Social Work Commons^™

Examining The Effectiveness Of Psychosocial Interventions For Opioid Use Disorder: A Systematic Review, Elizabeth Ashley Contreras

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Due to the increased distribution of synthetic opioids, mortality rates, overdose rates, and addiction related to the consumption of illicit fentanyl have drastically increased over the past years. Although medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is the first-line intervention for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), less is known about the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for treating this disorder. Objective: This study aimed to systematically review the literature on psychosocial interventions for treating OUD. Methods: A search was conducted on OneSearch using the keywords “opioid treatment” or “Fentanyl treatment” combined with “psychosocial interventions” or “cognitive behavioral therapy,” or “contingency management” for English articles published …

What Are The Barriers To Seeking Psychotherapy Services Across Different Racial And Ethnic Groups?, Deysee Chavez, Elisa Rodarte

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explored barriers to seeking psychotherapy services across racial and ethnic groups among adults of 18 years of age or older (2) any individual who has considered, sought, or received mental health services (3) residing in Southern California. The surveys consisted of questions from the Barriers to Mental Health Services Scale Revised (BMHSS-R) sub-scales; Help Seeking, Stigma, Knowledge and Fear of Psychotherapy, Belief about Inability to Find a Psychotherapist, and Belief that Depressive Symptoms are Normal. It was hypothesized that Latino individuals face greater barriers when seeking psychotherapy services as compared to other racial groups. This study consisted of …

Addressing Weight In Primary Care: Perspectives Of African American Young Adults With Serious Mental Illness, Sang Qin, Lindsay Sheehan, Janis Sayer, Kristin S. Williams, Julius Mercer, Ashley Scott, Tevin Anderson

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

Young adults with serious mental illness (SMI) experience disproportionate rates of physical illness. Morbidity and mortality are even worse for young African Americans with SMI, especially those who are overweight. Primary care physicians (PCPs) have an important role in addressing weight management. Current research explored these young patient’s perceptions of weight management and how PCPs can best address their weight concerns. Using community-based participatory research, we interviewed 25 African American aged 18-30 who were overweight and had a SMI. Results revealed 1) patient perceptions around weight and 2) patient preferences. Participants identified both positive and negative aspects of being overweight, …

Helping All Herons - A School Based Mental Health Team Initiative, Kiersten H. Morgan, Erin Thrift, Teri Hendrix, Shannon Murray

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Our school system has experienced an increase in the number of students with significant mental health related issues. Interactions with these students were occuring on a crisis by crisis basis. Through a series of trial and error we developed Helping All Herons - A School Based Mental Health Team initiative. The team has regular contact with students, parents, outside counseling agencies and staffings to ensure that the needs of the students are being met. This team encourages a more proactive approach to student mental health compared to a reactive one.

Providing Incarcerated Youth With A Community Of Their Peers, Providing Resources, And Modeling Healthy Attachment May Lead To Prosocial Behaviors, Emilee Brnusak

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the connection between gang activity and attachment style. A summary of literature suggests that childhood attachment injuries lead to antisocial, maladaptive relationships and neurological changes that impact executive functioning and emotional regulation. These factors leave youth at higher risk of gang membership. This thesis then explores how an outreach experience at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility inspired a large-scale intervention called Resources for Attachment-injured Youth (RAY) that could be implemented in youth prisons across the country.

A Phenomenological Study On The Contributors Of Compassion Fatigue With Substance Use Disorder Counselors During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jennifer A. Galvano

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study aimed to understand the experience of compassion fatigue in substance use counselors in Western New York during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many studies have reviewed burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma and have discussed the outcomes of their unmanaged effects on healthcare professionals. Few have focused directly on the impact that key contributors of compassion fatigue have on substance abuse disorder (SUD) counselors. This qualitative study is designed to support substance abuse counselors’ mental health and well-being. Counselors are exposed to clashing situations such as turnover, larger caseloads, client trauma, regulations, lack of training, lack of understanding of …

