Digital Commons Network^™

Trauma Exposures Across The Life Course For Individuals Who Experience Incarceration, Maria Morrison

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. incarcerates more people than any other country in the world, with 2.2 million people currently behind bars, 60% of whom are people of color. At the same time, there is an unprecedented political consensus to develop strategies for reducing the incarcerated population and safely returning the majority of incarcerated individuals to society. While there has been a substantial research focus on the potential of this population to commit acts of violence post-release, this tells only half the story. This dissertation hopes to provide a more complete picture of the role of violence in the lives of individuals released …

The Cost Of Child Support: Policy Design And Father Identity, Lara Markovitz

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Child support policy is one of the key forces in the lives of families in the U.S., where 1 in 4 children and half of African American children live apart from their fathers (Carlson et al., 2017; Grall, 2020; U.S. Census Bureau, 2014). Most unmarried fathers of newborns express a strong desire and commitment to their children (Carlson & McLanahan, 2002; England & Edin, 2007). However, by the time their children turn five, fathers'; involvement (caregiving and time, provision of child support) diminishes greatly (Turner & Waller, 2017). This decrease in father involvement among low-income NRFs is thought to be …

What Is The Current State Of Literature Regarding The Effectiveness Of Buprenorphine For Opioid Use Disorder Among African American Men?, Tamiko L. Stanley

Social Work Theses - Archive

Purpose: This scoping review aims to explore the comparative effectiveness of buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD) among African American men. Methods: The Arksey & O’Malley scoping review method was used to identify relevant articles and extract data related to the research question. Results: The author identified 16 studies that have met all inclusion criteria. Results indicate that buprenorphine treatment is associated with positive substance use and health outcomes for African American men. Discussion: Issues remain with access to MOUD treatment for African American men, despite the positive impact buprenorphine can have on health outcomes. As social workers, advocating for …

The Case For Mandatory Reporting As An Ethical Dilemma For Social Workers, Sam Harrell, Stéphanie Wahab

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mandatory reporting of child abuse is a part of the civil legal system that can activate a policy cascade disproportionately criminalizing racialized and marginalized communities. While social work scholarship has explored ways to increase provider compliance with mandatory reporting laws, there is a dearth of research focused on how social work education guides future providers towards the praxis of mandatory reporting discourses. This article presents findings from a content analysis of social work textbook excerpts focused on mandatory reporting of child abuse in the U.S. We found that textbooks affirm social work’s loyalty to the State by approaching mandatory reporting …

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy-Enhanced Fatherhood Curriculum Pilot Study: A Comparison Of Delivery Methods In Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Johnny Kim, In Young Park, Jennifer Bellamy, Susan Burt, Gary Grambort, Sarah Locklear, Ken Sanders

Journal of Solution Focused Practices

Many fatherhood programs provide curriculum-based peer groups, but the evidence for their effectiveness is limited and prior studies highlight challenges in recruiting and retaining participants. This pilot study aimed to test the effectiveness of a standard fatherhood curriculum enhanced with Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) using a quasi-experimental design. Study outcomes included father involvement and parenting skills measured immediately post-intervention. A sample of 92 fathers (M age = 35.2) participating in a fatherhood program were recruited to participate in the study. Due to COVID-19, the treatment groups were moved to an online format. Independent samples and paired samples t-test …

A Critical Discourse Analysis Of How Youth In Care Describe Social Support, Jared Israel Best

Dissertations and Theses

There are nearly 422,000 youth in foster care in the United States with 20,000 aging out each year. Youth who age out of care demonstrate worse outcomes in all areas (education, employment, homelessness, justice system involvement, and social support) compared to the general population. These outcomes represent an ideological production, or a production of knowledge regarding the discursive youth in care. Thus, dominant discourses of youth are informed and constitutive of these problematic outcomes. Similarly, youthhood is dominantly defined by risk and informed by peer groups and social relationships. This study presents findings from interviews with 22 youth preparing to …

The Child Welfare Workforce Crisis – What We’Re Hearing From The Field, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

The Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) and the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI) in collaboration with the Capacity Building Centers for States, Tribes, and Courts, recently worked with representatives of the Children’s Bureau to listen to concerns of state child welfare and human resources (HR) leaders about the child welfare workforce. This blog post highlights what leaders (representing 29 states) described as their biggest concerns and what strategies agencies have put in place to reduce turnover and improve the applicant pool. We have also included links to information about evidence-informed efforts that could help jurisdictions address some …

"I'M Very Enlightened:" Assisting Black Males Involved In The Criminal Justice System To Deal With And Heal From Racism, Darnell Jackie Strong

Dissertations and Theses

Black Males who have offended face major challenges stemming from their involvement in the Criminal Justice System. Once involved it is hard to get out, as exhibited by high recidivism rates and mass incarceration, issues that have plagued Black Males since slavery. There is little research on interventions to ameliorate the effects of racism on this population.

