Digital Commons Network^™

An Exploration Of Caregiver Engagement In Residential Treatment For Youth, Raquel Moriarty Derrick

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Support for caregiver engagement in their child’s residential treatment is widespread and growing because of the benefits of caregiver engagement to a youth’s treatment process. This dissertation explores the construct of caregiver engagement, defined as caregiver motivation and expectation for their child’s treatment, caregiver bond with staff and caregiver collaboration on treatment goals and tasks among a cohort of 101 caregivers with a child in a Residential Treatment Center (RTC). Mixed methods were used to qualitatively and quantitatively explore caregiver perspectives and experiences that contribute to or detract from their level of engagement in their child’s treatment process. Findings reveal …

Exploring Religiosity And Spirituality On The Meaning Of Hiv/Aids And Service Provision In Malawi, Sung Ah Choi

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Almost two-thirds of the total HIV/AIDS infected populations in the world

Using Person-Centered Scheduling With Geriatric Patients To Reduce Anxiety With Telepsychiatry, Jody Long, Patricia A. Wilkerson, Evi Taylor, John Hall, Christopher Peters

Research, Publications & Creative Work

This study explored using person-centered scheduling with telepsychiatry for rural community geriatric patients. Quantitative research approaches were used to determine the level of satisfaction participants experienced with person-centered scheduling and geriatric telepsychiatry. Quantitative data were collected by using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) before scheduling the first appointment and to assess the intervention’s effectiveness after the telepsychiatry session. Person-centered telepsychiatry scheduling decreased geriatric patients’ anxiety as evidenced by Zung SAS scores. Conclusion: Older adult patients saw telepsychiatry as a viable means of treatment. Future research with geriatrics from different regions is needed. Implications and future directions include exploring patient …

Data Note: State Intellectual And Developmental Disability Agencies’ Service Trends, Agnes Zalewska, Jean Winsor, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

In FY2016, an estimated 638,568 individuals received day or employment supports from state IDD program agencies. This number grew from 455,824 in FY1999. The estimated number of individuals in integrated employment services increased from 108,227 in FY1999 to 120,244 in FY2016. Despite the trend to terminate facility-based services in some states, the overall state investment continues to emphasize non-work services, rather than integrated employment services. Figure 1 shows the trends in the percentage of people served in integrated employment and facility-based and non-work settings between FY2008 and FY2016.

Social Work Practice With Older Adults, Carley Yvonne Vailu'u

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers working for adult protective services (APS) face many clinical challenges to ensure the safety and well-being of older adult clients. APS social workers often interact with older adults who engage in self-neglecting behaviors that compromise their ability to function in a healthy and independent manner. The purpose of this research study was to explore challenges in direct social work practice to identify how APS services can be improved when working with the older adult population, particularly individuals who engage in hoarding behaviors. Using action research methodology, 2 focus groups were conducted to explore the experiences and knowledge of …

Family Reunification Among Women In Recovery From Substance Abuse And Complex Trauma, Cesha Tiffany Reese

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For women in recovery from complex trauma and substance abuse, the lack of posttreatment family reunification services such as family engagement, service delivery, and aftercare planning increase the likelihood of parental relapse and children reentering foster care. A primary caregiver's continued relapse can lead to longer out of home placement for minor children and a loss of parental rights, with a negative impact on both children and parents. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of women in recovery, their sobriety practices, and how they reunified their families. The theoretical framework was Herman's trauma …

Measurement Equivalence Of English Versus Native Language Versions Of The Kessler 6 (K6) Scale: An Examination In Three Asian American Groups, Yuri Jang, Daniel A. Powers, Hyunwoo Yoon, Min-Kyoung Rhee, Nan Sook Park, David A. Chiriboga

Social Work Faculty Publications

The use of languages other than English in population-based surveys is necessitated by the linguistic diversities in the United States. However, inclusion of multiple languages in survey data collection raises concerns about whether an instrument administered in different languages functions equivalently across groups. Using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale 6 (K6), the present study examined differential item functioning (DIF) between surveys conducted either in English or the native language of the groups of Chinese Americans (n = 622), Korean Americans (n = 471), and Vietnamese Americans (n = 513). DIF analyses using a series of multiple-indicator multiple-cause models showed that …

Book Review: The Pimping Of Prostitution: Abolishing The Sex Work Myth By Julie Bindel, Roger Matthews

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

The Imprint Of Childhood Abuse On Trauma-Related Shame In Adulthood, Joan A. Reid

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Research has consistently linked residual trauma-related shame among child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors to sexual revictimization, health risk behaviors, and poorer response to mental health treatment. However, questions remain regarding the imprint of childhood maltreatment on trauma-related shame including which CSA characteristics or types of childhood maltreatment contribute to residual shame in adulthood. Using data drawn from a prospective study of 174 primarily African American women with histories of CSA and a matched comparison group, this study explores whether specific characteristics of CSA (familial CSA, CSA with penetration, force used by CSA perpetrator), repeat sexual victimization in adolescence, childhood physical …

