Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Cultural Competence In School Social Work: A Personal And Professional Learning Curve, Michelle Gloria Baltus

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

As the nation grows more diverse and the numbers of American youth with mental illness climb, the importance of culturally responsive school social work practice is critical. Research suggests cultural competence is a fluid concept but one that improves service and client outcomes. Studies link cultural competence to licensure levels and practice experience, as well as primary social work competencies. Studies also indicate practitioners consider professional development and a supportive school environment to aid in cultural competency efforts, while societal influences and personal lack of knowledge and self-awareness can impede the process. This study obtained primary data from a purposive …

The Effects Of A Therapy Animal On College Student Stress And Arousal, Michelle Bjick

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Colleges are facing increasing levels of distressed students and need a wide variety of tools to assist them. One such modality is animal-assisted interaction; an integrative practice with minimal side effects. This study attempted to demonstrate that spending time with animals will decrease a college student’s stress level. It was based on a 2004 study by Charnetski, Brennan and Riggers which studied the effect of a dog on college students’ immune systems. This study consisted of four groups: the control group, a group that experienced explicit observation of a therapy rabbit, a group that experienced implicit observation of the therapy …

Critique Of The Group Home Model In Addressing Homelessness For People With A Mental Illness, Brenda K. Blaisdell

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore the strengths and limitations of the group home model in addressing homelessness for people diagnosed with a mental illness. This study attempted to collect qualitative data from group home owners who serve people who have a mental illness and have been or are at risk of homelessness. Researcher was unable to recruit a sample for this study due to barriers in recruiting a sample. The barriers to recruiting a sample include: low sample; inaccessibility of group home owners; lack of investment by group home owners in the research process and a lack …

Gender Role Conflict And Attitudes Toward Seeking Help, Jennifer Boisjolie

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This study examined how male gender role conflict related to attitudes toward seeking professional help in a sample of 68 men ages 24-75. The data was gathered using a selfadministered survey. A quantitative, correlational research design was used to test the hypotheses that relationship exists between the stated variables. The results of this study showed no relationship between gender role conflict and attitudes toward seeking help. The population of this research study was mostly highly educated, Caucasian men. There was no statistical significance related to gender role conflict and attitudes towards seeking help. And so gender role conflict may not …

A Systems View Of Early Interventions For Vicarious Trauma: Managing Secondary Trauma Stress, Kelly A. Berscheit

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This is a heuristic study of the current prevention and intervention efforts of clinical social workers working with traumatized clients. The purpose of the research was to identify the best mechanisms of prevention and interventions for secondary trauma stress (STS) and vicarious trauma (VT) to develop a systems protocol to shield therapists from the impact of working with traumatized clients. The data was collected through interviews with eight practicing licensed clinical social workers. Findings in this study suggest STS is normal and to be expected if working with traumatized clients and that VT may be prevented. The results of this …

From Her Perspective: Reflections Of Teenage Pregnancy And Parenthood, Stephanie J. Bowman

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Teenage mothers face many challenges throughout their lives, challenges that prove to be both positive and negative. This study examines the lived experiences of seven women who were teen mothers. They have shared their stories here and reveal their experiences. Data was obtained through semi-structured qualitative interviews with seven women who became pregnant at age 20 or younger and who have been parenting for at least five years. Themes emerged from the interviews such as: family structure, education, personal goals and values, circumstances surrounding the pregnancy, support, the relationship and role of the father, the experience of becoming a young …

Stigmatized Loss And Suicide, Ann Brosnan

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Over the past ten years, suicide has increased at an alarming rate. A loss such as this leaves behind family members and friends who often have many unresolved questions and feelings. Suicide is often not discussed as openly as other types of loss and this can affect and limit the grieving process. A review of the literature indicates a higher incidence of complicated bereavement when compared to naturally occurring losses and difficulty in meaning making of the loss. This also includes a higher incidence of physical and mental health concerns. By studying what barriers, including stigma, affect the grieving process, …

Effectiveness Of Animal-Assisted Therapy: Therapists’ Perspectives, Nichole M. Budahn

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Animal-assisted therapy has frequently been used with children who have autism spectrum disorder. This study examined animal-assisted therapists’ perceptions of effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy with children who have DSM-IV mental health diagnoses. The researcher recruited self-identified animal-assisted therapists using social media sites LinkedIn and Facebook. Two therapists completed the fourteen question qualitative survey in full. Three themes were found in this study; comfort, confidence, and benefits. While this study produced definite themes, more research needs to be conducted on animal-assisted therapy and children with DSM-IV mental health disorders. Very few studies have been conducted on the impacts of animal-assisted therapy …

