Drug Court Professionals’ Perspectives On Marijuana Legalization Implications For The Drug Court System, Daniel Akwasi Amankwaah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Supporting Entry-Level Staff In Managing Behaviors In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In A Respite Care Program, Brittany Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Family Decision Making In Dementia Care Transitions: A Qualitative Case Study, Tanisha Nicole Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Child Abuse Assessment And Reporting By Social Workers: An Action Research Project, Audra Willsey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Perspective Of University Students On The Availability And Effectiveness Of Cyberbullying Prevention And Response Initiatives On Campus: Virtual Semi-Structured Interviews On Resources, Barriers, And Solutions, Molly-Gloria R. Patel, Anabel Quan-Haase

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Cyberbullying is a problem in educational settings, and much of the research has focused on the development of effective prevention and response initiatives. Because of the vulnerability of children, cyberbullying research and intervention programs have largely targeted elementary students. A growing body of research has shown that cyberbullying is not limited to elementary settings, but the problem is also prevalent in postsecondary institutions, with potentially severe negative consequences. Yet, there is a gap in research about interventions tailored to this life stage. To address this gap, we conducted virtual semistructured interviews through Zoom with 21 university students on the availability …

Photovoice As An Act Of Agency To Decenter Whiteness In P-12 Classrooms, Crystal V. Shelby-Caffey, Jinan Al-Hunayan

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Given the lack of diversity in the P–12 teaching force, we contend that white normativity is prevalent and remains mostly unchallenged in these settings. Acknowledging such inequities requires an intentional focus on equity in teacher education programs. The project described here facilitated in-service teachers’ growth in becoming culturally competent and critically conscious by using Photovoice in P–12 classrooms. Photovoice is a participatory action research method that uses photography to examine the lived experiences of participants. Photovoice was used to examine school-based practices that erased and silenced students while offering an inflection point from which the in-service teachers could develop and …

Students Of Color And Covid-19: Experiences, Coping Strategies, And Supports, Amie S. Kang, Barbora Hoskova, Chung Yu Liu, Arisa Viddayakorn, Molly Binder, Belle Liang, Betty S. Lai

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The coronavirus disease of 2019, known as the COVID-19 pandemic, is a disaster event that posed significant physical, social, financial, and mental health risks to college students. Disproportionate experiences of stressors position students of color as a population particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of COVID-19, thus, the current study assessed the impact of COVID-19 on undergraduate students of color in the United States. Students participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews about their experiences with stressors during the pandemic. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis and revealed themes including (a) the pandemic’s impact on students; (b) basic needs as college …

The Sunnyside Movement Towards Mental Health Prevention And Resiliency, Eva Williams

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: To increase Mental Health awareness and resources among adults with untreated mental disorders in the Sunnyside community (Understanding Houston, 2023).

Significant Findings: 18,6004 residents reside in Sunnyside. Nearly half (48%) were between 20 and 64 years of age, 18% were 65 or older, and many out of this group have untreated mental disorders or have been hospitalized for mental health symptoms (Sunnyside Survey Shows Neighborhood's Social Fabric Is Strong, 2019). These findings include the LGBTQ community, which accounts for about 40% of people who reported experiencing mental illness in the last year (Kolanek, 2020). The target problem in …

Human Trafficking In Orlando, Florida, Danielle Cador

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: My goal for my social change portfolio is to bring heightened awareness to my community through proper training, education, and community involvement to increase the prevention of human trafficking in Orlando, Florida.

Significant Findings: Human Trafficking has become a $150 billion industry globally (Toney-Butler et al., 2023). It has become a type of pandemic that either no one seems to be talking about or gets overlooked. Florida is listed as one (1) of the top three (3) states following California and New York where human trafficking is prevalent (Human Trafficking Hotline, 2021). Women and young girls typically come …

Preventing Burnout Among Mental Health Professionals In Charlotte, Nc, Robert Marcy

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: The goal of this social change project is to find ways of preventing burnout among mental health professionals in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Significant Findings: Burnout among mental health professionals is a critical issue for which prevention strategies can be highly effective. Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the country’s fastest-growing cities, with demand for services, including those provided by mental health professionals, increasing with the growing population. Charlotte’s population growth, coupled with the lingering impacts of COVID-19, places Charlotte’s mental health professionals at increased burnout risk. Burnout among mental health professionals negatively impacts the individual and the clients …

The Impact Of Gun Violence On African American Adolescents In Baltimore City, Maryland, Valerie Taylor

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: The aim of this social change portfolio is to prevent gun violence in African American males in Baltimore City, Maryland, through increasing awareness in schools and communities.

