Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Guide Lines Vol. I, Issue 16 - June 2018, College Of Health And Human Services

GUIDE Lines

Periodic Newsletter of the Governors State University - University of Illinois, Chicago - Disparities Education Cancer research training and education project (The GUIDE Project).

Virtual Mentorship Network To Address The Rural Shortage Of Mental Health Providers, Heidi Keeler, Tara Sjuts, Kosuke Niitsu, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, Paul Force-Emery Mackie, Howard Liu

Social Work Department Publications

Introduction: The process of identifying effective responses to the challenges of placing and retaining a rural behavioral health workforce remains elusive. The Virtual Mentorship Network was developed to test the feasibility of using distance technology to connect rural students interested in mental health careers with mentors.

Methods: In Year 1, college and high school students were virtually mentored using a near-peer approach both live and asynchronously as a cohort over 7 months. In Year 2, college students only were virtually intensely mentored live over 1 month. High school students were asynchronously provided with informational videos produced by mentors. Program benefits …

Exploratory Study Of The Use Of Community Treatment Orders With Clients Of An Ontario Act Team, Magnus Mfoafo-M'Carthy, Cara Grosset, Carol A. Stalker, Irene Dullaart, Linda Mccoll Dr.

Lyle S. Hallman Social Work Faculty Publications

Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) have raised questions about coercion, lack of autonomy, and effectiveness in reducing hospitalizations and improving service users’ quality of life. This study examined the experiences of clients and clinicians when CTOs are used in combination with Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in a recovery oriented approach. Eleven clients who were or had previously been on a CTO and eight ACT clinicians were interviewed. Although most clients had negative feelings about CTOs, some acknowledged their lives had improved. Clinicians reported that the decision to employ a CTO is sometimes debated within the team but they agreed that combining …

Building An Evidence-Based, Holistic Approach For Moving Integrated Employment Forward, John Butterworth, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Jason Billehus, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

No abstract provided.

Using A Light Touch: Engaging Families Using Facebook Messenger, John Kramer, John Shepard, Jennifer Bose, Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Research shows that families are essential in the employment process for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Frequently, however, messages they receive about employment are conflicting and can vary between service systems, often due to a lack of coordination across these systems. These conflicting messages can frustrate families and negatively affect their employment expectations and their efforts to support employment outcomes. The present study examines how a well-planned and individualized engagement strategy could improve families’ expectations about employment for their family member with IDD, and how those improved expectations impact the employment planning process. This pilot focused on engaging …

Using Data To Ignite And Sustain Employment Systems Change, Jean Winsor, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

No abstract provided.

Filipino Service Care Providers' Experience Of Compassion Fatigue While Working In Residential Care Facilities, Leizel Cerezo-Pann

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore Filipino service care providers’ experience of compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is a common experience among health care professionals and can contribute to feelings of hopelessness and adverse behaviors in caring for patients. In California, there are a large number of Filipinos who are employed as care providers for older adults; however, there is limited research available regarding Filipino workers in the United States. This study took on a qualitative design that utilized face-to-face interviews to gain more insight into Filipino service care providers’ experience of compassion fatigue in relation to their employment. …

Cold Genocide: Falun Gong In China, Maria Cheung, Torsten Trey, David Matas, Richard An

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

The article explores patterns of a cold genocide in the eradication campaign against Falun Gong. Falun Gong is a spiritual practice that has been targeted for eradication by the Chinese regime since 1999. In comparison to the documented cases of genocide, the genocide of Falun Gong stands out as anomalous because it is virtually ignored. The article seeks to elucidate the multi-faceted nature of this concealed genocide from an interdisciplinary perspective encompassing social work, medicine and law, In particular, the article demonstrates that the eradication campaign against Falun Gong is distinguishable as a cold genocide as it is: (1) multi-dimensional …

The Effectiveness Of Domestic Violence Trainings On Helping Professionals, Paula Virginia Preciado Romero

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research project examined the effect of domestic violence trainings on helping professionals. This research project sought out to measure differences in pre-test and post-test scores from study participants to assess the participants’ beliefs and knowledge regarding the dynamics of domestic violence.

