Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Characteristics Of Independent Living Program Participants And Non-Independent Living Program Participants, Raymond Acevedo

Theses Digitization Project

This study identify foster youth characteristics that were more likely to lead to independent living program (ILP) participation against those foster youth who did not participate in ILPs.

Factors Participants Value In Breast Cancer Support Groups, Renee Lauren Jarvis

Theses Digitization Project

This study used a qualitative research design to explore and identify, from participant's perspective, the aspects of a breast cancer support group that facilitate a quality experience of support.

Uncovering The Methadone Counseling Process Among Recovering And Non Recovering Chemical Dependency Counselors, Sara-Amanda Mccarthy, Jennifer Ann Palmersheim

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to uncover the methadone counseling process among recovering and non-recovering chemical dependency counselors by examining the concepts and techniques utilized throughout the counseling process. This study examined whether the recovery status of a counselor affected the counselor's theoretical addiction model and the concepts and techniques that were utilized throughout the counseling process.

Cognitive Coping And Depression In Elderly Long-Term Care Residents, Christine Viola Mccormick

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this research was to examine specific coping methods used by the elderly as they adjust to the environment of a long-term care facility, and to examine the correlations between these coping methods and levels of depressive symptomatology.

Communicating With Elderly Mental Health Clients About Medication Concordance, Eva Mary Miller

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of communication with elderly mental health clients regarding medication concordance.

Factors That Contribute To Resiliency In Former Foster Youth, Deanna Nicole Reyes, Phillip Parra

Theses Digitization Project

This research study focused on resilient, former foster youth. Given the vulnerabilities of children in foster care, what factors lead to participant resilience? Data was obtained from ten participants who were receiving independent living services in San Bernardino County.

Social Workers' Knowledge Of Substance Abuse, Mirta Escobedo Johnson

Theses Digitization Project

This study was designed to determine how knowledgeable child welfare social workers are of substance abuse when working with substance abusing clients. The results indicated that social workers within San Bernardino County have competent levels of knowledge in substance abuse which allow them to provide appropriate services to the community members they serve.

Understanding The Knowledge Masters Of Social Work Student's Have In Regard To Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Foster Youth Issues, Amy Rebecca Taliaferro

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to understand the levels of competence that master's level social work students have in regard to the issues of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender foster youth.

Factors That Guide Toward The Emancipation Of Foster Care Youth, Singhi Rajan

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of the study was to examine the guiding factors that help foster youth emancipate successfully. The goal was to examine five areas: housing, education, identifying role models, social skills and effectiveness of Independent Living Program (ILP) services.

Factors That Contribute To The Reluctance Of Mental Health Treatment Seeking Among African Americans, Natalie Nicole Majors-Stewart

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to perform an in depth examination of the major factors that increase the reluctance among African Americans to seek mental health treatment.

The Perceived Educational Barriers Of Foster Youth: Social Workers' Perspectives, Barbara Marruth Castro, Nancy Ramirez

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to assess social worker perspectives on challenges that foster youth encounter in attaining adequate educations. Social workers need to be able to identify the best services and resources that will help this population continue their educational advancement.

Employed Parents Of Children With Mental Health Disorders: Achieving Work–Family Fit, Flexibility, And Role Quality, Eileen M. Brennan, Julie M. Rosenzweig, A Myrth Ogilvie, Leslie Wuest, Ann A. Shindo

Faculty Publications - College of Social Work

Extensive interviews with 60 employed parents of school-age children treated for mental health problems explored work–family fit, flexibility, family support, and work–life strategies in relation to role quality. Role quality was measured as employment and parenting rewards and concerns. Work–family fit was positively related to family flexibility but not work flexibility. Higher flexibility in work and family predicted lower job concerns, and work flexibility and work–family fit were predictors of job rewards. Parental concerns were dependent on flexibility and work–family strategies. Single parents had significantly fewer sources of family support and used fewer work–family strategies than caregivers with partners. Human …

Employed Parents Of Children With Mental Health Disorders: Achieving Work–Family Fit, Flexibility, And Role Quality, Eileen M. Brennan, Julie M. Rosenzweig, A. Myrth Ogilvie, Leslie Wuest, Ann A. Shindo

Faculty Publications - College of Social Work

Extensive interviews with 60 employed parents of school-age children treated for mental health problems explored work–family fit, flexibility, family support, and work–life strategies in relation to role quality. Role quality was measured as employment and parenting rewards and concerns. Work–family fit was positively related to family flexibility but not work flexibility. Higher flexibility in work and family predicted lower job concerns, and work flexibility and work–family fit were predictors of job rewards. Parental concerns were dependent on flexibility and work–family strategies. Single parents had significantly fewer sources of family support and used fewer work–family strategies than caregivers with partners. Human …

The Response Of Social Work To The Multicultural Reality In The United States: Reflections And Implications For Taiwanese Social Work, Muh Bi Lin

