Digital Commons Network^™

Healing Policies For Black Boys And Young Men In St. Louis: Priorities In 2019, Sean Joe, Robert Motley, Alexandra Ivory, Alyssa Finner, Janet Frederick

Center for Social Development Research

What policy reforms are needed to remove the structural barriers that make it difficult for Black boys and young men to thrive in St. Louis?

Presenting findings from research with social service providers, this Brief Report from the Race and Opportunity Lab’s HomeGrown STL project seeks to inform policy decisions, advocacy efforts, and collective impact strategies in order to improve outcomes for Black boys and young men in the St. Louis region.

Social Determinants Of Health Inequality: Predictors Of Hiv Transmission Among African Americans In The Deep South, Kayla Allison

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

HIV/AIDS has become an epidemic in Black communities in the Deep South, which poses a major public health crisis. Unfortunately, the lack of attention from health officials has resulted in African Americans experiencing the greatest burden of the disease as compared to any other racial/ethnic group. Thus, this cross-sectional, correlational study examined predictors of HIV transmission with an emphasis on the course of the disease among African Americans in the Deep South region of the United States given the legacy of slavery, historical racism, and plight of African Americans in this geographical area. The institution of slavery was not isolated …

Recommendations For Integrating Peer Mentors In Hospital-Based Addiction Care, Honora Englander, Jessica Gregg, Janie Gullickson, Onesha Cochran-Dumas, Chris Colasurdo, Juliet Alla, Devin Collins, Christina Nicolaidis

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Legislators and health systems have recently begun to explore the use of peer mentors as part of hospital-based addiction teams. Integrating peers into hospitals is a complex undertaking still in its infancy. Peers’ lived experience of addiction and its consequences, combined with their distance from medical culture and hierarchy, is at the core of their power – and creates inherent challenges in integrating peers into hospital settings. Successful integration of peers in hospitals has unique challenges for individual providers, health systems, and the peers themselves. We have included peers as part of a hospital-based addiction medicine team at our hospital …

Hope, Courage, And Resilience In The Lives Of Transgender Women Of Color, Nadine Ruff, Amy B. Smoyer, Jean Breny

The Qualitative Report

There is a lack of qualitative and strengths-based knowledge about the lived experience of transgender women of color in the US. To address this research gap, a Photovoice project was undertaken with five transgender women living in a small urban area. Thematic analysis of the participants’ discussion of their photographs identified three major themes: hope, courage, and resilience. Analysis suggests a framework for understanding these women’s lived experiences and the psychosocial tools that they use to negotiate their daily lives and persevere in the face of interpersonal and structural oppression.

Who Will Help Children? Building Brain Regimes, William F. Tate Iv

Center for Social Development Research

“Why can’t we organize public–private partnerships to protect and to nurture the brains of our children?”

In this Perspective, William Tate IV makes the case for constructing brain regimes—public–private partnerships designed to nurture and support the healthy development of children. Illuminating the ways in which communities and schools shape individual outcomes in Missouri, he offers seven evidence-based recommendations for fostering brain development and positive outcomes.

Who Will Help Children? Building Regional Brain Regimes is based in part on “Beyond Education Triage: Building Brain Regimes in Metropolitan America,” Chapter 11 in Facing Segregation: Housing Policy Solutions for a Stronger Society …

Drug Use Behaviors: A Needs Assessment Of Treatment Providers, Rachel Lubischer, Jodi Gabel, Lynn Castrianno, Kristina Faimon, Dawne Frain, Jeanette Harder, Josie Schafer, Gaylene Armstrong

Reports

The goal of this needs assessment is to better understand individuals’ drug-use behaviors in Nebraska through the lens of treatment providers. The results of this study will aid the Drug Overdose Prevention (DOP) program in providing training and other resources to treatment centers, focusing prevention efforts, and informing the statewide crisis response plan and future studies. Ultimately, this study will support DOP’s efforts to reduce opioid-involved fatal and non-fatal overdoses in Nebraska.

Intervention Response To The Trauma-Exposed, Female Juvenile Offender: A Review Of Effectiveness In Reducing Recidivism, Ashley M. Thomann

Social Work Theses - Archive

When analyzed by general factors of effectiveness (Lispsey, 2009) and concepts of gender-responsivity (Day, Zahn, & Tichavsky, 2015) that target the needs of female juvenile-justice involved youth, reviewed studies show the concomitant need to address trauma-based mental health concerns with attention to the quality of implementation and appropriateness of setting in which the intervention is effectuated. Findings show effective intervention for this population aims to target the youth's negative internal mechanisms related to trauma-subsequent psychosocial problems. These studies further suggest that trauma-sensitive modalities have the potential to mitigate further risk of problematic external behaviors. This position of this review is …

Exploring Reactions Of Stakeholders To Military-Connected Spouse Abuse Disclosure: An Online Observational Approach, Mary Christine Highfill