The aim of this research was to: a) create a training to help Black Males who have been involved in the Criminal Justice System deal with racism and b) evaluate the intervention. This mixed methods research utilized Constructivist Grounded Theory and Afrocentric theory …

The Mechanisms Connecting State Marijuana Policies To Parent, Peer, And Youth Drug Perception Leading To Youth Marijuana Use, Eunbyeor Sophie Yang

Dissertations and Theses

Youth marijuana use, which can lead to numerous health problems, is significantly associated with youth drug perception, which is greatly influenced by state marijuana laws such as medical marijuana legalization and penalty severity. The mediating impact of social drug perceptions on the association between state marijuana laws and youth drug disapproval is not well known. Based on theory of change and primary socialization theory, this study examined the impact of state marijuana laws on youth drug disapproval, the mediating factors of parent and peer drug disapproval, the direct effect of youth drug disapproval on youth marijuana use, and the moderating …

Reform Alliance, Secilie Jones

Creating Change: The Online Journal of Zines about Social Movements

No abstract provided.

2022 Adult Foster Home Resident And Community Characteristics Report On Adult Foster Homes, Ozcan Tunalilar, Paula C. Carder, Jaclyn Winfree, Sheryl Elliott, Minju Kim, Diana Jacoby, Wafi Albalawi

Institute on Aging Publications

This report describes results from a study of Oregon adult foster homes (AFH), including home and owner characteristics; monthly charges and payment sources; resident characteristics, personal and health-related needs; and owners’ experiences with supports and challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study’s purpose was to collect and report data that can inform and advise policymakers, state and county agency staff, aging advocates and AFH owners about the status of AFHs in Oregon. The report includes information collected between December 2021 and March 2022 and, where possible, compares it to findings from prior years of this study and to other …

Patterns Of School Victimization And Problem Behaviors: Longitudinal Associations With Socioeconomic Well-Being And Criminal Justice Involvement, Ryan D. Heath, Kevin Tan, Jennifer S. Guzzy, Briyana R. Henry

Social Work - All Scholarship

BACKGROUND: Middle school victimization and problem behaviors often co-occur, but little is known about patterns of co-occurrence, or how long effects persist into adulthood.

OBJECTIVE: Drawing on general strain theory, this study aimed to identify sex-specific profiles of victimization and problem behaviors during middle school, and their association with socioeconomic, violence, and criminal justice outcomes in young adulthood.

METHODS: Latent class analyses was conducted on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth - 1997, including subsamples of seventh grade females (n=529) and males (n=494).

RESULTS: Two classes were identified for females: (1) low-risk and (2) high-risk; these classes were …

Multi-Level Barriers To Prison Mental Health And Physical Health Care For Individuals With Mental Illnesses, Kelli Canada, Stacey Barrenger, Casey Bohrman, Anthony Banks, Punita Peketi

Social Work (Graduate) Faculty Publications

Objectives: People with mental illnesses are overrepresented in the U.S. prison population. It is well established that incarceration for this population poses physical and mental health risks including greater likelihood of victimization and suicide compared to the general prison population. Yet, research is less clear about how staff and services shape these prison experiences. The aim of this study was to examine how people with mental illnesses experience incarceration through interactions with correctional officers and treatment staff and their use of physical and mental health care services.

Methods: This project utilized a non-experimental design and qualitative research approach to address …

Protecting Native Motherhood: A Longitudinal Investigation Of Interpersonal Violence Among Alaska Native Women, Autumn Asher

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Alaska Native mothers and their children are continually impacted by present day disparities resulting from decades of historical oppression. Indigenous women face a substantially greater risk for experiencing violence during pregnancy. Further, Alaska Native children are disproportionately represented in the child welfare system, including both overrepresentation in out of home care, and underrepresented in preventative and restorative services in comparison to the general population. The present work utilizes data from the Alaska Longitudinal Child Abuse and Neglect Linkage Project (ALCANLink) which follows children of Alaska mothers originally sampled in the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). The ALCANLink is a …

Covid-19 Behind Bars In The Mountain West, Dielle T. Telada, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Criminal Justice

Due to overcrowding, inadequate healthcare, systemic neglect, and violence in U.S. carceral (i.e. jails or prisons) and immigration detention centers, these facilities are a hot spot for the spread of COVID-19. In March 2020, the UCLA Law “Covid Behind Bars Data Project” began tracking official agency websites for self-reported data of COVID-19 across prisons, jails, and other detention facilities in the U.S. The number of COVID-19 cases, deaths, and tests performed from 50 state correctional agencies, the District of Columbia’s Department of Corrections, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and several county jail systems …

