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Identifying Risk Factors For And Responding To Religious/Spiritual Distress In Transplant Patient Populations, Amber Nicole Ryman

Masters Theses

Due to the advancement of organ transplant technology, more people are able to receive a second chance at life through organ donation. In 2019, the United States conducted close to 40,000 transplants and this represents close to 40,000 people experiencing various states of healthcare crisis. Chaplains have the opportunity, and responsibility, to care for the religious/spiritual well-being of these transplant patients and their caregivers as they navigate the unique processes and challenges that transplantation entails. It is the argument of this thesis that risk factors for spiritual distress in transplant populations need to be identified as early as possible, in …

Promoting Independence: Empowering Successful Transitions Out Of The North American Foster Care System, Samantha Chong, Ots, Kevin Dang, Ots, Leondra Graves, Ots, Taylor Holt, Ots, Rebecca Sinko, Otd, Otr/L

Collaborative Research and Evidence shared Among Therapists and Educators (CREATE Day)

Objectives

• Identify the supports and barriers of youth transitioning out of the North American foster care/foster home care systems.
• Describe occupational therapy’s current and emerging roles in life skills/IADL training with youth transitioning out of the foster care system.
• Describe the positive outcomes related to successful transitions into adulthood for foster youth.

PICO Question:

What life skills training interventions conducted by occupational therapy practitioners improve independence for youth transitioning out of the foster care system?

Ready For Relationships: Promoting Appropriate Dating Behaviors In Adolescents & Young Adults With Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, Lauren Buch, Ots, Kelly Dennin, Ots, Chelsea Fife, Ots, Eileen Mee, Ots, E. Adel Herge

Collaborative Research and Evidence shared Among Therapists and Educators (CREATE Day)

Objectives:

• Identify the need for effective relationship, sexuality expression, and sex education programming for adolescents with IDD based on current literature.
• Examine the role of occupational therapy in facilitating the development of healthy dating behaviors for adolescents with IDD.
• Apply components of a best practice approach to facilitate the development of appropriate dating behaviors for adolescents with IDD.

PICO Question:

What interventions within the scope of occupational therapy will lead to appropriate dating behaviors in adolescents and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities?

Smooth Transitions: Adapting To New Roles For Transgender Individuals, Rylea Hager, Ots, Daniella Mazzo, Ots, Meredith O’Neal, Ots, Eileen Young, Ots, Rebecca Sinko, Otd, Otr/L

Collaborative Research and Evidence shared Among Therapists and Educators (CREATE Day)

Outcomes:

• Define transgender and understand the occupational challenges associated with the gender-affirming transition process.
• Discuss the impact of the knowledge gap in gender-inclusive care, as well as the barriers to accessing healthcare services for transgender individuals.
• Acquire knowledge from current research and apply to occupational therapy interventions for transitioning transgender individuals in the process of new role assumption

PICO Question:

How can occupational therapists utilize interventions within their scope of practice (I) to promote positive transitions to new occupational roles (O) for individuals who are transgender (P)?

Let’S Get Spiritual! How Integrating Spirituality Into The Ot Process Impacts Well-Being For Those Experiencing A Life-Altering Diagnosis, Taneisha Esplin Jolley, Ots, Jeffrey Gold, Ms, Ots, Nicholas Luca, Ots, Antôn Nguyễn, Ots, E. Adel Herge, Otd, Otr/L, Faota

Collaborative Research and Evidence shared Among Therapists and Educators (CREATE Day)

Outcomes:

• Define spirituality as it applies to the scope of occupational therapy practice for individuals experiencing life-altering diagnoses and conditions
• Describe current evidence that supports incorporating clients’ spirituality into the occupational therapy process to ensure a holistic approach to practice
• Apply spiritual-based interventions in order to achieve positive outcomes for individuals experiencing life-altering diagnoses and conditions

PICO Question:

How does incorporating spirituality within the OT process impact well-being/QOL for individuals who have experienced life-altering conditions or diagnoses?

