Social Work Commons^™

Who Uses Community-Based Youth Shelters? An Inter-Group And Intra-Group Analysis, Jennifer Mcclendon

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Community-based youth shelters are the primary method of intervention designed to meet the complex needs of at-risk youth who leave home before they have developed the skills to live independently. This research examines shelter users' patterns of cross-sector service use to better understand the needs and resources of shelter residents. The aims of this study are 1) to perform an inter-group analysis, comparing sheltered youth with status offense runaways and foster care runaways, and 2) to explore the population of emergency shelter residents using an intra-group analysis, determining whether distinct profiles of sheltered youth exist, based on individual characteristics and …

Measuring The Impact Of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Intervention On Perceived Stress And Study Skills Of Social Work Graduate Students, Margot H. Hasha

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This multi-component study incorporated the following: (1) an integrated study measuring the impact of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction intervention (MBSR) on potential stressors, appraised stress levels and adaptation to stress of MSW students enrolled in the Louisiana State University School of Social Work through a pretest posttest group design using time-series data to evaluate meditation practice; (2) a pretest posttest group design which examined changes in self-regulated learning skills; and (3) a cross-sectional survey which explored students self-reported reasons for not participating in the MBSR randomized control group study offered prior to the current study. Sample size for the integrated …

Best Practices For Increasing Pro-Social Behavior In Adolescents With Mental Health And Behavioral Disorders, Danielle Armbrust-Malone

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Approximately 2 to 16 percent of the general population has a disruptive behavior disorder such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) or conduct disorder (CD) (Corcoran & Walsh, 2006). In a school setting, youth with these disorders may engage in acts such as disrespecting teachers, swearing at others, threatening others, assaulting staff or students, stealing, or vandalizing property and may benefit from a day treatment program which provides mental health services in a school setting. (Whitfield, 1999). Micro intervention strategies such as cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management and mezzo interventions such as family therapy have been used to treat disruptive …

Effective Truancy Prevention Models, Nicole K. Hachfeld

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In the United States, truancy has been identified as one of today’s top ten educational problems (Zhang, Katsiyannis, Barret& Wilson, 2007). Across the country, every day there are hundreds of thousands truant students (U.S. Department of Education, 1996). Attendance can be influenced by mental health issues, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, student employment, family responsibilities, teacher attitudes, size of school, and inconsistent application of truancy policies and lack of meaningful consequences for truancy. Family factors that influence attendance include: domestic violence, poverty, lack of supervision, substance abuse, parental attitudes toward school and education (Kim & Streeter, 2006). The purpose of this …

Minnesota Health Care Programs: Renville County Human Servics Outreach Project, Bethany Leindecker

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Purpose:

To develop an outreach program for use by Renville County Human Services staff to educate potential service recipients and other community residents about Minnesota health care programs.

To assist outreach staff in gaining skills and knowledge necessary to effectively conduct the outreach.

Llmhs Elderly Services Outreach Program: Lincoln, Lyon & Murray Human Services, Jamie Olson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Right now there is a lack of professional and community knowledge regarding the services LLMHS provides to those over age 65. Thus, there are elderly who are in need of help who are not getting connected to a county long term care social worker. The elderly may need help to simply get connected to resources, have questions answered, correct misconceptions about long term care, get recommendations, or assistance paying for home and community based services. There are also many providers and professionals with questions about what LLMHS does and does not do as well as what the assistance programs can …

Characteristics Of Evidence-Based Parent-Training Programs, Peggy Sorensen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Purpose: To identify key characteristics in evidence-based parent-training programs that ensure effectiveness and efficiency for agencies serving families with children aged 5–9 with emotional and behavioral disorders. My research strategy will be to do a literature review of evidence-based parent-training programs that strengthen parent competencies, foster parent’s involvement in school, decrease children’s behavioral problems and strengthen children’s social and academic competencies.

Problem to be addressed: When children receive inconsistent or ineffective discipline from parents, they are at risk of developing childhood behavioral disorders. By adolescence, these problems can develop into Conduct Disorders as demonstrated by violence, substance abuse and criminal …

Best Practices For Vulnerable Adult Investigation Policies And Procedures At Blue Earth County, Anna Stindt

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project is to update the policies and procedures for conducting vulnerable adult investigations in Blue Earth County to reflect changes in the statute and to incorporate current best practices for conducting investigations.

