Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating The Effects Of Disability On Preferred Proximity, Mia Nicole Mcmahon

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

People with disabilities frequently face the barriers of prejudice, stereotypes, low expectations, and the doubt that they can be adequate romantic partners. This study sought to examine whether the description of a target individual’s proximity to disability would inform the participants’ preference for social closeness or social distance from the target. The target individuals described in the vignettes varied in their proximity to disability in that one target was disabled and did not disclose their identity, the second was likewise disabled and disclosed this, the third was not disabled themself but had a disabled sibling, and the last vignette described …

The Integration Of Certified Therapy Dog Teams Into Special Education: Insights Of Volunteer Handlers, Rana Aabed

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The purpose of this study was to better understand how certified volunteer dog therapy handlers can be integrated into special education settings. Although the pet therapy discourse confirms the overall impact dog therapy has on youth’s psychological health (e.g., Groenewoud et al., 2023), research that could elucidate how volunteer handlers modify the way they have their dogs interact with special education populations is a present-day need that has otherwise not appeared in the literature. In response, this study involved a qualitative multiple-case investigation about the role of volunteer certified handlers and the dog therapy provisions they offer special education populations. …

Migrant Vulnerability To Human Trafficking: A Legislative Decade In Review With Historical And Policy Process Analysis, Elizabeth Solis

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Despite the establishment of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in 2000, the state and prevalence of human trafficking in the United States has greatly increased. While there exists more information and legislation, it still remains an under-researched and under-evaluated issue. This study looks through the enacted human trafficking federal legislation over the last decade to track whether migrant vulnerability to human trafficking has been further addressed with the evolution of the issue within the country. To provide a relevant analysis, this study will look through human trafficking legislation through the years of 2013-2023 and will focus on the main …

Salary Report, 2024 June, Eastern Michigan University

EMU Salary Reports

No abstract provided.

Bridgewater Magazine, Volume 34, Number 1, Spring 2024, Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater Magazine

Lighting the Way: the nation's last lighthouse keeper and first woman in that role, Sally Snowman, '76. Also in this issue: The multiple sides of climate change; A program that helps students with an autism spectrum disorder or related social profile gain real-world experience; an article on Peter Weyand, G'88; Two decades of The Bridge; and eclipsing expectations: on-campus viewing event draws hundreds to BSU, observatory.

Advancing Global Equity And Justice Through Evidence And Innovation—Annual Report 2022–2023, Population Council

Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

The Way Of Eldering: Spiritual Maturation Across The Lifespan, Kineret Yardena

Social Work Theses - Archive

Background and Objectives

People in midlife are often encumbered with uncertainty about how to transition toward later life without regret. Many sense the need to spiritually mature as they age, but lack practical guidance. Elders are those in later life who have made this transition and who have become sources of wisdom, nurturance and guidance for those younger than they. This phenomenological study explores the spiritual maturation journey of eldering.

Research Design and Methods

Ten people who were identified as elders took part in intuitive life story interviews. Using Story Method, this phenomenological study sought to identify key themes in …

A Neuroscience-Based Curriculum For Addiction Prevention For Fourth-Grade Students, Paola Andrea Benitez

Social Work Theses - Archive

Substance use is one of the main problems affecting adolescents and young adults. While the consumption of alcohol has decreased, the consumption of marijuana has increased rampantly due to youth's positive perception after being legalized in 24 states with no clear message of the many adverse effects this drug causes. Different approaches to prevention have been used throughout the years: scare-led tactics, socio-emotional learning skills, and neuroscience-based curriculums. Since substance use results from the conjunction of different biopsychosocial factors that lead to this relapsing brain disease, the solution should integrate different preventive solutions as well. Public policy, schools, social workers, …

Documented Outcomes Of Informal Caregivers Delivering Home-Based Interventions To Persons Living With Dementia: A Scoping Review, Andrea H. Meller

