Digital Commons Network^™

Poverty Elimination Action Plan, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, City Of Omaha

Reports

This document fulfills the legislative requirements of LB 840, the Poverty Elimination Action Plan, aimed at reporting on Omaha efforts to eliminate poverty and developing a comprehensive strategy to eliminate poverty in Omaha, NE. It reviews research and policy interventions addressing poverty, incorporates community-driven and secondary data for a needs assessment, and offers actionable recommendations for poverty alleviation. The report also provides guidance on implementation, sustainability, and progress tracking. A brief conclusion at the end of this report is followed by appendices detailing supplementary data and analysis.

Examining The Perceptions Of Restorative Practices In A Non-Profit Organization: A Comparative Analysis Of Staff And Youth Attitudes, Autumn N. Alicea, Anne Hobbs Dr

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This study examines the attitudes toward restorative justice (RJ) among staff and youth at a non-profit residential organization. Using the Restorative Justice Attitude Scale, data was collected from 14 staff members and 14 youth participants (N=28). Results indicated that staff members reported significantly higher mean scores (M = 84.50, SD = 8.38) on the Total Restorative Justice Attitude Scale than youth participants (M = 67.93, SD = 15.81). ANOVA results revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups on attitudes toward restorative justice, F (1, 26) = 12.007, p = .002. Effect size analysis (η² = .316) indicates that approximately …

Provision And Long-Term Assessment Of A Specialized Clinical Evidence-Based Practice Curriculum For Master Of Social Work Students, Susan Reay

Social Work Faculty Publications

This study investigated social workers’ knowledge of the common elements in evidence-based practice to treat youth mental health conditions following a specialized curriculum during their Master of Social Work (MSW) education. Participants’ knowledge was measured during their MSW education and in their first 5 years of social work practice after graduation. The quantitative study measured participants’ knowledge of common elements three times; 86 social workers participated in the study with 67 sets of scores at three data points. Study results showed that participants knew more after completing the curriculum but knew less one to five years after graduation. Overall, however, …

An Analysis Of The Impact And Effectiveness Of Human Trafficking State Laws And Policies In Missouri And Nebraska, Madeleine Mather

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to use another person for sex or labor. Human trafficking is a prevalent issue within the United States that is not talked about enough. This leads to a misrepresentation of facts about human trafficking that can lead to common myths related to human trafficking. It is each state’s responsibility to develop laws and policies that protect victims and prosecute offenders justly according to the crime. This research delves into an analysis of Missouri and Nebraska state statutes to determine their effectiveness and assess the level of awareness among residents of …

A Formative Evaluation Of ‘Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity And Building Resiliency’ With Hispanic Adolescents Prior To And During Covid‑19, Heidi Adams Rueda, Abigail Vera, Arminda Marcial, Amanda Mariano

Social Work Faculty Publications

Youth living in poverty are more likely to experience cumulative stressors including multiple adverse childhood events. Further, the Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionality affected Hispanic youth and communities, leading to unprecedented levels of trauma. This research responded to a need for a youth resiliency-building program in an urban and impoverished area with a majority Hispanic population. We conducted a formative evaluation of a youth intervention entitled Mind Mat- ters: Overcoming Adversity and Building Resilience, which aims to help youth overcome adversity and to build resilience via psychoeducation and skill development. Just prior to the pandemic in the United States (August-December, …

The Impacts Of Problem Parenting On College Student Mental Health: A Pilot Study, Deirdre O'Sullivan, Isak Kim, Jennifer L. Hanna, Justin R. Watts, Amber O'Shea

Counseling Faculty Publications

This study validated a scale to explore family dynamics on a continuum of problematic to positive parenting practices that are believed to relate to college student distress and well-being. A two-factor scale was revealed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis with each factor demonstrating good internal reliability and convergent validity with another validated scale. The new scale better predicted college student mental health and well-being when considered with the frequently used Adverse Childhood Experience Scale (ACES).

