Digital Commons Network^™

Period Poverty, Gabriel Degraeve, Monica Bennett

SPARK Symposium Presentations

In the United States, 25% of adolescent females lack access to adequate period products (Period., 2025). Limited access to period products disproportionately affects women of color, women from low-income areas, and rural communities (Kuhlmann & Obionu, 2024). One in six women and girls in Tennessee lives under the federal poverty line (Alliance for Period Supplies, 2025) and likely lacks adequate access to these products. This limited access forces women to use alternatives, such as toilet paper or paper towels, or to use period products longer than recommended. This can lead to serious health issues, including toxic shock syndrome, and make …

The Efficacy Of Co-Response Teams: A Scoping Review, Kristen N. Burkhart

Social Work Theses

This scoping review explores co-response teams, a coordinated response consisting of a mental health professional (MHP) and a law enforcement official (LEO). It examines the implementation, effectiveness, and outcomes of these interventions, highlighting barriers and facilitators of co-response teams. The review analyzed peer-reviewed studies from the years 2016-2026. Using the Arskey & O’Malley framework, an initial database search yielded 691 studies of which 30 were included in this review.  The review identifies four areas of ideas: legal system diversion and outcomes, frontline stakeholders' roles and friction, specialized co-response teams, and systemic barriers and resource constraints. Significant gaps remain in long-term …

At The Intersection Of Care: Bridging Systems Through Connection, Advocacy, And Hope, Taylor Defrees

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This Master of Social Work portfolio, At the Intersection of Care: Bridging Systems Through Connection, Advocacy, and Hope, explores the development of an advanced integrated social work practitioner across clinical, organizational, community, research, policy, and leadership settings. Grounded in the Five Elements of Advanced Integrated Practice and social work competencies, the portfolio reflects the integration of knowledge, skills, values, critical self-reflection, and lived experience across micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice.

Through practicum, coursework, and professional experiences, the portfolio examines trauma-informed and culturally responsive practice, anti-racism, diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, behavioral health, and the importance of human connection …

The Role Of Ombudsman And Social Work Protecting Rights, Roni Alicia Werner

Selected Full-Text Master Theses Collection 2018-

This thesis examines the role of the Ombudsman as an independent and impartial mechanism for addressing complaints, resolving conflicts, and promoting accountability within organizations. It explores how ombudsmen function across institutional contexts—such as higher education, government, and corporate settings—to provide confidential, informal, and accessible pathways for dispute resolution.

The study analyzes key principles guiding Ombudsman practice, including neutrality, independence, confidentiality, and informality, and evaluates their effectiveness in fostering trust and organizational transparency. Through a review of relevant literature and case examples, the thesis highlights how Ombudsman offices contribute to early conflict resolution, reduce formal grievances, and support ethical decision-making.

Additionally, …

Embodied, Relational, And Rooted: A Social Work Portfolio, Deneen Pancari

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio reflects my professional and personal growth over the past three years of the University of Montana!s (UM!s) Online Master of Social Work (MSW) Program and showcases my understanding of advanced social work competencies (University of Montana School of Social Work, n.d.). My background includes yoga facilitation and preschool education, where I developed a strong appreciation for early childhood development and mindfulness. I never imagined how this path would lead me into clinical work in eating disorder recovery, adolescent therapy, and somatic-based interventions, which focus on the connection between the mind and body. My MSW coursework and practicum experiences …

Christianity As Coping Mechanisms For Migrants With Mental Health Challenges In Australia: Social Work Implications, Obed Adonteng-Kissi, Nnaemeka Meribe, Kathomi Gatwiri, Lillian Mwanri, Agness Tembo, Frank Darkwa Baffour, Edith N. Botchway-Commey, Aunty Kerrie Doyle, David Chisanga, Ahmed A. Moustafa, Uchechukwu Levi Osuagwu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Christian religion may be a powerful resource that can serve as a coping mechanism to resolve challenges and provide comfort to African migrants confronted with mental health challenges. We aimed to explore the coping strategies among African migrants in Australia. We undertook semi-structured interviews online with 11 participants with African backgrounds, comprising six mental health clinicians and five migrant service users living in Australia for at least the past 12 months. Literature exploring religious coping mechanisms, social support and acculturation was drawn on. The interviews were undertaken online via Teams, WhatsApp call, and zoom with participants whom we recruited through …

Emancipatory Research In Social Work: What Does Critical Realism Offer?, Shajimon Peter, Lynne Soon Chean Park, Liz Beddoe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Summary: Critical realism offers a promising philosophical framework for emancipatory research in social work. Emancipatory research recognizes that people experience multiple realities and necessitates an inclusive participatory approach. However, these experiences are shaped by powers inherent in objectively existing structures, systems, and processes that must be identified and addressed for true emancipation. This theoretical article suggests a critical realism-informed methodology for emancipatory social work research. Findings: The critical realist framework acknowledges a stratified ontology and relativist epistemology that recognizes both subjective experiences and objective structures, bridging the subject–object binary created by objectivist and constructivist approaches. This allows for a radical …

Engage & Empower Vol. 2, Elhanan Marvit

Open Touro Created

2026

Engage & Empower, Volume 2 is the second installment in the “Engage & Empower” OER series by Elhanan Marvit LCSW. It serves as the logical next step following Volume 1 (Spring 2025). While the first volume introduced foundational concepts in social work practice, ethics, and generalist skills This volume guides students and readers deeper into the applied, interpersonal, and reflective dimensions of becoming a competent practitioner.

