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Articles 1 - 30 of 1574
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Mental Well-Being Of Parents Who Have A Child With A Disability, Miracle Denae Adkins
Mental Well-Being Of Parents Who Have A Child With A Disability, Miracle Denae Adkins
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Parents of children with developmental disabilities often experience elevated levels of stress and emotional burden associated with caregiving responsibilities, which can affect their mental health and overall well-being. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions, experiences, and decision-making processes of parents of children with developmental disabilities regarding the use of resources to support their own mental health. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that parents’ decisions to seek and use mental health resources were influenced by multiple factors, including accessibility and availability of services, financial …
Social Workers’ Experiences Navigating And Facilitating Advance Directives In Healthcare Settings, Shanice Kelley
Social Workers’ Experiences Navigating And Facilitating Advance Directives In Healthcare Settings, Shanice Kelley
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Advance care planning and advance directives are essential to patient-centered healthcare; however, limited research has examined how social workers facilitate advance directive documentation in healthcare environments. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore how social workers describe and navigate the facilitation of advance directive documentation, including medical power of attorney, living wills, and out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate orders, within healthcare settings. Guided by ecological systems theory, this study examined how procedural, relational, and contextual factors across interacting systems influence social workers’ facilitation practices. Data were collected through semi structured one-on-one interviews with eight licensed social workers with direct experience …
Access And Utilization Of Counseling For People With Sexual Offense Histories, Darrell Antonio Jones Jr.
Access And Utilization Of Counseling For People With Sexual Offense Histories, Darrell Antonio Jones Jr.
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
There is a gap in understanding the low rate of utilization of mental health support services among adult men and women with criminal sex offense histories, which worsened mental health challenges for this population. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore human services professionals’ perceptions and recommendations about access and utilization of mental health counseling for formerly incarcerated adults with sexual offense histories. Grounded in the good lives model of offender rehabilitation, the research question was: How do human services professionals perceive access to and utilization of mental health, holistic, and wellness counseling for formerly incarcerated …
Staff Education To Improve 7-Day Post-Discharge Psychiatric Follow-Up, Michael Curtis Kwashie
Staff Education To Improve 7-Day Post-Discharge Psychiatric Follow-Up, Michael Curtis Kwashie
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Too many psychiatric patients leave the hospital without a follow-up appointment, a gap that may cost lives. Research has consistently shown that the days immediately after discharge from psychiatric inpatient or emergency care are among the most dangerous in a patient’s trajectory, marked by elevated suicide risk, relapse, and avoidable readmission. Yet, across behavioral health settings, completion of outpatient follow-up within 7 days of discharge remains inconsistent; typically, standardized processes are often missing. This doctoral project in staff education was created to fill that gap and examined whether implementing a standardized discharge transition protocol, supported by targeted, interdisciplinary staff education, …
Clinicians’ Perceptions Of Mental Health Care Access For Middle-Aged, Black Women Post-Sexual Assault, Monica Latrice Bolton
Clinicians’ Perceptions Of Mental Health Care Access For Middle-Aged, Black Women Post-Sexual Assault, Monica Latrice Bolton
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
No abstract provided.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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. …
Understanding The Unequal Access Of Social Services Programs From The Perspectives Of Single African American Fathers, Bobby Alexander Evans
Understanding The Unequal Access Of Social Services Programs From The Perspectives Of Single African American Fathers, Bobby Alexander Evans
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Understanding the Unequal Access of Social Services Programs from the Perspectives of Single African American Fathers by Bobby A. Evans MBA, Strayer University, 2013 BA, University of Maryland at Baltimore County, 1993 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Human and Social Services Program Walden University August 2026
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 …
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 …
U.S. Rural And Frontier Stakeholders’ Use Of Storytelling To Advocate For Competency Development, Aliza Ruby Quinlan
U.S. Rural And Frontier Stakeholders’ Use Of Storytelling To Advocate For Competency Development, Aliza Ruby Quinlan
