Digital Commons Network^™

Faith And Justice: Church Leadership's Impact On Prison Reform, Yaw Asamoah Akowuah Mr., Frank Y. Adusei, Eric Kaufman, Loy V. Crowder

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This study examines the Church of Pentecost’s (CoP) pioneering prison reform initiative in Ghana as a faith-based response to systemic overcrowding and inadequate rehabilitation infrastructure. Through a qualitative case study design, the research analyzes in-depth interviews with church leaders and media staff, alongside institutional documents, to explore how religious leadership intersects with correctional policy. Findings reveal that CoP’s “Vision 2023” strategy positioned prison decongestion as a moral and national imperative, leading to the construction of five “Inmates Skills Acquisition and Reformation Centres.” These facilities integrate vocational training, spiritual care, and modern infrastructure, aligning with Rehabilitation Theory’s emphasis on humane, reintegration-focused …

Rural Voices On The Opioid Epidemic In Deep East Texas, Jose Carbajal, H. Stephen Cooper

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Opioid use is a major concern in the United States. Rural communities face even greater difficulties in addressing opioid use and related challenges. An appreciative inquiry was employed to assess the degree to which the opioid crisis has affected the rural region of Deep East Texas and to develop recommendations for a regional action plan. One hundred and eight participants attended eleven conversation cafés across the region. Response analysis revealed eight primary themes and 11 sub-themes. Community awareness and education are crucial in combating the opioid crisis, as some participants were unaware of the prevalence of prescription opioid abuse in …

Identifying Priorities To Guide Extension Water Quality Programming In Utah, Clare Entwistle, Sarah Erwin, Stephanie Vaughn

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah State University Extension water quality faculty conducted a statewide water quality needs assessment to identify priority contaminants and resource gaps. The results found that elevated nutrient levels and sedimentation were the top concerns where additional resources would be beneficial. In addition, insufficient funding for improvements and low public engagement were identified as key challenges in addressing water quality issues. Results revealed current unmet needs with regional variation to inform Extension resource allocation and programming.

Bridging Gaps In Data Utilization: An Evaluation Of The Rural Utah Data Symposium, Paul A. Hill

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Rural Utah Data Symposium, an event designed to address data-driven decision-making among rural leaders. The symposium features expert-led presentations on the rural economy, healthcare, housing, mobility, broadband, and wellbeing. Data were collected through an online exit survey with a 67% response rate (n = 35). Attendees rated presentation quality, learning outcomes, and overall satisfaction. Findings show high ratings and positive learning outcomes, demonstrating the symposium’s value in empowering informed decision-making. Recommendations include increasing interactivity among attendees, broadening content scope, and expanding statewide representation to further support data utilization in rural Utah.

Analysis Of City Planning For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Joshua Ericson, Ben Shane

City and Regional Planning

Whether formally diagnosed or self-diagnosed, autism spectrum disorder affects children and adults in every corner of the planet. Every city in the world likely has autistic residents who have difficulty living in navigating their city due to their unique sensory, social, and economic needs. Many of these needs affect autistic people’s abilities to comfortably and independently navigate public spaces, attain a reliable method of transportation, and find housing that suits their needs. These issues could all be addressed with city planning and neuro-inclusive public policies, but to date few cities have considered autistic people in their planning. Cities inadvertently exclude …

Facing State-Created Danger In Facial Recognition Technology, Esha Jain

Washington Law Review

When the police wrongfully arrest someone, that person faces distinct harms. Various scholarship, news articles, and studies document that AI-powered facial recognition technology (FRT) disproportionately misidentifies individuals from marginalized racial groups when used irresponsibly. Many of those sources indicate that police reliance on FRT without adequate vetting results in wrongful arrests. Yet law enforcement continues to misuse FRT.

This Comment contends that the 42 U.S.C. § 1983 state-created danger doctrine offers a potential remedy for plaintiffs harmed by police reliance on FRT. To prevail under this doctrine, plaintiffs must prove affirmative conduct, deliberate indifference, and proximate causation. If successful, these …

Evaluation Of Community-Based Interventions Addressing Social Attitudes And Behavioural Intentions Related To Female Genital Mutilation In Somaliland, Francis Obare, Dennis Matanda, Stephen Kizito, Chi-Chi Undie

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

This study aimed to assess changes in social attitudes/beliefs and behavioural intentions related to FGM and gender as a result of community-directed interventions to accelerate positive changes in social attitudes towards ending the practice. The study was conducted in the context of The Girl Generation support to – Africa-Led Movement (TGG-ALM) programme implementation in Somaliland using public opinion poll and vignettes. Key intervention activities implemented by TGG-ALM included conducting community intergenerational dialogues and small grants for community-based organizations to implement interventions at the community level.