Social Work Theses - Archive

Although considerable research explores family violence within the United States Military, few peer-reviewed studies investigate the experience of civilian spouse survivors. This project seeks to close the research gap by answering the question, “How do military stakeholders respond to disclosure of Military-Connected Spouse Abuse (MCSA) made on YouTube?” Videos featuring MSCA narratives were selected from a series of YouTube searches. Comments made to those videos by Service Members and military spouses were organized according to three predominate response types: disclosures, perceptions, and actions. Disclosures included personal experience with or second-hand knowledge of spousal abuse, interactions with the military response system, …

Understanding The Psychosocial And Physical Health Impacts Of Colorism: Discrimination Of African Americans Based On Skin Color, Latocia Keyes

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Colorism is a complex phenomenon which was birthed by racism and uses the observable human characteristic of skin color as a metric for worth in society. Colorism as practiced since its inception demonstrates intolerance for African features and promotes acceptance based on the approximate physiological similarity to a European standard. This social construct has served as a divisive wedge in the Black community. The issue is further complicated by the dynamics of interpersonal beliefs and group socialization in a variety of settings. Skin bleaching, tanning, and chemical hair straighteners all have the potential risk to impact physical health that causes …

Does The Decriminalization Of Prostitution Reduce Rape And Sexually Transmitted Disease? A Review Of Cunningham And Shah Findings, Lily Lachapelle, Clare Schneider, Melanie Shapiro, Donna M. Hughes

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

In 2013, research findings by Cunningham and Shah claimed that rape and sexually transmitted diseases were reduced by decriminalized prostitution in Rhode Island. The original unpublished claims have received wide media coverage which have gone unexamined. This review finds errors in their analyses. One error is the date when prostitution was decriminalized in Rhode Island. Cunningham and Shah claim that prostitution was decriminalized in 2003. Our analysis finds the date of decriminalization of prostitution was 1980. The change in the start date of decriminalization significantly alters the analysis and the findings. Another error results from Cunningham and Shah using an …

Interrogating The Construction And Representations Of Criminalized Women In The Academic Social Work Literature: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Sandra Marie Leotti

Dissertations and Theses

In the United States today, there are 2.3 million people behind bars in jails and prisons. Mass incarceration has swept up the United States to such a degree that we are known globally for holding more people in correctional facilities than any other country in the world. Although women have always, and still do, reflect a smaller proportion of the correctional population, over the last 40 years, their rates of criminalization and imprisonment have far outpaced that of men's. Drastic increases in the criminalization of women are intimately connected to the entrenchment of social disadvantage enabled under neoliberal globalization. Neoliberal …

Social Networks Moderate The Syndemic Effect Of Psychosocial And Structural Factors On Hiv Risk Among Young Black Transgender Women And Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

The interaction between the cumulative effect of psychosocial and structural factors (i.e. syndemic effect) and social networks among young Black transgender women and men who have sex with men (YBTM) remains understudied. A representative cohort of 16–29 year-old YBTM (n = 618) was assessed for syndemic factors [i.e. substance use; community violence; depression; poverty; justice system involvement (JSI)], social network characteristics, condomless anal sex (CAS), group sex (GS), and HIV-infection. The syndemic index significantly increased the odds of CAS, GS, and HIV-infection, and these effects were moderated by network characteristics. Network JSI buffered the effect on CAS, romantic network members …

Fuse: People With Frequent Utilization Of Public Services In Clackamas County, Oregon: Potential Service Enhancements, Karen Cellarius, Marisa Zapata, Eric Einspruch, Cameron Mulder, Thuan Duong, Aliza Tuttle

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

The goal of this study was to answer five very specific questions about individuals with high service utilization and the systems that serve them. The data for this study comes from administrative system data, informational conversations and meetings with community partners, formal interviews with service providers, and interviews with consumers with frequent service utilization.

Limitations: The rates of mental illness, addiction and homelessness are likely to be higher than they appear in this report due to the way these characteristics were gathered or recorded in system databases. Historically marginalized populations are increasingly underrepresented in datasets.

Rethinking Services With Communities Of Color: Why Culturally Specific Organizations Are The Preferred Service Delivery Model, Ann Curry-Stevens, Gerald Deloney, Matt Morton

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Racial disparities in social, education and health services continue unabated despite efforts to address them. At the margins of the service delivery system are lesser-known and minimally researched programs known as “culturally specific organizations” that have been developed by and with communities of color. These are organizations that have been developed by a specific community of color and continue to serve that same community of color. This article shares the insights of three leaders in racial equity, who have been immersed in Portland-based organizations for many years: two as organizational leaders and one as an academic research partner. The paper …

Municipal Diverging From “Bureaucracy:” A Case Study Of Organizational Image In Housing Services, Shawn T. Flanigan Ph.D.

