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An Evaluation Of A Community-Based Children’S Bereavement Group Using A Resilience Model, Ada Terry Denone Terry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The death of a loved one can be an extremely painful process that can have detrimental consequences on the emotional well-being of individuals if they don’t receive grief intervention support. When it specifically comes to the emotional eudaemonia of children and teens experiencing the death of a loved one, research is limited on empirical-based bereavement intervention support to enhance their coping skills. Utilizing the theoretical framework of resilience theory, the purpose of this quantitative secondary research study was to evaluate the Sutter Sacramento Children’s Bereavement Art Group (CBAG) ten- week intervention for children and teens ages 5-12. The first question …

Career Progression: Narrative Study Of Impediments Affecting Army Female Officer Advancement From Major To Lieutenant Colonel, Jeremia M. Van

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractQualitative narrative inquiry was used to understand the accounts and experiences of female officers in the United States Army that were once stationed in South Korea, who did not advance to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In today’s military, female officers still face many challenges during their advancement from Major to Lieutenant Colonel, relative to their male counterparts. The specific problem is the underrepresentation of female majors in the Army who compete for promotion to the lieutenant colonel rank. The researcher explored the experiences of 14 female Army officers that served in South Korea and sought out promotions from the …

The Experiences And Perspectives Of Documented Hispanic Immigrants Dealing With Survivor’S Guilt, Fallon Victoria Wall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic immigrants are understudied and underserved; this is a population that continues to battle injustices and discriminatory actions due to immigration policy. The Hispanic population struggles with immigration stress and deportation, which contributes to difficulties such as psychological distress, physical health problems, acculturative stress, employment difficulties, and decreased access to support and services. In this study, a generic qualitative design was utilized to explore immigration stress and the experiences of documented Hispanic immigrants dealing with survivor’s guilt as it relates to the deportation of their loved ones. Relational cultural theory as used in the study to explore the Hispanic population, …

Exploring Social Workers And Self-Care, Justyna Wawrzonek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

First responder social workers are exposed to a stressful work environment, which puts them at risk for burnout. Burnout increases turnover rates, which negatively impacts both social workers and the clients they serve. The use of self-care practices mitigates the harmful effects of burnout. Because first responder social workers in southern California have an average turnover rate of 6 to 12 months after hire, this study explored southern California first responder social workers’ experiences with self-care practices. A basic qualitative design using semistructured interviews was applied through the purposeful sampling of eight first responder social workers. The study was grounded …

How Behavioral Health Leaders Overcome Barriers To Perinatal Mental And Psychoeducation, Jaime Lorraine Bailey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Behavioral health supportive services are increasingly becoming integrated into primary care settings. This study focused on strategies to strengthen the knowledge of behavioral health leaders and address the barriers to perinatal mental health support in primary care. A case study was designed to explore the obstacles behavioral health leaders faced managing the limited access to perinatal mental health care, along with the lack of provider psychoeducation on perinatal mental health, in integrated care settings in primary care. This study sought to provide options for better access and quality of care to perinatal patients and increase provider psychoeducation on perinatal mental …

The Barriers Social Workers Face During The Discharge Of Hospital Patients, Nykke Flaum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study investigated the psychosocial barriers hospital patients face that would delay their discharge. A delay in discharge can stop new patient admissions, cause further illness to the patient, and cost the hospital money, amongst other issues. Social workers are there as part of the multidisciplinary team to reduce the barriers and length of stay. One of the ways to do this is to detect the psychosocial issue early on in a patient’s admission so that it does not delay the discharge. Social workers investigate these issues during the discharge planning process and while conducting assessments. This study utilized structured …

Understanding The Barriers Of Lgbtq Youth Aging Out Of The Foster Care System, Quadasha Mcilwaine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically, there have been significant barriers experienced by youths aging out of the foster care system. A new area of focus highlights youths that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ). In this study, the opinions of LGBTQ youths who have aged out of the foster care system in North Carolina were explored and the barriers these youths may encounter as they transition into adulthood were illuminated. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory is the framework that was used to guide this study. A basic qualitative approach was used with semistructured interviews of 10 LGBTQ aged-out youths in North Carolina. …

