Social Work Commons^™

Fueling Prosperity: The Positive Economic Ripple Effects Of Increasing Wages For Nebraska’S Direct Care Workforce, Ernest Goss, Susan Reay

Social Work Faculty Publications

The goals of this study are to estimate the impact of increasing support for direct service providers for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and its impact on the state economy. Specific goals of the study are to: 1. Estimate the economic impact to Nebraska if the state increased the pay to direct service providers delivering care to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (hereafter IDD) to a level more competitive with other states. a. Estimate the impact on the overall state economy, employment in the state and on the top 20 Nebraska industries. b. Estimate the impact of …

Pilot Testing An Asynchronous Online Harm Reduction And Pharmacotherapy Stigma Reduction Training For Substance Use Treatment Professionals, Sandra H. Sulzer, Suzanne Prevedel, Tyson S. Barrett, Margo Mekjian, Mindy Vincent, Felicia Frabis, Cris Meier, Claire Warnick Shiverdecker, Maren Wright Voss, Paula J. Cook, Erin Fanning Madden

Social Work Faculty Publications

Harm reduction and pharmacotherapy approaches to addressing substance use disorder are evidence-based practices for reducing adverse health outcomes. However, professional stigma toward these approaches impedes implementation. In this pilot study, professionals working in substance use treatment services received a 4-hour asynchronous online harm reduction and pharmacotherapy training. Pre- and post-training surveys used Likert-scale questions to assess attitudes and planned actions. Four of the 23 survey items demonstrated a significant change in pre- to post-attitudes and planned actions relating to harm reduction or pharmacotherapy. These items included less attitudinal stigma towards: methadone and buprenorphine (p = .021), overdose prevention sites/"drug …

Are Parental Nonstandard Work Schedules A Barrier To Their School Involvement?, Kess Ballentine, Alejandra Ros Pilarz

Social Work Faculty Publications

Parental school involvement is consistently associated with better child development outcomes. Although parental work schedules are expected to shape school involvement, little empirical research examines this relationship. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Cohort 2010-11, (N=6,047), we estimated associations between parents’ work schedules and multiple indicators of school involvement. Compared to daytime schedules, flexible variable schedules were associated with more parental school involvement. Working a regular nonstandard schedule or employer-set variable schedule was not associated with school involvement, except that working nights was associated with attending fewer school events. We found limited evidence of heterogeneity …

Addressing Pedagogical Challenges In Teaching Social Justice Issues: Are We Scared Yet?, Laneshia R. Conner, Rujeko Machinga

Social Work Faculty Publications

While films are popular as teaching tools in social work education, to critique social inequalities, horror films have not been the conventional genre. This teaching note describes the creation and deployment of a course that uses horror films to address social justice issues as part of different critical reflection, which is linked to practice wisdom. The author describes the structure of course, readings, activities, and reflections for expanding the use of this genre and well as limitations. The
use of horror films can be a useful and salient tool to engage students to draw upon social constructions of what it …

Treating Young Adult Cannabis Use Disorder With Text Message-Delivered Peer Network Counseling, Nikola Zaharakis, J. Douglas Coatsworth, Nathaniel R. Riggs, Aubrie Radford, Stephanie Rayburn, Jeremy Mennis, Michael A. Russell, Aaron Brown, Michael J. Mason

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Approximately 16.5% of U.S. young adults have a cannabis use disorder (CUD) and are at risk for negative outcomes. Treatment can reduce cannabis use, but young adults are less likely to seek help than older adults. Peer Network Counseling-txt (PNC-txt) is a brief, text-delivered, Motivational Interviewing-informed substance use intervention focusing on peer relations and activity spaces as mechanisms for behavioral change. PNC-txt has shown evidence of reducing tobacco and cannabis use with adolescents and young adults, but it has not been tested in the context of legal cannabis use. The current randomized controlled trial sought to expand the evidence …