Social Work Theses - Archive

Most people living with dementia in the United States reside at home with informal caregivers. Yet research regarding non-pharmacological interventions for persons living with dementia is mainly conducted in institutional settings. Also, research into the impacts of interventions for persons with dementia on informal caregivers is scarce. This scoping review aims to map the breadth of literature on outcomes of informal caregivers delivering home-based interventions to people with dementia through the lens of the stress process model. Using the Arskey & O’Malley framework, an initial database search yielded 3,977 studies of which 22 were included in this review. Results revealed …

Is The Virtual Therapy Experience A Sufficient Means For Person-Centered Therapy? A Systematic Review, Aaron Feibush

Social Work Theses - Archive

Background: American psychologist Carl Rogers is considered the main originator of person-centered therapy (PCT), a psychotherapeutic approach which focuses on self-actualizing abilities of the client which emerge when engaged in an environment of three core conditions established by the therapist: unconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence. Over the last several decades there have been thousands of studies that demonstrate support for these three core conditions as necessary features of effective therapy. However, with the emergence of psychotherapy being conducted via telehealth in the last several years, in particular since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it remains unknown …

Implementation Of Technological Innovations: An Identification And Examination Of Opinion Leaders And Advice Networks In Primary Care, Alan Kunz Lomelin

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Technological innovations, such as artificial intelligence, have the potential to mitigate health disparities in healthcare, but lower uptake of these innovations in low resource healthcare settings, due to limited resources and staff shortages, may lead to missed opportunities. However, low-cost implementation strategies may facilitate the uptake of these innovations and increase their accessibility and adoption in this setting. The Network Model of Diffusion of Innovations suggests the identification of opinion leaders and the study of advice networks as strategies that may help enhance the uptake of innovations. Specifically, this framework suggests the use of a sociometric or network approach to …

Exploring The Process Of Seeking Informal Social Support For Intimate Partner Violence Among African Immigrants Residing In The United States, Ricka Olga Mammah

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Intimate partner violence against women is a pervasive global issue. For African immigrants in the United States, IPV continues to be a social problem, with many survivors seeking support from their informal networks. Informal networks refer to the social connections and relationships that individuals have outside of formal or professional settings, such as family members, friends, and acquaintances who provide emotional, practical, and social support. However, various cultural, religious, social, and legal barriers can make seeking informal social support for IPV challenging. To improve interventions designed to reach this vulnerable population, more inquiry is needed into how African immigrant survivors …

Trauma Exposure’S Influence On How Black Superwomen Cope And Perceive Stress, Latisha Thomas

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Black women in the United States experience high levels of lifetime trauma exposure, which significantly affects their perceived stress and coping mechanisms. The lifetime trauma experienced by Black women in the United States is a large and intricate issue shaped by numerous historical, cultural, and structural elements that affect their perceived stress and coping mechanisms. Lifetime trauma encompasses a wide range of painful events or experiences that transpire throughout an individual's life, significantly and persistently affecting their mental, emotional, and physical health (National Institute of Mental Health, 2020). These traumatic occurrences can encompass a broad range of experiences, including physical …

The Theology Of The Book Of Judges In The Second Generation: Giving Up Is Not An Option!, Juan Bosco Vanega Flores

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

The tension between the first and second generation of immigrants in our churches is increasing. The large gap that should be closing continues to open. The Bible contains important biblical principles that leaders of the Church can use to help close the gap between the generations in immigrant churches.

Changes In Criminal Thinking Among Homeless Veterans Receiving Housing First Services, Deirdra Robinson

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Homelessness is a social problem that has plagued the United States for decades. as early as 1987, veterans were identified has making up a large proportion of people living unhoused. This dissertation is a retrospective exploratory, quantitative study exploring the relationship between criminal thinking and specific characteristics (mental health symptoms, social connectedness, perception of seriousness of legal issues, and housing) of veterans who received services from a Housing First program. Using Survival Mode Theory as a framework for organizing and understanding the context of the study, and the utility of the findings, this dissertation aimed at improving practice and theoretical …

