Digital Commons Network^™

Utilization Of Mental Health Services Among Mexican-Americans, Carmen Isabel Mendoza, Maria Sanjuana. Olmos

Theses Digitization Project

This study explores the relationship between culture and the utilization of mental health services among Mexican-Americans.

Does Internalized Homonegativity Cause Depression In Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Individuals?, Guadalupe Vasquez Garfias

Theses Digitization Project

Past studies indicate that lesbian, gay, bisexuals, or transgendered (LGBT) are at an elevated risk of physical, psychological and mental health isuues. This paper seeks to investigate if internalized homonegativity is correlated to depression. It discusses the bio-psycho-social factors that may lead to internalized homonegativity and how internalized homonegativity is formed.

The Influence Of Surviving Children In Mitigating Symptoms Of Grief In Bereaved Parents, Jennifer Lynn Kachelek

Theses Digitization Project

This study seeks to answer questions on the effects of the presence of surviving children on bereaved parents' grief. Bereaved parents have been shown to be at risk for psychological, social and health related conditions due to the unique type of grief experienced from the loss of a child. Increasing knowledge related to factors that influence how bereaved parents process grief could lead to interventions becoming more appropriate in addressing the specific needs of this population.

Education Professional's Perception Of Adolescent Self-Injury, Celeste Kathleen Stevens

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to examine education professional's perception of adolescent self-injury. This study focuses on discovering education professionals' perception of the relationship between self-injury and mental illness.

Evaluating Commensurability And Validity Of Work-Family Conflict, Enrichment, And Culture Measures In Low Income Populations, Kimberly Anne French

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this research is to examine the adequacy of our current work-family constructs and measures for studying under-represented populations by evaluating the commensurability and construct validity of three major work and family measures, conflict, enrichment, and cultre, when applied to the unique population of low income families.

Medical Decision Making Among Mexican-American Elderly Women, Norma Patricia Toro-Hernandez

Theses Digitization Project

Access to medical coverage has been a topic of constant disussion for many years, in particular accessibility for Mexican-American elderly women to have their medical needs met. Consequently, many elderly women use alternative forms of medicine such as 'remedios caseros' (herbal medicine) as a means to get their medical needs met. The purpose of this study was to understand the reasons elderly women continue to use alternative medicine even when they are elgible for health insurance such as Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurances.

Attitudes Of Social Workers Towards The Use Of Canine Therapeutic Intervention With Traumatized Children Within Child Welfare Services, Cristi Maria Page

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of social workers towards the use of canine therapeutic intervention with traumatized children within child welfare services.

Clients' Perceptions Of Protective And Risk Factors Influencing Substance Abuse Recovery, Bev Nora-Lea Scott

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to identify client perceptions of protective and risk factors that might influence recovery from substance abuse. Fifty clients in an outpatient drug treatment program in San Bernardino, California completed a survey containing both multiple choice and open-ended questions related to protective and risk factors the literature suggested might be related to recovery.

The Impact Wraparound Services Have On Riverside County Dependents Who Chronically Run Away, Angela Young Thornhill

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact wraparound services has on Riverside County dependents that have a history of running away. The wraparound process is characterized by planning and problem solving, respect for values, culture, and expertise. It includes collaboration and consists of family driven and youth guided goal structure and decisions. It focuses on individualization, opportunities for choice, evaluating strategies, and recognition. This research was conducted, studying six closed cases provided by Olive Crest, a non-profit agency. The results from this study can contribute to social work practice by enhancing social workers' knowledge and providing new …

Local Policy Stakeholder Attitudes About Implementing And Sustaining Needle Exchange Programs In The Inland Empire, Katarina Kucavikova-Fillippelli

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to explore attitudes of local policy stakeholders in regards to needle exchange programs (NEPs), focusing on Riverside Council Members to conduct face-to-face interviews using nine closed and open-ended questions. The majority are opposed to implenting NEP's in their ward. Additionally, the majority of participants are opposed to the idea of harm reduction approach with intravenous drug users. This study may be helpful to anyone attempting to establish NEPs in Riverside in designing a public relations campaign that would effectively address the stigma associated with intravenous drug use, HIV/AIDS and needle exchange services.

