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Grow Your Own: Educating Social Workers In Rural And Frontier Areas To Address The Behavioral Health Workforce Crisis, Michelle M. Levy, Christina D. Boyd

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Workforce shortages in behavioral health are a longstanding reality in most rural areas. Given the increasing impact of mental health and substance abuse in rural communities, it is critical to seek solutions to address the inadequate number of behavioral health professions in these areas. This paper focuses on a university’s efforts to prepare and support master’s level social workers for practice in their rural and frontier communities to address behavioral health workforce shortages.

Attuning To Need: Reconceptualizing “Help” In Poor Rural Areas, Jennifer M. Frank, Laura Brierton Granruth, Brittany Leffler, Rachel Preibisch, Dawn Watson, Heather Girvin, Mary Glazier

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Social isolation is closely linked to overall health and well-being and is a serious concern for those in rural areas. Our research seeks insights into the needs experienced in poor rural areas by utilizing letter writing between students and community agency participants as a research methodology. In the letters, we observed that community participants relied upon friend and family style relationships and even viewed their agency relationships as such. This suggests that transforming "professional helping relationships" into alliances that are less impersonal might be in order. Such relationships and connections seemed conducive to the development of empowering self-efficacy. This finding …

The Connection Between Body Modification And Personality, Taylor Ann Shoemaker

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has been inconsistent in its findings regarding the associations between body modifications (e.g., piercings, tattoos, augmentation, scarification, split tongue) and the Big Five personality traits (i.e., openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism). All traits have been found to be significantly correlated with body modification in at least one study, but their significance differed from study to study. The purpose of the current study was to examine the associations between body modification and each domain of personality concurrently to add to the literature surrounding differences between modified and unmodified individuals. To participate in this study, participants were asked …

How Divorce, Interparental Conflict, And Parenting Styles Relate To Young Adult Emotional Regulation, Madison Jernigan

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Emotional regulation has been linked to one’s ability to establish social relationships, as well as the onset of multiple psychological disorders, such as anxiety and depressive disorders. Researchers are beginning to better understand the development of emotional regulation; however, there is still debate surrounding what role familial factors play in this development. This study sought to better understand three factors that impact families: divorce, interparental conflict, and parenting styles. Specifically, this study hypothesized that participants whose parents are divorced and experienced high levels of interparental conflict would experience poor emotional regulation. Additionally, this study hypothesized that participants who perceive their …

Voice Therapy Techniques For Male-To-Female Versus Female-To-Male Transgender Individuals And Stereotypical Beliefs That Affect These Techniques, Bailey Lyman

Honors College Theses

This research was conducted to determine the differences and similarities between the therapeutic techniques used with male-to-female versus female-to-male transgender voice clients resulting from their existing and potentially changing anatomy and physiology. It was also conducted to determine the potential impacts of gender stereotyping on therapeutic techniques and a client’s therapeutic course. A review of the literature suggests that although there are quite a few similarities between the therapeutic techniques of male-to-female and female-to-male voice clients, there are crucial differences in these techniques that must also be considered. A few of the differences include considering a degree of change based …

Voice Therapy Techniques For Male-To-Female Versus Female-To-Male Transgender Individuals And Stereotypical Gender Beliefs That Affect These Techniques, Bailey Lyman

Honors College Theses

This research was conducted to determine the differences and similarities between the therapeutic techniques used with male-to-female versus female-to-male transgender voice clients resulting from their existing and potentially changing anatomy and physiology. It was also conducted to determine the potential impacts of gender stereotyping on therapeutic techniques and a client’s therapeutic course. A review of the literature suggests that although there are quite a few similarities between the therapeutic techniques of male-to-female and female-to-male voice clients, there are crucial differences in these techniques that must also be considered. A few of the differences include considering a degree of change based …

Implementing Trauma-Informed Care Early In The Lives Of Children And Adults, Carley Clymer

