Digital Commons Network^™

Perspectives On Care Coordination For Youth With Tbi: Moving Forward To Provide Better Care, Jennifer P. Lundine, Erika Hagen, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Care coordination aligns services and optimizes outcomes for children with traumatic brain injury (TBI), yet numerous obstacles can impede effective care coordination following a TBI.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this work is to identify barriers and facilitators to care coordination from the perspective of individuals who care for young people impacted by TBI.

METHODS: Twenty-one care providers participated in semi-structured interviews to gather their perspectives on systems of care coordination for youth with TBI and potential areas for improvement. Using reflexive thematic analysis, researchers identified key themes across interviews.

RESULTS: Three themes were identified: 1) gaps in knowledge; 2) …

Evaluating The Impact Of Mental Health Needs And Services Disruption: Covid-19 & Wisconsin Children’S Welfare Services, Gavin Rienne

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Children’s traumatic experiences have lifelong impacts on their mental health and quality of life, therefore mental health services are a critical part of necessary community resources. The increased frequency and severity of natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and pandemics reinforces the need to examine and understand the importance of mental health and child services in response to disaster events. This research assesses the relationship between disasters and subsequent health service utilization amongst children and adolescents. We investigated current research on the relationship between children’s mental health and community mental health resource efficacy and accessibility after a major disaster by …

An Introduction To The Special Issue, Megan S. Paceley, Candace Christensen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Parents' Grief Literacy: How Loss Is Talked About With Children, Abigail Mccarthy

All Master's Theses

Grief can encompass many types of loss, such as losing a job, moving to a new state, or changing careers, and it can affect socioemotional, behavioral, and physical aspects of daily living (Brenn et al., 2020; Favazza & Munson, 2010). Previous research has shown that the process of grief is largely misunderstood in the United States, and misconceptions of the grief and loss process can lead to perpetuated incorrect beliefs, maladaptive coping, and incorrect medical treatment (McLean et al., 2022; Sawyer et al., 2021). The term grief literacy encompasses the knowledge and engagement with topics surrounding grief and loss (Breen …

An Evaluation Of The Psychosocial Benefits For Children Experiencing Homelessness Arising From The Introduction Of An Integrated Community Care Project Across The City Of Cork, Traolach O' Callaghan

Theses

The purpose of the research is to evaluate an intervention within a new model of family support being delivered in Cork City, on addressing child and family homelessness. This new model is being delivered for the first time in Ireland during ‘Youth Club’ and strives to act as an intervention to assist children experiencing homelessness. The model was first developed by Tusla Springboard Child and Family service and Good Shepherd Services Cork in 2016 in response to the alarming rise in child and family homelessness in Cork city, and the resulting impact of same. The research investigates the model and …

Family Moves And The Future Of Public Education, Elizabeth Chu, James S. Liebman, Madeleine Sims, Tim Wang

Faculty Scholarship

State laws compel school-aged children to attend school while fully funding only public schools. Especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, this arrangement is under attack — from some for unconstitutionally coercing families to expose their children to non-neutral values to which they object and from others for ignoring the developmental needs of students, particularly students of color and in poverty whom public schools have long underserved. This Article argues that fully subsidized public education is constitutional as long as public schools fulfill their mission to model and commit people to liberal democratic values of tolerance and respect for all persons as …

Conceptualising The Education And Care Workforce From The Perspective Of Children And Young People, Jennifer Cartmel, Susan Irvine, Linda Harrison, Lennie Barblett, Francis Bobongie-Harris, Leanne Lavina, Fay Hadley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Children are significant stakeholders within education and care settings. Their views can be invaluable in thinking about what matters to conceptualising, assessing and improving quality in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) settings. As stakeholders, children’s views are rarely listened to by Australian policy makers to assess what constitutes quality and how the quality can be improved. In the process of updating two nationally approved Australian Learning Frameworks (ALFs): Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia 2.0 and My Time Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia 2.0, …

