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Social Work's Unremitting Identity Crisis: Can The Dsw Provide Answers?, Debra Joyce Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThis study is centered on a long-standing professional identity dilemma that poses potential problems for the future of the field of social work. Current literature points to specific shortcomings in the field that threaten the future of the profession. Some researchers also suggest that the reemergence of the Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) may be used to solve some of the identity concerns with the profession. The study further asserts that practicing licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) have not been a part of the conversation regarding the identity issues or the remedies that the field is considering. Using both a …

School Social Workers’ Role In School Discipline: Understanding School Discipline And Juvenile Justice, Staisha D. Hamilton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disproportionate disciplinary actions relating to school-based offenses for Black youth influence their early juvenile justice involvement. The continued excessive disciplinary actions involving Black male students in lower-level academic settings are concerning because, without being addressed, continuing disproportionate disciplinary action toward Black males can lead to future juvenile justice involvement and create a large-scale social work practice issue. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to focus on school social workers’ perspectives of their role in addressing disproportionate disciplinary strategies and their understanding of the relationship between school discipline strategies and juvenile justice involvement. The theoretical framework of this project …

Continuous Vascular Access Education For Health Care Staff, Denise R. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEnd-stage renal disease is a growing public health problem associated with high healthcare costs and high morbidity and mortality rates. Dialysis patients’ vascular access is a critical component to their survival, and knowledge in managing patients’ vascular access can reduce access complications and improve vascular access outcomes including in community settings. This DNP project is an education program developed for healthcare staff who attend church services to provide ongoing vascular access education to address vascular access outcomes in dialysis patients. The education project was developed using the ADDIE model. The site of the project was a rural city in the …

Strategies For Emotional Intelligence Training For Improving Employee Performance, Dale Elizabeth Laing-Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The nursing home industry's lack of emotional intelligence (EI) can negatively impact patient satisfaction and performance. Nursing home leaders who lack strategies to apply EI training to increase job satisfaction, reduce employee turnover, and improve interpersonal skills risk financial loss and business failure. Grounded in the EI framework, the purpose of this multiple qualitative case study was to explore strategies nursing home leaders use to apply EI training to reduce employee turnover, increase job satisfaction, and improve interpersonal skills for performance improvement. The participants comprised four nursing home leaders from multiple nursing homes in Florida who implemented strategies to reduce …

Discipline Without Punishment For African American Male Juveniles: From The Eyes Of A Mental Health Professional, Mia Nichole Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile rehabilitation and incarceration among African Americans are not equal and up to the standards and recommendations of society. This study focused on identifying the differences between the juvenile rehabilitation and incarceration punishment among African American offenders, with the goal of helping improve the way that the society looks at African Americans. The paper followed qualitative research methodology, which provided social evidence and helped in breaking down information. Data were collected from focus groups, observations, questionnaires, and interviews. The research highlights issues regarding juvenile rehabilitation and incarceration of African Americans, which can encourage change.

Relationships Between Stress, Family Support, And Resources Among Custodial Grandparents In Appalachia, Yvonne Sherii Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Appalachian region has experienced a substantial increase in the number of grandparent-headed households providing care to grandchildren. Custodial parenting is not a typical responsibility for many grandparents and can be challenging. The specific problem addressed in this research study was the high level of stress experienced by many custodial grandparents. The theoretical foundation of the current study was based on Selye’s stress theory, which was introduced in 1936 and examined biological stress that he referred to as “the syndrome of being sick.” The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, and correlational study was to examine the predictive relationship that custodial …

I’M Ok: Black Women’S Perceptions Of Vulnerability And Coping, Bridget Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within the social work profession, there has been limited understanding of tailoring treatment and coping strategies specific to Black women. The parallelism of Black women and strength has created a generational, internal conflict with maintaining the cultural label known as the strong Black woman (SBW) and stigma related to seeking help to improve mental health. The stigma associated with seeking help has hindered Black women from communicating thoughts or behaviors that categorize vulnerability. Grounded in the SBW collective theory and Black womanist theory, this study explored how the SBW stereotype impacts the communication on vulnerability and coping strategies Black women …