Leaving A Covenantal Religion: Orthodox Jewish Disaffiliation From An Immigration Psychology Perspective, Joel Engelman, Glen Milstein, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Joshua B. Grubbs

Publications and Research

This study explored psychological variables associated with disaffiliation from Orthodox Judaism (a covenantal community), and subsequent wellness. A web-based survey (N = 206) assessed factors previously used to study immigrants: push (distress within origin community), pull (toward destination community), and goal attainment. Psychological wellness, perceived stress, overall health, and loneliness were also assessed. Findings included: (1) strong pull toward opportunities for physical and ideological autonomy; (2) those who experienced more push toward disaffiliation, reported decreased current wellness; (3) goal attainment was associated with increased wellbeing; (4) significant differences in the experiences of disaffiliation between men and women; (5) most who …

Non-Binary And Gender Expansive Young Adults: Perceptions Of Their Lived Experiences With Gender Identity, Devyn Adrian Box

Social Work Theses - Archive

Non-binary and gender expansive (NBGE) young adults face disproportionate rates of violence and discrimination within systemic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal contexts. Extant literature neglects the study of this population and their unique needs and experiences. This phenomenological study sought to answer the question, “what are the lived experiences of non-binary and gender expansive college students ages 18-24?” This study used a convenience sampling strategy with a snowball approach, and recruited college students across the state of Texas. A total of 10 participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. All participants identified as assigned female at birth (AFAB). 70% of participants …

Fear Of Blackness And Gentrification Of Black And Brown Neighborhoods In Chicago, Vanessa Ann Hentz

Social Work Theses - Archive

The gentrification of Black and Brown neighborhoods in Chicago is an ongoing process that deserves attention and analysis. The purpose of this scoping review was to determine the factors contributing to the gentrification of Chicago neighborhoods. The purpose included investigating if there is a fear of Blackness associated with the gentrification of Black and Brown neighborhoods. The methodology followed for the scoping review included the recommendations from Arskey & O’Malley’s (1994) Scoping Studies: Towards a Methodological Framework. This methodology included using the research question to gather the relevant articles to chart, summarize, and analyze the results (Arskey & O’Malley 1994). …

Exploring The Alignment Of Arlington Independent School District's Junior High And High School Anti-Bullying Policies With State And District Policy: A Content Analysis Of Website And Facebook Data, Modesty Chisom Ekueku

Social Work Theses - Archive

Bullying is a significant issue that results in deterioration of the self-esteem of the victim as well as causing other health and psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, and reduced self-confidence. Research shows that bullying is a common phenomenon in the United States, which involves hurting one's reputation or relationships (Graham, 2016). Cyber-bullying is another common form of bullying to the students who are accessible to the internet and other electronic devices. Cyberbullying has become an even more significant issue due to the unprecedented times we are facing. This study aims to analyze the alignment of bullying polices between the …

The Perceived Benefits Of Exposure To Nature Through Birds, Venieca Kusek

Social Work Theses - Archive

Abstract Objectives: The objective of this research was to pilot Feathered Friends, a multi-sensory based bird intervention program and examine perceived benefits of the program among older adults at an assisted living facility. Feathered Friends adapted from Bird tales was a program for engaging people with cognitive impairments through the natural world of birds. The intervention was intended to increase social participation in a learning environment while reaping the emotional benefits of exposure to nature, specifically birds. Methods: This was an exploratory research project. We conducted individual, in-person interviews with the participants and analyzed data using a thematic analysis to …

Predictors Of School Functioning And Problem Behaviors In Siblings Of Children With Autism, Sarah Elizabeth Jones

