Mentor’S Perspective: Impact Of Working In A Professional Development Partnership, Kimberly Tucker

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this single case study was to explore a Physical Education (PE) mentor teacher’s perception of working with a Professional Development Partnership (PDP) for over 17 years. The researcher coined the new term PDP, which deviates from a Professional Development School in that a PDP is not a school-wide endeavor. A PDP can be a model used for a teacher education program for subject areas where there are limited, or only one, teacher at the given school, as seen in PE.In particular, this study examined how a PDP influenced a mentor teacher’s professional development and the ways in …

Rural Aging: The Geographic Reach Of Service Access In Utah, Identifying Barriers And Solutions, Alexandra T. Schiwal

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation includes two studies of rural age-related services in the state of Utah. The first study combines geospatial, demographic data (number of people over 55) and age-related services (hospitals, hospice providers, nursing homes, senior centers, and Areas Agencies on Aging) at the county level and census-tract level to determine localized differences in proportional access to age-related services. Higher and lower proportions are then predicted by contextual factors including rural/urban gradient, economic industry, and broadband access. Results demonstrate that broadband access was significantly associated with higher access to age-related services, but being a retirement destination (increase in people over 65 …

Strategies For Improving Self-Efficacy: A Qualitative Analysis Of Detroit’S Downtown Boxing Gym, Amanda Sommerfeld Case, N. Keita Christophe

Journal of Youth Development

Structural inequalities present throughout U.S. public schools are known to contribute to the significant achievement gaps that persist between lower-income students of color and their more financially secure, White peers. Because of this, community programs have been identified as places where typically underserved students can receive the support required for positive development and academic achievement. The current study used qualitative methods to explore how one community program, Detroit’s Downtown Boxing Gym, fosters self-efficacy in school-aged youth from Detroit Public Schools. Focus group participants reported they are indeed experiencing increases in self-efficacy as a result of the mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, …

Strategies For Gaining Access To Deliver Sport Programs With Highly Vulnerable Youth, Jenn Jacobs, Zachary Wahl-Alexander, Timothy Mack

Journal of Youth Development

Sport programs have been widely studied for their efficacy in helping youth develop important social, psychological, and physical skills. Extensive research has explored the challenges related to design, implementation, and evaluation of sport programs with a developmental focus. However, when designing sport programs specifically tailored for youth from vulnerable backgrounds, the challenges become multiplied, particularly when accounting for barriers that exist before the program starts. The following article describes best practices for gaining access to non-traditional, hard-to-access environments, such as foster care systems, juvenile detention centers, youth residential mental health facilities, and programs situated in high-risk communities. Recommendations are provided …

Immigrant Youth In Juvenile Facilities: A State-By-State Review Of Recreation Programming, Maria León

Journal of Youth Development

Recent national events have increased attention towards immigrant youth. Youth placed in juvenile justice facilities go through processes overseen by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, the Office of Refugee Resettlement, and the Unaccompanied Children’s Program. While in placement youth are exposed to risk factors and face cultural barriers being in a new country. As publicity of the incarceration of immigrant youth increases, there is an emphatic need for researchers to examine the quality of care youth experience in placement facilities. One of the areas that has not been critically investigated is recreation programming in juvenile justice facilities. Recreation programs …

Exploration Of A College And Career Readiness Leadership Program For Urban Youth, Samantha Bates, Dawn Anderson-Butcher, Jera Niewoehner-Green, John Provenzano

Journal of Youth Development

Urban youth living in poverty are less socially and academically prepared to access postsecondary education compared to their more affluent peers. College and career readiness (CCR) programs traditionally focus on skill-building to assist with college and financial aid applications, test taking, and career exploration. The Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) program includes these components, but also incorporates positive youth development (PYD) and leadership skill development strategies to further prepare urban youth for college and career through internship, service, and leadership opportunities. Using a mixed methods approach, this study explored youth perceptions of the YLA, evaluating the influence of the program on …

A Content Analysis Of The Contributions In The Narratives Of Daca Youth, Darlene Xiomara Rodriguez, Sanjuana Rodriguez, Banti Zehyoue

Journal of Youth Development

This study utilized cultural community wealth (Yosso, 2005) to explore the ways in which Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) youth make use of social media. Through the use of content analysis (Hay, 2005), the authors analyzed social media interviews publicly posted by DACA youth. Findings reveal that DACA youth engage in social media as a form of activism and to mobilize their communities. The findings support and extend our understanding of the ways that DACA youth are an asset to the wider community. Implications for those working with DACA youth are provided.

