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The Cost Of Care: A Mixed Methods Study Of Social Work Student Well-Being, Practicum Pay, And The Future Of Feminized Care In The Health Workforce, Christian Adeleke

Social Work Dissertations

Social work field education, commonly enacted as the practicum, is widely regarded as the profession’s signature pedagogy, yet its material conditions—particularly the prevalence of unpaid or minimally compensated placements—are rarely problematized. This dissertation examined the financial, academic, and well-being consequences of practicum participation among social work students and the mechanisms through which these consequences arise. Using an embedded mixed methods design, the study analyzed secondary data from the Payment for Placements (P4P) survey (N = 618), combining a moderated-mediation structural equation model with a reflexive thematic analysis of open-ended narrative responses. Drawing on feminist political economy and social reproduction …

Understanding Child Welfare, Richard P. Barth, Jill Duerr Berrick, Melissa Jonson-Reid, Antonio R. Garcia, Johanna Greeson, John Gyourko, Brett Drake

Faculty Scholarship

This volume provides a foundational overview of the means by which the United States (and, to a more limited extent in coverage, other peer nations) endeavor to protect children from child maltreatment and related harms. Readers will be exposed to the best evidence available on the ways that child welfare and ancillary services operate and the results they achieve. This entails a comprehensive review of recent scholarship on scores of child welfare topics.

Legislative Debate-Attributed Suicidality Among Lgbtq+ Adults: The Buffering Effect Of Community Belongingness, Keith J. Watts, Shawndaya S. Thrasher, Laneshia Conner, Nicole Campbell, Louis G. Baser, Dekeitra Griffin, Sydney Howard, Missy Spears, Justin X. Moore

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: In recent years, the sociopolitical landscape in the United States has shifted due to an increase in state-level legislation regarding LGBTQ+ rights, a trend that has been particularly pronounced in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. While the mental health impacts of enacted laws are increasingly documented, a critical gap remains in understanding the psychological toll of the legislative debates themselves—the prolonged periods of public discourse surrounding the restriction of rights.

Methods: Utilizing data from the 2025 Queer Kentucky Survey (N = 817), this exploratory study examined the association between LGBTQ+ community belongingness and acute suicidality attributed specifically to anti-LGBTQ+ legislative …

“Oh, You’Ve Come To Visit The Yard?”: Phenotypic Capital, Intragroup Marginalization, And The Gated Sanctuary In Black Lgbtq+ Communities, Keith J. Watts, Shawndaya S. Thrasher, Nicole Campbell, Laneshia Conner, Julian K. Glover, Janet K. Otachi, Dekeitra Griffin

Social Work Faculty Publications

Identity-based communities that share common characteristics, beliefs, and experiences (e.g., Black LGBTQ+ communities) have historically been conceptualized as protective bubbles that buffer Black LGBTQ+ individuals against the deleterious effects of systemic racism and cisheterosexism. However, this monolithic narrative often masks the internal power dynamics that divide belonging. This study explores the exclusionary dynamics embedded within these safe spaces, examining how internal hierarchies of skin tone, socioeconomic status, and gender performance function as proximal stressors. Guided by a critical constructivist paradigm, this study utilized Reflexive Thematic Analysis to analyze open-ended survey responses from 74 Black LGBTQ+ adults. Data were drawn from …

Community Resources For Older Adults With Age-Related Disabilities And Chronic Conditions: A Scoping Review, Oejin Shin, Sojung Park, Soobin Park, Sarah Sunghye Kang, Sunghei Han, Eunsun Kwon, Seoyeon Ahn, Borin Kim

Faculty Publications - Social Work

Community resources are essential for supporting older adults with disabilities and chronic conditions, yet how these resources are conceptualized and evaluated across the empirical literature remains unclear. This scoping review synthesizes U.S.-based research on community resources for older adults with age-related disabilities and chronic conditions, guided by the PAGER framework. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science, ultimately including 21 peer-reviewed studies. Findings reveal four primary resource domains: healthcare-based services, home- and community-based services (HCBS), behavioral health supports, and environmental or structural resources. Accessibility and utilization emerged as the most consistently examined dimensions, while quality …

