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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Articles 4561 - 4590 of 5913

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Role Of Project Leadership In Global Multicultural Project Success, Jamal Nassif Jan 2017

The Role Of Project Leadership In Global Multicultural Project Success, Jamal Nassif

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Global projects have a high failure rate, with many project failures attributed to lack of effective leadership. A knowledge gap about leadership requirements and complexities in a global project management environment has increased the risks in global projects. The problem is evident in the increasing project failure rate and the struggling national strategies in the oil and gas industry in the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The purpose of this study was to explore the role of leadership in project success and adaptation complexities in GCC. The conceptual framework consisted of complex adaptive systems and contingency theories. A qualitative approach …

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African American Male College Students' Experience Of College Preparation, Linda Denice Valentine-Cobb Jan 2017

African American Male College Students' Experience Of College Preparation, Linda Denice Valentine-Cobb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American male students have a high risk of not completing high school and not going to college. Students receive some college preparation as early as middle school, yet it is not enough to increase the number of African American male high school or college graduates. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe what 18-24-year-old African American male college students recalled from middle school and high school about college preparation, college planning, and college attendance. Critical race theory was used to reveal how outside factors such as oppression, racism, or socioeconomic status prevent African American male students from …

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Relationship Between Health Care Costs And Type Of Insurance, Macey Buker Jan 2017

Relationship Between Health Care Costs And Type Of Insurance, Macey Buker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Continued escalation in health care expenditures in the United States has led to an unsustainable model that consumes almost 20% of GDP. Policymakers have recognized the need for industry reform and have taken action through the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The purpose of this quantitative, longitudinal study was to examine the relationship between the type of health insurance and health care costs. Mechanism theory and game theory provided the theoretical framework. The analysis of secondary data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project included a sample of 1,956,790-inpatient hospital stays from 2007 to 2014. Results of one-way …

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Black Male Probationers' Perceptions Of Juvenile Probation Officers' Role In Reducing Recidivism, Fern H. Clarke Jan 2017

Black Male Probationers' Perceptions Of Juvenile Probation Officers' Role In Reducing Recidivism, Fern H. Clarke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high recidivism rate of Black male juvenile offenders is a problem in the United States that continues to be of great concern. Probation has gained popularity as being a means of addressing and reducing the high recidivism rates of juvenile offenders. However, there is a lack of research regarding Black male juvenile probationers' perceptions of their probation officers' role in reducing their recidivism. This study examined the following: a) the predictive relationships between Black male probationers' perceptions of their probation officers, their perceptions of the probation officers' job, and their recidivism within 3 years of being place on probation; …

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Nonresidential Fathers Parenting Their Children Residing In Shelters: A Phenomenological Study, Karen Denise Hudson Jan 2017

Nonresidential Fathers Parenting Their Children Residing In Shelters: A Phenomenological Study, Karen Denise Hudson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological qualitative study explored the parenting role of nonresidential fathers of children living in shelters. Special attention was paid to the perceived contributions of these fathers to the overall health and general well-being of their children residing in shelters. Often separations of nonresidential fathers from their children in shelters decreased their contributions to their children's health and well-being. Increased knowledge of these parental roles and contributions can enhance programs and policies to support these fathers in improving the health and well-being of their children. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 6 demographically diverse nonresidential fathers living in Philadelphia. The …

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A Phenomenological Study Of Executive's Perspectives Of Hope Theory In Executive Coaching, Steven Hodlin Jan 2017

A Phenomenological Study Of Executive's Perspectives Of Hope Theory In Executive Coaching, Steven Hodlin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The executive coaching and positive psychology fields are growing; however, minimal research exists regarding the coaching experiences of executive coachees with the various approaches a coach can utilize. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of research on consistent standards regarding how executive coaching should be conducted. The primary purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of executives who have been coached using approaches based on Snyder's hope theory, Buckingham and Clifton's theories of strength-based approaches to leadership, and the theories of positive psychology advanced by Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi. The participants in this …

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Perspectives Of Secular Counselors Regarding Christian Counseling Forgiveness Therapy, Tezonia Rushan Morgan Jan 2017