Western Michigan University Graduate Catalog 2012-2013, Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Course Catalogs (1904-present)

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Laura Chisolm: Colleague, Peer, Friend, Jonathan L. Entin

Faculty Publications

Tribute to Laura Chisolm

Bridgewater College Catalog, Session 2012-13, Bridgewater College

Bridgewater College Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Biomolecular Triconjugates Formed Between Gold, Protamine, And Nucleic Acid: Comparative Characterization On The Nanoscale, Robert Delong, Lisa Cillessen, Chris Reynolds, Adam Wanekaya, Tiffany Severs, Kartik Ghosh, Michael Fisher, Stephanie Barber, John Black, For Complete List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

College of Health and Human Services

DNA and RNA micro- and nanoparticles are increasingly being used for gene and siRNA drug delivery and a variety of other applications in bionanotechnology. On the nanoscale, these entities represent unique challenges from a physicochemical characterization perspective. Here, nucleic acid conjugates with protamine and gold nanoparticles (GNP) were characterized comparatively in the nanorange of concentration by UV/Vis NanoDrop spectroscopy, fluorimetry, and gel electrophoresis. Given the intense interest in splice-site switching oligomers (SSOs), we utilized a human tumor cell culture system (HeLa pLuc-705), in which SSO-directed splicing repair upregulates luciferase expression, in order to investigate bioactivity of the bionanoconjugates. Process parameters …

Reunifying From Behind Bars: A Quantitative Study Of The Relationship Between Parental Incarceration, Service Use, And Foster Care Reunification, Amy C. D’Andrade, M. Valdez

Faculty Publications

Incarcerated parents attempting to reunify with their children in foster care can find it difficult to complete the activities on their court-ordered case plans, such as drug treatment services and visitation with children. Although much has been written regarding the obstacles that are likely to interfere with reunification for incarcerated parents, very little quantitative research has examined the topic. This study uses secondary data to examine the incarceration experiences and reunification outcomes of a sample of 225 parents in one large urban California county. In multivariate analysis controlling for problems and demographics, incarcerated parents were less likely to reunify with …

Social Workers' Perceptions Of Barriers In The Treatment And Community Reintegration Of Sex Offenders, Zayra Janeth Angeles, Sonia Ann Zuniga

Theses Digitization Project

This study examined barriers to community reintegration and the treatment needs of sex offenders as identified by social workers in the mental health field. Sex offenders undoubtedly experience many barriers which impact their successful community reintegration. Stigma has been strongly implicated by social workers in this study as a major barrier to the treatment and community reintegration of sex offenders.

The Effect Of Neglect In Infancy On The Ability To Attach To Adoptive Caregivers, Lisa Marie Christoffer

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between neglect in infancy and the child's ability to form attachments in an adoption context. Most of the current research assesses the effect of all forms of maltreatment on attachment behavior. However this study aimed to investigate one type of maltreatment, neglect, on attachment behavior.

Effects Of Sibling Placements On Stability And Permanency In Foster Care, Andrea Trinidad Lomeli

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to assess overall placement stability and permanency of children in joint or separate sibling placements within the San Bernardino County Department of Children and Family Services. The purpose of child welfare agencies is the safety, protection, and permanency of children and the promotion of child and family well-being. Therefore, it is important to research the effects of sibling placements in foster care.

Evaluation Of Support Groups For Adults With Diabetes, Julie Angelita Gonzalez

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of the study is to evaluate support groups for people with diabetes to find out information about the facilitators, social workers involvement, if any, details of how the groups are facilitated, resources used and the way in which behavioral change is addressed.

Perceptions Of Group Homes Among Former Foster Youth: A Needs Assessment, Moraima Davalos

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to see how former foster youth perceived group homes. This study obtained interviews from six former foster youth between the ages of 18 and 43 years old. A qualitative study design consisting of open ended interview questions was used to get a clear assessment of group homes from the participants view.

