Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Food Insecurity In Adolescent Athletes, Andrew Donaldson, Shannon Margherio, Jay Roberson, Kevin Latz

Research Days

Background: The prevalence of food insecurity among children in the United States is estimated at 21%. Food insecurity during childhood leads to worse school performance, more emotional and behavioral health concerns, and increased suicide attempts. Further, food insecurity has been noted to have multiple deleterious effects on the collegiate student athlete, including lower GPA, disordered eating, and substance use.

Hypothesis: Food insecurity is prevalent in the adolescent athlete population and exists across demographics.

Methods: Voluntary surveys were distributed to parents at all sports medicine clinics at our institution. Demographic data was collected including athlete age, race, school and school district, …

Beyond Core Object Recognition: Dnns As Models Of Dynamic Scene Perception, Matthias Tangemann, Matthias Kümmerer, Matthias Bethge

MODVIS Workshop

Deep neural networks (DNNs) have become influential computational models of human vision, particularly in explaining neural responses in the ventral stream. However, they frequently diverge from well-established findings in psychophysics, especially with regard to human perceptual biases, robustness, and generalization behavior. Much of the progress in aligning DNNs with human perception has focused on the task of core object recognition—the rapid identification of objects in static images (DiCarlo et al., 2012). In contrast, other critical dimensions of visual perception, such as motion processing and multi-object scene understanding, remain comparatively underexplored. In this talk, I present our recent work on modeling …

Effect Of Response Bias On Threshold Estimates In Confounded N-Alternative Optional Choice Experiments, James J. Blaha, Benjamin T. Backus, Thaddeus B. Czuba

MODVIS Workshop

Three modifications of the familiar 2-AFC task can be useful when collecting data to estimate sensory thresholds from unpracticed participants: (1) Make responding optional, which relieves the participant from having to guess when they are uncertain; (2) Provide N>2 alternatives, which reduces the number of trials to estimate threshold; and (3) Confound the alternatives with an independent variable, for example by having participants choose visual field locations as alternatives when measuring threshold separately at each visual field location, which reduces the number of trials through multiplexing. The N-alternative optional-choice experiment (N-AOC) and its confounded variant have not been studied …

Revisiting Bennett’S Hypothesis: The Unintended Effects Of Student Financial Aid On The Cost Of College, Mark Jayson Farol

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

As higher education strives to be more inclusive, escalating tuition costs pose a significant barrier to accessibility. Government efforts to increase federal financial aid aim to mitigate this issue, but according to William Bennett’s hypothesis, such interventions may inadvertently increase college costs. This study investigates Bennett’s Hypothesis with the latest cross-sectional data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Focusing on 2-year and 4-year U.S. public and private nonprofit colleges, the study examines the effects of government and institutional financial aid on the cost of attendance. The analysis is structured around financial aid packaging institutional, charging variances, and financial aid …

Climate Change Anxiety And Hope Both Predict Action: A Moderation Analysis, Yuhan Bi, Grace Hyde, Orei Z. Odents, Kai Okagawa, Cassandra Hoffman, Kimberly A. Barchard

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Climate change is associated with extreme weather events that have devastating effects on communities worldwide. These events disrupt ecosystems, damage infrastructure, and influence physical and mental well-being. Urgent action is needed. Prior studies demonstrate that people are more likely to take action if they feel anxious about climate change and if they feel hopeful they can make a difference. However, we hypothesized that anxiety and hope would interact: that anxiety would only predict action when people felt hopeful. Therefore, we used path analysis to determine if hope moderates the relation between anxiety and action.

In a cross-sectional design, 500 United …

From Oversight To Insight: Enhancing Vte Prophylaxis Through System-Level Improvements, Nehar Damle, Jessica Cobb, Jordan Feingold, Yunisse Gonzalez, Lamya Jaigirdar, Sheraz Qamar, Claire Ketchem

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

Background

- Hospitalized patients – particularly those with prior venous thromboembolism (VTE), reduced mobility, severe sepsis, and operative procedures - are at significantly elevated risk for recurrent VTE events^1-4

- Although clinical evidence supports use of pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis in highrisk patients, gaps in delivery remain common (highlighted below):

• Miscommunication between managing teams
• Unclear documentation
• Lack of standardized peri-procedural protocols
• Challenges in care coordination

