Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Screening And Treatment Protocols Used In Nicus Across Minnesota For Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders (Pmads), Rachael Witt

Journal of Justice-Informed Social Work Practice and Research

Parents of infants with prolonged neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalizations are a population that is overlooked in recommended routine screening for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), yet this population is at greater risk for developing diagnosable mental health disorders. Previous research shows that across the US, PMAD screening and treatment practices vary widely, with many NICUs not providing any routine PMAD screening, psychoeducation, or treatment options to parents. The objective of this study was to explore the current mental health screening and treatment protocols used in NICUs across the state of Minnesota to learn if there are areas …

Utilizing Personal Stories Of Race In Child Welfare Education, Laura D. Boltz, Veronica Knowles, Amari Cooper

Journal of Justice-Informed Social Work Practice and Research

Families of color are overrepresented in the child welfare system. This is an issue that needs to be addressed in multiple ways, including social work education. However, policy changes may make it more difficult to address race in the classroom in a way that doesn’t attract attention. One of the ways that educators can address this is by using personal stories from their own practice experience to educate their students. In this study we discuss the literature around using personal stories and include our own personal stories that we have used in the classroom to have difficult discussions surrounding race …

Evaluating The Authentic Family Engagement And Strengthening Approach, Morgan E. Cooley, Vaughn J. Crichlow, Gabriel T. Cesar, Marianna L. Colvin, Corey B. Best, Kristin Smyth, Robin Jimenez-Bean

Journal of Justice-Informed Social Work Practice and Research

Persistent racial disproportionality of Black and brown families in the child welfare system across decades and generations highlights the need for a comprehensive understanding of the consequences of child removal and the urgency of authentic family engagement initiatives. The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether a group of child protective investigators who received (1) specialized training and (2) monthly family engagement and antiracism coaching during supervision sessions demonstrated fewer monthly removals of children from families compared to a group of investigators in the same service area who did not receive specialized training or coaching. The secondary purpose …

Macro Social Work Education And Practice Over 1980–2024 Through Multiple Lenses: A Systematic Review Of The Empirical Literature, Bowen Mcbeath, Nguyen Thi Bich Thao

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Over the past 40 years, conceptual and empirical scholarship on macro social work has grown, particularly as the social work profession has turned to macro practice to respond to crises of neoliberalism and increasing social development needs. Using a systematic literature review with a sequential mixed-methods (quant→Qual) study design, we synthesize over four decades of empirical research (1980–2024) on master’s-level macro social work education, practice, and professional identity development. Our findings testify to the growth and diversity of macro practice from the perspective of social work educators, students, and alumni. Yet we find that this trend is accompanied by significant …

Rural Women Rising To Leadership Positions: The Influence Of Their Christian Faith And Shepherding Style, Jose Carbajal, Bonita Sharma, Cherhonda Brown, Teresa Tarver, Emily Powell

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Purpose. Men maintain the ability to exercise authority and gain a competitive edge in leadership positions, while women persistently endure adversity within the patriarchal system, deeply rooted in their religious beliefs and path of faith. This study explores how women’s faith influences their pursuit of leadership positions and whether their upbringing, especially from a patriarchal perspective, deters them from having leadership aspirations. Methods. We used a qualitative method to understand the lived experiences of women in leadership positions and how faith influenced their leadership ascension. We conducted semi-structured interviews with thirty-four (N = 34) female leaders in top …

Perceptions Of The Divine In Secular Spaces: A Study Of U.S. Public-School Teachers, Dennis Eastman, Nicholas Block

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Teaching is often understood by Christian educators as a vocation shaped by divine purpose, yet little empirical research has examined how teachers perceive God’s active involvement in their daily professional practice. This qualitative study investigates how Christian teachers interpret perceived divine activity in their work, focusing on specific experiences of guidance, influence, and sustenance rather than general religious identity. Thematic analysis of open-ended survey responses from practicing teachers (N = 267) identified seven themes, including perceived impact on students’ lives, divine guidance in instructional and relational decisions, and endurance amid professional strain. Participants commonly described God’s activity as …

Licensed Social Workers’ Perceived Structural And Systemic Treatment Barriers For Clients With Severe Mental Illness, Myron Curtis White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There was a gap in the existing strategies in social work practice regarding the structural and systemic barriers to health care treatment for clients with serious/severe mental illness (SMI). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documented that addressing mental health destabilization in the United States is important and requires an understanding of the mental illness to be addressed, including its causal factors, the relationships between the mentally ill and their community/environment, and the methodology for effecting care. This general qualitative study explored what licensed social workers perceived as structural and systemic barriers to health care treatment access for their …

No One’S Child: Regulatory Gaps And The Wellbeing Of High School International Students (Hsis) In Homestays In Ontario, Canada, Patricia Quan

Critical Internationalization Studies Review

No abstract provided.

