Social Work Commons^™

Student Perceptions Of Services For Veterans And Military Personnel, Philip Parsons

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Many Veterans are returning from the War on Terror and making their way to universities. Due to the many aspects of war and military life many maybe, or are experiencing some level of mental health issue/s. As more Veterans make this transition, resources may not be available for them to be successful in the classroom (Whitley, Tschudi, & Gieber, 2013). After reviewing the literature, a suitable instrument to measure these variables was not available. The researcher developed a survey and sampled students of one Midwestern public university. The variables included basic demographic questions and perceptions of Veterans and the services …

Mexican American Adolescent Couples' Vulnerability For Observed Negativity And Physical Violence: Pregnancy And Acculturation Mismatch, Lela Rankin Williams, Heidi Adams Rueda

Social Work Faculty Publications

Stress and vulnerability for dating violence may be heightened among acculturating Mexican American (MA) adolescents, and MA adolescent parents, because of differing cultural values and norms within romantic relationships. We hypothesized, in a sample of MA heterosexual couples (N = 30, 15–17 years), that: 1) within-couple level acculturation discrepancies, and pregnancy/parenting, would predict physical violence perpetration, and 2) that this association would have an indirect effect through couple-level negativity during an observed dyadic video-taped discussion of conflict. Using a path model we found that pregnant/parenting adolescents (B = .37, SE = .16, p = .002), and couples with …

Identifying Ancient Settlement Patterns Through Lidar In The Mosquitia Region Of Honduras, Christopher T. Fisher, Juan Carlos Fernández-Diaz, Anna S. Cohen, Oscar Neil Cruz, Alicia M. Gonzáles, Stephen J. Leisz, Florencia Pezzutti, Ramesh Shrestha, William Carter

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

The Mosquitia ecosystem of Honduras occupies the fulcrum between the American continents and as such constitutes a critical region for understanding past patterns of socio-political development and interaction. Heavy vegetation, rugged topography, and remoteness have limited scientific investigation. This paper presents prehistoric patterns of settlement and landuse for a critical valley within the Mosquitia derived from airborne LiDAR scanning and field investigation. We show that (i) though today the valley is a wilderness it was densely inhabited in the past; (ii) that this population was organized into a three-tiered system composed of 19 settlements dominated by a city; and, (iii) …

Racial Inequality And The Implementation Of Emergency Management Laws In Economically Distressed Urban Areas, Shawna J. Lee, Amy Krings, Sara Rose, Krista Dover, Jessica Ayoub, Fatima Salman

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

This study examines the use of emergency management laws as a policy response to fiscal emergencies in urban areas. Focusing on one Midwestern Rust Belt state, we use a mixed methods approach – integrating chronology of legislative history, analysis of Census data, and an ethnographic case study – to examine the dynamics of emer- gency management laws from a social justice perspective. Analysis of Census data showed that emergency man- agement policies disproportionately affected African Americans and poor families. Analysis indicated that in one state, 51% of African American residents and 16.6% of Hispanic or Latinos residents had lived in …

The Social Worker’S Role In Ensuring Quality Counsel For Defendants With Mental Illness, Lauren M. Pappacena

21st Century Social Justice

The current literature surrounding the intersection of criminal justice and mental health is addressed. First, the history of overrepresentation of individuals with a mental health disorder in the criminal justice system is discussed, followed by a discussion of the current gaps in the literature. These gaps need to be addressed to inform better practices among public defenders and their decision making role with clients who have a mental health disorder. The lack of research is evident in ambiguous judicial guidance in ensuring that defendants with a mental health disorder are able to exercise autonomy relevant to their case. Social workers …

Seeking Social Justice In The Literature: Guidelines For Critical Review, Theresa Stewart Moran

21st Century Social Justice

Issues of social justice are not always apparent in publications. This article will examine the roles that recruitment, compensation, and funding play in selection of research topics and their effect on vulnerable populations. Power differentials between researchers, clinicians, and clients will be examined with a focus on participatory action research.