Acculturation And Immigrant Parental Perceptions Concerning Sexual Communication, Kwame Owura Frimpong

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

Abstract:

Acculturation presents challenges to many immigrant parents that are adjusting to new lives in the United States. The rationale for conducting this study stemmed from the effects that acculturation can have on the wellbeing of immigrants, adversely affecting their health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of Sub-Saharan African immigrant parents concerning having a conversation with their pre-adolescent children about sexuality and sexual practices. Findings revealed communication barriers due to cultural beliefs, cultural taboos, and shame. The findings from this study are beneficial to behavioral healthcare providers that work with immigrant families, parents, and …

Review Of Christy Kane's Presentation, Benjamin Chamberlain

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.

Ethically Managing Theories Of Agency In Counseling And Psychotherapy, Jeffrey S. Reber, Jacob D. Tubbs, Jacob A. Larson

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

Informed by personal and professional cultures, clients and therapists inevitably hold various assumptions and attributions about the possibility of free will. Given that these “theories of agency” may not always align, and in light of the ethics codes for psychotherapists and counselors, it is imperative, as a matter of cultural competence and responsivity, that therapists seek training in understanding different cultures of agency. To that end, and to help therapists navigate cultural differences and mitigate the risk of personal and professional values imposition, this article provides a conceptual framework for organizing the common formal and informal theories of agency that …

Review Of Tyler Lefevor And Lisa Tennsmeyer-Hansen Presentation, Peder Schillemat

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.

Review Of Wendy Ulrich's Presentation, Joseph Chamberlain

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.

Finding Peace After Betrayal By Healing Shattered Trust Schemas, Ashly Leavitt

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.

Review Of Stacy Jones, Spencer Bradshaw, Rodney Limb Presentation, Brianna Holmes

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.

Review Of Alan Hansen's Presentation, Jacob Larson

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.

Review Of Terry Warner's Presentation, Jacob Tubbs

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.

Covid, Church, & Cuts: A Single Narrative Case Study Of Pandemic Impacts On A Bi-Vocational Pastor & Barber, A. D. Hooker, Camille S. Talbert

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

This narrative case study provides an in-depth look into the impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic from the perspective of an assistant pastor with a small African American church in an urban city. His story indicates that the pandemic had both positive and negative effects on the pastor’s ability to carry out his role of pastoral care and ministry. Some positives were the results of new technological adaptations that helped to improve members’ consistency in attending and participating in weekly services. Some negative effects imposed by COVID-19 was the revelation of imbalanced relationships and a lack of trust in God. The …

The Overture! Then Is Here-And-Now: Hindsight Is Twenty, Twenty?, Elena Kydd

Music Therapy Theses

My existence and presence as a Black woman and graduate scholar in music therapy have allowed me to share my experience of racial trauma and oppression in the hallways of GCSU’s music therapy program. Autoethnography is the method I use to write my thesis on the relationships between Blackness, pedagogy, and music therapy. Thus, I perform an evocative autoethnographic study that allows me to share my personal experience of racial trauma and oppression within the culture of music therapy and to critique the larger social structures of whiteness that disenfranchise and dominate me and other Black student music therapists (SMTs). …

Peace In The Middle Of The Storm, Ronald Washignton Dr, Sandra L. Guzman-Foster Ph.D.

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

The march towards biblical Revelation and restoration began at Calvary and continues today. A comforter and Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth (BIBLE) are given to sustain believers in these times. As educators and more so as followers of Jesus the Christ, there are certain truths we hold. Among them is that we are just passing through this life. In our traversing of this life, we accept the command to spread the good news, utilize our gifts, and do all unto the glory of God. So as educators, the main question throughout the COVID pandemic, with political and social unrest in …

Elucidating College Students’ Stressors: Photovoice As A Pedagogical Tool And Qualitative Methodology, Deanne Priddis, Heather L. Hundley

