Social Work Commons^™

Attitudes Of Paternalism Among Social Workers Working With Involuntary Clients Who Are Adolescents, Karol J. Jensen-Schneider

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study identified how social workers in one metropolitan county view the use of paternalism when working with involuntary adolescents. The social workers interviewed state that paternalism is becoming more and more a part of the role of social workers. The study also discusses what attributes of involuntary adolescents and factors are important to social workers in their decision to allow adolescents to make choices about their case plans. There were nine important attributes and factors identified in the data: they are best interest of the adolescent, offering choices to the adolescent and choices made by the youth, relationships with …

Birth Parent Participation In Foster Care Placement Planning: Relationship To Discharge Outcomes, Karen A. Hulteen

Theses and Graduate Projects

Prior studies have found a positive relationship between contact of birth family and foster children and reunification, as well as with children's well-being, adjustment, and development during and after foster care. Law requires and research validates social work practice which places children in the least restrictive, most normative living situation possible to meet their needs. Examining records of 188 youth discharged from treatment foster care from Human Service Associates from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 1996, this investigation discovered that birth parent participation in placement planning meetings and quarterly reviews, one indicator of birth family involvement, was related to …

Factors That Contribute To Resiliency In Anishinabe/Ojibwe Children Overcoming Adversity, Jeffrey S. Rodin

Theses and Graduate Projects

The object of this research is to examine the resilience of the Native Americans from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. This group of people have faced many forms of adversity over the generations. These adversities include poverty, racism, and cultural separation just to name a few. From the perspective of ecological systems theory, family systems theory, and the strengths perspective, this study focuses on individuals that grew uP on the Mille Lacs reservation and have been recognized as being successful by their tribal community. Reflecting on their childhood, these individuals discussed three factors that contributed to their resiliency. These …

Maintaining Social Services After-Hours In A Hospital Emergency Department: Health Care Preferences With On-Call And In-House Programs, Michelle L. Nash

Theses and Graduate Projects

This research describes the satisfaction of emergency department staff in relation to the social service after-hours coverage at Fairview Southdale hospital. The participants of the study were physicians, nurses, health unit coordinators, and social workers of Fairview Southdale hospital working with the emergency department. The participants completed a 17-question mailed survey. The findings illustrated the desire of staff to expand the current after-hours coverage of the emergency department to more in-house availability. The information gathered and compiled for this study will be used to help support the increase of social work services role in the emergency department at Fairview Southdale …

Exploring The Differences In Autonomy For Residents With Alzheimer's Disease Between Those Living In A Special Care Unit And Those In A Residential Group Home: A Comparative Study, Michelle Mari Jensen

Theses and Graduate Projects

Dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT) is a progressive, terminal disease marked by the loss of cognitive function. Due to cognitive impairments, residents with dementia exhibit behaviors that indicate disordered person in environment transactions. Due to the resulting disordered transactions, residents with dementia living in long-term care settings offen experience diminished opportunity to choose.

This paper is a comparative/descriptive study based on nursing assistant responses from an anonymous questionnaire in two long-term care facilities. Autonomy is defined by Callopy (1988) as freedom, independence and choice.

The results indicate that the residents at each respective facility seem to experience autonomy in …

A Policy Analysis Of The Minnesota Family Investment Program - Statewide: The Employment And Training Component, Rachel E. Friesen

Theses and Graduate Projects

Minnesota has just began one of its biggest welfare overhauls ever through the state's new policy: The Minnesota Family Investment-statewide (MFIP-S). The Federal welfare policy reform, Temporary Assistance for Needy families (TANF), initiated this revamp and has shifted focus to temporary assistance and mandatory work requirements for welfare participants. The employment and training component of the MFIP-S policy is currently being implemented and has proven to play an important role in this major effort that will affect thousands of people. This paper analyzes the employment and training component of MFIP-S, specifically concentrating on how it will affect single-mothers. The following …

Client-Case Manager Relationship: The Effects And Impact Of Rule 79 Case Managers Testimony In Commitment Court, Teresa M. Nordin

Theses and Graduate Projects

Changes in the mental health laws in the United States over the last 50 years has altered the manner in which individuals with a serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) are involuntarily committed. The changes have increased the need for mental health professionals to be involved with the court system to aid in understanding the client's mental disorder. The Minnesota Comprehensive Adult and Children's Mental Health Act (MCACMHA) provides mental health case management for individuals with a SPMI. This exploratory study focuses on how the client-case manager relationship is impacted by the requirement that case managers be involved in all …

Gay Men And The Process Of Becoming Authentic: An Exploratory Study, Thomas G. Wales

