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Articles 31 - 60 of 12036
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
The Role Of Street-Level Bureaucrats In Relieving Food Insecurity Among African American Single Mothers, Andre Bakajika Kazadi
The Role Of Street-Level Bureaucrats In Relieving Food Insecurity Among African American Single Mothers, Andre Bakajika Kazadi
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In Washington, DC, African American single mothers continued to experience food insecurity despite available assistance, as financial and bureaucratic barriers limited access to and utilization of these programs. This problem is relevant because identifying barriers to food assistance can inform recommendations to improve Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) implementation and effectiveness. Findings from existing literature, conducted primarily from clients’ perspectives, found that food insecurity remained prevalent among African American single mothers. However, limited research has examined the perspectives of SNAP workers, known as street-level bureaucrats, who implement food assistance policies and mediate access to benefits. The purpose of this generic …
Impact Of Physical Disabilities On Daily Life, Mobility, And Public Health Outcomes Among Internally Displaced Children In Nigeria, Winnifred Obeya-Ekoja
Impact Of Physical Disabilities On Daily Life, Mobility, And Public Health Outcomes Among Internally Displaced Children In Nigeria, Winnifred Obeya-Ekoja
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The growing population of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria presents significant public health challenges for children with physical disabilities. This study investigated how physical disabilities affect daily life, mobility, access to resources, and health outcomes among internally displaced children in IDP camps in Benue State, Nigeria. Guided by the ecological model of health behavior, the study examined caregivers’ experiences of children’s self-care, daily activities, environmental and interpersonal conditions, sanitation, and access to healthcare. A basic qualitative design used semi-structured interviews with parents and caregivers selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic …
Human Service Professionals’ Support And Practice-Informed Strategies For Uninsured And Underinsured Adults Needing Mental Health-Related Services In Brazoria County, Texas, Henry Palacios
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Access to mental health-related services has remained a significant human services concern for uninsured and underinsured adults in Brazoria County, Texas, where financial, transportation, provider-capacity, and service-coordination barriers affected access and continuity of care. The purpose of this qualitative modified action research study was to explore how human service professionals supported uninsured and underinsured adults needing mental health-related services and to identify practice-informed strategies to improve access, coordination, and continuity of care. Lewin’s change theory provided the theoretical framework. The research question explored how human service professionals supported this population and identified strategies to strengthen access, coordination, and continuity of …
Digital Transformation Strategies In The Project Management Office: Navigating Organizational Change, Latoya Pierce
Digital Transformation Strategies In The Project Management Office: Navigating Organizational Change, Latoya Pierce
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Employee disengagement during organizational change can reduce workforce commitment, increase resistance, and delay implementation. Some information technology (IT) project managers lack effective strategies to foster employee engagement during organizational change. Effective employee engagement is important to IT project managers because workforce commitment can influence the successful implementation of change. The purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to identify and explore effective strategies that IT project managers use to foster employee engagement during organizational change. Kotter’s eight-step change model grounded the research project. The participants were seven U.S. IT project managers with at least 3 years of project management …
Comparative Evaluation Of Practical Functional Assessment And Traditional Functional Behavior Assessment: Practitioner Perspectives On Efficiency, Resource Utilization, And Social Validity Across Practice Settings, Mathew Dinga Gwangwaa
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
As the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) expands across diverse settings, there is an increasing need for assessment models that balance empirical rigor with practical feasibility. This quantitative, non-experimental study was an examination of the perceptions and experiences of board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) and board certified behavior analysts doctorate (BCBA-Ds) regarding the comparative utility of traditional functional behavior assessment (FBA) and practical functional assessment (PFA). Data were collected from Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and BCBA-Ds using a structured, cross-sectional online survey assessing three primary domains: efficiency, resource utilization, and social validity. Descriptive findings indicated that practitioners perceived …
Enhancing Housing Stability Among Homeless Lgbtq+ Youth, Chaunita Lotoya Johnson