Emdr: Promising Treatment For Co-Occurring Eating Disorders And Childhood Sexual Abuse, Victoria L. Cameron

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) with clients who have an eating disorder co-occurring with a history of childhood sexual abuse. Qualitative interviews were conducted with nine mental health clinicians who work primarily in the outpatient setting using EMDR with their clients. These audio-recorded interviews took place over a period of three weeks and the data were analyzed using grounded theory methodology. The most common themes that emerged were client-therapist relationship, stabilization of eating disorder, chronology of treatment, grounding, and dissociation. Given the high co-occurrence of childhood sexual …

Communication And End-Of-Life Decision Making About Death With Children Who Have Terminal Cancer: The Social Worker’S Perspective, Jessica Convy

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine how parents address communication and decision making about death with their terminally ill child from social workers who work with these families. Methods: To add to the existing limited research studies on communication about death and end-of-life care decision making, the researcher conducted a qualitative study consisting of six interviews with social workers in a large, Midwestern pediatric hospital. The data was analyzed using thematic clustering. Results: The qualitative study focuses on two themes: discussing death with a terminally ill child and decision making. The researcher found that, …

Analyzing Alternative Learning Centers: Challenges And Opportunities For Maintaining Student Retention, Princess Cramer-Drazkowski

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine what strategies alternative learning centers utilize for student retention. A case study was used to learn about the ways one public school located in the Upper Midwest provided resources and developed relationships with students in an alternative learning center setting. Students attending alternative learning centers are typically high-risk high-need students who do not have many social supports in their educational settings. The participant in this study is a high-level administrator who has over 30 years of experience in the public school system, including participation in the creation of the modern alternative learning …

Clinical Social Workers’ Use Of Self And The Impact Of Personal Therapy On Practitioner Development, Jessie C.W. Daley

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Social workers are as vulnerable as any human being to life’s challenges and must sometimes seek professional therapy services to process. This study quantitatively investigates Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers’ (LICSWs) experiences with personal therapy on a personal and professional level. Qualitatively examined in this study are the following research questions: “How do LICSWs define “use of self” in clinical practice?” and “How do LICSWs’ experiences in personal therapy relate to their “use of self” in clinical practice?” Data was gathered from 57 participants through an anonymous online survey. Quantitative data analysis revealed themes that mirrored findings present in the …

Exploring Factors Of Non-Compliance For Adolescents With Celiac Disease, Alicia A. Darling

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Individuals with celiac disease face many challenges when navigating the world around them. Adolescents with celiac disease must face the challenge of standing out in a world that is heavily influenced by peers and the pressure to fit in. The purpose of this project was to explore factors of non-compliance for adolescents with celiac disease. Using a qualitative design, two adolescent female volunteers participated in a focus group regarding factors in their lives that led them to not comply with the gluten-free diet. Data were analyzed and the focus group responses were then linked to previous related literature. The findings …

Burnout Among Child Protection Workers: The Role Of Supervision, Katelyn M. Davies

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This paper explores supervision as it relates to a prevalent theme among child protection workers: burnout. Prominent research in the study of burnout identifies three components: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal efficacy (Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001). These three components are integrated and addressed in a qualitative exploratory study. The sample, consisting of eight child protection workers, participated in a 30-45 minute semi-structured interview. The interview was guided by an instrument developed by the researcher specifically to address supervision as it relates to the three dimensions of burnout. Grounded theory was used to code and identify themes in the data. …

The Impact Of Employee Wellness Programs On Mental Health Workers’ Reported Symptoms Of Compassion Fatigue And Burnout, Jessica Anton Dooley

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Burnout and Compassion fatigue are topics which are covered in the literature and academic programs. Wellness in order to combat these is also an important topic for helping professionals. This study examined employee wellness programs and their effect on mental health workers’ compassion fatigue and burnout. A mixed-methods model used the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) survey and five open-ended questions relating to the wellness activities. Many barriers and incentives to use of the wellness programs were found and scores were compared with other demographic and programmatic information. Further research should continue to examine mental health workers, specifically, and the …

Dimensions Of Protective Parent-Adolescent Dyads As Defined By Mexican American Sons, Clare M. Dudzinski

