Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Intimate Partner Violence On Academic Motivation Among Emerging Adult Women, Cristela Maria Thorne Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For women who are victims of intimate partner violence (IPV), one avenue to gaining independence from their partners is enhanced employment opportunities from obtaining a college degree. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between IPV and academic motivation among emerging adult women, and whether depressive symptoms mediate the relationship. Bandura's social learning theory, Deci and Ryan's theory of self-determination, and Seligman's theory of learned helplessness were the theoretical frameworks of the study. The study sample consisted of 225 women 19-29 years of age who were enrolled in higher education and who had experienced violence from an …

Unsheltered Homelessness On Oahu, Hawaii, Erik Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to a recent national estimate of homelessness in the United States, between 2016 and 2017, the number of people experiencing homelessness increased by 0.7 %. This study was focused on the issue of unsheltered homelessness in the context of Oahu, Hawaii. There is a gap within the available scholarly literature that directly addresses the unsheltered homeless populations and why it is that they are unsheltered rather than living in a shelter or utilizing other transitional services. Using the generic qualitative approach and a purposive sampling method, 12 service provider professionals who work directly with the unsheltered homeless on the …

Parental Perceptions Of Family Communication Within The Context Of Modern Technology, Litermin Joseph

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing dependence or reliance on the usage of technology to connect with each other is influencing family communication today. Face-to-face family communication is becoming more and more devalued. Considering the value of family communication, parents should play the most important role of sustaining it to enhance family relationship. Using the family systems theory as a foundation, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand parental experiences concerning family communication within the context of modern technology. This study used purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews from 7 U.S. citizens, men and women aged 30-55, from St Lucie County, Florida. …

Guidelines For Chronic Back Pain: An Education Module For Health Providers, Ron Pascual

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Effective chronic back pain management and patient self-care guidelines are necessary for healthcare providers treating patients with complaints of low back pain (LBP). The purpose of this doctoral project was to provide an evidence-based educational program aimed at improving the knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals regarding the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) guidelines, emphasizing alternative pain management treatments. The staff education project was supported by the biomedical pain model and chronic care model. A panel of 3 experts including the clinic’s board-certified anesthesiologist and pain management specialist, clinical manager, and leading medical director …

Transgender Protection And Best Practices In The Prison Setting, Jessica Renee Byrd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While the importance of equal protection for all offenders has been established, prison officials often do not provide adequate protection for or effectively address the unique needs of transgender inmates. In this qualitative action research study, prison officials' perceptions regarding their responsibility to provide protection and equal treatment to transgender offenders were evaluated as well as to what extent they are congruent with those stated in policies and procedures. The expectation was that linkages could be drawn between prison officials' level of knowledge regarding their responsibilities and the various types of maltreatment that transgender offenders experience as well as the …

High-Performance Organizational Culture And Corporate Success, Alexander Lapshun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some Singapore global corporation business leaders experience difficulties building a high-performance culture. Building a high-performance culture encourages high performance, promotes excellence, and nurtures a continuous improvement climate. Grounded in Gilbert's behavioral engineering model, the purpose of this qualitative mini ethnography single case study was to explore strategies midlevel managers in Singapore use to create a high-performance organizational culture. Six midlevel managers representing a Fortune 500 information technology firm in Singapore participated in the study. Data collection included semistructured interviews followed by member checking, direct observations, and a review of the company's documents. Marshall and Rossman's 5-step data analysis process identified …

Adult Attachment Functioning Of Former Foster Youth Initially Placed In Early Adolescence, Adrienne Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child attachment has been an area of study among scholars for several decades; however, early adolescent attachment is a specific age period that few scholars have examined, especially pertaining to child welfare where placement is a necessary but forced attachment disruption. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine the likelihood of early adolescent attachment during initial placement and to explore the frequencies of this population securely attaching postplacement based on the added variables of placement setting (foster home/kinship home/group home/institution) and sibling accessibility. Attachment theory was the lens through which to analyze the 83 results received via anonymous …

Social Workers' Perceptions Of Exercise In Treating Chronic Mental Illnesses: Action Research, Carlene Battiste-Downie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social Workers' Perceptions of Exercise in Treating Chronic Mental Illnesses: Action Research

by

Carlene Battiste-Downie

MSW, Fordham University, 2000

BS, Oneonta State University, 1993

DSW Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Social Work

Walden University

July 2020

Though social workers are an integral part of the mental health profession, there is a fundamental gap in the clinical mental health social workers' practice. This gap is a lack of physical exercise as part of the routine regimen in treating clients suffering from chronic mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, …