Prevalence Of Non-Communicable Diseases Among Household Contacts Of People With Tuberculosis: A Systematic Review And Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis, Yohhei Hamada, Matteo Quartagno, Farihah Malik, Keolebogile Ntshamane, Anna Tisler, Sanjay Gaikwad, Carlos Acuna-Villaorduna, Perumal Kannabiran Bhavani, Bachti Alisjahbana, Katharina Ronacher, Lika Apriani, Mercedes Becerra, Alexander L. Chu, Jacob Creswell, Gustavo Diaz, Beatriz E. Ferro, Jerome T. Galea, Louis Grandjean, Harleen M. Grewal, Amita Gupta, Edward C. Jones-López, Léanie Kleynhans, Leonid Lecca, Peter Macpherson, Megan Murray, Diana Marín, Blanca I. Restrepo, Shri Vijay Shivakumar, Eileen Shu, Dhanasekaran Sivakumaran, Luan Nguyen Vo, Emily L. Webb, Andrew Copas, Ibrahim Abubakar, Molebogeng X. Rangaka

Social Work Faculty Publications

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of non-communicable diseases among household contacts of people with tuberculosis.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis. We searched Medline, Embase and the Global Index Medicus from inception to 16 May 2023. We included studies that assessed for at least one non-communicable disease among household contacts of people with clinical tuberculosis. We estimated the non-communicable disease prevalence through mixed effects logistic regression for studies providing individual participant data, and compared it with estimates from aggregated data meta-analyses. Furthermore, we compared age and sex-standardised non-communicable disease prevalence with national-level estimates standardised for …

A Community-Academic Partnered Approach To Designing A Virtual Village To Address The Needs Of Older Adults Living With Hiv, Annie L. Nguyen, Andrea N. Polonijo, Jerome T. Galea, Moka Yoo-Jeong, Jeff Taylor, Erik L. Ruiz, Karah Greene, Jasmine L. Lopez, Christopher Christensonf, Brandon Brown

Social Work Faculty Publications

Many older adults living with HIV face unique challenges, including comorbidities, loneliness, and isolation. This community-academic partnered study elicited viewpoints from older adults living with HIV about the characteristics of a digital environment (“Virtual Village”) to combat against loneliness and isolation. We utilized Choice-Based Conjoint Analyses to determine preferred attributes of a Virtual Village. We also conducted focus groups and interviews with older adults living with HIV and used an iterative, data-driven approach to systematically identify emergent themes. Participants (N = 82) were aged 50–82 years and racially/ethnically diverse. The majority were men (78%), gay (66%), and lived with …

Perspectives On Competency-Based Feedback For Training Non-Specialists To Deliver Psychological Interventions: Multi-Site Qualitative Study Of The Equip Competency-Based Approach, Abdelrhman Elnasseh, Varun S. Mehta, Gergana Manolova, Gloria A. Pedersen, Shannon Golden, Liyam Eloul, Frezgi Gebrekristos, Pamela Y. Collins, Teresia Mutavi, Anne W. Mbwayo, Muthoni Mathai, Tessa Concepcion, Rozane El Masri, Frederik Steen, Jerome T. Galea, Carmen Contreras, Josephine Akellot, Rosco Kasujja, Samuel Wasereka, Byamah Brian Mutamba, Wietse A. Tol, Mansurat Raji, Sacha Moufarrej, Alison Schafer, Brandon A. Kohrt

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: The use of feedback to address gaps and reinforce skills is a key component of successful competency-based mental health and psychosocial support intervention training approaches. Competency-based feedback during training and supervision for personnel delivering psychological interventions is vital for safe and effective care.

Aims: For non-specialists trained in low-resource settings, there is a lack of standardised feedback systems. This study explores perspectives on competency-based feedback, using structured role-plays that are featured on the Ensuring Quality in Psychosocial and Mental Health Care (EQUIP) platform developed by the World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund.