Professionals' Perspectives On Juvenile Recidivism, Maribel Lopez

Theses Digitization Project

This study identified important risk factors that literature has shown to contribute to juvenile recidivism. Probation officers and social workers were able to provide their professional opinions on the nature of these risk factors.

Children's Attitudes And Beliefs About Gangs, Irma Olivia Silva

Theses Digitization Project

This research evaluated the effectiveness of the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) gang prevention program among elementary school children. The focus of this research is to determine if the G.R.E.A.T. program changes the attitudes and beliefs of elementary school boys and girls who live in areas that are at high risk of gang involvement and gang related crimes. This research also aims to find out which gender is most affected by the program. The sample size was 103 females and 82 males in the fourth and fifth grades. The children who participated in this program were children from Operation …

Foster Children Customer Service Survey, Adam Berenson

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project was to develop a customer service survey to be used by child welfare agencies to improve both ongoing social work practice and training of new social workers. Two organizations in Southern California under contract with Children and Family Services (CFS) to serve former foster youth were contacted to recruit volunteers for the focus groups. Two focus groups of former foster youth were convened to discuss their experiences in foster care. The purpose of the survey is to elicit from child clients specific feelings and thoughts about the services they receive from the agency with emphasis …

Fostering Resiliency In Emancipated Foster Youth: What They Need To Transition Successfully, Olga Cherie Phillips, Maria Guadalupe Martinez

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to assess emancipated foster youths' views on challenges, resilliencies, and coping strategies associated with aging out of foster care. It seeks to identify resiliency or qualities which helped former foster youth overcome their struggles while in the child welfare system.

Medical Practitioners' Death Anxiety And The Advance Directive, Daisy Macias, Natalie Macias

Theses Digitization Project

This study examined whether there is a correlation between medical practitioner's level of death anxiety and communication about the advance directive. Even though there is a lot of common sense in stating the obvious complexity of issues surrounding end of life, there is also a clear discomfort with accepting the advance directive and the patient's wishes at face value and the underlying reasons for that may lie in the physician's own feelings over death.

Protective And Risk Factors In The Placement Of Foster Children With Severe Mental Illness, Dianna Nicole England, Kendra Nicole Lutzow

Theses Digitization Project

The aspiration of this study was that social workers will screen and train foster parents in order to reduce hesitation and anxiety over parenting a child with a mental illness.

Social Work Students' Perceptions Of Child Emotional Abuse, Karla Aurora Lara

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to examine graduate level social work students' perceptions of emotional abuse in order to understand the underlying thought processes that affect the response and decision-making of these future professionals who will likely be responsible for reporting, investigating, and/or treating emotional abuse of children.

Attitudes About Sexual Intimacy In The Veterans Home Of California-Barstow, Eric Efren Reyes

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to measure staff attitudes about sexual intimacy in the Veterans Home of California-Barstow (VHCB). Participants were twenty-seven VHCB staff members. The data collected was used for the purpose of understanding, and then formulating suggestions for implementing better institutional interventions and policy in the VHCB.

Comparative Analysis Of Sexual Abuse Cases With And Without Substance Abuse, Courtney Kay Barzandeh

Theses Digitization Project

This study provided a statistical analysis of reunifications rates and treatments offered for sexually abused children and their parents. This study consisted of computer case files in Riverside Child Protective Services of foster children who had been sexually abused and will help in further research studies conducted in Riverside County and in various surrounding counties to understand the impact of child sexual abuse. Data was collected from fifty case files using computer databases and a data extraction tool.

Ex-Prisoners' Reintegration Into Society: A Look At How Employment Affects Reintegration, Cynthia Beatriz Urrutia

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to find out if having employment deters ex-prisoner's involvement in illegal economic activities. The number of adults in the correctional population has been increasing at a fast pace and so have recidivism rates. Employment has been recongnized to deter recidivism.