Perceptions Of Hiv-Positive Patients Towards Faith-Based Community Support In A Rural Setting, James D. Rollins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have demonstrated different perspectives on faith-based organizations (FBOs). Various quantitative studies have been performed for many years; however, there is minimal qualitative research literature investigating the phenomenon of attitudes of HIV-positive patients in a faith-based structure. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of a sample of 7 participants aged 18-65 from rural areas of a southern U.S. state who have lived with HIV and have sought community support. The focus was on various interventions by rural religious community support programs. Patients’ perceptions and experiences regarding the possible improvement of their quality of life were …

Social Workers’ Perspectives On Why Stepparents Kill, Laquitta Daniella Simms

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The term accidental filicide refers to the death of a child that occurs inadvertently due to abuse or neglect. In this category of child homicides, death was not the intended outcome. Stepparents outnumber biological parents as the primary perpetrators of accidental filicide based on data collected nationwide. There is limited research on how child protection social workers perceive the risk and safety associated with accidental filicide by stepparents. The objective of this study was to investigate the safety and risk factors related to accidental filicide and the perceived barriers through the lens of child protection social workers who investigated allegations …

Social Worker Perspectives Of Working With Aging African Americans With Depressive Disorders, Sherian Waite

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although there is a greater proportion of people living with depressive disorders within the African American older adult population compared to their White counterparts, fewer African Americans are engaging in mental health treatment when compared to the Caucasian community. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences and practices of social workers who are providing mental health care treatment to African American older adult patients (aged 65 and over) living with a depressive disorder. The study was framed using both the health belief model and critical race theory. To address the research questions, a generic qualitative design …

Strategies For Sustaining Success In Small Businesses In Nigeria, Mina Johnson-Hart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Enterprise owners in Nigeria who need more entrepreneurial skills and an understanding of the business environment may need help sustaining their market share. Nigerian small business owners are concerned with the need for entrepreneurial growth strategies because it could reduce business profitability sustainability and lead to entity failure. Grounded in the entrepreneurial orientation theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies Nigerian small business owners implement for sustaining success beyond 5 years. The participants were three small business owners in the professional services sector who developed strategies for sustaining success beyond 5 years. Data were …

The Counselor’S Perspective: Exploring The Influence Of The Strong Black Woman Identity On Sexually Traumatized Female Adolescents, Jillian Mahatha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe Counselor’s Perspective: Exploring the Influence of the Strong Black Woman Identity on Sexually Traumatized Female Adolescents by Jillian Mahatha

MS, Capella University, 2012BS, Kaplan University, 2006

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Counselor Education and Supervision

Walden University November 2023

Gendered Racial Microaggressions’ Cumulative Effects On Black Women’S Psychological Well-Being, Melva Dorsey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black women living in North America experience gendered racial microaggressions injurious confrontations in every social setting due to simultaneous discrimination involving race and gender. This basic qualitative research study aimed to explore the perceptions of Black women in this society with gendered racial microaggressions to discover how they perceive the cumulative effects of this phenomenon on their psychological well-being by utilizing intersectionality as the study's conceptual framework. Data collection occurred via interviews with a sample size of five Black women ages 51 and older who were born and raised in North America that self-reported experiencing gendered racial microaggressions. Participants were …

The Reconciliation Of Cognitive Dissonance Among Social Workers In Substance Use Treatment Settings, Miranda Ashley Kieler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although harm reduction (HR) and abstinence-based treatment approaches are both useful in addiction treatment, the former is less accepted and integrated into practice. Social workers who embrace an HR approach but who work at substance abuse treatment facilities that are abstinence based may experience cognitive dissonance because they perceive their work role to be incompatible with social work practice values and education. Little was known regarding how practitioners with a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree experience and reconcile cognitive dissonance related to their HR education and abstinence-only practice in substance use treatment centers. To address this gap in the …