Method: Qualitative data were collected …

Brief Virtual Intervention Associated With Increased Social Engagement And Decreased Negative Affect Among People Aging With Hiv, Andrea N. Polonijo, Annie L. Nguyen, Karah Y. Greene, Jasmine L. Lopez, Moka Yoo-Jeong, Erik L. Ruiz, Christopher Christensen, Jerome T. Galea, Brandon Browni

Social Work Faculty Publications

Virtual Villages—online communities that deliver supports to promote aging in place—are proposed to mitigate isolation and support the health of aging populations. Using a community-engaged approach, we developed and pilot-tested a Virtual Village intervention tailored for people living with HIV (PLWH) aged 50+ . The intervention employed a Discord server featuring social interaction, regional and national resources, expert presentations, and mindful meditation exercises. In 2022, a sample of PLWH aged 50+ from three U.S. study sites participated in a four-week pilot. Pre- and post-intervention surveys assessed participants’ demographic characteristics; degree of loneliness, social connectedness, HIV-related stigma, and technology acceptance; mental …

Tuberculosis Treatment Loss To Follow-Up In Children Exposed At Home: A Prospective Cohort Study, Meredith B. Brooks, Brittney J. Van De Water, Leonid Lecca, Chuan-Chin Huang, Letizia Trevisi, Carmen Contreras, Jerome T. Galea, Roger Calderon, Rosa Yataco, Megan Murray, Mercedes C. Becerra

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Loss to follow-up (LTFU) from tuberculosis (TB) treatment and care is a significant public health problem. It is important to understand what drives LTFU in children – a population whose treatment and management depend on an adult caregiver – to better provide support services to families affected by TB.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of household contacts in Lima, Peru (2009–12). Using multilevel logistic regression analysis, we explored individual-level characteristics of children and their adult household members with TB disease to identify risk factors for LTFU among children initiated on treatment for TB.

Results: A total of …

Latinx Respects: Using Theatre To Prevent Dating Violence, Heidi Adams Rueda, Patricia Newman, Kathleen Mcgee

Social Work Faculty Publications

Teen dating violence is a serious health issue facing youth in the United States. A nationally representative survey found that 8.0% percent of youth who had dated within the past year had been physically hurt on purpose by a dating partner and another 6.9% had experienced sexual violence (Kann et al., 2018). Latinx females experience physical and sexual violence at higher rates compared to national averages (i.e., 9.2% and 11.1%, respectively; Kann et al., 2018). Further, nearly 30% of romantically involved youth have been victims of digital dating abuse within the past year (Hinduja & Patchin, 2021).

Sexual Health And Dating With Disabilities: Understanding The Perspectives Of Parent Resource Coordinators (Prcs), Heidi Adams Rueda, Anne Woodruff Jameson, Maggie Neujahr, Amber Godsey, Lynda Hayes, Jessica Johnson, Sam Montemarano, Carly De Bruin

Social Work Faculty Publications

Young people with disabilities have unique needs concerning dating and sexuality compared to their peers without disabilities. Research supports that young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) desire more education and support. However, young people with I/DD often lack formal and informal sex education and dating information. Despite these barriers, youth with disabilities report feeling empowered when they receive information on sexual and dating health, and when they are included in discussion with community members, family, and close friends about their dating and sexual wants and needs. This study responds to the need to better understand how to support …

Parent Physical And Psychological Aggression And Youth Dating Violence: A Latent Class Analysis Approach, Heidi Adams Rueda, Kaitlyn Paxton Ward, Steven Hoffman

Social Work Faculty Publications

Adolescent dating violence is a national public health issue and research suggests that aggressive parenting may predict the likelihood that a child will subsequently experience abuse. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of parent physical and psychological aggression on adolescent dating violence perpetration and victimization. Data derived from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study resulted in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of adolescents in dating relationships at the age of 15 years (N = 952). Utilizing both parent and adolescent data which assessed parenting practices at ages 3, 5, 9, and 15, …

“This Person Is Safe”: An Exemplar Of Conducting Individual Interviews In Qualitative Research With Black Women, Quenette Walton, Olulbunmi Oyewuwo, Other Co-Authors