Does The Impact Of Volunteering On Health Differ By Wealth? [Research In Brief: Volunteering], Seoyoun Kim, Cal J. Halvorsen

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

Volunteering among older adults has many potential health benefits; however, older adults with more wealth are also more likely to volunteer in the first place, raising the question of whether they are the ones reaping the most benefits. This study asked two questions: (1) Does formal volunteering improve self-reported health and reduce depressive symptoms in older adults? (2) Does the impact of volunteering on these outcomes differ between older adults in the lowest and highest wealth quintiles?

“They Don't Care If I'M Here Or Not”: The Impact Of Exclusionary Discipline On Black Boys In Elementary Schools, Arielle Gulley

DSW Capstone Projects

Disproportionate and exclusionary school discipline practices continue to affect African American boys as early as elementary school, with significant implications for their mental health, academic engagement, and long-term educational trajectories. This capstone project examines how racially biased discipline contributes to disparities in belonging, emotional well-being, and student-teacher relationships, and advances the need to reframe discipline as a site of mental health intervention rather than punishment.

The systematic literature review synthesizes peer-reviewed research to examine the relationship between exclusionary discipline and mental health outcomes among African American boys in elementary settings, with particular attention to patterns emerging in early educational environments. …

Childhood Mental Health And Major Depression In Later Life: A Survival Analysis Across 12 Years, Xiaoling Xiang, Xiafei Wang, Xinyin Zhang, Josephine Abrials

Social Work Faculty Publications

Objectives: This study examined the relationship between childhood mental health conditions and incident major depression in middle-aged and older adults.

Methods: This longitudinal panel study used 12 years of data from 27,220 adults aged 51 and older in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study. Childhood mental health conditions were assessed retrospectively with a question about having a depression, drug/alcohol, or other emotional problem before age 16. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs).

Results: Childhood mental health conditions were reported by 6.04% of the unweighted sample (n = 1643) and were associated with a more than 2-fold …

Responding To Social Isolation: The Tole Of Chaplaincy In Addressing Social Determinants Of Health (Sdoh) In Pediatric Contexts, Adam Lubbers, Forest Melton, Simbarashe Sigauke, Sophie Le

2026

This poster describes a pilot program that integrated chaplaincy services into the care pathway for pediatric patients and families who screened positive for low social support, a key social determinant of health. The findings suggest chaplain-led interventions provide effective emotional, spiritual, and practical support, helping address social isolation, caregiver burden, financial insecurity, and other health equity concerns while offering culturally responsive care.

The Influence Of Familial Substance Use Disorder On Perceptions And Attitudes Towards Substance Use Disorders And Participant Substance Use Behavior Among Emerging Adults, Elijah M. Lefeld, Jennifer Stanley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research project explores how the lived experience of having an immediate family member with a substance use disorder (SUD) influences a person’s perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors related to substance use. Rather than focusing on the individual diagnosed with SUD, the study examines the reciprocal impact on family members within the social subsystem. Using a quasi-experimental design, the project will compare participant responses using with and without a familial connection to SUD. Data will be collected through Qualtrics surveys distributed via SONA. These measures will record demographic information, personal substance use habits, attitudes toward addiction, perception of substance use disorders, …

Association Between Caregiver Status And Physical And Mental Health Among National Senior Games Athletes, Chibuzo Uchechukwu Victor Obasi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

As the population ages, more people rely on informal caregivers, which puts many older adults at risk for health problems. Caregiving can be meaningful and strengthen family bonds, but it often leads to more psychological stress, especially for older adults who also have their own health concerns. Research shows that regular physical activity can help older adults build resilience and improve their mental well-being. Still, we know little about the health of older caregivers who stay very active. This study examines the health effects of caregiving among members of the National Senior Games Association (NSGA), a group of highly active …

The Role Of Ombudsman And Social Work Protecting Rights, Roni Alicia Werner

Selected Full-Text Master Theses Collection 2018-

This thesis examines the role of the Ombudsman as an independent and impartial mechanism for addressing complaints, resolving conflicts, and promoting accountability within organizations. It explores how ombudsmen function across institutional contexts—such as higher education, government, and corporate settings—to provide confidential, informal, and accessible pathways for dispute resolution.

