Digital Commons Network^™

Human Service Professionals’ Experiences Using Mindfulness-Based Interventions To Support Depression And Suicidal Ideation Treatment, Luke Oluwadamilare Joseph

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression and suicide ideation are mental health disorders that have seen a sharp increase recently and impact the global population, with adverse effects on the public health of the entire United States. Researchers have shown that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are an evolving phenomenon used in addressing common mental challenges, such as depression and suicide, resulting in improved psychosocial and psychological stability. The purpose of this generic study was to explore the experiences of human service professionals (HSPs) who use MBI to support clients with depression and suicidal ideation in Chicago. Seven purposively sampled HSPs were the participants in the study. …

Corporate Social Responsibility, Job Satisfaction, And Company Performance, Teaira Melvin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poor financial performance can have negative impacts on business sustainability. Banking and finance leaders are concerned about poor financial performance because it can lead to a decrease in investor confidence and lower share prices for publicly traded companies. Grounded in stakeholder theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to examine the relationship between corporate social responsibility, job satisfaction, and return on assets. The participants were 76 employees of the U.S. banking and finance industry who completed a job satisfaction survey. Financial performance and corporate social responsibility data were derived from the LSEG Data & Analytics database. The results …

Perceptions Of Licensed Independent Social Workers On How Their Master Of Social Work Program Prepared Them To Work With Substance-Using Clients, Kelly A Vacca

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to a lack of accreditation standards requiring Master of Social Work (MSW) degree programs to include substance use and addiction-related courses, many MSW graduates in the United States are unprepared to meet the needs of this growing population. The purpose of this qualitative study, which was underpinned by Bandura's self-efficacy theory, was to explore the perceptions and experiences of licensed independent social workers (LISW) regarding the role their MSW program education played in preparing them to work with substance use and addicted populations. The six participants identified as having graduated from an accredited MSW program, holding a bachelor’s degree …

Perceptions Of Licensed Independent Social Workers On How Their Master Of Social Work Program Prepared Them To Work With Substance-Using Clients, Kelly A Vacca

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to a lack of accreditation standards requiring Master of Social Work (MSW) degree programs to include substance use and addiction-related courses, many MSW graduates in the United States are unprepared to meet the needs of this growing population. The purpose of this qualitative study, which was underpinned by Bandura's self-efficacy theory, was to explore the perceptions and experiences of licensed independent social workers (LISW) regarding the role their MSW program education played in preparing them to work with substance use and addicted populations. The six participants identified as having graduated from an accredited MSW program, holding a bachelor’s degree …

Teachers' Experience Serving Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders In Distance Learning, Mireya Escalante Torres

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During the COVID-19 pandemic, stay-at-home orders forced millions of students attending schools in the United States to shift to distance learning. As pandemic restrictions lifted and schools reopened, an emerging trend was observed: many parents of children with disabilities chose to continue distance learning. This decision gains significance in the context of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs) who are at a higher risk of disengagement from school. Educators need to understand how to address social, emotional, and behavioral needs within online learning frameworks. However, increasing engagement for students with EBDs in distance learning has not been well-researched. Drawing …

Domestic Violence: Lived Experiences Of Female Counselors, Franchesca Angelique Ortiz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological research study involved exploring how effective heterosexual female counselors who have survived domestic violence (DV) are at counseling female clients experiencing DV. The goal was to gather rich firsthand data regarding lived experiences of female counselors. This study involved using in-depth semi-structured synchronous interviews with six counselors, listening to lived experiences, reading transcriptions, taking and reading notes in a journal during and after interviews, and analyzing data. Findings revealed female counselors who are survivors of DV are effective in their counseling roles within the profession. Themes that emerged from findings were intergenerational cycles, power and control, …

Education Reform: Exploring Human Services Needed To Address Disparities In Urban, Antonio Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This investigation sought to delve into the complex issues surrounding racial and institutional racism within urban educational frameworks, emphasizing the substantial role that systemic obstacles and prejudices play in perpetuating educational inequities. Amidst an expanding corpus of literature on this topic, the nuanced contributions of human service interventions to ameliorate these inequities have been somewhat overlooked. The objective of this research was to fill this knowledge void by examining the perspectives and experiences of a diverse range of professionals within the K-12 educational sector, from a human services standpoint. The study utilized qualitative research methodology, gathering data through interviews with …