Promoting Pro-Social Skills To Reduce Violence Among Urban Middle School Youth, Deb Risisky, James Macgregor, Deborah Smith, Jamie Abraham

Journal of Youth Development

Adolescent violence is a significant public health problem. The goal of this evaluation was to determine whether communication skills, relationships with adults, and relationships with peers were enhanced through participating in an after-school program aimed at reducing violence-related behaviors among urban middle school youth. Elements that helped to foster success among our population were providing a program that enabled consistent choice in recreational activities in a safe place, and also providing busing home to increase safety. A non-experimental study was conducted with 115 students who participated in the program. Bivariate, ANOVA analysis, and Kruskal–Wallis tests were carried out. Results indicated …

Does Equine Assisted Learning Create Emotionally Safe Learning Environments For At-Risk Youth?, Katie Cagle-Holtcamp, Molly Christine Nicodemus, Julie Parker, Mattie Helen Dunlap

Journal of Youth Development

Equine assisted learning (EAL) is a form of experiential learning that is quickly growing in interest within the educational community. A challenge with experiential learning programs for at-risk youth is creating an emotionally safe environment that opens up the participants to learning. Nevertheless, EAL has been credited with the development of life skills in youth that promote educational achievement, but research tracking the development of emotional safety and learning, specifically associated with programming dedicated to educating participants about the horse, is limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if EAL, with programming centered around equine education, will …

Urban Youth Perspectives On The Benefits And Challenges Of Outdoor Adventure Camp, Edmond Bowers, Lincoln Larson, Alexandra Sandoval

Journal of Youth Development

Consistent evidence indicates that urban youth, and particularly youth of color, report relatively low levels of participation in quality youth program experiences and spend less time outdoors as compared to non-urban and White youth. Outdoor adventure camps (OACs) provide an excellent opportunity for engaging these youth in experiences that can help promote positive youth development (PYD). In the present study, we examined the experiences and perceptions of 75 urban youth who participated in a 3-day high adventure camp experience. Through a mixed-method approach, results indicated that urban youth from all racial and ethnic backgrounds grew in several PYD outcomes including …

Human-Animal-Environment Interactions As A Context For Child And Adolescent Growth, Erin Flynn, Alexandra Zoller, Megan Mueller, Kevin Morris

Journal of Youth Development

Human-animal-environment interaction (HAEI) is increasingly used in special education. While most research of HAEIs has identified effects that broadly support positive special education outcomes, further research of HAEI-based interventions in these environments is needed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 teaching staff at a special education school that utilizes a range of HAEIs. The teachers are responsible for implementing evidence-based interventions to facilitate social-emotional learning (SEL), so assessing their unique perspectives on the impacts of HAEIs on student SEL outcomes is imperative. Phenomenological coding of the interviews identified 9 major themes that represented positive impacts as well as barriers and …

A Critical Examination Of Employers Offering A Second Chance For Employment To Black Males With A Criminal Record, Jennifer Jones

Education Doctoral

Obtaining employment after serving time in prison is essential for successful reentry after incarceration. However, Black men experience the highest rate of unemployment in the United States, a trend that only intensifies after release from custody. While there is extensive research correlating the high rate of Black male recidivism with the negative influences of criminal acquaintances, community barriers, obstacles to education, and racial inequalities that prevent successful reentries, there is little literature surrounding the positive outcomes, for all parties, that arise from the decisions of hiring managers or directors who offer second chances of employment to Black men with a …

An Evaluation Of The Utility Of The Performance Diagnostic Checklist - Human Services (Pdc-Hs): A Comparison Of Formal And Informal Assessment Strategies, Cherish Chalk

Theses and Dissertations

The PDC-HS is a performance assessment tool that assists in the identification of variables contributing to performance problems among human service employees. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of the PDC-HS as a formal assessment strategy. Specifically, the PDC-HS was compared to an informal assessment strategy consisting of a single open-ended interview question and a single structured interview question. Participants included 40 supervisors in varying positions in the human services industry. Descriptive statistics were used to compare participant responses to the open-ended and structured questions to the results indicated by the PDC-HS. Results suggest that the …

A Content Analysis Of The Contributions In The Narratives Of Daca Youth, Darlene Xiomara Rodriguez, Sanjuana Rodriguez, Banti Zehyoue

Journal of Youth Development

This study utilized cultural community wealth (Yosso, 2005) to explore the ways in which Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) youth make use of social media. Through the use of content analysis (Hay, 2005), the authors analyzed social media interviews publicly posted by DACA youth. Findings reveal that DACA youth engage in social media as a form of activism and to mobilize their communities. The findings support and extend our understanding of the ways that DACA youth are an asset to the wider community. Implications for those working with DACA youth are provided.