Significant Findings: African American males are perpetrators and victims of gun violence at a substantially high rate in Baltimore City, MD. They are disproportionately affected in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities” (Shulman et al., 2021). According to County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (2018), data from 2016 to 2020 revealed 44 firearm-related deaths per 100,000 people in Baltimore City, Maryland, compared to 12 people per 100,000 in the whole state of Maryland and 12 …

Student Mistakes In Elite School Classrooms: Teacher Reflections And Reported Instructional Strategies, Maleka Donaldson

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This article explores how teachers respond to student mistakes in one educational setting—an elite private high school. This qualitative study is a thematic analysis of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with teachers at one such school. The results reveal that in their responses to student mistakes, the teachers work to build trust and emotional safety, give students agency throughout the learning and feedback processes, and ask probing questions that rigorously challenge their thinking. By considering teacher accounts of their instructional approaches and past experiences, the study adds a context-specific, real-world perspective on how teachers in an elite school frame student mistakes.

Recovery Journey Of Diverse Populations Using Design Thinking Method: Recommendations For Practitioners And Policymakers, Lawrence Bryant, Monica Nandan, Sherrie Cade, Bianca Anderson

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Through a state grant-funded multicultural needs assessment, researchers from a U.S. southeastern state university captured the voices of underserved populations related to their unmet needs and recovery journey from the non-medical use of opioids and other substances. Specific voices of African Americans, Latinx, mature adults, veterans, people who are homeless, college students, and individuals within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities were captured utilizing design thinking protocol in focus groups. Participants recommended that providers be culturally responsive in disseminating information and providing affirming care. Moreover, participants felt that counselors and other professionals should be more empathetic and …

University Administrators’ Visions For The Recovery Of International Student Exchange In A Post–Covid-19 World, Yusuke Sakurai, Yukiko Ishikura, Ryoko Nakano, Yuki Nabeshima, Yu Sengoku, Akito Okada, Sachihiko Kondo

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: Little is known about how international functions of higher education, such as exchange programmes, can be resumed during recovery from a disruptive global crisis, such as COVID-19. We collected the opinions of administrators of international exchange programmes regarding their plans to resume their exchange programmes in the recovery phase and identified variations in the responses concerning institution type (public vs. private) and the presence or absence of a medical school.

Method: We used multiple-choice survey questions in our study, resulting in 180 valid responses. We examined overall patterns using descriptive statistics and institutional uniqueness using Fisher’s exact test.

Results: …

Attitudes Of Muslim Americans Regarding Prejudice And Discrimination Displayed By Non-Muslims, Munder Abderrazzaq

Journal of Social Work in the Global Community

Abstract

Muslim Americans have reported experiencing racial profiling, physical threats, and verbal abuse based on their religion, ethnicity, and color (Samari, 2016). These types of lived experiences can have negative personal consequences for Muslim Americans and influence their attitudes and behavior toward non-Muslims. A literature review conducted by Simon et al. (2018) suggests the need for research that explores the point of view of minorities regarding intolerance displayed by majority members. Intolerance is defined as the refusal and unwillingness to tolerate or respect individuals from different social or minority groups who hold different beliefs. Prejudice and discrimination can hinder the …

Culturally Responsive Domestic Violence Interventions For Immigrant Communities In The United States: A Scoping Review, Abha Rai, Kristen Ravi, Nibedita Shrestha, Luis R. Alvarez-Hernandez

Journal of Social Work in the Global Community

Immigrants are at a higher risk of domestic violence (DV) victimization due to their unique positionality in the United States. The goal of this scoping review is to examine the extent to which cultural responsivity is incorporated in DV interventions developed for immigrant communities. Peer-reviewed articles between 2005–2021 were reviewed across 11 databases. Our sample included n = 15 articles that highlighted interventions designed for diverse immigrant groups, including Latinx and Asian groups. Building unique interventions for specific immigrant groups would allow for prioritizing the needs of survivors while engaging in direct service provision by social workers.