Power Of Arts & Craft To Support Children With Illnesses, Gerardo Hernandez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services is a non profit agency in Watsonville, California. Providing family-centered care for children and their families in their emotional, practical, and financial struggles. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s a need for a laser-focused strategy to meet the immediate needs of children’s health. Childhood cancer greatly affects their upbringing and may create worse problems throughout their adulthood. Without assistance, these families are critically vulnerable to their physical and mental health issues. This project allows children with illness alongside their families to receive mental health assistance throughout their complex journey. With the …

Resilience Resources And Coping Strategies Of Covid-19 Female Long Haulers: A Qualitative Study, Atefeh Aghaei, Abhishek Aggarwal, Ran Zhang, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Shan Qiao Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background: Female long haulers deal with persistent post-acute COVID-19 symptoms that have serious health implications. This study aimed to identify resilience resources at multiple socio-ecological levels for female long haulers and describe how resilience resources affect their responses to long COVID. Methods: Purposive sampling was adopted to recruit participants through social media from April to June 2021 followed by 15 semi-structured interviews. An inductive analytical approach was adopted to categorize themes by open and axial coding that were verified by peer review. Results: Female long haulers relied on resources at various socio-ecological levels to foster their resilience in response to …

Can Developmental Trauma Disorder Be Distinguished From Posttraumatic Stress Disorder? A Symptom-Level Person-Centred Empirical Approach, Julian D. Ford, Ruby Charak, Thanos Karatzias, Mark Shevlin, Joseph Spinazzola

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Background:

Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD) is a proposed childhood psychiatric diagnosis for psychopathological and developmental sequela of victimization and attachment trauma extending beyond posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Objective:

To determine whether a sub-group of trauma-impacted children is characterized by symptoms of DTD that extend beyond, or co-occur with, the symptoms of PTSD.

Method:

Person-centred Latent Class Analyses (LCA) were done with data from 507 children (ages 7–18 years, (M = 12.11, SD = 2/92); 49% female) referred to the study by mental health or paediatric clinicians.

Results:

A four class solution was optimal (LMR = 398.264, p < .001; Entropy = .93): (1) combined DTD + PTSD (n = …

No Recourse To Public Funds: A Toolkit For Social Workers In England, E Dickson, K Goodman, A Jolly, S Shea, B Sojka

School of Health Professions

The aim of this toolkit is to provide a resource for social workers to understand and reflect on the implications for social work practice of the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) rule. The toolkit has been collaboratively authored by a collective of social work practitioners, academics and third sector migrant rights workers. We take a human rights approach to practice, and engage with the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF), Social Work England Professional Standards, key legislation, learning from research and case study examples throughout, along with questions for personal reflection. Our intention is not to replace the excellent existing resources …

Sustainable Deimplementation Of Continuous Pulse Oximetry Monitoring In Children Hospitalized With Bronchiolitis: Study Protocol For The Eliminating Monitor Overuse (Emo) Type Iii Effectiveness-Deimplementation Cluster-Randomized Trial, Nathaniel J. Williams

Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Methods of sustaining the deimplementation of overused medical practices (i.e., practices not supported by evidence) are understudied. In pediatric hospital medicine, continuous pulse oximetry monitoring of children with the common viral respiratory illness bronchiolitis is recommended only under specific circumstances. Three national guidelines discourage its use for children who are not receiving supplemental oxygen, but guideline-discordant practice (i.e., overuse) remains prevalent. A 6-hospital pilot of educational outreach with audit and feedback resulted in immediate reductions in overuse; however, the best strategies to optimize sustainment of deimplementation success are unknown.

