Digital Commons Network^™

Internal Family Systems Therapy For Trauma Recovery And Addiction In Sexual And Gender Minorities, Walter Saunders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) experience disproportionately high rates of substance use disorders linked to trauma exposure, minority stress, and barriers to affirming behavioral health care. Although trauma-informed approaches have expanded, little is known about how SGM individuals experience and make meaning of their engagement in internal family systems (IFS) therapy for trauma and addiction. Guided by Schwartz’s theory of the multiplicity of the mind and minority stress theory, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how SGM individuals describe and interpret their engagement in IFS therapy within the context of trauma and addiction. Interpretative phenomenological analysis …

Child Protection Workers’ Perceptions Of Burnout And Work Dissatisfaction, Ashley-Camille Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child protection workers work in a stressful and demanding occupation, subject to high staff turnover and inexperienced staff. This situation has created problems for child protection workers in doing their jobs effectively—for example, handling their daily tasks and caseload—leading to potential burnout and work dissatisfaction. Existing literature has explained how burnout begins to develop as a response to chronic exposure to job-related stressors, to a point of emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment. Researchers have found that work-related conditions have contributed to the development of burnout, especially when attempting to define how one could be overworked and how much labor …

Conference Proceedings Of The 2025 Lec Teaching And Learning Conference, Martha Snyder

LEC Conference Proceedings

No abstract provided.

The Lead, Mid-Spring 2026, Lindenwood University

The Lead

• Primary Figures: Daniel Kirk, Ph.D. (Dean); Allison Higgins (Student Senator); Dr. Michelle Whitacre; Melissa Brown (Doctoral Student); Bryson Reid (EdD Student); Emily Monti (EdD Student); Dr. Lynette Dixon. 

• Key Events: A Professional Speaker Panel is scheduled for March 19, 2026; nine students attended the MOCASE state conference in Lake Ozarks from March 2–3, 2026; Dr. Michelle Whitacre presented at the ATE Annual Meeting in Arlington, Virginia; Emily Monti is set to present at the HLC Conference in March 2026. 

• Date/Location: Mid-Spring 2026; Lindenwood University campus (specifically Roemer Hall, Harmon Hall, and Dunseth Auditorium), St. Charles, Missouri; Arlington, …

Improving Immigrant Families Health: Screening For Adverse Childhood Experiences, Felicia Vanessa Zimmerman

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Objective: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are associated with physical and mental health conditions and linked to chronic health conditions among adults who have experienced trauma or toxic stress. ACEs are associated with severe health and social difficulties among children and adults, such as low productivity, mental health, substance abuse, chronic diseases, and short life expectancy. One in four children in the U.S. between the ages of 12 and 17 has at least experienced two or more ACEs. ACEs are more prevalent among underserved and ethnic minority groups. Immigrant children are affected more than non-immigrants; 42% of Hispanic children have higher …

Social Education In Disruption – From Pressure To Proactive Solutions, Aoife Prendergast

Journal of Social Care

In November 2025, FESET members gathered at the European Parliament in Strasbourg for our seminar, “Under Pressure – Social Education in Disruption.” The choice of venue was a deliberate statement of intent. By anchoring our discussions within the heart of European democracy, we underscored a fundamental truth: social education is not merely a domestic or peripheral concern. It is a vital pillar of social cohesion and the democratic fabric of the European project.

As President of FESET, it is an honour to introduce this collection of insights and research to the readers of the Journal of Social Care, reflecting …

Social Care Workers’ Perspectives About Their Work, Qualifications And Career Progression Opportunities., Shirley Boyle

Journal of Social Care

Delivering high‑quality, person‑centred social care depends on a stable, skilled, and experienced workforce that is appropriately valued. In Northern Ireland, policy rhetoric over the past decade has consistently highlighted the need for sustained investment in the social care workforce. Against this backdrop, the Northern Ireland Social Care Council commissioned this study to ensure that the perspectives of social care workers are central to workforce development initiatives. The study involved a cross‑sectional, population‑based survey of 586 social care workers. The survey explored participants’ experiences of working in social care, their views about qualifications and training, exploring barriers and enablers to qualification …

How To Train Social Intervention Professionals In A Polarised World?, Bruno Michon

