Social Welfare Commons^™

After Houselessness: Queer Youth Of Color Severed From Cultural And Spiritual Community, Carrie Fuentes, Miriam Abelson

Student Research Symposium

Within the Portland Oregon Houseless Youth Continuum, to what extent are the particular needs of Queer Youth of Color being served by existing programs? There is a gap between the nature of houseless youth services and the need for Queer Youth of Color to rebuild the missing connections resulting from cultural or spiritual rupture that creates a disconnection from their ancestry and community estrangement. Programs exist that offer assistance to QYOC in crisis but these programs lack in a positive connection to spiritual and cultural legacy that will support long term self-efficacy.

The proposed research goal is to examine these …

A Partnership's Capacity For Community Impact Understood Through Neoliberal Technologies Of Risk And Responsibilization: A Look At Worcester Massachusetts Senator Charles E. Shannon Jr. Community Safety Initative Partnership Worcester Massachusetts’ Senator Charles E. Shannon Jr. Community Safety Initiative Partnership, Katie Byrne

Sustainability and Social Justice

Since 2006, the Charles E. Shannon Jr. Community Safety Initiative has sought to reduce youth and gang violence in multiple Massachusetts cities through partnerships of community organizations, research institutions and police departments. Worcester, Massachusetts was an original recipient of Shannon funding due to its historic and increasing problem of youth and gang violence. Using a framework of governmentality, one of the ways crime is problematized and controlled is through the use of neoliberal technologies of risk and responsibilization, underscoring neoliberalism’s emphasis on personal responsibility. When risk is used to govern and assigned to individuals and groups of people living in …

"Refugee Industrial Complex," Neoliberal Governance Within The Resettlement Industry And Its Effects: Is An Alternative Structure Possible?, Amira F. Al-Dasouqi

Sustainability and Social Justice

Within the current political climate and discussions surrounding displacement, refugee resettlement is a ‘hot-button’ issue. While working at one of the largest resettlement agencies in New England, the author began to analyze how power itself is structured within the Refugee Resettlement Industry (RRI) nationally. This paper argues that the RRI is embedded within neoliberal governance and can be better understood and improved with this understanding. The author argues for the term “Refugee [Resettlement] Industrial Complex,” to more adequately understand the ways that power is enacted through the current structure, and how it inhibits social justice work rooted in advocating for …

Predicting Depression In Older Adults: Community Vs. Nursing Home, Hannah Vitello, Skye Leedahl

Senior Honors Projects

With the population of the United States slowly growing older, the issues surrounding long-term services and supports (LTSS) will become more prevalent. Little research has been done comparing older adults living in nursing homes to older adults living in the community, especially regarding mental health and depression. Depression is a mental illness that affects people emotionally and physically, as well as mentally, which can lead easily into other health complications in the older adult population. This study seeks to determine if factors such as demographics, health, social interaction, and family relationships affect mental health in nursing home residents differently than …

Implementation Of The Public Distribution System: An Empirical Analysis Of The Right To Food In An Urban Slum, Dipika Jain, Brian Tronic

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Malnutrition is one of the biggest problems facing India today. Thus, the functioning of the Public Distribution System (PDS) - which provides subsidized food to hundreds of millions of people is critically important. However, while numerous studies have evaluated the performance of the PDS in rural areas, there is a notable lack of research in urban slums, a rapidly growing population. Through interviews with PDS beneficiaries and other stakeholders, the present study examines the PDS in one slum in Delhi and finds numerous problems, including low quality grain, corruption, and the lack of an effective complaint mechanism. Although several states …

Mother-To-Mother: Creating A Peer Mentor Program For Mothers In Homelessness, Taylor D. Hartman

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Mothers with children represent a growing segment of the homeless population. The American Psychological Association (APA) responded to the problem by initiating a task force in 2009 calling psychologists to step forward and enhance the treatment and services available for this population. However, providing treatment is often a challenge for this population because of the power differential and other barriers that negatively impact the potential relationship between mental health providers and the person living in homelessness (Hoffman & Coffey, 2008). The use of a peer mentor to mitigate the risk factors for a specific population has been an effective intervention …

How Code Enforcement Mitigates Hoarding In The Community, Jason Gibilisco

Master's Projects

No abstract provided.