- Missed or delayed VTE prophylaxis represents a frequent and preventable threat to inpatient safety

- We present a near miss event involving a hospitalized patient with severe sepsis and history of pulmonary embolism within …

Utility Of Community Partnership And Sustainable Street Outreach, Daniel Lee, Hannah Klinghoffer, Mallika Kodavatiganti, Luke Benedict, Kelsey Van Housen, Ashley Wetzel, Lele Yang, Alisha Agarwal, Shane Nieves, Charlotte Harris, Jessica Lely, Vinh Dang, Ivel Morales, Md

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

Background

• 14,088 individuals experience homelessness (IEH) across the state of Pennsylvania, with over 50% concentrated in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia¹
• In late 2021, only 4 medical school programs existed that conducted street outreach to support individuals experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania before the pandemic.² None existed at the undergraduate level.
• Street outreach has been linked to increased motivation of IEH to seek services by removing stigma via positive, nonjudgmental relationships.^3,4

Visiting Medical Student Stipends In The Us | An Analysis Of Equity Within Physiatry, Ashley Otto, Do, Mbs, Jeffrey Gray, Md, Summer Nestorowicz, Md, Adrian Oppong, Md, Ms, Oluseye Raymond, Md, Andrew Walrond, Md, Alexis Tingan, Md, Marisa Moreta, Do

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

Introduction & Aims

Health inequities are ubiquitous throughout medicine especially pertaining to accessibility, affordability, and availability. These challenges disproportionately affect minorities- both patients and providers alike [3,4]. Patient outcomes have been shown to improve when treated by physicians of similar backgrounds [3,4,7]. The journey to improve outcomes begins with pre-residency rotations; medical students who can complete audition rotations have an increased opportunity to matriculate into said residency program. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R), like many specialties, is disproportionately represented by men and Caucasians [1,5, 8] with the greatest drop in URM representation occurring between applicants and residents [Escalon]. This project …

The Effect Of Targeted Outreach To Improve Cpap Adherence In Patients With Socioeconomic Disparities, Henry Ideker, Md, Ethan Zheng, Ba, Stephen White, Md, Ritu Grewal, Md

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

Introduction

• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is first line treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults given its high efficacy; however, it is limited by poor patient compliance
• Socioeconomic disparities are known to be associated with significantly worse health outcomes and adherence to therapy¹
• Area deprivation index (ADI) is a validated tool that highlights populations with high socioeconomic disparities on a neighborhood level.² Prior research in our department in 2022 demonstrated significantly worse CPAP adherence in OSA patients with higher ADI scores.³
• Initial CPAP use has been shown to predict long-term adherence, and strategies to maximize …

The N-Alternative Optional Choice Experiment, Benjamin T. Backus, James J. Blaha, Thaddeus B. Czuba

MODVIS Workshop

When testing visual function in clinical settings, one encounters test-takers who have difficulty following a forced-choice instruction when stimulus intensity is low. “I didn’t see anything, why do I have to guess?” An optional-choice paradigm makes it easier for these test-takers to provide data. Here we describe a theory of signal detection for N-alternative optional-choice (N-AOC) psychophysical tasks. The theory generalizes two well-known paradigms into a single framework: the theory for yes-no tasks is a degenerate case in which N=1, and the theory for N-alternative forced choice tasks (N-AFC) is a degenerate case in which the decision criterion is liberal. …

Recommendations For Telesupervision: Promoting Ethical, Legal, And Effective University And Clinical Supervision Using Technology, Madeleine M. Stevens, Yegan Pillay, Edisa Music, Elena Shahen

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The expansion of the use of technology in counseling has implicated counseling professionals in considering how to legally and ethically incorporate it into all facets of practice, including university and clinical supervision settings. In this article, we provide scholarship-backed recommendations for doing so as well as provide suggestions for incorporating psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral (CBT) supervision models into telesupervision.

Training Experiences Of School Counselors-In-Training To Address Child Maltreatment: A Phenomenological Study, Zachary Pietrantoni, Szu-Yu Chen, Caroline Vollaro, Margiolis Lopez, Justin Santos

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This study explores the experiences of six school counselors-in-training (SCIT) in addressing child maltreatment through a hypothetical vignette, providing an in-depth understanding of their experiences. Four main themes and five sub-themes emerged, providing insight into their preparedness and challenges faced. These findings highlight critical areas for improvement in training programs to better equip SCIT for addressing child maltreatment in schools.