Frequent Users Of The Emergency Department: A Policy Proposal, Tina Ann Olson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Research has extensively documented that a small number of Emergency Department (ED) patients make disproportionate use of emergency services (Okin et al., 2000). The term “Frequent Users” is used to describe patients who utilize ED services more than four times per year (Byrne et al., 2003). Frequent Users are often times patients with chronic medical, mental health, alcohol and drug problems, as well as other psychosocial issues (Fulde & Duffy, 2006). Homeless people also appear to have significantly higher ED rates than the general population (Pope et al., 2000). Immanuel St. Joseph’s-Mayo Health System (ISJ) ED appears to have many …

Building Mixed-Income Communities: Documenting The Experience In Chicago Mixed-Income Development Study, Mark L. Joseph

Faculty Scholarship

Te goal of the research study is to inform a broad audience—including the developers and their social service partners, the Chicago Housing Authority, other community and public agency stakeholders, and other local and national practitioners and policymakers—about the early unfolding of and emerging lessons from the mixedincome component of the Plan for Transformation.

Breaking The Silence: Parents' Experiences Of Courtesy Stigmatization In The Workplace, Eileen M. Brennan, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Anna M. Malsch

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article discusses "courtesy stigmatization," defined as the prejudices, negative judgments, and discrimination extended to others -- particularly partners, family members, and close friends -- who are caring for, or significantly connected to, an individual with a mental health disorder. The author explores how this affects parent, caregivers and the workplace, and brings to light an area of study that human resource professionals are just beginning to address.

Pathways Across The Work-Life Boundary: How Parents With Children With Mental Health Challenges Avoid Stigmatization And Reach Flexibility, Lisa Maureen Stewart, Anna M. Malsch, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Eileen M. Brennan

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Slides from a presentation delivered at the 13th annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Research that Promotes Sustainability and (Re) Builds Strengths, New Orleans, LA.

"It's Personal:" Does Disclosure Of Family Circumstances Influence Organizational Response To Employee's Requests For Flexibility?, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Eileen M. Brennan, Anna M. Malsch, Katherine J. Huffstutter

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

PDF version of a presentation given at the Community, Work and Family III International Conference, Utrecht, Netherlands, April 2009.

Where Professional Meets Personal: A Curriculum To Improve Conversations Between Human Resource Professionals And Employed Parents, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Anna M. Malsch, Eileen M. Brennan, Lisa Maureen Stewart, Kathryn L. Mills

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

PDF version of a presentation given at Building on Family Strengths: Research and Services in Support of Children and their Families. Portland, OR, June 2009.

Taking It On: Disclosure, Stigmatization, And Self-Esteem, Eileen M. Brennan, Anna M. Malsch, Lisa Maureen Stewart, Julie M. Rosenzweig, John Conley

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Employed parents of children with emotional or behavioral disorders face many potential challenges when striving to find balance between their work and family responsibilities. While responding to the demands of the workplace, they must also attend to the unique caregiving needs of their children such as facilitating on-going treatment, responding to frequent emergencies, and arranging adequate child care (Rosenzweig, Brennan, Huffstutter, & Bradley, in press). These parents often develop strategies to gain the flexibility at work they need in order to care for their child while still maintaining a high level of job performance (Rosenzweig, Brennan, & Ogilvie 2002). Whether …

A Professional's Guide To Supporting Families Of Children With Mental Health Disorders, Eileen M. Brennan, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Anna M. Malsch, Lisa Maureen Stewart, Kayti Mills

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

PDF version of a presentation given at Building on Family Strengths: Research and Services in Support of Children and their Families, Portland, OR, June 2009.

