For Transracial Adoption, Rachelle Tau-Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transracial adoption continues to increase in the United States, particularly in states with predominantly White populations; yet, culturally competent preparation and postadoption resources remain limited. The lack of structured cultural socialization and race-responsive supports places transracially adopted youth at increased risk for identity disruption, mental health challenges, and experiences of racism and microaggressions. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore human service professionals’ perceptions of the services needed to provide culturally competent resources for transracial adoption in Washington State. Guided by the Transracial Adoption Parenting Series framework developed by the Coalition for Children, Youth, and Families, …

Service Providers’ Perceptions Of Mckinney-Vento Implementation: Supporting Academic Performance And Attendance In K-12 Students’ Experiencing Homelessness, Darci Mcrae

Honors Projects

In Wood, Lucas, and Ottawa County, Ohio, approximately 2,508 students or 2.6% of total enrollment experience homelessness. The McKinney-Vento Act (MVA, 1987) aims to reduce educational barriers for these students by ensuring access to transportation, school enrollment, school supplies, and additional educational support. Despite these provisions, the effectiveness of MVA implementation varies among school districts due to differences in staff training, funding, procedures, and the diverse needs of students experiencing homelessness. This study examines service providers’ perceptions of how the MVA is implemented in public school districts and how it affects attendance and academic performance among K–12 students’ experiencing homelessness. …

Should There Be International Standards For Qualitative Social Work Research? A Commentary On Utility, Contradictions, And Reframing To Principles, Margaret Janse Van Rensburg

Faculty and Staff Publications

This commentary critically examines the promise and contradictions inherent in developing international standards for qualitative social work research. It contributes by proposing that ethics guided by epistemic freedom and epistemic justice can act as a foundation for flexible principles enhancing qualitative social work research on an international level.

Stability Without Support: Kinship Care And The Reproduction Of Inequality In Child Protection, Kiera Fischer

Senior Seminars and Capstones

This project examines child protection outcomes in Minnesota through a structural and inequality focused lens, analyzing how poverty, housing instability, racism, and system overlap shape family involvement with Child Protective Services (CPS). This literature review draws from sociology, anthropology, social work, and child welfare research, to examine how child protection systems disproportionately surveil and penalize low-income families and families of color, often framing structural disadvantage as an individual parental failure rather than a systemic or institutional issue. I specifically consider placement outcomes following child removal, with particular attention to differences between kinship care and non-relative foster care. Kinship placements are …

An Empirical Case Study Of Substance Abuse Treatment Retention For Black Women In Boston, Melinda Asiamah

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This research investigates the disproportionate impact of substance use disorders (SUD) on Black women, a population facing critically low treatment retention rates, evidenced by outpatient dropout rates averaging 55%. Despite the efficacy of sustained treatment, Black women consistently underutilize and prematurely exit services compared to other demographics. This study asserts that identifying the drivers behind these disparities requires a shift from traditional public health lenses toward a framework that centers racial oppression, systemic barriers, and cultural obstacles.

By integrating Critical Race Theory (CRT), Black Feminist Theory, Social Determinants of Mental Health, and Biopsychosocial Theory, this research explores the impact of …

Food Reintroduction After Negative Ofcs In Pediatrics: Dietary Frequency And Caregiver Attitudes, Olivia Pietrantozzi

Honors Projects

Food allergies in pediatric populations have been gradually increasing in prevalence and present significant nutritional risks requiring strict dietary management and psychosocial challenges. Oral food challenges (OFCs) serve as a gold standard in diagnosing food allergies and determining whether allergenic foods can be safely reintroduced to an individual's diet. However, caregivers of children may still experience anxiety and barriers that delay the reintroduction of foods, which can limit diet diversity and increase the child's risk of future allergy development. This study looked to evaluate the dietary frequency of allergenic food reintroduction following negative OFCs, as well as to assess changes …

Analyzing 24-Hour Diet Recalls To Assess Dietary Changes Among Children Who Complete Oral Food Challenges (Ofcs), Hannah Plank, Wan Shen, Heesoon Lee

Honors Projects

Pediatric food allergies are a growing public health concern in America due to their potential association with long-term nutritional impacts and reduced quality of life in those affected. Oral food challenges (OFCs) are considered the gold standard for clinical food allergy diagnosis, but few studies have examined if passing or failing an OFC affects overall diet quality in infants. This clinical observational study examined differences in diet quality, measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), among 39 children aged 0–6 years who participated in OFCs at ProMedica Allergy and Immunology Clinic in Perrysburg, Ohio. Parents and caregivers reported daily dietary …

Turning Service Into Stability: Measuring Self-Sufficiency Outcomes At Presbyterian Children’S Homes & Services, Olivia Wolf, Alex Wolf

2026 Student Academic Showcase

Community organizations play a critical role in helping vulnerable children, youth, and families achieve stability and independence. This service learning project partnered with Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services (PCHAS) to evaluate how well its programs support client progress toward self sufficiency. Using discharge data from the Arizona Self Sufficiency Matrix, students analyzed outcomes across multiple program types and four service sites. The evaluation found strong improvements in areas related to immediate stabilization, including personal safety, legal status, substance use recovery, and disability support. However, clients continued to face ongoing challenges in childcare access, housing stability, parenting skills, children’s education, and …

Psychometric Analysis Of The German Version Of The Barriers To Healthcare Checklist-Short Form, Judith Peth, Nicole David, Sophia Duckert, Petia Gewohn, Daniel Schottle, Pascal Rahlff, Alexander Konnopka, Hannah Konig, Kai Vogeley, Christina Nicolaidis, Dora M. Raymaker, Holger Schulz

