Social Work Commons^™

An Assessment Of Decision-Making By Adolescents In A Community-Based Youth Program, Mary Beran Skjold

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory research compares the decision-making skills between youth board members and youth non-board members within the context of a community-based youth group. The goal was to determine whether youth board members were more advanced in their decision-making skills than youth non-board members and were these skills utilized in other area of life.

The research design is both quantitative and qualitative: the survey had twelve questions and the interview had six open-ended questions. Twenty adolescents answered the written survey and, of these twenty, there were ten adolescents who were interviewed. The survey questions covered the areas of future work, ideology, …

An Exploratory Study Of Violence Intervention Program, Laura Turgeon

Theses and Graduate Projects

Teen violence has become increasingly prevalent. There have been several incidents over the last few years of violence in schools that have received national attention. Shootings by teens in Paducah, Kentucky and Springfeld, Oregon, for example are incidents in which the culmination of many factors comes in to play. There is a concern about dealing with troubleed youth and how to help them deal effectively with anger and violence.

This study evaluated one program that directly addresses the issue of youth violence. The school is located in a metropolitan area and works in collaboration with the county to provide a …

Self-Esteem In Adolescence Females: The Athletic Connection, Debra Smith Wagner

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study investigated the self-esteem, feelings, and experiences of five exceptional skill level and five average skill level female adolescent athletes. Although mainly a qualitative study, with emphasis given to in-depth interviews, this research design also used a quantitative instrument in order to record the self-esteem of each subject. Both methods were used to generate themes and analyze concepts relating to the self-esteem and experience of female adolescent athletes. The quantitative instrument revealed that all athletes had self-esteem scores in the average to very high categories. Exceptional skill athletes did have higher mean scores than the regular skill athletes and …

The Study Of The Use Of Advance Directives In Minnesota Nursing Homes As Perceived By Social Workers, Denise Sigstad

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study sought to discover the use of advance directives as reported by nursing home social workers. The focus is on residents who are living in nursing homes and are sixty years old or older. One hundred social workers in Minnesota were randomly surveyed on the current rate of advance directive use, barriers to completing the forms, and perceptions from social workers about whether they have or not have adequate knowledge and education to teach about advance directives. A review of the literatiare on advance directives shows the average use is only 5-18% for the elderly population. Survey findings confirm …

The Parent-School Partnership: Exploring The Role, Needs, And Barriers Of Parent Participation, Bethany J. Jarvis

Theses and Graduate Projects

The research reveals that a positive and active partnership between schools and parents is essential in successful learning and student achievement. Despite the comprehensive research in this area, educational practitioners remain ambivalent about parental involvement in schools, and parent participation is weak in many schools even when parents are invited. An exploratory study which addressed the role, needs, and barriers of parent participation was conducted using surveys to parents who have a child or children enrolled at Cambridge Elementary School. Cambridge Elementary School is located approximately 60 miles north of the Twin Cities Metro Area, and has close to 890 …

A Century Of Child Placing: 1900-1998, Laurie Boros

Theses and Graduate Projects

The following historical study explored and analyzed the policies in child welfare from 1900-1999 with a special emphasis on the last twenty years. The research attempted to discover common ideologies from the last century and to compare and contrast modern day child welfare practices to the turn of the twentieth century child welfare practices. Using content analysis, this qualitative study examined historical and current documents in search of common factors in the last century in the field of child welfare mid the placing out of children.

The data revealed areas in the field of child welfare that have been present …

Youth In Treatment Foster Care Homes: Outcomes At Discharge, Joey S. Glassman

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory quantitative study examines existing records of 193 youth discharged from treatment foster care homes between January 1, 1997 to December 31, 1997 and whether a correlation exists between the number of youth with mental health issues in a treatment foster care home, and the achievement of positive, non-institutionalized or negative, institutionalized outcomes at discharge. This research was compiled from treatment foster care homes in the Minnesota based Human Service Associates therapeutic foster care agency. According to Public Law 97'272 and social work ethical practice, the child welfare system strives to place children in the least restrictive, nurturing living …

