Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Lessons From The Field: Clinicians’ Perceptions Of Treating Complex Trauma In Siblings, Elisabeth S. Wells

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This research set out to explore how clinicians are currently addressing treatment of siblings. The purpose of this paper is to explore clinicians’ perceptions of how to treat siblings who have suffered complex trauma. The research shows that there is a growing need to look at this issue, as in 2011 there were 3.4 million reports to Child Protective Services (CPS) in regards to 6.2 million children. Of those 6.2 million, 2.0 million received a CPS response (United Department of Human and Health Services, 2011). “Complex trauma” is a term defined, for the sake of this paper, as the exposure …

The Refugee Experience: Involving Pre-Migration, In Transit, And Post Migration Issues In Social Services, Whitney Keltner Wessels

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

In this systematic review, I investigate interventions used to address pre-migration, in transit, and post migration stressors amongst the three settings of the refugee relocation process: pre-migration, in transit, and post migration. After a comprehensive search of the literature, nine articles met the inclusion criteria determined for this study. The nine studies were then coded with predefined categories based on intervention setting and the types of issues that were address by the interventions. I found that of the nine studies, eight involved interventions in post migration settings. I also found that eight of the nine studies address pre-migration issues, one …

Stress Among Social Work Professionals In Mental Health Care Settings, Emily Ann Willems

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this research project was to compare stress among professionals in a mental health care setting. This research question sought to answer the following question: Do mental health care social workers experience higher levels of stress in comparison to other mental health care professionals? Empirical research suggests that mental health social workers experience higher levels of stress, than comparable occupational groups therefore this research project explores stress among mental health care social workers in comparison to other mental health care professionals (Lolyd, King, Chenoweth, 2002). In order to compare stress levels among professionals a stress survey was distributed …

Families With Severe Medical Conditions In Children: Effects And Interventions, Morgan Wilson

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Parents and primary caregivers are the most important providers of support and care for their children. Families with children with chronic or life-threatening medical conditions face many challenges that the average family does not. The purpose of this research project was to discover what the effects of having a child with a chronic or severe illness are on the family system. This was done by finding out what has been the most helpful to the family and each of its members during the time since the child has been diagnosed and by finding out what has been challenging to the …

Homelike Variables And Rates Of Depression Among Assisted Living Facility Residents, Courtney J. Wright

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

There is an undeniable increase in the number of aging adults who are utilizing assisted living facilities to delay transitioning into nursing homes in order to receive care in their older years. There has also been in recent years a growing interest in the importance of recognizing and preventing depression and depressive-like symptoms in the aging population. A transition from a home environment where one has potentially spent the majority of their life brings about its own set of emotions and stressors. This may undoubtedly create a variety of concerns to become apparent by current and future facility residents and …

Life Experience As A Catalyst For Therapeutic Change, Emily K. Wrobel

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The therapist’s lived experiences of personal transformation can be reflected to clients in a variety of ways in a therapeutic relationship. This was an exploratory study with a qualitative research design aimed to examine the impact of transformative experiences of the therapist on the therapeutic relationship, as well as how use of self is defined and operationalized by the therapist in clinical practice. Participants were recruited through a nonprobability snowball sample. Data was gathered through six indepth qualitative interviews of female participants from both urban and suburban settings, with an age range of 29 to 65 years old. Participants were …

Agency Support For Self-Care And Burnout Among Licensed Social Workers, Catherine Wyman

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Social workers often work in stressful environments and experience secondary trauma through their clients. An examination of the available literature has found that social workers experience symptoms of burnout. Previous research also indicated that self-care is beneficial to decreasing stress levels in social workers. In this study, a quantitative and qualitative survey was distributed to licensed social workers in the state of Minnesota examining burnout and self-care within the context of the social work agency. Quantitative data was evaluated using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data was analyzed and coded using grounded theory methodology. There were no significant quantitative findings. …

Veteran’S Psychosocial Needs: How Higher Education Gets Impacted, Heather K. Schmidt

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to identify if institutions of higher learning were able to address the psychosocial needs of veteran students upon reintegration. This quantitative study asked the University of St. Thomas’s (UST) students to take part in an exploratory survey. Data was collected by sending out an anonymous survey via email where respondents (N=37) were requested to answer 11 questions in regards to their experience at UST and reintegrating into an institution of higher learning after military involvement. Findings showed veteran students attending UST feel their expectations have been met in an institution for higher learning. The …