Social Work Faculty Publications

Significant conceptual and empirical evidence has been found through qualitative research about the benefits, limitations, and uses of individual interviews. However, there is scant research illustrating how researchers use specific techniques that center participants’ intersecting identities to build rapport, trust, and authentic connections during individual interviews, and especially during interviews with Black women. We illustrate how we used eight empirically grounded techniques in our qualitative individual interviews with Black women. Through our analysis of the interviews, the concept of safety emerged. “This person is safe” reflects the combined stories the women reported regarding their experiences engaging in individual interviews. In …

A Formative Evaluation Of ‘Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity And Building Resiliency’ With Hispanic Adolescents Prior To And During Covid‑19, Heidi Adams Rueda, Abigail Vera, Arminda Marcial, Amanda Mariano

Social Work Faculty Publications

Youth living in poverty are more likely to experience cumulative stressors including multiple adverse childhood events. Further, the Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionality affected Hispanic youth and communities, leading to unprecedented levels of trauma. This research responded to a need for a youth resiliency-building program in an urban and impoverished area with a majority Hispanic population. We conducted a formative evaluation of a youth intervention entitled Mind Mat- ters: Overcoming Adversity and Building Resilience, which aims to help youth overcome adversity and to build resilience via psychoeducation and skill development. Just prior to the pandemic in the United States (August-December, …

Post-Sport Male Athlete Nutrition And Mental Health, Nafees Alam

Social Work Faculty Publications

This publication aims to bring to light the experiences of current and former adult male athletes and their eating habits. Although there is literature on female athlete eating habits, there is a general gap in literature on male athlete eating habits. Thus, we've decided to conduct a qualitative case study research design to begin studying this topic. The goal of this study was to collect, analyze, and disseminate data related to this topic in order to further research and hopefully set the table for quantitative studies on this topic in the future. We’ve collected detailed accounts from 5 current and …

Assessing Capacity In Rural Nonprofits, Jayme Walters, Aaron R. Brown, Dorothy Wallis, Janice Snow

Social Work Faculty Publications

Organizational capacity is necessary for nonprofits to meet their missions and contribute to society. Less is known about rural nonprofits’ organizational capacity and characteristics, as most research focuses on urban nonprofits. The present study first considers the utility of an organizational capacity assessment and identifies pertinent areas of organizational capacity in rural nonprofits. The second objective of the study is to examine relationships between areas of organizational capacity and organizational-level characteristics. In May 2019, nonprofits (n = 290) from persistently poor, rural counties in 14 southern states participated in a survey providing organizational characteristics and assessing organizational capacity. An …

Mexican American Adolescents’ Conversations About Goals: The Centrality Of Financial Aspiration To Career And Educational Pursuit, Heidi Adams Rueda, Qihao Zhan, Lela Rankin, Deaven Greenberg

Social Work Faculty Publications

We explored Mexican American adolescents’ goals as discussed with a romantic relationship partner. Thirty-four Mexican American hetero-dating couples aged 15 to 17 (M = 11.71 months dating) from an urban city in a Southwest border state participated in a video-taped discussion. Drawing on Social Cognitive Career Theory, we inductively coded for themes and found that youth prioritized career, education, family planning, travel, and relationship goals. We were sensitized to the centrality of financial aspiration to each of these themes, and further operationalized youth’s level of financial aspiration as either modest, ambivalent, or high. Applying this template, we analyzed the …

Human Needs: Overview, Michael A. Dover

Social Work Faculty Publications

Human need and related concepts such as basic needs have long been part of the implicit conceptual foundation for social work theory, practice, and research. However, although the published literature in social work has long stressed social justice, and has incorporated discussion of human rights, human need has long been both a neglected and contested concept. In recent years, the explicit use of human needs theory has begun to have a significant influence on the literature in social work.