Students begin their reading journey as they strengthen their understanding of professional competence. They achieve this by learning how to navigate field placements, engage in supervision, manage boundaries, and integrate feedback. The text …

An International Approach To Homelessness. Part I: The Case Of India., Pranit Lanjewar, Jaroslaw Richard Romaniuk

Faculty Scholarship

This paper, the first in a two-part study on homelessness in developing countries, explores the causes of homelessness in countries with significant populations living in poverty. This instalment focuses primarily on homelessness in India. The country’s diversity in terms of culture and religion is reflected in challenges when approaching issues related to homelessness. We highlight governmental initiatives to combat homelessness and provide impoverished people and families with access to essential services. A qualitative research method was used. We interviewed the recipients of government services aimed at helping their families overcome homelessness. Our findings highlight the role of education and educational …

Caring For The Herd: Lessons From The Buffalo, Drea Rightsell

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This document represents a summary and reflection of my profound journey through the University of Montana Masters in Social Work Program. It begins with the life and professional experiences that led me to the program, and continues to reflect upon the ten competencies of advanced social work practices as I experienced them trough rigourous academic and field work. It weaves together core beliefs from my pre-MSW life and illuminates the ways in which the values and ethics of social work have helped me grow as a person and a practitioner. The title refers to my connection with wild buffalo and …

Learning, Becoming, And Practicing: My Msw Portfolio, Mario G. Colucci

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Midday Rehearsals—Philosopher’S Walk, Early Term, Jan A. Wozniak

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

No abstract provided.

Evidence Based Project: Japanese Immigrant Elderly Couples In The Midwest, Isabel Anderson

Student Projects

This paper examined the unique needs and challenges of Japanese immigrant elderly couples living in the rural Midwest of the United States through the lens of systemic family therapy. The focus family consisted of an elderly husband showing early signs of dementia and a wife who recognized the necessity of transitioning to independent living. Their adult daughter and son-in-law’s involvement intensified intergenerational tension, as traditional cultural norms granted the husband decision-making authority. The study provided a statistical overview of Japanese immigrant families in the U.S., highlighting aging trends, linguistic barriers, and geographic dispersion. Common psychosocial and systemic issues such as …

Introducing Neuro Sscial Work: A Brief Reflection On Neuroscience And The Profession, Priscila Llamosa

Social Work Faculty Publications

This reflection introduces and contextualizes the term Neuro Social Work, which I coin to name a specialized practice area at the intersection of social work, neuroscience, and neurodiversity. Drawing on my experience as a social work educator and practitioner, I discuss social work’s uneasy relationship with neuroscience, marked both by the opportunity to deepen our understanding of trauma, development, and healing, and by the risks of using brain‑based evidence to individualize structural harms or justify surveillance of marginalized communities. I outline, in broad strokes, what distinguishes Neuro Social Work from general neuroscience‑informed practice. The note is intended as a concept …

Art Therapy In Social Work Practice, Laura Gebur

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Art therapy is an emerging practice among mental health professionals looking for new ways to engage with their clients and encourage nonverbal communication. Creativity is a means of processing memories, improving relationships, and strengthening the mind-body connection across a variety of age groups and practice settings. The efficacy of art therapy has led to its integration into social work practice, benefitting a diverse range of client populations within the field. While a lack of macro-level research studies has prevented the implementation of standardized art therapy techniques in social work, clinical research trials have examined art therapy across several areas of …

“My Body Was Never Mine”: An Arts-Based Phenomenological Analysis Of Queer And Trans Adolescent Involuntary Psychiatric Hospitalization Experiences, Megan Doyle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Involuntary psychiatric hospitalization has life-saving and crisis-stabilizing intentions for queer and trans adolescents experiencing mental health crises; however, there are significant concerns about the adverse effects of this practice. This study employed two interwoven qualitative methods, interpretative phenomenological analysis and arts-based research, to gain a deeper understanding of queer and trans individuals’ adolescent experiences of involuntary psychiatric hospitalization. The theory of abolition was applied to examine the carcerality and identity-based oppression embedded within this procedure. Participant narratives and artwork revealed how involuntary psychiatric hospitalization is non-affirming for queer and trans young people in crisis, and the impacts of experiencing coercion, …

Enhancing Interprofessional Competence Among Speech Pathology, Nursing, Social Work, And Psychology Students Using Simulated Case Presentations, Elizabeth Oommen, Emily Helder, Kayla Johnson, Stacia L. Hoeksema, Laura Schipper

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Background: This study assesses the impact of an Interprofessional Education (IPE) program (which included simulated case presentations), on the perceived competence and quality of interprofessional (IP) work products of undergraduate social work, nursing, psychology students, and graduate students in speech-language pathology.