Older Adults' Caregiving Expectations For The Future, Smita Ekka Dewan, Derek Tice-Brown, Janna C. Heyman, Henry J. Davis, Colette Phipps, Joanne Mcmahon, Laura Sutter, Ye Feng, Jacqueline Heyde

Publications and Research

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore older adults' perception of caregiver stress and their anticipation of becoming a caregiver (N = 723). Bivariate analyses revealed that perceived caregiving stress was higher among older adults who were females, White/Non-Hispanics, with chronic health conditions, who had experienced prior physical and financial caregiving burdens and was lower among those with just a high school degree. Multivariate analyses revealed that perceived caregiving stress levels remained higher only for those with past experience with physical caregiving, those with chronic health conditions, older females and White/Non-Hispanic older adults. The overall model was …

Organizational Demands, Worker Adaptation, And The Relational Ripple Effect In Child Welfare Case Planning, Mackenzie Alexia Leach

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Purpose In Practice: A Master Of Social Work Professional Portfolio, Lexi M. Laird

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Classroom

DePaul Magazine

DePaul's Irwin W. Steans Center, celebrating its 25th anniversary, has evolved into a national higher-education leader in community-engaged service learning, connecting faculty, students and community organizations to foster mutually beneficial initiatives and outcomes.

The Most Age-Diverse Society In Our Country's History, Cal J. Halvorsen, Logan Fox, Tim B. Zielonko

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

The public narrative is that the United States population is getting older. This is, indeed, true. We have more people over age 50 than we have ever had in our country—both in total numbers and in the share of the population. The numbers of older people will continue to grow, all the way up until the projections stop at the year 2100. Many have asked, “What will we do with all of these older people?”

Msw Portfolio: Through Courage And Heart, Meghan N. Conklin

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio discusses my journey through the MSW program highlighting anti-oppressive frameworks, ethics, trauma informed care, and indigenous practice. This portfolio displays how I met the core competencies of advanced integrative practice with a focus on practice with youth in and out of institutional setting.

Administrative Leadership, Job Resources, And Teacher Burnout In U.S. Middle Schools: A Jd-R Study, Santerous Glenn Colbert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Exploring Primary Care Providers’ Compassionate Care And Their Evidence-Based Practice With Death, Grief, And Loss: Patient Experience And Perspective, Kathryn Krzykala

Dissertations

Research on primary care providers’ (PCPs) education regarding Death, Grief, and Loss (DGL) remains limited. Specifically, data is lacking regarding patients' perceptions and opinions on what they need and expect from their PCPs regarding grief and loss. This exploratory mixed-method study comprised 146 participants who had experienced death and non-death loss. It examined participants' perceptions of 1) PCP compassion, 2) PCP utilization of evidence-based grief and loss practices, 3) their own level of comfort discussing DGL with their PCPs during medical visits, and 4) their personal grief and loss experiences. The findings revealed that PCPs' grief-informed evidence-based treatment, as reflected …

Addressing Bias Against Sopo Vee Opp Polyamory, Nafees Alam

Social Work Faculty Publications

Polyamory is a consensual relationship style involving multiple romantic and/or sexual partners, with SOPO (solo polyamory), VEE, and OPP (one penis policy) being specific polyamorous dynamics that often face heightened bias. The reality show "Sister Wives" offers a compelling case study of both stigmatization and potential normalization of non-monogamous relationships in mainstream media. This manuscript examines how "Sister Wives" both reinforces and challenges stereotypes about polyamory, its impact on public perception, and how the experiences of the Brown family parallel those of SOPO VEE OPP practitioners. By analyzing media representation alongside lived experiences, we can better understand how to promote …

Medical Social Workers’ Knowledge Of Alzheimer’S Disease Screening And Treatment In Primary Care Settings, Amy Davis Cook

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Investigating Burnout Among Hospital Social Workers: A Qualitative Exploration, Crystal Marie Herring

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Exploring Grit As A Contributing Factor In Social Work Retention Following Burnout, Denise Rice-Prior

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Professionals’ Perspectives On Behavioural Approaches In Autistic Adult Mental Health Care: Comparing Neurodivergent And Non-Neurodivergent Practitioners, Margaret Janse Van Rensburg, Abigail K. Reza Jameson, Emmanuella Asabea Twum, Robert Hock

Faculty and Staff Publications

Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) are widely used approaches when working with Autistic people. While ABA originates in the behaviourist tradition, CBT and DBT are cognitive-behavioural psychotherapies that incorporate both cognitive and behavioural elements. These therapies remain contested within neurodiversity-affirming frameworks. This study explored how professionals understand, use, and avoid behavioural approaches in their work with Autistic adults, and whether perspectives differ between neurodivergent and non-neurodivergent practitioners. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 professionals providing mental health support to Autistic adults. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, with an exploratory comparison …

Navigating Mental Health After Purity Culture: Women’S Voices From The Southern United States, Abby Frazee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Data For Social Impact - Data Party Planning Worksheet, Jenrose Fitzgerald, Dan Ferris, Ally Terhaar

Center for Social Development Research

Data party, data walk, gallery walk, and data placemat—All of these tools are variations on a common theme: the importance of working collaboratively with data. This worksheet discusses ways to design, organize, and lead data parties. It also presents resources to facilitate data collaboration.