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Traditional research examining student stress relies on surveys using pre-determined categories. This study diverts from that approach by adopting a Communication in Conflict class assignment over seven classes (N = 115) using photovoice to determine if results fluctuate by using a different methodology. Additionally, we sought to understand if the sources of stress vary by gender and semester. The data revealed seven categories as the main stressors of student conflict: 1) time management, 2) mental health, 3) finding oneself, 4) future uncertainty, 5) other, 6) financial, and 7) past mistakes. Regardless of participants’ sex/gender or semester in which the data …

Self-Care For Counselors During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Penney Siddiqui

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

COVID-19 took the world by surprise early in 2020, and rapidly became a global threat. While not the first global pandemic declared by the World Health Organization, COVID-19 was different from past pandemics both in the speed of transmission and in the psychosocial impact. Not only did COVID-19 impact the physical health of those who contracted the virus, it also impacted the mental health of the general population. Mental health counselors held a dual role in this pandemic, facing the psychosocial impact themselves while simultaneously providing care for others. Recent studies explored the psychosocial impact on health care professionals and …

Mental Health Problems Among Elementary School Students Mandated To E-Learning: A Covid-19 Rapid Review Caveat, Renée M. D'Amore, Angelina N. Halpern, Lauren R. Reed, Kevin M. Gorey

International Journal of School Social Work

Extended lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic mandated millions of students worldwide to e-learning and by default made many of their parents proxy homeschool teachers. Preliminary anecdotal, journalistic and qualitative evidence suggested that elementary school children and their parents were probably most vulnerable to this stressor and most likely to experience mental health problems because of it. We responded with a rapid review of 15 online surveys to estimate the magnitude of such risks and their predictors between 2020 and 2021. The pooled relative risk of mental health problems among school children and their parents was substantial (RR = 1.97). Moreover, …

Parents’ Perceptions Of The Philly Goat Project’S All Abilities Ramble: A Qualitative Study Of Animal-Assisted Intervention For Intellectual And Developmental Disorders, Patricia Flaherty-Fischette, Jenée Lee, Yvonne D'Uva-Howard, Elizabeth P. Cramer, Karen Krivit, Sarah Meehan

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are a growing population. Considering the wide diversity in IDD and the financial burden of traditional treatment modalities, Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) has emerged as an innovative and non-traditional treatment for individuals with a range of disabilities, including individuals with IDD. To the authors’ knowledge, the present study was one of the first to explore a goat-assisted therapy experience for children with IDD. This study explored the experiences of 23 children with the All Abilities RAMble – a goat-assisted therapeutic activity offered by the Philly Goat Project (PGP). Key themes in our study included …

Recovery Journey Of Diverse Populations Using Design Thinking Method: Recommendations For Practitioners And Policymakers, Lawrence Bryant, Monica Nandan, Sherrie Cade, Bianca Anderson

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Through a state grant-funded multicultural needs assessment, researchers from a U.S. southeastern state university captured the voices of underserved populations related to their unmet needs and recovery journey from the non-medical use of opioids and other substances. Specific voices of African Americans, Latinx, mature adults, veterans, people who are homeless, college students, and individuals within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities were captured utilizing design thinking protocol in focus groups. Participants recommended that providers be culturally responsive in disseminating information and providing affirming care. Moreover, participants felt that counselors and other professionals should be more empathetic and …

Moving At The Speed Of Trust, Sun Ho Lee

Masters Theses

Moving at the Speed of Trust is a workbook of strategies — practices, definitions, and techniques — to nurture community-building in support of inbetweeners who live between power structures and cultures and are often left out. Inbetweeners are those individuals whose lives are in transition through recent immigration or forced translocation from Asia to America.

