Social Work Commons^™

Special Needs Adoption: Characteristics Of Children Who Wait, Sandra K. Taylor Nelson

Theses and Graduate Projects

Children who have been removed from their birth parent(s)' care,

due to abuse, neglect, or other maltreatment are generally placed in

one of several out-of home placement arrangements. The birth parents

of many of these children subsequently have their parental rights

terminated, and these children then become wards of the State. For

this thesis, case records of seventy children who are wards of the

State of Minnesota receiving services from the Hennepin County

Children and Family Services Department Adoption Program' were

reviewed for the purpose of gathering descriptive information about

this population. This study found that number of placements, Iength …

Assessing Satisfaction Among Clients Of A Probation Service Center, Iris B. Burlock

Theses and Graduate Projects

The Probation Service Center offers supervision to those probationers who are assessed as posing only a minimal risk to the community-at-large. It was started in Dakota County in April, 1992 as a viable means of monitoring this low-risk offender population by using a group supervision format. The initiation of this program was spurred by the immediate need posed by burgeoning caseloads of those providing traditional one-to-one probation. This need became more dramatic in the face of dwindling financial and human resources.

This research looks at the operations of the Probation Service Center from the client's perspective. A client satisfaction survey …

An Historic Review Of Special Education And The Effects Of Segregation On Educational Service Provision, Leslie E. Green

Theses and Graduate Projects

Millions of Americans sincerely believe that children who have special needs are entitled to individualized educational programming. Without this commitment, children who have special needs cannot attain their rightful, productive places in society. The purpose of this thesis will be to trace the origin and the historical development of Special Education. It will also consider and attempt to draw conclusions as to the level of segregation of services provided for students.

Exploration Of Human And Social Service Needs Of The Transgender Community: Guidelines For Social Workers, Lori A. Stark

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this research is to assist the author in developing guidelines for social workers who work with the transgender community, or may come in contact with a transgender client at some point. Although upon completion, this thesis will not be in guideline form, the thesis, as well as the guidelines to follow, will contain definitions and explanations of different areas of the transgendered community, and a list of resource and referral sources that may be useful when working with a transgendered client. The following research questions will be explored in this study : l) What are all of …

Ageism: An Exploration Of Social Workers' Attitudes Toward Psychological Services For Elders, Anita L. Raymond-Wrage

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study sought to explore the value placed on psychological services for elders by social workers. Previous research indicates that psychologists, psychiatrists, physicians and other professionals are biased against the effectiveness of psychological services for older people. Because social workers for elders are often the source of referrals for other types of service provision to meet the needs of older adults, the social worker's ability to recognize depression and to understand the appropriateness of services such as psychotherapy, couple$, group, and family therapy is necessary to ensure all the needs of the older adult are met. By responding to a …

The Impact Of Whole Family Foster Care On Social Support Networks, Sheri A. Olson

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory study examined the impact of a whole family foster care program on the social support networks of parents placed in care. Comparisons of networks of five parents before and during placement were made. The results suggest that a possible relationship exists on the amount of support received. Increases in network size, concrete, informational and emotional support, reciprocity of help, and the amount of contacts were reported by parents during placement in the program. The overall percentage of criticalness decreased during placement. This suggests an improvement in the quality of social support networks during placement in whole family foster …

The Definition Of Stalking: Its Historical Context And Current Status, Christine M. Freund

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the historical context of stalking to determine i ts current status as a social problem. in the past 30 years stalking has increased in both reported extent and severity. The study tracked stalking through history from the Roman era to the present. Data was collected through the examination of legal testimonials, popular Literature and articles by those currently working with stalking victims and stalkers. The study found, evidence that stalking is gradually becoming recognized as a social problem.

It's Time To Prepare: Death Education For Social Workers, Leah Walton

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to develop a training program for social workers on death and dying. Data was collected by reviewing the literature, conducting interviews with professionals in the field of death and dying, and the participation in a seminar entitled "The Ticking of the Clock and The Tolling of the Bells". The information collected was combined and developed into a training program for social workers in long term care or hospital settings. The training program can also be adapted for use in the class room setting at the undergraduate or graduate level. The training program outlined five …

Implementation Of The Indian Child Welfare Act, Daniel G. Dierfeldt

Theses and Graduate Projects

The Indian Child Welfare Act (I.C.W.A.), P.L. 95-608, became federal law in 1978. Its purpose was to protect Native American children, families and culture. Prior to the passage of the I.C.W.A. Native American children were being placed in substitute care in statistically high numbers The law mandates a system which provides for tribal participation whenever permanent or temporary care is required for Native American children. The I.C.W.A. encourages family preservation and establishes legal protections when children must be separated from their families.