Graduate Counseling Students’ Preparedness To Practice Tele-Mental Health, Clarissa L. Salinas, Eunice Lerma, Valerie Leija, Javier Cavazos Vela, Elizabeth Zamora

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This qualitative study explored counseling graduate students’ preparedness to provide telemental health during their internship experience. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 11 Latine counseling graduate students’ who attended a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The following themes emerged following data analysis: (1) Challenges with Establishing Personal Relationships and Telepresence with Culturally Diverse Clients; (2) Lack of Preparation to Use Evidence-based Practices to Handle Ethical Dilemmas and Crisis Interventions; (3) Cultural Competency and Diversity; (4) Engaging Activities in a Telemental Health Counseling Environment; (5) Additional Training and Practice with Technology; and (6) Lack of Preparation to Use Telemental Health Counseling. Implications for …

Preparing Counselors For Practice With Immigrant Clients In Court Proceedings: Framing Required Knowledge, Attitudes, And Skills Within The Msjcc, Kalina M. Brabeck, Prachi Kene, James Geckler, Deborah S. Gonzalez Esq.

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The Multicultural Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC; Ratts et al., 2016) provide a framework for defining the attitudes and beliefs, knowledge, skills, and action that counselors must develop to effectively work with clients across identities and social and cultural contexts. In this paper, we apply the MSJCC to counselors’ practice with immigrant clients within a specific context: immigration court proceedings. Evidence suggests that counselors may be hesitant to practice within forensic settings in general, and that training and education enhances their self-efficacy, effectiveness, and willingness to practice within these settings. Drawing on the MSJCC, we contribute to counselors’ knowledge end …

Integrating Addiction Counseling Competencies Into Cacrep’S Foundational Curriculum: Addressing Gaps In Pedagogy, Stephanie Robinson, Whitney P. Akers, Jeffrey M. Warren

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Professional counselors frequently provide direct and indirect addiction counseling services with relatively little addiction-specific education and training. This lack of training results in counselors delivering services for which they are not adequately prepared. This article explores the current state of training and credentialing of addiction counselors, the addiction-specific gaps that currently exist in CACREP’s foundational curriculum, and the duty accredited programs have to ensure counseling students are trained to provide care to all who seek treatment. A conceptual model for integrating culturally responsive addiction-specific education into CACREP’s foundational curriculum and a hypothetical timeline for implementation are provided. We discuss the …

Exploring Race In Addiction Treatment And The Need For An Anti-Racist Approach, Jackie D. Dell, Mei Tang

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Extensive literature documents that Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color (BIPOC) have been historically and systematically discriminated in addiction and substance use disorder treatment and services. This systemic oppression is the result of the creation and intersection of multiple systems that are rooted in White supremacy, which continue to fail to recognize racism as a critical factor in health disparities. The complexities of the structural factors that contribute to these racial health disparities, and opportunities to better address these disparities were reviewed to discuss their impact on BIPOC clients and the necessity for anti-racist approaches to addressing addiction …

Perceived Preparedness And Self-Efficacy Of Counselors In Training In Online Programs, Monique Starling, Richard L. Green, Robyn T. Simmons

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The purpose of this transcendental, phenomenological study was to describe master’s-level Counselors-in-Training (CITs) perceived preparedness to treat real clients before transitioning to their practicum or internship experience. Adult learning theory and self-efficacy development theory guided this study. The research questions included a) How do master-level CITs describe their experience of perceived preparedness to real clients before transitioning to their practicum or internship experience? b) How do study participants describe the influence that the counseling program curriculum, including structure and practicum timing, had on their readiness to transition to practicum or internship? c) How do study participants describe the influence that …

Development And Implementation Of A Counseling Professional Identity Development Exercise, Alexander M. Fields, Ashley F. Waddington, Rachel Gilreath, Madeline Castle, Kara M. Schneider, Lucas M. Perez