Mexican American Adolescents’ Conversations About Goals: The Centrality Of Financial Aspiration To Career And Educational Pursuit, Heidi Adams Rueda, Qihao Zhan, Lela Rankin, Deaven Greenberg

Social Work Faculty Publications

We explored Mexican American adolescents’ goals as discussed with a romantic relationship partner. Thirty-four Mexican American hetero-dating couples aged 15 to 17 (M = 11.71 months dating) from an urban city in a Southwest border state participated in a video-taped discussion. Drawing on Social Cognitive Career Theory, we inductively coded for themes and found that youth prioritized career, education, family planning, travel, and relationship goals. We were sensitized to the centrality of financial aspiration to each of these themes, and further operationalized youth’s level of financial aspiration as either modest, ambivalent, or high. Applying this template, we analyzed the …

Assessing The Construct Validity Of The Mpact-6: Research Brief, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Amber Krushas, Zachary Hamilton, X. Mei

Reports

As needs assessments are comprised of subscales that include non-observable, latent constructs, the comprehensive assessment of these items and scales is essential. Specifically, to ensure these tools are measuring offender needs as intended, their construct validity must be confirmed. The current project used a multi-level, multi-group analysis of the MPACT with a large, 10-state sample of youth. Building on previous work (see Mei et al., 2022), authors confirmed the dimensionality and reliability of the six MPACT needs domains. Beyond this, the reliability and validity of the ‘Global Needs Factor’ was also confirmed. Here, the ‘Global Needs Factor’ or ‘G-Factor’ represents …

Grace Abbott Training And Supervision Academy Annual Report 2022, Michelle Nelsen, Susan Reay, Ellen Rice, Katie Robbins Case

Social Work Faculty Publications

GATSA trainings target social workers, students, and other professionals in practice areas including major mental disorder, addiction, LGBTQ bias and stigma, aging and dementia, children and families, corrections and forensics, suicide, cultural literacy, public and private mental health, supervision, research/policy/ licensure, domestic violence, rural and underserved communities, and school social work.

Barriers To The Delivery Of Teen Dating Violence Programs In Urban School And After-School Settings Serving Mexican-Heritage Youth, Heidi Adams Rueda, Lela Rankin Williams, Abigail Vera

Social Work Faculty Publications

Teen dating violence (TDV) is increasingly recognized as a national health priority, impacting overall well-being and school success. However, there are overlooked barriers to TDV program delivery in schools and youth-serving organizations and these are ideal settings to reach youth universally. In this study, we conducted 10 focus groups with school (e.g., administrators, social workers, nurses) and after-school personnel regarding barriers to TDV programming within a large urban community serving predominantly Mexican-heritage youth. Findings offer practice-driven considerations for the implementation of programs within urban communities. These include attention to limited resources, inhibitive and non-existent policies, competing demands, a lack of …

Identifying Successes And Barriers In A Child Advocacy Center: An Examination Of Five Service Areas, Amber Krushas, Teresa C. Kulig, Emily M. Wright, Ryan E. Spohn, Lynn Castrianno

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Despite widespread support for coordinated responses to child maltreatment, little research examines the successes and barriers faced by child advocacy centers (CACs). The current study examines perspectives on program operations within a large CAC in the Midwest across 14 focus groups, including both internal CAC staff (N =32) and external agency partners (N = 37). Universal successes and barriers were identified across all service areas. Still, the findings indicate a need to also consider the unique factors affecting each service area. The importance of these findings is discussed for those working in arenas that provide services to youth and families …

Family Support Evaluation Fy 2017-2021, Julie D. Garman, Anne M. Hobbs, Erin Wasserburger, Juvenile Justice Institute, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

Evidence-Based Nebraska.