Journal of Social Care

This article examines the challenges of training social intervention professionals in an increasingly polarised society. Drawing on theoretical perspectives on political and affective polarisation, it explores how contemporary social divisions shape social work practice. The analysis includes findings from a five-year qualitative study on radicalisation prevention in France, highlighting tensions between security imperatives and the ethical foundations of social work. These tensions often generate mistrust and professional dilemmas for practitioners. The article argues that social work education must address polarisation directly. It proposes three key responses: reaffirming human rights as the ethical foundation of the profession, adopting professional stances that …

Strengthening Emotional Self-Regulation Through Play: An Innovative Simulation Game For Resilience In Health And Social Professions, Amelie Büchler, Bettina Flaiz, Sabine Münzenmay

Journal of Social Care

Healthcare and social work professionals are currently facing a crisis characterised by chronic stress, burnout, and high attrition rates. While the root causes of these issues are often systemic, the emotional burden falls heavily on individual professionals, often leading to maladaptive coping mechanisms such as "cool-out" strategies or withdrawal. This article introduces the Erasmus+ project Simply4Emotions, which addresses this challenge by developing a digital-physical simulation game designed to foster emotional self-regulation and resilience. Grounded in the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and the Process Model of Emotion Regulation, the game utilises a mountaineering metaphor to create a safe …

How Art You Today? Art, Aesthetics And Creativity In Social Educational Care Work Curricula Under Pressure., Bart Vanhoenacker

Journal of Social Care

Curricula in Social Educational Care Work increasingly face structural pressures shaped by neoliberal logics, managerial priorities and cost-efficiency paradigms. Creative and artistic components, traditionally central in the curricula, are particularly targeted, despite a growing consensus in research and professional practice regarding the indispensable role of art and creativity for personal development, well-being, social connection and inclusion. This article analyses institutional pressures, shifting curriculum priorities and the risks associated with diminished artistic courses and outlines pathways for strengthening art‑based and creative pedagogies in the current challenging context.

Les programmes d'études en travail social éducatif sont soumis à une pression structurelle croissante, …

Under Pressure: Stories Out Of Youth Care, Elien Decock, Nele Cox

Journal of Social Care

In this practice‑oriented research we explore how storyweaving can counterbalance the increasingly negative public discourse surrounding youth care. While societal narratives often emphasise staff shortages, aggression, and systemic failure, youth care workers also describe moments of connection, growth, and meaning that rarely enter the dominant conversation. Through nine storyweaving workshops with 79 youth care workers, six duo‑interviews across roles and organisations, and ongoing reflection with a professional steering group, three central themes emerged: the importance of connection and recognition, the shrinking “space in between” where genuine relational work can occur, and the need to focus on process rather than results. …

Is Authentic Assessment Our Only Hope? Exploring The Potential Of The Integrative Framework For Social Care To Address Challenges Posed By Generative Ai., Jennifer Mcgarr, Dr. Margaret Fingleton

Journal of Social Care

Social Care education in Ireland is experiencing rapid change, driven by technological advancements and the growing influence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). While these developments create new learning opportunities, they also raise concerns about academic integrity and the erosion of critical thinking. Educators must simultaneously ensure graduates meet CORU’s regulatory standards and can adapt to the evolving scope of social care practice. CORU is Ireland’s multi-professional state regulatory of health and social care professions. Traditional assessment methods are increasingly questioned for their ability to foster professional competence, prompting interest in authentic assessment approaches that emphasise real-world application and the development …

Editorial Feset Conference Special Edition, Martin Power Dr

Journal of Social Care

No abstract provided.

Experiences Of Lgbtqia+ Medical Students: Gaps And Challenges During Preclinical Education., Samantha Temucin, Natalie Florescu, Paige Varin, Leeann Tanaka, Robert Bettiker, Erin N Harrop, Kendrin Sonneville

PCOM Scholarly Works

Background

While attempts to diversify the physician workforce are ongoing, limited research exists exploring the experiences LGBTQIA+ medical students during their preclinical training. The purpose of this study is to examine how interpersonal interactions, campus climate, and the availability of campus support influence the well-being of LGBTQIA+ medical students across U.S. medical schools during their preclinical education.