Wic Program Evaluation: A Breastfeeding Study, Christina Damouny

Master's Projects

Poor nutrition is prevalent among low-income pregnant and postpartum women, and infants. Inadequate nutrition during these vital stages can have negative effects on the health status of this population. The Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) was established specifically to help low-income women and children lead healthy lives by providing nutrition education, referrals to healthcare and other health-related services, breastfeeding promotion, and economic resources to purchase nutritious foods at retail grocery stores. WIC has been shown to have an influence on participating mothers’ infant feeding decisions for both formula- feeding and breastfeeding. Although WIC is mandated to provide breastfeeding education …

Exchange Patterns And Relations In Collaborative Governance., Charles Wharton Kaye-Essien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collaborative governance has received considerable attention in recent years. From environmental resource management to public safety, collaborative governance continues to play a vital role in regional problem solving. In spite of this increasing popularity previous attempts to model the political, economic, and demographic determinants of collaboration have in most cases produced inconsistent results, thereby undermining the ability to generalize from such findings. Additionally, our understanding of the relational patterns that emanate from collaborative agreements remains fairly rudimentary. The main objective of this research is to address some of the gaps in the literature and improve our understanding of collaborative governance …

The Birth Of Development: The Social, Economic And Environmental Advantages To Contraceptive Use On A Global Scale, Linda Hanes

Honors Theses

For many women around the world, pregnancy is a miraculous, exciting stage in life. But for others pregnancy means financial burden, having to stay in an abusive relationship, or giving up a career. What many people forget is that motherhood is not the default position for women. As a result of the traditional views of acceptable roles regarding women, in most, if not all cultures, there is a stigma placed on family planning and abortion. To talk about contraceptive use is to admit that sex is a natural part of life for all genders. Many cultures are not prepared to …

Inequality, Mobility, And Cities, Alan Berube

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

Inequality may be the result of global economic forces, but it matters in a local sense. Large population, diverse housing types, and generally progressive politics mean that big cities will always have higher shares of the rich and poor than smaller places. But a city where the rich are very rich, and the poor very poor, is likely to face difficulties educationally, fiscally, and socially. In the face of these economic forces and political gridlock in Washington, many cities are becoming the testing ground for new public policies to fight inequality and promote social mobility: local minimum wages, new affordable …

Why Children, Adults And The Elderly Are Living On The Streets In Moroccan Cities And What Morocco Is Doing About It., Nora Charidah

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aim of this independent study project is to explore the determinants of homelessness in the cities of Morocco, more specifically in Rabat,Casablanca and Salé, and how Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) are working to eradicate this epidemic. Poverty, Dysfunctional Families, Mental Illness and Addiction can all be causes as well as results of homelessness; all of these factors have the potential of seriously affecting individuals throughout the entirety of their life. Children, Adults and the Elderly are all affected by poverty throughout Morocco yet street children and the rural impoverished are the populations of the homeless where most research predominately focuses. …

Rhetoric Vs Reality: Public Opinion On Immigration In The United States, Elizabeth M. Belair

Student Publications

The United States has a rich and interesting history of immigration. The country itself was created by waves of immigrants who came from across the globe. Although immigration has always existed in the U.S., the number of immigrants coming to the United States has increased during the 21st century, and as a result, a controversial debate surrounding the consequences of immigration has emerged. In this paper I examine how Americans view the debate on immigration, specifically focusing on what affects public opinion on this topic. I find that shifts in public opinion do not reflect changes in immigration patterns but …

Age-Friendly Yarmouth Needs Assessment Report, Jan Mutchler, Ceara Somerville, Maryam Khaniyan, Molly Evans, Mai See Yang, Lindsey A. Baker, Hayley Gleason

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

Communities throughout the nation are pursuing new strategies to promote health and quality of life among their residents. In 2014, the Town of Yarmouth joined the Age-Friendly Network through the World Health Organization and embarked on a five-year process to evaluate the community’s age-friendly features, plan for improvements, and implement change. The primary purpose of this report is to describe findings developed as part of the initial needs assessment phase of Yarmouth’s age-friendly initiative.