Guiding The Way To Clinical Licensure: Creating A Practical Framework For The Provision Of Clinical Social Work Supervision, Susan Reay

Social Work Faculty Publications

This article aims to guide recent MSW graduates through the clinical supervision process. Frequently asked questions about supervision are addressed, including how to find a supervisor, the pros and cons of supervision inside or outside your organization, what the supervision will entail, and how supervision supports the supervisee in their work and professional development. This article also provides a best practices supervision framework with access to a Clinical Supervision Guidebook to demonstrate ways of implementing successful supervision that works for both the supervisee and supervisor. Located in the Appendix, the Guidebook outlines the relevant clinical supervisor and supervisee regulatory expectations …

Playing Well With Others: Evaluating An Intervention To Prepare Students For Interprofessional Collaborative Learning, Kelli S. Fox

Social Work Faculty Publications

National trends in health care delivery focus on quality team-based care, patient safety, reducing costs and improving practitioner satisfaction (Interprofessional Education Collaborative, 2016). Health profession students, including social workers, are expected to be workforce ready for a complex interprofessional work environment. Educators are charged with developing effective ways to teach collaborative team skills as part of the curriculum (Rubin et al., 2018; Thistlethwaite et al., 2014). Educators across health professions recognize the importance of providing opportunities to immerse students in experiential, person-centered interprofessional teamwork to adequately prepare them for the workforce. (Cohen Konrad et al., 2017; Mokler, 2020). Planned interprofessional …

Do Degrees Matter? Rethinking Workforce Development For Youth With Intellectual Disabilities And Mental Health Challenges, Susan Reay, William E. Reay, Kris Tevis, Lisa Patterson

Social Work Faculty Publications

The global workforce crisis significantly impacts how evidence-based treatment is provided to youth with developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions. Addressing the workforce crisis requires re-examining the long-standing methods of selecting individuals for employment based on academic degrees. This project offers an innovative workforce development option that provides specialized training to staff with advanced education degrees and staff with less education. The participants in this study were employed in a rural area of the USA within the mental health, child welfare, and correctional industries. All participants worked with youth experiencing intellectual disabilities and mental illness. Results indicated that participants …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Women And Work: Career Advancement Challenges, Sara Lafkas, Marin Christensen, Susan R. Madsen

Social Work Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic upended countless lives all over the world. Considerable research has shown that women’s career progression has been more negatively impacted by the pandemic than men’s, especially in the wake of school closures and increased childcare responsibilities. In order to understand more deeply the impact of the pandemic on women’s careers, a large mixed-method survey was conducted in Utah, a western state in the United States. This article reports on the responses of 2564 respondents to one of three open-ended questions taken from the overall survey, namely: “How has the pandemic impacted your career advancement experiences and opportunities …

Point/Counterpoint: Transgender Sport Participation Policy, Nafees Alam, Matt Moore

Social Work Faculty Publications

Professor Alam and Professor Moore submitted a Point/Counterpoint commentary article regarding the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Board of Governors Transgender Sport Participation Policy

Grace Abbott Training Supervision Academy: A Year Of Growth, Collaboration, And Impact, Susan Reay, Grace Abbott Training And Supervision Academy, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Social Work Faculty Publications

I am pleased to share with you our 2023 Grace Abbott Training and Supervision Academy Report: A Year of Growth, Collaboration, and Impact. As you read through our report, you will see that in 2023, we focused on refining our offerings to meet the needs of our loyal base of social workers, mental health practitioners, and critical stakeholders who are passionate about learning and collaborating to improve people's lives. The Grace Abbott Training and Supervision Academy provides evidence-based workforce development through continuing education and supervision for behavioral health practitioners at any career stage. We are committed to breaking down barriers …

The Covid-19 Pandemic As A Catalyst For Integrated Global Mental Healthcare And Tuberculosis Care, Alexander L. Chu, Aneeta Pasha, Carmen Contreras, Leonid Lecca, Annika C. Sweetland, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Mental disorders are common among persons with tuberculosis (TB), and the COVID-19 pandemic has only amplified the mental and physical health consequences of this deadly synergy. Here, we call to attention the immense vulnerability of people with TB to mental disorders during the pandemic and highlight the unique challenges and opportunities that the pandemic brings to the future integration of global TB and mental healthcare. We argue that the pandemic era is an ideal period to accelerate this integration and we provide research and policy recommendations to actualise this urgent need.

