Social Work Commons^™

Clients' Perceptions Of Protective And Risk Factors Influencing Substance Abuse Recovery, Bev Nora-Lea Scott

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to identify client perceptions of protective and risk factors that might influence recovery from substance abuse. Fifty clients in an outpatient drug treatment program in San Bernardino, California completed a survey containing both multiple choice and open-ended questions related to protective and risk factors the literature suggested might be related to recovery.

Local Policy Stakeholder Attitudes About Implementing And Sustaining Needle Exchange Programs In The Inland Empire, Katarina Kucavikova-Fillippelli

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to explore attitudes of local policy stakeholders in regards to needle exchange programs (NEPs), focusing on Riverside Council Members to conduct face-to-face interviews using nine closed and open-ended questions. The majority are opposed to implenting NEP's in their ward. Additionally, the majority of participants are opposed to the idea of harm reduction approach with intravenous drug users. This study may be helpful to anyone attempting to establish NEPs in Riverside in designing a public relations campaign that would effectively address the stigma associated with intravenous drug use, HIV/AIDS and needle exchange services.

Organizational Behavior In Mental Health Services: A Needs Assessment, Geovana Varela

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to know the needs of non-profit organizations that will help increase their effectiveness and enhance the delivery of mental health services.

Social Workers' Perceptions Of Self-Determination In The Mentally Ill, Tristin Dawn Alfred

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to add to existing literature regarding social worker's perceptions of and attitudes about self-determination in the mentally ill population. In addition, the study looked at how these biases affect the mentally ill population. A total of 51 social workers were asked to participate in this study.

The Impact Of Treatment On Parental Substance Misuse And Parenting Capacity, Dommonique Juanita Nichol Knox, Jennifer Leah Miller

Theses Digitization Project

This study assessed the parenting capacity of parents who have received various forms of substance abuse treatment and interventions throughout San Bernardino County. The study hoped to attain useful data on how these services have contributed to the parents' parenting capacity now that they are free from substance abuse and/or misuse.

The Effects Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder On Family Relationships, Melissa Leigh Weissmiller

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to explore the impacts that a loved one's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has on family relationships. With the majority of resources focused on the afflicted, the impacts on the family member and the relationship have implications for further programs and resources that should be focused on the family.

Alcohol Availability And Neighborhood Poverty And Their Relationship To Binge Drinking And Related Problems Among Drinkers In Committed Relationships, Christy M. Mckinney, Karen G. Chartier, Raul Caetano, T. Robert Harris

Social Work Publications

The authors examined the relationship of alcohol outlet density (AOD) and neighborhood poverty with binge drinking and alcohol-related problems among drinkers in married and cohabitating relationships and assessed whether these associations differed across sex. A U.S. national population couples survey was linked to U.S. Census data on AOD and neighborhood poverty. The 1,784 current drinkers in the survey reported on their binge drinking, alcohol-related problems, and other covariates. AOD was defined as the number of alcohol outlets per 10,000 persons and was obtained at the zip code level. Neighborhood poverty was as having a low (<20%) or high (≥20%) proportion of residents living in poverty at the census tract level. We used logistic regression for survey data to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals and tested for differences of associations by sex. Associations of neighborhood poverty with binge drinking were stronger for male than for female drinkers. The association of neighborhood poverty with alcohol-related problems was also stronger for men than for women. We observed no relationships between AOD and binge drinking or alcohol-related problems in this couples survey. Efforts to reduce binge drinking or alcohol-related problems among partners in committed relationships may have the greatest impact if targeted to male drinkers living in high-poverty neighborhoods. Binge drinking and alcohol-related problems, as well as residence in an impoverished neighborhood are risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) and other relationship conflicts.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Group Curriculum, Julie M. Wood

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The social workers at the MSH are treating many patients who have previous placements in chemical dependency treatment in addition to previous hospitalizations for their mental illness. Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselors (LADC) are employed at the hospital but not on unit 800 which is the crisis and intake unit. The hospital does not have funds available in their budget to add additional LADC staff at the present time.