The Chinese Housing Registration System (Hukou): Bridge Or Wall?, Andrew Kryshak

Political Science Theses and Capstones

In 1958 the Chinese government created the hukou housing registration system to control the migration of Chinese citizens from rural to urban areas. A person’s hukou has major implications on their lives; it controls food rations, medical benefits, quality of education, as well as movement within the country. I look to answer the question of whether the hukou can be seen as a bridge with which individuals achieve socially, or is it better seen as a wall that prevents social advancement. This has been a question that researchers have been looking into for many years but there has been no …

Boston Children Thrive In 5: Connecting Families, Building Community, Year 4 - Summative Evaluation Brief, Prepared For Thrive In 5, Donna Haig Friedman, Mary Coonan, Anne Douglass, Alice Carter

Center for Social Policy Publications

Boston is a diverse vibrant community that has become a 'majority minority' city; 64% of Boston households with young children are people of color. However, economic and racial disparities hinder the realization of children's potential: over 38,000 children five and younger live in the city and 24% of these children live below the federal poverty line.

In 2008, cognizant of persistent academic achievement gaps, especially for low income children and children of color in the city, the late Mayor, Thomas M. Menino, and United Way of Massachusetts Bay issued a school readiness call for action. Sixty-five community leaders, representing all …

A Critical Analysis Of The Public Sphere: How The Lgbtq Movement Utilizes And Occupies Space In Morocco, Katherine Hirsch

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines the nature of the LGBTQ movement in Morocco in relation to the theoretical concept of the public sphere. Specifically, it explores what spaces LGBTQ organizations, which do not have access to the public sphere in Morocco, occupy in order to pursue activism. Theory surrounding the public sphere and collective social movements is very much based on a Western perspective, despite claims of universalism. Western theory defines modern social movements by collective action, a unified movement, occupying and the public sphere as a site of resistance. However, this fails to recognize the fact that many people in semi-authoritarian …

Eating In East Harlem: An Assessment Of Changing Foodscapes In Community District 11, 2000-2015, Cuny Urban Food Policy Institute At The Cuny School Of Public Health And Health Policy, Nicholas Freudenberg, Melissa Fuster, Diana Johnson, Marissa Sheldon, Michele Silver, Apoorva Srivastava, Janet Poppendieck, Ashley Rafalow, Nevin Cohen

Publications and Research

The report analyzes changes in five domains -- food retail, food insecurity and food benefits, institutional food, food and nutrition education, and diet-related health conditions -- in East Harlem from before the election of Michael Bloomberg through the first two years of the de Blasio Administration. Its goal is to assess the ways in which food environments in East Harlem have improved, stayed the same, or worsened in this 15-year period in order to inform setting food policy goals for the next 5, 10 or 15 years.

Although East Harlem is blessed with a multitude of organizations and individuals dedicated …

Fearless Friday: Sherfy Battlefield Garden, Emma E. Korowotny

SURGE

In this edition of Fearless Friday, we’re highlighting one of the newer service projects that Gettysburg College is involved with: Sherfy Battlefield Garden. This summer will mark the fourth planting season at Sherfy, which was developed in 2013 by Hannah Grose ’13. The garden is located just off of Emmitsburg Road by the house that, in 1860, belonged to Joseph Sherfy and his family. Bullet holes mar the brick walls of the farmhouse, testifying to the fighting that occurred all over the fifty acres of Joseph Sherfy’s farmland on the last two days of the Battle of Gettysburg. Sites of …

Socioeconomic Segregation And The Location Of Assisted Living Facilities In Wa State, Miranda M. Anderson

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

This research project looks at the relationships between segregation by socio-economic status, race & ethnicity, and the location of assisted living facilities in the state of Washington. We know that segregation affects a variety of living conditions and life chances and outcomes, such as employment, housing, and school success rates. We lack research, however, on the effects of segregation on the location of assisted living facilities. Are assisted living homes being located in heavily segregated neighborhoods? Assisted living homes are not subject to the standard regulations that a nursing home is, and often the residents of these homes are not …

Sustainable Development Goals Worth Sharing, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

The international community has agreed upon another set of goals for the next 15 years. On the table are no less than 169 objectives and 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The new aspirations are summarized and the merits and demerits of further elaboration and measurement including country-specific deadlines and targets are discussed. The hefty budget to achieve all 17 goals is estimated at more than $4 trillion US a year. North American policy-makers need to be aware of humankind’s shared aspirations as they consider the new and expensive SDGs. Foreign aid is one of the instruments of North American foreign …

Impact : Issue 7, Patients' Behbud Society

IMPACT – The Aga Khan University Hospital Archives

Content

- PBS Celebrates 15 Years of Health and hope!