Effects Of Personality On The Relationship Between Hybrid Work Characteristics And Employee Engagement, Cassandra J. Brewer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The need for remote work has sparked a global discussion about the prospects of adopting home, office, remote, and hybrid work patterns. There are opportunities and challenges with the adoption of remote and hybrid work from individual, group, and leadership perspectives. In a post-COVID-19 world where changes to the way individuals work have been impacted, this study addresses the effect of the built environment on employee engagement and whether personality impacts the relationship between hybrid work characteristics and employee engagement in the modern workplace. A quantitative non-experimental, correlational multiple regression research design was used to analyze the relationships between variables. …

Innovation From Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Belonging Research: An Implementable Model For Equitable Talent Acquisition And Retention, Lionel De Souza, Tommy White Jr

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Individuals from diverse minority backgrounds in the United States represent a one-of-its-kind collaboration in understanding diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) challenges in workforce staffing and representation per Equal Opportunity norms. This study involved primary and secondary research in the realm of DEI to develop an implementable model from lessons gleaned from the findings of the research and gaps found in contemporary hiring and staffing practices. The study and model development are grounded in Rawls’s 1971 theory of justice and predicated on the premise that opportunities are usually based on merit, and are generally well-intended, although often constrained by the …

Perceptions Of Pre-Service Teachers About Natural Disasters: Coronavirus, Earthquake, Fire, And Flood, Pınar Bozca, Eylem Yalçınkaya Önder

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This research explores the perceptions of preservice teachers in Turkey in terms of their preparedness for various disasters, including epidemics, earthquakes, fires, and floods, all of which have profound social and economic impacts on education. Using a descriptive survey model, the study examined the responses of 512 preservice teachers at a single university across all levels of their educational program. The survey, conducted digitally due to the pandemic, consisted of 70 questions. Findings reveal inconsistent levels of confidence and readiness across different types of disasters. For instance, while most preservice teachers understand the severity of the coronavirus and are concerned …

Military Sexual Trauma And The Psychological And Emotional Well-Being Of Gay Men, Alisha Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that male survivors of military sexual trauma (MST) may not report their assaults due to a combination of stigma, embarrassment, and fear of further assault and of being labeled a betrayer of the military. The stigma and discrimination that these gay males may face in the military culture may lead to intensifying their trauma, making it harder to recover. The goal of this study was to explore the reported psychological and emotional well-being and quality of life of gay males who experienced sexual assault while serving in the military. Freyd’s theory of betrayal trauma and institutional betrayal …

Mental Health And Well-Being Of People Aged 60 And Older Due To Covid-19, Holly Grayson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Few studies have focused on the experiences of people aged 60 and older during the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent to which COVID-19 affects people 60 or older and their mental and physical health and overall well-being was the focus of this project. This project’s framework and research design was the theoretical framework of gerotranscendence developed by Tornstam and qualitative research methods with 20 open-ended interview questions. The questions focused on different aspects of life to determine the participants’ perceptions of the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic has on mental health and well-being. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded to …

Exploring Social Work Leadership Skills At The Veterans Health Administration: A Transformational Leadership Perspective, Jose Arturo Camacho

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the problems in the field of social work leadership is the lack of a theoretical framework to guide its practice. Bass' transformational leadership theory (TFL) offers a framework for the field of social work leadership. However, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the largest employer of social workers in the United States, has not examined TFL skills with its social work leaders nor its effect on employee job satisfaction. This quantitative, cross-sectional, web-based study was designed to bridge the gap between social work leadership practice and leadership theory. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) survey was administered to 26 VHA …

Barriers To Housing For Female Veterans Who Have Been Homeless After Transitioning From The Military, Angelika Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homelessness among the female veteran population has increased in the United States, and it is a national concern. Precipitating complexities such as posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and health-related issues are variables that contribute to female veterans becoming homeless after transitioning from the military. In this generic qualitative study, the aim was to explore the barriers to housing for female veterans who have experienced homelessness after transitioning from the military. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was the framework that guided this study, as it is designed to be able to explore the different levels of systems that significantly impact an individual …

Previously Incacerated Women's Emotional Experince Of Giving Birth In A U.S. Prison, Brigit Ichard-Henderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previously Incarcerated Women’s Emotional Experience of Giving Birth in a U.S. Prison by Brigit Ichard-Henderson MA, Walden University, 2018 MA, Texas A&M University-Central Texas, 2014 BS, Excelsior University, 2009 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Human Services Walden University May 2024   Women have been giving birth while incarcerated since the advent of confinement as a punishment for crime. There is a plethora of information on incarceration rates, pathways to incarceration, access to health care and education while incarcerated, and reasons for recidivism among women. However, little is known about women’s experiences …

