Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Economic Factors On The Out-Of-Home Placement For Neglected Children, Mi Jin Choi

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

U.S. child welfare services provides children who cannot be cared for by their families with out-of-home (OOH) care, which is temporary residential care outside of a child’s original home. Economic factors are critical in making consistent OOH placement decisions due to their relationship with child development and safety.

Co-Parenting Children Survey : An Investigation Between Separated And Intact Families, Abigail R. Sushchyk

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study sought to investigate and test the newly designed Co-Parenting Children Survey (CPCS). As a preliminary examination of the CPCS, the study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of reliability and internal consistency of the measure and whether it could distinguish co-parenting differences between diverse family structures (intact and separated). A total of 252 participants completed the online CPCS containing 13 demographic questions, the 56-item co-parenting measure, and two open-ended questions. The findings revealed that initial testing of the CPCS demonstrated good overall internal consistency and reliability between items on the measure and the capacity to differentiate co-parenting between …

Caring For The Caregivers : The Relationship Between Perceived Organizational Support And Teacher-Child Interactions In Head Start Classrooms, Mariel R. Stadick

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose ofthis study was to examine whether there is a correlation between Head Start preschool teachers’ perceived agency support and the quality of their interactions with children in their programs. This study utilized a mixed methods design with both observational and self-report measures to examine the correlation between two measures as administered in Head Start preschools programs: The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS). A national sample of 69 Head Start preschool teachers responded to a modified version of the SPOS that included demographic items and agreed to release their CLASS scores. …

A Clinical Response To A Community Issue : Exploring Hartford's Youth Exposure To Community Violence In A Community-Based Agency, Alicia M. Mamula

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore what clinicians and managers at a Hartford, Connecticut community-based mental health agency are doing to integrate an effective collaboration between micro, mezzo, and macro level interventions to help youth clients residing in Hartford build competent communities. Fellin, (as cited in Hardcastle, 2011) defined a competent community as “one that has the ability to respond to a wide range of member needs and solve its problems and challenges of daily living” (p.96). Given the increased rate of community violence in Hartford in 2015, this research is especially important because the majority of clients …

Masshealth (Medicaid) Clinicians' Perceptions Of In-Home Therapy With Children And Families, Kathryn E. Cole

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study identifies the attitudes of clinicians providing in-home therapy and related services under the umbrella of MassHealth in Massachusetts. It examines who is doing In-Home Therapy, whether these clinicians (and bachelor’s level providers known as providers of therapeutic training and support) feel adequately prepared to do this work, the kinds of training these clinicians receive, what could be done in order to help them feel more successful, find job satisfaction, and want to continue providing in-home therapy.

Three hundred and four participants completed an online, anonymous survey that collected basic demographic information including gender, age, race, education, professional background, …

The Effects Of A Yoga Nidra Practice On Mental Health Clinicians' Perceived Stress, Kyla L. Ferguson

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Workplace stress is a prevalent problem among mental health professionals, which has been shown to lead to absenteeism, fatigue, and burnout. This pilot study explored the effects of a yoga nidra relaxation practice on stress levels in clinicians working in a community mental health setting. Thirteen clinicians completed the trial, which involved one guided 20-minute yoga nidra practice per week during the workday. Participants were assessed for perceived stress before and after the eight-week trial. Participants reported significantly lowered perceived stress at the end of the study, indicating that yoga nidra may be a useful intervention in managing and preventing …

Impact Of Support Groups On Kinship Care Providers : A Project Based On An Investigation At Community Coalition, Los Angeles, California, Judith Farber Weissman

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore how peer support groups influence kinship care providers’ (KCPs’) sense of self-worth and empowerment, and how they impact KCPs’ ability to advocate on behalf of the children in their care. Few studies to date have examined self-worth in the realm of KCPs’ parenting issues of guilt and regret, nor have they explored whether support group participation encourages relearning parenting skills and therefore instills a sense of empowerment. Although the majority of KCPs in the United States are informal care providers, most prior research on this population focused on formal kinship care providers; …

Iv-E Waiver Evaluation – Leveraging Intensive Family Engagement (Life) Program Evaluation, Carrie Jeanne Furrer, Thuan Duong, Amanda Cross-Hemmer, Beth L. Green

Child Welfare

In partnership with Oregon’s Department of Human Services, we are conducting qualitative and quantitative research to document the implementation and outcomes of the LIFE program. LIFE is an innovative approach to reducing time in out of home placement by providing intensive, multi-modal interventions that integrate Family Finding, Family Meetings, Parent Mentors, and a focus on family and youth voice in reducing the time spent in care for youth at high risk for long term foster care placements.