To date little study has been done related to the implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act at …

Respite Care For Children With Emotional / Behavioral Disorders In A Foster Care Setting, Marcia L. Bolte

Theses and Graduate Projects

The Time Apart respite program provides short-term, temporary care, outside the home of the primary caregiver. In the evaluation process, questionnaires were given to social workers and case managers whose clients have used the program and to liscensed, specially trained, foster parents who provided respite services. The study was designed to answer the following seven questions: 1) What are the characteristics of the consumers of this program?; 2) Does the respite provider training address the needs of respite providers in serving the children in their care?; 3) Does the child information packet given to providers supply the information they need …

Development Of Workshop For School Social Workers: A Framework For Addressing Sexually Abused Adolescents, Lisa M. Baird

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to develop a training program to equip school social workers to work effectively with the growing population of adolescents who have suffered sexual abuse. The framework of the program focuses on empowering the victims to move from the mindset of feeling controlled by the victimization to utilizing their freedom to choose positive behaviors and taking responsibility for those choices, despite their suffering.

A workshop was developed for presentation to school social workers. The workshop educates social workers on a framework from which to address the adolescent victim. It presents an overview of sexual abuse, …

Evaluating A Grandparent Support Group, Mary A. Taylor

Theses and Graduate Projects

Having developed a grandparent support group for grandparents raising grandchildren, the author conducted an evaluation of the group using both quantitative and qualitative information from group members. The support group was sponsored by a Western suburban school district in the Minneapolis - St. Paul metropolitan area. The author utilizes attachment theory in an attempt to understand the needs of grandparents raising their grandchildren, an increasing phenomena. After reviewing research findings on the usefulness of support groups, especially those sponsored by schools, the evaluation of this support group and its usefulness to grandparents are presented. Suggestions for future groups and information …

Minnesota Youth In Care: Voices Of Wisdom, Michelle L. Chalmers

Theses and Graduate Projects

Adolescents currently make up the largest proportion of young people entering substitute care in the state of Minnesota. In this exploratory project, eleven young adults with a history of out of home placement in two Minnesota counties were interviewed. Participants shared their perceptions on the degree of influence they feel they had when decisions regarding their placements were made. They provided "advice" for youth currently entering the system and for practitioners working with adolescents in care. A review of the literature exploring the relationship between empowerment theories and youth participation in service provision provides a foundation for the study. Literature …

A Study Of The Characteristics, Experiences, Emotions, Needs Of Primary Caregivers Whose Relatives Were Admitted To A Short Term Rehabilitation Unit In A Health Care Community, Sandra G. Nelson

Theses and Graduate Projects

This research investigated the socio-demographic characteristics of primary caregivers and their emotional experiences at the time of the admission of an older relative to a short term rehabilitation unit of a health care community. The findings indicated that the majority of primary caregivers are adult children and spouses. In addition, the research indicated that family members assume the primary responsibility for their older relatives while they reside in the community. The results of this research differed significantly from studies of long-term care in regards to the emotions experienced at the. time of the admission. This study found that primary caregivers …

Work Satisfaction Of Arab Social Services Employees In Southern Israel, Soleman H. Abu Bader

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to describe work satisfaction of Arab social services employees in Southern Israel, to compare it with work satisfaction of Jewish social services employees, and to ascertain if work satisfaction of Arab and Jewish employees is either similar or different. In the State of Israel, the national government which has a historical conflict with the Arab people has to approve all local administrations, policies, taxes, and budgets. In this study two hypotheses are posited. The first hypothesis states that work satisfaction of Arab social services employees who are controlled by administrative structures nominated by the …

Community Based Mental Mental Health Services: Perspectives Of Clients With Mental Illness And Of Case Managers, Taylor Jones Jr