Having a treatment group focusing on dual diagnosis would enable the patients to receive education and therapy for their addiction issues much earlier in the course of their treatment at MSH. …

Addressing The Physical Health Challenges Impacting Young Individuals With Major Mental Illness, Ryan P. Melton

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

Research has found that individuals who suffer from major mental illness, such as schizophrenia, are dying on average 15-25 years earlier than those who do not suffer from schizophrenia.1 Many causes for this shortened lifespan are suspected. Those causes include: lack of access to health care, suicide, poverty, substance use and side effects from anti-psychotic medications. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has challenged mental health providers treating major mental illness to address this disturbing trend by promoting their “10x10” campaign. The goal of the campaign is to increase the lifespan of individuals who suffer from major …

A Counselor’S Role In Diagnosing The Proposed Dsm-5 Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome: A Pathway To Early Intervention Or Iatrogenic Consequences?, Vanessa Jung Tirman, Ryan P. Melton

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

Psychosis in general, and schizophrenia specifically, are among the most debilitating and difficult to treat disorders in mental health (Correll, Hauser, Auther, & Cornblatt, 2010). Identifying a patient with at-risk symptoms before the first episode of schizophrenia can be invaluable to the patient, clinician, and the community because the patient is treated early in the course of the disease where treatment is highly effective. After years of research it has been confirmed that at-risk symptoms for schizophrenia generally precede the first episode of psychosis, which results in the diagnosis of schizophrenia (Correll et al., 2010). At present however, the assessment …

"First Impression": Creating An Intake Procedure That Is Welcoming To Clients And Useful To Clinicians, Brandi Embacher

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Have you ever contacted an agency and felt doubtful about their ability to help you due to the phone interaction or written correspondence you received? The significance of this Capstone project is to create an intake procedure that will leave a positive first impression for individuals seeking services with Mankato Marriage and Family Therapy Center (MMFTC).

Gender And Empowerment In Supported Housing : A Consumer-Oriented Empowerment Model For Adults With Psychiatric Disabilities And Histories Of Homelessness, Eleanor M. Jaffee

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Using data from an evaluation of a supported housing program for adults with psychiatric disabilities and histories of homelessness (n = 59), the relationships of gender and the presence of children with subjective measures of mental health, personal mastery, personal empowerment, social support, and quality of life were explored, and the results informed the development of a revised consumer-oriented empowerment model. Key findings include a significant relationship between gender and personal mastery and empowerment with women scoring significantly lower than men on measures of this construct, and the role of personal mastery and empowerment as a mediator between psychiatric symptoms …

Working With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Voices From The Field, Page Walker Buck, Rebecca G. Laster, Jocelyn Spencer Sagrati, Rachel Shapiro Kirzner

Social Work (Graduate) Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Of Social Stress, Economic Hardship, And Psychological Distress To Addiction Severity Among Kentucky Substance Abuse Treatment Participants, Elizabeth A. Wahler

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Stress is associated with poor mental health, specifically anxiety and depression, and stress and mental health problems are predictors of substance dependence and relapse. Social characteristics, such as racial/ethnic minority status, female gender, and low socioeconomic status, are often associated with increased psychological distress and substance use disorders. Pearlin’s social stress theory postulates that this association is due to increased exposure to stress and subsequent experiences of distress related to social disadvantage and decreased access to resources for coping with stress. This project uses a social stress theoretical perspective to examine predictors of substance use after treatment entry and follow-up …

The Effectiveness Of The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Across Cultures, Caylin Cedergren

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This project has two purposes. First, to evaluate the effectiveness of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) across cultures since it is the standard depression tool used across Mayo Clinic Health System. Second, to develop a Standard of Care that would create consistency in the follow-up provided to patients at Mayo Clinic Health System – Springfield Clinic whose PHQ-9 score reflects signs of depression.