Scholars Week

Throughout the health care industry, providers are failing to recognize the implications that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have upon adult health. As a result, these patients not only have to endure these traumas, but they’re also faced with crippling health conditions that accompany them including depression, heart disease and obesity. The prevalence of common high-risk behaviors such as smoking, drinking and illicit drug use can also co-exist with adversity, which leads to an exacerbation of already poor health. This presentation aims to relay the significance of adopting a trauma informed care (TIC) approach early in the lives of clients to …

Animal-Assisted With Nursing Home Residents, Kierstyn Stevens

Scholars Week

This study was conducted to evaluate the use of animal-assisted therapy in nursing home residents, particularly a Nursing and Rehabilitation center in Paducah, KY. Residents of long term care facilities, like a nursing home, face many challenges due to physical and mental changes. Factors contributing to these changes may include financial changes, loss of autonomy, mobility changes, etc. Various articles concerning animal-assisted therapy in elders, residents of hospitals, and residents of long-term care facilities were gathered to examine potential benefits. Findings indicated significant improvement in variables found often in elders, such as anxiety, depression, aggression, and loneliness. Many of these …

Intersectionality And Exploitation The Commodification Of The Bodies Of Marginalized Women, Ocean Royalty

Honors College Theses

Using four historical case studies this paper attempts to examine the effects of marginalization and exploitation faced by women in a modern context. It opens with a broad analysis of modern trends of exploitation like sex trafficking and pedophilia and how they center around groups based on sex along with race, class, and age. It ends with detailed studies of the lives of women of color: Saartjie Baartman, Julia Pastrana, the patients of J. Marion Sims, and Henrietta Lacks.

Review Of The Book Homesteading The Plains: Toward A New History, Peter A. Kindle

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Review of the book Homesteading the Plains: Toward a New History

Towards A Social Justice Agenda: Intimate Partner Violence Among Rural, African American Women, Shani Collins Woods

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

The social work profession is rooted in community-based work that seeks to eradicate social injustice everywhere. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global phenomenon which impacts women from diverse socio-economic and racial/ethnic backgrounds. It involves power and control, economic abuse, and physical and sexual violence. When compared to other racial and ethnic groups, African American women are likelier to experience physical violence, rape, and homicide. Intimate partner violence among African American women is a social justice issue.

When compared to other racial and ethnic groups, rural and/or low-income African American women are likelier to experience IPV. They are also likelier …

Holistic Approach To Addressing Community Needs In Rural Communities, Ebony L. Hall Lang, Stephanie J. Hamm, Nathalie P. Jones

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

The purpose of this study was to assess health of a rural Texas community in efforts to better understand and develop a plan of action for developing community intervention for increasing availability of human resources. Researchers asked various questions to understand the availability and accessibility of resources within a rural community using a community needs assessment approach. Participants were recruited by the researchers directly within the community using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The sample size included 361 participants in a rural community. The overall quality of life for the rural participants was slightly lower than what researchers considered to …

Mental Health Advocacy: Building An Interdisciplinary Program For Agriculture Professionals, Abby E. Blankenship, Erica E. Nason, Olivia Hayes, Sebastian Bliss

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

The suicide rate among agriculturalists is 3.5 times higher than the general population. A number of external factors related to the farming and veterinary work put individuals in agricultural populations at risk for poor mental health outcomes, including economic variables (e.g. tariffs, market prices), environmental factors affecting yield (e.g. drought, pests), and exposure to difficult or traumatic life events (e.g., mistreatment of animals, loss of crop). Rural values including self-reliance, work orientation, and individualism combined with logistical and systemic barriers to competent behavioral health care further increase risk. Project GROW (Generating Resilience in Our Workforce) is a multifaceted full semester …

Stinky Water And Other Ills: Environmental Justice For Rural Services, Michael R. Daley

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Environmental justice concerns affect rural communities and the people who are members of them. Social workers’ long-standing involvement in improving living conditions of the people and communities with whom they work make environmental justice an important responsibility. Yet there is a rural-urban divide on topics related to the environment, and rural and urban communities tend to establish different environmental priorities. Rural communities tend to prioritize local conditions and solutions over global and societal ones. Rural people distrust national policies especially those established by governmental as not being responsive to their interest. Some common environmental rural problems are identified. Environmental justice …