Development Of A Conversational Agent For Individuals Ambivalent About Quitting Smoking: Protocol For A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Uma S. Nair, Karah Yeona Greene, Stephanie Marhefka, Kristin A. Kosyluk, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. Despite the availability of a plethora of evidence-based smoking cessation resources, less than one-third of individuals who smoke seek cessation services, and individuals using these services are often those who are actively contemplating quitting smoking. There is a distinct dearth of low-cost, scalable interventions to support smokers not ready to quit (ambivalent smokers). Such interventions can assist in gradually promoting smoking behavior changes in this target population until motivation to quit arises, at which time they can be navigated to existing evidence-based smoking cessation …

Retention And Viral Suppression Among Adolescents Newly Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy In Adult Hiv Care In Lima, Peru: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Miyu Niwa, Eduardo Matos, Carly Rodriguez, Milagros Wong, Renato A. Errea, Alicia Ramos, Liz Senador, Carmen Contreras, Jerome T. Galea, Andrew Lindeborg, Carlos Benites, Sonya S. Shin, Leonid Lecca, Molly F. Franke

Social Work Faculty Publications

Purpose: Published data on outcomes among adolescents newly initiating antiretroviral treatment in the Latin American context are sparse. We estimated the frequency of sustained retention with viral load suppression (i.e., successful transition) and identified predictors of successful transition into adult care among youth (aged 14–21 years) with recently acquired HIV in Lima, Peru.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 184 adolescents and young adults who initiated antiretroviral therapy in an adult public sector HIV clinic between June 2014 and June 2019. Sustained retention (no loss-to-follow-up or death) with viral suppression was calculated for the first 12 and 24 …

Perinatal Depression And Implementation Of The “Thinking Healthy Program” Support Intervention In An Impoverished Setting Of Lima, Peru: Assessment Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Margot Aguilar, Carmen Contreras, Giuseppe Raviola, Alejandra Sepúlveda, Maricielo Espinoza, Leydi Moran, Lourdes Ramos, Jesús Peinado, Leonid Lecca, Gloria A. Pedersen, Brandon A. Kohrt, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Socios En Salud (SES) implemented the Thinking Healthy program (THP) to support women with perinatal depression before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lima Norte. We carried out an analysis of the in-person (5 modules) and remote (1 module) THP intervention. Depression was detected using PHQ-9, and THP sessions were delivered in women with a score (PHQ-9 ≥ 5). Depression was reassessed and pre- and post-scores were compared. In the pre-pandemic cohort, perinatal depression was 25.4% (47/185), 47 women received THP and 27 were reassessed (57.4%), and the PHQ-9 score median decreased from 8 to 2, p < 0.001. In the pandemic cohort, perinatal depression was 47.5% (117/247), 117 women received THP and 89 were reassessed (76.1%), and the PHQ-9 score median decreased from 7 to 2, p < 0.001. THP’s modalities helped to reduce perinatal depression. Pregnant women who received a module remotely also reduced depression.

Adolescent, Caregiver And Provider Perspectives On Tuberculosis Treatment Adherence: A Qualitative Study From Lima, Peru, Silvia S. Chiang, Liz Senador, Elmer Altamirano, Milagros Wong, Catherine B. Beckhorn, Stephanie Roche, Julia Coit, Victoria Elena Rapoport, Leonid Lecca, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Objectives: To understand the perspectives of adolescents (10–19 years old), their caregivers and healthcare providers regarding factors that impact adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment among adolescents.

Design: We conducted in-depth interviews using semistructured interview guides based on the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Five Dimensions of Adherence framework, which conceptualises adherence as being related to the health system, socioeconomic factors, patient, treatment and condition. We applied framework thematic analysis.

Setting: Between August 2018 and May 2019, at 32 public health centres operated by the Ministry of Health in Lima, Peru.

Participants: We interviewed 34 adolescents who completed or were lost to …