Use Of Technology, Pedagogical Approaches And Intercultural Competence In Development, Dee Ann Sherwood, Marian Tripplett, Sarah Hoyle-Katz, Joy Langereis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social work education has placed central importance on the development of intercultural competency and more recently, cultural humility. Strategies for effectively leveraging technology, logistics, place and pedagogy are essential within increasingly diverse education and practice settings. This study explores how two Western Michigan University (WMU) social work faculty members teaching at off-campus sites developed an on-line learning course in Chicago in collaboration with sociologists from the Chicago Center for Culture and Urban Life. Following four weeks of online and Skype-based learning, master’s level social work students interacted directly with diverse communities over an intensive four-day travel experience. Utilizing Freirean pedagogy, …

Comparison Of Serum And Cervical Cytokine Levels Throughout Pregnancy Between Preterm And Term Births, Kristin Ashford, Niraj R. Chavan, Amanda T. Wiggins, Molly Malany Sayre, Andrea Mccubbin, Agatha S. Critchfield, John O'Brien

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

Objective: To assess differences in cytokine levels in cervicovaginal fluid (CVF) and serum across trimesters between women with preterm births (PTBs) and full-term births.

Study Design: This multicenter study enrolled 302 women with a singleton gestation. CVF and serum cytokines, interleukin 1α (IL-1α), IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8, were measured. Women with at least one cytokine assessment and noted PTB status in their medical record were retained in the study (N ¼ 272). Data were analyzed using mixed modeling (main effects of PTBs and time/trimester).

Results: For the CVF values …

Supporting Recruitment And Retention Of Young African-American And Hispanic Fathers In Community-Based Parenting Interventions Research, Cristina Mogro-Wilson, Crystal M. Hayes, Alysse Melville Loomis, Aubri Drake, Melanie Martin-Peele, Judith Fifield

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Few studies to date have provided strategies for maintaining low rates of attrition when conducting longitudinal, epidemiological, or community-based research with young, minority, urban fathers. This paper highlights lessons learned from a 5-year randomized controlled trial of a fatherhood intervention that designed and implemented state-of-the-art and culturally relevant recruitment and retention methods with 348 young fathers ages 15 to 25. Qualitative findings are drawn from interviews with fathers who had been enrolled in the fatherhood intervention (n=10). While traditional recruitment and retention methods, such as incentives, were employed in this study, non-traditional methods were used as well, such as intensive …

[Review Of The Book Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, And Punish The Poor By V. Eubanks], Dawn Betts-Green

STEMPS Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) With technological ubiquity and improvements comes the misguided notion that automated systems are more objective and less prone to error than the human element. While this may be true with calculations, when it comes to decisions involving the multilayered human experience, it becomes abundantly clear that this is not universally true. Increasingly, there has been a push for higher levels of automation and decreasing human involvement in the provision of government services such as Social Security, veterans’ benefits, and welfare. Automation provides a way to slash payroll spending and, ostensibly, improve services by making them more objective, and, …

Conceptualizing The Prevention Of Human Trafficking: Survivors Perspectives, Jessica James Donohue-Dioh

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

The following study seeks to conceptualize the prevention of human trafficking from the perspective of survivors. The study design was informed through a Public Health Framework and the application of Postmodernism, Social Constructionist Theory, Ecological Perspective and Empowerment Perspective. An integrative mixed-method, participatory research design was applied, namely Concept Mapping. Data was collected over approximately two-months, and included 35 survivors of human trafficking from 4 different states. Data collected from survivors resulted in a statement set (N = 108) and a 10-Cluster Final solution depicting the ways in which survivors conceptualized prevention. Additional outputs provide insight as to survivors’ perspectives …

“Dad, Do You Want To Play With Me?” The Impact Of Fathers Who Make Time For Play, Michael S. Sitton

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

With an increase in the pace of life in the United States, there comes a recognition of the importance of prioritizing time, especially for fathers. Of the two-thirds of children who live with their father, only a percentage of them have fathers who report regular play time with their children. However, literature in the field does not explain specifically whether or not this play between father and child influences the child’s later risk taking behaviors in high school. Using data from the 2003 Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), waves 3, 4, and 6, this quantitative study sought to …

Common Law, Charity, And Human Rights As Responses To The Socio-Economic Crisis In Galicia, Spain, Francisco Xabier Aguiar Fernández, Santiago Prado Conde Universidad Internacional De La Rioja, Carmen Verde Diego