Faculty Publications - College of Social Work

The multicultural reality in the United States entails a harsh reality of oppressions and various forms of socio-economic injustice. The evolution of policies in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) represents a shift of recognition and response to this phenomenon. There has been increasing concern in academia for the importance and urgency of enhancing multicultural competence of social work practitioners. This paper introduces and critiques existing NASW and CSWE policies relating to multicultural competence in social work practice and evaluates various conceptual models on multicultural social work practice and education. Implications …

Social Theory & Its Relation To Social Problems: An Essay About Theory And Research With Social Justice In Mind, Richard K. Caputo

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This essay examines the relationship between social theory and social problems, the truth-value of theories, and the importance of theorizing about the role of the state, i.e., national government, in the resolution of social problems and the achievement of social justice. The author argues that much contemporary social theory has lost its moorings in regard to amelioration ofsocial problems, that Popper's criterion offalsification is a requisitefor more meaningfully applied social theory, and that the state should be part of any social theory meant to address social problems. Moral and political philosophy is used to provide criteria to justify a positive …

Structural Reinterpretation Of Poverty By Examining Working Poverty: Implications For Community And Policy Practice, Philip Young P. Hong, Stephen Wernet

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

This exploratory research focused on the structural context of working poverty, thereby transcending its individual or behavioral aspects. Two major questions guided this study: (1) How are the working poor different compared to the working nonpoor? (2) How do structural conditions affect the chances of one being working poor? Central findings of the study were that four primary sets of factors—demographic, human capital, employment barriers, and labor market positions—contribute to an individual's likelihood of being among the working poor. The structural factors—employment barriers and labor market positions—significantly contributed to the effects of human capital and demographic variables. All four factors …

Focal Point, Volume 21 Number 01, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

This Focal Point issue focuses on child traumatic stress, particularly as experienced by children involved in the child welfare system. The causes and effects of traumatic stress are discussed, as are evidence-based treatments, and prevention strategies.

Measuring The Effect Of Intimate Partner Violence On Health-Related Quality Of Life: A Qualitative Focus Group Study, Eve Wittenberg, Manisha Joshi, Kristie A. Thomas, Laura A. Mccloskey

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Health related quality of life (HRQOL) can be measured by a wide range of instruments, many of which have been designed for specific conditions or uses. "Preference-based" measures assess the value individuals place on health, and are included in economic evaluations of treatments and interventions (such as cost effectiveness analysis). As economic evaluation becomes more common, it is important to assess the applicability of preference-based health related quality of life (HRQOL) measures to public health issues. This study investigated the usefulness of such instruments in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV), a public health concern that that …

A Qualitative Study Of Experiences Of Aboriginal Caregivers Of Children With Developmental Disabilities, Joyce Ellen Clouston

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A qualitative study of 20 caregivers of Aboriginal children with developmental disabilities revealed that caregivers continue to be guided by values rooted in traditional Aboriginal societies where all children were considered gifts of the Creator. The lives of vulnerable children had purpose, they were treated with respect, and the self-growth of the caregiver was connected to care of the child. The needs of young families were supported within a web of relationships in family and community. Disruptions to traditional family relationships began in the colonial era with the negation of Aboriginal culture and spirituality, and continue in many communities in …

State Agency Promising Practices: Employment First! Making Integrated Employment The Preferred Outcome In Tennessee, Jean Winsor, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

The Tennessee Division of Mental Retardation Services (DMRS) implemented the Employment First! initiative in 2002. The goal of Employment First was to make employment the first day service option for adults receiving supports funded by DMRS, Medicaid, or the state. Employment First set the standard that employment was the preferred service option for adults with mental retardation and developmental disabilities (MR/DD).

State Agency Promising Practice: Shifting Resources Away From Sheltered Workshops In Vermont, Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Over six years, regulations in Vermont gradually restricted and eventually prohibited the use of state funds for sheltered workshops or enclaves. Concurrent with the change in funding regulations, the state worked with providers to convert the remaining sheltered workshops in Vermont.

State Agency Promising Practice: Working Together To Convert The Last Sheltered Workshop In Vermont To Individualized Supports, Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Vermont’s Division of Disability and Aging Services (DDAS) and Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) worked with a local service provider to convert its congregate day services to community employment. Implementation Between 1987 and 2002, DDAS and DVR worked with several providers to close down sheltered workshops and move people into community supports.