The study analyzes key principles guiding Ombudsman practice, including neutrality, independence, confidentiality, and informality, and evaluates their effectiveness in fostering trust and organizational transparency. Through a review of relevant literature and case examples, the thesis highlights how Ombudsman offices contribute to early conflict resolution, reduce formal grievances, and support ethical decision-making.

Additionally, …

The Psychological Effect Of Maternal Separation From A Child During Incarceration: A Survey And Critique Of Risk Needs Assessments, Samantha Yearwood

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examines whether frequently used correctional assessment instruments adequately capture the psychological impacts of maternal-child separation among incarcerated women. This research was conducted in response to growing criticisms that traditional risk and needs assessments fail to account for gender-specific experiences, specifically those related to caregiving roles and pregnancy. Using a qualitative analysis content analysis to assess four widely used instruments, the Women’s Risk and Needs Assessment (WRNA), Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS), Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18), and Level of Service Inventory–Revised (LSI-R), the thesis  examines the inclusion of pregnancy-related variables, caregiving responsibilities, and separation-related psychological factors. …

Autism And Homelessness: An Intersectional Case Study In Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Nicole J. Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Homelessness is a growing crisis in Canada, with literature suggesting autistic traits as over-represented within this population. Literature addressing intersectional experiences of autism is emerging, however there are gaps in the research surrounding intersectional experiences of autism and homelessness. Research suggests that autistic individuals may be more vulnerable to experiencing homelessness and face difficulties in exiting homelessness. This qualitative case study utilizes a Disability Justice framework to explore intersectional autistic experiences of homelessness, social service usage, and suggests recommendations on improving support for autistic individuals at risk of and experiencing homelessness. Four autistic participants with experience of homelessness and accessing …

Convergence Of Social Justice, Human Rights, And Artificial Intelligence (Ai), Sudershan Pasupuleti, Urmila Yadav, Susheelabai R. Srinivasa

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Artificial Intelligence and large data machine learning are transforming many areas, including healthcare, economic, political, and educational social institutions, at their best. Artificial intelligence can also be offered the moral and legal potential to safeguard human rights and social justice in society. For instance, human rights organizations scan public domain images for evidence of abuse, or software uses adversarial techniques to reduce bias in training data. At best, some organizations and businesses are tackling these challenges in a proactive manner, looking for methods to make sure they avoid or identify concerns before they arise; for others, this may be a …

Behind The Curtain: A Literature Review Of Personal And Ecological Risk Factors And Current Multi-Level Interventions For Performing Artists, Christopher A. Robles

Social Work Theses

Performing artists experience psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, burnout, and substance use disorders, at rates significantly exceeding those of the general population. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (EST) and the Person-in-Environment (PIE) perspective, this structured literature review synthesizes research published between 2010 and 2026 to examine individual personality traits, environmental stressors across meso- and macro-systems, and existing multi-level mental health interventions for performing artists. Findings reveal that while traits such as high openness to experience, sensory processing sensitivity, and perfectionism foster artistic expression, they also heighten vulnerability to occupational stressors, financial precarity, social isolation, and venue-based substance exposure. Current …

Managing Identity, Claiming Expertise, And Emotional Labor: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Of The Experience Of People With Serious Mental Illnesses In Primary Care, Jeffrey Ciak