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Although rural advocacy is widely recognized as important to community change, the experiences of rural and frontier advocates, particularly in regard to their use of storytelling to support skill acquisition, relational trust, and asset-focused advocacy competencies, have been understudied. The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory qualitative study was to understand how rural and frontier community advocates describe their experiences and how sharing lived experiences may inform advocacy competency development. Semistructured interviews were conducted with nine advocates across the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, including caregivers, health care professionals, educators, nonprofit leaders, and individuals with lived experience working …
The Post-Covid Experiences Of Low-Income Single Mothers In Maintaining Social Capital And Informal Social Support, Marissa L. Goldman
The Post-Covid Experiences Of Low-Income Single Mothers In Maintaining Social Capital And Informal Social Support, Marissa L. Goldman
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Low-income single mothers often manage financial, caregiving, emotional, and logistical demands with limited resources and rely on informal support networks that may be inconsistent. This problem matters to social workers, community-based practitioners, and researchers because a greater understanding can guide interventions that reduce isolation and role overload and improve resource access. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore how low-income single mothers used trust, reciprocity, social norms, and collective support to maintain informal networks in the post-COVID era. Guided by Bourdieu’s social capital theory, the study included 10 English-speaking U.S. mothers with household incomes at or below …
Experiences Of African American Male Foster Care Alumni And How Mentoring Links To Academic Achievement, Tenaya Wade
Experiences Of African American Male Foster Care Alumni And How Mentoring Links To Academic Achievement, Tenaya Wade
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This study explored how mentoring was perceived in the educational experiences of African American male foster care alumni who completed college. African American males with foster care histories often face significant adversity, including placement instability, disrupted educational experiences, and limited access to consistent support systems. Although these challenges are well documented, less is known about how supportive mentoring relationships may contribute to academic persistence and success. A generic qualitative framework was used to gather participant perspectives through semi-structured interviews. Four African American male foster care alumni aged 22 to 41 who had earned a college degree participated in the study. …
Licensed Counselors’ Meaning-Making Of Debriefing Experiences Following Client Crises In Community Mental Health Centers, Donna Howard
Licensed Counselors’ Meaning-Making Of Debriefing Experiences Following Client Crises In Community Mental Health Centers, Donna Howard
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Licensed professional counselors working in community mental health centers (CMHCs) frequently respond to client crises; however, little was known about how they understand and make meaning of debriefing following those events. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study was to explore counselors’ meaning-making of debriefing following client crises in CMHCs. Guided by IPA and grounded in phenomenology and hermeneutics, data were collected through semistructured interviews with five licensed professional counselors who had at least 5 years of CMHC experience, participated in postcrisis debriefing, and graduated from programs accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and …
Mexican Women Caregivers’ Support For Family Members With Type 2 Diabetes, Andrea Mesa
Mexican Women Caregivers’ Support For Family Members With Type 2 Diabetes, Andrea Mesa
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a persistent public health challenge in the United States, disproportionately affecting Hispanic populations. Mexican-origin women often serve as primary caregivers for relatives living with diabetes, yet their voices and lived experiences remain underrepresented in research. This study addressed the limited understanding of how cultural values and caregiving roles influence diabetes management within Hispanic families. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Mexican-origin women aged 40 to 60 who care for a family member with T2D. Guided by the theory of planned behavior and social cognitive theory, the study …
Social Workers’ Perceptions Of Pediatric Hiv Disclosure Process, Colleen Myrie
Social Workers’ Perceptions Of Pediatric Hiv Disclosure Process, Colleen Myrie
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Although the social problem of pediatric HIV disclosure has been studied by researchers internationally, there remains a gap in the experiences of social workers in facilitating this process. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of social workers in the United States regarding the disclosure process for HIV positive children. This study was grounded in Rosenstock’s health belief model, which posits that an individual will take necessary action to prevent or manage a disease based on their perceptions of health. This model was effective in helping to identify what social workers think about …