Relationship Between Nonprofit Leadership Intention, Leadership Development Programs, And Succession Planning Documentation, Denise March

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Understanding the importance of efficient and effective leadership transition to retain organizational intelligence can mitigate the risks of significant disruption. The problem for nonprofits is the potential loss of organizational intelligence, funding, and continuity as baby boomers retire and transition out of their leadership roles without effectively addressing leadership transition and an impending leadership deficit. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive correlational study was to examine the relationship between leadership intention factors, succession planning documentation, and leadership development programs. The research questions pertained to the relationship between leadership intention factors, succession planning documentation, and leadership development programs. Ajzen’s theory of …

Integrating Technology In Improving Communication To Reduce Discharge Cycle Time, Julieta Fajardo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the most important milestones during a patient’s transition to care is discharge from hospital. Consequently, delays in the discharge process can lead to patient dissatisfaction and affect outcomes in intensive care and emergency rooms. The purpose of the project was to evaluate the tools built into the electronic system to improve communication and reduce the discharge cycle time. The focus of the project is to enter the expected date of discharge (EDD) and identify discharge barriers within 24-48 hours of admission to reduce this time. Evidence was from the project site’s discharge initiative dashboard. Analysis of the problem …

A Systematic Review Of The Literature On Bedside Shift Reports, Dana Wickersheim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn 2017, The Joint Commission issued a sentinel event alert regarding inadequate nurse hand-off communication. Inadequate hand-off communication can lead to medication errors, delay in treatment, falls, and wrong-site surgery. To help ensure safe handoff of care between nurses by involving the patient and family, bedside shift report was created. Bedside shift report was developed to help improve patient safety and quality, patient experience of care, nursing staff satisfaction and time management, and accountability between nurses. Despite the implementation of bedside shift report in nursing practice, it continues to be inconsistently applied, which poses risks to patients and can lead …

The Long-Term Biopsychosocial Effects Of Children Reared In Blended Families, Kerene T. Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Family dynamics have experienced an immense transformation in the last 4 decades. Children are less likely to live in a 2-parent household with parents that are both biologically related to them due to various factors. Blended families (especially the children) face many adversities during the initial stages of formation and rarely receive specialized intervention when compared to nuclear families. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand the long-term biopsychosocial effects experienced by young adults who lived in a blended family household. In addition, what services or interventions were offered to newly established blended family systems were also …

Rural Teacher Perceptions Of Trauma On Youth, Tracey Faye Whetstone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was an exploration of teacher experiences and perceptions in working with trauma-exposed students in a rural school district and what is needed to best support student academic and psychosocial success. The substantial long-term effects of trauma exposure cause many children to face behavioral and academic challenges in school, yet teachers are often unaware or untrained concerning trauma-informed care. There is little research regarding how teacher experiences with trauma-exposed students are perceived. This study explored teacher insight with rural trauma-exposed youth in terms of awareness and how they narrate these experiences in response to trauma-related issues. Grounded in trauma …

The Lived Experiences Of Online Therapists Maintaining Ethical Boundaries, Talia Singer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The provision of counselling and psychotherapy using technology, also referred to as telecounselling or e-therapy, is a burgeoning area of mental health care that has garnered much enthusiasm. Many professional health organizations have developed ethical guidelines to specifically address this unique style of treatment. Skepticism remains in the area of applying standards into practice. Ethical guidelines are meant to be broad principles that can be applied to a range of unique practice experiences. The problems is that these principles have been developed over a century of practice-based experiences and designed to address situations that the clinician faces when their client …

Sudden Leadership Loss And The Importance Of Succession Planning In Behavioral Health Care, Angela R. Dawson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined sudden leadership loss and the importance of succession planning in behavioral health. The organization at the center of the study is located in the midwestern United States and is known for providing stellar services to its clients and fostering a quality workspace for its employees. The findings provided the organization with a clear and specific understanding of the value of succession planning for sustainability. The study was conducted using a qualitative research method. Semistructured interviews with 5 senior-level leaders from a single site location provided the primary source of data. Additional data were collected from the organization’s …