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

This article presents a case study of efforts of a workforce development unit within a local public housing authority to recraft its image as separate from the larger housing authority, in order to better attract participants to its optional supportive services. Using qualitative interview data with Section 8 voucher recipients and public housing authority staff, and descriptive quantitative data from a larger dataset, and drawing on theories of street-level bureaucracies and agency-client interactions, the case study finds that service recipients perceive the housing authority as a largely compliance-oriented organization that is overly bureaucratic, excessively regulating of private spheres of family …

Drug Use Behaviors: A Review Of National And State Trends In The Literature, Dawne Frain, Rachel Lubischer, Lynn Castrianno, Jeanette Harder

Reports

Purpose
This report informs a needs assessment to gauge drug-use behaviors, treatment needs, and prevention efforts through the lens of treatment providers across Nebraska.

Methodology
After determining the scope of the literature review in collaboration with DHHS, researchers gathered relevant information from a variety of sources. The primary areas of interest include:

• National and Nebraska statistics.
• Prevention.
• Initiation to drug use.
• Treatment.

Data Sources Used
This literature review includes a combination of scholarly articles, federal and state agency documents, and key stakeholder publications. Local news sources were also reviewed to capture current information relevant to Nebraska.

Understanding Trauma And Victimization In Women's Incarceration: California's Treatment Response, Marissa Tuttle-Roache

Social Sciences

The purpose of this review is to provide an exploration of past research on women's pathways to incarceration, specifically discussing how this problem affects California women. Using research from various case studies, both quantitative and qualitative, this review examines the correlation between life experiences and incarceration for women. California laws and policies that mitigate the impact incarceration has historically had on women will be discussed. This research provides a better understanding of the treatment needs of incarcerated women and the programs that could provide them with some positive resources to succeed post incarceration and avoid recidivism.

Foster Youths’ Perceptions Of The Social Worker’S Role In Their Pursuit Of Higher Education, Elisa Elvira Sequeira Delgado, Anedia Suarez Arroyo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The majority of youth transitioning from foster care to adulthood aspire to achieve a higher education, yet they often face barriers and lack a support system. In the United States, only 50% of foster youth graduate from high school. About 13% of foster youth enter college and only 3% graduate. The purpose of this study is to assess foster youths’ perceptions on the social worker’s role when pursuing higher education. The literature suggests that child welfare agencies have developed a variety of programs for foster youth and for their social workers aimed at improving foster youth’s educational outcomes. Yet, the …

Mental Health Services For Single Homeless Mothers With Children, Andrea Zermeno, Maria Alejandra Perez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Single mothers with young children living in poverty often experience various disadvantages, especially when they have mental health issues. They are a vulnerable population and face challenges such as poverty, homelessness, and low paying jobs. Homeless mothers and their children often have difficulty in finding means to survive and obtaining basic needs. The purpose of this study was to explore the quality and availability of mental health resources to homeless mother and their children. Ten participants were chosen outside of a homeless shelter in the City of Riverside. The study was a qualitative design conducted through face-to-face interviews.

This study …

Social Workers’ Perceptions On The Usefulness Of The Structured Decision-Making Tool In Assessing Safety And Risk, Chinwe Erika Nwufo, Carol Yareli Castillo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In child welfare agencies, the Structured Decision-Making (SDM) Safety and Risk Assessment tools are utilized to support social workers in assessing families and make informed decisions while investigating child abuse and neglect. In the past, numerous studies have evaluated the strengths and weaknesses the SDM safety and risk assessment tools; however, studies have neglected social workers’ perspectives on using the tools during their investigations.

Using a quantitative approach, this study examines social workers’ perceptions on the usefulness of the SDM safety and risk assessment tools during their investigations. IS social work participants from one California county agency completed an online …

Family Structure Corresponding With Delinquent Behaviors, Miranda Santiago, Shirley Tamayo-Contreras

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The significance of this research study is to identify if an adolescences family structure impacts their developmental behaviors. The research design for this study was a quantitative design. The data analysis includes the independent variable (IV) and dependent variable (DV). For this study the IV was family structure and the DV in this study was delinquent behaviors. The findings suggest that during the pre-assessment tool researchers found there was no significance between family structure and delinquent behaviors. However, during the post assessment researchers found that there was significance between family structure and delinquent behavior. Although this study did not find …

Active Shooter Preparedness Training, Clarissa Welch, Nancy Villalta

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This research study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of an Active Shooter Incident (ASI) training implemented at Southern California University (SCU). The purpose of this study was to assess students’ level of preparedness, anxiety, and knowledge about ASIs. Prior to collecting the data, an officer from the University Police Department (UPD) provided an ASI training for students where they were able to learn about safety procedures. Data was collected from a sample of Bachelor and Master level students within the SCU School of Social Work Department. Participants were given a questionnaire that consisted of questions regarding students’ level …