Perspectives Of Secular Counselors Regarding Christian Counseling Forgiveness Therapy, Tezonia Rushan Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Forgiveness is a concept that is strongly rooted in Christianity. Forgiveness therapy was developed with Christian principles and has proven to be successful for Christian counselors. However, forgiveness has not been explored from the perceptions of secular counselors. Specifically, it is not known if secular counselors are using concepts that are similar to Christian forgiveness therapy. Using forgiveness therapy, this qualitative grounded theory study described the experiences, thoughts, and understanding of forgiveness from the views of secular counselors. Research questions addressed if secular mental counselors have a concept similar to forgiveness therapy as defined in the Christian counseling literature. Individual …

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Influence Of Dual Process Decision-Making Theory In Patients Diagnosed With Cancer, Bonnie D. Quinonez Jan 2017

Influence Of Dual Process Decision-Making Theory In Patients Diagnosed With Cancer, Bonnie D. Quinonez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Each year millions of people face the medical decision-making cycle that comes with a diagnosis of cancer. For patients and their families, this can be a rollercoaster of confusion and fear. Researchers have indicated that the complexity of the decision-making process is underrepresented in the current approach of informed decision-making. The purpose of this study was to add to scientifically-validated research expanding the identification of factors that influence decision-making for individuals diagnosed with cancer. Fuzzy trace theory (FTT) is the dual process memory theory used as the framework for this study. Qualitative data were collected using semistructured interviews with 10 …

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Hospice Social Workers' Roles And Responsibilities Within Interdisciplinary Hospice, Amy Marie Coffell Jan 2017

Hospice Social Workers' Roles And Responsibilities Within Interdisciplinary Hospice, Amy Marie Coffell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The role of the hospice social worker is unclear and misunderstood by interdisciplinary team members due to role blurring, communication challenges, and poor collaboration efforts. This is important because these actions may result in decreased quality of patient care and decreased quality of life for the clinical hospice social workers. The purpose of this action research project was to explore communication, role blurring, professional activities and abilities, and cohesive goals among hospice clinical social workers. The theoretical foundation for this research was the model of interdisciplinary collaboration (MIC) which was used to describe both the concepts of interdisciplinary collaboration and …

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School Social Workers' Roles Involving Teacher-Student Sexual Misconduct And Exploitation, Cedrina Monique Ruffin Jan 2017

School Social Workers' Roles Involving Teacher-Student Sexual Misconduct And Exploitation, Cedrina Monique Ruffin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Incidents of sexual misconduct by educators continue to become more prevalent in the United States, resulting in negative social, emotional, and psychological effects on many students. School social workers are professionals with backgrounds in prevention, intervention, and advocacy; however, very little literature has examined the roles of school social workers in preventing and addressing teacher-student sexual misconduct. This case study explored school social workers' roles and their perceptions thereof in relation to incidents that involved teacher-student sexual misconduct and exploitation. General systems theory provided the framework for understanding the roles of social workers and their approaches to working with the …

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Effect Of Self-Determination, Motivation, And Dispositional Optimism With Physical Therapy In Geriatric Patients, Leslie Yaneth Urias-Bodnar Jan 2017

Effect Of Self-Determination, Motivation, And Dispositional Optimism With Physical Therapy In Geriatric Patients, Leslie Yaneth Urias-Bodnar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Older people are frequently faced with physical conditions that require treatment. A better understanding of the components of engagement relating to the outcomes of treatment was the focus of the study. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether there was an association between the independent variables of optimism, pessimism, motivation, and self-determination and their impact on the dependent variable of achieving physical activity goals in 86 geriatric patients, ages 65 to 80 receiving physical therapy services. The theoretical framework of self-determination, motivation, optimism, and pessimism was assessed by using two self-report questionnaires, The Self-Determination Scale and The …

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Relationships Between White Privilege, Organizational Belongingness, Racial Stereotypes, And Motivation To Lead, Scott Alexander Vaughan-Bonterre Jan 2017

Relationships Between White Privilege, Organizational Belongingness, Racial Stereotypes, And Motivation To Lead, Scott Alexander Vaughan-Bonterre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite changes in the law and efforts by organizational diversity practitioners to expand leadership opportunities for people of color, there is still a sharp contrast in the ratio of white leaders to leaders of color. While much research exists regarding the diversity disparity in leadership, there is little research on factors that influence the motivation to lead. The purpose of this correlational study was to test critical race and leader categorization theories by comparing how the independent variables of white privilege, organizational belongingness, and racial stereotypes affected the dependent variable of motivation to lead of black American versus white American …