Clinical Social Worker’S Perception Of The Impact Of Revisions Of The Dsm-5, Tara K. Jeno

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual is often considered the “Bible” of mental health diagnostics and is used extensively by mental health professionals in defining mental disorders. The DSM-5 was recently release on May 19, 2013. There has been much controversy and debate surrounding the release. The most dramatic is the structural change with the elimination of the multiaxes. This research examined the impact of the changes on the assessment and treatment planning process done by clinical social workers. Interviews were conducted with licensed clinical social workers employed in outpatient mental health setting to determine the impact on the patients they …

Mental Health Professionals' Use Of Adventure Therapy With Couples And Families, Jason Griswold

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Adventure therapy (AT) is an emerging model of therapy that is being used for work with individuals and families. AT combines experiential education with therapy in a single program (Crisp, 1998). The purpose of this research paper is to explore how social workers integrate adventure therapy into their work with families. The research also explored the current status and implications of AT in terms of being accepted as an evidence based practice. A total of eight mental health professionals who have experience facilitating adventure or wilderness therapy were interviewed. The results of the research support the literature suggesting the field …

Social Workers’ Perspectives Of Psychotropic Drug Use On Children And Adolescents, Erika J. Bauer

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Every year in the United States more children are receiving psychotropic medication to deal with mood and behavior interruptions. In fact, more children in the United States are being prescribed these medications than any other country in the world. Even though the long-term consequences of these medications are yet unknown, medical professionals are still prescribing them to children, an age demographic they were not originally approved for, and for longer periods of time than intended. The purpose of this study was to explore social workers’ attitudes about the use of psychotropic drugs on children and adolescents, paying particular attention to …

Addressing Traumatic Loss And Grief Within Inner City High Schools, Jena Henry

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Experiences of trauma, loss, and grief have been shown to increase the likelihood of developing serious mental health difficulties and to decrease academic performance, which in turn can be harmful to an individual’s success. This research study examined the perceived prevalence of traumatic loss and grief within inner city high schools, as well as the methods used by inner city high school social workers to address traumatic loss and grief experienced by students, through the use of an online mixed-methods survey. Results showed that all participants perceive a percentage of their student population have experienced traumatic loss and grief, some …

The Relationship Between Child Protection Workers And School Social Workers, Daniel S. Gibbel

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This study explored how both school social workers and child welfare workers communicated with one another. By using Qualtrics as a data collection method, both school social workers and child welfare workers from a variety of school districts were surveyed. Qualitative and quantitative questions were asked in order to discover whether there is a lack of professional communication between child welfare workers and school social workers. The information learned from the study will help both school social workers and child welfare workers discover how their roles could be improved or possibly changed for the betterment of the field and the …

Licensed Social Workers’ Perception Of The Role Of The Supervisor And Its Impact On Stress In Social Work, Quinn Johnson

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This study explores how the role of the supervisor impacts social workers’ perceptions of stress in social work practice and how social workers measure the experience of supervision. The study sample consisted of 54 licensed social workers with different levels of licensure selected from the Minnesota Board of Social Work. A mixed method design, using both qualitative and quantitative methods, was used to collect data for this cross-sectional research study. An email with the link to the survey inQualtrics was sent to 160 licensed social workers. The data was assessed using descriptive statistics, chi-square analyses, and grounded theory methodology …

Discrimination Experienced By Adults With Hidden Disabilities Who Pursue A Higher Education, Elizabeth Ann Peltzer

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The perpetual and on-going nature of all types of disabilities on the human condition can have multiple effects and long- lasting consequences on a person’s life and their perception of personal and professional successes. This is especially true of adult students with hidden disabilities pursuing a higher education enrolled in colleges and universities around the world.

Living with a disability or disabilities can present additional challenges and adds limitations to a person’s life. The complication of issues and realities of discrimination that continue to exist today create the belief that disabled people need to learn to adapt to society, instead …

Livable Wage Legislation: Minnesota Social Workers’ Knowledge Of And Involvement In The Movement, Maggie Wangen

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Minnesota’s minimum wage provides insufficient income for full-time adult employees to meet their needs and the needs of their dependent children. The social work profession, and individual social workers, should be aware of and involved in the current social justice issue of raising the minimum wage to a more realistic (livable) wage. This research paper examines the potential impacts of raising the minimum wage, current opinions of American society regarding livable wages, and the extent to which Minnesota social workers have knowledge of and are involved in the livable wage movement. Results of a survey taken by Minnesota’s licensed social …