A Review Of Youth Mental Health Curricula In Peer-Reviewed Studies Addressing Access, Equity, And Belonging, Monica M. Lobenstein, Jennifer Park-Mroch, Lana Lichfield Crowley, Coley Bean, Maren Wright Voss

Journal of Extension

The goal of this literature review was to identify evidence-based curricula that support youth mental health with special attention to inclusion of access, equity, and belonging (AEB). Four databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2019 related to youth mental health curricula. A total of 1446 articles were identified, and 171 articles underwent a full-text review. Of the 61 curricula identified, 44% addressed AEB to some extent and 65% showed program effectiveness. Four programs were recommended (Sources of Strength, Teen Mental Health First Aid, Dynamic Mindfulness, and Youth Mental Health First Aid) and eight conditionally recommended.

Political Attitudes, Outward Aggression, And Self-Directed Violence, Christopher Holloway

All Student Scholarship

Violence has increased at political events and marches in the last several years, particularly during the Trump presidency and marked by the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Research has been conducted on approval of political violence, but little is known about political attitudes and how they relate to the likelihood of engaging in everyday generulized violence. Furthermore, violence against others and violence against the self, such as suicide, are usually treated and studied separately. This study hopes to identify what relationships, if any, exist between political attitudes and violence, both outward and self-directed. Participants (N : 153) completed …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Restorative Justice Rehabilitative Services Available In Northeast Tennessee For Mothers Diagnosed With Substance Use Disorder, Claire Roberson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) has plagued families of rural Appalachia for many years, perpetuating involvement in the criminal justice system as well as generational trauma for people diagnosed with SUD and their children. This points to the necessity of a trauma-informed, restorative-justice based framework for rehabilitative services to most effectively heal families, address trauma, and re-integrate people diagnosed with SUD into society. A restorative justice-based program would provide health care services for addiction and any comorbid mental health disorders as well as teach parents how to properly provide for themselves and their families, manage finances, obtain employment, and further education. …

Perceived Benefits Of Upskilling And Reskilling By Persons Who Are Among The Employed, Underemployed, And Unemployed, Rosalind Marie Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research study is to explore the perceived influence, potential impact, and benefits that upskilling, and reskilling have on the employed, underemployed, and unemployed worker. In addition, this study seeks to explore whether the perceived benefits of upskilling and reskilling include moving above the poverty line and therefore, out of poverty in real and sustainable ways. This resulting new position and potential increase in pay could have the positive impact of moving them and their families above the poverty line. The results of this study indicate that participants perceive upskilling and reskilling to be an option …

Impacts Of Post-Incarceration Programming For Women's Lives And Local Communities, Megan Greenslade

Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Previous research on reentry programming has focused mostly on male inmates and less attention is given to female inmates. In Arkansas, where female reentry rates have recently increased, research is needed to add to the conversation surrounding effective programming for previously justice-involved women, its impact on their lives and behaviors, and how this can influence the likelihood of recidivism. This qualitative study also aims to discover whether reentry programming can have a positive impact on the local community. Residents and staff at a local Northwest Arkansas transitional housing facility for previously justice-involved women were interviewed to analyze the effects of …

Child Protection Policy Dimensions Across Catholic Archdioceses And Civil Statutes : A Comparative Content Analysis, Jeffrey Trant

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Since 2002, the Catholic Church in the United States has enacted a national child protection framework to address child sexual abuse. However, child protection policies within the context of the Catholic Church are currently not well understood. This study was guided by the following questions: (1) How do child protection policy dimensions differ in Catholic archdioceses in the United States? (2) How do child protection policy dimensions differ across and between Catholic archdioceses and civil statutes? The present study utilized a generic qualitative methodology employing comparative content analysis to conduct a policy analysis using publicly available child protection policies from …

The Importance Of Self-Care Among Hospice Social Workers, Lillianna Gomez, Divina Perez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social workers in general face daily challenges, but social workers in the field of hospice face unique daily stressors. The purpose of this study was to investigate what self-care methods hospice social workers use to combat burnout and compassion fatigue. One hundred hospice social workers were surveyed. Researchers used two scales to measure participants’ current self-care methods and their current quality of life. Researchers used two tailed Pearson test to analyze relationships between self-care and burnout as well as self-care and compassion satisfaction. Researchers also utilized various SPSS tests to analyze the relationship between demographics and self-care method. Participants reported …

