Social Work Commons^™

Cooper Neurological Institute, Kayla Cupano

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Family-Based Caregiving: Does Lumping Asian Americans Together Do More Harm Than Good?, Suryadewi E. Nugraheni, Julia F. Hastings

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Asian American family caregivers have gained increased attention due to the need to provide life-sustaining aid at home given the rising numbers of older adults. This article reflects upon caregiving-related research studies that have overlooked the circumstances Asian American caregivers bring to the home-care context. Policies written to address community needs tend to omit the social circumstances many Asian American caregivers must face when trying to take advantage of programs and services. For example, the eligibility requirements fail to recognize distinctive cultural values embedded within the caregiving processes. Further, most Asian American data is aggregated. Aggregating data by ethnicity limits …

Pornography: Social, Emotional And Mental Implications Among Adolescents, William Kelly Canady

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation will explain the historical development of pornography. It will highlight four segments: 1- Porn’s impact on brain development of reward pathways, ultimately increasing the appetite for more porn. 2- Porn can be a false substitute for real intimacy, resulting in decreased sexual satisfaction with a real person and increased verbal and physical aggression. 3- Porn promotes sex trafficking, promotes multiple sex partners and reduced STD prevention. 4- A review of interventions available to assist clients in navigating a lifestyle away from pornography.

Understanding The Traumatized Brain, Sam Marion, Elizabeth Marston

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Students who have experienced trauma are often in need of behavioral intervention due to challenging behaviors and reactivity. Understanding the body’s threat response system gives insight into these behaviors and allows for empathy within the interventions. This presentation will outline basic neuroscience theories, propose interventions focused on self-regulation, and demonstrate how adding basic elements to existing interventions can increase efficacy.

Mama! I Hear Your Silence: Grief And Covid-19 On The Global North And South Disparity, Magnus Mfoafo-M'Carthy

Lyle S. Hallman Social Work Faculty Publications

In this conversation with Mama, I use my mother’s voice as a reflexive mirror to explore the social work silences that the COVID-19 pandemic expresses so eloquently in my own life and work. I seek to highlight the intimate link between Mama’s silence and social work silence.

Methamphetamine Associated Cardiomyopathy In Pregnancy: The Distinctions And The Implications, Ashan Hatharasinghe, Hossein Akhondi

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Introduction

Methamphetamine associated cardiomyopathy (MAC) and peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) are both rare obstetric conditions. Literature regarding methamphetamine associated cardiomyopathy in the obstetric population is limited, and it can be difficult to make the distinction between the two given the similarities in clinical presentation. However similar, there are significant distinctions in the pathophysiology of these two that can help clinicians with the management process.

Clinical Findings and Outcomes

This case involves a 35-year-old Hispanic G6P5005 at 37 weeks gestation presenting with acute respiratory failure secondary to acute decompensated heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and superimposed preeclampsia leading to urgent cesarean …

Collaborative Interprofessional Work As Means To Prepare Better Healthcare Professionals, Oksana Kazharova, Msw, Lcsw, Lcadc

Collaborative Healthcare: Interprofessional Practice, Education and Evaluation (JCIPE)

Over the past few years, I've had the honor to represent Pathways to Housing PA in the interprofessional collaborative work with JCIPE on the project called ESHP (Enhancing Services for Homeless Populations). This partnership opportunity was as much exciting as it was needed. Many professionals in the healthcare field have the driving compassion and desire to improve someone's life; after all, staying healthy is one of the most important aspects of life. While many who choose to work in a health profession strive to deliver the best service, young healthcare professionals have very little practice and/or knowledge on how to …

The Intersection Of Rural Residence And Minority Race/Ethnicity In Cancer Disparities In The United States, Whitney Zahnd, Cathryn Murphy, Marie Knoll, Gabriel A. Benavidez, Kelsey R. Day, Radhika Ranganathan, Parthenia Luke, Anja Zgodic, Kewei Shi, Melinda A. Merrell, Elizabeth L. Crouch, Heather M. Brandt, Jan M. Eberth

Faculty Publications

One in every twenty-five persons in America is a racial/ethnic minority who lives in a rural area. Our objective was to summarize how racism and, subsequently, the social determinants of health disproportionately affect rural racial/ethnic minority populations, provide a review of the cancer disparities experienced by rural racial/ethnic minority groups, and recommend policy, research, and intervention approaches to reduce these disparities. We found that rural Black and American Indian/Alaska Native populations experience greater poverty and lack of access to care, which expose them to greater risk of developing cancer and experiencing poorer cancer outcomes in treatment and ultimately survival. There …