Differences In Physical And Mental Health Symptoms And Mental Health Utilization Associated With Intimate Partner Violence Vs. Child Abuse, Christina Nicolaidis, Bentson H. Mcfarland, Maryann Curry, Martha Gerrity

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: There is ample evidence that both intimate-partner violence (IPV) and childhood abuse adversely affect the physical and mental health of adult women over the long term. Objective: The authors assessed the associations between abuse, symptoms, and mental health utilization. Method: The authors performed a cross-sectional survey of 380 adult female, internal-medicine patients. Results: Although both IPV and childhood abuse were associated with depressive and physical symptoms, IPV was independently associated with physical symptoms, and childhood abuse was independently associated with depression. Women with a history of childhood abuse had higher odds, whereas women with IPV had lower odds, of …

The 2009 Portland National Youth Summit Report, Rebecca Strachan, L. Kris Gowen, Janet S. Walker

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

The following report outlines the planning process, the agenda, and the outcomes of the 2009 Portland National Youth Summit. The purpose of the Youth Summit was to invite systems-experienced youth (e.g., those who have been involved with the services such as mental health, child welfare, and/or juvenile justice systems) together to create a “Call to Action” that outlines positive solutions to improve the mental health services they receive. This Summit took place in conjunction with the Research and Training Center’s (RTC) Building on Family Strengths Conference, Monday, June 22, 2009. A Youth Summit Advisory Board comprised of four young members …

A Look At Technology Use Across The Country: State Implementation Of At Practices For Infants And Toddlers, Jill A. Hoffman, Philippa H. Campbell, M. J. Wilcox, Amy Guimond

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

EI professionals from across the country recently participated in the Tots-n-Tech’s (TnT) Assistive Technology (AT) Program Self-Assessment. Part C Coordinators designated agency and program directors, regional coordinators, or other relevant people in their states to respond to the on-line self assessment of AT practices. The self-assessment is designed to provide a picture of how well recommended AT practices are implemented within state communities. Information from all respondents is combined to provide state-wide and regional views of how programs are doing in making AT available for infants and toddlers with disabilities or delayed development.

Policy Supports For Working Parents Of Children With Disabilities: A Cross-National Comparison, Eileen M. Brennan, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Anna M. Malsch, Lisa Maureen Stewart, Jean Mollenkamp Kjellstrand, Daniel Coleman

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

PDF version of a presentation given at the Community, Work and Family III International Conference, Utrecht, Netherlands, April 2009.

Stigma And The Cycle Of Avoidance: Why Young People Fail To Seek Help For Their Mental Distress, Lucy Biddle, L. Kris Gowen

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Illness behavior is the set of purposeful actions taken by someone when faced with being unhealthy. According to Dingwall,3 the three stages of illness behavior are: evaluating symptoms, deciding to act, and monitoring the effects of the chosen actions. Although presented in a linear fashion, these stages are in fact cyclical, as reassessment occurs when symptoms change or unsuccessful actions require new approaches.

However, it is common that people never act, or delay acting, on their symptoms; this is especially true for people experiencing mental distress. Young people in particular are unlikely to seek professional care for mental health concerns—it …

Personal And Professional Spirituality: Muslim Social Workers' Perspectives, Cheryl W. El-Amin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research in the area of religion and spirituality in social work practice is lacking minority practitioner representation. This phenomenological study explored the questions of how American Muslim social workers define and experience the religious/spiritual, and perceive the propriety of integrating either, in practice. Ibn Khaldun and Durkheim, early social theorists, suggested that group feeling and affiliation impact personal and professional perception and decision making. American societal views of Muslims are often negative and uninformed. A group of 15 Muslim practitioners with bachelor's or more advanced degrees in social work were recruited through a survey administered via an Internet survey site. …

Long-Term Care Insurance For The Elderly And Long-Term Care Insurance As A Viable Option For Today's Elderly, Brenda Joan Turnis

Honors Program Theses

Long-term care insurance policies have been sold for the last forty years, but many people are hesitant to invest in these plans. The purpose of this thesis is to provide a realistic view of how long-term care insurance is perceived in our society. It will also include factual evidence on the option of private long-term care insurance for the elderly. A review of research on long-term care will emphasize the coming crisis in long-term care and provide information on the viability of long-term care insurance in our communities.