Theses and Graduate Projects

The concept of authenticity has not been studied as it relates to the lives of gay men. Hence, the concept of authenticity was explored through the literature and qualitative research methods. *Participants were key informants, including ministers, psychologists, and social workers. The study findings revealed the oppressive and anxiety-provoking existential givens experienced by gay men. Also, the study findings revealed that some gay men seek to avoid suffering and succumb to dread, while others actively confront their suffering through courage, responsibility, love, faith, spontaneity, and creativity. The gay men who confront their suffering become more aware of their innate strengths …

Historical Analysis Of Past And Present Treatmeiyts Associated With Borderlne Personality Disorder, Jimmie Lee Willette

Theses and Graduate Projects

The following thesis examines the historical perspective of mental illness, leading to therapeutic interventions for individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder. The need for improved interventions are reflected in treatment failure with both historical and traditional therapies, including repeated hospitalizations, self- injurious behaviors and suicide attempts. This thesis uses the Systems Theory and Ecological Perspective to review and analyze past and present treatments, with special emphasis on the 'Dialectic Behavior Therapy,' (DBT) program initiated in 1993 exclusively for individuals diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.

The Intentions Of Engaged To Be Married And Recently Married Individuals To Seek Professional Help, Michael Robert Borowiak

Theses and Graduate Projects

Many individuals in early marriage do not experience a traditional honeymoon period. These distressed couples may resort to ineffective coping mechanisms that can cause greater marital dissatisfaction and instability. One effective coping method engaged or recently married individuals can use is professional help. This study assessed the intentions of engaged to be married and recently married individuals to seek professional help when faced with different types of marital problem areas. The study used a quasi-experimental design with volunteer participants from a suburban Catholic community who answered anonymous self-administered questionnaires. The results found that engaged and recently married individuals were not …

The Impact Of In-Home Parenting Skills Training On Parenting Effectiveness For Parents With Developmental Disabilities, Suzanne Flolid

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study examines the success of Children's Service Society of Wisconsin's (CSSW's) in-home parenting skills training program for parents with developmental disabilities or considered low-functioning the referring county social service agency. The purpose of this program is to improve parenting effectiveness in an effort to maintain a safe and nurturing home environment for children in their parental home. Data were collected by administering a parenting effectiveness questionnaire to Children's Service Society of Wisconsin parenting skills trainers on a pre-test-post-test basis. The parenting skills trainers’ evaluated a parent's progress in the parent education program and reported the findings. The results suggested …

An Assessment Of Relationships Between Actual And Perceived Caregiving Demand And Negative Impact Measures, Michele L. Mandrich

Theses and Graduate Projects

Previous research has focused on the time spent and the tasks involved in caregiving and on care recipient characteristics in measuring caregiving demand and predicting negative impacts (Aneshensel, Pearlin, & Schuler, 1993; McKinlay, Crawford, & Tennstedt, 1995; Stull, Bowman, & Smerglia, 1994). However, the nature of the relationship between objectively measured caregiving demand and negative impacts for caregivers remains unclear. Researchers now note that assessing caregivers' perceptions of demand may be key in understanding negative impacts (Coverman, 1989; Litvin, Albert, Brody, & Hoffman, 1995; Loomis & Booth, 1995). This study assessed relationships between objective and subjective reports of caregiving demand …

A Summary Of The Important Components Of Female Gender Specific Programming As Determined By Adolescent Females In The Juvenile Corrections System, Gail J. Grogan

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the order of importance of components of juvenile correctional programming as ranked by adolescent females currently assigned to a probation officer in the juvenile correctional system. Twenty- two adjudicated adolescent females ranked in order of their perceived importance thirty-one components of correctional programming using a scale developed from components determined by the current literature to be important for gender specific programming for adolescent females . The results of the study were that subjects rated components addressing issues of physical safety, education, and vocation as being of primary importance. The subjects also stated …

Licensing Public Social Workers In Selected States, Kyle G. Cloutier

Theses and Graduate Projects

In Minnesota a coalition of seven professional associations (i.e., National Association of Social Workers, Minnesota Conference on Social Work Education, Minnesota School Social Workers' Association, Minnesota Nursing Home Social Workers Association, Minnesota Society for Clinical Social Work, Minnesota Society for Social Work Administrators in Health Care, and the Minnesota Home Care Social Workers Association) are attempting to persuade state legislators to amend a current statute that exempts public social workers from social work licensure. Unlike Minnesota, a number of other states have licensing requirements for social workers employed by public human service agencies. A review of the literature shows that …

A Survey Of Programs Addressing The Psychosocial Developmental Needs Of African American Men Ages 18 To 26, Rodney J. Dewberry

