Digital Commons Network^™

Memory Stewardship: Preventing Confabulation In Child Victim Statements, Dixie Blair Ivey

Master of Arts in Human Services

Confabulation consists of a false memory report. Some scholars consider confabulation a clinical symptom of a neurological disorder. Others view the subject more broadly. Regardless of the boundaries of the definition, confabulation is an example of false memory. False memory reports can occur under many circumstances. The details of these circumstances, as well as the general cognitive processes that dictate memory, are important to understand, particularly to those who rely on memory for the purposes of forensic investigations. In order to use memory statements to reliable effect, the investigator or interviewer must understand how their own actions, the actions of …

Intimacy Versus Isolation In Adults With Intellectual Or Developmental Disabilities: An Educational Video-Series For Caregivers, Aubrey Lynn Brinkley

Student Capstone Papers

Caregivers of care-recipients with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) do not have sufficient resources to assist their care-recipients with the adult developmental stage of intimacy versus isolation. This capstone considers the occupational and developmental impacts that growing individuals with IDD face, namely the developmental stages including healthy relationships, sexual safety, and intimacy. The literature review covers the scientific, statistical, and historical importance of this developmental milestone. Varied opinions and needs that surround the subject of intimacy and healthy relationships for adults with IDD were considered. Sexual abuse statistics were highlighted. A multitude of feedback from organizations, personal caregivers, scientists, psychologists, …

Analysis Of The At-Risk Mental Health Of Military Children And Proposed Intervention Plans To Be Implemented By Mental Health Professionals, Claire E. Anderson

Senior Honors Theses

Mental health for military children is an unseen life-threatening epidemic that must be brought to the attention of Americans. The statistics surrounding the mental health of the average military child are alarming and saddening. Access and knowledge of mental health resources for military children may significantly decrease the high percentage of military children who experience poor mental health. To raise awareness, increase research findings, and support military children well, it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of the problem both presently and historically, to be aware of current resources in place, to understand current and past policies surrounding the …

2025 Acssc Program, Acssc Planning Committee

Annual Celebration for Student Scholarship and Creativity

No abstract provided.

Substance Use And Its Impact On Peer Relationships At Providence College, Catherine Hien, Clara Johnson, Ava Zakhour

Social Work Student Scholarship

Catherine Hien ’26, Social Work major

Clara Johnson ’26, Social Work and English major

Ava Zakhour ’26, Social Work major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Robert Hasson, Social Work

Our research delves into the use of substances among students at Providence College and how it may impact the quality of their peer relationships.

The Leading Causes Of Homelessness In Two Southeastern Counties Of Pennsylvania, Lucia Christine Spargo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homelessness is a complex and multifaceted leading social issue in the United States. Society tends to focus on the individual as the cause of their own homelessness, blaming the victim rather than larger social and/or economic factors. There is an excess amount of data surrounding why/how an individual becomes homeless, but there is very little research examining the leading causes of homelessness in smaller geographic areas, such as counties. This study provides a better understanding and analysis of the leading causes of homelessness in two suburban counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania using binary logistic regression. Using ArcGIS, the study identified potential …

Environmental And Systemic Barriers To Pursuing Postsecondary Education For Young African American Men From Single Parent Households, Felix A. Weston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American men often face significant environmental and systemic barriers in pursuing postsecondary education as shown by research on the experiences of African American male high school students and first-generation college students. The experiences of African American men who have not attended college or postsecondary education have received less attention. The purpose of this study was to explore the environmental and systemic barriers experienced by African American men aged 18–24 who have not attended or pursued college or postsecondary education. A qualitative study was conducted with 15 African American men aged 18–24 from single parent households utilizing the ecological model …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Incorporation Of Nature Into Multilevel Social Work Practice, Tessa Palmer

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Humans have an innate connection to nature, often referred to as biophilia. Besides providing the basic necessities for life, interacting with nature has been connected to lower rates of depression and hypertension, improved hospital outcomes, reduced stress, better cognition, and many other benefits. Conversely, increased urbanization is being linked to more chronic medical conditions than in the past due to social inequalities, lifestyle factors, and environmental degradation. People of color and lower socioeconomic status are being disconnected from nature through environmental racism that leads to higher exposure to toxins and pollutants, less access to clean drinking water, and lack of …