These strategies revolve around threads of trust: kin, giggles, vulnerability, and shared experience. With these threads, we can question power. We can preserve stories, expand the ways we connect, shift perspectives on what is “standard,” and cultivate a community rooted in understanding. To understand each …

Saudi Women's Abuse And Help-Seeking Experiences: A Qualitative Thematic Analysis, Shahad Ahmed Subiani

Doctoral Dissertations

In 2013 the Saudi government established the Protection from Abuse Act, which made domestic violence (DV) a crime, as well as outlined the responsibilities of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in providing reporting mechanisms. These and more societal shifts, along with the creation of the governmental family protection units (FPUs), set the stage for greater recognition of DV and more women seeking help. Though public opinion is slowly changing, DV in Saudi Arabia is still largely perceived as a private family matter (Alhabib et al., 2010). Guided by the help-seeking and change model (Liang et al., 2005), …

Differences In Resilience And Mental Health Symptoms Among Us First Responders With Secure And Insecure Attachment, Donna Schuman, James Whitworth, Jeanine Galusha, Jose Carbajal, Warren Ponder, Kathryn Shahan, Katelyn Jetelina

Faculty Publications

Objective: This observational study aimed to determine whether attachment style predicted first responders' mental health and resilience. Method: Data were from a treatment-seeking sample of first responders (N = 237). Each participant completed six assessments measuring attachment, resilience, generalized anxiety, depression, suicidality, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Results: On the attachment assessment, 25.3%were categorized as secure, 19.0%as dismissive, 25.3% as preoccupied, and 30.4% as fearfully attached. As predicted, securely attached participants had the lowest scores for generalized anxiety, depression, suicidality, and posttraumatic stress disorder and the highest scores on the resiliency measure, followed by dismissive, preoccupied, and fearfully …

Positive Psychology For Mdd And Ptsd: A Systematic Review Of Treatment Benefits And Efficacy, Jackson Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Positive psychology was founded by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 2000 as a psychological school of thought that focused more on identifying and building up a client’s positive strengths instead of just focusing on their mental health deficits. The question asked in this systematic review is as follows, “Is there a unique benefit to treating MDD or PTSD with positive psychotherapeutic interventions and does it result in lower rates of suicide/relief from severe MDD/PTSD?” Objective: The objective of this literature review and meta-analysis was to examine the evidence and determine if positive psychology-based interventions such as PsyCap, IPPI, and …

Therapeutic Approaches To Working With Perinatal Loss Clients: A Grounded Theory Study, Heather H. Olivier

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Perinatal loss (i.e., miscarriage, stillbirth, termination, and infant death) is commonly referred to in the literature as an invisible loss, non-loss, and even medical event. It is an ambiguous loss exhibiting the dialectical contradiction between the physical absence and psychological presence of the baby accompanied by disenfranchised grief, a reaction to a loss that is unacknowledged by society. Despite the likelihood of mental health clinicians working with clients who have experienced perinatal loss, there has yet to be a therapeutic model designed specifically for the unique grief and trauma reactions presented in this population. Existing grief models do not address …

Effects Of Corporal Punishment On Parents, David Martinez, Linda Saleh Borghol

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

There has been limited research regarding the effects of corporal punishment on parents. This qualitative study examined the effects of corporal punishment on parents and the reasoning behind their particular discipline practices. The study provides an overview of the thoughts and emotions parents feel before and after utilizing corporal punishment. The data were collected through interviews of parents who utilized corporal punishment as their main form of discipline. We interviewed parents through Zoom meetings in order to gather data that would help this study. Researchers interviewed eight parents who expressed the effects they experienced from utilizing corporal punishment. Analysis of …

Rural Social Work Practice: Trauma-Focused Interventions Social Workers Use, Jose Carbajal

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This research study examines rural social workers’ level of trauma knowledge and trauma treatment self-efficacy and the use of evidence-based interventions (CBT, TF-CBT, CPT, EMDR and PE). A retrospective design was used to examine Texas rural social workers’ use of evidence-based interventions. The Texas rural social worker sample (N=19) was extrapolated from a larger study (N=1007) conducted in 2014 examining Texas social workers’ trauma treatment and their use of evidence-based interventions. Descriptive and correlation statistical procedures were implemented to analyze the data for the current study. The results show social workers’ knowledge of trauma and treatment self-efficacy scores are above …