Examining Resiliency In Adolescent Refugees Through The Tree Of Life Activity, Marcella Stark, Brandy Quinn, Katharine Hennessey, Amanda Rutledge

Journal of Youth Development

Grounded in both resiliency science and positive youth development, the research team set out to understand the strengths and resources of adolescent refugees living in northeast Texas. In coordination with a local refugee services agency, members of the research team conducted the Tree of Life activity with 16 participants ranging in age from 13 to 20 years. Identifying 16 codes in the qualitative analyses of participants’ drawings, they organized these codes into 3 themes: self-efficacy, values, and relationships. The authors recommend the use of Tree of Life and other creative arts activities to facilitate the discovery of strengths and resources …

Partner Build Grow: Resources To Sustain Partnerships And Advance Prevention Initiatives, Evelyn Frankford, Rachel Sadlon, Olga Acosta Price, Linda Sheriff

Journal of Youth Development

Alignment of programs, practices, and policies by practitioners at the state and local levels can create health-promoting environments for all children. Such alignment, guided by principles of prevention science and public health, can enhance school–community partnerships involved with the mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being and positive development of children and youth. The key to success of such prevention approaches is sustaining the work over time. Partner Build Grow, an online Action Guide, supports sustainability through cross-sector collaborations and systems change to create school–community environments that promote equity. Informed by local and national experts along with field experience and application of …

Partner Build Grow: Resources To Sustain Partnerships And Advance Prevention Initiatives, Evelyn Frankford, Rachel Sadlon, Olga Acosta Price, Linda Sheriff

Journal of Youth Development

Alignment of programs, practices, and policies by practitioners at the state and local levels can create health-promoting environments for all children. Such alignment, guided by principles of prevention science and public health, can enhance school–community partnerships involved with the mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being and positive development of children and youth. The key to success of such prevention approaches is sustaining the work over time. Partner Build Grow, an online Action Guide, supports sustainability through cross-sector collaborations and systems change to create school–community environments that promote equity. Informed by local and national experts along with field experience and application of …

Understanding Barriers To Attending Food Distributions, Janell Jimenez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Second Harvest Food Bank provides food access to all of the population through Santa Cruz County. Too many people in the community are suffering from food insecurity due to lack of healthy meals, financial instability, and other living expenses not allowing them to purchase healthy meals. This lack of healthy meals which is leading to people at risk of serious health issues, development, and poor academics amongst children. Distribution sites and nutrition programs are provided on a daily basis at different locations and times of the day at no cost to the community However the number of participants has …

Collection Of Analyzed Data From Health And Human Services Professionals: Stressors And Self-Care Practices, Yesenia Alcala

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Alliance on Aging is a nonprofit agency in Salinas, California. It was established in 1970, and they help serve the needs of the senior citizen community by offering multiple services. Working professionals experience high levels of stress in the workplace. Although there are many contributing factors for high stress in the workplace, the main factors at play are the lack of self-care and lack of support Zastrow (pg. 332, 2015). Because working professionally in the human services field experience high stress the consequences they may face are burnout, high turnover rates, and poor overall health. The capstone project will assess …

Parent Involvement In Elementary Schools, Maria Miramontes

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The current Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium results prove that the Greenfield Union School District is academically low in English and Mathematics. This is a problem that the school district is facing because students are not engaged with their education. Poverty and low parental involvement puts students at risk to not be engaged in their education, since the socioeconomic status of parents can prohibit parents with the level of engagement in their children’s education. The majority of the students at Greenfield Union School District are English learners, this is another risk factor because at times parents cannot help their children in …

Waste Reduction At La Isla, Alexandria Rangel

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Community Solutions is a non-profit organization that serves the community of South Santa Clara and San Benito Counties. At La Isla, Community Solutions’ safe house, a new program was implemented, which focused on reducing waste. Food waste is an issue at La Isla, because a lot of food expires before it is used. The program focused on three key factors to reduce waste, including: creating and implementing a new inventory system, educational cooking classes and the creation of a recipe book in English and Spanish. The classes provided life skills such as cooking, nutritional information and awareness of the amount …

The Impact Zero-Tolerance Policies Have On High School Students, Elsa Guillen

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The capstone project created for RJ in the Schools, a program under Restorative Justice Partners, Inc. was an implementation model for building school site relationships as RJ in the Schools enters a school prior to providing specified on-site support. The implementation model was developed and piloted for purposes of addressing functionality at Monterey Peninsula Unified School District’s alternative education school, Central Coast High and later introduced to RJ in the Schools staff for approval of best internal practices. The implementation model highlights steps to strengthen relationships with school sites before commencing restorative justice (RJ) services, and can easily be adaptable …

Teaching College Foster Youth How To Use Mindfulness To Cope With Stress, Jiovana Xasel Vallejan Lugo

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Research has found that all foster youth face some sort of trauma at least once in their life, leading them to experience mental stress, emotion dysregulation, and depression during the transition to adulthood (Valdez, Bailey, Santuzzi, & Lilly, 2014). Many of the youth are not aware of the effects of stress on mental and physical well-being and how to cope with the stress they are feeling. Also, many of them are not aware of their mental state or how to cope with the stress they are feeling. College youth are not only affected mentally by stress, but also physically. They …