Review Of The Book Rural Poverty In The United States, Peter A. Kindle

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Review of the book Rural Poverty in the United States

Dress Like Me: An Exploration Of Rural Graduate Social Work Attire, Jody Long, Jocelyn Martin, Audra Pierce, Sean Creech, Stephen Guffey

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

During graduate school internship training, some students wear more formal attire and others casual attire. This study’s purpose was to explore rural areas clients’ preference for graduate social work interns’ attire. Clients from internship sites located in a rural southern location were asked their attire preferences based on comfort and confidence levels, degree of warmth, returning appointments, and during a crisis. One hundred and twenty-six subjects participated in the study and responded that casual dress was preferred in terms of specific impressions. The results of the study were to build rapport; graduate social work interns should consider their clientele when …

Influence Of Work Values On Rural-Practice Intentions Among American Students Attending A Rural University, Nicholas Best

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Rural areas in the United States frequently face difficulties regarding the prevalence of healthcare-related professionals. To better address this issue, it is important to understand how various demographic factors as well as individual work values influence the workplace setting decisions of future "helping" professionals. Previous research has studied the impact of various work values and how they relate to working with underserved populations (Aviram & Katan, 1991; Krous & Nauta, 2005). The current study aimed to compare various demographic factors and work value's ability to predict intentions to work in rural areas among students attending Murray State University (N …

The Effects Of Erosion Structures On Triplett Creek From The Fall Of 2016, 2017, And 2018, Haylee Winters

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Triplett Creek is a tributary of the Licking River. It runs through Morehead, KY, where we are conducting our research.

The creek was modified in the 1970s but construction was halted before the project was complete. Unfortunately, the result was an increase in overflow and subsequent riverbank erosion. The city installed sediment trap rocks in hopes of slowing down the water and decreasing erosion. We are using drones and photogrammetric software to map the area and compare images of the river to determine erosion rates. The new images will be compared to ones taken in previous years to visualize the …

Teacher Candidates’ Emerging Perspectives On Trauma Informed Teaching, Mary S. Thomas, Penny B. Howell, Shantel Crosby, Elmedina Brkic, Kaleb Clemons, Lydia Mckinley, Sedekia Peter

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

A transdisciplinary team of candidates with teacher and social work educators describe their perspectives of trauma-informed teaching and intentions to use evidence-based practices in classrooms. We studied classroom management from a trauma-informed perspective in the first course in the program, then reflected back on these through a professional learning community created to intentionally focus on trauma informed teaching. We highlight findings around candidates’ perspectives and specific actions they attended to in order to incorporate those practices.

Posters-At-The-Capitol 2019 Program Booklet, Posters-At-The-Capitol

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Posters-at-the Capitol 2019 program booklet.

Classroom Management Through Teacher Candidates’ Lenses: Transforming Learning Communities Through A Community Of Practice, Mary S. Thomas, Penny B. Howell, Shantel Crosby, Khirsten Scott, La'que Newby, Hannah Evans, Sophie Daneshmand

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

• To better prepare teacher candidates for classroom management through attention to learning communities that affirm and support diverse students, including those effected by trauma, four instructors redesigned a required, undergraduate course. This study describes findings from three teacher candidate co-authors who were enrolled in that course. One semester after completing a course on classroom management and building community, candidates were asked to review their course products and other artifacts to consider what they learned and build upon their prior knowledge. Candidates used stimulated recall to respond to prompts on community building and relationships, gender and racial inclusivity, trauma …

Special Needs Students In Public Preschool, Alexandra Vansickle, Alexandra Anna Vansickle

Integrated Studies

Preschool teachers that teach in a public preschool setting work with a significant amount of students with special needs. There are significant benefits from special needs students being exposed to a school environment at an early age, not just from the therapies provided by the institution, but also by the structure the school setting can provide. Teachers and administration play a vital role in preparing special needs students for the grade school classroom. The research based curriculums, structures, and classroom routines all play a role in the development of special needs children. By students with special needs attending a public …