The Renal Social Workers' Perspective: Attitude, Behaviors, And Barriers To Sexual Health Inclusion, Sapphira L. Blount Murray

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Sexual health, an important factor of perceived wellness and quality of life, is adversely impacted by renal disease and treatment. The social worker is uniquely positioned on the renal clinical care team to address sexual health. There is a dearth of literature on renal care and sexual health, and no national study on whether or how sexual health is being addressed in renal care planning by the social worker. This qualitative case study was aimed at exploring the attitudes, behaviors, and perceived barriers based on the lived experiences of renal social workers in incorporating sexual health assessments into routine renal …

Pouring From An Empty Cup: A Qualitative Exploration Of Early-Career School Social Workers' Lived Experiences With Secondary Trauma, Chatelah D. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how early-career school social workers in public schools in Georgia described their lived experiences of secondary trauma. This study examined the contextual elements that contributed to secondary trauma. The findings may inform training for school districts to improve climate and culture, develop learning workshops, and create supportive systems for early-career social workers exposed to student traumas. Theories guiding this study included Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory and Bruce Biddle’s role theory. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory addresses the levels of influence on mental and physical wellness and their impact on human development. It …

An Exploration Of Factors Impacting Child Welfare Professional Burnout: A Moderated Mediation Analysis, Jeffrey L. Nitz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Child welfare professionals (CWPs) have challenging and stressful jobs that routinely expose them to the traumatic narratives of children and other individuals. As a result of this, and when added to the reality that CWPs have a significantly higher average of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) compared to the general population, the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress (STS), burnout and high turnover rates is substantial. This non-experimental quantitative survey study of 212 direct service CWPs from both public and private agencies sought to examine the relationship of ACE scores to burnout, and whether secondary traumatic stress plays a mediating role in …

Psychological Treatment Behind The Walls:Insights From The Inside, Rogelio Serrano

Psychology Division Scholarship

Repeated eras of mass incarceration, criminalization of marginalized communities, and substance use policies have created a revolving door of justice involved populations. The ever-increasing prison population has repeatedly become the largest contingency of mental health clientele for an overburdened mental health system. Those who work with formerly incarcerated individuals in the community often don’t know the unique set of challenges faced by practitioners within the system. Increased understanding and coordination of care can offer opportunities for sustained recovery and reduced levels of recidivism. In this presentation participants will learn about the unique insights on mental health treatment that can be …

"Guided By A Global Perspective": The Global Teaching Practices Of Social Work Faculty, Janine M. Speiser

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) states that the social work profession is guided by a global perspective and the enhancement of life for all people, both locally and globally. Per the CSWE Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (2022 EPAS), the social work curriculum of an integrated program includes global content that is specifically related to racism, oppression, and policy. However, literature suggests that the incorporation of global content into social work education has been slow, sparse, and siloed. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which social work faculty have integrated global content from …

Analyzing The Special Supplemental Nutrition For Women, Infants, And Children (Wic) In Texas, Misty Ledesma

Undergraduate Research Conference

This research explores food insecurity and how WIC addresses nutritional risks in Texas. It examines past and present efforts, policy gaps, and potential improvements to enhance WIC's effectiveness.

Introducing 'Society Work': The Professionalization And Localization Of Chinese Social Work In A New Era, Ke Cui, Timothy Sim, Chenxi Huang, Bowen Mcbeath

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study focuses on current discussions around the newly-built Society Work Department in China. It argues that ‘society work’ helps to clarify the internationally recognized concept of ‘social work’ and this institutional reform promotes development of the social work profession and discipline, it also helps to decolonize social work in China.