Well-Being Among Foster Parents Of Children With A History Of Sexual Abuse, Jelenny Marquez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are over half a million children and adolescents living in foster care in the United States, and many of them endure frequent disruptions to their placements. Disruptions are more common among children with a history of sexual abuse. The disruption of placement increases the likelihood of undesirable outcomes for both the children and their foster parents. Foster parents who are willing to offer a home that is safe and stable for a child in the foster care system are more important than ever. This qualitative study explored foster parents’ experiences of well-being after having fostered children with a history …

Correlates Of Mental Health Clinician Self-Awareness And Insight Of Attitudes Toward Older Adults, Susan L. Mcinvale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOlder adults (ages 65 and older) are expected to increase in the United States by over 70 million by the year 2030. The older adult population requires specialized medical and mental health services to address the needs related to aging. Mental health clinicians trained to address these needs may help older adults to utilize mental health counseling. Self-awareness of attitudes, insight, and knowledge may be skills that affect the attitudes of mental health clinicians toward older adults. Previous research has found that mental health clinicians who engage in self-awareness during a counseling session may improve counseling competency; however, little research …

Perceptions Of Women Of Color Improving Patient Outcomes Through Hospital Leadership Advancement, Benita A. Mclarin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women of color have been underrepresented in hospital leadership positions and face challenges in advancing their careers. The benefit to hospitals providing women of color with training and support to move into leadership positions may be improved patient outcomes. Grounded in the interactional model of cultural diversity framework, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of women of color advancing in leadership roles in hospitals and their impact on patient outcomes. The study participants included 16 women of color in leadership positions from hospitals in a western U.S. state. Data were collected through semi structured …

The Effects Of Gender, Age, And Year Of Study On Occupational Therapy Students’ Social Media Competency, Vikram Pagpatan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Occupational therapy students (OTSs) who misuse social media within academic and clinical learning environments may increase the instances of ethical health care violations and breaches of professional codes of conduct. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to assess the social media competency (SMC) scores of OTSs based on year of study, age, and gender. As a result, the research questions were developed to compare the SMC of OTSs based on year of study, age, and gender. The study was grounded by Bandura’s social learning theory and a rationale for allowing social media use in the curriculum. An archived …

Personal Resilience As An Interventional Strategy To Reduce Physician Burnout, Towahna D. Rhim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPhysician burnout is prevalent in healthcare today. Contributing factors include emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a sense of loss of autonomy. Physician burnout negatively affects a physician’s ability to provide high quality patient care. Physician burnout indicators include poor behavior, mental decline, depression, narcotics and alcohol abuse, suicidal ideation, and suicide completion. Given the negative impact of physician burnout, it is necessary to understand what can counter this phenomenon. Through lived experiences of physicians who self-identified as burned out, the purpose of this study was to explore personal resilience as an interventional strategy to reduce physician burnout. Personal resilience is adapting …

Professional Counselor Identity Development Relative To Professional Recognition, Brandon Shurn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This descriptive phenomenological study was conducted to explore how professional counselors described their professional identity development and if professional recognition from psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, and other professional organizations contributed to professional identity development. Phenomenology was developed by Edmund Husserl and explores insights from others based on their experiences. Licensed clinical professional counselors in Maryland formed the purposive sample that included six participants; each participated in a semi-structured interview. Thematic coding highlighted themes that emerged and included (a) the importance of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), (b) licensure as a stressful process, (c) professional …

Affordable Housing For Austin’S Homeless Population, Brittany M. Bilbo

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: In this portfolio, the issue of homelessness in Austin will be discussed as well as the impacts affordable housing and easier access to resources could have as preventative measures.

Significant Findings: The target population of this portfolio includes individuals at risk of entering into homelessness in Austin, Texas. In communities across the United States, higher rates of homelessness are correlated with higher rates of criminal activity, mental health issues, and substance abuse across all subgroups of those communities (Center for Evidence-Based Solutions to Homelessness, 2019). Thus, the issue of homelessness is a public health issue because it impacts …

Effects Of Poverty On Children's Mental Health In Orlando, Fl, Everlee R. Ensminger

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Significant Findings: Poverty significantly impacts children's mental, physical, and cognitive development, especially during the first five years of life. Children of color living in poverty face higher risk factors, impeded self-regulation abilities, prejudice, and discrimination associated with seeking and obtaining mental health treatment. The stigma and obstacles in accessing treatment, particularly for underrepresented groups, are significant issues in Orlando, FL. Prevention starts with utilizing theories such as the Health Belief Model (HBM) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), which deepen the understanding of how personal, environmental, and human behavior influence each other in an ongoing process. Collaboration and advocacy efforts between …