Family Support programs are prevention-focused efforts that seek to improve upon family function and communication through referrals and interactions with youth and families in Nebraska. Youth and families are referred for various reasons and community-based programs respond to these youth and family needs in a variety of ways, depending upon their individual needs and involve organizations throughout the community as needed. Through interviews with Family Support staff and directors, we learned that programs take different approaches to providing services to youth and families that are individualized to address emergent issues. Youth and families are commonly referred to the …

School Absenteeism Guidebook For Program Development And Cultural Components, Julie D. Garman, Anne M. Hobbs, Sarah A. Steele, Erin Wasserburger, Marijana Kotlaja, Aaron Lockee, Juvenile Justice Institute, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

Programs across Nebraska have been working to reduce chronic absences and excessive absenteeism through targeted intervention and prevention strategies. This Guidebook is intended to assist communities in developing prevention and intervention strategies that fully address school absenteeism. In addition to outlining evidence-based responses to school absence, we looked specifically for programs that include a cultural competence component, or that have shown prior success in working with specific populations most at risk for excessive absenteeism. First, we present an overview of the risk factors for excessive absenteeism and potential negative outcomes associated with increased absences from school. In the second part …

Mexican Middle Schoolers’ Questions On Sexuality And Dating Relationships: A Descriptive Qualitative Analysis, Deaven Rodriguez, Heidi Adams Rueda, Steven Hoffman, Bethany Gutierrez

Social Work Faculty Publications

Research in Mexico has found a lack of comprehensive sexual health education in school settings, as well as a lack of youth perspectives on sexual health and dating. Little is known about the questions Mexican youth have about dating and sexuality, despite research finding that they desire this information and perceive few resources available to them. This collaborative study between a U.S. university and a multi-disciplinary team of middle-school psychologists in Central Mexico aimed to understand youth’s questions on sexual health and dating. This study was a follow-up to focus group conversations, where youth voiced that they wanted more information …

A Qualitative Comparison Of Parent And Childcare Provider Perceptions Of Communication And Family Engagement In Children's Healthy Eating And Physical Activity, Danae Dinkel, Maggie Rasmussen, John Rech, Kailey Snyder, Dipti A. Dev

Journal Articles

Background

Parents and childcare providers play a substantial role in the development of health behaviours among the children they care for. In order to ensure the optimal growth and development of children, communication and family engagement in childcare is critical. Previous studies examining parent or provider perceptions about healthy eating or physical activity have explored these concepts individually and/or have only included only parents or providers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare childcare provider and parent perceptions of communication regarding healthy eating and physical activity as well as use of best practice strategies on family engagement for …

Perceptions Of Youth Of Juvenile Diversion, Lindsey Wylie, Erin Wasserburger, Anne M. Hobbs, Juvenile Justice Institute, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

Evidence-Based Practices Brief #6

The juvenile justice system was established under the belief that children who misbehave should be rehabilitated, but not subject to adult punishment. During the 1980s and 1990s, attitudes toward juveniles became more punitive and practices moved toward formally processing youth into the system;1 however, research demonstrates that youth who are formally processed may have worse outcomes than youth who are not formally processed.2 Juvenile diversion is one approach offered to reduce potential unintended consequences of juvenile court.3 The concept of diversion is based on Labeling Theory, which asserts that processing low-level youth through the system may …

School Interventionists Fy 2015-2020, Lindsey Wylie, Erin Wasserburger, Anne M. Hobbs, Juvenile Justice Institute, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

School Interventionists identify and coordinate behavioral or academic intervention for a student. Youth can be referred to the School Interventionist for attendance issues, poor grades, lack of engagement, and/or behavior issues. The intervention process includes clearly identifying the problem, selecting a strategy to address the problem, and measuring the effectiveness of the strategy. The intervention can include other supports for the youth within the school or community. In interviewing School Interventionists, they are often responsible for addressing a range of school and home issues, and often use a range of activities to do so. These activities fall within three identified …

The Relationships Of Perceived Parental Social Support To Vigilance And Resilience Among Lgbtq And Straight Cisgender Adults, Brady Dodds

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of parental support to resilience and vigilance in LGBTQ and straight, cisgender adults as the majority of research has examined these relationships in LGBTQ and straight, cisgender children and teens. It was hypothesized that greater parental support would be correlated with higher resilience and lower vigilance. Also, it was hypothesized that the relationships would be stronger for LGBTQ participants than for straight, cisgender participants. Participants who were recruited via Prolific Academic completed an online questionnaire that included measures of maternal and paternal support, resilience, and vigilance. Results indicated that participants …