Their Voices, Their Work: The Challenges And Experiences Of Resettled Female Refugees In West Michigan, Cristhel Vanessa Morlidge

Masters Projects

Resettled female refugees often hope to improve their life in the country and community that they settle in. However, they can instead face multiple challenges due to their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and language. The objective of this qualitative study is to identify the unique experiences and challenges of female refugees as they enter the formal workforce in the United States. Participants in this research are from two different countries in Africa, and all currently reside in West Michigan. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and a small-focus group to learn about their experiences through their own words. While generalizations …

Harnessing Faith For Relational Harmony: A Black Christian Couple’S Journey Through Relational Spiritual Knowing, Kevin L. Jones, Victoria L. Jones

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

This scholarship centers on the experiences of Black married Christian couples, exploring how spirituality profoundly enriches and transforms their relationships. Building on Martin Buber's philosophy of the “I-Thou” relationship, which emphasizes genuine spiritual engagement, the research highlights how this Black married couple draw on their faith to navigate marital challenges. For Black married Christian couples, spirituality often forms the foundation of their relationships, guiding them through life’s complexities. This work seeks to move beyond traditional teachings, embracing a more expansive view of spirituality that honors the rich, multifaceted nature of Black Christian marriages. Through the Relational Spiritual Knowing framework, this …

Faith In The Therapy Room: A Qualitative Study Of Canadian Immigrant Clients' Untold Stories, Sandra Dixon, Juliane Bell

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Immigration to Canada brings cultural diversity, but also stressors and challenges that impact mental well-being. Spirituality recognizes the profound significance of relational knowing, manifesting in external appreciation for meaningful experiences with others that provide purpose. Despite the importance of faith in many immigrants' lives, mental health professionals often overlook spiritual and religious convictions. This descriptive qualitative study addressed this gap by conducting semi-structured interviews with 10 immigrant clients of faith in a diverse Canadian province. Purposive and snowball sampling were used for participant recruitment. NVivo 12 software facilitated efficient data management and analysis, and Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-phase framework …

Decolonizing Relational Spiritual Knowing In The Context Of Human Connections, Diana Wandix-White, Vicki Mokuria

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Decolonizing spiritual engagement in human connections involves reimagining how we challenge relational epistemology, overcome relational dissonance, and discover relational value. By transcending individual religious frameworks, we access a deeper, collective spirituality that bridges divides. Relational spiritual knowing taps into the core of our humanity, fostering connections even to those with whom we seem to disagree at every turn and with whom we share no obvious bond. This editorial serves to introduce relational spiritual knowing as a tool to dismantle barriers that cause isolation and inequity, discrimination and disconnection, and misconceptions and misunderstandings in relationships. The articles in this special issue …

Belonging Among Lgbtq+ Students At Hope College, B Schultz

24th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2025)

At Christian Colleges and Universities (CCUs), studies estimate that approximately 12% of a given college's student population identifies as LGBTQ+ (REAP, 2021). Unfortunately, research literature also indicates that LGBTQ+ college students experience significant challenges, including, but not limited to, discrimination from peers and staff, alienation from the wider campus environment, and inhospitable housing conditions (REAP, 2021; Rankin et al. 2019; Kortegast, 2017; Craig et al. 2017; Wolff et al. 2016, Christie, 2021). Academic research on LGBTQ+ students at CCUs is somewhat limited, even more so research that uses a qualitative orientation, attempting to gain in-depth insights into LGBTQ+ students' experiences. …

Everyone Gets Bored Sometimes: Effects Of Boredom And Burnout In A Longitudinal Study On Pre Health Undergraduate Students, Josie Oostindie

24th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2025)

For some time now, medical education research has documented increased levels of undesirable outcomes as a byproduct of professionalization, such as decreased mental health and increased burnout. We introduce to this literature the concept of boredom proneness that taps into students' adaptation to a sense of the flow of time and outline how this affects their health throughout undergraduate. Trait measures of boredom tap into not merely a momentary discomfort with a context or flow of time, but a deeper existential challenge that indicates a possibly socially-induced discordance with a self in time. Additionally, a challenge of past research is …

Domestic Violence Against Women, Mckaye Didericksen

Student Research Symposium

Types of Abuse

• Physical Abuse
• Physical Violence
• Emotional Abuse
• Non-Physical Behavior
• Financial Abuse
• Control Financial Situation
• Sexual Abuse
• Partner Controlled Sexual and Physical Intimacy in the Relationship
• Often non-consensual and forced

Perceptions That Parents Of Autistic Children Have On Music Therapy And Music Lessons For Their Child, Carlin Troska

Student Research Symposium

The purpose of this project is to investigate the perceptions that parents of children with Autism have on music therapy and music lessons for their child. Specifically, we are interested in learning about how much knowledge parents have on music therapy and if there is a difference in perception between music therapy and music lessons for their child/children.