Trauma And Intersectionality In Trauma Informed Ministry, Caitlin Simpson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Seminary students have reported feeling underprepared to work with traumatized individuals in pastoral care (Logan, 2017; Resane, 2014). Statistics reported that 82% of pastoral care recipients had a trauma history (Foreman, 2018). Understanding trauma (Herman, 1992) and intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989) were used to consider the varying impacts each can have on an individual. Scholar Fredericks Streets (2015) used the social services understanding of theology and trauma (Beh, 2012; Weems, 1988) trauma informed ministry (Wolf, et al., 2013) to develop trauma informed ministry. This qualitative study using constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2013) explored the experiences of nine participants in learning about …

A Description Of Covid-19 Lifestyle Restrictions Among A Sample Of Rural Appalachian Women, Michele Staton, Martha Tillson, J. Matthew Webster

Journal of Appalachian Health

Background: COVID-19 has led to swift federal and state response to control virus transmission, which has resulted in unprecedented lifestyle changes for U.S. citizens including social distancing and isolation. Understanding the impact of COVID-19 lifestyle restrictions and related behavioral risks is important, particularly among individuals who may be more vulnerable (such as rural women with a history of substance use living in Appalachia).

Purpose: The overall purpose of this study was to better understand the perceptions of lifestyle changes due to COVID-19 restrictions among this vulnerable group.

Methods: The study included a mixed methods survey with a convenience sample of …

Shifting Coronavirus Disease 2019 Testing Policy And Research To Include The Full Translation Pipeline, Joseph Catania, Jeffrey Martin, M. Margaret Dolcini, E. Roberto Orellana, Jeffrey Henne

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

The current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 testing policy and practice limits testing as a prevention tool. Radical shifts are required to increase the scale of rapid testing strategies and improve dissemination and implementation of venue-based and self-testing approaches. Attention to the full translation pipeline is required to reach high-risk segments of the population.

Transitioning From Foster Care To Adulthood: Supporting Adolescents And Young Adults, The Rees-Jones Center For Foster Care Excellence

White Papers and Policy Briefs

Children involved in foster care have significant trauma histories and have often experienced substantial neglect and/or abuse. Such adverse childhood experiences can lead to cumulative toxic stress, which if not buffered by support and a consistent adult caregiver, can negatively impact physical, mental and socio-emotional development. Such experiences can also result in a lack of trust in adults and systems of care, which can further reduce sources of support for children in foster care.

For questions about this publication or others, please email [email protected]

childrens.com/fostercare

Service Providers' Perceptions Of Stigma And Its Impact On Mental Health Services, Arthur Gabriel Montes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stigma is one of the most significant barriers to access and utilization of mental health services in the United States. Delays in receiving mental health services significantly contribute to health disparities and poor health outcomes. Social workers play an integral part in implementing best practices within health care settings and reducing health inequities impacting vulnerable populations. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore social work service providers perceptions' toward stigma and how it affects mental health services among patients in California's Medicaid program. Stigma theory was applied to gain an understanding of how stigma interacts and …

Mental Health Disparities In Social Work Practice Of Minority Youth Offenders, Beverly Ann Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractA large number of minority youths placed in the juvenile justice system across the United States have mental health disorders. Most of these youths do not receive mental health services or support within the system, which increases risk factors such as undiagnosed and untreated mental illness and adverse outcomes such as recidivism. This action research sought to uncover whether mental health disparities in social work practice in the juvenile justice system were due to race and ethnicity and asked social workers to recommend strategies to improve mental health availability, access, and provision. Participants in the study were social workers who …

Psychological Sense Of Community Among Older Adults In Puerto Rico Two Years After Hurricane María, Thomas D. Buckley

Theses and Dissertations

Hurricane María devastated Puerto Rico in 2017 and resulted in adverse long-term outcomes. Psychological sense of community (PSOC) may serve as a protective factor against the effects of Hurricane María for older adults in Puerto Rico. Using a three-paper format, this dissertation draws on a resilience framework and theories of PSOC and the Ecological Theory of Aging to examine the role of PSOC among older adults in Puerto Rico two years after Hurricane María.