Missoula’S Homeless Children: Effects Of Homelessness On Mental, Emotional And Social Health, Sarah L. Shapiro

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Missoula’s Homeless Children: Effects of Homelessness on Mental, Emotional and Social Health

The mental, emotional, and social health of children are greatly affected by being homeless. Being homeless as a child could effect a person’s coping skills and lead to mental health issues that increase the likelihood of substance abuse , suicide attempts, or adult homelessness. The purpose of this research project is to explore the negative effects of homelessness on Missoula children, and to identify services that could be useful in combating those effects. Methods for this project, included two data collection strategies. First, a literature review was completed …

Advice To Young Adults From Young Adults: Helpful Hints For Policy Change In The Mental Health System, Nancy Koroloff, Barbara J. Friesen, Nicholas Buekea

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This tip sheet is designed for use by youth and young adult led organizations that include young people with lived experience in the mental health system in their membership. Organizations that have a history of working together collectively, have clear leadership roles and are ready to move into policy change are most likely to find these tips useful. The recommendations and the quotes contained in this tip sheet came from a series of interviews with young adult leaders from advocacy groups that focus on mental health challenges or living in foster care. Each organization was selected because of its work …

Toward Housing Stability: Exiting Homelessness As An Emerging Adult, Jeff Karabanow, Sean A. Kidd, Tyler Frederick, Jean Hughes

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper explores the lives of formerly homeless young people as they transitioned towards housing stability. The study employed a longitudinal design involving 51 street youth in Halifax, N.S. (n = 21) and Toronto, ON (n = 30). This paper sheds light upon the pathways through which young people transitioned away from homelessness using the developmental lens of emerging adulthood: a stage involving numerous developmental struggles (identity, instability, self-focus, feeling in-between) but also an age filled with hope and possibilities. There are numerous interrelated factors at play that allow participants to regain a sense of citizenship with mainstream society. While …

Transitional Planning And Homelessness Of Youths Emancipated From Foster Care, Sharon Patricia Sutherland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has indicated that approximately 25% of the 30,000 youths emancipated from foster care each year experience negative outcomes including poor education attainment, limited employment opportunities, homelessness, lack of access to healthcare, and poor social networks. Despite the existence of federal legislation that requires foster care agencies to assist foster youths to make the transition to independent living, research has revealed that the current transitional planning process is not effective. There is a gap in the current literature regarding qualitative research on youths' shared experiences of the transitional planning process as they transit out of foster care. This study …

Adhd Treatment Outcome Difference Between Individual Parent-Child Intervention And Group Parent-Child Intervention With The Same Protocol, Bhupendra Raj Adhikari

Social Work Theses - Archive

This research study aimed to compare between two groups: one with brief parental involvement in ADHD treatment and other with intensive parental involvement in ADHD treatment with the same protocol. This study design is a secondary data analysis of deidentified administrative data set provided by Center for Clinical Social Work (CCSW), UTA School of Social Work plus a mixed methods pre-tests post-test quasi-experimental design study of and ADHD intervention group meeting in the summer 2015 at the Center for Clinical Social Work. The total member of sample size was 36. Due to lack of enough complete pre and post test, …

Shared Prosperity Initiative As A Solution To The City Of Kalamazoo's Impoverished, Maurice Washington

Honors Theses

The Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo Initiative acts a combatant to reducing poverty for the City of Kalamazoo rather than a solution. Combining micro social work training of treatment plans for clients and its incorporated methodologies to the macro problem of poverty for the City’s constituents emphasizes a unique but valuable perspective to have as a potential policy maker. The question is whether such a perspective is truly applicable and such was the goal of the nearly year-long research. Data obtained from interviews, meetings, focus groups and interviews were reviewed from a prior initiative to formulate much of the research and analysis. …

Adopting A Financial Capability And Asset Building Curriculum At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Michael Rochelle, Gena Mcclendon, Melody Brackett, Michael Wright, Margaret Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Social workers currently engage in financial capability practice with low-income and financially vulnerable individuals and families in diverse practice settings but typically lack professional preparation for this work. In response, several schools of social work have begun developing curriculum. Using an in-depth interview methodology, this study explores the experiences of faculty and administrators (N=19) at four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that adopted a curriculum in financial capability and asset building. Findings show that key reasons for adopting are the relevance of the content to student and community needs, faculty interest, and alignment with program, institutional, and professional goals. …

Voices Of Youth, Parents, And Stakeholders: Findings From Case Studies In The Youthsave Project, Li Zou, Sarah Myers Tlapek, Margaret S. Sherraden, John W. Gabbert, Amy Ritterbusch, Ernest Appiah, Dorcas Opai-Tetteh, Githinji Njenga, Joseph Kieyah, Sharad K. Sharma, Jyoti Manandhar, Manik Maharjan