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The unique relationship between parent and adolescent requires clinical attention as a means of promoting positive mental, emotional, and behavioral outcomes for adolescents. The dynamic identity and growing presence of the Mexican American male adolescent in American society add multiple layers to this already complex relationship. The purpose of this project was to explore features and definitions of closeness and care in parent-adolescent dyads to understand how Mexican American male adolescents build positive relationships with their resident parents. In this secondary data analysis, features of closeness and care were drawn from Wave I, Stage 2 of the National Longitudinal Study …

Cultivating Well-Being: Horticulture Programming’S Effect On Youth’S Emotional Well-Being, Mitchell Demers

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Although horticulture programming has been utilized in the form of activities for various populations for centuries, much is not known about the benefits that come from participating in such activities. Over the past few decades, several research studies have begun to explore and explain the benefit of using horticulture programming for several populations with most of the research focusing on the older adult and persons with physical disabilities populations. The purpose of the current study was to gather information on the effects horticulture programming has on the emotional well-being of the youth population. The study included a nationwide survey of …

Is There An Increased Health Risk To Multi-Generational Elderly Poor Not Found In First-Generation Elderly Poor?, Donna E. Enfield

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This study sought to discover whether or not there is an increased health risk to multi-generational elderly poor not found in first-generation elderly poor. The research design called for a convenience sampling of 100 adults attending community center programs within one of four geographic areas in two Midwestern metropolitan counties identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as being low income. All surveys were to be anonymous, printed in English and completed independently by the survey participants. Survey questions included topics such as belief in parental poverty, perceptions of current poverty status, health issues and barriers to obtaining health care. Older …

Social Workers’ Feminist Perspectives: Implications For Practice, Jacqueline Enge

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

There have been few studies completed exploring the ideas of feminism in the current context of social work practice from the perspective of social workers. For this study, 23 licensed MN social workers completed a survey exploring to what level social workers relate to four perspectives of feminism (liberal, radical, socialist and women of color/womanist), and how these perspectives impact their problem identification, assessment, treatment strategies and treatment goals in social work practice. This research used a portion of the Feminist Perspective Scale (Henley, et al, 1998) to determine the feminist perspective used by the social workers. The feminist perspectives …

Disorganized Attachment And Trauma In Children, Anya K. Esch

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Children who experience trauma often experience a disruption in the formation of attachment with their primary caregiver. This research aims to address how this disruption may lead to attachment disorders in children, and what developmental challenges children exposed to trauma may face. Using a qualitative interview case study of a children’s’ mental health professional, this study examines the impact of trauma on attachment, based on the experiences of this clinician. This study set out to investigate what treatment methods are currently used to treat children with histories of trauma and attachment disorders. From the qualitative interview 4 main themes were …

Assessing Expressed Emotion Influences On Autistic Symptoms/Behaviors: A School Social Worker Perspective, Mackenzie R. Flaharty

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This research paper explores how components of Expressed Emotion (Critical Comments, Emotional Over-involvement, Warmth) experienced in the classroom are influencing student behavior and symptoms for students with Autism. Qualitative data was collected from one school social worker. This study confirms and builds upon previous research on Critical Comments and Warmth. Critical comments, especially when delivered by a staff member poorly, increased maladaptive behavior and decreased social interaction and communication. Warmth inversely decreased maladaptive behaviors while increasing communication and social interaction. Emotional Over-involvement was dependent upon the individual student and neither confirms or rejects previous research. Each member of the classroom …

Behind The Scenes: Correctional Officers’ Perceptions On Serious Mental Illness Training, Teri Gerhardt,

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Correctional officers working within county jails are limited in training for mental health crisis intervention strategies. This study explored correctional officers’ insight after fulfilling training on SMI provided by the National Alliance on Mental Illness: Minnesota, in which insight was gained of professional attitudes and perceptions, evaluating program effectiveness. A focus group was employed with correctional officers who were purposefully invited to participate in this study as they have direct, firsthand knowledge of the strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement of the training. The findings indicate that correctional officers feel jail is not a place for individuals with a mental …

Birth Family Searching And Meaning: A Korean Transracial Adoptee Perspective, Kathryn Eileen Goldstein

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The decision and process of initiating a birth family search is truly a unique journey for every adoptee. However, through examining the birth family search process of Korean transracial adoptees themes and patterns emerge surrounding the meaning making process within their own journey. This study sought out to understand how adult Korean transracial adoptees use the process of birth family searching to create meaning of their ambiguous loss and adoption experience. Additionally, this research aimed to give voice to the stories and perspectives of Korean transracial adoptees’ unique experiences and knowledge. Interviews were conducted with eight participants ( n = …