Bridging The Distance: Expanding Access To Mental Health Services In School, Griffin Gallagher, Arayah St John, Kaylie Svir

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

All students should have equitable access to mental health services in schools. In Minnesota, there has been an 11% increase in students experiencing long-term mental health challenges since 2016, and only 1 in 5 students receive the assistance they need. Students are experiencing a lack of access to mental health services in schools due to barriers of cost, transportation, shortage of support staff, and stigma. When mental health services are not provided in schools, this results in a decrease in school attendance, higher dropout rates, and negative school environments, affecting the long-term outcomes and needs of the child. Mental health …

Housing After Recovery: Expanding Access For Justice-Involved Individuals, Calvin Parzych, Melinda Gillen, Juliet Worayewaa, Mikayla Witter

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Every human being deserves access to safe, stable housing, especially individuals in recovery from substance use disorders. These individuals face significant barriers to stable housing, especially when their criminal records are considered by landlords. This can pose a risk to potential relapse, homelessness, and overall struggle to maintain recovery. Addressing housing discrimination for all members of society, especially justice-involved individuals, can aid in resolving public health and social justice issues that continue to be a long-standing problem.

Hss 216 Introduction To Motivational Interviewing, Juline A. Koken

Open Educational Resources

This syllabus contains links to an OER textbook that was adopted for our Introduction to Motivational Interviewing course, along with additional links to OER videos and additional readings.

Hss 295, Juline A. Koken

Open Educational Resources

This syllabus contains links to existing OER materials as well as additonal readings for our HSS 295 Community Organizing class.

Mentorship Practices And Perceptions Of Nursing Faculty At The Aga Khan University In Uganda: A Qualitative Study, Mary Namuguzi, Sarah Nakaziba, Shamim Namukasa, Carolyne Namukwaya, Dinah Kassaman, Arnold Mwanzu, Jackline Estomihi Kiwelu, Duncan Osuka, Nazahed Mkiramweni, Ahmed Sarki

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background Mentorship of new faculty helps to reduce the challenges associated with their new roles, as some lack knowledge of teaching pedagogies. This study assessed the mentorship experiences regarding practices and perceptions of new nursing and midwifery faculty at the Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery (SONAM) in Uganda.

Methodology This study used a phenomenological design. Data were collected in semistructured interviews with 11 participants, and data saturation was reached. Data were organized with NVivo 12 Pro and analyzed using framework analysis.

Findings The main themes that emerged were mentorship practices, perceptions about mentorship, and proposed mentorship guidelines. …

Evolving U.S. And Chinese International Development Policy: Institutions, Strategies, And Global Impact, Julian Kai Lehto

Social Sciences

This paper is inspired by, and meant to understand, recent changes in global policy towards foreign aid and international development. 2025 saw one of the biggest changes to international development in decades, when President Donald Trump’s new administration made the decision to effectively shut down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). At the same time, China has been taking on a growing role in foreign aid and development over the last decade. Chinese projects like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have become globally significant. This paper will explore the changing impacts and influence of both the U.S. …

Exploring The Mental Health Impacts Of Dating Experiences For Racial And Ethnic Minorities At A Predominantly White Institution, Maya Sánchez, Mylina Garza, Emma Chung

Communication Studies

The present study examined the mental health implications of racial and ethnic minorities’ dating experiences at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). The authors conducted retrospective interviews with 20 minority-identifying college students that attend California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Three primary themes emerged from the conducted research. 1) Feeling excluded from racialized beauty standards threatens self-worth, 2) struggling to find romantic belonging limits emotional safety in relationships and navigating cultural differences in dating produces identity hyperawareness. This study also offers interesting theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, findings display the communication maintenance of identity to how romantic involvement impacts …

The Guardian The Month Of March 2026, Wright State Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

News articles from The Guardian for the Month of March 2026. The Guardian is the official student-run newspaper for Wright State University. It has been published regularly since March of 1965.

Community Engagement Newsletter, March 2026, University Of Northern Iowa. Office Of Community Engagement.