Teen Pregnancy Among Latinas: A Literature Review, Kathleen E. Keogh

21st Century Social Justice

The overall decline of teen birth rates in the U.S. is problematized by persistent racial disparities in these rates. Latina teens are especially affected, as they have the highest teen birth rate of any racial or ethnic group. High teen birth rates among Latinas even persist in locales where the overall teen birth rate is below the national average, such as Suffolk County, NY. Socioeconomic, racial, and cultural factors contribute to the birth rate for Latina teens. Traditional strategies for teen pregnancy prevention, such as comprehensive sexuality education and increased healthcare access, inadequately address Latino cultural values that normalize teen …

Lgbtq Homeless Youth In Harlem: A Lack Of Resources Despite Need, Julie East

21st Century Social Justice

Despite only 10% of youth identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ), 40% experience homelessness. The lack of services and resources available to the population in New York City have left up to 20,000 LGBTQ youth homeless. A plethora of reasons account for this, such as cultural and religious objections, a lack of resources from the government, and a lack of education about LGBTQ youth. Despite increased funding for and attention to LGBTQ homeless youth services, efforts have been largely inadequate. Therefore, it is necessary for increased involvement and attention from the general public and advocates to secure …

Reintegration From Sex Trafficking: Chinese Women In Flushing, Ny, Siyun Deng

21st Century Social Justice

This article attempts to provide a comprehensive analysis of the needs for reintegration from sex trafficking and the gap of current social services provided to foreign national victims in the United States by focusing on Chinese female victims in Flushing NY. Through the research, the author understands the safe long-term housing ranks first among all the victims' needs for social services in the process of reintegration, which hasn’t been sufficiently addressed yet. Although the U.S. Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) to protect and assist international victims, and made T-visas available, the laudable goal of protecting and restoring …

Call For Papers For 2016–2017, Daniel Sullivan

21st Century Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Call For Editors & Reviewers For 2016–2017, Daniel Sullivan

21st Century Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Symptoms, Contributing Factors, And Screening For Perinatal Mood And Anxiety Disorders In U.S. Latinas: A Literature Review, Jennifer N. S. Massie

Master's Projects and Capstones

This literature review was conducted to gather the published information on the topic of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders in the Latina population in the United States. Academic databases were searched for articles published between 2005 and 2016. 60 articles were considered, and a final sample of 36 articles and websites was included in this review.

Evidence suggests that Latina women in the perinatal period (pregnant and up to one year postpartum) in the United States of America tend to have a higher risk and incidence of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders than White women, and a higher risk and …

Introducing Self-Advocacy Skills To Transition Age Youth, Monique Y. Martinez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Background

Transition age youth (TAY) are individuals transitioning from youth to adulthood (ages 14 to 24). TAY are individuals with emotional, behavioral, and/or developmental disabilities who cycle through the justice or foster care system, or are homeless and use social services (California Mental Health Planning Council [CMHPC], 2009; Mandarino, 2014). About 47.1 million young adults (14 to 24 years old) live in the United States; four million are 14-year olds, and by the time the 14-year-olds are 24 less than 100% will make an effort in successfully transitioning to adulthood, five to seven percent will reach age 25 without successfully …

A Phenomenological Approach To Understanding How Women Make Breast Cancer Treatment Decisions Within The Context Of Communities, Lailea Noel

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

African-American women have a 40% higher mortality rate from breast cancer than White women. While there are many factors contributing to this disparity, the timely initiation of treatment is growing area of interest. Certain treatments are associated with increased survival for women with a breast cancer diagnosis, yet evidence suggests that African American women use these treatments less frequently compared to White women with similar tumor characteristics. An under-explored area of attention for scientific studies is how to identify and engage in care women who do not follow up with treatment following a suspicious finding. To date these women have …

Mater: Innovative Programs For Maternal Addiction Education Treatment And Research, Meghan Gannon Phd Msph

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Marijuana Use Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men And The Hiv Care Continuum: Findings From The Uconnect Cohort, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are at highest risk for HIV seroconversion in the United States. Successful movement through the HIV care continuum is an important intervention for limiting onwards HIV transmission. Objective: Little data exists on how substances most commonly used by YBMSM, such as marijuana, are related to the HIV continuum, which represents the primary aim of this study. Methods: A cohort of YBMSM (n = 618) was generated through respondent-driven sampling. Frequency of marijuana use and marijuana use as a sex-drug were assessed across the HIV care continuum using weighted logistic regression …