Examining Differences In Achievement Of Physical Activity Best Practices Between Urban And Rural Child Care Facilities By Age, Danae Dinkel, John Rech, Yage Guo, Matthew R. Bice, Emily Hulse, Donnia Behrends, Christina Burger, Dipti Dev

Journal Articles

Go Nutrition and Physical activity Self Assessment in Child Care (NAP SACC) is an evidence based intervention developed to positively impact childhood obesity in early childhood education (ECE) facilities. One focus of Go NAP SACC is the development of physical activity best practices. However, little research has examined differences in achievement of best practices based on age of child and geographic location. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in the achievement of physical activity best practices between urban and rural childcare facilities by age-specific recommendations (infants, toddlers, and preschoolers) and in the overall physical activity environment. Urban …

Crisis Response Programs Fy 2015-2020, Lindsey Wylie, Anne M. Hobbs, Juvenile Justice Institute, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

There are a significant proportion of youth with mental and behavioral health issues, often undiagnosed or untreated, that may contribute to problems at school, home, and within the community. Families and others may not know how to best handle the crisis and often turn to law enforcement or emergency departments to assist; however, this can lead to unintended negative outcomes for youth. To best address crises, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) states that communities should have a well-developed continuum of crisis services. Crisis services are “no-wrong-door” safety net services that are available for “anyone, anywhere and …

Examining Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Native American Persons In A Nationally Representative Sample: Differences Among Racial/Ethnic Groups And Race/Ethnicity-Sex Dyads, Tara Richards, Joseph A. Schwartz, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Background

Existing research using nationally representative samples has provided valuable information regarding the prevalence and context of childhood adversity, but Native American persons have largely been absent from these studies.

Objective

We examined adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among persons identifying as White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American in the NESARC, a longitudinal study (Wave 1: 2001–2002; Wave 2: 2004–2005) using a nationally representative sample from the United States.

Methods

Means tests and negative binomial regression were used to examine the prevalence and variety of ACEs across racial/ethnic groups and race/ethnicity-sex dyads.

Results

Native American persons reported the greatest average …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Community-Based Juvenile Service Aid Programs, Erin Wasserburger, Anne M. Hobbs, Julie D. Garman

Reports

The Community-based Juvenile Services Aid Division (CBA) is a program funded by the Nebraska legislature and housed within the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (NCC). The guiding statute requires that funds be used for programs and services that divert youth from the juvenile justice system. The overarching aim is to effectively intervene with youth while they are in the community, and thereby reduce youth going to court or being placed in juvenile detention. To assess the efficacy of the interventions, the legislature allocated 10% of the fund for the development of a common data set and an …

Douglas County Youth Impact! Cost/Benefit Analysis Revised Edition: 2019 Dollars, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

The Nebraska Center for Justice Research at the University of Nebraska-Omaha conducted an evaluation of Youth Impact! which was completed in 2014. Youth Impact! is the Douglas County implementation of the Crossover Youth Practice Model, as developed by Georgetown University’s Center for Juvenile Justice Reform. This project consisted primarily of: 1) a process evaluation, 2) an outcome evaluation, 3) a systems-impact analysis, and 4) a cost-benefit analysis. This evaluation suggested that the reduction in information silos across the juvenile justice and child welfare systems led to better decision-making because of interagency collaboration and information sharing, although agency professionals still faced …

Responding To Victims Of Human Trafficking In The United States: A Review Of Treatment Providers, Morgan A. Mcbride

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Scholars have made strides to illuminate the scope and nature of human trafficking, but there have been minimal efforts to inform responses to victims. Importantly, if we do not address the issues that made people vulnerable in the first place, then they could be susceptible to re-victimization in the future. It is vital then that treatment agencies are available and engaging in effective practices to maximize recovery efforts. Thus, the current study examined treatment providers in the United States in two stages to determine how they respond to victims of these crimes. In the first stage, a systematic literature review …