Understanding Implicit Bias In Public Defender Social Workers, Jess Laird

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Research has demonstrated that implicit bias is an inescapable part of the human experience that can have harmful repercussions. Its effects can be seen particularly in the criminal justice system where those of marginalized groups are disproportionately represented. Social workers in the public defender’s office representing indigent clients in the criminal justice system, implicit bias can negatively impact client outcomes or service access. This study sought to explore how these social workers understand implicit bias in their work and will be conducted using qualitative analysis through the use of interviews and document review. This research found that social workers in …

Parent Partners Contribution To Reunification Rates, Marilyn Obispo, Cynthia Cuevas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The following research study aimed to discover the relationships and contributions that parent partners have in the reunification process of parents and children within the child welfare system. The study utilized a quantitative secondary data analysis design and the data were obtained from a Southern California Children and Family Services agency within the CWS/CMS database, as well as the parent partner database. Data were analyzed through SPSS software and descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were conducted to describe and assess the variables of interest. A total of 296 participants were used in the study and the majority of parents (73%) …

Incarcerated Mothers Achieving Reunification: Providing Support To Child Welfare Social Workers, Francesca Villarreal

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This project explores the barriers to reunification with their children for incarcerated mothers in an effort to provide more support to child welfare social workers who engage with this population. Project participants were selected from one regional office of a child welfare agency in Southern California to complete qualitative interviews. Participants included seven Social Service Practitioners (SSPs), two Supervising Social Service Practitioners (SSSPs), and one Data Analysist. Each participant’s interview was digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed following the systematic manual coding method with the assistance of Microsoft Word (Ose, S, 2016). Five common barriers were identified: child visitations with incarcerated …

Childhood Risk Factors That Impact The Likelihood Of Becoming A Victim Of Domestic Violence, Mallory Ann Gers, Daniela Paola Gomez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this research project was to identify risk factors for becoming a victim of domestic violence. Demographic and qualitative data were collected through in-person interviews with 8 female survivors of domestic violence from San Bernardino County. These interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed to determine risk factors that could lead women to becoming a victim of domestic violence and what helped them get out of their relationships. The use of interviews allowed the researchers to connect with the survivors and gain in-depth information about their experiences.

Using content analysis, the following themes arose: risk factors that involved absent …

Exploring Knowledge In Sexual Assault Prevention Programs, Pammeli M. Carlos

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Campus sexual assault is a prominent social problem that has gained traction within recent years. It is prevalent among college students, with 26.1% women and 6.1% of men reporting experiencing an attempted or completed rape at some point during their college career (Graham et al., 2017). The purpose of this study is to help college students define and understand rape and consent to potentially lower sexual assault incidents. A quantitative research design was utilized with this research study. The study design used an online self-administered survey, with measures from established questionnaires and surveys. Towards the end of the survey, research …

Empowering The Female Offender: Barriers And Perceptions Of Inmate Success, Joanna Delgado, Karina Barragan

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The study explored current organizational barriers and gaps in service delivery to incarcerated women to examine whether current services are meeting the needs of this population. The study is relevant to the social work profession due to a high likelihood of social service needs found amongst this population and their families within the community. Barriers to success were identified through the perspective of service providers (BSW, MSW, LCSW, LMFT’s) with current and/or past experience working with this population. Current service provisions in correctional facilities were examined to determine barriers or gaps in services in four key areas: communication, parenting services, …

Bound By Silence: Psychological Effects Of The Traditional Oath Ceremony Used In The Sex Trafficking Of Nigerian Women And Girls, Jennifer Millett-Barrett

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Nigerian women and children have been trafficked to Italy over the last 30 years for commercial sexual exploitation with an alarming increase in the past three years. The Central Mediterranean Route that runs from West African countries to Italy is rife with organized crime gangs that have created a highly successful trafficking operation. As part of the recruitment process, the Nigerian mafia and its operatives exploit victims by subjecting them to a traditional religious juju oath ceremony, which is an extremely effective control mechanism to silence victims and trap them in debt bondage. This study explores the psychological effects of …

Examining The Impact Of Victimization On Girls’ Delinquency: A Study Of Direct And Indirect Effects, Johanna Peterson, Dana D. Dehart, Emily Wright

Faculty and Staff Publications

Previous research has acknowledged that there is a relationship between victimization and later delinquency, but the specific attributes of this relationship are unclear because measures of both direct and indirect victimization are rarely explored in a single study. We included both indirect and direct victimization to examine which form of victimization was a stronger predictor of substance use, fighting, running away, and sex work among girls committed to a juvenile justice facility. Findings indicated that direct victimization was typically a more salient predictor of delinquency than indirect forms of victimization. Further, running away and sex work appear to be unique …