Paper one is a scoping review of the concept of PSOC in research with community dwelling older adults. I begin by presenting findings on study characteristics …

Development Of An Integrated Medical And Behavioral Health Care Model For Children In Foster Care: The Rees-Jones Center For Foster Care Excellence, Kimberly Stone, Sara Moore, Sara Pollard

Integrated, Trauma-Informed Care

Children in foster care are classified as a population with special health care needs. They face multiple adverse childhood experiences and disrupted relationships, yet face barriers accessing consistent, high-quality health care. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends integrated physical and behavioral health care for children in foster care, but little is known about the implementation of integrated care for this population. As a pediatrician, doctor of nursing practice, and psychologist in an academic medical setting, we describe the development and implementation of the Rees-Jones Center for Foster Care Excellence, emphasizing the role of medical and behavioral health providers in promoting …

The Role Of Community Belongingness In The Mental Health And Well-Being Of Black Lgbtq Adults, Keith Justin Watts

Theses and Dissertations

The impact of racial and sexual minority stigma, prejudice, and discrimination on the mental health and well-being of Black and LGBTQ individuals, respectively, has been well documented in the literature. Research on these relationships for Black LGBTQ individuals who are multiply marginalized due to their position at the social intersections of gender identity, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity is less common. Belongingness to identity-based communities can protect against the negative impact of these minority stressors for Black and LGBTQ individuals and aid coping processes. However, Black LGBTQ individuals often experience stigma and discrimination in their racial, sexual, and gender minority communities …

Reflections On The Bgj Anti-Racism Seminar, Michelle Billies

Publications and Research

In this Letter to the Editor, Billies (2021) responds to critical and supportive opinion pieces in the British Gestalt Journal (BGJ) following their plenary presentation at BGJ’s 2018 annual seminar (see Asherson Bartram, 2019; O’Malley, 2019). As author of the companion article "How/ Can Gestalt Therapy Promote Liberation from Anti-Black Racism?” (Billies, 2021), Billies, who identifies as white, discusses the intent at the seminar to support white people to increase accountability and reduce harm in dialogue with people of color, while supporting the work and needs of people of color on their terms from a Gestalt perspective. Describing a fishbowl …

Harming The Help-Seeking: Necessity For Assessing Harmful And Biased Attitudes Toward Clients With Substance Use Disorder, Crystal D. Mcdowell, Crystal Dawn Mcdowell

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Numerous times, as a new clinician, I have witnessed the substance use disorder population referred to as not being dependable, dangerous, burnt out, and even hopeless. Often times I have heard mental health professionals make statements amongst themselves that the client could not be helped, referred to them as a “frequent flyer,” (meant to convey they frequently present for treatment, relapse, and return for treatment), and complain how tax dollars are being wasted to support the client. I felt empathy and a sense of hopelessness for these clients as they were seeking treatment in order to get help and yet …

Supervision Needs For Social Workers Providing Home-Based Treatment For Children And Families, Magda Demerritt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers providing home-based therapy services for children and families face challenges that make it difficult to provide efficient and effective treatment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the supervision needs of social workers who provide treatment using the home-based service delivery model. The leader-member exchange theory was used to guide the study. Data were collected from a focus group meeting with 10 master’s-level social workers in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Findings from coding and thematic analysis revealed that participants’ needs involved being educated on the value of the home-based model, receiving support and guidance related to their …

Parents Of Non-Binary Children: Stories Of Understanding And Support, Brooks Bull

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Parents of non-binary children undergo profound changes as they learn to first understand and then support their child. In order to provide family therapists with a foundation from which to work with these families, a thorough review of the literature is provided as well as a narrative research study. Chapter one provides an introduction to the topic of non-binary gender and transgender identities, defines the terms non-binary, transgender, and transsexual, and clarifies the conceptual frameworks at use in the dissertation: social constructionism and transfeminism. Chapter two is a review of peer-reviewed literature on therapy with children and adolescents who identify …

Perceptions Of Caregivers Of Parkinson's Patients Regarding Using Advance Directives, Meghan Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing focus on end-of-life (EOL) care is influencing the role of advance directive (AD) documents. Difficult conversations among family caregivers and their loved ones are becoming more and more critical. Considering the value of communicating EOL wishes, family caregivers’ perceptions about ADs for their loved ones with Parkinson’s disease (PD) must be examined. Using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as a foundation, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand family caregivers of PD patients and their perceptions and experiences relating to AD documents. This study involved using purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews with 11 family …

Addressing The Needs Of African American Grandparents: An Intersectionality Perspective, Dorothy Smith-Ruiz, Kendra Jason

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study seeks to demonstrate the intersecting structural and compounding challenges African American custodial grandparents experience collectively, rather than as separate non-competing factors, which has been modeled in prior studies. Using a mixed-method research design, the study explored the challenges faced by African American and white custodial grandparents. These challenges included difficulties attaining different types of support, respite care, and programs for teens and special needs grandchildren. Results showed that caregiving challenges among African Americans were more pervasive than their White counterparts. These findings have significant implications for the development of intervention programs for custodial African American grandmothers and their …