Enhancing Housing Stability Among Homeless Lgbtq+ Youth, Chaunita Lotoya Johnson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Studies on LGBTQ+ youth homelessness, specifically concerning causes, health outcomes, and barriers to access, have garnered increased attention from social scientists in human services. Applying Ecker’s work, this study addressed how intersectionality impacts homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth, highlighting disparities related to race, poverty, and identified gender. This study also explored the question of whether family rejection is a significant cause of housing insecurity among LGBTQ+ youth. The methodology featured collaboration with service providers and generating recommendations informed by empirical research and professional practices. A semi-structured interview protocol was used to collect data for this study, ensuring comprehensive findings while providing …
Lived Experiences Of Spiritually Communicating Individuals Regarding Identity And Relationship Development In Early Adulthood, Bonnie Jean Kane
Lived Experiences Of Spiritually Communicating Individuals Regarding Identity And Relationship Development In Early Adulthood, Bonnie Jean Kane
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Spiritually communicating individuals (SCIs), those who report interactions with non-physical entities, may face misunderstanding, stigmatization, and pathologization. Although spiritual experiences are recognized across cultures and hold significant psychological importance, they remain largely absent from developmental psychology, leaving a gap in understanding how SCIs navigate identity formation, emotional regulation, and social integration in early adulthood. The foundation of this study is transpersonal theory, which incorporates spiritual and transcendent dimensions of human experience, and phenomenology, which served as the guiding methodological and philosophical approach to explore lived experiences as subjectively perceived. This study examined the lived experiences of SCIs aged 26–35, investigating …
Prostate Cancer Survival Among Young Males Within The United States, Maxine M. Findlay
Prostate Cancer Survival Among Young Males Within The United States, Maxine M. Findlay
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Prostate cancer incidence has increased among younger men in the United States, and treatment affects both patient survival and family well-being. This quantitative retrospective study examined survival among young men diagnosed with prostate cancer who received chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or prostatectomy, while accounting for socioeconomic factors of residence and ethnicity. Social cognitive theory was the framework. Ordinal logistic regression was used to determine whether treatment method, socioeconomic factors of residence and ethnicity predicted survival among young men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Data was sourced from the National Cancer Database Participant User File 2004-2021 specific to prostate cancer. The study cohort …
Debt And Quality Of Life Among Older Adults After Retirement, Josephine Morrow Seegars
Debt And Quality Of Life Among Older Adults After Retirement, Josephine Morrow Seegars
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Understanding debt and the quality of life in older adults after retirement is an important area of concern. Many older adults are forced by escalating debt to reduce spending on essential needs, such as health care, nutrition, and housing, and their physical and mental health is thereby directly compromised. These essential needs represent core social determinants of health, and their erosion under financial strain can have effects on older adults' overall well-being. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of human services practitioners who were actively assisting older adults struggling with debt in …
Exploring Former Foster Parents’ Perspectives On The Resignation Process And Returning To Foster Care, David Michael Wermuth
Exploring Former Foster Parents’ Perspectives On The Resignation Process And Returning To Foster Care, David Michael Wermuth
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The foster care system faces a persistent challenge in retaining foster parents, resulting in adverse outcomes for foster children. The literature identifies multiple reasons for foster parent attrition (e.g., foster agency dissatisfaction, life changes, and lack of resources and support). This study explored former foster parents’ narratives of exiting foster care. I illuminated how foster care agencies treat foster parents who exit the system and how this affects their attitude about the foster care system. General systems theory (GST) was used to guide the analysis. The research design was basic qualitative, and purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit …
Effective Strategies For Retaining Employees And Increasing Workplace Productivity In A Changing Healthcare Environment, Marie D. Exantus
Effective Strategies For Retaining Employees And Increasing Workplace Productivity In A Changing Healthcare Environment, Marie D. Exantus
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Employee turnover and declining workplace productivity remain persistent challenges for healthcare organizations operating in a rapidly evolving industry environment. Healthcare leaders are concerned about employees’ intent to leave, as it is the strongest predictor of rising turnover, directly threatening both productivity and organizational stability. Grounded in equity theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to explore effective strategies healthcare leaders use to retain employees and increase workplace productivity in a changing healthcare environment. The participants were seven healthcare leaders who had implemented effective strategies to retain employees and increase workplace productivity in a changing healthcare environment. Data …
Drug Court Graduation Rates Of African American Males Attending Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy, Tierney President
Drug Court Graduation Rates Of African American Males Attending Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy, Tierney President
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