Funding Impacts On Existing Social Workers Providing Services To African American Battered Women, Dalicia Victorica Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers who work in domestic violence shelters have many different impacts that can affect their ability to provide services to battered women. Research is lacking on how funding impacts the abilities of existing social workers to provide services to African American battered women who are at domestic violence shelters in Columbia, South Carolina. The purpose of this study was to examine how a lack of funding impacts the abilities of existing social workers who work at domestic violence shelters to provide services to African American battered women. Conflict theory was used to gain an understanding of how funding issues …

Social Work Supervisors As Gatekeepers, Camielle Call

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Supervision in social work is a long-held tradition chiefly regarding completing required supervisory hours for clinical licensing by state licensing boards. Social work supervision is a process wherein supervisors provide oversight to new social workers through supporting, managing, developing, and evaluating their work. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding of how supervision is conducted and how social work supervisors view their position as gatekeepers to the profession. Using an interpretivism framework, in the context of the vital nature of supervision, symbolic interactionism was used to look at the reactions of social work supervisors and …

Predictors Of Substance Abuse Counselor Self-Efficacy When Working With Dually Diagnosed Clients, Nievel Stanisclaus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous studies have demonstrated the predictive value of counselor self-efficacy and professional development in mental health counselors, career counselors, school counselors, and other professions. However, there has been a gap in literature regarding substance abuse counselor self-efficacy. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study, guided by Bandura’s social cognitive theory, was to determine whether years of work experience, level of education, and possessing a license or certification predicted substance abuse counselor self-efficacy when working with dually diagnosed clients. The research question addressed this purpose. Data were collected using an online survey consisting of the counselor activity self-efficacy scale and a …

Pain Assessment Strategies For People With Cognitive Impairment In Nursing Home Settings, Meskelo Tsegaye Bobo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Assessment of pain in patients with a diagnosis of dementia or cognitive impairment continues to be underdiagnosed as there are no objective ways of assessing their pain. Available evidence also indicates that these patients are not receiving satisfactory pain management. Due to a lack of self-reporting of pain, accurate assessments of pain are challenging. This systemic review aimed to find a pain assessment strategy effective in identifying pain in patients with a diagnosis of dementia. Kolcaba's theory of comfort was used as the theoretical framework for the study. The databases of Medline, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Embase, and Cumulative …

A Multiple Case Study Of School Administrators On Use Of Disciplinary Measures, Michele L. Jones-Pace

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disproportionately high rates of out-of-school suspension and expulsion of African American children represent an ongoing issue in the U.S. public school system. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory was used as the theoretical framework for this multiple case study. The research question focused on the perceptions, perspectives, and experiences of a purposeful sample of 7 high school principals and what they believed were the reasons for persistently high rates of out-of-school suspension for African American students. The principals represented Title I and non-Title I schools located in urban, rural, and suburban regions of a southern state. Data from individual interviews and archival data …

Court Intervention And Recurrence Of Child Maltreatment, Steven Wayne Luke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of child maltreatment recurrence is both complex and pervasive, affecting nearly every nationality and culture worldwide. The current body of research consistently contains reports of a gap due to the lack of input from the families served that may be resolved through the application of intergroup contact theory. The purpose of this study was to determine if the presence of an attorney representing parents in child maltreatment intervention predicted lower recurrence in child maltreatment as opposed to when those attorneys are absent from the process. While much of the practice of social work is based on ecological systems …

Abc County’S Welfare-To-Work (Wtw) Program Participation Rate, Alberto Banuelos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Welfare-to-work (WTW) programs are an essential part of societal assistance made available to families in need. In ABC County, CA, problems have been found with the implementation and success rates of their WTW program: Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). Even with funds allotted for the program, ABC County has not been able to design a WTW program that meets the TANF program work participation requirement of 50% of active TANF recipients in a WTW activity. The purpose of this study was to address this need as it related to the TANF program specifically. A qualitative, exploratory, single case study …