Career Outcomes For Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates, Roberta Fox, Jesse Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The California State University (CSU) Project Rebound is a reentry program that provides educational, social, financial, and case management to formerly incarcerated college students (FICS) with the goal of helping them become successful post-incarceration and post-graduation. However, there is a penury of research on how Project Rebound actually helped FICS create pro-social bonds and develop career preparation competencies. This exploratory study is an attempt to fill this gap in the literature by looking at the outcomes of formerly incarcerated college graduates who participated in a CSU-sponsored reentry program. In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 alumni of …

Inter-Agency Collaborations Among Mental Health And Law Enforcement Professionals In San Bernardino County During Covid-19: A Qualitative Study, Sonya Mcisaac

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As first responders, law enforcement officers and mental health professionals are constantly sought after regarding the delivery of critical services to people in need. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought almost everything to a halt. It is therefore important to understand how social services were delivered during the crisis. It has been assumed in the literature that interprofessional collaboration is an important service delivery framework. However, because COVID-19 is a relatively recent public health phenomenon, relevant studies on interprofessional collaboration between law enforcement officers and mental health professionals are scant, if not non-existent. This qualitative study addresses this gap by exploring …

Specialized Services For Commercially Sexually Exploited Children In The Child Welfare System, Ola Morrison-Blair, Jahninia Tarango

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) is a prevalent global crisis including a range of crimes and activities involving the sexual abuse and exploitation of children for financial and non-financial gain. Due to the vulnerability of children and youth who have been in the child welfare system, this population is at a much higher risk of falling victim to CSEC. This qualitative research study focused on the resources available and the knowledge of community professionals who have regular interactions with CSEC victims, such as social workers, licensed clinicians, law enforcement, and community advocates. Data was collected through video and phone …

Motivations To Attend Graduate School For Former Foster Youth And Juvenile Offenders In Placement Facilities And Group Homes, Jessica Parks

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aimed to identify the motivating factors for higher education, foster youth and probation youth experienced while in care. The interviews were designed to pinpoint who and what resources, if any, were attributed by the participant as having a positive influence on their attending college. Moreso, the study was purposely directed at individuals who graduated or were working towards a graduate degree or higher. A qualitative data approach was used to interview six participants in order to analyze any themes or similarities amongst the participants. The participants in this study were able to share their personal experiences while in …

The Impact Of Implicit Bias On The Overdiagnosis Of Schizophrenia, Ace Ogbebor

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

According to the American Psychiatric Association (2017), Black Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia and less likely to be diagnosed with a mood disorder in compassion to their White counterparts presenting with the same symptoms. To address mechanisms of implicit bias and the implications for mental health practice, it is imperative to investigate the diagnostic process of students who will enter the field of mental health.

According to the Council on Social Work Education, 80% of MSW graduates work in positions providing micro-level direct service to individuals, families, and groups (CSWE, 2019). Moreover, 80% of MSW graduates …

Social Work Students' Understanding Of Childhood Psycho-Emotional Maltreatment By Caregivers, Todd M. Rubin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child psychological, emotional maltreatment (CPEM) presents to the social work profession as one of the most challenging to detect, prevent and intervene. The consequences of CPEM have been equally devastating to a child’s development compared to all other forms of childhood maltreatment. The purpose of this study is to assess graduate social work students’ knowledge of CPEM as a determinant of their clinical preparedness to work with families in practice. The rationale for this study is to explore how the lack of focus on CPEM in university education, field experience, and field supervision impacts a social worker’s ability to prioritize …

The Privatization Of The Prison System In The United States: A Comparative Study Of Rehabilitative Resources, Wendi Witherell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Facing high rates of mass incarceration and prison overcrowding, the United States of America seems to believe that the privatization of its prison system could be a viable solution to the aforementioned problems. Despite the increased incarceration rates of the past few decades, the gradual privatization of the prison system is an understudied area. It is therefore important to understand the rationale behind the movement away from the public sector toward the private sector. This cross-sectional study adopted three theoretical approaches—Models of Incarceration Theory, Political Explanation Theory, and Overcrowding Theory—in an attempt to determine such rationale. It was hypothesized there …

From The Mouths Of Women: The Life Model Of Homelessness, Janeal M. White

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify commonalities in life events preceding a first episode of homelessness for women living in shelters in Texas. This built on the work of Nooe & Patterson (2010) who identified fourteen factors that contributed to increased risk of homelessness as visualized in the Ecology of Homelessness. While based on existing literature at the time, Nooe & Patterson may not have heard clearly the voices of women with lived experience. The current study sought to explore how these risk factors manifest in the lived experiences of women residing in Texas homeless shelters.

The significance …