Stroke Rehabilitation, Length-Of-Stay, And Re-Admission Rates: A Literature Review, Morgen Hagedorn

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Stroke is shown to be a significant U.S. health problem with a profound impact on the nation’s rising healthcare costs (Hall, Levant, & DeFrances, 2012). Longer patient length-of-stay [LOS] and higher re-admission rates have brought consequences to healthcare systems as institutional budgets are unable to reconcile the additional services and the influx of healthcare demands. Through a comprehensive literature review, the author illustrates the general knowledge available on the stroke experience, on stroke care and rehabilitation, and on patient LOS and re-admission rates. The literature review is based on general medical research with a focus on the stroke population. The …

Policies In Hospital Social Work, Jolene L. Reisdorfer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The goal of this project was to create an environment that provides a professional standard of care to ensure patient safety. This project will address the absence of policies in the Social Service Department at Mayo Clinic Health System, Southwest Region. A standard of care is a detailed standardized model of an intervention process that discusses the goals, objectives, settings, process, procedures and interventions (Gayle, 2005). Policy development must occur to assure that patients with social service needs are being identified appropriately and are being provided necessary interventions to meet their needs (Gordon & Rehrs, 1969). The project also identified …

A Review Of Developmentally Appropriate Evidence-Based Effective Parenting And Resources For Parents, Kari Schwecke

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Krisma Counseling, a counseling center located in rural southern Minnesota, offers high quality and affordable consumer-centered mental health services to individuals, families, couples, including in-home therapy. In order to provide adequate services and care that abides by the Nation Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, there needs to be standard ethical practice rooted in evidence based literature. The purpose of this project was to research developmentally appropriate evidence-based effective parenting and create a resource guide for clinicians to use in their work with parents of children ages two to 17.

Bridging Tactics: Parental Support Systems: A Proposal For A Psycho-Educational Parent Group, Emily F. Thompson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this Capstone project is to design and present a new intervention program for increasing supportive services to the parents of clients being served through the infant/early childhood mental health program at CSSM. The goal of this project is to provide CSSM with a culturally-­responsive, theoretically grounded, evidence-­based proposal for the development of a psycho-educational group that includes a clear rationale for why this intervention is needed and how it will help the agency achieve the outcomes of infant/early childhood mental health program.

An Overview Of Avoidant Personality Disorder, Kristin Dehrkoop

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Avoidant Personality Disorder presents very similarly to other disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV). What separates Avoidant Personality Disorder (APD) to other disorders that present similarly?

Headway Emotional Health Services: A Parent Satisfaction Survey And Needs Assessment, Eowyn T. Gatlin

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Headway Emotional Health Services seeks to transform lives and restore families by providing a variety of quality mental health services to children and families in the Twin Cities Metro Area. The Vision Program is a partnership between Headway and the Bloomington Public School system. The Vision Program serves K-12 students who qualify for level 3 Emotional and/or Behavioral Disability (EBD) services. All students are in a classroom at their mainstream school and receive daily support from the Vision Mental Health Specialist, a special education classroom teacher, and a paraprofessional. Many students are able to participate in some mainstream programing through …

Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practices In Opioid Substance Abuse Treatment, Elizabeth V. Keck

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project is to begin the implementation of evidence-based practices for opioid substance abuse population in the rural community of Owatonna, MN and the surrounding communities.