Center for Social Development Research

Voices of Youth, Parents, and Stakeholders: Findings From Case Studies in the YouthSave Project

Exploring Cultural And Linguistic Aspects Within The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, And Queer Youth Community, Justine Carrillo, Julie Marie Houston

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the cultural and linguistic aspects within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) youth community. A qualitative research design with an exploratory approach was utilized in this study. An interview questionnaire was created to explore participants’ perceptions and experiences to generate an understanding on LGBTQ culture in practice. The study sample consisted of 12 youth who self‑identify as LGBTQ recruited by snowball sampling. One‑on‑one interviews were conducted, audio‑recorded, per participant consent, and transcribed for thematic analysis. Based on participant narratives, this study found there are cultural considerations that pertain specifically to …

Barriers To Services For Transitional Age Youth, Amanda Lucero

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the current barriers of services to transition age youth (TAY) who are newly emancipated from foster care. Data collection was derived from eight in depth interviews with local administrators within San Bernardino County with experience with youth and services within the TAY population. Study themes focused on how professionals suggested to engage TAY, tactics to instilling hope, highlighting successful services, and providing professional insight on working with the unique population. Present day research emphasizes the importance of the emotional capacity of TAY, which is a key theme within the present study. As current rates of homelessness, …

Beliefs Among Licensed Clinical Social Workers About Assessing Parents Abused As Children, Emma Celina Duarte

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child abuse is a pressing national issue that affects thousands of children every year in the United States. The lifelong implications of child abuse been well documented in the literature, which identifies psychopathology, interpersonal violence and suicide risk, and substance abuse as a prominent triad of the negative sequelae of child abuse. Parents abused as children represent a subgroup that introduces additional domains of clinical interest and unique needs, including parenting stress and perceived parenting competence. These complex clusters of needs are clinically significant, and the beliefs licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) hold about parents abused as children can significantly …

The Impact Of Social Support On The Length Of Homelessness, Carmen T. Macias

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Homelessness is a multifaceted social problem that affects thousands of people every single day throughout the United States. In recent years, research has begun to look at the impact of social support on the lives of those that are homeless. To further explore this topic, this study examines the impact of social support on the length of time someone is homeless, in search of notable correlations. This study was completed using a quantitative research approach and a sample of 54 homeless individuals. Participants were recruited from two leading homeless service agencies in the City of Riverside and asked to complete …

Successful Implementation Of Solution-Based Casework; A Child Welfare Casework Practice Model?, Naomi Weisel Schear

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Across the country, child welfare agencies have started to implement casework practice models in an effort to improve the safety, permanency and well-being of vulnerable children and families. In their effort to do so, child welfare systems have faced complex contextual challenges to implementation. To date, however, there has been limited empirical research describing successful implementation of these practices. Moreover, little systematic feedback exists concerning service providers' perspectives of various aspects of the implementation process.

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore child welfare supervisors' and case workers' responses to various methods of implementation of Solution-Based Casework …

A Community Schools Approach To Accessing Services And Improving Neighborhood Outcomes In Manchester, Nh, Justin R. Young

Carsey Publications

This brief uses data collected by the Manchester Health Department in 2013 and analyzed by the Carsey School of Public Policy in the Bakersville, Beech Street, and Gossler Park neighborhoods in Manchester, New Hampshire, to provide information about how barriers to various dimensions of well-being differ by place and also across race/ethnicity, foreign-born status, and age. Survey data and focus groups also gave residents a voice in the implementation of the Manchester Community Schools Project—a partnership between the Manchester Health Department, city elementary schools, philanthropists, neighborhood residents, and several nonprofit agencies—to improve and enhance educational achievement, economic well-being, access to …

The Effects Of Cumulative Victimization On Psychological Distress., Amanda Dishon Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Justice-involved women experience significantly higher rates of victimization and psychological distress when compared to the general population. While both childhood victimization and adult Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) both directly contribute to psychological distress, scant research examines the effects of cumulative victimization (both child and adult IPV) across a woman’s lifetime on psychological distress. Additionally, a gap in the literature is the investigation of behavior specific mechanisms (self-esteem, social support, coping, and substance use) that may mediate the relationship between victimization and psychological distress. As such, the primary aim of this dissertation was to explore the relationship between cumulative victimization (childhood …

The Lives Of Young Adults Who Have Graduated From Residential Children's Mental Health Programs (Full Report), Gary Cameron, Karen Frensch

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

This report presents the results of a research process in which 59 young adults who had received residential mental health treatment in the past were sorted into descriptive profiles based on the information they shared about their lives and personal functioning with researchers. Five different groups of young adults emerged from this process and represent the clearest categorizations for understanding this particular sample of young adults from across Southern Ontario who received residential treatment.