Methods: Participants included 123 students who participated in IP colloquiums through reviewing clinical cases, developing IP assessment and treatment goals, and presenting these to fellow students and faculty. Pre- and post-testing using IPEC Competency Self-Assessment Tool was used for assessment. For each colloquium, the students from all disciplines also submitted a single worksheet for their assigned case, …

Msw Portfolio, Jennifer Lynn Barnhill

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

The Master of Social Work (MSW) Portfolio is a sample of the essays, presentations, projects, and experiences completed as part of my online MSW curriculum at the University of Montana (UM) School of Social Work (SSW) from 2022-2025. Throughout this narrative, I’ll describe the skills, values, theories, and frameworks I’ve learned during my three years working toward my master's degree in social work. Each of the appendices will demonstrate an understanding of the nine Council on Social Work Education, or CSWE, competencies (Texas College, n.d.) that all social workers are expected to meet, along with a tenth competency added by …

Evidence-Based Child Welfare Screening And Assessment Practices, Kristin V. Richards, Melissa A. Moyer

Journal of Social Work in the Global Community

This action research project examined the screening and assessment behaviors of child welfare workers in the southwestern region of the United States. With the use of a focus group, the study addressed whether social workers’ knowledge of evidence-based practice influenced their implementation of evidence-based practice in child welfare screening and assessment, and whether the agency environment affects evidence-based practice implementation and use. The family systems theory was used to evaluate child welfare practitioner work and systems theory was used to evaluate the child welfare system in the region of the study. Social workers’ knowledge of evidence-based practices and the impact …

Social Justice & Advocacy In Human Services, Cailyn F. Green, Bernadet Dejonge, Nikki Golden, Kim Brayton, Carrie Steinman, Shannon Raybold

Milne Open Textbooks

Read this book online at: https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/social-justice-in-human-services/

Social Justice & Advocacy in Human Services delves into the complex realm of social justice, offering a deep dive into historical roots and theories to practical applications in the field. This text covers fundamental concepts, including power, privilege, and oppression, and explores critical issues like racism, gender, sexuality, poverty, religion, and disability in the context of the United States. The last section of the book hones in on the field of human services, discussing power, privilege, and bias in this context, and lastly exploring equitable distribution, human rights, and the systems and entry points …

Identity Development, Attraction, And Behavior Of Heterosexual-Identified Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Scoping Review, Andrew D. Eaton, Travis R. Scheadler, Melanie Mcdonald, Oliver Beer, Lauren B. Mcinroy, Erin Beckwell, Adam Busch, Cara Bradley, Paul A. Shuper

School of Health Professions

Introduction: Heterosexual-identified men who have sex with men (H-MSM) experience sexual identity and behavior discordance. H-MSM may comprise 0.5–3.5% of adult heterosexual men. Understanding and accepting H-MSM as they self-identify may be necessary to implement effective public health and psychosocial interventions. This scoping review synthesizes research on H-MSM’s identity development, attraction, and behavior. Methods: Thirteen databases were searched and, using Covidence software, two independent reviewers screened 3617 titles and abstracts and 269 full texts to arrive at 124 articles meeting entry criteria. Ten independent reviewers then conducted thematic content analysis. Results:H-MSM either expressed sexual identity uncertainty or justified maintaining heterosexual …

Building Supportive Third Places: The Use Of Arts-Based Programming In Family Resource Centers To Promote Resilience And Prevent Maltreatment, E. Susana Mariscal, Bryan Victor

Social Work Faculty Publications

Family Resource Centers (FRCs) have the potential to function as welcoming "third places"-similar to public libraries-that effectively support families while avoiding the stigma often associated with formal interventions. This article explores how arts-based programming can be integrated into FRCs to strengthen family protective factors and healing through non-clinical approaches. We provide an illustrative case example, detailing how federally-funded FRCs in Indiana offered a manualized sequence of A Window Between Worlds (AWBW), a 10-week trauma-informed nonclinical arts program. Facilitated by trained community members, AWBW emphasized safety, peer connection, and creative expression. Our evaluation showed significant reduction in trauma symptoms among caregivers …

Engage & Empower: Foundations Of Social Work Practice, Elhanan Marvit

Open Touro Created

2025

Engage & Empower: Foundations of Social Work Practice is an open educational resource for social work students in “foundations of social work practice” courses. It begins by explaining Open Educational Resources and their benefits. Students then explore social work fundamentals, including the diverse roles of social workers.