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this exploratory study is to present information on Afrocentric programs providing continuous preparation for the PSYCHO-SOCIAL developmental needs of African American young men ages 18 to 26 in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area. Programs designed to meet the social, psychological, and educational challenges confronting African American men are identified and described here. This study also presents a literature review of research regarding PSYCHO-SOCIAL needs and intervention strategies used by service providers for African American men. Included is program information gathered through publications, conversations and interviews with program providers and information from educational programs, churches, and social service agencies. …

An Exploratory Study Of Clergy's Perceived Stress Related To Their Counseling Duties, Susan R. Monson

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory study examined the possible relationship between clergy's level of counseling training and their perceived stress related to counseling duties. Interest in the topic stemmed from this researcher's social work field placement within a church counseling center. Ordained clergy belonging to United Methodist, Roman Catholic, and American Baptist churches were surveyed regarding amount of time spent counseling, counselling training, and perceived stress related to counseling. Findings differed from those previous studies on clergy stress that reported high stress levels. Less than half of clergy reported moderate to high stress levels. However, limited qualitative data provided in this study did …

Therapeutic Foster Care: Some Characteristics Of Youth And Children In Out Of Home Placements In The State Of North Dakota, Paul B. White Jr.

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study provides a description of the children and youth who are in out of home placements. The study population consists of an analysis of some characteristics of 146 children and youth to be used as a baseline analysis which can be utilized for agency program planning, policy development, and administration. The characteristics of the children and youth were obtained from individuals residing in therapeutic foster care in the state of North Dakota, supervised by the Professional Association of Treatment Home (PATH). An independent organization tabulated the raw data utilized in this study. The information was collection for a period …

Exploration Of Social Power Differences Between The Sexes: A View From The Transsexual Experience, Terry Dickelman

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study examined the social power and status differential between men and women from the perspective of transsexual individuals. Eight transsexuals, took part in two separated focus group sessions held on different evenings. Five open ended questions designed to examine power differences were asked. Findings indicate men and women experience life differently and are treated differently, both positively and negatively, across a wide variety of situations. Although participants were asked to view their gender experiences in discrete categories, it was extremely difficult for them not to discuss their transition process and those experiences unique to the transsexual as inherent components …

Community Support Program Staff Attitudes Toward Family Involvement With The Adult Who Has A Serious And Persistent Mental Illness, Timothy W. Himango

Theses and Graduate Projects

Research has shown that staff of mental health programs will blame family members for problems incurred by an adult member with a serious and persistent mental illness and therefore be excluded from invotvement in the adult's community support plan. Fifteen personal interviews of staff from four community support programs (CSP's) in Minnesota's Hennepin County were conducted, using a combination of a standardized open-ended question interview format and a S-point Likerttype scale. The CSP staff viewed family members as both positive and negative in their influence on the adult with a mental illness. Their decision was influenced by client self-determination, confidentiality, …

The Cost And Benefit Of Supported Employment In Minnesota: A Social Policy Analysis, Robert Schwartz

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study analyzed the economic feasibility of supported employment for people with mental illness using a cost/benefit framework and outcome data from the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) at the University of Minnesota. A purposive sample was chosen of three programs offering community-based individual supported employment for people with mental illness. Using the ICI framework and a Goeller Scorecard, programs were evaluated for cost/benefit. Findings indicate that when viewed from the ICI model, two of the three programs demonstrated positive cost/benefit ratios.

Adoption Permanency Of Older Children: Evaluation Of Adoptive Family Functioning Variables In Families Who Adopt Older Children, Rhonda M. Jager-Pippy

Theses and Graduate Projects

Current adoption literature indicated a steady increase in adoptive placements of older children over the past twenty years. The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 was based on the belief that every child has a right to a permanent, stable home. The result of permanency legislation increased the number of school age children who were legally freed for adoption. Previous studies indicated the probability of adoption disruption increased as the age of the child increased. This research study examined adoptive family characteristics and functioning that were related to adoption permanency for older children. This research study was adapted …

Practitioners' Perceptions Of Older Male Batterers And Related Factors: An Exploratory Study, Connie F. Pribyl

Theses and Graduate Projects

This was an exploratory study to determine: if mental health practitioners were serving older men who batter; if the practitioners perceived that there were characteristics that differentiated older men who batter from younger men who batter; if these characteristics impacted treatment outcomes and if so, what treatment approaches should be used. Four family violence practitioners participated in a semi-structured interview. The initial findings indicated that: (l) older men who batter comprised a very small proportion of the practitioner's clientele, may be due to fewer older partners utilizing law enforcement assistance; (2) practitioners perceived little difference in characteristics between older men …

Economic Self-Sufficiency Programs Within Privately-Owned, Subsidized, Family Housing Communities: A Program Development Process, Wendy A. Geving