- Mind Over Matter

- Curing Complex Conditions - The Mind and Brain Service Line at AKUH

- “Its a Collective Reponsibility" - Mr. Riaz Siddiqui

The Changing Geography Of Poverty & Opportunity In Nevada, Elizabeth Kneebone

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

Today, suburbs are home to the largest and fastest growing poor population in the country. Regions like Las Vegas have been at the forefront of that trend since 2000. Elizabeth Kneebone, co-author of the book Confronting Suburban Poverty in America, will discuss the rapid growth of poverty and concentrated disadvantage in the suburbs; how these trends intersect with the changing location of affordable housing, services, transit, and jobs; and what the changing geography of poverty means for policymakers and practitioners in Nevada working to promote economic opportunity throughout the state.

The Impact Of Length Of Stay On Adjudicated Male Youths;' Language Use: Focusing On Linguistic Analysis Of Verbal Samples, Yousun Shin Ph.D., Terry P. Overton Ph.D., Ed.D., Zelica Espinoza M.Ed.

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

The primary purpose of the study was to examine the impact of the length of juvenile offenders’ stay in a residential facility on attitudinal changes, measured by language use of 22 participants’ interviews analyzed by using a computerized text tool called Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) to obtain a measure of language use. A series of one-way ANOVA (SPSS 18.0 version) were used to examine the differences between the groups identified by the length of stay and interview interval. The results indicate that the length of stay significantly impacts language use regarding the language categories of affective process words …

In Defense Of Culturally-Specific Organizations: Understanding The Rationale And The Evidence, Ann Curry-Stevens, Jennifer Sita Muthanna

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Racial disparities abound in human services, with communities of color facing grave impediments to positive progress. Mainstream institutions move painstakingly slowly on reforms—movement too slow to offer this generation prospects for real hope in equity. This paper builds the rationale for expanding funding for culturally-specific organizations, detailing the ways that the literature and the tacit knowledge of culturally-specific organizations improve outcomes for clients and communities of color. The article identifies the service benefits in terms of client outcomes, accountability practices, community benefits, cultural affirmation and inclusion, building community and political capital, and lessening investments in white-centric services. We also identify …

Public Participation In Public Policy: Case Studies On Egypt’S Right To Information Draft Law And National Plan, Yasmin Khodary

Political Science

In multiple international conventions, such as the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, public participation was emphasized as a genuine and inseparable human right. However, public participation should not be only perceived as a human right, but also as a precondition and a necessity for an all-inclusive, informed and sustainable development. This research reviewed two public participation processes that were carried out in Egypt post to the 25th of January Revolution. While utilizing participant observation as one of the most important research methods, this research described and assessed the strengths and weaknesses …

U.S. Employment Outlook For 2016, Randall W. Eberts

Periodical Articles

No abstract provided.

Certified Peer Support Specialists: Advancing Peer Support Services In Deaf Mental Health Care, Michael John Gournaris Ph.D, Lp

JADARA

The Peer Support Services is now considered an important element in the present-day mental health care delivery systems. In some states, this type of service is slowly gaining in Deaf Mental Health Care. This article covers several important areas in Peer Support Services including learning about the role of a Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS). This also consists of research, billing, code of ethics, CPSS training curricula, estimates of deaf CPSS in the United States, and Minnesota’s CPSS program model including its outcomes & recommendations. This article also justifies why we must advance Peer Support Services in Deaf Mental Health …

Enhancing The Resilience Of Indigenous Peoples Through A Climate-Smart Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development And Protection Plan, Margaret M. Calderon, Cristino L. Tiburan, Jr., Maria Ana T. Quimbo, Florderiza A. Sanchez, Samantha Geraldine G. De Los Santos

CPAf Policy Brief

This Policy Brief was based on the research project entitled Enhancing Resilience and Coping Capacity of Indigenous Peoples to Changing Climate. This was funded by the Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Foundation, Inc., and administratively managed by the UPLB Foundation, Inc. For further information, contact Dr. Maria Ana T. Quimbo (Project Leader), University of the Philippines Los Baños at [email protected]

Poverty In Metropolitan Richmond - Overview, John V. Moeser

Poverty in Metropolitan Richmond

Data for the charts, tables, and maps are the most recent from the U.S. Census, American Community Survey, 2010-2014, Five-Year Estimates. Five-year estimates are used rather than one-year or three-year estimates in order to reduce the margin of error. All slides about each of the localities include data about race. Slides reflect data from 1990-2014.