Theses and Graduate Projects

Mental illness is a disease of the brain that affects how a person feels, thinks and acts. It is caused by a variety of genetic disorders, environmental and personal stressors. Prior to the establishment of community based mental health treatment, persons with mental illness were usually institutionalized in state mental health institutions. The treatment purpose was to lock people up away from public view and to keep them behind locked doors with very little effort towards treatment rehabilitation. The purpose of this research study is to find out what kind of community resource services best help clients to live more …

Implementation Of Apprenticeship Programs In The High School Curriculum, Marian A. Allen

Theses and Graduate Projects

Implementation of apprenticeship programs in the high school curriculum is a policy analysis of the efforts of the German apprenticeship system to help motivate and train non-traditional age students and apparently known non-college-bound youth. The study explains how the apprenticeship would utilize work places as learning environments, create opportunities for mentor relationships to provide important adult roles, and develop the flexibility, dependability, and vocational skills that most employers agree will be necessary in the years to come.

The study will emphasize the necessity of helping young people to make the crucial connections between school learning, community participation, and a satisfying, …

The Role Of The School Social Worker In The St. Paul School District, Kathleen Lombardi

Theses and Graduate Projects

School social workers often times experiences role confusion for a number of reasons As social work staff, they work an a host setting that often times does not know what to expect from school social workers Because of this, they are often times assigned a wide range of duties and responsibilities. This research examines how school social workers an the St Paul School District prioritize the tasks assigned to them and how they define their role. It also examines how much acceptance and support school social workers feel they receive from teachers and administrators in the district, and how connected …

Biracial Children Research Project, David Alan Branch

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of the Biracial Children Research Project is to determine and develop elementary school social workers' awareness of the unique needs and issues related to biracial children.

Sixty-seven Minneapolis elementary school social workers were surveyed in order to assess their awareness level of issues related to African American and White racially mixed children. Issues that were identified by the Biracial Children Research Project dealt with; 1) school and community; 2) psycho-social; 3) racial identity development; 4) racial categorization; and 5) social workers use of referrals to agencies that serve biracial children.

The Biracial Children Research Project is a study …

Evaluating Head Start: An Historical Review Of Program Goals And Factors Which Impact Program Evaluation, Violet M. Finkelson

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory historical study researches the Head Start program goals and performance standards from the original task force and President Johnson's declaration of the war on poverty, to the present day. The historical research on the Head Start program is presented by decade adjacent to historical information about child development and early childhood education, and the political climate of that decade. The study will examine major Head Start program evaluations which occurred during each of the past three decades and discuss historical factors which may have impacted the research designs. The ultimate goal of this project is to learn from …

Computers In Social Work: A Review Of The United Way's First Call For Help System, Michael Resig

Theses and Graduate Projects

This stud,y was a formative evaluation of the Uni ted Ways of Minneapolis and Saint Paul Minnesota's First Call for HeIp referral program specifically the quality control of information concerning social service agencies and programs. This analysis includes how this service receives information, how information is recall ed from the computer and how information is dispensed to the clients and professionals who are seeking information concerning social services. In addition, this analysis reviews the training the operators of this service are required to complete. The final chapter of this analysis explores how computers may be able to be used as …

Family Centered Birth Project: Prenatal Education And Outcomes, Deanna Scherr

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to explore and evaluate the effectiveness of the Family Centered Birth Project and to increase the access of prenatal patients to the birthing classes conducted at Ramsey Family Physicians. This researcher is interested in determining what factors influence patients to attend on-site prenatal classes. Possible factors from the literature review include: existence of a supportive companion (i.e., someone present during delivery), or support system (i.e., someone that the patient identified as supportive), education level, transportation, child care, age, fear of delivery, denial, living arrangements, the cost of the birthing classes, domestic abuse, perceptions of …

When Two Worlds Collide: Awkward Or Troubling Post-Termination Encounters Between Therapists And Clients, Kay M. Adams

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study explored the topic of awkward or troubling post-termination encounters between therapists and clients. Fifteen interviews were conducted with mental health professionals, most of whom were themselves members of the minority communities they frequently served, including gay and lesbian, and African American therapists. This study relied heavily on the literature concerning dual relationships, and was based on the hypothesis that therapists have many awkward or troubling encounters with former clients for which they are unprepared to adequately deal with, based on lack of formal training or education. Results from this research demonstrate that these encounters are more frequent and …