The Right To Fail, Alexander Boni-Saenz

Articles

In 2013, the Department of Justice entered into a consent decree with the state of New York concerning the lives of 4,000 people with mental illness who had been segregated into group homes in the state. These group homes were overcrowded and dangerous, and New York agreed to move all but the most severely mentally ill people into supportive housing, if they desired it. This outcome was seen as vindicating the dignity of risk, a foundational value of disability rights scholarship and politics. This principle holds that it is normatively desirable for individuals to be able to make their own …

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. A …

Bulletin: General Catalog Issue 2024-2025, Portland State University

Bulletin & Curriculum Change Documents

No abstract provided.

Shelter-Skelter: The New York City Homelessness Crisis, Brian J. Koluch

GLO 100 Introduction to Global Studies: Policy Analysis Papers

With 88,025 Homeless people, NYC was ranked #1 in Homelessness in America, having 70,000 more than the third greatest city, the Seattle Metropolitan area/King County. (HUD) This figure may lead one to infer that the procedures in the city aren’t effective. However, this paper paints a different picture. The introduction of the Coalition for the Homeless’ Consent Decree through the landmark Callahan v Carey case birthed the “Right to Shelter” movement. Low-income housing was expanded, while the DeBlasio framework to “End Homelessness” through on-the-ground social work flourished. Equal attempts at weakening the consent decree developed throughout city history.

Awakening To Activism: Exploring Disability Activism Through The Voices Of University Student Activists, Sophia Hirokawa

West Chester University Master’s Theses

In this study, I explored disability activist identity and activism through one-on-one, semi-structured qualitative interviews with four university activists who shared their personal stories of awakening to disability activism, using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) to explore themes. Each interviewee had a unique form of disability activist identity and a multifaceted process of awakening to that identity. They identified strengths in the disability activist community, such as a supportiveness, persistence, and uniqueness, but they also identified challenges, such as ineffectiveness of laws and policies, discrimination, and a lack of accessibility and awareness. The results of this study illuminate the …

Actionable Advocacy Journalism: Embracing Bias And Empowering Audiences With Calls To Action, Megan T. Schiffres

Richard T. Robertson School of Communication Student Scholarship

This thesis outlines the principles of actionable advocacy journalism, a new theoretical framework designed to empower audiences to take action in their communities. This framework proposes an update of journalistic ethics including the elimination of objectivity and demonstrates the positive impact of biased journalism on improving audience trust and strengthening community ties. It explores the historical roots of advocacy in journalism, examines the factors that led to the journalistic philosophy of objectivity, and explains its fundamental flaws. This thesis also outlines strategies for transforming news into a practical resource. These strategies combine the principles of solutions journalism with evidence-based persuasion …

2024-2025 Fce/Scj Graduate Catalog, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice Graduate Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Understanding Students’ Cognitive Processes While Evaluating Online Sources: A Mixed Methods Study, Julia Lennox

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Given the substantial time young people spend online and their reliance on social media for information, research supports the importance of understanding how media literacy interventions may impact students’ abilities to process online information. This study employed a case study- explanatory sequential mixed methods research design to investigate the impact a media literacy course may have on students’ cognitive processes while evaluating online information. Twelve high school students (n=12) completed a questionnaire, the first quantitative phase, while nine (n=9) responded to performance tasks assessing their civic online reasoning skills. The sequential phase involved qualitatively analyzing assignments …

Applying Executive Function For The Sake Of Well-Being: A Case Study Of Gifted Middle School Students, Erika Lucas

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study provided gifted middle school student participants the opportunity to discuss the complexities of gifted culture in academia as they have experienced it. This study also sought to pinpoint the emotions or feelings that students and their parents experienced as they transition to high school concerning their perceived sense of confidence and readiness as it pertained to executive function. Gen Z students deemed "gifted" are at a higher risk for depression and suicide due to the rising levels of stress and anxiety they experience (Andrews, 2014). Klimkeit et al. (2011) discovered that teenagers with depression and/or anxiety disorders exhibited …