The Mental Health Of Low Socio-Economic Populations, Sarah E. Bumgarner

Honors Program Theses

Depression is an illness that has a negative impact on our society. Depression not only lowers the depressed person's quality of life, but it also negatively impacts people close to the person suffering from this illness. This research is in response to the seriousness of this epidemic, particularly in the low socio-economic status (low SES) population. Topics explored include factors of a low SES environment that influence the onset of depression as well as how those factors relate to the quality of mental health care among depressed people of low SES. A review of the literature identified many barriers to …

The Social Construction Of Client Participation: The Evolution And Transformation Of The Role Of Service Recipients In Child Welfare And Mental Disabilities, Terry Mizrahi, Mayra Humphreys-Lopez, Denise Torres

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article presents a comparative analysis of client participation (CP) in child welfare and mental health and mental retardation systems. It identifies three rationales for client participation (philosophical, pragmatic, and political), along with the limitations surrounding each rationale. It uses social construction theory to examine the historical and ideological underpinnings of organized, institutionally-sanctioned client involvement inside and outside government. In order to enhance the capacity of clients to influence service and benefit systems, their role must evolve through the mutual efforts of government-strengthening client participation policies and independent organizing from the bottom up through community development and advocacy programs.

The Great Condom Adventure: Analyzing College Students’ Narratives Of Buying Condoms, Leslie H. Picca, Kristin E. Joos

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

This project analyzes college students’ narratives buying condoms. Research suggests young persons do not consistently use condoms, and this study will provide an in-depth analysis to students affect toward condoms. We analyzed narratives written by 115 undergraduate students of their condom buying experiences. The vast majority of the students’ narratives about their condom buying experience fit a common framework, with elements including: preplanning, walking in the store, looking inconspicuous while wandering, finding the “hidden” condom location, making their selection, carrying and hiding the condoms, selecting a cashier and rushing through checkout, anticipating ridicule, and walking out of the store. Research …

Loss In Translation: A Model For Therapeutic Engagement And Intervention With Grieving Clients, Shelley Cohen Konrad

Social Work Faculty Publications

Bearing witness to grief is about accepting and experiencing suffering as an unavoidable aspect of loss. It also entails listening to and responding with clients in a way that affirms that their experiences have been heard and understood. This article describes a model for therapeutic engagement and intervention with grieving clients. The model is informed by contemporary grief and practice theories characterized by such qualities as emotional presence, reciprocity, responsiveness, empathic expression, and meaning making. Case examples from the author’s research and practice experience illustrate how these qualities contribute to what she describes as translational relationships that lead to transformations …

Getting The Bug: Exploring Running Group Therapy For Youth With Affective Disorders, Jamie Lee Bell

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Mental health problems in adolescents place them on a trajectory for ongoing difficulties into adulthood. Treating youth with affective disorders using conventional interventions such as medication and talk therapy can be problematic. Important questions have been raised about the efficacy and safety of medications and some youths’ willingness to engage in counseling. There is, therefore, a need for constant attention to innovative and youth focused treatment options.

Since 2006, Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada has offered youth diagnosed primarily with depression and anxiety an opportunity to address their mental illness with the alternative treatment of running. The purpose …

Developing Evidenced Based Practice For Social Emotional Screenings In Schools, Kim Anderson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The social problem being addressed through this project includes several challenges faced by our nation's schools, namely increasing numbers of disciplinary referrals, suspensions, and expulsions (Marchant, Anderson, Caldarella, Fisher, Young,Young, 2009). Further research states that "more and more children entering school are unprepared to learn, unable to cope with the social tasks involved in making friends and getting along with others, and unaware of their negative social effect on others," (Marchant et al., 2009, p.131). Only about 20% of children and adolescents with a psychiatric disorder in the United States receive any kind of mental health services (Fritz, 2007). Yet …

School Improvement Programs, Kimberly Barry

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Teachers face a growing number behavior challenges that effect the delivery of classroom instruction (Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice , n.d). This affects how the teacher teaches and how the other students learn. Disruptions in the classroom force teachers to direct their attention to that student resulting in less time teaching. School wide programs help school staff develop expectations for behavior and allows for a common language amongst all staff and students. There are many school wide programs that claim to make behaviors decrease. It can be very cumbersome and time consuming for schools to go through all of …