Dissecting The Interrelations Of Suicidality And Mental Health Across First Responder Subtypes Seeking Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Study, Alaina Beauchamp, Warren Ponder, Katelyn Jetelina

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

First responders are routinely exposed to traumatic events that can affect their mental health to the extent of suicidal ideation and suicide completion. The purpose of our study is to inform the comparability of predictors of suicidality across first responder types to elucidate the most efficacious targets for intervention and clinical intercession. Clients (N = 224) sought counseling services between 2015 and 2020 at a not-for-profit organization. We conducted a matched study with cases defined as those with suicidality at baseline and those without suicidality at baseline (controls). First responder types were law enforcement officers (LEOs), firefighters, and emergency …

Epidemiology And Criminology: Managing Youth Firearm Homicide Violence In Urban Areas, Joseph A. Mcmillan

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Violence is considered a public health problem in the United States, yet little is known about the benefit of using a combined epidemiology and criminology (EpiCrim) approach to focus on urban youth gun violence. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to determine in what ways Akers and Lanier’s EpiCrim approach, in tandem with Benet’s polarities of democracy approach, is explanatory of gun homicides by youth in U.S. urban areas and if the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System adequately addresses gun abatement measures. I collected data through semi-structured interviews with 16 criminal justice practitioners and medical professionals with experience …

An Analysis Of The Texts In The Life Studies Textbooks In The Context Of The United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child, Emrullah Akcan, Kemal Faruk Bakır

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

In this research, we analyzed the life studies lesson textbooks taught in Turkey as of 2019–2020 within the scope of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Considering this purpose, we conducted content analysis using the document analysis method, one of the qualitative research methods. As a result, two themes emerged from life studies textbooks (LSTs), namely “the formation of the perception of children’s rights” and “the basic rights of immigrants and children with special needs,” and we developed a total of 17 codes belonging to these themes. We found that the texts in the LSTs …

Photography As A Wellness Tool For Counselors-In-Training, Charaya C. Upton, Joel F. Diambra, Pamelia E. Brott, Zach Budesa

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The academic journey to become a professional counselor can be challenging for counselors-in-training (CIT), adversely affecting their physical health, mental health, and wellness. Counselor educators (CE) have recognized a need for wellness training and interventions to assist CIT during graduate school and to prepare them for their careers. Photography is considered a tool in art therapy within the realm of expressive therapies that can be used for wellness purposes. We review wellness, CIT struggles with wellness, expressive therapies, and photography techniques to promote CIT professional development and wellness practices. We identify the history of photography tools, describe each tool more …

Domestic Violence In Clarkston, Washington, Elizabeth Baker

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: My goal would be to provide increase support and resources for victims of interpersonal violence to reduce overall rates of domestic violence in Asotin County.

Significant Findings: I currently reside in Clarkston, Washington, or within Asotin County. Clarkston holds numerous strengths and challenges. Some strengths of Clarkston include a lower unemployment percentage, less severe housing problems, and reduced commute time to work compared to Washington state (County Health Rankings, 2023). Challenges within Clarkston include an increased percentage of habits that are attributed to poor health outcomes, such as smoking, physical inactivity, and alcohol-impaired deaths, compared to Washington state …

Case Manager Perspectives On Transition Services For Youth With Intellectual Disabilities, Alecha Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth with intellectual disabilities have poorer outcomes during the transition period from school to adulthood. Very few studies were found that examine the perspective of the human service case manager. The perspectives of human service case managers were examined regarding the services that are needed to help youth with intellectual disabilities transition effectively. The study's purpose was to determine the services available and those needed to help support the transition from school to work, college, or in living independently for youth with intellectual disabilities. The theoretical framework for this study was Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory used to explore the errors …

The American Founding Documents And Democratic Social Change: A Constructivist Grounded Theory, A I. Forde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractExisting social disparities in the United States are inconsistent with the promise of democracy; therefore, there was a need for critical conceptualization of the first principles that undergird American democracy and the genesis of democratic social change in America. This constructivist grounded theory study aimed to construct a grounded theory that provides an understanding of the process of American democratic social change as it emerged from the nation’s founding documents. A post hoc polytheoretical framework including Foucault’s, Bourdieu’s, and Marx and Engels’s theories of power was used to understand power dynamics. The research question focused on understanding the process of …