Provider Reported Implementation Of Nutrition-Related Practices In Childcare Centers And Family Childcare Homes In Rural And Urban Nebraska, Dipti A. Dev, Aileen S. Garcia, David A. Dzewaltowski, Susan Sisson, Lisa Franzen-Castle, Zainab Rida, Natalie A. Williams, Carly Hillburn, Danae Dinkel, Deepa Srivastava, Christina Burger, Emily Hulse, Donnia Behrends, Natasha Frost

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Approximately 15 million children under age 6 are in childcare settings, offering childcare providers an opportunity to influence children’s dietary intake. Childcare settings vary in organizational structure – childcare centers (CCCs) vs. family childcare homes (FCCHs) – and in geographical location – urban vs. rural. Research on the nutrition-related best practices across these childcare settings is scarce. The objective of this study is to compare nutrition-related best practices of CCCs and FCCHs that participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in rural and urban Nebraska. Nebraska providers (urban n = 591; rural n = 579) reported implementation …

Annual Report 2020, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

T  he Nebraska Center for Justice Research (NCJR) was established in 2014 with a mission to develop and sustain criminal justice research capacity internal to the State of Nebraska. Our goal is to assist the Legislature, justice agencies, practitioners, foundations, and stakeholders with research and evaluation to reduce recidivism, promote the use of evidence-based practices, and improve public safety. This annual report summarizes the activities and financial status of NCJR in the 2019-2020 fiscal year. In this past year, NCJR once again crafted our Adult Justice in Nebraska report to provide a foundation of data trends in areas such as …

Staying Ahead Of Substance Abuse: The Changing Landscape Of Marijuana Use, Jennifer Smith, Pamela Ashley, Jeanette Harder

Reports

In their comprehensive report, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) (2017) concludes that the United States is in a pivotal time in the world of cannabis policy and research one in which “Shifting public sentiment, conflicting and impeded scientific research, and legislative battles have fueled the debate about what, if any, harms or benefits can be attributed to the use of cannabis or its derivatives” (p. 2).

Recruiting And Retaining Higher Risk Youth In Promotion And Prevention Programs Fy 2018-2019, Marijana Kotlaja, Chelsea W. Harris, Erin Wasserburger, Juvenile Justice Institute, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

Evidence-based practices for reducing youth involvement in the criminal justice system have gained a considerable amount of attention over the past few decades. One such practice is delinquency prevention and promotion (PP) programs, which aim to promote positive behaviors and prevent negative behaviors. Research has demonstrated that PP programs can target risk factors at different stages of development thought to contribute to antisocial behavior, reducing the likelihood of criminal justice involvement (Pardini, 2016). Once a program is in place, however, recruiting the youth most likely to benefit from the program and retaining those youth can be a significant challenge. Specifically, …

The Application Of Risk–Needs Programming In A Juvenile Diversion Program, Lindsey Wylie, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard, Anne M. Hobbs

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

As “gatekeepers” into the juvenile justice system, diversion programs are positioned to prevent future delinquency. Although research on the effectiveness of diversion is mixed, the risk–needs–responsivity (RNR) model may explain how diversion programming that matches youth to services based on their risk and needs may reduce reoffending. Most RNR research has included juveniles at the deeper end of the system, fewer studies have examined RNR with early system–involved youth. The current study explored the application of risk and needs matching in a juvenile diversion program by gender and race/ethnicity. Furthermore, we estimated a survival function to estimate risk and needs …

Annual Report 2019, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

The Nebraska Center for Justice Research (NCJR) was established in 2014 with a mission to develop and sustain criminal justice research capacity internal to the State of Nebraska. Our goal is to assist the Legislature, justice agencies, practitioners, foundations, and stakeholders with research and evaluation to reduce recidivism, promote the use of evidence-based practices, and improve public safety. This annual report summarizes the activities and financial status of NCJR in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. In this past year, NCJR once again crafted our Adult Justice in Nebraska report to provide a foundation of data trends in areas such as law …