Caucasian Social Workers’ Cultural Competence Regarding Advance Care Planning Among Southern African Americans, Lisa Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Caucasian social workers who work in healthcare and implement advance care planning (ACP) may not be competent regarding African Americans’ reluctance to complete advance directives. Research is lacking on how Caucasian social workers in Louisiana are increasing their cultural competence regarding the interplay of historical trauma, past medical mistrust, and spiritual beliefs on African Americans’ use of ACP. This study explored how Caucasian social workers are increasing their cultural competence regarding the interplay of historical trauma, past medical mistrust, and spiritual beliefs on African Americans’ use of ACP. The conceptual framework that guided this study was the cultural competence model. …

The Experiences Of Female Sexual Minority Service Members After 2013, Ada I. Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2010, the United States Armed Forces ended the policy Don’t Ask, Don’t Tellthat excluded sexual minorities from being able to serve openly in the military. Full military benefits were extended to them and their family members in 2013. Despite these changes, victimization, stigma, and discrimination have continued to impact the lives of service members who identify as a sexual minority, as the result of microaggressions due to their sexual orientation. Past literature has examined experiences of sexual minorities, but little research has focuses on sexual minority women whose minority gender identity creates greater risk to experience micro assaults with …

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 …

Occupational Stress Of Adult Protective Service Workers, Tiffany Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has revealed that adult protective service workers experience high levels of occupational stress that often result in health complications such as burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue. Although several qualitative studies have been conducted over the past decade, there was limited information on the phenomenon of how stress is experienced by adult protective service workers investigating cases of alleged elder abuse. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of a sample of adult protective service caseworkers from the southwestern United States that have experienced occupational stress while investigating cases of elder abuse. This study …

An Evaluation Of A Community-Based Children’S Bereavement Group Using A Resilience Model, Ada Terry Denone Terry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The death of a loved one can be an extremely painful process that can have detrimental consequences on the emotional well-being of individuals if they don’t receive grief intervention support. When it specifically comes to the emotional eudaemonia of children and teens experiencing the death of a loved one, research is limited on empirical-based bereavement intervention support to enhance their coping skills. Utilizing the theoretical framework of resilience theory, the purpose of this quantitative secondary research study was to evaluate the Sutter Sacramento Children’s Bereavement Art Group (CBAG) ten- week intervention for children and teens ages 5-12. The first question …

Exploring Social Workers And Self-Care, Justyna Wawrzonek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

First responder social workers are exposed to a stressful work environment, which puts them at risk for burnout. Burnout increases turnover rates, which negatively impacts both social workers and the clients they serve. The use of self-care practices mitigates the harmful effects of burnout. Because first responder social workers in southern California have an average turnover rate of 6 to 12 months after hire, this study explored southern California first responder social workers’ experiences with self-care practices. A basic qualitative design using semistructured interviews was applied through the purposeful sampling of eight first responder social workers. The study was grounded …

Implementation Of Night Shift Rounding To Improve Nursing Communication And Reduce Days Of Intubation In The Intensive Care Setting, Lisa Wilkinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Multidisciplinary rounds are the gathering of various health care providers who have a shared interest in a patient’s well-being to discuss the plan of care and the patient’s progress through their hospital stay. This multidisciplinary group of staff can be the providers, the nurse, charge nurse, social worker, pharmacist, dietician, respiratory, chaplaincy, and occupational and physical therapists. On night shift at the project site, this rounding process did not occur, leaving the staff feeling they were not involved in the plan of care. The purpose of this quality improvement evidenced-based project was to create a process change, introduced to the …

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Existing 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 …

