Social Work Commons^™

"I Was Taught To Think Of My Body As Too Sexual": Comparative Thematic Analysis Of Parent And Peer Messages About The Body During Adolescence, Erin Nolen, Catherine Cubbin, Shetal Vohra-Gupta, Helena Lewis-Smith

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Parents and peers play an important role in adolescents' body image and embodiment. Messages girls receive about sex and puberty during these formative years can contribute to either positive embodiment or disrupted/disconnected embodiment. To better understand how these messages are constructed in adolescence, we conducted a comparative thematic analysis of self-reported, retrospective accounts of messages conveyed by parents and peers. We administered an online survey using Prolific, which included open-text questions that we analyzed for this study. Participants were 339 cisgender women aged 19 to 29 (M = 24.4, SD = 2.84). Participants identified as Asian/Pacific Islander (23.0%), Black (22.4%), …

Pics 101: Understanding Post-Incarceration Syndrome, Nicole L. Wiesen

Forensic Scholars Today

The psychological consequences of incarceration have been documented for decades, yet there remains no widely accepted trauma-informed framework specifically designed to conceptualize the cumulative effects of incarceration on individuals returning to their communities. Post-Incarceration Syndrome (PICS) is an emerging conceptual framework that seeks to integrate biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors associated with incarceration-related trauma and community reintegration. Building upon foundational research in prisonization, institutionalization, trauma, and correctional psychology—particularly the work of Craig Haney and other scholars examining the lasting effects of incarceration—the PICS framework provides clinicians, researchers, educators, and correctional professionals with a biopsychosocial lens through which to understand …

Trauma-Informed Education For Teachers As A Form Of Disaster Preparedness And Mitigation Across Cultural Contexts, Emma A. Aellen

Master of Arts in Human Services

Natural disasters are ecological events that cause mass casualties and physical destruction. They are also psychological and cultural happenings which shape the lives of the affected people well beyond the immediate crisis. Emergency response systems have historically prioritized the needs for material relief, such as food, shelter, and infrastructure repair, but all while neglecting mental health support. This review draws on disaster psychology, education, and community resilience research, including cross-cultural, organizational, and institutional theory, intervention programs, and disaster mental health policy. Sources were analyzed thematically to build a multi-actor framework linking teachers, schools, and communities in post-disaster recovery. The review …

Individual And Community-Level Trauma And Resiliency From Tornadoes, Taylor M. Guerin

Master of Arts in Human Services

This research paper’s goal was to examine the extent and impact of tornado-related PTSD on individual and community levels in relation to factors such as property damage, mass displacement, cumulative trauma, and seasonal retraumatization. The United States has the most tornado touchdowns globally, placing communities in supercell-prone areas, including Tornado Alley, at higher risk of repeated storm trauma that can affect emotional well-being, sense of safety, and overall financial security (Strader et al., 2024). This researcher utilized a comprehensive literature review approach to examine rates of PTSD, the long-term effects of tornado recovery, the risk of community-level trauma, and to …

Asking Questions Of The Data: Operationalizing The Disruptive Aims Of Poststructural Discourse Analysis, Maxxine Rattner

The Qualitative Report

I wrote this paper to support qualitative researchers in accessibly engaging with poststructural discourse analysis. In it, I detail how I flexibly adapted this methodology to meet my study’s aims. I begin by outlining poststructural understandings of discourse and explaining why a researcher may choose a poststructural discourse analysis for a study’s theoretical and methodological framework. While published poststructural discourse analyses commonly draw upon Foucauldian concepts to guide analysis, in this paper I share a more expansive approach. I demonstrate how developing and asking questions of the data can be one way to analyze diverse texts for the presence of …

Walking With Families Through End-Of-Life Care And Grief, Julie B. Van Otterloo

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Loved ones are not giving up; they are choosing to support the patient in living their best life, focusing on quality, dignity, and comfort rather than continuing treatments."