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Symptom Changes In Children And Adolescents With Internalizing Conditions During Treatment, Rachel Samantha Bertelson Jan 2017

Symptom Changes In Children And Adolescents With Internalizing Conditions During Treatment, Rachel Samantha Bertelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health conditions, such as internalizing disorders, in children and adolescents have been attributed to higher than expected levels of high school dropouts, juvenile crimes, and suicide. Previous research studies provide limited information on factors influencing treatment success for children and adolescents diagnosed with internalizing disorders. This study utilized a nonequivalent comparison group design gathered from an archived data set from a sample of children and adolescents (N = 215) who participated in an intensive outpatient managed mental health care treatment program. Self-report data were retrieved from previous responses to the Children's Depression Inventory and Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale …

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Creating Leadership Efficacy Through Digital Media In The Electricity Supply Industry, Kenny Moodley Jan 2017

Creating Leadership Efficacy Through Digital Media In The Electricity Supply Industry, Kenny Moodley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business leaders lack transformational leadership strategies to promote the use of digital communication in the electricity supply industry. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore transformational leadership strategies to promote the use of digital communication to mitigate electricity-related shutdowns and other electricity-related product recalls. The conceptual framework for this study aligns with general systems theory. The participants recruited in the study were business leaders, key account electricity consumers, and electricity consumers located in Johannesburg, South Africa. The rationale for the target population was their success in implementing transformational leadership strategies to promote the use of digital communication …

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Age As A Predictor Of Factors Involved In Targeted School Violence, Wendy Leigh Rippon Jan 2017

Age As A Predictor Of Factors Involved In Targeted School Violence, Wendy Leigh Rippon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Targeted school violence (TSV) in the United States is increasing, causing a loss of innocent lives and challenges for teachers and students in building rapport. In addition, TSV increases levels of anxiety and makes it difficult for parents and community members to believe students are safe while at school. Several studies have highlighted the fact that age may be a factor in school shootings, calling for future research to determine if age is indeed influential. The problem is to date age has not been established as a predictive factor, even though the extant research is beginning to identify possible variances. …

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Students' Decision-Making After Florida Senate Bill 1720: Guiding Students Through Math Placement, Rebecka Jo Sare Jan 2017

Students' Decision-Making After Florida Senate Bill 1720: Guiding Students Through Math Placement, Rebecka Jo Sare

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After Senate Bill (SB) 1720, exempt students enrolling in colleges in Florida no longer have to take a college placement test or enroll in developmental education courses before enrolling in college-level classes. SB1720 caused Florida colleges to find new methods of placement for incoming students, a concern because incorrect placement can have detrimental effects for the student and institution. Bounded rationality theory and Bahr's interpretation of student typology informed this study. The purpose of this survey study was to compare the exempt students who enrolled in remedial math to those who enrolled in college-level math. Research questions asked what differences …

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Servant Leadership And Humility In Police Promotional Practices, Kevin C. Barker Jan 2017

Servant Leadership And Humility In Police Promotional Practices, Kevin C. Barker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The improper promotion of police officers who lack effective police management skills results in poor supervisor/employee relationships and could have a further negative effect on the relationships between officers and citizens. Yet, few police departments utilize leadership testing in making promotional decisions. The purpose of this quantitative, descriptive study was to explore whether servant leadership, from the perspective of police officers, is viewed as an effective leadership strategy. In particular, the focus of this study was on the element of humility as part of servant leadership theory. Data were collected by distributing the Servant Leadership Survey (SLS) to 2,794 police …

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Experiences Of Middle-Aged, African American Women With Excessive Weight, Tina Ann Mcclaire Jan 2017

Experiences Of Middle-Aged, African American Women With Excessive Weight, Tina Ann Mcclaire

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity and overweight issues are nationally recognized crises for African American women. A noteworthy gap remains in the literature regarding this population's experiences with excessive weight, specifically, the role of culture and social support networks on their experience with being overweight. Without an understanding of the experience and meaning of being overweight for African American women, physicians and clinicians will not be able to fully support African American women in their weight loss journeys. Using the social learning theory as a framework, the purpose of this phenomenological research study was to explore experiences of obese or overweight middle-aged African American …