Sorting young adults into distinct groups based on their functioning within key life domains (like education, employment, social connections, personal functioning) is useful to understanding the …

Meeting The Transition Needs Of Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Youth Through Culturally Based Services, Barbara J. Friesen, Terry L. Cross, Pauline Jivanjee, Ashley Thirstrup, Abby Bandurraga, L. Kris Gowen, Jen Rountree

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

This article reports findings from three qualitative studies exploring supports for positive transitions of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth to adulthood. Community-based participatory methods were employed through a research partnership involving a culturally based community agency, the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), the National Indian Child Welfare Association, and Portland State University. Studies utilized a Relational Worldview (RWV) framework, where well-being is understood as a balance among the domains of mind, body, spirit, and context. Collectively, findings demonstrate that NAYA employs culturally grounded interventions to overcome the traumatic histories and current oppressive conditions affecting low-income urban AI/AN youth …

Street-Level Bureaucratic Discretion: An Investigation Of Disproportionality In The Child Welfare And Juvenile Justice Systems, Nina Frola Joyner

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

This study seeks to provide a structural explanation for a poorly understood administrative and policy phenomenon: the problem of minority overrepresentation or disproportionality in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Disproportionality is a pressing policy and practice concern regarding how to halt the continual over representation of African American and other minority youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. It has social and policy implications at the national, state and local level. Disporportionality affects the lives of youth who are unnecessarily removed from their families or adjudicated and detained as well as state and local budgets when …

Increasing The Use Of Trauma-Sensitive Lens For School Case Managers: A Training Assessment, Breanne Thomas, Becky Scott, David K. Pooler

Journal of Adolescent and Family Health

This manuscript reports on a study to determine the efficacy of a one-day training for school-based case managers on the impact of trauma on students, utilizing a trauma sensitive lens in schools, and using various trauma assessments and screens. The one-day training was presented to 25 case managers providing direct social services in schools. We gathered data at three points in time (pretest, post-test, and post-test one month after training) and found statistically different scores at each point in time. We discuss the implications for training school based professionals.

Research-To-Practice Brief: Promising Evidence That Early Head Start Can Prevent Child Maltreatment, Rachel Chazan-Cohen, Beth L. Green, Catherine Ayoub, Jessica Dym Bartlett, Adam Von Ende, Carrie Jeanne Furrer

Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention

This brief addresses two main questions in a sample of Early Head Start eligible children: 1) the number and type of maltreatment episodes and 2) the impact of Early Head Start on child and family involvement in the child welfare system. These findings are especially important given the lack of scalable and effective preventive interventions. In addition, they are also timely given the recent interest in fostering collaborations between early care and education programs and child welfare agencies, agencies responsible for overseeing child protection from maltreatment (OHS & ACYF, 2010; ACYF & OHS, 2011; ACYF & OCC, 2011). The current …

Behavioral Health Services Needs And Availability For Young Children Involved In The Child Welfare System, Jill Hoffman, Alicia Bunger, Hillary Robertson, Scottye Cash

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purposes of this presentation are to:

• Identify key characteristics of young children (0-5 years old) involved in child welfare
• Learn about the prevalence of behavioral health service needs and use among children 0-5 years old involved in child welfare
• Learn about the availability of behavioral health services targeted toward children aged 0-5 years old
• Have the opportunity to engage in a discussion on this study’s findings and trends they have seen in the populations they serve

Youth Savings Patterns And Performance In Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, And Nepal: Executive Summary, Lissa Johnson, Yungsoo Lee, David Ansong, Margaret S. Sherraden, Gina Chowa, Fred Ssewamala, Li Zou, Michael Sherraden, Mose Njenga, Joseph Kieyah, Issac Osei-Akoto, Sharad Sharma, Jyoti Manandhar, Catherine Rodriguez, Frederico Merchán, Juan Saavedra

Center for Social Development Research

This summary presents an overview of findings from the YouthSave Project's 2015 research report Youth Savings Patterns and Performance in Columbia, Ghana, Kenya, and Nepal. Created in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation, YouthSave investigated the potential of savings accounts as a tool for youth development and financial inclusion in developing countries by co-designing tailored, sustainable savings products with local financial institutions and assessing their performance and development outcomes with local researchers. This study tracked account uptake, saving patterns, and savings performance in youth savings accounts in Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, and Nepal.