Method

Medical students self-identifying as LGBTQIA + and enrolled in either Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) institutions in the U.S. in 2024 completed an online, 136-item survey. Participants were asked about preclinical medical school experiences, perceptions of their …

Former Foster Youth Lack The Understanding And Training In How To Access Medical And Preventative Care Benefits, Gloria Harrison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore Dallas, Texas, human services professionals’ perceptions of the services that former foster youth need to ensure that they have access to medical and preventative care benefits when they age out of the system. The conceptual framework of Aday and Andersen’s health behavior model provided a structure for the lack of medical care access, the need for improvement, and the desire to use services for various marginalized at-risk populations. The action research design was chosen to help solve real-life healthcare problems that directly affect participants within their community. A purposeful …

Exploring The Perceived Influence Of Exposure To Secondary Trauma On Educators: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Katina M. Perry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the influence of secondary trauma on educators who work with students residing in low-income urban communities. Secondary trauma was generally defined as the emotional response that occurs when individuals are indirectly exposed to the traumatic experiences of others. The theory that guided this study was Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping, as its emphasis on the interplay between an individual’s perceived psychological stress, coping, and cognitive appraisals was resourceful for educators exposed to student trauma. The central research question that guided this study was “How does secondary …

The Evolving Landscape Of Social Education In The Uk: The Legacy Of Neoliberalism Affecting Uk Children And Those Who Support Them, And The Considerable Value Of Its Potential Counterbalance — Social Pedagogy, Robyn Kemp

Journal of Social Care

This paper examines the erosion of concern for the social and relational in the United Kingdom through four decades of neoliberal policy, and argues for social pedagogy as a principled and urgently needed counterbalance. Drawing on a career spanning public, charitable, and academic practice primarily with children in and on the edges of care, it traces how the introduction of neoliberalism under Thatcher in the 1980s — and its institutionalisation through New Public Management in the 1990s — systematically dismantled the relational, ethical, and communal foundations of work with children. The consequences are documented in stark statistical terms: rising school …

Practices And Ethics In The Act Of Transmission In Social Work In A Disrupted Environment, Ana-Luana Deram, Ségolène Payan

Journal of Social Care

At the dawn of the 21st century, we are witnessing demographic, sociological, professional and institutional changes that accompany educational policies and transformations in social work training, giving rise to paradoxical demands sometimes being placed on educators. Like a beacon, adherence to an ethic of consideration in transmission through teaching, sharing and comprehension, nourish the reflection associated with the support of today's social work students.

En ce début de XXIème siècle nous sommes témoins des changements démographiques, sociologiques, professionnels et institutionnels qui accompagnent les politiques éducatives et les mutations de la formation en travail social, à l’origine des injonctions paradoxales parfois …

2026-03-10 University Graduate Committee - Course Proposal For Soc 631, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate., University Graduate Committee.

Faculty Senate Records

Course proposal for SOC 631 Health Structures and Behavior submitted to the University Graduate Committee on February 6, 2026 and approved on March 10, 2026.

20th Annual Research In The Capitol [Program], March 9, 2026, University Of Northern Iowa. University Honors Program. Iowa State University. Honors Program. University Of Iowa. Honors Program.

Research in the Capitol Programs

Program of research presentations given at the Capitol by students from the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Iowa.

Rupturing The Sport Management Classroom: Zine-Making For World-Making, Roc Rochon, Chen Chen

Sport Management Collection

The on-going COVID-19 pandemic (and the pandemic of capitalism, white supremacy, imperialism, and colonialism, etc.) calls for imaginative, relevant, and critical approaches in sport management education to address diverse, socially, and culturally dynamic students. Yet the bulk of existing educational resources remain rooted in reinforcing systems of domination and the structure of on-going settler colonialism (Chen & Mason, 2019; hooks, 1994). A major challenge in traditional approaches to “updating” the curriculum fall short in challenging the banking mode of education (Freire, 1970). Following Amis and Silk’s (2005) call for a “rupture” of the reproduction of the status quo within sport …

Cv: John Halloran, John Halloran

Social Work Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Crow's Nest, March 9, 2026, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The March 9, 2026 issue of Crow's Nest.

