Child Abuse Awareness And Prevention Programs In Elementary Schools: An Educators' Perspective, Sara Headen

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research project focuses on educators’ perceptions regarding implementing a child abuse awareness and prevention program in elementary schools. Participants for this project were teachers who were recruited from an elementary school located in Southern California. This project was completed using a qualitative data gathering method. Interviews were conducted and recorded through a video conferencing software program. The data gathered from the interviews was then transcribed and analyzed. The study found that all the participants were in support of implementing a child abuse awareness and prevention program in elementary schools. Concepts related to educator’s perception included their experience reporting child …

Mental Health Services For Detained Youth, Arlene Padilla, Vanessa Salcedo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

On any given day thousands of youth are detained in a juvenile detention facility in the United States as a result of involvement in the juvenile justice and criminal system. Youth’s access to resources such as mental health services are often impacted by this. Therefore, the researchers of this study have analyzed the youth’s utilization and access to behavioral health services within the juvenile halls of Riverside County. Using a quantitative method, the researchers found statistically significant differences between the utilization of services from the 2015-2016 fiscal year to that of 2019-2020. Additionally, the researchers provided implications and recommendations. The …

Social Worker’S Adjustment And Perception When Dealing With Double-Exposure During A Natural Disaster, Magaly Santos

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Limited research captures the perceptions and adjustments of social workers living and providing treatment in the same communities during a disaster. Few studies have captured the stressors and responsibilities put on social workers during an ongoing disaster. This paper reports the findings of the double-exposure captured using a qualitative approach in collecting interviews from nine mental health professionals who continued working during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A constructivist paradigm was used to capture each participant’s reality. Participants described the sudden change to remote work as difficult when having to find the balance between work and life demands, providing …

Covid-19 Impact On Lifestyle And Psychosocial Issues, Ayana M. Smith, Bessie Josephine Hernandez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

COVID-19 is a pandemic that hit the United States recently in early 2020 affecting individuals with regards to behavior, healthcare, education, recreation and social interaction, and employment and economic impact. The purpose of this study was to survey San Bernardino residents to identify, describe, and evaluate the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on their lives to understand their needs and to plan for future pandemics. This exploratory study used a qualitative method to collect data from 12 respondents in video interviews. A major finding was that, regarding behavior, most if not all participants had behavior changes to comply with Centers for …

Advanced Social Work Students’ Motivation And Preparedness: Covid- 19 Remote Learning Experience, Andrea Patricia Godinez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak impacted the Master of Social Work (MSW) graduate students’ education and field instruction. Engagement in classes in remote or restricted field placements was a new and evolving form of learning. This study investigated social work students’ level of motivation and preparedness entering the field after the novel form of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. This comparative quantitative exploratory study surveyed 70 advanced-year social work students. This study was undertaken as a means to learn about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, to benefit future cohorts, and to facilitate preparedness of faculty and staff for remote learning. …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Adult Substance Use, Mariah Garcia, Melissa Berry

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study sets out to contribute to the already existing data on ACEs as well as substance use in adulthood. In this quantitative descriptive study, the researchers addressed the relationship of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adult substance use. Psychological, physical, and cognitive health issues may occur in adulthood due to ACEs (Shin et al., 2017). Being exposed to one or more ACE during childhood can cause poor coping skills and result in adult substance use (Shin et al., 2017). Bringing greater attention to the prevalence of ACEs can help social workers create more sensitive assessments, screening tools, and treatment …

The Role Of Historical Trauma In Anxiety Formation In Latinx Community Members, Victor Manuel Luna

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Historical trauma has its roots in the plights of indigenous people years after the initial incident of colonization and has had lasting effects on them. The Latinx community is made up of all the groups of people, many different racial, ethnic groups, and nations, that make up Latin America. This group is connected by a similar history of colonization, slavery, war, and migration. Within the United States, the Latinx community can be further connected by the rhetoric and policies that have been used against them.