State Agency Promising Practice: Integrated Employment Outcomes Through Person-To-Person Technical Assistance: New Hampshire, Allison C. Hall, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

New Hampshire implemented an innovative technical assistance model that promoted organizational change to expand individual employment opportunities. This person-to-person change began at the micro level but “trickled up” through organizations across the state. In 2000, realizing that the state’s growth in integrated employment had stalled, the Bureau of Developmental Services invested aggressively in expanding its intervention strategy by recruiting a community provider to work directly through the bureau. The bureau hired John Vance-the director of ACCESS, a small individualized support organization in New Hampshire-half-time to provide individualized technical assistance to providers across the state. As part of the bureau, Vance …

State Agency Promising Practices: Washington State’S Working-Age Adult Policy, Allison C. Hall, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Washington’s Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) has recently issued a new policy which went into full effect on July 1, 2006. This policy “designates employment supports as the primary method of furnishing state-financed day services to adult participants.” Emphasizing community employment as the primary service option, the policy further states that: “services for persons under the age of 62 that do not emphasize the pursuit or maintenance of employment in integrated settings can be authorized only by exception to policy” (WA DHSH, DDD, “County Services for Working Age Adults” Policy 4.11). Initially adopted in 2004, this policy does not eliminate …

State Agency Promising Practice: The Tennessee Employment Consortium (Tec) - A Statewide Collaboration For Change, Jean Winsor, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

The Tennessee Employment Consortium (TEC) is a statewide organization focused on increasing the number of Tennesseans in integrated employment. The consortium comprises volunteers from the state’s Division of Mental Retardation Services (DMRS) and Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS), the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities, the ARC of Tennessee, the Center on Disability and Employment at the University of Tennessee, community rehabilitation providers (CRPs), family members, and other stakeholders. TEC’s ability to organize collaborative activities across state agencies, advocacy organizations, and CRPs has played an important role in increasing integrated employment outcomes.

Engaging Our Workforce: How Job Demands And Resources Contribute To Social Worker Burnout, Engagement And Intent To Leave, Sara Laura Schwartz

Dissertations and Theses

Social worker stress and burnout are pervasive problems that harm workers, organizations, and clients. Past research has identified burnout, a psychological response to work stress, as an important predictor of intent to leave and ultimate turnover. An emerging body of research has examined work engagement, considered to be the opposite of burnout, as a predictor of retention. The problem of burnout and turnover within organizations employing social workers has been addressed in the literature for many years. This dissertation responded to a call in the literature for a greater emphasis on burnout prevention and enhancement of workforce engagement and retention. …

Lsu Mental Health Service Program Evaluation, Elizabeth S. Johnston

LSU Master's Theses

This study includes a program evaluation of LSU Mental Health Services and its impact on the college students receiving services. The study used both an outcome survey (Schwartz Outcome Survey-10) to determine any changes in current life functioning and a satisfaction survey (Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8) to assess the client’s perceived contentment with services provided. The expectations were that students would demonstrate an improvement in their current functioning after receiving treatment and that their outcome scores would correspond positively to reported client satisfaction scores. Results reveal that the student participants reported significant improvement in their overall functioning. In addition, the participants …

Merging Task-Centered Social Work And Motivational Interviewing In Outpatient Medication Assisted Substance Abuse Treatment: Model Development For Social Work Practice, Andreas Fassler

Theses and Dissertations

To advance social work practice and decrease the research practice gap, this dissertation followed a model development paradigm consisting of several phases. Based on the task-centered model of social work practice and motivational interviewing, a new combined model was construed. The two underlying models were analyzed and synthesized, using technical eclecticism as the integrative approach. The resulting combined model was described by guidelines and manualized. To test the combined model in an applied setting, a study was designed in collaboration with social workers at a substance abuse counseling center. There, the combined model intervention was implemented in an outpatient medication …

Understanding The Personal And Clinical Utility Of Psychiatric Advance Directives: A Qualitative Perspective, Mimi M. Kim, Richard A. Van Dorn, Anna M. Scheyett, Eric E. Elbogen, Jeffrey W. Swanson, Marvin S. Swartz, Laura A. Mcdaniel

Faculty and Staff Publications

Psychiatric advance directives (PADs) are legal tools that allow competent individuals to declare preferences for future mental health treatment when they may not be capable of doing so as a result of a psychiatric crisis. PADs allow individuals to maintain self–determination during times when they are most vulnerable to loss of autonomy and in need of assistance to make their preferences known and honored. This article describes the content of twenty–eight open–ended, semi–structured qualitative interviews of adults with PADs who have experienced psychiatric crises. The qualitative analysis revealed three major themes from the interviews: (1) PADs as tools for empowerment …

An Examination Of The Presence Of Social Work Intervention With Home Health Care Recipients Of Related Home Health Care Outcomes, Corie Gail Hebert

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The study was prompted by the need for a social work response to the dramatic changes that have occurred in the home health care arena as a result of managed care policies. Social work has been part of home health care since its inception, but the current cost constrained market threatens the viability of social work in providing servies to elderly, ill, homebound individuals. Medicare home health care benefits have traditionally enabled many elderly individuals to live independently in thier communities. However, passage of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, which mandated the use of a Prospective Payment System for …