Canadian Postsecondary Leaders’ Understanding And Promotion Of Social Justice And Educational Equity, Pamela Jacqueline Cawley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Canadian universities are educating an increasingly diverse student body and have a role in rectifying inequities and educating students to contribute to a democratic and inclusive society, but little is known about how mainstream leaders understand such leadership. The purpose of this study was to examine how mainstream Canadian postsecondary leaders in Canada describe and understand their leadership related to social justice and educational equity. Critical social theory and applied critical leadership theory guided this study. This basic qualitative study using semistructured interviews explored how 11 mainstream postsecondary leaders have understood and promoted social justice and educational equity. Data analysis …

The Impact Of Sex Offender Registration Laws On Offenders’ Reintegration Into Society, Stephanie Rose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information related to the experiences of sex offenders required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act of 2006 is predominantly based on quantitative data, and the majority of information relates to the factors that contribute to sexual offenses, recidivism rates, and public opinion of the sex offender registry. There is a lack of research on the lived experience of sex offenders who are required to register, specifically those in rural Pennsylvania. Research is also lacking on how sex offenders and the professionals with whom they interact perceive the registry. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological study was …

Difficulties Social Workers Face When Working With Youth Exposed To Technology Without Parental Supervision, Dorothy Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been a significant increase in behavioral issues in the home and school environments of youth ages 13-17 years in the state of Georgia who have constant access to technology through internet-connected devices over the past years. Due to constant evolution and advancements of technology, mental health professionals are now noticing that when youth are overly consumed with technology, it tends to correlate with problematic behaviors. The social work practice problem and purpose is understanding the difficulties social workers face when working with youth exposed to technology without parental supervision. This study is important within the context of clinical …

Strengthening Mental Health Awareness Of University Students Using An Online Training Module, Lavern Rosemarie Bourne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Canadian youth pursuing postsecondary education are facing a major mental health crisis. There are substantial gaps between the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a web-based mental health educational intervention was an effective tool with which to increase mental health awareness and help-seeking behaviors of university students. The theory of planned behavior, the help-seeking model, and the technology acceptance model were the theories that guided this study. Using a quantitative quasi-experimental research design, data were collected from 329 undergraduate students in the Faculty of Health Sciences at a university in Eastern …

Child Welfare Workers' Perceptions Of The Effective Black Parenting Program, Kharmynn M. Bullock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The child welfare system (CWS) serves around half a million families each year in America. Of those, in Texas, hundreds of thousands of African American families represent the greatest percentages of families in the CWS when compared with their respective numbers in the general population. In 2013, African American children made up about 13.9% of the overall population of children in the United States; however, these children represented close to 26% (or 101,938) African American children in the system with CWS. Child Protective Services (CPS) has various programs and services, including parent education referrals to social services agencies that carry …

The Lived Experiences Of Rural Clinical Social Workers In North Carolina, Sarah Horne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rural clinical social workers face unique challenges when providing services to members of rural communities. To face these challenges and deliver culturally competent services, clinical social workers in rural communities must be specifically prepared for rural clinical social work. This study addressed issues of preparedness for rural clinical social work centered around rural clinical social work supervision in the context of the systems theory. The phenomenological design allowed for the exploration of the lived experiences of rural clinical social workers. Study participants who volunteered for study after being contacted via information provided to the North Carolina Social Work Board were …

Supervisor Experiences Mentoring Therapists-In-Training On Issues Related To Religion/Spirituality Among Lgbt Clients, Stephanie Kolhei

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are known issues related to religion and spirituality (R/S) among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population, such as identity struggles, religious abuse, and internalized homonegativity. Many therapists are uncomfortable incorporating R/S into therapy, with poor training and supervision identified as a possible rationale. The purpose of this study was to explore supervisors’ experiences mentoring therapists-in-training on issues related to R/S among LGBT clients as well as supervisors’ level of preparation to mentor this area. The integrated affirmative supervision model (IAS) and multiple dimensions of cultural competence (MDCC) conceptual frameworks drove the development of this study. A generic …

Effects Of Government Regulations And Reimbursement Policies On Home Health Administration In Illinois., Sally Nwafor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent changes in government regulations and reimbursement policies threaten the financial viability and the ability of home health agencies to provide the necessary services. There is a gap in knowledge about the effect of the changes in healthcare policies on the administration of home health businesses in Illinois. The purpose of this study was to bridge the knowledge gap by investigating the effect of the regulatory and policy changes on home health administration in Illinois. The research question focused on the challenges that home health administrators face due to the changes in government regulation and reimbursement policies, and the strategies …