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The professional identity of counselors is critical for distinguishing the counseling profession from related helping professionals. This paper presents the development and implementation of a novel counseling professional identity (CPI) development exercise, Weekly CPI Statements. The intervention was integrated into a 5-week CACREP introduction to counseling course to facilitate counselor trainees' (CTs) understanding and articulation of the CPI. Through thematic analysis, we examined themes of 29 CTs (school counseling, clinical mental health counseling, and marriage, couples, and family therapy graduate students) experiences after completing the Weekly CPI Statements. The final themes were (a) Encouraged Critical Thinking, (b) Supported Professional Development …

Applying Supervision To Animal Assisted Therapy: Using The Integrative Development Model, Rachel W. Rachlinski, Kelli A. Mcfarland

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

A study conducted by Hartwig and Smelser (2018) reported 91.7% of clinicians being aware of animal assisted therapy (AAT) who agree it is a legitimate treatment model. However, 57% of respondents expressed interest in receiving AAT training. Although published standards and competencies published by ACA and IAHAIO indicate the requirement for clinical supervision when implementing AAT, research does not address supervision protocols for AAT. This manuscript suggests a protocol for supervising the implementation of AAT. The consequence of untrained supervisors is the potential harm to the well-being of the client as well as the clinician and the animal. As such, …

Culturally-Affirming Service-Learning For Counselors-In-Training: Child-Parent Relationship Therapy Training With Spanish-Speaking Families, Karen M. Roller, Szu-Yu Chen, Katrina Volante

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The Spanish-speaking community is the largest underserved language group in the United States. To advance social justice advocacy and multicultural humility for this language group, the field of counselor education needs to create pedagogical scaffolding for non-Spanish-speaking counselors-in-training to work with interpreters to support Spanish-speaking families, while also enhancing language-concordant training for Spanish-English bilingual counselors-in-training. We utilized a critical race research design to explore six counselors-in-training’s experience participating in service-learning through online facilitation of Child-Parent Relationship Therapy with Spanish-speaking families. Interpretative phenomenological analysis of qualitative data yielded four major themes: (a) collaboration, (b) improved awareness, (c) growth and strength, and …

Counseling Program Advisory Committees: A Structural Recommendation, Allison K. Arnekrans, Ellen Armbruster, Leslie Neyland-Brown, Robin Dufresne

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The 2024 CACREP accreditation standards now require counseling programs to assemble a program advisory committee to solicit feedback from stakeholders. While many programs have opted to establish advisory committees despite the lack of a requirement in the past, the inclusion of this new standard challenges programs to become more intentional and structured. The history and purpose of advisory committees will be reviewed, and a proposed structure is offered as a recommendation for programs.

Teaching Counselors To Work With Infants And Young Children: Why It Matters, Tricia Woodliff, Rachel Jacoby

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) is a culturally informed, relationally focused area of clinical expertise which addresses the social-emotional needs of very young children and their families. At this time, although counselors are often providers of this type of clinical work, very little training exists in counselor education programs. This brief explores the integration of this work into counselor education by describing a seamless integration of the IECMH concepts into already existing course work.

Pcsk-9 Inhibitors Treatment: The Cardiovascular Disparity, Julia Lees, Seana-Pierre Williams, Tahir Razzaq, Michael B. Roberts

The Journal of Integrated Primary Care

Introduction: According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Heart Association (AHA), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. This phenomenon disproportionally affects the African American population, who have a 31% higher mortality rate than non-Hispanic Caucasian individuals. A retrospective review of PCSK-9 medication use, specifically in a patient population that had minimal representation in the large, landmark clinical trials, can lead to better understanding about the therapeutic potential in cardiovascular disease reduction and patient outcomes attributed to medication use. Education regarding this novel drug class, medication access and patient support, …

Advancing Sports-Related Concussion Management: Integrating Evidence-Based Protocols, Emerging Diagnostics, And Personalized Care, Anvitha Kaguturu, Colin Rhoads, Donald Penney

The Journal of Integrated Primary Care

Background

Sports-related concussions (SRC) are a prevalent and complex public health issue, with 1.6-3.8 million cases annually in the United States. Increased awareness has led to higher rates of emergency and primary care consultations, yet many healthcare providers lack the resources or training to apply current evidence-based guidelines. The evolving understanding of concussion pathophysiology and long-term outcomes, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), highlights the need for updated management strategies.