Exploring The Experiences And Support Needs Of African Immigrant Families Raising Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Ohio, Linda Nkoumba Eteki
Exploring The Experiences And Support Needs Of African Immigrant Families Raising Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Ohio, Linda Nkoumba Eteki
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents unique challenges for families; however, African immigrant parents raising children with ASD in Ohio experience additional difficulties related to cultural stigma, systemic inequities, and limited access to culturally responsive services. This social work practice problem is important because it reflects disparities in diagnosis, intervention, service access, and family support that align with social work’s commitment to equity, advocacy, and social justice. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of African immigrant families raising children with ASD in Ohio and to examine how they describe autism-related stigma, caregiving challenges, and interactions with …
Strategies For Managing Change In Home Health Care Businesses, Halbert Brown
Strategies For Managing Change In Home Health Care Businesses, Halbert Brown
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Home health care agencies may experience financial hardship when regulatory inspections result in deficiencies and administrative penalties. Home health company (HHC) leaders are concerned because ineffective change management strategies may contribute to ongoing regulatory deficiencies, penalties, and reduced business performance. Grounded in Lewin’s change management theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to explore change management strategies some HHC owners successfully implemented to reduce administrative deficiencies and penalties to augment business performance and profitability. The participants were six leaders from HHC firms in the southwestern region of the United States who had developed effective strategies to improve …
Sbirt Staff Education To Registered Nurses In The Emergency Department, Rosemary Thuet
Sbirt Staff Education To Registered Nurses In The Emergency Department, Rosemary Thuet
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Summary The project hospitals have, on average, 2,400 emergency department (ED) visits a month. Although patients receive a social screening, there are no specific assessments to determine if the person is at risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD). The lack of screening is a missed opportunity to provide a Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) assessment of over 2,400 patients a month or 48,000 people annually. Although several screening tools could be used for an SBIRT assessment, the recommendation of ED nursing leadership is to implement the tool known as the CAGE Questionnaire (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, and …
Youth With Mental Illness Transitioning Into Adult Judicial Systems, Susan K. Beltran
Youth With Mental Illness Transitioning Into Adult Judicial Systems, Susan K. Beltran
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Despite attempts to alleviate the issues of recidivism in juveniles, this issue continues to have a major impact on young adults suffering from mental health challenges. Criminal justice involvement continues to present significant challenges for individuals with behavioral health disorders, underscoring the need to identify factors associated with arrest to inform prevention and intervention efforts. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between recidivism and the age of first arrest, gender, and psychiatric diagnosis for youths in an adult facility. The current study used data from the Northwestern Juvenile Project, with a sample size of N=1829. …
Non-Veteran Civilian Manager Perceptions About Supporting Employee Military In Civilian Workplace Transitions, Sandra Gail Piggee
Non-Veteran Civilian Manager Perceptions About Supporting Employee Military In Civilian Workplace Transitions, Sandra Gail Piggee
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
One of the largest populations seeking employment in private sector industries is military veterans. The active-duty military careers end for over 200,000 individuals per year, and over two-thirds of veterans resign from private sector industry positions within 2 years of post-service transition due to difficulties with their transition. This can lead to a lack of career advancement, professional development, and employee benefits. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore perceptions of non-veteran civilian managers in private sector industries about how to support employees who are veterans in making a successful transition from the military into civilian employment. …
Staff Education On Fall Reduction For Residents Of Long-Term Care Facility, Lauretta Ifeoma Iwuala-Mcwilliams
Staff Education On Fall Reduction For Residents Of Long-Term Care Facility, Lauretta Ifeoma Iwuala-Mcwilliams