Methods: The Eliminating Monitor Overuse (EMO) trial will compare two …

Predicting Therapists’ Intentions To Use An Innovation: The Role Of Innovation-Specific, Individual, And Organizational Factors, Jonathan KuʻUhoaepilipono Ahuna

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding factors that contribute to an individual’s decision to use an innovation can increase the public health impact of innovations in children’s mental health services. Objective. This study examined whether and to what extent therapists’ innovation-specific judgements (e.g., innovation is easy to use, socially desirable) were associated with intentions to use an innovation using constructs from one of the most robust theories of innovation use–the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Method. Two aims were addressed using data collected from 95 therapists and 28 supervisors who participated in a multi-site cluster randomized trial. Therapists used either a …

Can Developmental Trauma Disorder Be Distinguished From Posttraumatic Stress Disorder? A Confirmatory Factor Analytic Test Of Four Structural Models, Julian D. Ford, Mark Shevlin, Thanos Karatzias, Ruby Charak, Joseph Spinazzola

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD) is a proposed child psychopathology diagnosis with emotion/somatic, attention/behavioral, and self/relational dysregulation symptoms extending beyond posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) tested four structural models with structured interview data for trauma history, PTSD, and DTD with 507 children receiving mental health or pediatric care ( N = 162, 32% diagnosed with DTD; N = 176; 35% with PTSD; N = 169, 33% with neither). A unidimensional model with a single latent variable had unacceptable fit (RMSEA = 0.094; CFI = 0.844). Compared to a model with PTSD and DTD as correlated first-order latent variables, …

Clinicians' Perspectives On The Effectiveness Of Trauma - Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy With African American Children: A Qualitative Study, Jada Carter

Doctoral Dissertations

Literature exploring clinicians' perspectives on the effectiveness of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy with African American children who suffer from trauma-related disorders is very limited. The current study examined clinicians' perspectives on the TF-CBT model when utilized with this population, including their experiences working with African American children and families with observable types of trauma-related disorders. This research study also explored the various facets of trauma that African Americans encounter in childhood and the barriers that prevent them from receiving adequate mental health care. Thematic analysis was utilized to explore themes that emerged when treating African American children with TF-CBT. Five …

What Works? A Qualitative Exploration Of Play Therapy For Children In Pediatric Oncology, Caitlyn Dorsey

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study seeks to understand the use and perceived effectiveness of play interventions for patients with socio-emotional issues brought about by their treatment of pediatric cancer by exploring the perceptions of nine Certified Child Life Specialists and one Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who works with this population. Interviews, done over Zoom with each participant, were semi-structured, and between thirty minutes to an hour in length. Questions asked explored what socio-emotional issues they see develop in their patients throughout their treatment, and their perceived effectiveness of play in mitigating those socio-emotional issues. After transcription nof each interview analysis …

Reunification In Informal Foster Care Child Placement: Examining The Different Pathways In Ghana, Hajara Bentum, Esmeranda Manful

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Informal foster care remains the preferred alternative care option for children in many parts of the world. However, the processes of reunification in informal foster care are largely unknown. This qualitative study sought to explore the reunification processes within informal foster care in Ghana to inform child protection services for better program design for such children. Twenty interviews were conducted with reunified fostered children and their biological parents. Data from the in-depth interviews with parents and children were analyzed thematically. Three main processes of reunification were identified in this study namely; open, flexible exit plans and educational threshold arrangements. The …

Supporting Children Impacted By Parental Addiction: A Toolkit For Kinship Caregivers, Nicole Mueller, Jaimee Kudrle

Nursing DNP Projects

Kinship caregiving has become increasingly common in the United States, specifically due to parental substance use disorder. These kinship caregivers (KC) have unique needs that are largely unmet. Often, there is no comprehensive resource for KCs specific to their community. KC’s greatest needs are financial, legal, and mental health assistance, as well as educational information about care of children for the kinship caregivers. The objective of this project was to develop a KC resource toolkit to meet priority needs within the community. The project design utilized an EBP framework and followed a community-based participatory research approach. Project leads worked with …

Mothers’ Reflections On Cat Ownership For A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder During Covid-19, Saskia Keville, Sophia De Vita, Amanda K. Ludlow