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Functional And Dysfunctional Themes In Successful Peace Agreements Arising From Intractable Conflicts, Sharon Ryan Ryan Jan 2017

Functional And Dysfunctional Themes In Successful Peace Agreements Arising From Intractable Conflicts, Sharon Ryan Ryan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An important challenge facing humanity today is to determine how to resolve intractable conflicts. Intractable conflicts are intensely violent conflicts that are difficult to resolve and last at least one generation. The purpose of this study was to explore the themes leaders used in resolving intractable conflicts by writing peace agreements, which achieved at least a ninety percent implementation rating by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. The research questions focused on the distribution of societal themes defined by Bar-Tal as present within societies experiencing an intractable conflict. This study used a multicase …

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Quality Improvement Initiative To Reduce Fall Risk In The Snf, Ramona C. Lancaster Jan 2017

Quality Improvement Initiative To Reduce Fall Risk In The Snf, Ramona C. Lancaster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Residents who fall in SNF either sustain significant decline to quality of life or die from their injuries. The average fall costs about $34,000 per incident. On average, 19.8% of residents fall at least once per month. The purpose of this project was to assess, identify, and advance nursing practice to decrease falls by evaluating current facility standard of practice, fall policy, procedures, and protocol. The objective was to create actions that would close the communication gap between clinicians and residents. This project encourages clinicians to intertwine resident feedback and strategies into the plan of care to help reduce fall …

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Examining Binge Eating Rates Between Caucasian-American And African-American Men, Elizabeth Anne Raky Jan 2017

Examining Binge Eating Rates Between Caucasian-American And African-American Men, Elizabeth Anne Raky

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Eating disorders (ED) are maladaptive eating patterns that can have social, biological, health, and occupational consequences. The purpose of this study was to explore and compare binge eating episodes, locus of control, and body dissatisfaction between African-American men (n = 66; 53.70%) and Caucasian-American men (n = 57; 46.30%). There is a current gap in the existing literature regarding the study of men who BE and a sampling bias with regard to ethnic minorities. Based on Bandura's social learning theory model and Rotter's locus of control, the purpose of this research was to determine and compare the relationship between BE, …

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Relationship Quality Associations Family Values For Online Graduate Students With Intimate Partners, Tracy J. Jones-Garcia Jan 2017

Relationship Quality Associations Family Values For Online Graduate Students With Intimate Partners, Tracy J. Jones-Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research found that relationship quality (RQ) for intimate couples may be adversely effected in times of stress, potentially decreasing marital satisfaction up to 36% during a four-year period for high stress couples. Previous research indicated family values (FV) may mediate RQ in stressful times; however, no research has examined this relationship for online/blended program graduate students. Students in these programs experience unique stress, change, and at times, physical distance from an intimate partner. Coombs's theory on values consensus postulated that the more alike family values are in a relationship, the better the RQ will be. The purpose of this …

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U.S. Army Drill Sergeants' Response To Sexual Harassment And Sexual Assault Of Gay, Lesbian, And Bisexual Recruits, Marin Vesselinov Nikolov Jan 2017

U.S. Army Drill Sergeants' Response To Sexual Harassment And Sexual Assault Of Gay, Lesbian, And Bisexual Recruits, Marin Vesselinov Nikolov

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even with the repeal of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' (DADT) policy, the U.S. Army has seen increased cases of sexual harassment; sexual assault; and discrimination of gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) service members by other service members. Despite this trend, few studies have explored the experiences of victims of sexual harassment and sexual assault of GLB recruits before, during, and after the repeal of the DADT policy. Using the bystander effect as the theoretical construct, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences and interactions with a sample of 11 drill sergeants (DSs) who witnessed GLB …

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Resisting Democratic Transition Through Terrorism: A Case Study Of Post Saddam-Hussein Iraq, Kellie Rourke Jan 2017

Resisting Democratic Transition Through Terrorism: A Case Study Of Post Saddam-Hussein Iraq, Kellie Rourke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Democracy building operations in foreign nations in Iraq and Afghanistan have been met with resistance and at great cost in terms of dollars and lives. Reducing these costs requires understanding why individuals choose to resist the transition to democracy, yet current research in the field does not address the issues of a previously nonviolent population turning to terrorism to resist transition to democracy. The purpose of this single case study was to use rational choice theory and Crenshaw's 3 levels of causation to understand what factors influenced members of the Sunni sect to resist democratic transition following the 2003 invasion …