Preincarceration Collaborative Religious Coping Strategies Of Black Males With A History Of A Criminal Offense, Pearlette E. Springer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans are 56% of the incarcerated population in the United States. Black males spend an average of 13.4% of their working lives incarcerated and 82.6% of their working lives addressing the stigma and restrictions associated with incarceration. The purpose of this study was to address a gap in research by exploring the preincarceration collaborative religious coping strategy experiences of Black males with a history of criminal offenses. Pargament’s theory of collaborative religious coping strategy guided the research, interview questions, and data analysis. The qualitative narrative approach with purposeful and snowball sampling was used to recruit and collect data from …

Strategies To Retain Employees In The Mental Health Workplace, Chauncey Janielle Strange

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover continues to be an issue in the mental health community as mental health business leaders lack strategies to retain employees. Retention strategies are essential to promote continuity, funding, and profitability for mental health agencies and quality service care for patients. Grounded in Bass’s transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies mental health business leaders use to retain employees. Participants comprised three mental health center managers from a state agency in northern Louisiana who contributed to employee retention. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of organization performance evaluations, …

An Examination Of Counselor Turnover And Its Impact On Quality Behavioral Health Services, Leslie M. Beale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Behavioral health organizations often face the challenge of high employee turnover rates, which can critically affect their ability to treat mental illnesses successfully. High counselor turnover at one such organization, BHOX, threatens the provision of timely access to quality mental care. This qualitative case study examined counselor turnover and its impact on the quality of behavioral health services. The Baldrige Excellence Framework was used to guide this descriptive case study of a nonprofit behavioral health organization on the East Coast of the United States, which serves men and women struggling with mental health disorders and substance abuse addictions. The data …

Clinical Social Workers’ Perceptions And Experiences Of Parental Alienation, Martinek Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative research study aimed to explore clinical social workers’ perceptions and experiences of parental alienation (PA). Using Bowen’s family system theory as the framework, the research questions examined the problem from multiple levels of practice, including individual, family, institutional, and systematic. The individual interview approach aligned with the study goal by allowing participants opportunities to share their perspectives and experiences working with PA. The study used a purposive and snowball sampling of eight participants who were licensed social workers in the United States. Individual interview responses were transcribed and coded. Thematic content analysis was also used to analyze the …

Perceptions Of Women Of Color Improving Patient Outcomes Through Hospital Leadership Advancement, Benita A. Mclarin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women of color have been underrepresented in hospital leadership positions and face challenges in advancing their careers. The benefit to hospitals providing women of color with training and support to move into leadership positions may be improved patient outcomes. Grounded in the interactional model of cultural diversity framework, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of women of color advancing in leadership roles in hospitals and their impact on patient outcomes. The study participants included 16 women of color in leadership positions from hospitals in a western U.S. state. Data were collected through semi structured …

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 …

Human Service Professionals’ Experience With Vicarious Trauma, Saundra Mcglothan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the vicarious trauma (VT)experiences of nonlicensed human service professionals (HSPs) between the ages of 30 and 65 from Central Texas who work with male intimate partner violence (IPV) victims. The conceptual framework that guided this study was the constructivist self-development theory. A purposive sample of 11 HSPs who experienced VT because of working with male IPV victims was obtained through flyers posted on social media. Huberman and Miles’s approach to thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and create codes, categories, and themes. The 13 themes that were identified …

Mental Health Impacts Of Covid-19 And Clinical Services In Elementary Schools, Dr.Hannah Cobb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has negative effects on children, adolescents, and adults. Despite these effects, information about the nature of mental health concerns and services provided to address these concerns by elementary school counselors is unknown. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to examine mental health concerns elementary school counselors observed among kindergarten through fourth grade students in urban Oklahoma during the COVID-19 pandemic, how they described clinical services provided to address these concerns, and how they decided to provide these services. The study was grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development to explore …