Posting about hospice care from In All Things, a blog which highlights the shared faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian perspective of our writers, exploring how to fearlessly engage with every aspect of modern life—until all is made new.

Walking with Families Through End-of-Life Care and Grief

Leading The Way: Dsws In Organizational And Social Work Leadership, Lisa A. Street, Rebecca S. Beeler

Journal for Social Work Scholar-Practitioners

Social workers are often overlooked for positions in organizational leadership. Although social workers dominate the workforce in many human services organizations, leadership positions are commonly held by those with general management or other degrees. The lack of educational preparation and formal training in leadership and a lack of leadership presence in the field have been deemed a social work leadership crisis. Yet, social workers possess unique skillsets that can translate well into strong organizational leadership—if properly cultivated, promoted, and pursued. With the resurgence of the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree, now is a prime opportunity for more social workers …

Safeguarding Childhood: A Comprehensive Review Of Child Abuse In Pakistan, Zohra Asad, Khadija Khaja

Journal for Social Work Scholar-Practitioners

Child abuse is a phenomenon that has affected children from every country, culture, or socio-economic class. Children who are abused or neglected may be more likely to repeat the cycle of violence by entering violent relationships as teens and adults, or with some abusing their children. This paper aims to explore child abuse in Pakistan, the incidence of child abuse, and ways to address it. This academic article seeks to investigate and examine the patterns of child abuse in Pakistan. This report offers insights into the prevalence, types, risk factors, and effects of child abuse in Pakistan by reviewing the …

Treating The Trauma Beneath The Violence: A Reappraisal Of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrator Interventions, Huda S. Shaikh, Vanessa Cordoba

Journal for Social Work Scholar-Practitioners

Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a global public health emergency with little meaningful reduction in prevalence over the past two decades, despite extensive micro-level interventions targeting perpetrators through batterer intervention programs (BIPs) and legal accountability mechanisms (Arce et al., 2020; Babcock et al., 2004; Shetty, 2025; WHO, 2025). Using a macro social work and epistemological lens, this paper argues that the IPV field and judicial systems, particularly in the United States, have relied on an outdated and largely reactive paradigm that obscures the trauma histories of perpetrators, neglects intergenerational and neurobiological mechanisms, and perpetuates epistemic injustice toward both survivors and …

Becoming A Scholar-Practitioner: Reflections From A Dsw Journey, Paulette S. Smith

Journal for Social Work Scholar-Practitioners

This reflective article examines the development of scholar-practitioner identity throughout a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program. Drawing from experiences in clinical practice, teaching, leadership development, and academic scholarship, the article explores how doctoral education transformed the author’s understanding of the relationship between research, practice, and social work leadership. Attention is given to the integration of scholarship into real-world practice and the evolution of professional identity through critical reflection, applied research, and curriculum development.

The article highlights the development of a 14-week master’s-level social work curriculum focused on the social justice implications of cannabis prohibition as a central capstone project. …

Reconsidering The Dsw-Phd Divide In Social Work Education: Administrative Implications For Faculty Roles, Recognition, And Support, Jesse Gilreath, Laura H. Trull, Brittany Stahnke, Madeline Shipley

Journal for Social Work Scholar-Practitioners

As Doctor of Social Work (DSW) programs expand and increasing numbers of DSW graduates enter academia, questions persist regarding how DSW and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) preparation are valued and integrated within social work education. Historically, the PhD has been viewed as the primary pathway for academic careers, while the DSW has been framed as a practice-oriented degree. However, this distinction increasingly reflects institutional assumptions rather than actual faculty contributions. This commentary examines the evolving role of DSW-prepared faculty in academic social work by integrating existing literature with findings from an illustrative survey of DSW-prepared faculty in Council on Social …

Becoming People Who See: Walking Alongside Those Impacted By Trauma, Kara L. Nutt

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"In a world fixated on resilience and overcoming hardship, Christians are called to recognize and respond to the realities of trauma."