Social Support Experiences Of Stably Housed Emancipated Foster Youth, Camron L. Whitacre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth emancipating from foster care are at increased risk of housing instability and homelessness and have reduced access to needed social supports to aid in the difficult transition to independent living. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived formal social support experiences of stably housed emancipated foster youth. Purposive sampling techniques and inclusion criteria guided the recruitment of nine study participants from a state-administered postemancipation services program to take part in semistructured interviews. A conceptual framework, including social convoy and attachment theories, informed inquiry, and interpretation of findings. Participant lived experiences illuminated the importance of …

Issues Facing Community-Based Social Workers When Providing Female Offenders With Reunification Services, Karen N. Vertti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe goal with this action research project was to understand how community-based social workers (CBSWs) could address female offenders’ and their children’s needs while striving to reintegrate them into the community of Central Los Angeles County, California. Postrelease female offenders with children suffer from a variety of issues related to housing, employment, and personal childhood trauma. The trauma exacerbates the risk of revictimization and recidivism. CBSWs play a pivotal role in helping female offenders overcome barriers to successful reentry and reunify with their children. This study incorporated Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory which provided a systems lens to this project. The …

The Systemic Experiences Of Social Workers In An Inpatient, State Psychiatric Hospital, Kesia Gwaltney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The National Alliance on Mental Illness surmised that 1 in 25 (9.8 million) adults in the United States are diagnosed with a serious mental illness annually. Of the 9.8 million people diagnosed, approximately 63% of them are psychiatrically hospitalized with repeat hospitalizations within 1 year of discharge. Social workers play a vital role in the treatment modalities of the patients they serve in the psychiatric hospital; however, there is no research that examined the professional systemic experiences of social workers in state, inpatient psychiatric hospitals and how these experiences may affect treatment outcomes of patients as it relates to frequent …

The Rise In Use Of Emotional Support Animals By College Students: The Impact Of Parenting Styles, Misty G. Smith, Samantha Ballard, Jill Willis

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

As the generational context of higher education shifts, a rise of Emotional Support Animals (ESA) and mental health concerns are present for students on college campuses. While previous studies have aimed to address the relevancy and controversy of ESAs in higher education as well as their effectiveness in supporting individuals, less research has explored underlying factors that contribute to the use of an ESA. The purpose of this study was to explore the parenting behaviors of parents/caregivers of students with ESAs in comparison to parents/caregivers of students without ESAs. An embedded mixed methods design was used. Participants completed the Parenting …

A Promising Approach In Home Visiting To Support Families Affected By Maternal Substance Use., Donna M. O'Malley, Danielle F. Chiang, Emily Siedlik, Katharine Ragon, Marcia Dutcher, Oneta Templeton

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

INTRODUCTION: Many factors influence women's use of alcohol and other drugs while pregnant and postpartum. Substance use impacts the maternal-child relationship during the critical neonatal period. The first days and months of human development lay the foundation for health and well-being across the lifespan, making this period an important window of opportunity to interrupt the transmission of trauma and stress to the next generation. Pregnant and postpartum women with a history of substance use require specialized support services.

METHODS: The Team for Infants Exposed to Substance abuse (TIES) Program provides a holistic, multi-disciplinary, community-based model to address the complex needs …

Gender In The Time Of Covid-19: Evaluating National Leadership And Covid-19 Fatalities, Leah C. Windsor, Gina Yannitell Reinhardt, Alistair J. Windsor, Robert Ostergard, Susan Allen, Courtney Burns, Jarod Giger, Reed Wood

Social Work Faculty Publications

In this paper we explore whether countries led by women have fared better during the COVID-19 pandemic than those led by men. Media and public health officials have lauded the perceived gender-related influence on policies and strategies for reducing the deleterious effects of the pandemic. We examine this proposition by analyzing COVID-19-related deaths globally across countries led by men and women. While we find some limited support for lower reported fatality rates in countries led by women, they are not statistically significant. Country cultural values offer more substantive explanation for COVID-19 outcomes. We offer several potential explanations for the pervasive …

Mental Health In College Students: Disclosure & Seeking Support, Abby R. Smargon

Honors Program Theses and Projects

A study was conducted through Bridgewater State University in order to better understand the mental health and help seeking behaviors of college students. The data collected served to provide information regarding what specific types of mental health difficulties are reported by college students.