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Animal- assisted interventions are increasingly used as a complementary therapy in clinical practice to support people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with promising outcomes compared to traditional therapies. Less is understood about the therapeutic benefits of more accessible and affordable small pet ownership for families with a child with ASD, alongside the pets’ welfare living in these homes. This study explored the experiences of cat ownership for young people with ASD from the perspective of their mothers during a time of transition generated by COVID-19. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six mothers and transcripts analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three …

“You Never Exhale Fully Because You're Not Sure What's Next”: Parents' Experiences Of Stress Caring For Children With Chronic Conditions, Stephanie Smith, Mary Tallon, Carrie Clark, Lauren Jones, Evalotte Mörelius

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Children with chronic conditions are experiencing improved survival worldwide, and it is well-known that their parents are stressed. Yet, despite this knowledge, parents continue to experience stress. Our study explored the lived experience of parental stress when caring for children with various chronic conditions to identify opportunities to potentially reduce stress for these parents. This was an exploratory qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. To ensure appropriate research priorities were addressed, the study was co-designed with consumer and stakeholder involvement. Twenty parents were interviewed. Parents were recruited through a recognized family support organization for children with various care needs in Western …

Psychosocial Considerations For The Child With Rare Disease: A Review With Recommendations And Calls To Action., Leslee Belzer, Margaret Wright, Emily J. Goodwin, Mehar N. Singh, Brian S. Carter

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Rare diseases (RD) affect children, adolescents, and their families infrequently, but with a significant impact. The diagnostic odyssey undertaken as part of having a child with RD is immense and carries with it practical, emotional, relational, and contextual issues that are not well understood. Children with RD often have chronic and complex medical conditions requiring a complicated milieu of care by numerous clinical caregivers. They may feel isolated and may feel stigmas in settings of education, employment, and the workplace, or a lack a social support or understanding. Some parents report facing similar loneliness amidst a veritable medicalization of their …

Augmentative And Alternative Communication Intervention Targets For School-Aged Participants With Asd And Id: A Single-Case Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, J. B. Ganz, James E. Pustejovsky, Joe Reichle, Kimberly J. Vannest, Margaret Foster, Marcus C. Fuller, Lauren M. Pierson, Sanikan Wattanawongwan, Armando J. Bernal, Valeria Yllades

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

This meta-analysis reviews the literature on communication modes, communicative functions, and AAC type examined during interventions with school-age participants with ASD and/or ID who experience CCN. Considering potential differences related to outcomes taught could help identify the most effective means of individualizing AAC interventions. We performed a comprehensive literature search. A multi-level meta-analysis was implemented across 114 included studies with 330 participants and 767 effect size using two case-level effect size metrics, Tau and log response ratio. There were few statistically significant differences found between moderator categories (e.g., communication mode, communicative function, and AAC type implemented). This is likely due, …

Feeling Timeline: A Threshold Ritual To Anchor Expressive Arts Therapy Sessions With Children And Adolescents In Partial Hospitalization Programs, Mackenzie Ward

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Expressive arts therapy provides a useful modality for enhancing the scope of interdisciplinary treatment services for children and adolescents within partial hospitalization programs. The use of threshold rituals within sessions addresses several specific needs of this population, including structure, consistency, self-expression, and trauma-informed practices. The Feeling Timeline method, a threshold ritual developed for the opening and closing of expressive arts therapy sessions, was conducted at a large pediatric hospital within three day treatment psychiatric units. From November 2021 through April 2022, six participants between the ages of nine through sixteen engaged with the Feeling Timeline as a bridge into session, …

Dance/Movement Therapy Combined With Tai-Chi As A Regulation Strategy For Children Who Have Experienced Trauma: Developing A Method, Brenna Meindersma

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone thesis examines the question of how dance/movement therapy can be combined with tai-chi to support the emotional regulation of children who have experienced trauma. The paper examines a possible method that combines dance/movement therapy with tai-chi, grounded in the theories of Trudi Schoop. It highlights the application of tai-chi as a movement intervention that impacts participants ability to engage in treatment. Through the literature it was found that dance/movement therapy techniques of deep breathing, balance, and slow, rhythmic movements can impact emotional regulation. In combination with dance/movement therapy and tai-chi principles of internal awareness, body alignment, and …