Childhood Abuse, Religiosity, And Opioid Use: Findings From The National Epidemiologic Survey On Alcohol And Related Conditions Data, James E. Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Religiosity is adopting a belief system surrounding concepts of purpose, meaning, and value through an institution that has already defined these concepts prior to the individual member attending and that member’s degree of participation. Religiosity does have protective factors against negative health outcomes. This protective influence was evaluated in this study. Data from Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions were examined to learn about the relationship between protective effects of religious participation on substance abuse, and whether this association weakened for individuals who have experienced higher levels of childhood abuse. A binary logistic regression …

Inpatient Addiction Medicine Consultation And Post-Hospital Substance Use Disorder Treatment Engagement: A Propensity-Matched Analysis, Honora Englander, Konrad Dobbertin, Bonnie K. Lind, Christina Nicolaidis, Peter Graven, Claire Dorfman, Todd Korthius

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

Hospitalizations due to medical and surgical complications of substance use disorder (SUD) are rising. Most hospitals lack systems to treat SUD, and most people with SUD do not engage in treatment after discharge.

Objective

Determine the effect of a hospital-based addiction medicine consult service, the Improving Addiction Care Team (IMPACT), on post-hospital SUD treatment engagement.

Design

Cohort study using multivariable analysis of Oregon Medicaid claims comparing IMPACT patients with propensity-matched controls.

Participants

18–64-year-old Oregon Medicaid beneficiaries with SUD, hospitalized at an Oregon hospital between July 1, 2015, and September 30, 2016. IMPACT patients (n = 208) were matched …

Open Mind And Open Heart: You Matter And Together We Can Overcome Adolescent Mental Health, Susana Hernandez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus issue addressed in this Capstone Project is the importance of providing support that is easily accessible for all students who are faced with mental health challenges. This is an important issue for school districts because the number of students facing mental health challenges has been increasing and without adequate support students do not properly self care. It is argued that many students are currently challenged with mental health, but the support provided by schools is inadequate. Considerations of the issues, required obtaining the perspectives of stakeholders from local high schools, organizations, and families who are currently changed by …

The Wounded Healer: A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Counselors-In-Training With Complex Trauma Histories, Jessica Leigh Manson

Dissertations

Thirty percent of the general population report one or more traumatic experiences (National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, 2019), and samples of mental health professionals report rates of traumatic experience as high as eighty percent (Pearlman & Mac Ian, 1995). Research on the neurobiological effects of trauma highlights the possibility of a trauma history uniquely impacting counselors-in-training (CITs) in their professional development and counseling work. This study focused on understanding the experiences of counselors-in-training (CITs) with complex trauma histories. Complex trauma is defined as a form of trauma that is chronic in nature and/or timing- specifically, an event perceived as …

The Practice Of Self-Care Strategies Among Master Of Social Work Students, Gracie Romero

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examined the different types of self-care strategies that Master of Social Work students practice. This study used the National Alliance on Mental Illness Self-Care Inventory, a survey which asks participants about commonly used methods of self-care. Engaging in self-care can bring better understanding and insights on how to prevent the signs of stress while also increasing an individual’s ability to regulate their emotional needs. All MSW students at the California university were invited to participate in the study. The surveys were administered via Qualtrics online survey software to the 68 part-time and o-time MSW students who agreed to …

Differences In Socialization Factors In Relation To Prescription Drug Misuse Between Rural And Urban Juveniles, Gabriela Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Juvenile misuse of prescription drugs in the United States has continuously increased over the last few decades, especially within rural regions of the country. Despite continuous increase in rates of misuse, limited research exists on elements of socialization that may function to prevent drug use. The current study utilized the Monitoring the Future Survey data to explore prescription drug misuse between different populations of juveniles. While using Hirschi’s (1969) theory of social bonds as a theoretical framework, different elements of socialization were explored to determine whether they work to contribute or prevent prescription drug misuse among rural and urban juveniles. …

Examining Resiliency In Adolescent Refugees Through The Tree Of Life Activity, Marcella Stark, Brandy Quinn, Katharine Hennessey, Amanda Rutledge

Journal of Youth Development

Grounded in both resiliency science and positive youth development, the research team set out to understand the strengths and resources of adolescent refugees living in northeast Texas. In coordination with a local refugee services agency, members of the research team conducted the Tree of Life activity with 16 participants ranging in age from 13 to 20 years. Identifying 16 codes in the qualitative analyses of participants’ drawings, they organized these codes into 3 themes: self-efficacy, values, and relationships. The authors recommend the use of Tree of Life and other creative arts activities to facilitate the discovery of strengths and resources …