Examining Mental Health Literacy As A Predictor Of Mental Health Service Utilization Among Florida Foster Parents, Adam Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The focus of this study was to examine mental health literacy as a predictor of the mental health service utilization of foster parents after controlling for age. There is an absence of research addressing variables that contribute to the use of mental health services by foster parents. In this nonexperimental study, survey data were collected in an electronic format. Statistical analysis was performed through use of a logistic regression. A mental health literacy conceptual framework was the theoretical foundation of the study. The sample consisted of 42 foster parents from the northwest panhandle of Florida. The study yielded findings indication …

The Experiences And Perspectives Of Documented Hispanic Immigrants Dealing With Survivor’S Guilt, Fallon Victoria Wall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic immigrants are understudied and underserved; this is a population that continues to battle injustices and discriminatory actions due to immigration policy. The Hispanic population struggles with immigration stress and deportation, which contributes to difficulties such as psychological distress, physical health problems, acculturative stress, employment difficulties, and decreased access to support and services. In this study, a generic qualitative design was utilized to explore immigration stress and the experiences of documented Hispanic immigrants dealing with survivor’s guilt as it relates to the deportation of their loved ones. Relational cultural theory as used in the study to explore the Hispanic population, …

A Leadership Perspective On Preventing Counselor Burnout In A Behavioral Health Setting During Covid-19, Claudia P. De La Torre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a high need for mental health services, which resulted in a shortage of mental health clinicians. This shortage of mental health clinicians then resulted in a high burnout rate due to client intake. This doctoral case study was grounded in the Baldrige Excellence Framework and focused on how a behavioral health organization in South Texas managed burnout in clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to help behavioral health leaders find a solution to preventing burnout during a high demand pandemic. This doctoral study had several data sources, including semistructured interviews with three …

An Evaluation Of A School-Based School Connectedness Program, John G. Emmerich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, approximately 45% of high school students are either not engaged (28%) or actively disengaged (17%) in the academic process. Increasing a school's average student engagement yields an increase in reading and math achievement. This study evaluates a school connectedness program, Promoting Positive School Engagement (PPSE) program using a convergent mixed methods model to determine the degree of effectiveness measured by the Hemingway measure of adolescent connectedness instrument in an Urban, Midwest public middle school. Quantitative data were collected from 20 students who participated in the program and 20 students who did not (control group). Analyzed using …

Probationer Officer Experiences: Dual Role Decision-Making For Probationers With Mental Illness, Myra A. Fields

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Probation officers play a major role in maintaining public safety by balancing their dual roles of care and control. The number of individuals within the United States community corrections system is significantly growing. This has increased the need for probation officers to make decisions for probationers with mental illness. However, there is a gap in understanding how active-duty probation officers make decisions for probationers. This study examined how probation officers balance their dual roles while decision-making for probationers with mental illness. An interpretative phenomenological analysis design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants who met inclusion criteria to …

Help-Seeking Behaviors And Employment Hope Among Depressed Black Male Foster Care Alumni, Vanessa Jennings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traumatic depression is a system of experiences where the mind, heart, and gut track happenings lingering among systemic models of prevention and intervention and personal stories. This nonexperimental correlational study aimed to provide insights into mental help-seeking and employment hope among depressed Black/African American foster care male alums. The central research question was to what degree, if any, a positive relationship exists between employment hope and seeking access to mental health-related services among male foster care alums who identify with depression. It was hypothesized that a statistically significant relationship exists. The social cognitive career theory and theory of planned behavior …

Examining Mental Health Literacy As A Predictor Of Mental Health Service Utilization Among Florida Foster Parents, Adam Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The focus of this study was to examine mental health literacy as a predictor of the mental health service utilization of foster parents after controlling for age. There is an absence of research addressing variables that contribute to the use of mental health services by foster parents. In this nonexperimental study, survey data were collected in an electronic format. Statistical analysis was performed through use of a logistic regression. A mental health literacy conceptual framework was the theoretical foundation of the study. The sample consisted of 42 foster parents from the northwest panhandle of Florida. The study yielded findings indication …

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 …