Perceptions Of Developmental Disability Service Providers, On How The Judicial System Responses To Persons With Developmental Disabilities., Donna Whilby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The situation or issue that prompted me to search the literature was observing the persons with developmental disabilities circling the judicial system due to multiple encounters with law enforcement. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how the Northeast Florida judicial system could improve the outcomes of persons with developmental disabilities by reducing and preventing multiple encounters. The empowerment theory was the most appropriate theory for my study. Empowerment theory indicates that it is imperative to encourage people, especially those who have a psychological deficit, to lean into their resources to gain and utilize their power in society. …

White Clinical Social Workers’ Comfort With Black People’S Mental Illness, Lushunda Wood-Buckson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers constitute one of the largest clinically trained groups in the helping professions delivering mental health services in the United States. Most U.S. social workers are White and provide mental health services to diverse people. The social work literature has limited information about White clinical social workers’ comfort with delivering mental health services to Black people with mental illness. The aim of this study was to better understand how White clinical social workers who self-identify as culturally competent describe their perceptions of comfort when delivering mental health services to Black people with mental illness. This basic qualitative study was …

Experiences Of Online Faculty When Peer-To-Peer Incivility Is Observed, Juliet Lockwood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Incivility in the college classroom distracts from the learning process. Students who are uncivil to their peers often shame and embarrass them in front of others, and uncivil students distract from learning opportunities by arguing with professors and coercing them for grades that were not earned. Incivility by students is counterintuitive to the goals of higher education which include offering a space for meaningful learning. The literature describes incivility by students in the physical classroom, yet lacking from current research is how peer-to-peer incivility in the online classroom affects student learning. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to …

Early Childhood Teachers’ Experiences With Overrepresentation Of English Language Learners In Special Education Programs, Tiffeny Sharpton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The population of English Language Learners (ELLs) enrolled in kindergarten to second grade (K-2) in the Southern region of the United States has increased. K-2 teachers are challenged to serve ELLs in the regular education classroom and students are often being referred for special education services. There needs to be more literature on the overrepresentation of ELL students in special education programs. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore K-2 teachers’ experiences with the overrepresentation of ELL students in special education programs and what teachers need to facilitate appropriate interventions for ELL students within the general education …

U.S. Female Military Spouses' Experiences Of Careers And Self-Esteem After Frequent Military Relocations, Jennifer Lynn Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. female military spouses experience a number of challenges in sustaining their personal employment, career development, and career progression due to frequent military relocations. Previous studies have revealed that sustained employment provides individuals with a sense of purpose and identity, which significantly impacts overall well-being. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore experiences of U.S. female military spouses seeking employment after multiple relocations due to military reassignments and their perceived self-esteem post relocation. Self-determination theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. A generic qualitative approach and data from 13 participants’ individual interviews were collected and analyzed …

Barriers To Respite Care Among African Immigrant Mothers, Yewande T. Richards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African immigrant children living in the United States (US) are highly susceptible to medically complex, life-limiting, and life-threatening conditions, including rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease, autism, and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. As primary caregivers, mothers frequently need a break from their caregiving responsibilities to experience normalcy, rest, and regenerate their reserves, which is critical to their families’ long-term stability. The purpose of this study was to understand access barriers to respite care services for these mothers and the role of race in potential disparities in access using a critical race theoretical lens. The generic qualitative research design was used with …

The Experience Of Remediation For At-Risk, Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate Student Nurses, Nicole Jager

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At-risk students face academic challenges that can affect nursing program progression. Remediation strategies can increase student success. The research problem addressed through this study is a lack of information surrounding the students' remediation experience in an at-risk, pre-licensure baccalaureate student nurse population. Individualizing remediation to the student population can increase success; however, the student perspective is needed to correctly identify and tailor the remediation activities to fit the students’ needs. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore the experience of remediation among at-risk, pre-licensure baccalaureate student nurses. Mezirow's transformative learning theory grounded this study. The research design …