Social Work Theses - Archive

When a child has a sibling with a disability, siblings must learn to adapt to additional challenges and demands and may often be overlooked by their parents, teachers, and service providers. While research has demonstrated that the social and emotional development of siblings of children with ASD is impacted in the context of their homes and families, the impact on siblings in the school setting has been minimally examined. Using the Sibling Embedded Systems Framework, this study assesses the relationship between micro and mesosystem factors in relation to school behavioral and academic outcomes for siblings of children with ASD using …

Age-Friendly Airports: A Qualitative Study Of Older Adults Aged 55 And Older, Joanna Fatih Glover

Social Work Theses - Archive

As baby boomers are increasing in numbers and living longer, many older adults are continuing activities that bring pleasure and promote independence in their lives. Extant literature suggests an increase in air travel among older adults as well as benefits related to traveling in later life. However, their literature also reports a lack of “age-friendliness” at airports across the U.S. and the world. As older adults begin to travel more frequently, the age-friendliness of airports is important to understand because older adults want to continue to travel. For older adults to continue to do so, the age-friendliness of airports needs …

A Study On Factors Influencing The Status Of The Working Poor In Welfare States, Chang Hyun Seo

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Background: Labor has not been a sufficient means of preventing poverty since the end of the 20th century. Due to this uncertain relationship between labor and poverty, the working poor issue has reemerged as a social problem around the world. Purpose of Study: The purpose of this study is to identify factors influencing the status of the working poor in the welfare states, whose income is below the 60% of median household income. Using multidimensional state level data, the current study examined the conditions of the working poor by applying cross-national comparative approaches. Methods: Using secondary data from the International …

Swimming Upstream To Achieve The Dream: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study Of The Postsecondary Experiences Of Foster Care Alumni, Sharron Crear

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Education has been deemed the "great equalizer" for the condition of man (Horace Mann, 1848). Studies have found that years of education and income are highly correlated--the higher the educational level, the higher the income (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017). Numerous studies highlight the benefits of attaining a college degree; however, college enrollment and graduation rates among young adults with foster care experience lag significantly behind those of their non-foster care peers. Despite increased policies and efforts at the federal, state, and local levels to improve the educational outcomes of this vulnerable population, poor educational outcomes are still prevalent. …

Dysregulated Calcium Signaling In Cardiomyocytes From Diabetic Atrial Fibrillation To Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy, Xian Liu

Kinesiology Dissertations - Archive

Ca2+ is a vital second messenger in cardiomyocytes and controls excitation-contraction coupling. It also regulates cell cycle, apoptosis, hypertrophy and downstream gene transcription in the heart remodeling. Calcium homeostasis is a complicated network and the intracellular Ca2+ signaling is composed of different Ca2+ movements like Ca2+ spikes [1], waves and oscillations [2-4]. The spatially-temporally regulated Ca2+ signaling is orchestrated with the Ca2+ release through ryanodine receptor (RyR) or IP3 receptor (IP3R) from Ca2+ stores such as sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum (SR/ER), recycling of Ca2+ from cell plasma back to the ER and Ca2+ influx through plasma membrane (PM) from extracellular space. There …

After Espinoza: What's Left Of The Establishment Clause?, Carl H. Esbeck

Faculty Publications

Consistent with the Establishment Clause, the Supreme Court had permitted the government to fund public and private K-12 schools, so long as any direct aid was not diverted to an explicitly religious purpose. In Espinoza v. Montana Dept. of Rev., the Court held that when there is a government program with a secular purpose, such as education, the Free Exercise Clause requires that the program be available without regard to religion. Clearly the Religion Clauses have undergone a major transformation since the days of no parochial school aid whatsoever in the 1970s and 80s. So, it bears asking: What …

The Sisterhood Ceiling: A Qualitative Case Study On Female Leaders' Perceptions Of The Gender Leadership Gap, Morgan Leigh Patrick