Lesbian Mothers' Interaction With The Lesbian Community, Victoria L. Grimm

Theses and Graduate Projects

Empirical evidence dating back almost 30 years shows no significant differences between children raised by homosexual and heterosexual parents. Now concentration must shift to how lesbian and gay parenting cope and fulfill their parental roles ln the face of multiple discriminations from both the heterosexual and homosexual communities. A format of focus group discussions is a non-threatening method to determine the level of social changes that lesbian mothers experience after children are added to their families. This study concentrates solely on three lesbian mothers. The participants were solicited through newspaper and bulletin board ads and "snowball" sampling. Major themes that …

Policy Analysis Of Wisconsin's Domestic Violence Mandatory Arrest Law, Holly C. Mcabee

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory paper is an attempt to examine the factors that led to the criminalization of domestic violence. Beginning with an overview of the history of reform movements to end family violence, the report then reviews the factors that influenced the enactment of mandatory arrest policies in Wisconsin, as well as across the United States. The last sections critically examine existing research on the deterrent effects of arrest. Research suggests that arrest may have some deterrent effects on different offender subgroups, however, may be a relatively weak sanction and deterrent effects may be short term. The greatest point of intervention …

Effects Of Foster Care On The Family System, Rochelle Del Greco

Theses and Graduate Projects

Despite volumes of studies and research on foster care as an intervention, there has been very limited research conducted on the effects foster care has on the family system as perceived by the foster parents. This study attempted to find some preliminary information about how the foster family is affected by foster children living in their home. Surveys were sent to 50 foster families in a rural county in Minnesota. The survey looked for correlations and frequencies in variables that had both positive and negative impact on the family system. As identified by the learning theorists, children learn from the …

Perceptions Of Intimacy By Men Who Choose Violence: An Exploratory Study, Sigrid Finke

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory study examined the perceptions about intimate relationships of 21 heterosexual men who had been court-ordered to domestic abuse groups at an urban social service agency. Within four separate focus groups, six open-ended questions were asked about intimacy, gender role beliefs, and perceptions of relating to partners, other adult males, and children. Findings indicated that the men with traditional outlooks (i.e. those w'ho had a strong belief in male headed households), expressed a more difficult time with intimate situations. Those men who held liberal views (i.e. that both men and women share both provider and care taking roles), tended …

An Historical Analysis Of Open Adoption In The United States, Molly Crosby Cave

Theses and Graduate Projects

Adoption has been a way of creating families for centuries. The trend toward more direct and communicative relationships between adoptees, birth parents and the adoptive parents is gaining favor in the adoption arena. The purpose of this analysis is to place an historical context on the evolution of open adoption and to analyze its strengths and weaknesses. The outcome of this research indicates that open adoption is a positive way to build families and create lasting relationships between the adoptee, birth parents and adoptive parents.

Preadolescents With Attachment Disorders: An Explanatory Study In A Residential Treatment Center, Teresina J. Schellinger

Theses and Graduate Projects

An increasing number of children are failing to develop secure attachments to caregivers. Many are involved with the child welfare system and display an overwhelming number of problems--emotional, cognitive, developmental, physical, moral, behavioral, and social. This exploratory study using qualitative and quantitative methods addresses how one residential treatment center has worked with this population. Case records, selected through a purposive sampling, of 14 discharged preadolescents and information from key informants support findings of this research. Themes discovered assist this treatment center, and possibly others, in understanding the relationship between the behavioral and therapeutic needs of these children and the practice …

Medication And Conduct Disorder: Professional's Perceptions Of Its Helpfulness, Deann L. Reese

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study explores the use of medication to treat children diagnosed with conduct disorder. The use of medication to treat this disorder is a controversial issue, and one that has been well researched in inpatient settings by psychiatrists. However, parents of these children and social workers serving these families need to be informed of its usefulness on a basis that can be applied to other settings, since many of these children are discharged from inpatient settings back into their families and original communities. This study surveyed 7 staff of a behavioral health unit where children diagnosed with conduct disorder were …

A Strengths Perspective On Adolescent Parenting: Helping Educate, Empower, And Support Adolescent Mothers, Lisa A. Rittgers

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore what adolescent parents participating in the Supporting Teens and Empowering Parents (S.T.E.P.) program identify as practical program suggestions that they felt would enhance the value and interest level for adolescent parents participating in parenting programs. This study was founded on the strengths approach to program development, which focuses on the belief that the strengths and resources of people and their environment should be the primary focus in development. The qualitative research data was gathered through exploratory interviews with four adolescent parents who participated in the S.T.E.P. program. There were five interview topics, …