Theses and Graduate Projects

The decreasing size of the United States' affordable housing stock coupled with increasing rates of family poverty and demand for housing assistance make it essential to find ways to make subsidized, family housing communities more transitional in nature and able to serve more low-income families. One way of doing so is by creating economic self-sufficiency (ESS) program within those communities. This study surveyed managers of six existing housing-based ESS programs on their experiences with regard to program development and their thoughts on program components most effective in moving residents toward increased ESS. Program components rated most effective included GED classes, …

Incidence Of Substance Abusing Parents In The Child Welfare System, Kathryn Laura Vaudreuil

Theses and Graduate Projects

There is a significant increase of substance abusing families involved in the child welfare system nationwide and locally, in Minnesota. Many studies suggest that substance abuse is the contributing factor for children placed in foster care by child welfare workers due to child neglect and/or maltreatment reports. This descriptive study examined twenty-two court cases in a large mid western metropolitan county in efforts to determine the incidence of substance abuse on termination of parental rights cases in 1996. Findings from this research project reveal that substance abusing families are frequently cited in termination of parental rights cases. Implications of this …

An Exploratory Study: Out-Of-Home Placement Practices In Two Mid-Western Counties, Michael I. Frafjord

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to explore the criteria used by social workers in two mid-western counties to place children out of the home. This exploration has been done using a questionnaire that asks questions intended to identify a consensus among workers about the criteria considered to place children. Out-of-home placement for the purpose of this study will include any placement done by a county agency either on an emergency basis or by a plan, started at the beginning of a worker/client relationship. These placements are those in which a child has been removed from the home or from …

Implementation Of A Conflict Mediation Program In An Elementary School, Ruth Ann Moreno Belland

Theses and Graduate Projects

Schools are looking at how violence in the school contributes to students' stress levels and how it interferes with the academic abilities and performance of students. If schools are to be orderly and peaceful places in which high quality education can take place, students must learn to manage conflicts constructively. Studies show that conflict mediation plays a role in creating an environment where students regulate their own behavior in regards to conflict in school. This research study surveyed students about their attitudes and opinions towards conflict mediation at Beaver Lake Elementary School. This study also evaluated whether staff to student …

Examining The Complex Relationship Between Social Support And Self-Reported Physical And Emotional Status Of Older Adults, Janet L. Cahill

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory quantitative study was undertaken to examine the complex relationship between social support and the self-reported physical and emotional health status of older adults. The participants (N=30), clients and volunteers of DARTS (Dakota Area Resources and Transportation For Seniors), completed a structured interview consisting of twenty-one questions from two validated questionnaires. The survey measured physical health status, emotional well-being and perceived social support of the participants. The implications of the findings of this study, although complex in nature, are consistent with past studies and will assist DARTS in planning and evaluating services for seniors and their caregivers in Dakota …

Caregiver Support Groups: Benefits Of Participation, Charlotte Jean Mcintosh

Theses and Graduate Projects

As the population ages, many adults will find themselves dependent on others for care due to chronic illness or disability. Often a family member will assist an individual by becoming the caregiver. A caregiver experiences a unique set of stressors and challenges that come with this responsibility. In the community, there are caregiver support groups that are designed to assist a caregiver. This study explored three aspects of participation in a caregiver support group. The findings of this study reveal that participation in a caregiver support group has benefits for the caregivers. The caregivers reported that they learned about resources …

Evaluation Of The Effects Of A Conflict Resolution Program On The Behavior Of Middle School Students, Julie A. Collins

Theses and Graduate Projects

Interpersonal violence has become a leading cause of death and injury among adolescents in the United States. The Unites States Department of Justice reports three million crimes-or about 11% of all crimes, occur each year in public schools. With this increasing trend, interventions are needed, to assist adolescents decrease levels of individual anger and frustration and to learn skills to resolve conflict. A ten-week Conflict Resolution group was implemented in an inner city school in Minneapolis, MN. Each child was asked to complete a pretest/posttest, before the group began and following the last group meeting. This questionnaire evaluated their knowledge …

Comparing Two Support Groups' Impact On The Development Of Middle School Students' Self-Esteem And Internal Locus Of Control, Gary S. Johnson

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study compared the effectiveness of two support group models in a middle school setting. ls the introduction of Health Realization (HR) concepts in a support group more effective than a standard support group without HFI concepts in increasing self-esteem (SE) and internal locus of control (lLC) of participating middle school students? Eighteen 7th grade students were randomly assigned to a support group with HFI concepts or a support group without HR concepts. Pre- and post test scores from the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children (N-S) and the Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Scale (P-H) were used to assess …