Posting about hearing and healing trauma­­­­­­­­ from In All Things, a blog which highlights the shared faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian perspective of our writers, exploring how to fearlessly engage with every aspect of modern life—until all is made new.

Becoming People Who See: Walking Alongside Those Impacted by Trauma

The Doctorate Of Social Work Program At Stephen F. Austin State University: Preparing Scholars To Meet Community Needs, Jose Carbajal, Stephanie Washington, Emmerentie Oliphant, Rigaud Joseph, Mohit Prodhan, Freddie L. Avant

Journal for Social Work Scholar-Practitioners

The Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree has experienced substantial growth in recent years, accompanied by renewed discussion regarding its role, rigor, and distinction from the PhD in social work. This conceptual paper examines the evolution of DSW education and highlights the DSW program at Stephen F. Austin State University as a model of scholar-practitioner preparation designed to address complex community needs, particularly in rural and underserved regions. The paper first reviews the historical development of DSW programs in the United States and the changing expectations surrounding practice doctorates. It then describes the rationale, structure, and capstone framework of the …

Examining The Barriers Of Youth Homelessness And Its Impact On The Utilization Of Mental Health Care Services, Layla A. Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This paper examines the barriers of youth homelessness and its impact on the utilization of mental health services for this demographic. Youth experiencing homelessness encounter many barriers including but not limited to mental health concerns, social obstacles, and street victimization. Understanding how homelessness impacts the access and utilization of mental health services among youth experiencing homelessness is important. Overall, the literature discusses significant findings, gaps in research, and suggestions for future research. Increased knowledge of how homeless youth access mental health care services and the barriers will help to increase awareness to help decrease barriers. The purpose of this quantitative …

Barriers To Mental Health Treatment In A Rural County: Perceptions From Local Service Providers, Jennifer Cantu

Journal for Social Work Scholar-Practitioners

Though the prevalence of mental health issues is similar in rural and urban areas, it has been found that those living in rural areas experience significant disparities related to mental health treatment. This qualitative study examined how professionals’ perceptions of barriers to mental health is a rural county in Texas. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with service providers across health, social service, and community settings. A thematic analysis of the data found that the county experienced a shortage of mental health providers, limited transportation, high out-of-pocket costs, gaps in insurance, and inconsistent broadband access, which could limit the effectiveness of telehealth. …

Adult Sexual Grooming Needs Its Own Model: A Critical Conceptual Analysis, Christin M. Aletky

Journal for Social Work Scholar-Practitioners

Adult sexual grooming (ASG) is understudied, conceptually ambiguous, and often conflated with child sexual grooming (CSG). Existing models rely heavily on child-centered frameworks, limiting the field’s ability to recognize the adult-specific dynamics of manipulation, coercive control, and institutional vulnerability. This paper examines the limitations of current definitions and argues that ASG requires its own conceptual foundation. Drawing on the literature, the paper highlights three core distinctions between ASG and CSG: the erosion of meaningful consent in adult contexts, the relational ambiguity inherent in roles such as mentor, pastor, supervisor, or professor, and the influence of rigid power structures that legitimize …

Are Accountability Courts In Georgia A Cost-Effective Public Health Policy Alternative?, Brian D. Graves, Orion Mowbray, Leaanne Derigne, Holly Lynde, Angel Ellis, Rachel Meyer

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of accountability courts in Georgia, presenting them as a viable alternative in public health policy.

Methods: The research utilized survey data collected from 37 court programs across 40 distinct accountability court programs; it was conducted by the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government in collaboration with the Council of Accountability Court Judges. The analysis includes a comparative assessment of cost savings, benefits, and differences among various court types, specifically focusing on drug courts, DUI courts, mental health courts, family treatment courts, and veterans treatment courts.