Disabled Sexual Assault Victims: Perceptions Of Sexual Assault Professionals On Barriers To Providing Services To Disabled Sexual Assault Victims, Melody L. Gorden

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Inspired by Dick Sobsey ‘s early work with disabled victims of abuse and the integrative ecological model, the current study addresses the barriers that sexual assault professionals encounter when working with developmentally disabled victims. The participants of this study are made up of 3 sexual assault female professionals, one being an advocate and two being Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners. This study is qualitative in nature and the data was obtained by using a semi-standardized interview. Using phenomenology as a research design, the investigator used qualitative questions to gain understanding of being a sexual assault professional. The data was analyzed by …

Effective In-School Suspension Programming: An Exploratory Study, Mariam Bashiri Graff

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Extensive research has shown out-of-school suspension as a deterrent to inappropriate behavior in school does not work. It further shows that the most frequently suspended populations are the same populations with the highest drop-out rates and that are most at-risk for becoming involved with the criminal justice system. This study seeks to look at the alternatives to out-of-school suspensions. A cross sectional survey was used to ask school professionals to describe their school suspension programming and to what extent they are using it. Twenty-eight respondents indicated results similar to what was found in the literature review; that while promising, in-school …

Impacts Of Text Messaging On Adolescents’ Communication Skills: School Social Workers’ Perceptions, Jacqueline B. Graham

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The primary purpose of the present research was to gain a better understanding of how text messaging has affected adolescent communication skills. This research also explored school social workers’ perceptions of ways that texting has impacted adolescents’ lives. Qualitative interviews conducted with seven school social workers explored perceptions of adolescent communication with school social workers, peers, and families, along with benefits and challenges texting presents in adolescent lives. Findings from this study suggested that texting negatively affects adolescents’ communication skills, particularly with regard to face-to-face communication skills, bullying, and teasing. Social workers should be aware of positive and negative effects …

Effects Of Integral Health Care Within Lgbtq Populations, Megan M. Gramlow

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

LGBTQ populations are at a high risk to experience increased stress, due to a long history of oppressive circumstances (Alexander, 2002). Because increased stress levels raise the risk of experiencing a mental and physical illness, those identifying as LGBTQ are particularly more vulnerable to experiencing symptoms of illness (Johnson, 2007; Meyer, Dietrich, & Schwartz, 2008). A review of the literature indicates that LGBTQ populations face barriers within mainstream health care services, such as knowledgeable providers and culturally sensitive care. Additionally, little or no research has been done to explore the role of holistic, integral health services for LGBTQ populations. The …

Gender Differences In Treating Adolescents With Eating Disorders, Cameron Green

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Previous research indicates that female and male adolescents have many differences and similarities in contributing factors to and treatment of eating disorders. The goal of this study was to further explore treatment differences between male and female adolescents with eating disorders. Other objectives in this study explored the contributing factors to eating disorders, treatment success rates among respondents, and treatment modalities used by respondents. The present study explored the following research question: What are the similarities and differences between genders in treating adolescents with eating disorders? This is an exploratory design with a quantitative research design. The findings of this …

Perceptions Of Probation Officers Around Class And Racial Disparities In The Juvenile Justice System, Jeffrey A. Hilliard

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The pervasiveness of disparities related to race and class is an important topic in the juvenile justice systems. The current research examines perceptions of juvenile probation officers around disparities related to race and class in the juvenile justice system. A number of theoretical and methodological approaches are discussed in the literature review. A conceptual framework of intersectionality is used as an analytic technique to examine the simultaneous interplay of race and class and its impact on disparities related to race and class in the juvenile justice system. The sample of juvenile probation officers has been drawn from a department of …

College Student Mental Health And Use Of Counseling Center Services, Daniel J. Hinderaker

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to learn how students at a small Midwestern college were utilizing the school’s counseling center. This quantitative study used a survey to learn about the mental health concerns and distress levels of students who had not used the college’s counseling center (

n = 127). The survey results revealed that the overwhelming majority of "non-counseled" students were aware of the counseling center and that it provided free counseling services. However, many of these students had recently experienced significant levels of concern with various problem areas, including anxiety, depression, relationships, and eating/body image. These problem …