Community Engagement Newsletter

Contents:

UNI's Day of Service - April 8, 2026
Service-Learning and Engaged Department Institutes
Inspire Conference
Certified Nonprofit Professional Credential
UNI Engaged Podcast

An Odd Protocol For An Agent-Based Model Of Hepatitis C Virus Transmission In A Two-Group Structural Heterogeneous Syringe-Sharing Network (M2), Seun Ale, Que Nguyen Dr., John D. Kelleher Prof., Elizabeth Hunter Dr.

Reports

The model described in this ODD is an agent-based model of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID). The model extended a baseline homogeneous model by incorporating structural heterogeneity via a two-group interaction framework. The syringe-sharing population in the model is divided into inner and outer circle groups representing individuals with differing levels of syringe-sharing interaction intensity. While all agents share the same syringe-sharing probability and epidemiological processes remain identical across agents, the number of daily interaction opportunities differs between the two groups. Interactions in the model are generated dynamically using proximity-based sampling at each timestep …

An Odd Protocol For An Agent-Based Model Of Hepatitis C Virus Transmission In A Three-Group Structural Heterogeneous Syringe-Sharing Network (M3), Seun Ale, Que Nguyen Dr., John D. Kelleher Prof., Elizabeth Hunter Dr.

Reports

The model described in this ODD is an agent-based model of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID). The model incorporates structural heterogeneity through a three-group interaction framework. The syringe-sharing population in the model is divided into core, inner, and outer circle groups representing individuals with high, moderate, and low levels of syringe-sharing interaction intensity, respectively. While the syringe-sharing rate and all epidemiological processes remain identical across agents, the number of daily interaction opportunities differs by agent grouping, capturing variation in structural position within the syringe-sharing network. Interactions are generated dynamically using proximity-based sampling at each …

The Elder Economic Security Standard™ Index: Methodology Overview, Center For Social And Demographic Research On Aging, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Jan Mutchler, Nidya Velasco Roldan, Michelle Ward, Ceara Somerville, Caitlin E. Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

The Elder Index illustrates how living costs vary geographically (specifically, by county, metropolitan area, and state), and based on the characteristics of households. Costs are calculated based on household size (one person age 65 or older, two persons age 65 or older), housing tenure (owner with no mortgage, renter, owner with a mortgage), and health status (excellent, good, poor). The expenses included in the Elder Index cover basic needs of older households, including shelter, medical care, food, and transportation; the costs reflect average market costs and do not take into account any needs-based subsidies. The Elder Index helps answer important …

2025 Elder Indextm For Boston: Fact Sheet, Center For Social And Demographic Research On Aging, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

The Elder Index^_TM measures of the cost of living independently for older adults aged 65 or older. The Elder Index allows us to identify older people with incomes “in the gap” between the Federal Poverty Guideline (FPL) and what it takes to live with security. Older adults living “in the gap” have incomes too high to qualify for many means-tested public benefits programs, yet too low to achieve intermediate- or long-term economic stability. This fact sheet presents 2025 Elder Index for older adults living in Boston, Massachusetts.

Living Between The Lines: Economic Insecurity And Older Americans: Insecurity In The Massachusetts, 2025, Caitlin E. Coyle, Michelle Ward, Nidya Velasco Roldan, Ceara Somerville, Jan Mutchler

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

New estimates from the 2025 Elder Index^TM demonstrate that the cost of living in Massachusetts has increased substantially in recent years for older adults, especially for renters. The Elder Index measures the necessary costs faced by households made up of one or two older adults, calculated county by county for the entire United States. Estimated costs are higher in Massachusetts than in any other state in the nation. Within the Commonwealth, the Elder Index is lowest in Western Massachusetts, and highest in Metro Boston, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, with differences in the Elder Index across locations accounted for largely …

A Word From The Writing Team (March 2026), Pam Walter, Mfa, Laura Deloretta, Phd

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Strengthening School Social Work: Improving Student Outcomes Through Stronger Support Systems, Kaitlyn Dailey, Faridah Kassim, Rhaleecia Rahming, Angela Soto

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

School social workers are essential to student well-being and academic success, yet current caseloads and unclear role expectations prevent them from providing effective, evidence-based support. School social workers improve graduation rates, reduce behavioral challenges, and strengthen school engagement, but only when staffing levels and role clarity allow them to work within their professional scope. Without policy action, Minnesota schools will continue to rely on crisis-driven models that leave students without early intervention and place social workers at high risk for burnout. Rural districts will face even greater inequities, as many students already depend on schools as their only access point …