Doctoral Dissertations

Women are underrepresented in leadership (Bichsel & McChesney, 2017; Catalyst, 2018; Cook, 1997; Mesch & Rooney, 2008; United States Senate, n.d.a, n.d.b; United States House of Representatives, 2020a; United States House of Representatives, 2020b). Exploring the underrepresentation of women in higher educational leadership could offer insight that could be used to create opportunities to advance women in order to fill the gender gap. Much is known about the proverbial Glass Ceiling (Bichsel & McChesney, 2017; Catalyst, 2018; Cook, 1997; Mesch & Rooney, 2008) and the Glass Escalator (Malin & Wise, 2018; Maume, 1999; Williams, 1992). However, the challenges related to …

Analysis Of Barriers Causing Delay In Post-Hurricane Recovery: Experts’ Vs. Public’S Perspectives, Behzad Rouhanizadeh

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Destructive natural disasters such as hurricanes, affect countries around the world. To recover from a hurricane, the managers need to make various decisions; however, what makes the post-hurricane decision making unique is lack of time to make the optimum decision. A comprehensive understanding of barriers to recovery can lead to development of policies that help prevent delays in recovery process and consequently results in resiliency. Although several studies have been performed to identify the recovery barriers, they did not provide a comprehensive review of barriers and their classification. On the other hand, experts and the public commonly have different understandings …

Mental Health Services And Implementation Science, Cole Hooley

BYU Research Development Office Research Networking Conference

Scaling up mental health services, dissemination and implementation science, systems science (system dynamics, social network analysis, agent-based modeling, etc.)

Black Supervisors Matter : The Experiences Of Black Supervisors Working Cross-Racially With White Supervisees, Candice R. Crawford

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

As the counseling field continues to become more diverse (CACREP, 2018; NSF, 2016), there is an increase in literature that explores the cross-cultural or cross-racial interactions in counseling and supervision. However, the literature is scarce with research that focuses on the Black supervisor working cross-racially, with literature mainly focusing on the White supervisor working cross-racially or cross-culturally (Constantine, 2007; Ratts, Singh, Butler, Nassar- McMillan, & McCullough, 2016; Wong, Wong, & Ishiyama, 2013). Due to the paucity of research exploring cross-racial interactions in supervision from the perspective of the Black supervisor, this study served to address the gap in literature. A …

Beliefs And Perceptions Of Millennials Pertaining To Climate Change And Sustainability, Rae Cade

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study is to explore the beliefs and perceptions of millennials on the subjects of climate change and sustainability. Some millennials pursuing an undergraduate degree in a non-environmental science field may lack knowledge pertaining to climate change and sustainability. The conceptual framework for this qualitative explanatory multi-case study is grounded in contributions from Henri Lefebvre, Nicholson-Smith (1991), and Simpson (2014) who explore how the notion of space has evolved in recent years, as well as researchers who are quantitatively studying climate change and sustainability. I conducted semistructured focus groups and drafted field notes from two …

Exploring Experiences With Social Disorganization In Denver Communities, Tiffanie Pham

Master's Theses

Social disorganization theory states that individuals residing in disadvantaged communities are more likely to engage in delinquency and criminality due to the elements the individuals experience (Shaw & McKay, 1969). More specifically, social disorganization theory refers to the failure of the community to fully understand and acknowledge the common goals or solve any issues that the community might be experiencing (Kubrin & Weitzer, 2003). Utilizing social disorganization theory, specifically, the family disruption and poverty elements, the current literature focuses on individuals who reside in disadvantaged communities in Denver, Colorado. By using the qualitative approach, this study relied on in-depth interviews …

Examining The Effects Of Disability Services On Student Success In Higher Education, Rebecca Smith

Master's Theses

Disabled students in higher education are provided resources through reasonable accommodation, or modification of university offerings. This affords the disabled student equal opportunity to benefit from those programs, services, and facilities despite the limitations imposed by their disability. This practice is historically informed by the medical model of disability, and legal reforms such as the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act in 1973. Most research in this area has found that reasonable accommodation is effective for “leveling the playing field” for disabled college students. Yet, some researchers argue that Universal Design, the composition of an environment …