Results: Results reveal that …

Social Workers’ Experiences Navigating And Facilitating Advance Directives In Healthcare Settings, Shanice Kelley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Advance care planning and advance directives are essential to patient-centered healthcare; however, limited research has examined how social workers facilitate advance directive documentation in healthcare environments. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore how social workers describe and navigate the facilitation of advance directive documentation, including medical power of attorney, living wills, and out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate orders, within healthcare settings. Guided by ecological systems theory, this study examined how procedural, relational, and contextual factors across interacting systems influence social workers’ facilitation practices. Data were collected through semi structured one-on-one interviews with eight licensed social workers with direct experience …

Access And Utilization Of Counseling For People With Sexual Offense Histories, Darrell Antonio Jones Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a gap in understanding the low rate of utilization of mental health support services among adult men and women with criminal sex offense histories, which worsened mental health challenges for this population. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore human services professionals’ perceptions and recommendations about access and utilization of mental health counseling for formerly incarcerated adults with sexual offense histories. Grounded in the good lives model of offender rehabilitation, the research question was: How do human services professionals perceive access to and utilization of mental health, holistic, and wellness counseling for formerly incarcerated …

Intimate Partner Violence Victimization, Endorsement Of Masculinity Norms, And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Non-Latino Black, Latino, And Non-Latino White Male Ipv Victims: A Moderation Analysis, Kerry A. Lee, Denise A. Hines, Chiara Sabina, Lyric N. Russo, Jennifer L. Mezzapelle, Emily M. Douglas, Amanda J. Grolig

Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Objective: We examined racial/ethnic differences in endorsement of masculinity norms, intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and sociodemographic factors among non-Latino Black, Latino, and non-Latino White men. We also assessed the direct effects of IPV and endorsement of masculinity norms on PTSD, and the moderating effects of endorsement of masculinity norms on the IPV-PTSD relationship, controlling for relevant covariates.

Method: Participants (N = 1194; non-Latino Black: n = 299, non-Latino White: n = 299, and Latino: n = 596 men) were recruited via Centiment, a crowd-sourcing platform. Bivariate analyses examined racial/ethnic differences across study variables. Structural equation …

Swk 200: Introduction To Social Work Syllabus, Samantha Norris

Open Educational Resources

This Open Educational Resources (OER) syllabus was created for Introduction to Social Work (SWK 200) at the College of Staten Island, thanks to support from the CUNY Graduate Center’s Open Knowledge Fellowship.

The focus of SWK 200 is on introducing students to the profession of social work. This course examines the profession of social work, its value base, areas of practice, and societal role. Major social problems; philosophies of social welfare, provision, program and policy initiatives; and the response of social work as a profession are addressed. The obligation of professional social workers to promote social and economic justice on …

Acceptability And Implementation Of A Primary Care Health Check For Autistic People: Findings From Evaluation Questionnaires And Interviews, Hannah Merrick, Helen Taylor, Barry Ingham, Tracy Finch, Sarah A. Al-Ashmori, Ruby Herrington, Clare Scarlett, Carole Buckley, Christina Nicolaidis, Dora Raymaker, Multiple Additional Authors

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Autistic people experience higher rates of physical and mental health conditions and face barriers to accessing healthcare. This study evaluated the acceptability and implementation of a co-designed primary care health check for autistic people (18 years+), delivered within a randomised controlled trial in Northern England investigating clinical and costeffectiveness. Following health checks, all autistic people, carers/supporters, and clinicians were invited to complete evaluation questionnaires and a subset invited for an interview. Eighty-one autistic people, 11 carers/supporters, and 18 clinicians returned questionnaires and were descriptively analysed; 44 participants were interviewed. Findings demonstrated that the pre-appointment questionnaire and health check appointment were …

Mapping Coastal Community-Based Tourism Empowerment: Public Policy And Sustainable Development On Bangka Island, Putra Pratama Saputra, Hadiyanto Abdul Rachim, Arie Surya Gutama, Moch. Zaenal Hakim