Data Walks That Drive Results: Using Data To Build Impact, Jenrose Fittzgerald, Sara Mohamed, Kameke Payne

Center for Social Development Research

Urban Strategies, Inc. (USI), works to ensure that every family served is stable, thriving, and progressing across six impact areas: Family and Housing Stability, Education and Careers, Economic Contribution, Health and Wellness, Civic and Community Engagement, and Community Partnerships. Because USI employs over 200 staff members spread across more than 60 community sites, coordinating data to understand impact is both critical to advancing the organization’s work and a challenge. To address this, USI has developed a performance-measurement approach that brings everyone at the organization into the work and builds a sense of ownership at every level: quarterly data walks. This …

When Getting Ahead Means Falling Behind: Work And Savings Disincentives In Public Benefits, Stephen Roll, Mathieu Despard

Center for Social Development Research

Public benefits help millions of workers meet basic needs such as food, health care, housing, and childcare. But for many low-wage workers, these programs can also create a difficult trade-off: Earning more or saving more can sometimes mean losing the benefits they need to keep their family afloat. This brief summarizes key findings from a survey conducted for the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility (WEIM) project with a nationally representative sample of low-wage U.S. workers. The findings suggest elements of a public benefits system that could protect families from economic risk while supporting work, savings, and long-term mobility.

Innovations In Financial Services For Low-Wage Workers, Mathieu Despard, Stephen Roll

Center for Social Development Research

The financial services landscape in the United States has shifted dramatically in recent years, with technology driving profound changes. New products and services are emerging in a competitive digital marketplace to meet the basic banking, savings, and short-term credit needs of workers. This brief presents findings from the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility (WEIM) project on the employment and financial circumstances of low-wage workers in the United States and on their use of financial services.

A Qualitative Study Of Gratitude Practice Among Won Buddhist Older Adults And Implications For Gerontological Social Work, Sungsim Lee

Dissertations

Although gratitude has been widely studied in social science, existing scholarship has largely relied on Western worldviews and quantitative research frameworks, limiting understanding of lived gratitude experiences within diverse spiritual and cultural contexts, including Eastern spiritual traditions. In Won Buddhism, originating in South Korea, gratitude holds a central place in spiritual life and is understood as an essential practice. This qualitative study explores the views of Won Buddhist older adult practitioners regarding their experiences, benefits, and challenges of engaging in spiritually grounded gratitude practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 practitioners aged 65 and older from English-speaking Won Buddhist communities. …

When The Safety Net Becomes A Barrier: Administrative Burdens In Snap And Medicaid, Stephen Roll, Mathieu Despard

Center for Social Development Research

The goal of the U.S. social safety net is to ensure that everyone can meet a basic standard of living, regardless of their economic, health, or life circumstances. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, two key parts of this safety net, support low-income families in affording food and health care. This brief summarizes findings on seven dimensions of administrative burden in SNAP and Medicaid. The findings come from analyses conducted with data from the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility Project’s survey of a nationally representative sample of low-wage U.S. workers. They suggest that administrative burdens are common, affect …

Essential Employer Benefits For Low-Wage Workers, Mathieu Despard, Stephen Roll

Center for Social Development Research

Employer benefits are important for supporting employees’ financial well-being, but are they accessible to low-wage workers? This brief presents findings from a survey conducted for the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility (WEIM) project with low-wage workers in the United States. The findings reveal information on respondents’ access to employer benefits, including health insurance, paid sick leave, a retirement plan, and financial-wellness benefits.

Caregiver Depression And Psychological Distress As Predictors Of Substantiated Maltreatment In Nscaw Ii (Wave 2 Cps Sample): A Quantitative Archival Study, Gloria Forotan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative archival analysis examined whether caregiver mental health is associated with child maltreatment outcomes through CPS involvement, using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II (NSCAW II), Wave 2. Child maltreatment remains a persistent public health concern with long-term effects on children's emotional, psychological, and physical development. Although caregiver mental health is consistently identified as a significant risk factor for maltreatment, few studies have utilized nationally representative child welfare data with standardized measures to test these associations.

Caregiver mental health variables were operationalized using NSCAW II indicators of major depression and depressive symptoms (DP2), psychological distress (K6 …