Factors Contributing To The Economic Self-Sufficiency Of At-Risk Foster Youth Who Have Aged Out Of Care, Alexzandra M. Hust

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Foster youth aging out of care encounter many struggles upon transitioning into adulthood, resulting in an increased risk of homelessness and adverse social, health, and financial outcomes. This study aimed to determine if various factors (environmental factors: education, mental health service, social support and personal factors: incarceration, substance abuse referral, and unplanned parenthood) were associated with indicators of economic self-sufficiency (full-time and part-time employment, housing stability, and use of financial, food, and housing assistance). Multiple logistic regressions were conducted to explore risk and predictive factors of each indicator of economic self-sufficiency with a sample of 265 19 year old foster …

Avenue Scholars Foundation: Pregnant & Parenting Students, Jodi Mcquillen, Jessica Groeneweg, Andrea Bradley, Jeanette Harder

Reports

Dates of Study: October 2015 - December 2015.

Purpose of Study: To answer the following questions...

• What are the experiences of being a teen/ young parent in the Avenue Scholars program?
• What factors are leading parenting scholars to remain in the program?
• What factors have led former program participants to drop out of the program?

Analysis Of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs In Farmers' Markets, Megan M. Thomas

School of Social Work Undergraduate Honors Theses

As health concerns for the nation increase, access to fresh and healthy produce is a simple and essential solution to the extreme levels of obesity currently being experienced. Arkansas currently has the highest rate of childhood obesity and severely high levels of food insecurity. This study investigates the efforts made by policymakers to increase access to local and fresh produce through the use of SNAP incentive programs at local farmers markets. Vendor opinions are taken into account at farmers markets in the Northwest Arkansas area to decipher the program effectiveness thus far. The implications of this study will further the …

Understanding Nutritional Habits Of Refugees From Burma, Brian Blake Davis

Social Work Theses - Archive

This research study examines the nutritional practices of a 21-year-old Karen, female, refugee. All aspects of nutritional practices are examined, including favorite foods, differences between foods due to geographical region, where food is acquired, and familial practices. Grounded theory was used to examine a single, transcribed, interview, for emerging themes. Two researchers coded the data for themes, and then data was compared for accuracy. Results help to highlight an in-depth analysis of a Karen refugee, and can be used to compare and contrast the nutritional practices of other refugees from Burma. Emerging themes include eating habits, food access, and acquisition, …

Leveraging Tax Time To Build Financial Capability: Research Evidence And Policy Directions, Meredith Covington, Jane E. Oliphant, Michal Grinstein-Weiss

Center for Social Development Research

Over the past decade, a variety of initiatives have been implemented in the United States to facilitate saving and build financial security at tax time, including national experiments, pilot programs, and federal and state policies. Much progress has been made in encouraging tax filers, especially low- to moderate-income (LMI) tax filers, to save a portion of their refund. To expand upon the “golden moment” of saving at tax time, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers must now seek ways in which the lump sum of saving at tax time can serve to render tax filers capable of confidently managing their financial lives. …

The Invisible People Of The Invisible Coast: The Resilience Of People Experiencing Homelessness To Disasters On The Alabama, Louisiana, And Mississippi Gulf Coasts, Nicole Elizabeth Callais

Master's Theses

While extensive research has been conducted on vulnerability and resilience with regard to hazards, very few studies have researched the resilience of homeless populations. The Gulf Coast region is densely populated and susceptible to natural and anthropogenic hazards. Climate change studies indicate that this region will experience an increase in severe and intense tropical cyclones[1], thereby increasing the risk of experiencing adverse impacts from future coastal hazards. While local government agencies in this region have policies in place to protect communities, these policies tend to exclude any action regarding the evacuation and safety of the homeless population.