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The Impact Of Three-Dimensional Organizational Change On Laos Electrification, Xaypaseuth Phomsoupha Jan 2017

The Impact Of Three-Dimensional Organizational Change On Laos Electrification, Xaypaseuth Phomsoupha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The government of Laos has carried out regressive organizational changes in its electric power sector including deregulation, decentralization, and devolution. As governmental agencies attempt to improve their organization, little is understood about the impact these changes have on the electric sector. Using Burke's organization change theory as the foundation, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explain the impact of organizational change on rural electrification in the Champassak Province, Laos. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 20 participants representing governmental agencies, private entities, and nongovernmental organizations. Data were also collected through observation of a public consultative meeting and …

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Paralleled Support Models For Young Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Lucy Ellen Klym Jan 2017

Paralleled Support Models For Young Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Lucy Ellen Klym

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the State of Indiana, for students over the age of 14 who have been diagnosed with intellectual or developmental disabilities, the transition from special education to Medicaid waiver oversight should occur seamlessly, but gaps in integrated and aligned goal development strategies remain. As a consequence, students who need adult-based support may not be receiving the full scope of services to which they are entitled. Using common-pool resource theory as a foundation, the purpose of this explanatory case study of transitional services to Indiana Medicaid was to understand, from the perspective of disability support service staff, the barriers to effective …

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Narratives Of Men Living With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Kimberly Vandermark Lynch Jan 2017

Narratives Of Men Living With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Kimberly Vandermark Lynch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been traditionally viewed as a woman's disease, SLE impacts men as well. Although most research on SLE has concentrated on how it affected women, little is known about how it impacts men. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine how men who live with SLE perceive its psychological impact. Using the lens of the biopsychological theory, common themes were examined pertaining to how men with SLE perceive the impact that SLE has on their cognitive and emotional functioning. Data were collected via interviews with 9 men with SLE, and the data were …

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Decision Processes, Synergism, And Shared Governance In A California Community College District, Howard Teruo Kubota Jan 2017

Decision Processes, Synergism, And Shared Governance In A California Community College District, Howard Teruo Kubota

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many California community colleges face difficult decisions when implementing the State's shared governance mandate on institutional planning and budgeting processes. Using Allison and Zelikow's rational, organizational, and political decision models as the foundation, the purpose of this narrative study was to explore decision processes used by a successful community college district in California to understand its success with the State's mandated institutional planning and budgeting processes. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 individuals representing a board of trustees, 3 administrations, 3 academic senates, and a faculty association. Data were inductively coded and then subjected to Ollerenshaw and Creswell's …

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Understanding How The Army's Informal Leader Bonds Formal Leadership And The Complex Environment, Keith Laurence White Jan 2017

Understanding How The Army's Informal Leader Bonds Formal Leadership And The Complex Environment, Keith Laurence White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bullying and toxic leadership in the U. S. Army disrupt bonding processes between leaders and subordinates, which may jeopardize military operations, threaten resiliency initiatives, inhibit leader development, and stifle innovation. Little research, however, has looked at the role of informal leaders who operate outside the formal power structure in military environments. Using social exchange theory as the foundation, the purpose of this case study was to explore the activities of informal leaders who mediated the normal and disrupted leadership bonding processes in an Illinois Army National Guard Infantry Brigade. The research questions explored the informal leaders' influence and behaviors to …

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A Case Study Exploration Of Teachers' Perspectives On Children's Mental Health Service Needs In Title I Elementary Schools, Natalie Denise Yates Jan 2017

A Case Study Exploration Of Teachers' Perspectives On Children's Mental Health Service Needs In Title I Elementary Schools, Natalie Denise Yates

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children go to school for approximately 32 hours each week of an academic year. Many children who are in need of mental health treatment do not get the services they need because of barriers such as lack of access and stigma. Teachers are one of the primary sources of referrals for children's mental health services, and they often make referrals based on their perceptions of their students' mental health needs. Although teachers are typically the primary source of referrals for mental health services, they usually do not have any specialized mental health training. The purpose of this study was to …

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