With this foundation, students engage with the NASW Code of Ethics’ key terms, and principles. This ethical grounding prepares them for the “growth work” needed to develop cultural competence and cross-cultural awareness. They then learn to apply various Generalist Practice skills across different-sized systems to empower client populations.

Next, the book explores …

Cultivating Resilience In The Anthropocene: Evaluating A Gssw Ecological Justice Curriculum, Windy Selig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice evaluated the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) Ecological Justice Pathway to examine how resilience is conceptualized and cultivated within the curriculum. Grounded in a constructivist paradigm and guided by an ecological justice framework, this evaluation explored the pedagogical and curricular strategies designed to prepare social work students for the emotional, ethical, and professional demands of practicing in the Anthropocene—a time marked by ecological degradation, climate crisis, and compounding social inequities.

Through qualitative methods, including faculty interviews and curriculum document analysis, the evaluation identified both explicit and implicit components that foster student resilience. …

A Participatory Approach To Case Management: Co-Creation Of Effective Anti-Trafficking Programming Based On The Self-Identified Strengths, Needs, And Priorities Of Survivors, Angela Robinson Phd, Kelsey Morgan Phd

SMU Human Trafficking Data Conference

Some estimates claim the existence of 50 million victims of human trafficking and the U.S. Department of State suggests that less than 1% of survivors received services to prevent further exploitation. This presentation shares processes for co-creating knowledge with case management tools that empower survivors while gathering data to improve their care, assist service providers in effectively targeting supportive services, and strengthen anti-trafficking initiatives. Findings will be shared from Freedom Lifemap, a self-assessment used by human trafficking survivors to identity their own strengths, needs, and priorities to prevent the risk of re-exploitation and attain lasting freedom. Global patterns in data …

Access To Healthcare For Rural Transgender Adults In The United States, Devon Smith

University Honors Theses

Urban and rural healthcare differ significantly in the amount of facilities, providers and kinds of specialty care that are offered in each environment. The United States is split into urban and rural counties in any given region, and based on those population sizes, are the allocation of healthcare resources for residents. In rural areas in the U.S., transgender adults lack access to gender-affirming care and encounter a lack of gender-affirming care providers due to workforce shortages, discrimination, and a lack of cultural competency. To determine if these residents lacked access to care compared with their urban counterparts, I performed a …

Childhood Housing Conditions As A Social Determinant Of Health In College Students, Kelsey E. O'Neill

School of Social Work Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigates the relationship between childhood housing and current physical and behavioral health in Northwest Arkansas college students. Non-medical factors often determine a person’s health. Social determinants of health, as defined by the World Health Organization, are the conditions in which people are “...born, grow, work, live, and age...”, and they include wider systems such as economic and social policies, social norms, and political structures (World, 2023). A key social determinant of health is housing.

The average age of an undergraduate student at the University of Arkansas during the 2020-2021 school year was twenty-one (Gunderman, 2021). This is a …

Exploring 2slgbtqia+ Parenting In Northwest Arkansas, Bailey Mason

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since the U.S. Census Bureau first published data on “same-sex” households in 2011, research has repeatedly indicated the majority of 2SLGBTQIA+ parents (here on referred to as “queer parents”) reside outside of major cities in heavily populated regions of the country. However, due to widespread metronormative narratives about the queer experience, the experiences of queer parents in less-populated regions are rarely studied. This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of queer parents in Northwest Arkansas, a region of the politically and religiously conservative Southern U.S. with areas both urban and rural. Applying grounded theory and drawing from queer theory to …

Redefining Children’S Experience In Social Services Offices, Julia K. Bryant

Human Development and Family Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The effects of childhood trauma are far-reaching and diverse, influencing physical, emotional, and mental health across a child’s entire lifetime. Research indicates that children who experience adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as abuse or neglect are at an increased risk for various consequences and that the environments they encounter post-trauma play a significant role in shaping their experiences. Social services offices, where many traumatized children are taken for interviews or assessments after being removed from their homes, can often become places of additional distress. This project seeks to address this issue by proposing redesigns for social services offices to create …

Poverty In Ethnic Minority Children: Social Workers/Social Work Students’ Perceptions Of Effective Interventions, Danielle Nicole Davis

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Racial and ethnic minorities experience poverty at rates significantly higher than the rest of the United States population, especially when considering children. This disparity leads to decreased positive outcomes for children growing up in impoverished ethnic minority households. By examining the interventions utilized to address childhood poverty and how social workers and social work students create targeted interventions for this population, the current study provides insight into effective methods for addressing childhood poverty in ethnic minority populations. The current research expands on information gathered regarding effective interventions for minority children in poverty. This is an exploratory study that used a …