Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Colorism On The Self-Esteem And Relationships Among College Students, Marrakesh Shiloh Spann, Pius Nyutu

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study was designed to examine the relationship between colorism and self-esteem and relationship satisfaction among college students. Additionally, the impact of other social-economic factors such as gender, race/ethnicity, and income level were evaluated. Data was collected via a questionnaire developed in google forms from 202 participants. The instruments included the Rosenberg Self- Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), A Generic Measure of Relationship Satisfaction (Hendrick, 1988), The Colorism Scale (Harvey, Banks, & Tennial, 2014) and a general demographics questionnaire. The results indicated a very low correlation between colorism and self-esteem (r = .084) and between colorism and relationship satisfaction (r = …

The Effect Of Race On Housing Stratification Among Latinos, Julia T. Gomez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Housing discrimination has been an ethical, social, and economic blight on the American society. Among the negative outcomes of this practice are higher crime rates, lower educational attainment, and concentrated poverty. Beyond the moral injustice of this practice, housing discrimination adversely affects the socio-economic mobility of those victimized and this extends across generations. The research on the intersection of race and Latino identity demonstrates the complexity of the issue and suggests that an examination such as done in this study can add to the current knowledge. The purpose of this study was to determine what, if any, association race has …

Wage And Cost Study Of Oregon Assisted Living And Residential Care Providers, 2022, Ozcan Tunalilar, Sarah Dys, Paula Carder, Diana Jacoby

Institute on Aging Publications

Senate Bill 703 directed Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) to conduct a study of licensed residential care (RCF) and assisted living (ALF) facilities, including those with a memory care (MC) endorsement, to evaluate: a) Total cost to provide care to residents, b) the sufficiency of the Medicaid reimbursement paid to facilities to meet the total cost of care, and c) the average compensation paid to direct care workers by the facilities by geographic region. ODHS contracted with the Institute on Aging (IOA) at Portland State University (PSU) to conduct a study to achieve these three objectives. In the fall …

Older Adults In Action: Using Action Research To Address Neighborhood Change, Amie Thurber

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Older adults face distinct challenges amidst changing neighborhood conditions, yet also bring distinct resources to aid their communities. After considering the literature related to well-being in older adulthood, the effects of neighborhood change on older adults, and older adults and social action, this paper explores the experiences of older adults in the Neighborhood Story Project. This action research project engages a group of neighbors to identify a set of research questions about their community, conduct place-based inquiry, and take action based on their learning. This study considers the degree to which the Neighborhood Story Project constitutes a macro therapeutic intervention. …

Developing An Ecological Model Of Turnover Intent: Associations Among Child Welfare Caseworkers’ Characteristics, Lived Experience, Professional Attitudes, Agency Culture, And Proclivity To Leave, Dana M. Hollinshead, Rebecca Orsi

QIC-WD Journal Articles

Almost a quarter of the child welfare workforce leaves their job each year, and despite clarion calls over the decades, our insights into dynamics underlying turnover remain limited. Using survey data from 276 caseworkers in a Midwestern state, this analysis explores an array of personality, stress, attitudinal, and perception measures and their association with three measures of turnover intent: thinking about quitting, intending to search, and intent to leave. Findings indicate that controlling for demographic factors, burnout, and confidence in decision support from agency leadership had consistent and strong associations with all three outcomes (positive for burnout; negative for decision …

Sense Of Community And (Third) Place Among Young Adults In Permanent Supportive Housing: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry, Danielle Maude Littman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Unhoused young people have often endured co-occurring experiences of marginalization, including long-term abuse and neglect from systems which have failed to support them. Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is a formal intervention which seeks to offer stability and support to young people. This three-manuscript dissertation uses community-engaged mixed methods to understand sense of community, sense of place, and third places among young adults in PSH in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The first manuscript used longitudinal mixed methods to understand how PSH residents’ (N = 27) sense of community shifts over 1.5 years of living in PSH. We found that residents’ sense …

Does Ethnic-Racial Discrimination And Alcohol Use Predict Anxiety Symptoms In Female Black And Latine College Students, Paloma Rodriquez Saucedo, Arlenis Santana Phd, Johanna Pasquel, Chelsea D. Williams Phd

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Early Onset Age Of Regular Alcohol Use In Indigenous Persons, Angel Lewis, The Spit For Science Working Group, Amy Adkins Phd, Karen Chartier Phd, Msw

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Relational Disruptions And Mental Health Among Sexual Minority College Students During Covid-19, Nia Warren, The Spit For Science Working Group, Traci Wike Phd

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

How Is Ethnic-Racial Identity Affirmation, Exploration, And Resolution Related To Flourishing In Emerging Adult Students Of Color?, Johanna Pasquel, Chelsea D. Williams Phd, Arlenis Santana Phd, Paloma Rodriguez Saucedo, Amy Adkins Phd, Herb Hill Ed.D

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Understanding Social Care, Teresa Brown, Kevin Lalor

Books/Book chapters

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

Ambiguous Loss Feelings Amongst Caregivers Of Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans, Stephanie T. Spann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This quantitative study compares the possible relationship between ambiguous loss and the stress level of caregivers of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans who served in combat. Injured servicemembers need caregivers to assist them in caring for their physical and mental health needs. This study examined whether there is a relationship between the perceived ambiguous loss among caregivers of OEF injured veterans and the stress level experienced by caregivers. The theoretical framework for this study is the ambiguous loss theory. The methodology used to test the hypothesis is a quantitative correlational design to compare ambiguous loss variables amongst caregivers of injured …