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article presents the findings of a research project analyzing the effects of the Spanish socio-economic crisis on rural areas. It describes the perceptions of social workers in the public sector engaged in community practice and the perceptions of social leaders working for public and private human service organizations within the province of Ourense, Spain. It explores how the current economic crisis has affected people, health care units and the social workers’ scope of action. The study relied on secondary data, surveys and qualitative interviews. Study findings suggest that the adopted measures for responding to the effects of the crisis …

Global Interdependence And Its Effects On Social Work Education In The United States, Mioara Diaconu, Laura Racovita-Szilagyi, Samantha Graham

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social workers in the United States are confronted on a daily basis with challenges reflecting the imprint of globalization. Nevertheless, research shows that most of them are not trained to deal with the global realities of the 21st century, including how to use a rights-based sustainable development approach. This article proposes the use of a rights-based development model as opposed to a charity-based approach. It provides a rationale for implementing a global perspective in social work education that addresses sustainable development consistent with social work values and unique mission. Furthermore, it proposes that it is paramount to adhere to a …

Muslim Veiled Women And Religious Discrimination: A Strength Perspective, Aishath Shizleen

Theses : Honours

The word ‘Islamophobia’ has gained and continues to gain wider currency in both the academic and public sphere. In the recent years, there has been an increase in literature focusing on Muslims and their experiences living in Western societies. It has been established that religious discrimination impacts negatively on self-esteem, mental wellbeing and one’s sense of identity. However, there is little research focusing on Muslim veiled women in particular even though it has been established that people who are visibly Muslim are more vulnerable to religious discrimination. This phenomenological study explored the lived experience of Muslim veiled women from South …

On The Politics Of Mobility A Review Of Milking In The Shadows, Kimberley Klein

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Keller explores in MILKING IN THE SHADOWS: Migrants and Mobility in America’s Dairyland, the complexity of the undocumented workers experience on rural Midwest dairy farms. Analyzing the shift from small family run dairy farms to mega-dairy operations that rely on the labor of undocumented immigrants, Keller exposes the paradox of America’s demand for cheap dairy products while also denying these individuals basic labor rights. Written largely from the lens of immigrant workers, Keller outlines the circular migration pattern of these dairy workers and the dangers they face not only crossing the border but also living on Midwest dairy farms. Expressing …

Using Person-Centered Scheduling With Geriatric Patients To Reduce Anxiety With Telepsychiatry, Jody G. Long, Patricia A. Wilkerson, Evi Taylor, John H. Hall, Christopher Peters

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study explored using person-centered scheduling with telepsychiatry for rural community geriatric patients. Quantitative research approaches were used to determine the level of satisfaction participants experienced with person-centered scheduling and geriatric telepsychiatry. Method: Quantitative data were collected by using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) before scheduling the first appointment and to assess the intervention’s effectiveness after the telepsychiatry session. Results: Person-centered telepsychiatry scheduling decreased geriatric patients’ anxiety as evidenced by Zung SAS scores. Conclusion: Older adult patients saw telepsychiatry as a viable means of treatment. Future research with geriatrics from different regions is needed.

Implications and future …

Risk Factors Associated With The Arrest For Adolescent To Parent Abuse, Coleen Cicale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored risk factors associated with the arrest for adolescent to parent abuse (ATPA) when compared to arrest for a similar violent misdemeanor against a non-parent. The phenomenon of ATPA is widely under-researched and there is little in terms of prevention policy or treatment. Using 18,548 risk assessment screens performed with adolescents (12-17) arrested in Florida for a violent misdemeanor, and guided by previous literature and social ecological and social bond theories, this analysis explored the relationship between risk factors (categorized as individual characteristics, beliefs, behavior, commitment and involvement and attachment) and arrest for ATPA versus arrest for a …

The Hold Me Tight Program For Couples Becoming Parents: A Mixed Methods Study, Debbie Wang

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

ABSTRACT

Attachment theory has made substantial contributions to the understanding of close relationships. The purpose of this study was to inquire whether an attachment-informed psychoeducational program is a feasible and effective intervention for couples expecting their first child. The overarching question was: Is an attachment-informed relationship enhancement program, such as Hold Me Tight^® (HMT), helpful to couples in strengthening their relationship and increasing their confidence in becoming first-time parents? The research question was addressed using a mixed-methods approach.