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Autistic people face multiple barriers to health care. To recognize specific barriers in a standardized way, autistic people, health care providers, and researchers need a suitable measure. The Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education successfully developed the Barriers to Healthcare Checklist— Short Form (BHC-SF). It remains unclear whether (1) a German version of the BHC-SF performs well in terms of psychometric properties and (2) the BHC-SF consists of multiple constructs (i.e., assessing structural validity). Methods: We created a translated and culturally adapted version of the 17-item BHC-SF and used it with 345 autistic people in Germany. Psychometric …

Impact Of Campus Involvement On Depression Levels Of Undergraduate Students At Providence College, Margaret Fallon, Maggie Murphy, Nancy Nuñez, Caroline Moloney

Social Work Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Food Insecurity At Providence College, Jordan Foster, Emma Gilooly, Yessenia Tavarez

Social Work Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Student Culture And Experiences Of Discrimination And Racism At Providence College, Colin Cavanaugh, Bianca Rego, Melissa Enriquez

Social Work Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Homesickness And Family Relationships In College Students, Emma Burgess, Taylor Gilmour, Emma Medina

Social Work Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

What The Land Knows: Solastalgia And Land-Based Cultural Trauma Among Appalachian Americans, Clara Johnson

Social Work Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Hb2008: Universal Pre-K, Grace Rutland, Sofia Wells

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Representatives Charlane Oliver and Aftyn Behn have introduced a bill which would make preschool available to all children in Tennessee. The Universal Pre-K Funding Act, which was introduced in February of this year, would draw from a tax on digital advertising to ensure that every four-year-old has access to high quality early learning. Universal pre-K has been shown to improve academic outcomes spanning all the way to college acceptances, and to increase parental earnings by nearly 20% (Humphries et. al, 2024). These results are especially pronounced among low-income families. It also functions as a form of childcare, which is invaluable …

Social Workers’ Views On Students With Developmental Disabilities In Charter And Private Schools In Idaho, Branden Smalley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Idaho private and charter schools are experiencing increased enrollment, including students who are developmentally delayed. Such an increase in the population of developmentally delayed students presents challenges for school social workers in providing needed therapeutic services. This study addressed the limited therapeutic services for students with developmental disabilities in Idaho’s private and charter schools, as perceived by school social workers. The purpose was to examine school social workers’ perceptions of the barriers and challenges they encounter when supporting students with developmental disabilities in private or charter schools in Idaho. Participant eligibility criteria included holding a minimum of a bachelor’s degree …

Hb 1938: Ending Prison Privatization In Tennessee, Skyler J. Duplessis, Xavier Tharpe-Patton, Josie Lerer, Carley Wood

SPARK Symposium Presentations

The term recidivism refers to the tendency of an individual convicted of a crime to reoffend after release. A growing body of research has found that individuals incarcerated in privately operated correctional facilities often demonstrate higher rates of recidivism compared to those held in publicly managed prisons. Scholars suggest that differences in access to rehabilitative programming, staffing patterns, and institutional resources may contribute to these disparities. Critics argue that cost-containment priorities unique to for-profit correction can conflict with investment in education, treatment, and reentry preparation -factors consistently linked in the literature to reduced reoffending and improved community reintegration. This is …

When Is Engagement ‘Good’? Values And Integrity In Community-Engaged Autism Research, Margaret Janse Van Rensburg

Faculty and Staff Publications

Community engagement (CE) in autism research has been promoted as “good practice,” and is described through approaches such as co-production, participatory action research, and community-based participatory research. Although CE can enhance relevance and trust, its potential burdens or harms are rarely examined or disclosed to community members, and it is often implemented without evaluating its processes or outcomes. Limited attention is also given to values: the axiological foundations of CE and whether engagement is conducted with integrity. This perspective introduces an axiological lens to CE in autism research by arguing that researchers’ value commitments shape not only why engagement occurs …

Therapeutic Applications Of Tabletop Role-Playing Games In Treatment Of Depressive And Anxious Symptoms In Young Adults, Dash Degrote

Honors Theses

Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) are played by a large population and involve the engagement of social and emotional skills, with the largest portion of the population playing them being adolescents or young adults. The therapeutic application of TTRPGs in the treatment of depressive and anxious symptoms shows potential with this population. In a literature review, three major themes are identified: TTRPG culture, stakeholder perspectives of TTRPGs, and examples of therapeutically-applied TTRPGs. Overall, evidence suggests that TTRPGs can positively impact the concerned symptoms, though more research is needed for games outside of Dungeons & Dragons as well as stakeholder perspectives.

The Benefits Of Handcrafting, Madison Mallory

Honors Theses

Handcrafting encompasses physical creative activities such as crochet, wood working, pottery, knitting, and many others. This study includes qualitative research to focus on the impact of handcrafting on individuals. This research was conducted via interviews with 11 individuals. The parameters for individuals to be included in this study is being 18 years of age or older and having experience with handcrafting. Through these interviews two interviewees referred to hand crafting as a form of meditation while seven others expressed feeling similarly using words such as feeling present, calm, focused, and relaxed. Two people share experiences of using handcrafting as coping …

Exploring The Black Church’S Role In The Black Man’S Experience With Depression: A Qualitative Inquiry, Terry Edwards Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black men experience disproportionate mental health disparities, particularly in relation to depression, yet remain less likely to engage in formal mental health treatment due to cultural stigma and barriers to care. The Black church, a historically trusted institution within the Black community, may influence how depression is understood and managed. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore how Black men in Inkster, Michigan perceive the role of the Black church in influencing their understanding and management of depression. The Health, Illness, Men, and Masculinities (HIMM) framework guided this study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 …