The research project gathered quantitative data from a convenience sample of 28 helping professionals who participated in a domestic violence training. A series of paired samples t-test were conducted to assess differences in the pre-test and post-test scores to determine if our hypothesis was confirmed. Key findings from this study revealed that the domestic violence training was quite …

Social Work Services: How Can Social Workers Improve The Healthcare Experience For People Who Are Homeless?, Mckinsey Kemp

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research project focuses on how social workers can improve the healthcare experience for people who are homeless. The twelve participants in this study were recruited from a homeless shelter located in Southern California. Data was collected for this study using qualitative methods by means of interviews. Interviews were conducted in person, audio recorded, and then transcribed for data analysis. Findings from this study indicated that the concepts of time, perception of needs being met, service connection, staff interaction, social work intervention, and potential social work intervention were all connected to whether participants viewed their healthcare visit as a negative …

Perceptions Of Service Related Trauma In Female Service Members, Reservists, And Veterans, Sara Cathryn Klepps

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to explore female service members, reservists, and veterans feelings regarding service related trauma and what they want clinicians to know regarding treatment. This was a qualitative study that used a snowball sample to interview seven women; data collected was transcribed from recordings, analyzed, and categorized into themes. Qualitative themes included vulnerability, connection to clinician, and mental health stigma. Potential changes endorsed included understanding gender roles, clinician’s ability to build better therapeutic relationships, and decreasing mental health stigma. Limitations included not being able to generalize the study as service members, reservists, and veterans were …

Mental Health Treatment For The Elderly Community In A Central California Region, John Lewis Klevins Mr.

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

There is a national, state and local concern that focuses upon the rapid growth of our elder population as well as those within the cohort that suffer with mental illness. However, other than the numerous Alzheimer’s related headlines, there is little national or state consideration being given to non-dementia-related elder mental illnesses. The lack of existing mental health service programs to assist the elderly community merits attention. The Constructionist paradigm was the basis for this study, due to its reliance upon recognized leaders in the field engaging in an interactive group process. These leaders included politicians, governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, …

Impact Of Compassion Fatigue And Emotional Intelligence On The Quality Of Care In Skilled Nursing Facilities, John Simon Pangilinan

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Staff in skilled nursing facilities (SNF) can experience physical and emotional strain via caregiving. The purpose of this study was to educate staff on the harm of compassion fatigue and a lack of emotional intelligence and provide steps that can be taken by administration to improve the quality of care provided. It was hypothesized for staff that having low compassion fatigue and high emotional intelligence would result in a higher quality of care. The study design utilized a quantitative approach and a purposive sample from a SNF. Participants were provided with The Professional Quality of Life 5 Scale (ProQoL 5), …

School-Based Mental Health Care Program Evaluation, Adriana Torres

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aimed to determine if the Department of Behavioral and Mental Health at a local school district is improving the academic outcomes of the students it provides services to. The purpose was to evaluate its effectiveness in order to improve and expand services. This is important since schools have become a primary setting to address the mental health needs of children and youth. The research design consisted of a quantitative, one-group pretest-posttest as students’ outcomes were assessed before and after treatment. The data was analyzed using a paired samples t-test. The findings from this study demonstrated no statistical significance …

The Place Of Spirituality In Social Work: Practitioners’ Personal Views And Beliefs, Alexis Garcia-Irons

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The integration of spirituality in Social Work is on the rise, but due to the lack of literature on spiritually-involved interventions and applicable integration of spirituality into ones practice, literature suggests social workers do not feel competent or confident in this area of practice. This study explores the attitudes and beliefs of social workers in San Bernardino County towards spirituality in their own practice and social work overall. The data is collected through audio recording individual interviews with each participant, which are then transcribed into transcripts. The transcripts are coded for themes and commonalities among the participants. Results lay …

The Impact Of Mental Health Issues On Academic Achievement In High School Students, Patricia Lea Sutherland

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

An adolescent’s time in school is not merely academic; they are developing socially, physically, and emotionally. Prior research has demonstrated a correlation between a student’s poor academic performance and his/her need for emotional and mental health support. This research project sought to answer the following research questions: 1) Do mental health services in a high school setting help facilitate students’ academic achievement? and 2) Does a focus on mental health issues improve overall health and well-being in high school students? Participants for this study are 10 staff members (including teachers, administrators, counselors, and others) of a high school in San …