Theses and Dissertations

People with serious mental illnesses (SMI) die 15 to 20 years before their peers without mental illness primarily due to chronic physical health conditions. Preventative care and treatment for chronic physical health conditions primarily occurs through primary care, but the experience of people with SMI in primary care is understudied. This constructivist grounded theory dissertation explored the experiences of people with SMI in primary care. Theoretical sampling resulted in 19 participants who were adults with SMI and long-term anti-psychotic use. Data was collected through one-to-two-hour long intensive interviews. The analytical process occurred concurrently with data collection. The abductive analytical process …

Examining Challenges For Sociology Master’S Degree Students At California State University, David Ortuno

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify the lived experiences of CSU sociology graduate students pursuing a master’s degree. Seven sociology graduate students from six of the eight (75%) total sociology MA programs throughout the entire CSU system were interviewed. Their responses were designed to analyze the support systems and challenges they face while pursuing a master's degree, as well as to investigate whether their experiences correlate with or fail to correlate with the promises in the CSU mission statement, and to answer the study’s research questions and achieve the purpose of this qualitative study.

Four themes emerged from …

You Are Your Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams: A Journey Beyond The Lens Blueprinting The Influence And Impact Of Media And Podcast Pedagogy On Black And Brown Creatives In Higher Education And Beyond, Diamond N. Morgan Dr.

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Explores the influence and impact of media and podcast pedagogy on Black and Brown creatives (BBC) in higher education. Grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT), the Black Creative Educational Experience (BCEEs) framework, and the conceptual lenses of sociological and public podcasting, this study examines how podcasting functions as a transformative pedagogical and sociocultural tool for storytelling, identity development, creative expression, and community building within collegiate environments. Utilizing a convergent parallel mixed methods design, the study integrates quantitative survey data from 65 participants with qualitative focus group discussions to provide a holistic understanding of participant experiences across personal, professional, academic, social, …

Factors Affecting Dating Violence In Adolescence, Madison Darrah

Graduate Research Papers

Prior research has named many risk and protective factors associated with adolescent dating violence (ADV). However, comparatively little research has examined how substance use intersects with these risk and protective factors or how effective interventions can be designed to address both issues of substance use and ADV simultaneously. The purpose of the current study is to examine the relationship between substance use and ADV, with a particular focus on perpetration of ADV during adolescence. This literature review synthesizes existing research to identify factors associated with ADV, evaluate theoretical frameworks that explain ADV, and examine how substance use contributes to ADV …

The Intersection Of Abuse, Child Welfare, And The Law For Intimate Partner Violence Survivors: Gender Violence As An Antagonistic Social Force, Julio Montanez

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Intimate partner violence (IPV)—as gender violence—pits children’s civil rights and women’s civil liberties against each other. To explore this phenomenon, the current work features five (5) studies that aim to understand the systemic consequences of IPV and child maltreatment for victims and survivors of both types of abuse.

• Study 1 is a qualitative-deductive study featuring a directed content analysis of news media pertaining to a trial court case on lethal child maltreatment and IPV.
• Study 2 is a qualitative-inductive study featuring a feminist critical discourse analysis of trial court data on lethal child maltreatment and IPV.
• Study 3 is a …

Cv: Rachel Wells (Social Work), Rachel Wells

Social Work Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Becoming A Social Worker: A Journey Through Community, Justice, And Recovery, Willow Coefield

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio is the culminating project for the Master of Social Work program at the University of Montana and demonstrates advanced integrated practice through coursework, practicum, and professional experience. It is organized into an introduction, theoretical orientation, and focused sections on trauma‑informed care and rural and Indigenous contexts of practice, followed by a mapping of portfolio artifacts to core elements and competencies, a conclusion, references, and appendices of key graduate assignments. Drawing on artifacts such as positionality work, case studies, diagnostic assessment, group design, program evaluation, policy analysis, and leadership projects, the portfolio illustrates growth in ethical and professional behavior, …

Msw Portfolio, Angeline Fox Wahl

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Journey Through, Cathan B. Tautfest