Individual Leadership's Role To Overcome White Male Privilege, Jarrod Englebretson

Theses and Graduate Projects

Our culture has been built by the white male philosophy and is responsible for the lack of cultural diversity in our society today. Even though steps have been take to eliminate racism, it continues to exist and is more prevalent in an unconscious form called male privilege and white privilege. These privileges allow white people, particularly white males, to take advantage of certain 'rights' which are inherent in our society simply because it has been largely defined by the white male.

Leaders need to break out of this type of thinking and be the catalyst for bringing this topic out …

An Exploratory Study Of Minneapolis Truant Adolescents And School And County Interventions, Lois E. Lewis

Theses and Graduate Projects

Truancy is one of the most alarming social problems schools and educators face daily. Because of the complex conditions that contribute to truancy, the etiology and development of the problem are unclear. In this study, fifty subjects ages 12-14 were described by using two measures. An intake form was used to abstract information, at the county level, on the variables gender, age, race, grade, education, number of people in the home, living situation, chemical use, mental health, prior court involvement, and other factors pertinent to this study for the 1997-98 school year. The second measure was used, at the school …

An Historical Perspective Of Mental Health And Criminal Justice Policies: Current Policies In An Urban County For Offenders With Mental Illness, Carol Cochran

Theses and Graduate Projects

This descriptive study investigates whether offenders with mental illness are diverted from the criminal justice system to the mental health system in an urban county. Interviews were conducted with key decision makers to determine policy and procedures. Admissions to the county medical center psychiatric unit were correlated with arrests and in-custody county jail data for years 1985-87 and 1995-97.

Interviews reveal offenders with mental illness are detained in jail while awaiting mental health screening and court dispositions. If competent, offenders with mental illness can be sentenced to a corrections facility to serve their sentences with the general population. If incompetent …

Mandated Reporting In Education: Getting Through The Gray, Tara M. Dahlager

Theses and Graduate Projects

Educators play a critical role in the mandated reporting of child abuse for the school is one of the few institutions where we can find almost every child for a good portion of their lives. If educators are expected to be effective mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect, it would make sense that they should receive intense training on the subject. A review of the literature indicates that this is not happening. The purpose of this research was to identify whether educators in a midsize school district are qualified to make decisions regarding the mandated reporting of child maltreatment. …

Factors Influencing Attitudes Of Social Workers Toward Spirituality In Practice, Dena M. Wheeler

Theses and Graduate Projects

Recently, there has been growing interest in the role of spirituality in social work practice. Many practitioners support the inclusion of spirituality in social work practice, but there is a lack of understanding of how this can be accomplished. This exploratory qualitative study was undertaken to expand the understanding of social worker attitudes toward spirituality in practice. Five hospital social workers were interviewed using a structured interview schedule. The interviews focused on practitioners' definitions of spirituality, the factors that had influenced their definition, and the factors that influence how they respond to spirituality in practice. Themes of childhood experiences, academic …

Addressing Violence In Public Schools Zero Tolerance Vs. Ecologically Based Programs: A Policy Analysis, Lee A. Lindsey Jr

Theses and Graduate Projects

Violence in public schools in the United States over the past decade has been a national and local concern. There are a number of schools in several States across the nation that have implemented violence prevention programs to address these concerns. Some States incorporate use predetermined consequences for specific violent behavior by implementing zero-tolerance approaches. Other States incorporate community resources to help solve the problem of violence within public schools. This thesis will take a look at the effectiveness of choosing approach over the other.

Pregnancy Counselors' Perceptions Of Disrupted Infant Adoptions, Michelle E. F Mayo

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory study explores birth parents who changed their minds and removed their child from the adoptive home; what factors seemed influential in that decision; and what pregnancy counselors think could have prevented the disruption.

Eight pregnancy counselors participated in a semi-structured interview. The initial findings indicated that: (1) infant disruptions comprised a very small number of infant adoptive placements; (2) pregnancy counselors perceived that nothing could have been done to prevent the disruption, except mandatory foster care; and (3) the reasons that birth parents reverse their adoption decision are often complex and unforeseen.