Needs Assessment Of Emergency Department Social Workers In Southwestern Minnesota In Relation To Emergency Department Expansion, Gina Marie Njugunah

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Expansion of a hospital emergency department will affect the role of the emergency department social worker. This research project was conducted to assess the needs, concerns, and strengths of the social workers working in the emergency department of a regional medical center. The study included 13 participants who completed an on-line survey. Results showed that participants were concerned with the increase in patient volume as well as the possible increase in wait time for patients. Participants also expressed how concerns could be addressed. The most common solution was to track information about the cases, including wait times for patients, in …

Mental Health Inpatient Hospitalization And Smoking Cessation, Susan Warring

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Forty- four percent of cigarettes purchased, are by persons with serious mental illness. This population dies approximately twenty- five years earlier than the general population. In 1993, American hospitals were mandated to become smokefree. At that time, psychiatric facilities requested variances amid concerns that their patients may present adverse behaviors due to nicotine withdrawal. Within the last five years, smoking bans have become more prevalent, resulting in many psychiatric facilities adhering to a no smoking policy. The Owatonna Mental Health Unit at the Owatonna hospital currently has a variance to allow smoking breaks for their mentally ill inpatients.

Research Questions: …

Survey Of Emergency Department Patients' Perceived Barriers To Accessing Services And Community Resource Utilization, Kelsey Ann Wilke

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project is to describe the patients being served by Avera McKennan’s emergency department (ED) and to explore perceived barriers to accessing services and current community resource utilization in order to prevent further non-emergent visits.

Research Questions: 1) What are the demographic characteristics of emergency department patients that are referred to the emergency department social worker? 2) What are the perceived barriers that emergency department patient’s encounter when trying to access services and community resources?

Exploring Support Network Structure, Content, And Stability As Youth Transition From Foster Care, Jennifer E. Blakeslee

Dissertations and Theses

Many older youth in foster care lack adequate resources and ongoing support in their social networks as they transition into young adulthood, while other youth in these circumstances experience stable social networks providing comprehensive support. Systematically measuring the supportive personal and service-oriented relationships in youth networks expands the scope of inquiry in this area by identifying patterns of social network structure, member composition, and relational qualities that are associated with more or less support provision through formal and informal relationships. These can also be measured over time to observe changes in network form and content and assess network stability. This …

Emergency Room Use By Undocumented Mexican Immigrants, Ayse Akincigil, Raymond Sanchez Mayers, Fontaine H. Fulghum

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examined emergency room use by undocumented Mexican immigrants and their sources of health care information. Thirty-eight percent of the respondents reported that they would use a hospital emergency room (ER) for primary medical care. ER use rates declined with time spent in the United States. Emergency room use rates varied significantly by region. Respondents receiving information from a church reported less ER use, compared to all others; respondents receiving information from U.S. newspapers reported higher ER use rates. Lack of health care access for undocumented immigrants remains a public health issue as well as a social justice concern.

Health Service Access For Rural People Living With Hiv/Aids In China: A Critical Evaluation, Xiying Wang, Xiulan Zhang, Yuebin Xu, Yurong Zhang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The increasingly serious HIV/AIDS epidemic creates a significant burden for the public health system; however, little attention has been paid to the issue of health service access in rural China. Based on a qualitative study of 34 Chinese rural People Living with HIVIAIDS (PLWHA) and 13 health providers, this study fills a gap by examining health service access from both the demand and supply-side. Utilizing access theory, this study explores the availability, affordability and acceptability of health services in rural China. Moreover, this study focuses on access barriers and institutional obstacles that PLWHA meet during their illness and considers the …

The Design Of A Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility In Wheelwright, Kentucky Serving Adolescent Males, Jenna Clem

Kaleidoscope

During the spring semester of 2010, I have been working on the design of a psychiatric residential treatment facility in Wheelwright, Kentucky as part of the requirements for ID 659, Interior Design Graduate Studio. I am a senior, but was allowed permission to enroll in this class because of my interest in research-based design. The facility will offer therapy services in a home environment for seven adolescents between the ages of ten and seventeen. This paper describes the process that I followed throughout the design process and the specific issues that were addressed in the final solution. The design process …

Response To The Data Challenges Of The Affordable Care Act: Surveys Of Providers To Assess Access To Care For People With Disabilities And The Presence Of Accessible Exam Equipment, Nancy R. Mudrick, Mary Lou Breslin, June Isaacson Kailes

Social Work - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.