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Journey Through is the Master's Portfolio for the University of Montana for Author Cathan Tautfest. This paper serves as the capstone graduation requirement for students of the School of Social Work. Over the final semester of the Master's program, this Portfolio was created, reviewed by committee, and defended before its publication. This Portfolio is a culmination of three years and thousands of hours to demonstrate mastery of the ten Social Work competencies, the elements of Social Work Practice, and critically reflect on time spent in the School of Social Work's Master's of Social Work (MSW) program. This Portfolio reflects on …

Hardships Increase As Households Rely More On Gig Work, Laura Brugger, Anthony J. Nixon, Amrita Kulkarni, Mathieu Despard, Stephen Roll

Center for Social Development Research

Gig work has grown substantially in the United States in recent years. Although research has examined the relationship between participation in the gig economy and hardship, few studies examine how households’ reliance on gig work relates to hardship experiences. Drawing upon data from the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility survey of a nationally representative sample of low-wage workers, this brief explores the relationship between the proportion of a household’s income from gig work and indicators of financial distress: bill payment difficulties, food insufficiency, budget constraints, blood plasma sales, reliance on alternative financial services such as payday loans, and usage of …

Bringing Mutuality And Reciprocity Into Focus: A Case Study On Sustaining University-Community Partnerships For Local Systems Change And Student Learning, Jessica L. Lucero, Lucas Martin, Jayme Walters

Transforming Communities

This case study explores a long-term university-community partnership focused on addressing homelessness, highlighting the principles of mutuality and reciprocity in achieving systemic change. Over nearly a decade, the partnership has evolved to engage university resources, faculty, and social work students through research, courses, and outreach activities, such as community surveys, the Point-in-Time Count, strategic planning, advocacy, and service system expansion. These collaborative efforts have contributed to enhanced public awareness, increased state funding, and the establishment of vital services, including a warming center. The case study also underscores the challenges inherent in community-engaged scholarship, including capacity constraints like funding and staffing …

The Role Of Artificial Intelligence In Reducing Internet Crimes Against Children, Malyssa Shaw

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

When generative artificial intelligence (AI) first surfaced and broke into the public sphere, my immediate concern was in its development, implementation, and harmful applications. I was not surprised when deepfake technology rapidly advanced alongside these new developments and impacted women and children worldwide. Disproportionately, they have been made victims of intimate media forgery as early as the 1990s, with an unprecedented uptick in recent years as a direct result of these developments. In response, I wrote "Deepfake, Real Harm: Protecting Children in the Age of AI", analyzing data specifically regarding child sexual abuse material (CSAM) created with artificial intelligence while …

Book Review: Ecologies Of Inequity. How Disaster Response Reconstitutes Race And Class Inequality, Abel Traslaviña-Arias

Critical Disaster Studies

In Ecologies of Inequity: How Disaster Response Reconstitutes Race and Class Inequality, Sancha Doxilly Medwinter gathered diverse stories about how various migrant communities had to overcome not only disaster but also the overlapping networks established by those who were supposed to support them in 2012 in New York City. Medwinter portrays this contested post-disaster landscape through a thorough data recording of 120 individuals affiliated with various groups: racialized migrants or locals, tenants or property owners, local or external helpers, and those from wealthy or impoverished backgrounds. Ecologies of Inequity refer to the spatialized networks of organizational and interpersonal relations …

Prostitution In Video Games: Stigma, Violence And Male Pleasure, Laura Aguilera-Ávila, Lara Escobar Hernández

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Prostitution has traditionally been framed in society as a space significantly determined by patriarchal hierarchies, in addition to being affected on many occasions by stigmatisation and violence. The representation of prostitution and of those who practice it in the media is a topic of special interest, since the discourses and messages disseminated by the media play a fundamental role in socialisation. Video games are not exempt from this debate: with millions of players worldwide and a special reach among young people, they are among the most influential media outlets today. This qualitative research analyses a series of titles, both AAA …