The purpose of the study was to explore how historical trauma played a role in …

Early Life Stress And The Resulting Effects On Behavior Of Children Under The Age Of Five In A Domestic Violence Shelter, Jordan Singleton

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

It is an unfortunate reality that domestic violence affects people across the world, men, women, and children. When men or women leave a domestic violence situation, they often take their children with them but are often unaware of the damage that has already been done. Even if the children have not suffered physical abuse, there are many changes going on in the brain just from either witnessing or hearing abuse take place. With domestic violence often going unreported, it can be incredibly difficult to reach the children who are affected. However, when a parent enters a domestic violence shelter with …

Mental Health Issues Among The Elderly Population, Katrina Johnson, Mi Young Son

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The aging population has experienced a steady growth over the past several decades not only in the United States but also worldwide. This growth comes with increased needs for mental health services. The American Psychological Association (2019) estimated that the number of senior citizens in the United States with mental health and behavioral problems could reach 15 million in 2030. This study explored social workers’ perceptions of the apparatus of mental health services that target older adults. Using a snowball sampling, this study drew nine social workers, mostly Asian-Americans (N = 9). The findings generated four major themes, which were …

Effects Of Role Reversal Between Parent And Adult Offspring, Daisy Z. Zamorano, Antonio D. Quezada

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The research study was conducted to gain a better understanding of the experiences of individuals who have undertaken the huge task of caring for a parent and therefore have experienced a role reversal. Research focused on the effects that caregiving has on caregivers, with an emphasis on how their role as caregivers impacts their mental, emotional, and physical health.

Substance Abuse Treatment In Regards To Decreasing Child Welfare Recidivism, Hailee Campbell-Jimenez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research aims to discover whether building a relapse plan into the

individuals’ case plan minimizes recidivism in the child welfare system. Data will be collected through one on one interviews. The population being surveyed were County social workers. The targeted participants worked with parents with substance abuse addictions and parents who have had their children removed by the Department. This study found that support systems play the most vital role in aiding and assisting in addiction and relapse. Having an established support system either natural or community support, suggest that the Department may not need to get involved during …

Public Perception And Influential Sources Toward Child Welfare Services, Melissa A. Teague, Nicolas A. Hollis

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to answer the following questions: “What is the current public attitude toward public child welfare services and what sources of information have been used to formulate these attitudes?” In answering these questions, child welfare agencies would have a better understanding of what populations to promote public outreach, education, or further community involvement based on demographics and/or which venues to implement such outreach.

This study provides information on previous studies where researchers have looked at the general role of social work and used the gathered information to assess public sentiment. In past research there has …

Investigating The Role Of Expectations Of Disclosure In The Relationship Between Trauma-Related Shame And Seeking Mental Health Services, Holly Rachelle Timblin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Sexual assault (SA) is a prevalent health concern. Previous research indicates that the quality of social reactions received upon disclosure of SA greatly impacts the psychological adjustment of survivors (Ullman, 2000). Negative social reactions upon disclosure (e.g., victim-blaming) has been associated with greater self-blame and shame and may deter survivors from seeking mental health services. Presently, little research on survivors’ expectations of disclosure exists. The current study investigated whether expectations of disclosure mediate the relationship between shame and seeking mental health services. Participants completed the Trauma-Related Shame Inventory, Expectations of Disclosure Questionnaire, and the Disclosure Questionnaire. Results revealed shame predicted …

The Competency And Level Of Comfort Mental Health Practitioners Have When Treating Clients With Disordered Eating As A Coping Mechanism Resulting From Sexual Trauma, Angeles Victoria Jimenez, Arianna Camille Fuentes

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The study addressed the competency and level of comfort mental health practitioners have when treating clients with disordered eating as a coping mechanism resulting from sexual trauma. Acquiring knowledge on disordered eating as a coping mechanism to deal with the psychological stress of sexual trauma is important to the social work field because addresses underlying issues of disordered eating and introduces individuals to new coping mechanisms. This study will also be useful to clinicians in helping them evaluate current interventions to ensure that clients are receiving the best treatment possible.

For this qualitative research study, the research method that was …

Integrating Faith In Social Work, Omar Elhanafy

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Religion and Spirituality are concepts rarely spoken about in social work programs. Many social work students have expressed that they have not received a proper education on integration of faith into social work practice in their programs. Evidence is given to support this claim and this Proposal will discuss this concept, its importance, and highlight the need for this education. This exploratory study will use a qualitative design which will explore the experiences of participants on how comfortable they feel in using faith in social work practice. The proposal will continue to further explore the validity to this claim through …

Assessing Effectiveness Of Child And Family Teaming As A Prevention Strategy In Rural County Child Welfare Services, Rose Gennett Martin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research project is an analysis of Child and Family Teaming (CFT) utilized in rural California child welfare departments as a prevention strategy to court intervention and children being placed in care. Currently, the mandates for CFT in the state of California only apply to children who have been removed from their homes. Within the rural counties of this study, CFT is viewed as best practice, and it is offered to families as an opportunity to engage with the agency and strategize to create safety in order to mitigate removal and/or the need for court intervention.