An Examination Of The Impact Traumatic Events Has On Psychosocial Impairment In Eating Disorder Patients, Jennifer Parker Hackett

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Research suggests that trauma has an impact on eating disorders. While prior research has demonstrated that the trauma from abuse has a significant impact on eating disorders, research has failed to explore other types of trauma. In addition, previous studies have stopped short of examining the impact trauma has on functioning among individuals with an eating disorder. This study aimed to address that gap in the literature. The purpose of this study is to examine whether traumatic life events impact psychosocial functioning among individuals living with an eating disorder. Furthermore, this study aimed to identify which traumas are shown to …

Effects Of Immigration On Interpersonal Relationships With Others Amongst Native And Mexican-Born Mexican Americans, Juan Zaragoza

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study presents the findings of how and to what extent immigration effects Native and Mexican-born Mexican American’s relationships with others. This study was quantitative and measured participant’s levels and qualities of interactions with others. The participants in this study were students from California State University, San Bernardino’s School of Social Work. The student population that was targeted was Native and Mexican-born Mexican Americans. The participants were contacted via email and provided with a questionnaire that measured the quality and quantity of interpersonal relationships they held with others. The original sample size consisted of 53 participants but reduced to a …

Spanish-Speaking Client-Worker Experiences At A California Child Welfare Agency, Koressa Castillo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

With the growing presence of Latino families across the United States, service providers must remain cognizant of this group’s unique sociocultural characteristics. Culturally competent service provision requires child welfare professionals to remain aware of the stressors often faced by this population. Immigration and acculturation issues, language and cultural barriers, poverty, discrimination, fear of deportation, and lack of access to a variety of services are a few of the stressors that are commonly experienced by this group. Linguistically competent practice requires service provision to be in a families’ native language; however, there are many other factors to consider even when doing …

Among Master Of Social Work Students, What Has A Higher Impact On Levels Of Stress: Spirituality, Physical Activity, Or Self-Compassion, Tania Garcia Avalos, Jose Murillo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The main objective of this study was to determine which coping mechanisms have a higher impact on levels of stress in MSW graduate students. The distinctive aspect of this study was that the three primary points that were examined in MSW graduate students were spirituality, physical activity, and self-compassion. This study gathered quantitative data from students that were enrolled in the Master of Social Work program. There were a total of 102 participants in this study. A variety of bivariate analyses were conducted to assess the collected data. Significant outcomes from this study revealed that self-compassion was the best mitigator …

Barriers To Recruiting Native American Foster Homes In Urban Areas, Shirley Mae Begay, Jennifer Lynn Wilczynski

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the current practice of and barriers specific to recruiting Native American foster homes in urban areas. The literature review suggested that historical, cultural, and bureaucratic barriers to recruitment existed. The study used a qualitative, exploratory design. The data was obtained from in-depth interviews with 10 individuals whose job it is or has been to recruit Native American foster homes. The participants were employed with either a foster family agency, county child welfare agency, or a supporting organization servicing Los Angeles County and/or the San Francisco Bay Area. The …

Mexican Women's Perception Of Mental Health Service Use, Claudia Perez, Samara Yael Cardona

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to explore Mexican women’s perceptions about utilizing mental health services and to explore the barriers encountered during the process. Previous research suggested Mexican women’s diverse experiences when seeking and utilizing mental health services. The study used a qualitative approach with open-ended and closed-ended questions. The sample size of this study was fifteen individuals who self-identified as Mexican women who reside in Southern California recruited using a snowball approach. Major themes identified included Mexican family values and beliefs, cultural barriers, structural barriers, Mexican women’s strengths, and community suggestions for social work practice. This study …

Gender Differences In Caregiver Burden Among Alzheimer's Patients, Janet Shin Yi Torres

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore the gender differences in caregiver burden in Alzheimer’s patients in the Inland Empire. Currently, there are more than half a million Californians who live with Alzheimer’s disease (Ross, Brennan, Nazareno, & Fox, 2009) and this number is expected to double over the next few years. Due to an increase in the older population and the rise of informal caregivers, the study provided insight as to how males and females perceive caregiver burden and how each gender responds to caregiver burden. This exploratory study utilized a quantitative research design through the use of …