In the first phase, the Hold Me Tight^® program developed by Dr. Sue Johnson was modified for use with couples …

A Phenomenological, Arts-Based Study Of Art Therapists’ Self-Reflective Practice, Laurie Ponsford-Hill

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This phenomenological, arts-based study examined the experiences of 15 art therapists using five-minute, full-bodied self-portraiture with 55 minutes of self-reflective journaling once a week for four weeks at the end of each work week. The therapists determined the location for this practice. Subsequently, the four artworks, as a serial, were explored with each participant in a one-hour telephone or Skype interview to understand their lived experience through art, and its signs, and symbols. This process enabled the therapists to act as witness to their respective self/selves, deepening their insights and connections about self. The transcribed audio-taped interviews were manually coded …

Exploring Patient Satisfaction Among Transgender And Non-Binary Identified Healthcare Users: The Role Of Microaggressions And Inclusive Healthcare Settings, Stevie Forbes-Roberts

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Patient satisfaction is an important indicator of quality of healthcare delivery. Transgender and non-binary (TGNB) people regularly report experiencing discrimination when in healthcare settings and few TGNB-inclusive services are available. Researchers have not examined how discrimination and access to TGNB-inclusive services are associated with patient satisfaction among TGNB healthcare users. Among a convenience sample of TGNB people (n = 146) from Canada and the United States, I examined the relationship between patient satisfaction, experiencing microaggressions from primary healthcare providers, and receiving care in a TGNB-inclusive healthcare setting.

The results from a multivariable linear regression suggest that experiencing microaggressions is …

Social Workers And Politics: Direct Political Involvement And Encouragement Of Client Involvement In Politics, Amnon Boehm, Neveen Ali Saleh Darawshy, Esther Boehm-Tabib

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The research focused on two aspects of political involvement among social workers. The first was the direct political involvement of social workers on behalf of their clients, and the second, the social workers’ encouragement of their clients’ involvement in political activity. The main purpose of the research was to identify the factors that explain these two types of political involvement among social workers. The data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire from a research sample of 165 social workers in 50 social services departments in Israel. The findings indicate that the factors of the community (as opposed to …

Increased Immigration Enforcement And Perceived Discrimination Among Latino Immigrants, David Becerra, Jason Castillo, Maria Rosario Silva Arciniega, Michela Bou Ghosn Naddy, Van Nguyen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The purpose of this paper was to examine the impact of perceived discrimination among Latino immigrants in the context of recent immigration policies and immigration enforcement strategies. Data for this study were drawn from a pilot study (n=213) of adult Latino immigrants living in Arizona during the summer of 2014. The results of multivariate OLS linear regressions indicated greater perceived discrimination was significantly related to reporting: (1) avoidance of immigration officials; (2) family has suffered; and (3) friends have suffered. In addition, greater perceived discrimination was significantly related to lower confidence in a better future for the individual, their families, …

Age Stereotypes And Attitudes Towards Welfare State Arrangements For The Old: A Multilevel Analysis Across Twenty-Nine Countries, Ferry Koster

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study investigates whether and how support for welfare state arrangements for the old relate to the stereotypes of the young and the old within society. It is hypothesized that the social status that these groups have in society affect these attitudes through different mechanisms, relating to the deservingness criteria that citizens apply. An empirical analysis of Round 4 of the European Social Survey (including 50,009 individuals from 29 European countries) shows that: (1) the social esteem of people over 70 predicts support for welfare state arrangements for the old; and (2) the social esteem of people in their 20s …

Educational Attainment In Young Adulthood, Depressive Symptoms, And Race-Ethnicity: The Long-Reach Of Parenting Styles In Adolescence, Brittany N. Hearne, C. André Christie-Mizell

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Utilizing four parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, uninvolved, and permissive) and two types of educational achievement (years of education completed and completion of a college degree), we investigated whether mental health (i.e., depressive symptoms) mediates the relationship between parenting styles in adolescence and the educational attainment of young adults. We further assessed whether the relationships among parenting styles and educational attainment vary by race and ethnicity for African Americans, Hispanics, and whites. Compared to youth with authoritative parenting, those who experienced uninvolved or authoritarian parenting were more likely to experience depressive affect, and these symptoms of depression partially mediated the relationship …

Will We Build A Wall? Fear Of Mexican/Latino Immigration In U.S. History, Emilia E. Martinez-Brawley, Paz M.-B. Zorita

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A presidential election was won on the strength of a nativist philosophy which asserts that the U.S. must build a wall of separation with its closest neighbor to the South. The current president has voiced not only his frustration and prejudices but the nativist sentiments of the public. The emphasis on “building the wall” and the antagonism expressed towards Mexico have deepened the centuries-old sense of fear and separation felt by members of the Mexican/Latino immigrant group. Can we look at history in search of plausible explanations? This paper examines past and contemporary reasons that might explain the observable antagonism …

Review Of Labor Of Love: Gestational Surrogacy And The Work Of Making Babies. Heather Jacobson. Reviewed By Yanfeng Xu., Yanfeng Xu

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of:

Heather Jacobson, Labor of Love: Gestational Surrogacy and the Work of Making Babies. Rutgers University Press (2016), 201 pages, $19.99 (paperback).