The research project followed …

Parenting Attitudes Among Hispanic Parents Regarding Different Discipline Methods And Perceived Effectiveness, Beatriz Crisostomo Gomez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

A child’s development can be deeply affected by the type of discipline his or her parents’ favor. While some discipline methods help raise healthy children, others have been found to produce detrimental effects. Research focusing on the discipline methods most utilized within the Hispanic community have found mixed results about which discipline methods are most utilized by Hispanic parents. In response to the fact that most research studies only focus on parent accounts of which discipline methods they prefer, this research study examined Hispanic parents’ attitudes toward different child discipline methods to explore parent perceptions regarding which discipline methods provided …

Poor Academic Performance Caused By Social Anxiety, Erin Tayag, Leea Gonzales

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social anxiety can have consequential effects on college students’ academic performance. Many students’ college experiences will involve some levels of anxiety. However, social anxiety is very distinct from natural anxiety. Considering the effects of social anxiety in a college setting, there are students whose grades can decrease due to non-performance in specific class activities or unfortunately discontinuing school. This research project desired to identify if social anxiety indeed affects college students’ academic performance. This study utilized a quantitative design by providing existing social anxiety scales to students through email and social media platforms. Within this design, three analyses were used: …

Inclusive Male Adolescent Identity Formation In Group Settings, Austin Miller

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The principal developmental task of adolescence is the formation of an individual’s identity. Through much of human history there has been an intentional design of practices that harness this developmental energy and channel it through structured experiences where the individual earns a targeted identity through certain actions. These practices continue in recognizable forms that target specific identities and fulfill the individual psychological need of identity formation and the societal need of transition into adulthood. Inherent to these identity formation experiences is the group setting, where a variety of capabilities for identity achievement exist. This research project explores what structures and …

The Experience Of Trauma And Psychological And Behavioral Problems In Adult Children Of Alcoholics, Yulissa Acosta

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

One in five adult Americans grew up with an alcoholic in their household whether it may be their father, mother, relative, or guardian. There are substantial risk factors associated with living with an alcoholic and being a child of an alcoholic. The trauma experienced by adult children of alcoholics (ACOA) and their development of psychological and behavioral problems were investigated in this research study. Individuals who were 18 years and older and has at least one parent or guardian that was an alcoholic were interviewed regarding their childhood life of growing up in an alcoholic household and what barriers or …

Barriers To Housing Faced By Transitional Age Foster Youth When Transitioning Out Of Care, Taryn Cronkite

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examines current barriers to stable housing, as well as gaps within the social service system, that hinder transitional age foster youth from obtaining stable housing after exiting extended foster care. This study is relevant to the social work profession due to overrepresented number of youth in the foster system and a need for services to reduce their chance of homelessness once aging out. The barriers found in this study were identified by the researcher through the interviews with both professionals working with this population, as well as transitional age foster youth themselves. Maximum variation was achieved with the …

Perspectives On The Barriers Encountered By Foster Youth At The Higher Education Level, Bianca J. Rivera, Aileen Ramirez Lopez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The foster youth is a population in the child welfare arena where social workers continue to work and engage in providing effective and supportive resources. This population already vulnerable due to traumatic experiences, continue to lift the veil and fight against all odds. As change agents, we recognize their perspectives are critical to understanding and creating changes that will grant these youth higher academic success rates. This qualitative research includes thirteen open-ended questions regarding the perspectives of eleven former and current foster youth participants. Participants were provided the opportunity to identify the barriers they have face or are facing while …

The Need For Financial Literacy In Social Work Education: A Descriptive Study, Tara Mchenry, Belinda Pacheco