Suicide Prevention Methods Within A Modern-Day Society: Focusing On Mental Health In Our School Prevention Programs, Madelyn Ross

Integrated Studies

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among adolescents in our current society, but it is a preventable tragedy that often happens to many families within our communities. This paper offers insight of suicide prevention programs within the current mental health system, and the methods used within each program to educate youth on at risk behaviors and warning signs within their peer groups. The prevention programs will also dissect how school staff are handling sensitive cases of students have attempted suicide or considering suicide. Throughout the research, this paper will look at several current prevention programs like: gatekeeper …

National Service Works: A Review Of Federally Administered National Service Programs, Caitlin Szabo

Integrated Studies

National service in the United States permeates through most communities. Despite a significant number of participants, national service programs like AmeriCorps and Senior Corps are relatively unknown. People understand the concept of the Peace Corps – programs may refer to their AmeriCorps model as the “domestic version of the Peace Corps." National service programs engage individuals in providing services to their communities in exchange for intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Individuals ranging from 18 to 99 join national service programs for a number of reasons, including a desire to “give back” or “make a difference.” People also find national service as …

Review Of Broke And Patriotic: Why Poor Americans Love Their Country, Peter A. Kindle

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Review of Broke and Patriotic: Why Poor Americans Love Their Country

Rural Community Development As A Teaching Environment For Cross-Professional Training In Macro Social Work And Community And Regional Planning, Elizabeth Shay, Maureen Macnamara

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

A rural community development project combined faculty and students from two courses (community and regional planning, and social work practice in groups, communities, and organizations) housed in different colleges (Arts and Sciences, and Health Sciences, respectively) at a medium-sized public university in a small Appalachian community. The project required students from two different courses to cooperate on data collection, and collaborate on analysis and recommendations, in an exploratory effort at cross-professional training focusing on social work and community development in a rural region.

School Social Workers: Important Assets In Rural Areas, Dana C. Branson

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

As the American educational system continues to evolve and take on more social service responsibilities for students, their families, and the community, the need for school social workers has intensified. However, the demand considerably exceeds developed positions for school social workers. The increase in awareness of childhood trauma, toxic stress, poverty, and potential to spill over into the classroom places schools in a position where they need to be responsive to students’ multi-faceted needs. This conceptual article will discuss the overwhelming need for school social workers, barriers to obtaining school social workers, and the benefits school social workers can bring.

A Review Of Literature: Identifying Barriers To Academic Success Among Students With Disabilities Attending College In Rural Regions, Kaycee Lynn Bills

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

College students who have disabilities are an oppressed population that faces many challenges related to accessibility barriers in higher education located in rural environments. The number of adults with disabilities attending college has been steadily increasing over the past decade. As the number of college students with disabilities continues to rise, it is essential for researchers to identify the barriers education attainment barriers they face in rural college settings. This study is a systematic review of literature that analyze past studies in order identify the challenges students with disabilities face in higher education settings located in rural regions. It also …

Thinking Outside The Girl Box: Teaming Up With Resilient Youth In Appalachia, Rolanda L. Ward

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

The fortitude of an isolated community is lived through the words of the writers. While Spatig and Amerikaner sought to examine the cultural norms and experiences of girls in a community not on the radar of most, they were surprised to find themselves a part of the story. Their struggle with this unexpected development, ultimately leads the reader to the conclusion that community work is not only transformative for the youth who are served, but also the professionals who serve them, and the researchers who seek to work in partnership to record their journey. This text challenges social science researchers …

Rural Social Work And Environmental Justice, Pamela C. Twiss

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

While social work education and literature includes a growing body of work focused on environmental justice and the role of social work in addressing environmental injustices, limited attention has been paid to the disproportionate impact of these issues in rural areas. Many rural places can be more accurately described as rural-industrial in character. They produce the world’s food through highly mechanized agro-businesses, its timber, and much of its fossil fuels through large mining and drilling operations, each presenting threats to the surrounding environment and local peoples. This work describes environmental issues and injustices common to select large-scale rural industries, discusses …