Additional studies utilizing birth parents and …

Identifying Bias: A Cognitive Model, Jane M. Burnett

Theses and Graduate Projects

Social work students must develop a sophisticated ability to recognize bias in themselves and others to engage in culturally sensitive practice. Research was modeled on Latting's (1990) teaching model. MSW students participated in a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control groups design. Participants also evaluated the training.

Students' ability to identify bias was expected to increase following a training that explains the universality and functions of bias and provides a safe yet challenging context in which to critically examine bias. A large majority of respondents in the experimental group stated that their awareness of bias increased due to the training. However, quantitative results …

What Factors Influence The Racial Identity Development Of Young Biracial Adults, Jerry S. Dieffenbach

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study explored biracial identity development and the key factors that influence the racial identity development of biracial young adults. In this study biracial is defined as having parents who are African-American and Euro-American. The study participants were fourteen biracial college students between the age of 18 and 26. Data for the study was collected using indepth individual interviews. Participants' perceptions of when their racial identity emerged and their current attitudes about being biracial in todays society was also examined. The majority of participants reported that the right and opportunity of racial choice was a predominate issue that contributed to …

The Minnesota Vulnerable Adult Act Policy Analysis Of 1995 Reforms, Therese L. Buckley

Theses and Graduate Projects

Maltreatment of vulnerable adults is increasing at an alarming rate in the decade since the Minnesota Vulnerable Adult Act was passed in 1980. National estimates of elder maltreatment have risen by 50% in the last decade. Educated estimates of maltreatment are as high as 1.5 million incidents in the United States per year. The Minnesota legislature mandated in 1994 that the Minnesota Departments of Health and Human Services convene an advisory committee to make recommendations to the legislature on the means of preventing maltreatment of vulnerable adults. This thesis looks at the policy implications of the 1995 Minnesota Vulnerable Adult …

The Impact Of Peer Mediation On Student Mediators, Lisa Laehn

Theses and Graduate Projects

This qualitative study sought to expand the current knowledge of how student mediators view themselves and how their involvement in a peer mediation program impacted them. Twenty-three students, from three different elementary schools in the Elk River School System, were individually interviewed. All subjects were between the ages of 10-13, were currently involved in a peer mediation program, and had been involved for at least six months The semi-structured interviews focused on subjects' views of the impact involvement in a peer mediation program had on their self-esteem, leadership skills, relationship skills, and school attitudes. Common themes addressed in the data …

Perceptions Of Social Workers On Factors Associated With Foster Care Outcomes, Larry L. Kollman

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this exploratory study is to elicit the perceptions of social workers on factors which may be associated with a stable reunification following discharge from foster family care. Twenty-four social workers from the Waterloo Region of The Iowa Department of Human Services completed a survey in which they identified their perception of reunification factors pertaining to the birth parents, foster parents, child, social worker, and agency. The findings suggest that the maintenance of the connection between the child and birth family, the child's development of healthy attachment experiences, an ecologically-based assessment, and the social worker's rapport with and …

A Needs Assessment For Parents Of Children With Developmental Disabilities, Susan E. Peterson

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the needs of parents of young children with developmental disabilities. The survey included 70 families served through Early Childhood Special Education. Data collection utilized the Family Needs Survey (Bailey & Simeonsson, 1990). Topics examined were: Information, Family and Social Support, Financial, Explaining to Others, Child Care, Professional Support, and Community Services. Findings indicated that parents have a high need for information about current and future services available for their children. Family and social support data indicated that parents have a need to find time for themselves. The financial needs parents reported were …

The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction And Job Tenure, Jamey M. Whitney

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory quantitative study was conducted to ascertain the correlation between job satisfaction and job retention among employees from two different job settings. Seventy employees, thirty five from a public social service and thirty five from a private social service setting, completed a modified Job Satisfaction Survey developed by PauI E. Spector. The employee's responses to questions were developed to measure 9 facets of job satisfaction which were correlated with the demographic information of length of employment with their current employer. The intent was to determine, if any, the prominent characteristics that explain the reasons for their length of tenure …

Historical Analysis Of Past And Present Treatments Associated With Borderline 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.