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Falls pose a major safety risk for elderly individuals living in long-term care facilities, leading to injuries, hospitalizations, loss of autonomy, increased healthcare expenses, and higher morbidity and mortality rates. In the facility involved in this project, the incidence of falls was above anticipated benchmarks. Factors such as high staff turnover and reliance on agency staff resulted in inconsistent knowledge among personnel regarding fall prevention measures. Purpose: This Doctor of Nursing Practice quality improvement initiative aimed to implement and assess an evidence-based educational program designed to enhance staff understanding and skills related to fall-risk assessment, the identification of both intrinsic …
Public Defenders’ Challenges Representing Erroneous Prosecution Cases In The Black Community, Kayla Kristine Stephens
Public Defenders’ Challenges Representing Erroneous Prosecution Cases In The Black Community, Kayla Kristine Stephens
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Public defenders in a southern state continue to face significant challenges when representing Black individuals in the criminal justice system, particularly in cases involving erroneous prosecution. These challenges are intensified by high caseloads, limited funding, and systemic inequities, which can be stressors affecting the prosecutors wellbeing and hinder the provision of adequate legal representation. Public defenders, appointed to represent indigent defendants, frequently navigate complex legal and social circumstances that intersect with racial disparities in the justice system. For this qualitative study the research question was, how do public defenders perceive and manage any stresses representing erroneous prosecution cases in the …
Experiences Of Resilience During Divorce For Black Women Who Attend Church, Tracey Ann Grant
Experiences Of Resilience During Divorce For Black Women Who Attend Church, Tracey Ann Grant
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Across the globe, divorce is a challenging situation that affects family relationships and disrupts social networks. Divorced women often experience a decline in their health and well-being immediately postdivorce. The problem addressed in this study is that divorcing women tend to experience more negative or undesirable impacts on their mental health (e.g., depression) postdivorce than men and often find involvement in church to be a source of support or added stress. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to investigate how recently divorced Black women describe how their involvement in church may have supported their mental health and resilience …
Life Skills Counseling Services Needed For K-8 Self-Contained Students In Essex County, New Jersey, Faith Arianna Healy
Life Skills Counseling Services Needed For K-8 Self-Contained Students In Essex County, New Jersey, Faith Arianna Healy
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Students in special education may experience a variety of barriers to gaining cohesive and consistent life skills training programs. A lack of life skills training for special education students may lead to a lack of social-emotional skills, social awareness, and an overall lack of independence once students have graduated. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the charter school human service professionals’ perceptions of the life skills counseling services needed for K-8 self-contained students in Essex County, NJ. Botvin Lifeskills Training program was used as the framework for the study. Using a qualitative research model, semistructured …
Exploring Licensed Clinical Social Workers’ Past Trauma And Current Practice: A Strengths-Based Perspective, Michael E. Conner
Exploring Licensed Clinical Social Workers’ Past Trauma And Current Practice: A Strengths-Based Perspective, Michael E. Conner
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of licensed clinical social workers to examine how they manage, reinterpret, and integrate their childhood trauma into their professional clinical identities. Adverse childhood experiences among clinicians are often framed through a risk-based lens of burnout and impairment, leaving social work leaders without empirical models to support post-traumatic growth and workforce retention. The purpose of this study was to examine how clinicians leverage past adversity to inform contemporary practice. A basic qualitative design was used, with semistructured interviews conducted with 11 participants. Participant narratives were examined through the dual lenses of shattered assumptions theory …
Experiences With Microaggression Of African American Female Faculty Who Work In Predominantly White Institutions, Teffany Jonte Malone
Experiences With Microaggression Of African American Female Faculty Who Work In Predominantly White Institutions, Teffany Jonte Malone
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The problem addressed through this study is the gap in the literature on the experiences of African American female faculty in higher education institutions with racial microaggressions while working in predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Grounded in Delgado and Stefancic’s critical race theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore African American female faculty’s experiences with racial microaggressions and recommended support their institutions can put in place at PWIs in California. For this basic qualitative design, data were collected through semistructured interviews with 15 African American female faculty members employed at PWIs in California. Through qualitative content analysis, …