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Although extensively researched over the last twenty years, financial literacy is yet to make its way into mainstream social work curricula. This is puzzling because social workers, in general, work with a clientele that consists predominantly of poor and low-income populations. The profession of social work has the unique opportunity to equip its members with tools to educate and assist clients around topics of personal finance and financial insecurity. Using a purposive sampling method, this study explored the need for a financial literacy course as part of the social work curriculum among 102 undergraduate and graduate students in a large, …

Type Of Immigrant Discrimination And Their Copying Strategies, Sarabjit Gill

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to shed some light on the different types of discrimination that Hispanic and Latinx individuals experience in the United States. Does education level play a role in the kind of discrimination the Hispanic/ Latinx population experiences? Further studies must be conducted to determine the role of education level and immigrant status in Hispanic/Latinx discrimination. The researcher used the Quantitative method for this study by designing a Qualtrics survey sent to all the participants. A Qualtrics survey was also sent to students in the School of Social, via email by the Administrative Support Coordinator. …

Postpartum Depression And Military Women, Jessica Edwards

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Military serving women and veterans are a vulnerable population that has a history with mental health issues. Military women who experience postpartum depression (PPD) must deal with outside factors such as family, deployment, and expectations from the military for their soldiers.

This study focused determining what factors have impacted the severity of postpartum depression in military service women who have had children while in service. Data was drawn from 4 respondents that were obtained using a mixture of purposive and snowball sampling. The severity of the participant’s postpartum depression was obtained through the use of the Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Scale, …

Employee Turnover: The Unknown Effects On Client Engagement And Outcomes, Brenda Martinez, Peraza Peraza

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Employee turnover in community-based mental health services is an important yet understudied topic in relation to client engagement and client progress with treatment goals. This study sought to investigate the relationship between an agency’s rate of employee turnover, patient engagement, and patient progress with their treatment goals. This study sought to investigate the relationship between an agency’s rate of employee turnover, patient engagement, and patient progress with their treatment goals. The study utilized a quantitative design using secondary data on employee turnover and client engagement and progress collected from a community mental health provider’s database. A correlation analysis indicated whether …

Mental Health, Substance Abuse And Recidivism: Perceptions Of Key Justice System Stakeholders In Southern California, Tabari Zahir

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Despite the 2011 landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court ordering the California authorities to address prison overcrowding, the Golden State still faces significant challenges dealing with the size of its correctional population. Recidivism plays a preponderant role in slowing down the momentum toward overcoming relatively high rates of incarceration across the state. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of key human services stakeholders about the intersection of three major challenges in the California criminal justice system: mental health, substance use, and recidivism. Embracing a continuum of care approach, this study ultimately attempted to explore …

Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Inclusion In The Military: A Qualitative Look At Military Culture A Decade After The Repeal Of Don’T Ask, Don’T Tell, Whitney Elizabeth O’Connell

Master's Theses and Capstones

In 2010, the very controversial Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy was repealed, allowing lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) members to serve openly in the military without fear of legal persecution. Now that a decade has passed, this research seeks to find whether LGB service members feel safe and comfortable serving openly in the military ranks; whether some groups—perhaps those in more protected or privileged positions—feel more safe, whereas others feel less safe; and whether LGB military members are pressured to adhere to homonormativity to be accepted in the military.I conducted a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews to answer these …

Through A Trauma-Informed And Culturally Sensitive Lens: A Qualitative Study Of Effective Engagement With Native American Communities, Katie Hawkins

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The focus of this project was on county and tribal professionals’ views on effective social work engagement with tribal communities in a large rural county located in central California. The importance of this topic is recognized by existing literature, as well as by the findings of this study, which indicate that Native Americans are an understudied group that have unique cultural, historical and service based needs. Additionally, the NASW Code of Ethics (2017) endorses social work practice, research, policies and programs that are attentive to different cultures and that challenge social injustices. The findings of this research project support these …

Treatment Access For Dual Diagnosis Substance Use And Mental Health Disorders, Pedro Banuelos

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In 2018, of 1.3 million Latinx adults in the United States facing concurrent issues with substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health disorders (MHD) 93% remained untreated for either diagnosis. This is concerning since Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) data reveals that this population is at greater risk for suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts. They also face structural barriers such as employment, housing, legal involvement, and insurability that further impede access to treatment.

This study’s purpose was to examine barriers to accessing treatment for Latinx populations confronting co-occurring SUDs and MHDs. This study used a qualitative design …