African American males between the ages of 18 and 29 have lower rates of successful completion in drug court programs compared to other populations, increasing their risk of incarceration and recidivism. This study examined whether participation in the Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy (HEAT) program, a culturally responsive intervention, was associated with improved drug court graduation outcomes among African American male participants. Guided by cognitive behavioral theory, a quantitative retrospective causal-comparative design was used to analyze archival data from 96 African American male participants enrolled in a drug treatment court program in Columbia, Missouri. A chi-square test of independence was conducted …
The Impact Of Leadership Styles From Traditional Policing To Community Policing, Ryan Gates
The Impact Of Leadership Styles From Traditional Policing To Community Policing, Ryan Gates
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This study examines leadership in a community policing context. It addresses a long-standing problem: injustice, inequality, and unfair treatment. Specifically, it examines community policing and the impact of law enforcement leadership, particularly servant leadership, on policing outcomes. Greenleaf’s Theory of Servant Leadership guided this study. Participants included mid- to senior-level law enforcement officers with community policing experience, at least three years of leadership experience, and at least 18 years of age. Recruitment occurred through social media outlets such as Facebook and Instagram. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 19 participants. Thematic analysis produced six themes: community engagement and partnerships; …
Fractured Identities: Military–Civilian Dissonance And The Well-Being Of Women Veterans, Melissa D. Smith
Fractured Identities: Military–Civilian Dissonance And The Well-Being Of Women Veterans, Melissa D. Smith
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
For many women leaving military service, the path to civilian life involves a fundamental renegotiation of identity. Gender-specific pressures, institutional norms, and fractured belonging compound reintegration, yet the lived experiences of women veterans navigating competing identities remain underexplored. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of women veterans at least 5 years postdischarge who struggled with identity dissonance between their military and civilian identities. The study was informed by reculturation theory. Seven women veterans participated in semistructured interviews, and data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis, revealing five themes: institutions, culture, and unequal …
Practitioners’ Perceptions: Evidence-Based Practices And Evidence-Based Interventions To Reduce Burnout In Third-Sector Organizations, Elizabeth Riley
Practitioners’ Perceptions: Evidence-Based Practices And Evidence-Based Interventions To Reduce Burnout In Third-Sector Organizations, Elizabeth Riley
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Third-sector organizations (TSOs) face challenges providing effective evidence in reducing stress and burnout for human services professionals (HSPs) to remain in the field. Burnout is a social phenomenon that has received much attention in the helping professions for the past 50 years, due to the nature of the work that HSPs perform. Researchers have confirmed that HSPs are at critical risk of burnout, which affects not only their health and work performance, but also their delivery of service. Current literature lacks studies on what supports HSPs’ need in TSOs to reduce their stress and burnout to remain in the field. …
Protective Factors Among African American Offspring Of Teen Parents, Janelle Ewing
Protective Factors Among African American Offspring Of Teen Parents, Janelle Ewing
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Adolescent pregnancy remains a major public health and social issue, but research has primarily focused on risk factors and not the protective factors that contribute to resilience among those who successfully break the cycle. This qualitative study explored protective factors that African American adult offspring of teenage parents identified as supporting them in avoiding teenage pregnancy and parenthood. The study was theoretically grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which was used to explore the role of influence across environmental systems in participants’ developmental outcomes. The primary research question was “How do African American adult offspring of teenage parents describe the …
From Service To Start-Up: Personality Prediction Of Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation In Female Veterans And Current Service Members, Carolyn Flinn Gaskill
From Service To Start-Up: Personality Prediction Of Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation In Female Veterans And Current Service Members, Carolyn Flinn Gaskill
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The entrepreneurial orientation of female veterans and current service members remains insufficiently understood despite their growing presence in the military and small-business sectors. Organizational leaders need to understand this concern as an important indicator of entrepreneurial potential, innovation capacity, and business development outcomes among women with military experience. Grounded in personality theory and the individual entrepreneurial orientation framework, this quantitative predictive correlational study examined whether the Big Five traits, individually and collectively, predicted individual entrepreneurial orientation (Ind-EO) among 135 U.S. female veterans and current female service members. They completed the Big Five Inventory-2 and the Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation Scale in …
Black American School Counselors’ Experiences Of Racial Discrimination In The Workplace, Tiffany Jackson
Black American School Counselors’ Experiences Of Racial Discrimination In The Workplace, Tiffany Jackson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