Screening For Postpartum Depression In Mothers Whose Newborns Are Admitted To The Nicu: A Quality Improvement Project, Megan Mustachio

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Women whose newborns are admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are at an increased risk to experience feelings associated with Post-partum Depression (PPD) than women whose newborns are not. The screening of this population is imperative for early identification and dissemination of community resources as a source of early intervention. The purpose of this project is to increase the number of screenings performed on the new mothers at the bedside of their NICU admitted newborn and deliver the screen to the NICU Social Work department for early intervention, and resources. This quality improvement project used a six-week retrospective …

Waiting On The World (Of Allied Healthcare) To Change: How Undergraduate Preparedness Curriculum Dis/Includes Ability, Brianna Donnelly

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Significant concerns for healthcare practitioners and allied health professionals continue to arise regarding treatment of persons with disabilities. Whether disability exists as apparent or non-apparent, temporary, or chronic, people with disabilities tend to be in poorer health and tend to use health care at a significantly higher rate than people who do not have disabilities. Importantly, the absence of professional training on disability competency issues for health care practitioners is one of the most significant barriers that prevent people with disabilities from receiving appropriate and effective health care. This qualitative narrative analysis explores the inclusion of disability concepts and people …

Pennsylvania K-8 General Education Teachers’ Perceptions Of Preparedness For The Inclusion Of Students With Autism: A Mixed Methods Study, Erica Tate

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Abstract

This convergent mixed-methods study gathered insights from Pennsylvania kindergarten through eighth-grade general education teachers regarding their perceptions of preparedness for including students with autism. Utilizing Bandura's theory of self-efficacy (1962), which underscores the importance of continual opportunities for individuals to build confidence in their abilities, the study sought to understand teachers' viewpoints on their readiness for inclusion. To achieve educator insight, a combination of surveys and interviews was employed to understand better what preservice and in-service educators learned in their pre-professional and professional experiences. In the survey phase, (n=51) general educators responded to questions covering demographics, teacher education programming, …

Community Integration Experiences Of Formerly Homeless Persons With Serious Mental Illness (Smi) Housed In Washington Dc Using The Housing First Model, Gwendolyn Harter

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Two interventions which have been successful in housing and maintaining housing for individuals who have serious mental illness and are classified as chronically homeless are the Housing First Model and community integration. Currently existing models of community integration were created using dated information and definitions, created from a medical model and not a social framework. Therefore, this dissertation used a phenomenological approach to define community and whether, by that definition, the participants feel integrated into the community. This included the interviewees’ experiences with Pathways to Housing DC and transitioning from homeless to housings and the Housing First Model.

Outcomes from …

Educators' Experiences Of Childhood Trauma Infiltrating The Classroom: A Mixed Methods Study, Paige Dea

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study investigated the attitudes, perceptions, and understanding of education professionals toward trauma-related behaviors of kindergarten through 12th-grade students in public school districts throughout southeastern Pennsylvania. The purpose of this study was to identify underlying themes surrounding trauma to determine the best training and support options for teachers. Research has investigated teachers’ common perceptions of trauma and their attitudes toward students’ internalizing and externalizing behaviors demonstrated across various educational settings. The study focused on determining teachers’ efforts to support students in developing social-emotional learning skills to manage the behaviors and feelings students develop as a result of …

Understanding The Experiences Of A First Grade Class With Explicit Phonics Instruction: A Qualitative Case Study, Haley Fry

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The reading wars in American education have raged on with the most recent Science of Reading movement, with the discussion centered around phonics. This qualitative case study examined a real first-grade class as they experienced explicit phonics instruction within the context of a classroom environment in public elementary school in northeastern United States. Participants of this study included eight first-grade students and one first-grade teacher, in one first-grade class. Data collection was broken down into two phases that were rooted in Social Constructivism’s Zone of Proximal Development and Ehri’s Phases of Word Learning Theory. Phase I consisted of classroom observations …