Clinicians' Perceptions Of Telehealth Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Virginia, Johnetta Hill Guishard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The onset of COVID-19 introduced unprecedented changes to how U.S. public health services were delivered. Many public and private agencies faced mandatory closures, social distancing mandates, and rapid transitions to telehealth interventions and treatment. Mental health clinicians witnessed disruptions in continuity of care and an increase in mental health risks overall. Although some studies have been conducted to survey clinicians’ perceptions of the usefulness and ease of use of technology-based interventions, knowledge about mental health clinicians’ experiences and perceptions in Virginia was sparse. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore how mental health clinicians in Virginia described …

Strategies For Recruiting, Retaining, And Developing The Knowledge And Skills Of Behavioral Health Technicians, Shirley Ann Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To be effective, behavioral health organization leaders must recruit and retain behavioral health technicians (BHTs) to provide nonclinical services. The focus of this case study was on identifying strategies to promote the recruitment and retention of BHTs and to help these workers develop the knowledge and skills they need for effective job performance. The Baldrige Framework for Excellence was used to guide this case study of a behavioral health organization located in the southeastern United States. The organization had one residential substance use facility serving men and five serving women and experienced a constant shortage of BHTs. Data were collected …

Cultural Humility As A Predictor Of Intention To Leave Moderated By Authentic Leadership, Dennis Whitfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this research was the inappropriate treatment of multicultural individuals by their immediate supervisors and the need for a thorough examination of cultural humility in organizational settings. This quantitative study used linear regression and moderation analyses to examine the relationship between cultural humility and intention to leave moderated by authentic leadership to determine how the participants’ perception of cultural humility in their immediate supervisor predicted their intention to leave. Another purpose was to examine whether authentic leadership moderated the relationship with intention to leave. The theoretical framework for this study included cultural humility, authentic leadership, and intention …

Social Workers’ Philosophical Attitudes Towards Harm Reduction Services In Housing First Organizations, John Gay Woolley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOver the past three decades, harm reduction has gradually become more prevalent among social workers and is now viewed as an instrumental approach in treating people with drug and alcohol problems. Although there have been several studies that described how harm reduction approaches were applied in Housing First (HF) settings, there are few studies that have described social workers’ perspectives of their philosophical attitudes regarding harm reduction in HF settings. The purpose of this study was to understand social workers’ perspectives of their philosophical attitudes toward harm reduction services and how those attitudes were apparent in their interactions with substance-using …

Exploring The Reasons People Abuse Animals, Barbara Bittinger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research on animal abuse has grown over the years which has led to studies that determine the psychological implications of animal cruelty in relation to various societal and environmental agents. From these studies, researchers have addressed animal abuse and cruelty in general but have not established the cause of the behavior or reasons why people abuse animals. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the reasons motivating human beings to abuse animals. Using the qualitative method, this study used snowball sampling to interview a total of 10 professionals who work in the fields of veterinary medicine (veterinarians …

Lived Experiences Of Employees Working With Homeless Veterans In Transitional Housing Programs In New Jersey, Ieshia C. Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homelessness among veterans has been a widespread concern for over three decades. Individuals employed in transitional housing settings play a pivotal role in helping veterans overcome homelessness. There is a lack of qualitative studies that explores the experiences of these employees, which limits understanding of what is needed to help homeless veterans regain their place back in society and the ability to develop and implement better programs for the population. In this phenomenological study, semi-structured interviews were used to help understand and describe the lived experiences of employees who work directly with the homeless veteran population in transitional housing settings …

Strategies For Clinical Managers To Reduce Nosocomial Infections, Samisha Lynn Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increasing nosocomial infection rates threaten patient safety when approximately 100 million patients annually acquire at least one nosocomial infection during their hospital stay. Some clinical managers lack strategies to reduce the incidence and costs of nosocomial infections. Clinical managers need training in proactive infection control guidelines that may reduce infection rates and increase profitability. Grounded in adaptive leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore successful strategies that clinical managers used to reduce incidence and costs associated with nosocomial infections. The participants were four clinical managers employed by health care organizations in the Southeast Texas …