Digital Discontents: Freedoms And Constraints In Platform Social Work, Lauri Goldkind, Barbara Pohl, Lea Wolf

Social Service Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

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

DSW Capstone Projects

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

Public-School Superintendents’ Perceptions Of Trauma-Informed School Assumptions And Principles, Denise Gay Presnell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that trauma-informed practices in schools can increase student performance and well-being. School social workers are well-suited to bring these practices to their system but are most successful when partnering with public-school superintendents. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand public-school superintendents’ perceptions of trauma-informed school assumptions and principles. The study was guided by four assumptions for trauma-informed care, six principles for trauma-informed schools, ecological systems theory, and empowerment theory. Research questions were designed to ask participants about their experiences of trauma in their schools, their perceptions of the assumptions and principles, the benefits and challenges …

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

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

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

Review Of Psychiatric Casualties: How And Why The Military Ignores The Full Cost Of War By Mark C. Russell And Charles Figley, Brian Graves

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of Psychiatric Casualties: How and Why the Military Ignores the Full Cost of War. Columbia University Press, 2021. 447 pages.

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

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

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

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

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

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

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

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

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

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

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

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

DSW Capstone Projects

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

This research explored mental health …

Exploration Of The Reflective Supervision Relationship: Meaning Making, Communication, And Transformative Learning In Educational Environments, Elizabeth Betsy Stoelt

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Reflective supervision is ongoing professional development, often utilized by the social work field that originates from infant mental health supervisory practices. Reflective supervision increases one’s capacity to become aware and manage the strong emotions that are inherent in direct service work and understand relational dynamics within families and between professionals and family members. Using the 3 central tenets of collaboration, reflection and regularity, the goal of reflective supervision is to develop and maintain effective service delivery by understanding the practitioner’s positionality. This study utilized the practice of reflective supervision with five educators over a 10-week period of time. The goal …

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

Founder’s College - Scholarship and Professional Work

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

Leadership In Nonprofit Organizations: Best Practices For Volunteer Retention, Jennifer Lawrence

DSW Capstone Projects

While there is a significant amount of research focusing on organizational leadership in business and for-profit organizations, comparatively little data has been collected and studied to address the role of leadership in volunteer organizations. By closing this gap in research and providing context around leadership, nonprofit organizations can enhance leadership, culture and climate, and volunteer engagement and retention. Fewer Americans are engaging in volunteerism in their community than any other time in the past twenty years. The Systemic Literature Review will aid in recognizing and addressing this decline which is important as volunteer organizations provide needed services to people and …

Direct Care Staff Experiences In Oregon Assisted Living, Residential Care And Memory Care Communities, 2022, Paula Carder, Sarah Dys, Lindsay Schwartz, Diana Jacoby, Jacklyn N. Kohon, Dani Himes, Madeleine Fox, Sheryl Elliott, Lauren Bouchard, Portland State University Institute On Aging

Institute on Aging Publications

Resident care assistants (e.g., direct care workers, caregivers, personal care aides) provide the majority of services to assisted living, residential care and memory care-endorsed (ALF/RCF) residents. They faced significant burdens during the COVID-19 pandemic, which amplified existing challenges in some ALF/RCF communities, yet little is known about their work experiences. This qualitative study collected data through focus group and individual interviews with 21 resident care assistants and 12 external colleagues who have experience hiring, training or managing resident care assistants and other ALF/RCF staff, including registered nurse consultants, staffing agency operators, state policy staff, ALF/RCF community operations managers, and advocates. …

The Vernacular Ethics Of Stigmatized Care: Reinterpreting Acceptance And Confidentiality For Social Work In The West Bank, Palestine, David S. Byers, Anan Fareed, Khalid Hreish

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Social workers in Palestine routinely navigate issues of stigma with their clients without formal ethical guidance. This constructivist grounded theory study examines how Palestinian social workers in the West Bank organize themselves ethically to provide stigmatized care—where social workers supporting people with socially rejected conditions and experiences can face community scorn by extension. We conducted focus groups and individual interviews with 99 social work supervisors in 12 cities over a 2-year period. Our analysis reveals localized reinterpretations of acceptance and confidentiality as ethically grounded principles for stigmatized care. These practice principles have emerged under strain in cases involving substance use, …

The Role Of Validation Experiences And Sense Of Belonging In Academic Self-Concept And Intent To Persist Among Four-Year College Students, Sarah Slates

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

Research indicates that historically underrepresented college students are more likely to report alienating campus climates which can contribute to decreased sense of belonging and wellbeing. In turn, a lack of a sense of belonging and poor mental health may lead to decreased academic engagement and increased likelihood of attrition. Theoretical and empirical literature on critical race theory (CRT), validation, and sense of belonging identifies key factors across individual and institutional levels that influence student wellbeing and academic outcomes without relying on a deficit-based framework. Using an interactional, ecological conceptual framework drawing together CRT, validation theory, and sense of belonging my …

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

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

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

Narrating Trauma, Developing Resilience, And Making Policy : A Comparative Study Of Traumatized Young Adults Caused By Aids-Related And Post-Disaster Bereavement In China, Shaojie Pan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Children can be affected by a variety of traumatic events as they grow up, but they still have the potential to show resilience. Along with the accumulation of research on trauma, resilience has also become an influential concept in the field of social welfare. Existing research has tentatively explored the socially constructed nature of trauma and resilience. From a social constructionist perspective, it is the narratives and interactions of people who have experienced traumatic events and other stakeholders that collectively shape the meaning of trauma and resilience. More importantly, these personal narratives, as well as larger social discourses, may have …