While school counselors play a pivotal role in promoting equity and inclusion within educational institutions, they may experience systemic challenges themselves, particularly in predominantly White professional environments. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of Black American school counselors who experienced racial discrimination in the workplace and how they made meaning of those experiences. The research addressed the lived experiences of Black American school counselors who experienced racial discrimination in the workplace and how they make meaning of those experiences. The study was grounded in hermeneutic phenomenology and critical race theory. Six Black American school …
Effective Strategies For Stewarding Artificial Intelligence In Wellness Entrepreneurship, Aliyah Harmon
Effective Strategies For Stewarding Artificial Intelligence In Wellness Entrepreneurship, Aliyah Harmon
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Wellness entrepreneurs increasingly use artificial intelligence (AI) to manage growing business demands, yet responsible use requires strategies that protect human judgment, trust, and care-centered wellness practice. The specific business problem was that some wellness entrepreneurs lacked effective strategies to practice stewardship while using AI as a supportive tool to reduce burnout. The purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore effective strategies wellness entrepreneurs used to practice stewardship while using AI to reduce burnout. The participants consisted of six wellness entrepreneurs in the Northeastern United States who used effective wellness strategies. Stewardship theory grounded the project through …
Exploring Multicultural Competence Among Mental Health Workers When Providing Treatment To African American Males, Ashley Hightower
Exploring Multicultural Competence Among Mental Health Workers When Providing Treatment To African American Males, Ashley Hightower
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
African American men experience disproportionately low rates of mental health service utilization and often report negative perceptions of mental illness. Despite documented mental health disparities, limited research has explored how mental health workers understand and apply multicultural competence when providing treatment to African American men. Grounded in the theory of planned behavior and social identity theory, the purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of mental health workers regarding multicultural competence in their work with African American men. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with seven mental health workers recruited through purposive sampling. Interview …
Healthcare System Barriers To Somali Refugees In Kenya, Zahra Sharif Hashim
Healthcare System Barriers To Somali Refugees In Kenya, Zahra Sharif Hashim
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Access to health care is a fundamental right of every refugee, yet gaps in implementing Kenya's Refugees Acts of 2006 and 2021 continue to limit access for Somali refugees in Dadaab camp. Existing research has documented resource constraints, movement restrictions, and other barriers to refugee health care, but how policy implementation gaps shape access in Dadaab has not been well explored. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to understand barriers to health care access for Somali refugees resulting from gaps in implementing Kenya's refugee health policies. The narrative policy framework guided the study. Data from semistructured interviews with …
Strategies General Practitioners Use To Effectively Communicate Patient Cases To Medical Specialists In Saudi Arabia, Alshraefarana Alharthi
Strategies General Practitioners Use To Effectively Communicate Patient Cases To Medical Specialists In Saudi Arabia, Alshraefarana Alharthi
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Effective communication between general practitioners (GPs) and medical specialists is essential for reducing healthcare costs and improving continuity of care. Healthcare leaders are concerned that ineffective communication between GPs and specialists may contribute to delays in care, fragmented services, and inefficient use of healthcare resources. Grounded in relational coordination theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore the effective communication strategies used by six GPs in Saudi Arabia when communicating patient cases to medical specialists to reduce healthcare costs and improve the quality of patient care. The participants were six GPs in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected …
Strategies Used By Small Information Technology Business Leaders For Retaining Employees And Business Sustainability, Ayodeji Rex Abitogun
Strategies Used By Small Information Technology Business Leaders For Retaining Employees And Business Sustainability, Ayodeji Rex Abitogun
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Failure to retain employees remains a significant concern for small information technology (IT) business leaders. Without clear, actionable strategies, these leaders may struggle to avoid the high costs associated with employee turnover, negatively affecting revenue. Grounded in situational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to identify and explore effective strategies small IT business leaders in Nigeria use to retain IT employees for business sustainability. Participants included seven small IT business leaders in Nigeria who had used effective strategies to retain employees. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and publicly available documentation. Six themes emerged from …
Youths' Responses To Street-Level Bureaucratic Failures In Lebialem, Division Cameroon, Forchenmbin Charles Abessoh
Youths' Responses To Street-Level Bureaucratic Failures In Lebialem, Division Cameroon, Forchenmbin Charles Abessoh
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
No abstract provided.