The Role Of Social Support In The Mitigation Of Social Worker Burnout During The Aftermath Of Hurricane Maria, Miguel Angel Soto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers are among the first responders to be activated during a natural disaster, and they remain aiding victims through the final stages of the recovery process. During the aftermath of natural disasters, social workers are required to work under extreme pressure and are at an increased risk of developing mental health issues that can affect their ability to provide adequate services. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the experiences of social workers who responded to Hurricane Maria regarding the role of social support and its relation to burnout. A purposive selection methodology was applied to …

Supporting First-Generation College Student Counselors-In-Training To Overcome Systemic Barriers: A Participatory Action Research Study, Randolph Connell Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The need for mental health professionals is increasing rapidly, and the United States is facing a critical shortage of mental health counselors. Concurrently, one of the largest and fastest-growing graduate student populations is first-generation (FG) college students. But this marginalized population is less likely to persist to graduation than their continuing education peers. FG college students have many strengths that make them well-suited to become mental health counselors; however, counseling programs and counselor education and supervision (CES) faculty do not have the information about the challenges faced by these students or the supports that would help them persist to graduation. …

Strategies Employed By School Social Workers In Virginia To Help Children Cope With Parental Death, Jamitta Covington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has indicated that school social workers employ a variety of strategies or interventions that affect the child’s adjustment in school. The psychological, physical, and social issues impacting children after the death of a parent can have long term effects on their development. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding strategies that provide support for children’s adjustment to the grief process following a parent’s death. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to identify strategies to improve, enhance, and contribute to social work practice. The study was guided by Kubler-Ross’s grief theory, ecological systems theory, and assumptions of …

Family Medicine’S Role In Addressing The Intersections Of Redlining And Climate Change, Daryl O. Traylor, Eboni E. Anderson, Brianna Clark, Alex M. Smith, Cooper K. Allenbrand

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Redlining, the practice of discriminating against specific neighborhoods based on race and socioeconomic status, leads to persistent environmental hazards and socioeconomic inequalities that have lasting adverse health effects on their populations. Health disparities are further exacerbated through the concentration of environmental hazards, as well as the escalating impact of climate change, which poses an increased risk of respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues, heat-related illness, infectious diseases, food insecurity, and socioeconomic difficulties in redline neighborhoods.

This paper examines the interplay of redlining, climate change, and health disparities, with an emphasis on the enduring consequences for these marginalized communities. Through …

Strategies For Coping With Racial Microaggressions Among African American Medical Social Workers, Robert Ebot Tambe Ebot

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial microaggressions are prevalent in the field of social work. Social workers have reported experiencing racial microaggressions from coworkers, patients, and patients’ families. However, little is known about coping strategies that African American medical social workers use to mitigate the effects of racial microaggressions in the workplace. Therefore, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to increase understanding of how African American medical social workers perceive and cope with racial microaggressions in the workplace. A generic qualitative approach was used to explore this topic, as well as how these social workers subsequently cope with perceived racial microaggressions. Twelve African …

Aging And Depression: Identifying Strategies To Prevent Suicide And Restore Integrity, Nekka A. Herbert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have documented a projected increase in the older adult population and a foreseeable increase in older adult suicides associated with shortcomings in the mental health field related to providing adequate mental health treatment to individuals 65 and older. Researchers have concluded that these shortcomings are due to ageism, lack of awareness, lack of knowledge in gerontology, and inadequate training for professionals entering the field. Studies have highlighted the growing number of older adult suicides but have lacked effective treatment strategies to reduce depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts/behaviors, specifically in the older adult male population, which has the highest number …

Elders Helping Elders: The Impact Of Stress On The Informal Caregiver, Denise Diane Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Informal older caregivers who care for other older adult's experience stress that can harm them. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between perceived stress and the physical health, quality of life, and coping skills of the informal older caregiver. The stress process model was used as the conceptual framework for this study. Using the Self survey using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), World health Quality of Life BREF (WHQOL-BREF) Scale, and the Brief-COPE Inventory, a total of 80 informal older caregivers were selected as participants. Pearson chi-square and Pearson’s r were used to analyze the …

The Relationship Between Ohio Start Peer Recovery Services And Parental Sobriety, Jennifer Mcclellan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parental substance use is associated with an increased risk for child maltreatment. The rise of parental substance use in Ohio led the state to implement Ohio START (sobriety, treatment, and reducing trauma), an evidence-based model that incorporates lived experience through peer recovery services embedded within child protection agencies. Researchers have studied the benefits of peer recovery services in community settings but have not extensively explored potential impacts among child protection populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the timeliness and quantity of Ohio START peer recovery services and the length of parental sobriety at case …