Intouch Week Of March 9, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Children’s Cancer Fund Research Laboratory Naming Ceremony
• Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology Hosts Fourth Annual Research Symposium
• Rethinking the Brain’s Response to Opioids
• Medical Students Bring Creativity and Connection to Behavioral Health Care
• Center for Disaster Medicine Hosts First K9 Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Training
•  TCDM Celebrates Tenth Anniversary at Annual Gala

Opportunities, Challenges, And Conspicuous Absences: An Integrative Review Of The Social Work Literature On Artificial Intelligence, Michael J. Massey, Ian G. Williams, Grace C. Polistina, Eathan A. Breaux

Publications and Research

INTRODUCTION: Social work discourse regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in practice, research, and education has proliferated over the last 5 years, reflecting both excitement over its potential and ambivalence about its ethical challenges. However, the extent to which social work is fully engaging with the structure of AI and its enormous impacts on the environment, labour, and distribution of power remains unclear.

METHODS: An integrative review of social work literature from 2020–2024 was conducted to address two research questions: 1) What is the nature of the social work discourse related to AI? 2) To what extent is the discourse …

Public Perception Of Risk In Missing Persons Investigations, Harry Lockett, Stefana Juncu

International Journal of Missing Persons

The current study investigated public perceptions of risk in missing person cases. A total of 271 participants were sequentially presented with five fictional vignettes describing missing individuals. Each case included a baseline description of the disappearance being "out of character" and four of these cases were paired with an additional risk factor: substance abuse, depression, dementia, or repeat missing status. The gender of the missing person was also manipulated between participants. Participants rated each case using both the standard categorical scale (Low/Medium/High) and an Extended Scale ranging from 1 to 7 and were also invited to respond to exploratory items …

‘‘If It Bleeds, Does It Lead?’: Lived Experiences Of Media Engagement For Families Of Missing Persons., Sarah Wayland Professor, Loren O'Keeffe, Syadani Riyad Fatema, Amy-Louise Byrne Dr, Elizabeth Paton

International Journal of Missing Persons

The media plays an important role in a missing persons case. Media is a powerful tool in raising public awareness and support, traversing police investigation, family liaison, and the business of media. This article reports on a focus group of seven people with a long-term missing family member, and two focus group facilitators, one of whom was also the family member of a missing person (n=9). The aim of the study was to better understand how people, who have lived experience of a family member missing, participate in media opportunities, to understand impact. Thematic analysis generated five major themes 1) …

When Irl Is Not An Option: Social Media Bans And The Exclusion Of Autistic Youth, Melanie Gruben, Ashley Sheil, Anne Ryan Duffy, Jacob Camillleri, Michelle O'Keeffe, Hazel Murray

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

After the roll-out of the social media ban in Australia in 2025, policy makers are considering psychosocial benefits and logistical implications. However, the needs of autistic people, who may rely more on the Internet for social connection earlier in life, should be taken into account. This white paper proposes a responsibility to support alternative means of social connection for autistic young people where bans are considered, as IRL (in real life) socialising is not always accessible.

From Classroom To Real Life: Chinese Esl Learners And Sex-Related Taboo Language, Yusi Chen, Gage Weston

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Sex-related taboo language (SRTL) is common in everyday English but often absent from English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction due to teacher discomfort, limited training, and perceived inappropriateness (Gale & Fernández, 2016). However, SRTL is important for expressing emotion, building social relationships, and negotiating interpersonal boundaries (Jay, 2009). Without instruction, learners may misinterpret these expressions, causing embarrassment, social challenges, or increased vulnerability in contexts involving consent, discrimination, or safety (Dewaele, 2004). Understanding when and how to use such language is essential but under-addressed in ESL curricula (Kremin, 2017). Limited prior exposure to sex-related language among Chinese ESL learners (Shi …

Mothering And Mental Health: Exploring Expressive Arts In The Postpartum Period, Beth Loudon

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Maternal mental health (MMH) conditions are mental health conditions that occur during pregnancy and/or in the year after giving birth (Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, 2025). These conditions are responsible for 23% of maternal deaths in the United States (Centers for Disease Control, 2025) and affect approximately 1 in 5 women (Fawcett et al., 2019). Unfortunately, while evidence-based treatment exists for many of these conditions, barriers to care exist, including (a) poor screening, (b) childcare limitations, (c) transportation, and (d) monetary constraints, amongst others (Place et al., 2024). Accordingly, traditional talk therapy is often inaccessible for these women, particularly disadvantaging …