Social Work Students' Views And Attitudes Towards Working With Previously Incarcerated Individuals, Tiffany Comptois, Brianda Villa

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Due to the lack of literature on social worker involvement with the rehabilitation of previously incarcerated individuals, this study was designed to explore social work student’s views and attitudes towards working with this population in the future. This study used a web-based quantitative survey design containing one open-ended question to survey 77 CSUSB social work students. Findings reveal that most social work students recognize previously incarcerated individuals as a vulnerable and marginalized population that is deserving of services and expect to work with this population in the future. Additionally, this study identified that having children may impact social work student’s …

Permanency Planning For Youth In Foster Care, Elisa Arteaga

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Despite the efforts to shorten the time youth spend in foster care, every year about 37, 362 youths emancipate from the foster care system without reaching permanency. Permanency for foster youth has not received adequate attention from the child welfare community due to the belief that youths are unadoptable. Using a qualitative approach, this study will explore the social workers’ perceptions related to permanency planning for youth with behavior problems and/or juvenile involvement in foster care and analyze the influence of the social workers’ perception on permanency planning for these youths.

This research study found that social workers considered the …

Challenges For Male Therapists Working With Commercially And Sexually Exploited Female Adolescents, John Caballero

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The commercial and sexual exploitation of children has become a global multi-billion dollar industry over the past several decades. Throughout history, therapists from various backgrounds have not only advocated against child trafficking but also provided therapeutic services to victims of such an inhuman crime—most of whom are female adolescents. Compared to their female counterparts, male therapists have been assigned CSEC cases involving female clients in excessively lower ratios. Researchers, however, have not fully captured what has prevented the female CSEC population from drawing interests from male counselors. This study explored potential reluctance in male therapists with regard to working with …

Perceptions About Disproportionality And Disparity Among Black Families Within The Child Welfare System, Kania Alexince Long

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The over-representation of Black children within the child welfare system has been an ongoing topic of discussion for decades across the country. The common theme, across the United States, is that Black children are entering the child welfare systems at disproportionate rates compared to their counterparts and they tend to experience disparities in outcomes including higher recidivism rates and lower reunification rates. Although many studies examine the factors that contribute to this alarming trend, the problem still exists within child welfare systems across the country. This quantitative study’s purpose was to examine the perceptions of MSW Title IV-E students related …

Coping With Interrole Conflict: A Mixed-Method Study Of Students In A Master Of Social Work Program, Mireya Torres

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to assess how social work students cope with interrole conflict. This study attempted to capture the depth and breadth of this issue by adopting a mixed-method research design. The quantitative aspect to the study involved the assessment of coping mechanisms among participants with different levels of interrole conflict. For the qualitative portion of the study, the participants were asked to identify their ways of dealing with interrole conflict. All participants in this research were graduate students from a master’s of social work program in a large, Hispanic-serving institution in Southern California. A non-parametric …

Compassion Fatigue, Burnout And Self-Care Strategies Amongst Los Angeles County Child Welfare Workers, Chigolum Anene

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child welfare social workers have extremely demanding jobs, which may often lead to burnout and compassion fatigue. The purpose of this research study was to explore self-care methods implemented by child welfare social workers, the methods that work best for them and the ways in which these practices assist in preventing and reducing the risks of compassion fatigue and burnout. This research study also explored the ways in which child welfare social workers have been able to cope and prevent compassion fatigue and burnout. This research study utilized a qualitative, exploratory research approach. Face-to-face interviews with fifteen participants were taken …

Cultural Competence Training From A Master Of Social Work Student’S Perspective, Wesley Williams

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The Masters in Social Work (MSW) program at California State University of San Bernardino utilizes a substantial portion of lecture hours bringing attention to areas in which racial disparities exist, as well as the negative impact that these racial disparities have on certain cultures and communities. This project focuses on the disparities involving African-American families in the public child welfare system and how cultural competence trainings may impact this overrepresentation. This research project consists of the exploration of past research relevant to this project, which pertains to cultural competence, the overrepresentation of African-American, and trainings on cultural competence. In addition, …