Objectives

This study aims to review current approaches to SRC management, from initial diagnosis to return-to-play, while exploring advances in biomarkers, neuroimaging, and genetic testing that could improve the prediction and …

A Pilot Study Of A Manualized Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention For Opioid Use Disorder Delivered In A Community-Based Public Health Organization, Michelle R. Lent, Denise Botcheos, Chad Gurdgiel, Hannah R. Callahan, Liam Gilroy

The Journal of Integrated Primary Care

This pilot study evaluated a previously untested cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention designed specifically to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). Adults (N = 20) taking medication for OUD were recruited from a public health organization providing harm reduction and treatment services to people who use drugs in Philadelphia. Outcomes collected at baseline and 12 weeks included urinalysis-confirmed use of illicit drugs and surveys of mood (Patient Health Questionnaire-9; Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), recovery capital (Brief Assessment of Recovery Capital-10), and cravings (Brief Substance Craving Scale). Feasibility and acceptability were assessed via retention rates, the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8, and the number of …

Improving The Quality Of Veteran Health Care By Optimizing Va Integrated Primary Care: 20 Years And Beyond Of The Center For Integrated Healthcare, Jennifer S. Funderburk, Robyn Shepardson, Gregory Beehler, Kyle Possemato, Kristen Perry, Christina Shook, Jessica Martin, Katherine Dollar

The Journal of Integrated Primary Care

Primary care patients often present with mental and behavioral health concerns, such as depression or insomnia, leaving medical teams scrambling. To help fill this gap and increase access to care while aligning with patient preferences, a new service delivery model of integrated care, characterized by embedding behavioral health providers within medical teams, was embraced in a grassroots effort, with the VA being one of the first healthcare systems to implement it throughout all primary care settings. A common challenge to grassroot efforts is the lack of research establishing effectiveness and identifying ways to optimize the innovation’s impact. Innovative VA leaders …

Framing The Future: A Community Health Analysis Of The Pee Dee Region, Stephen Borders, Jean Anton, Rian Fontaine, Donielle Phillips, Treyton Ringer, Jessica Robinson, Caitlin Thompkins

Public Health

This report presents a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of community health across South Carolina’s Pee Dee region, encompassing Florence, Darlington, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Marion, and Dillon Counties. Using tract-level data from CDC PLACES, the U.S. Census, and the National Provider Identifier registry, it assesses chronic health conditions, health behaviors, and social determinants of health. The analysis incorporates the South Carolina Healthy Communities Index (SCHCI) and a Suitability Analysis to identify the region’s most disadvantaged communities. The findings highlight persistent disparities, particularly in rural counties, where high rates of poverty, chronic disease, and unmet basic needs intersect with limited access to care. Despite …

“Invisible Populations”: A Policy Brief Approach To Address Housing Data Needs In Vulnerable Communities, Kristin E. Moser

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Abstract

Background: Dependent adult children with severe mental illness (ASMI) living with aging parents have been an increasing population over decades due to lack of supportive housing and services in the community. ASMI living with aging parents is a high-risk group for housing instability and future homelessness. Local Problem: A limited amount of literature and data exist to determine the size and needs of the population of ASMI living with aging parents. A collaboration with University of San Francisco (USF) and non-profit, Solutions for Supportive Homes (S4SH) of San Mateo County (SMC) formed to disseminate information and quantify the “invisible …

Concerned Philosophers For Peace, Vol. 33 (2025), Concerned Philosophers For Peace

Concerned Philosophers for Peace

In addition to organizational information, honors, and awards, this issue contains the following articles:

• "The Nature, Ethics, and Politics of Uncivil Obedience," by Jennifer Kling
• "Hegemonic Gamblers Playing with Nuclear Fire," by Edward Demenchonok
• "The Truth Will Set Us Free: A Reflection and Response," by Angela Walter
• "On ‘The Post War Dream’: 80 Years Since the Nightmare," by Court Lewis

Meeting People Where They Are At: Accessible Approaches To Ceramic Design And The Artistic Process, Molly E. Thompson

Publications and Research

This paper explores accessibility for disabled people in ceramics, drawing upon my personal experiences as a disabled potter at Artistry Community Arts Center in Vermont. I begin with a discussion of how the process of creating pottery can be made more accessible, with a list of adaptable tools I have discovered and anecdotes about how pottery instructors can adapt their teaching styles to different needs. I then explore different examples of adaptive pottery made specifically for disabled people, including some of my own work. While recounting my own successes and failures in pottery production, I conclude that imperfection is the …