True To Size: Creating An Interdisciplinary Suicide Awareness And Prevention Evidence-Based Project In A Nonprofit Academic Medical Center, Darci Martinez

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

Suicide is a serious health problem that continues to increase despite significant efforts to reduce suicide in vulnerable populations. High rates of suicide negatively impact individuals, families, and communities nationwide. The purpose of this project was to prepare the inpatient and outpatient clinical workforce at National Jewish Health (NJH) to care for patients who are suicidal. This project included reviewing the literature on suicide awareness and prevention training across the continuum of healthcare, implementing an evidence-based training model, and evaluating the effectiveness of training. This project started in 2017 and throughout, this researcher was the lead for the Suicide Prevention …

The Criminal Justice Response To The Opioid Crisis In East Baton Rouge Parish, Elizabeth Winchester, Kristina Little, Timothy T. Reling, Gabriele Richardson, Judith F. Rhodes

Reports

This report describes: 1) the history and current state of the opioid crisis in East Baton Rouge Parish; 2) the current and planned efforts of the Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combating Violent Crime and Illegal Opioids (IPS) grant to respond to the crisis; and 3) recommendations for criminal justice practitioners regarding the opioid crisis in our community. The goal of the IPS grant is to reduce opioid-related deaths by fostering interagency collaboration to disrupt local opioid supply chains, educate the community about the dangers of opioid abuse and addiction, and provide support for individuals with opioid use disorder.

The rising …

Same Wheel, New Direction: Toward A Sex Trafficking-Specific Framework Of Care, Danielle Joy Dimuzio

All Theses

In 2016, an estimated 3.8 million adults and children were victims of sex trafficking worldwide. Even with so many people affected, and with the mental health effects of sex trafficking victimization being so serious and long-lasting, very little exists on how to most effectively treat this population after they are rescued or escape. The current study contributes to this body of research by obtaining the perspectives of clinical service providers working with sex trafficking survivors, with particular attention paid to their experiences and views on mental health treatment methods for survivors. This study used a systems perspective and qualitative research …

Undergraduate Bulletin, 2020-2021, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Undergraduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of Urban Homeless Rates., Andrew John Bates

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes the differences among homeless rates in urban and suburban “continuums of care” (service areas for homelessness in the United States) over the period of 2014-2018. The purpose is to determine which variables are useful to predict the rates of two definitions of homelessness: the more extreme “Category One” homelessness as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): those unsheltered or living in homeless shelters; and the broader Department of Education definition of homelessness: families with children that are homeless, including those in Category One but also those living in hotels, staying temporarily with …

Fatalism As A Cultural Influence On Correlates Of Anxiety And Worry In Latino/A Adolescents., Judy Mier-Chairez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Evidence that Latino/as in the United States experience lower rates of anxiety disorders as compared to the non-Latino/a White population has not yet led to the identification of the sources of these differences. Higher rates of anxiety disorders among more acculturated Latino/a individuals compared to those lower in acculturation suggest there are influential cultural variables relevant to anxiety, specifically that there is a loss of a protective Latino/a cultural factor in the acculturation process. Fatalism, an often-cited Latino/a cultural characteristic, emerges as an intriguing candidate for exploration in relation to anxiety due to the shared elements of future orientation and …

Reducing Stereotype Threat In The Classroom, Todd K. Platts, Kim Hoosier

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

This brief pedagogical essay, focusing on social science classrooms, provides fellow instructors with practical strategies and advice in reducing the presence of stereotype threat in their classrooms. Techniques of task reframing, practices of positive affirmation, the providing of constructive criticism, the incorporation of marginalized groups into course content, and suggestions for meeting stereotype threat head-on are discussed as are some strategies students can adopt themselves. While the methods of stereotype threat reduction addressed in this essay can help curtail some of the negative impacts of racism’s micro-level forces, stereotype threat must also be considered a structural problem that requires structural …