Jurnal Wacana Politik

This study analyzes the conceptualization and practice of community-based tourism empowerment on Bangka Island, serving as a strategic approach to promote sustainable and inclusive coastal tourism. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, data were gathered through interviews with nine key informants, observations, and policy document analysis. Findings reveal that these empowerment initiatives significantly strengthen individual and institutional capacities, enhance community participation in tourism planning, and drive economic diversification from extractive industries to sustainable tourism. Furthermore, this approach facilitates economic transformation through the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and coastal ecotourism, concurrently reinforcing environmental conservation and cultural preservation. However, …

Exploring The Intersectional Identities Of Youth Mentees And Their Mentors In Shaping The Quality And Duration Of Their Relationships, Kristian V. Jones, Theresa N. Melton, Amy J. Anderson, Thomas E. Keller, David L. Dubois

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mentoring programs enjoy considerable empirical support as a strategy for supporting the positive development of youth, particularly those with marginalized identities (e.g., minoritized racial identities) and/or from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. There tends to be considerable variability, however, in both the quality of the mentor–mentee relationships established through programs and whether these relationships are sustained for intended periods of time. Research indicates these features of relationships can be significant influences on the outcomes of participating youth, thus making it imperative to better understand the factors that may contribute to mentoring relationship quality and duration. To expand inquiry in this area, the …

Monitoring Streambank Stabilization, Julie Field Wildschut, Andrea Lubberts, Matthew Herman, Caroline Keson

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Agenda

• Plaster Creek Stewards 
• Leisure Creek Condominium background & Implementation Overview 
• Monitoring Methods and Findings 
• Geomorphologic (Long-pro, cross-sections) 
• Geomorphologic (BANCS, BEHI, and erosion pin calibration) 
• Note about Hydrologic? 
• Pebble Counts? 
• Overall take aways

Human Service Professionals’ Support And Practice-Informed Strategies For Uninsured And Underinsured Adults Needing Mental Health-Related Services In Brazoria County, Texas, Henry Palacios

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Access to mental health-related services has remained a significant human services concern for uninsured and underinsured adults in Brazoria County, Texas, where financial, transportation, provider-capacity, and service-coordination barriers affected access and continuity of care. The purpose of this qualitative modified action research study was to explore how human service professionals supported uninsured and underinsured adults needing mental health-related services and to identify practice-informed strategies to improve access, coordination, and continuity of care. Lewin’s change theory provided the theoretical framework. The research question explored how human service professionals supported this population and identified strategies to strengthen access, coordination, and continuity of …

Enhancing Housing Stability Among Homeless Lgbtq+ Youth, Chaunita Lotoya Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies on LGBTQ+ youth homelessness, specifically concerning causes, health outcomes, and barriers to access, have garnered increased attention from social scientists in human services. Applying Ecker’s work, this study addressed how intersectionality impacts homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth, highlighting disparities related to race, poverty, and identified gender. This study also explored the question of whether family rejection is a significant cause of housing insecurity among LGBTQ+ youth. The methodology featured collaboration with service providers and generating recommendations informed by empirical research and professional practices. A semi-structured interview protocol was used to collect data for this study, ensuring comprehensive findings while providing …

Exploring Former Foster Parents’ Perspectives On The Resignation Process And Returning To Foster Care, David Michael Wermuth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The foster care system faces a persistent challenge in retaining foster parents, resulting in adverse outcomes for foster children. The literature identifies multiple reasons for foster parent attrition (e.g., foster agency dissatisfaction, life changes, and lack of resources and support). This study explored former foster parents’ narratives of exiting foster care. I illuminated how foster care agencies treat foster parents who exit the system and how this affects their attitude about the foster care system. General systems theory (GST) was used to guide the analysis. The research design was basic qualitative, and purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit …

The Men’S Rights Movement, Sean Fitzgerald

Creating Change: The Online Journal of Zines about Social Movements

No abstract provided.

The Prison Abolition Movement, Takajya Clayton

Creating Change: The Online Journal of Zines about Social Movements

No abstract provided.