How You Talk About Homelessness Matters, Sarah Makar

Student Research Symposium

Individuals experiencing homeless (IEH) has risen across the U.S. by 7% just in the past year. In response to this increase, and with the dangers of being homeless including a 60% greater mortality rate, residents across four counties in Utah participated in a survey to better understand the community's attitudes towards homelessness and homeless services with the aim to better meet the needs of IEH.

Attitudes & Beliefs About Homelessness In Cache County, Rachel Didericksen, Brynlee Wright, Bailee Allred, Natalie Rust

Student Research Symposium

The rise in homelessness at the local level calls for community member engagement in solution-building. In order to inform policy and funding decisions, it is important that we understand what perceptions community members have regarding persons experiencing homelessness (PEH), perceptions of gaps in resources, and the degree of support for expanding resources.

Housing Attainability In The Bear River Area, Peyton Reynolds

Student Research Symposium

Utahns are experiencing numerous challenges related to affording, securing, and maintaining housing.

"Anything And Everything:" An Analysis Of Role Ambiguity In Pennsylvania School Social Work, Jennifer L. Hoffa

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

For the past 100 years, since the inception of school social work, a comprehensive list of the duties of social workers in schools has remained intangible; thus, the professional identity of school social workers (SSWs) has not been well-defined. An ambiguous professional identity gives rise to a lack of legitimacy, role confusion, and inconsistency in responsibilities faced by current SSWs employed in a public-school setting. A comprehensive understanding of how SSWs function, both in theory and in practice, is essential to producing social workers who are qualified, competent, and equipped to support students. This study utilizes quantitative methods to investigate …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Age And Disposition In The Juvenile Court Data, Jaden Reign Deblois

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Struggles with depression are prominent among the population of incarcerated individuals. After COVID-19, the impacts of depression became more profound among incarcerated youth. For youth with previous diagnoses, the impacts of depression were more severe. To better understand the scope of the issue, this literature review examines how the field currently understands COVID-19’s impact on the depression of incarcerated youth. Findings suggest that factors such as isolation, physiological social stressors, and prior mental health diagnosis contribute to depression among incarcerated youth. Implications for mental health prevention and treatment for incarcerated youth will be discussed.

Medical Social Workers’ Self-Efficacy And Perceptions Of Interdisciplinary Collaboration Managing Patients With Chronic Pain And Opioid Use Disorder, Alexis Ware

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social work is a complex field, with the roles and responsibilities of social workers often unclear. This ambiguity can lead to low self-efficacy and hinder effective collaboration with other disciplines, which can negatively impact patient care. The purpose of this quantitative study is to explore the relationship between the occupational self-efficacy of medical social workers, level of experience and social workers’ perceptions of interdisciplinary collaboration when managing patients with co-occurring chronic pain and opioid use disorder. The theoretical framework that guided this study is Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. The conceptual framework for this research is Bronstein’s model of interdisciplinary collaboration. The …

Predictors Of Political Participation Of U.S. Social Workers: The Mediating Effect Of Confidence, Maria Wathen, Rachel A. Young, Amy Krings, Teresa Kilbane

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

What factors are associated with social workers’ political participation, and how does political confidence mediate those relationships? To answer this question, data were collected in 2020 through an original online survey of members of the U.S.-based National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Informed by self-efficacy theory, researchers conducted a structural equation modeling (SEM) path model with political participation as the outcome variable, and political confidence as a mediating variable. Exogenous variables included: one’s self-reported political orientation, belief that social work has a political mandate, gender, and knowledge about how to effectively participate in politics. Results indicate that high political confidence …