Clinical Counseling Supervisors’ Perspectives Of Gatekeeping During Prelicense Supervision, Marquita R. Garrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThis interpretive phenomenology qualitative study explored the clinical counseling supervisors’ perceptions of gatekeeping during the supervision of postgraduate prelicense counselor trainees, specifically around problems of professional competence (PPC). This study aimed to address a gap in research surrounding gatekeeping relative to the specific needs of postgraduate prelicense counselor trainees. Exploring the gaps in gatekeeping, specifically around PPC regarding ethics and multiculturalism in clinical supervision, might increase the necessity for professionalism and recommendations for continuity across state lines. Data were collected from nine participants through Zoom interviews and analyzed using an interpretive phenomenological approach. Selection criteria included clinical counseling supervisors with …

How Supervisors Describe The Development Of Competence In Trainee School Counselors, Suen Yan Leung

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSchool counselors serve an important role in providing frontline counseling services to students in local school districts. Professional associations and educational institutions emphasize the importance of professional competence. However, research on professional competence is fragmented, outdated, and unintegrated. This qualitative study explored the development of competence in trainee school counselors during supervision, from the supervisors’ perspectives. Using the conceptual frameworks of self-efficacy and professional identity development, 16 experienced supervisors were interviewed and asked to describe the development of competence in trainee school counselors and how they instructed the development of competence. Thorne’s interpretive description method was combined with a reality-testing …

Faculty-Student And Student-Student Connections Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic, Fatma Ouled Salem

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic expedited the shift toward distance education by forcing institutions to adapt to the limitations of social distancing mandates. This resulted in a general sense of disconnection and isolation, compounding the other adverse effects of the pandemic. Since faculty-student and student-student connections are consistently identified as best practices in distance counselor education, the aim of this descriptive phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of counselor educators during the COVID-19 pandemic relating to faculty-student and student-student connections. A phenomenological framework was used to suspend presuppositions of the phenomenon and to describe the lived experiences of participants. In-depth …

Behavioral Health Leadership Strategies To Increase Telehealth Engagement, Ramona Singletary-Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the challenges brought on by the recent COVID-19 pandemic has been the promotion and use of telehealth services. While recent data from Medicare has depicted an increase in this new service delivery modality (over 4,000%), there has been a stark disparity in the use of telehealth services in lower socioeconomic demographics, such as rural and underrepresented communities, and among Medicare recipients. Equitable, consistent, and optimal service expansion of the telehealth modality requires therapists and leaders of behavioral health organizations to develop and deploy creative tactics to remedy this disparity. In this case study, leaders of Miss Emma's Behavioral …

Incorporating Mind-Body Therapies In Behavioral Health To Improve Patient Outcomes, Silvia Stark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMental health disorders are a global epidemic that continue to drain society of money, resources, and overall human life expectancy. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to analyze how a behavioral health organization that provides mind body therapies, such as yoga and meditation, in conjunction with clinical interventions to treat mental health disorders contributed to providing quality care and better patient outcomes. Currently, the behavioral health organization included mind body therapies within a clinical session and their goal was to separate yoga and meditation from a clinical session as reimbursable and evidence-based treatment for individuals with mental health …

Moral Injury Themes Involving Criminal Recklessness Among Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder, Sandra Starch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Moral injury (MI) can emerge following transgressive acts against one’s deeply held moral beliefs. Its symptomology involves individual psychological, spiritual, behavioral, and social spheres. It has primarily been studied within the military and in a few select civilian populations. This descriptive phenomenological study involved exploring MI themes among adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD) who had engaged in criminally reckless acts. Data collected from semi-structured interviews with eight participants were coded and analyzed, leading to six major themes revealing the symptomology of MI. Responses from study participants supported Festinger’s theory of cognitive dissonance via their descriptions of alcohol abuse cycles …

Strategies To Reduce Turnover Among Black Home Healthcare Aides, Diane Allen Tate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMany individuals prefer to remain in their homes as they age instead of entering a long-term care facility. As the proportion of older Americans rapidly grows, the demand for delivery of nonmedical services by home healthcare aides (HHAs) is expected to increase. However, the national and local supply of HHAs is insufficient and must be rectified to meet a projected increase of older Americans by 2050. This research study involved exploring this problem for one small home healthcare organization in the Maryland suburbs outside of Washington, DC with an HHA workforce that was comprised predominantly of Black/African American and African …