Storytelling And Narrative Therapy Through Art Among Refugee Children: A Literature Review, Haley E. Lansing

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review introduces the importance of art therapy, storytelling, and narrative therapy for refugee children. While familiarizing themselves with a new habitat and way of living, this population battles being a minority, an immigrant, learning a new culture and language, and social-economic difficulties. This literature review brings to light the challenges and difficulties children face within their own trauma and anxiety. The passing on of trauma generationally, historically, culturally, or genetically is common, as is parents’ countertransference. Re-adaptation is essential for children who experience trauma, especially when escaping war. Childhood trauma affects the future adult state of mind. This …

Healing Stories: Bibliotherapy And Art Therapy As Tools To Support Bereaved Children, A Literature Review, Sarah K. Robinson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

When I was interning at a bereavement center for children as a second-year graduate student, I witnessed the use of children’s books by an art therapist. This made me curious as to whether the joint use of art therapy and bibliotherapy is an effective support for this population. This critical review of the literature explored this idea by first defining art therapy and bibliotherapy, placing them within a historical context, and noting similarities between the two modalities. Recent sources regarding theories and therapeutic approaches for grief and bereavement were gathered and explored to deepen the understanding of how art therapy …

Parental Alienation In Family Court: Attacking Expert Testimony, John E.B. Myers, Jean Mercer

Child and Family Law Journal

In child custody litigation, when a parent raises the possibility of child abuse, the accused parent may respond that the parent wo has raised the possibility of abuse is alienating the child in an effort to gain an unfair advantage in court. The parent accused of abuse may offer expert testimony on parental alienation. A voluminous and contentious social science literature exists on parental alienation. Family law attorneys often lack ready access to social science literature. The purpose of this article is to give family law attorneys information from the parental alienation literature that can be used to cross-examine experts …

Improving The Mental Health Of Immigrant And Refugee Children In Canada, Nazish Nazish, Olga Petrovskaya, Bukola Oladunni Salami

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The mental health of immigrant and refugee children is a combined product of personal, social, cultural, and economic, pre-, and post-migratory factors. Cultural diversity, institutional receptivity, and social support mediate well-being of immigrant and refugee children in Canada. This presentation will provide a review of recent research and offer recommendations. Purpose: Globally, millions of children migrate across borders. It is predicted that by 2036, the number of immigrant children in Canada will increase. The purpose of this presentation is to report findings of a review of existing recent research on factors affecting immigrant and refugee children's mental health in Canada. …

Child Protection Policy Dimensions Across Catholic Archdioceses And Civil Statutes : A Comparative Content Analysis, Jeffrey Trant

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Since 2002, the Catholic Church in the United States has enacted a national child protection framework to address child sexual abuse. However, child protection policies within the context of the Catholic Church are currently not well understood. This study was guided by the following questions: (1) How do child protection policy dimensions differ in Catholic archdioceses in the United States? (2) How do child protection policy dimensions differ across and between Catholic archdioceses and civil statutes? The present study utilized a generic qualitative methodology employing comparative content analysis to conduct a policy analysis using publicly available child protection policies from …

What Are The Economic Barriers For A More Efficient Adoption Equilibrium? Analyzing The Perceived Challenges Lgbtq+ Persons Face In The Adoption Process, Andrew Schoonover

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

From understanding why adoption matters to drilling down why same sex male couples are not adopting at high rates, more questions are raised than answers found. But all of the complexities and intricacies boil down to one umbrella question: How can the economy shift the equilibrium (i.e., current state of adoption in America) to be more equitable, empowering, and efficient for everyone? Specifically, how can policy choices help increase the demand of gay couples to adopt -- helping to close the gap between gay and lesbian adoption rates? The “lowest hanging fruit” policy remedy for this problem is to alleviate …