Urban Gangs: The Dynamics Of Poverty, The Media And Gang Membership, Chalmers Lee Davis

Theses and Graduate Projects

Street gangs are a fact of life in every major city in the United States. Street gangs have also been recognized as a problem in American cities since the early 1920s. Is there a connection between poverty and gang membership? The inner-cities of America have lost manufacturing and non-service jobs to the suburbs. During the same time period adolescent gang activities have increased. What causes kids to join gangs and who are the kids that join gangs? The media in the United States paints a portrait of gang members as predominantly youth of color, is this accurate? The author, through …

An Evaluation Of Employee Assistance Program Services To Monolingual Spanish Speaking Hispanics In The United States, Richard Crislip

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine an Employee Assistance Program's (EAPs) bilingual and bicultural capacity in their service delivery to Hispanics who require Spanish. The methodology of the study takes two approaches. First, a client satisfaction survey was administered to a sample of EAP clients who required Spanish. The survey measured satisfaction with EAP access, satisfaction with the EAP counselor, and satisfaction with EAP office procedures. Second, an EAP counselor survey was distributed to a sample of counselors who stated they have bilingual capacities in their service delivery. The findings of the study identify strengths and areas for …

Comparing The Effects Multiple Roles Have On Female Professionals And Their Families, Patricia M. Parsinen

Theses and Graduate Projects

Today more than ever professional women are juggling multiple roles. with conflicting values, combining work and family roles becomes difficult. This thesis studies how a group of women employed at a metropolitan medical center perceive the effects their multiple roles have on themselves and their families. Specifically, this thesis explores the hypothesis that women who see themselves as having good self esteem will also report their families as having a better understanding of their work challenges. Those women will indicate that their families participate in at least 25-50% of the household responsibilities, compared to those women who do not feel …

Case Study: Supporting Resilience In Males, Deborah Schurman Strand

Theses and Graduate Projects

This research is a case study of how Southside Family Nurturing Center (SFNC), an early childhood intervention center, encourages resilience in boys who are considered at-risk because of their exposure to adversity. In-depth, open-ended interviews with staff and parents were conducted to identify both the apparent risk and protective factors of two boys enrolled in SFNC's program and the ways staff supported protective mechanisms in these boys. This study found that SFNC's program supports individual and environmental protective factors for both the boys and their families.

School And Human Service Collaboration: A Needs Assessment, Amy Clark

Theses and Graduate Projects

Across America schools and human service organizations have become more aware of the difficulty in providing for the needs of families and children alone. There is a growing need for organizations to work together to effectively provide appropriate services. Recently, collaboration has received a great deal of attention as a necessary strategy in working together.

This study explores the perceived need for a school and human service collaboration in Dakota County, Minnesota, that would service families and children currently receiving services from the Intra-Dakota Educational Alternative (IDEA) program. A needs assessment was conducted through a review of the literature and …

Collaborative Approach To Adoptive Placement Of Infants In Minnesota: An Effectiveness Assessment Of The African American Adoption Project, Helen M. Strother

Theses and Graduate Projects

It is documented that many Blacks are overlooked as viable resources by adoption agencies for the many Block children needing families. The African American Adoption Project (AAAP) worked cooperatively with four private adoption agencies for the adoptive placement of twenty-five Black infants. This research analyzed the impact of AAAP's services to Block infants, birth families, adoptive families and to the four private adoption agencies. Due to the secrecy and confidentiality surrounding the subject of adoption, unobtrusive strategies were developed to analyze AAAP's qualitative impact. This study revealed that through AAAP, on average, Black infants waited much shorter for adoptive homes, …

Parental Child Abduction: Practice Guidelines For Social Workers, Kim Marie Carol Walker

Theses and Graduate Projects

Parental child abduction is a social problem that has an impact on a growing number of families. lt is now likely that social workers will encounter families affected by parental child abduction at some point during the course of their practice. To best serve these families, social workers need to be knowledgeable about parental child abduction and about strategies available to respond to the myriad of related issues. For this thesis, a survey was conducted of thirty-one missing children's agencies across the United States in order to identify agency perceptions of social workers' knowledge about parental child abduction, and social …