Strategies That Black American Female Business Owners Use To Secure Government Contracts, Darrilyn Marie Brittian
Strategies That Black American Female Business Owners Use To Secure Government Contracts, Darrilyn Marie Brittian
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Black American female business owners remain underrepresented in government contracting despite the availability of federal, state, and local procurement opportunities. Some Black American female business owners lack effective strategies to secure government contracts, which may limit business growth and profitability. Grounded in innovation and entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore the strategies Black American female entrepreneurs use to secure government contracts. The participants were six Black American female entrepreneurs who had successfully secured government contracts and possessed experience navigating government procurement processes. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and organizational documents. Through …
Young Adults’ Perceptions Of Their Life Course Development After Their Parents Were Imprisoned For Violent Crimes, Selena Robinson
Young Adults’ Perceptions Of Their Life Course Development After Their Parents Were Imprisoned For Violent Crimes, Selena Robinson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Parental incarceration is an adverse childhood experience that can influence children’s emotional, educational, relational, and developmental outcomes into adulthood. Although previous research had examined the effects of parental incarceration on children, limited research had explored how young adults perceive their life course development when a parent was incarcerated for a violent crime. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of young adults, age 18–25, regarding their life course development following parental incarceration for a violent crime. Elder’s life course development theory was the framework for this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with three …
Clinical Supervision In Local County Jails: The Descriptive Experiences Of Mental Health Supervisors, Vanessa Qualls
Clinical Supervision In Local County Jails: The Descriptive Experiences Of Mental Health Supervisors, Vanessa Qualls
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The overrepresentation in correctional settings of persons who are seriously mentally ill and/or challenged with addiction has necessitated the presence of qualified mental health professionals. Implementation of quality mental health treatment in correctional settings has been met with various barriers, such as limited resources, physical space constraints, and safety concerns. While these barriers are present in most correctional settings, jails are more likely to encounter individuals who are experiencing acute symptoms related to mental illness and addiction, aggression, and crisis. Mental health counselors make up a significant portion of the mental health workforce in jail settings and may assume clinical …
Nurses' Perceptions On Emotional Exhaustion, Hannah Espera
Nurses' Perceptions On Emotional Exhaustion, Hannah Espera
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The problem that was addressed through this study is that U.S. nurses experience high levels of emotional exhaustion (EE) in their role as professional caregivers, adult learners, and educators. Grounded in Maslach's burnout theory, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore U.S. nurses’ perceptions of EE as professional caregivers, adult learners, and educators. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 nurses licensed in the United States who were working in direct patient care roles, across multiple specialties, and with various levels of experience and licensure. Through in vivo and pattern coding, the following findings …
The Lived Experiences Of Workplace Discrimination Of Transgender People In Mississippi, Wendy Mann
The Lived Experiences Of Workplace Discrimination Of Transgender People In Mississippi, Wendy Mann
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In recent years, transgender people have been more open to living as the gender they believe they were meant to be, instead of the gender they were born as. With this decision, they are more susceptible to mistreatment and discrimination in the workplace. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and understand the experiences and perceptions of discrimination of transgender individuals within workplaces in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Transgender identity development (TID) and social identity theory provided a theoretical framework for examining participants’ lived experiences of perceived transgender workplace discrimination, navigation of this discrimination, and the role …
Navigating Sexuality In Therapy: Counselors Lived Experiences Of Initiating Conversations With Clients, Sandra Mireles
Navigating Sexuality In Therapy: Counselors Lived Experiences Of Initiating Conversations With Clients, Sandra Mireles
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Gaps in counselor education leave many counselors inadequately prepared to initiate sexuality-related conversations with clients. This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was an exploration of the lived experiences of independently licensed mental health counselors and the personal, cultural, and professional meanings they constructed around initiating conversations related to sexuality. Guided by hermeneutic phenomenology and social constructivism, semistructured interviews were conducted with six independently licensed mental health counselors who had practiced independently for at least 5 years and primarily worked with adult clients. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Three overarching themes emerged: (a) societal and religious influences and misconceptions …