No Community Left Behind: Investing In Mental Health Service Access In Rural Minnesota, Keaton Anderson, Madison Demars, Trisha Graves-Petron, Cheyenne Munoz

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Much of Minnesota has a shortage of mental health providers due to specific problems around graduating workers, recruiting them and keeping them once they are hired. Lower salaries, older population bases, and inconsistent healthcare coverage all contribute to the shortage of providers in rural areas. Long distances between mental health facilities and stigma in mental health care exacerbate the shortage. More than 1.2 million Minnesotans live in rural communities and of those at least 25% do not have access to reliable broadband internet. Rural areas face significant behavioral health workforce shortages, as seen in Figure 1. Minnesota needs to invest …

Accountability For Unlawful Actions By Ice In Minnesota, Luisalfredo Garcia, Ore-Ofe Oluwajobi, Gabriela Passmore, Mariah Wabasha

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Immigration enforcement actions have escalated since December 2025 under “Operation Metro Surge”, with deployment of 4,000 ICE agents to the Twin Cities and rural Minnesota. ICE occupation within Minnesota has included an unprecedented number of people, both documented and undocumented, who have been detained by ICE agents and unlawful actions by ICE. With federal agents disregarding constitutional laws and human rights, there has not been legal accountability or consequences for the traumatic incidents inflicted on Minnesota by Department of Homeland Security. Policy oversight must be implemented to ensure proper accountability for illegal or unjust actions.

Mapping Child Care And Early Education Capacity To Needs In Massachusetts, Alan Clayton-Matthews, Christa M. Kelleher, Randy Albelda, Anne Douglass, Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

Massachusetts has made notable strides in expanding access to affordable, quality, licensed child care and early education in recent years. Ongoing robust state investment in the Commonwealth Cares for Children Grant Program, activities of the Healey-Driscoll Inter Agency Early Education and Child Care Task Force, and increased income eligibility for child care financial assistance to families with moderate incomes, among other initiatives, all help address persistent barriers to quality education and care at a price families can afford.

Yet the supply of licensed child care for infants, toddlers, and preschool children remains a formidable challenge to meeting the child care …

Stop Ice: A Call For Accountability, Em Hodge, Kathryn Petzel, Elizabeth Spiegelhoff, Zoe Wetzel

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Since the beginning of the second Trump Administration in 2025, Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) has increased their activity in conducting operations to deport immigrants and citizens. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recorded nearly 220,000 arrests from October 15th, 2025, through January 20th, 2026. The types of people being detained have almost exclusively been people with no criminal conviction (96.9%) compared to those with a criminal conviction (3.1%). With the increased deportations and killings of citizens such as Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by the hands of ICE officers in Minnesota, action, protections, and accountability is needed more than …

Evaluating Youth Programs With Intention: Integrating Developmental Research For A Youth-Centered Approach, Brittany Hite, Tiffany Berry, Evangelia Theodorou, Michelle Sloper

Journal of Youth Development

Conducting applied research or program evaluations in youth settings requires a unique combination of expertise. Although evaluation approaches provide general guidance on how to conduct high-quality evaluations, they rarely provide specific guidance on how to engage in evaluation with organizations serving youth. Fortunately, the field of youth development provides extensive information about how youth develop, facilitators of and influences on youth development, and important considerations for collecting data from this population. This paper provides an approach to evaluation that integrates youth development research. By integrating this literature into their evaluation practice, the authors identified two underlying principles (contextual sensitivity and …

Positive Youth Development And Connection With Nature Through Urban Agriculture, Casey Ortbahn, Marijke Hecht, Kristi Lekies

Journal of Youth Development

Youth urban agriculture programs connect youth with nature and support positive youth development. In this qualitative study, we use photovoice to amplify youth voices and explore 16 high school youths’ perceptions of how participation in a youth gardening program supported their confidence, connection, and sense of belonging. Using qualitative thematic analysis of photos, posters, and interviews, we identify several program processes that supported confidence and belonging, including meaningful relationships with peers and adults, connections with nature, and relationships with more-than-human beings. Our analysis reveals that nature is an important context for youth development and that nature is also more than …

March 2026 Library & Learning Newsletter, Minnesota State University, Mankato. Library & Learning Dean’S Office Communications Team

Library & Learning Newsletters

PDF version of the March 2026 (Volume 4, Issue 8) Library & Learning Newsletter.