In …

Risks And Health Consequences Of Forgoing, Delaying, Or Having Trouble Accessing Needed Health Care Among Medicare Beneficiaries, Angelitta M. Spells

Open Access Dissertations

Medicare provides health care coverage for approximately 93% of non-institutionalized older adults. Compared to uninsured adults, Medicare beneficiaries have greater access to needed healthcare including preventative care. However, disparities in accessing needed health care still exist among Medicare beneficiaries. Prior research has described barriers to accessing needed health care among older Medicare beneficiaries, such as transportation and health system characteristics, but little is known about prevalence, risks, or health consequences of older Medicare beneficiaries delaying, forgoing, or having trouble accessing needed health care. The three studies included in this dissertation followed a nationally representative sample of older Medicare beneficiaries to …

The Role Of Health Insurance In The Financial Lives Of Low- And Moderate-Income Households, Mathieu R. Despard, Dana C. Perantie, Jane E. Oliphant, Stephen P. Roll, Michal Grinstein-Weiss

Center for Social Development Research

Health insurance is an important resource for enabling access to and use of medical care, and is associated with reduced risk for mortality and poor health outcomes. Health insurance also protects households from incurring major medical expenses and unmanageable levels of medical debt. About a quarter of a sample of low- and moderate-income (LMI) tax filers have no health insurance, compared to 10% of all individuals in the United States. As of 2014, the proportion of filers without insurance was 11 percentage points higher in states that had not expanded Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) than it was …

Effects Of Attachment Style, Coping Strategy, Social Support And Spirituality On Parental Grief Among Older Chinese Parents : Structural Equation Modeling., Yongqiang Zheng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most modern grief theories and clinical working models are constructed in the context of Western culture, and the effectiveness or explanatory power of those theories and models have not been fully tested in other cultures, especially through a more complex interactive model. The current study focuses on the role of attachment style, coping strategy, social support and spirituality on older bereaved parents’ grief. It also explores if differences in age, gender, causes of the child’s death, time since the death have a differential effect on parental grief. The purpose of this study was to test the main factors effectively mediating …

Life Balance In Adult Healthy Siblings Of Individuals With Childhood Cancer., Yolanda Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Siblings of children who were diagnosed with cancer in childhood experience significant stress and psychological difficulties as a result of the cancer. Furthermore, the needs of siblings have often been overlooked in the cancer literature, prompting the need for more studies. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the life balance and social support outcomes of adults who grew up in the household with a sibling that was diagnosed with cancer. The study sample consisted of 120 adult healthy siblings who grew up in a household with a sibling that was diagnosed with cancer prior to age 19. Participants …

A Functional Analysis Of Leader Behavior In A Behavioral Health Setting, Jason White

All Theses And Dissertations

A requirement for Maine behavioral health organizations to provide all employees with evaluations lacks guidelines on how to evaluate leader behavior; best practices are to provide a multifaceted evaluation process that includes direct observation. A single-case research design and continuous partial interval recording procedures were conducted on a male behavioral health clinician leading clinical supervision in which the dependent variable was the clinician’s delivery of positive reinforcement and the independent variable was the provider’s increased discussion of case shares. The basic findings showed that leader behavior changed as follower behavior changed to manage the group and meet group goals. The …

Exhaust All Measures: Ethical Issues In Pediatric End-Of-Life Care, Kara J. Thielman, Cara L. Wallace, Andrea N. Cimino, Heidi Adams Rueda

Social Work Faculty Publications

The death of a child may have a profound impact on parents, family members, and health care providers who provided care for the child. Unique challenges are faced by parents of seriously ill children as they must serve as the legal authority for health care decisions of children under age 18, although the child’s wishes must also be considered. Social workers must balance core social work values, bioethical values, and psychosocial issues presented by such situations. While studies have been conducted with physicians and nurses regarding ethical issues in pediatric end-of-life care settings, little is known about how social workers …

Bridging The Worlds Of Home And School: A Study Of The Relational Worlds Of First-Generation Students In A School Of Social Work, Miranda Cunningham

Dissertations and Theses

Much scholarship on first-generation students has focused on their academic and social integration in college (Collier & Morgan, 2008; Lowery-Hart & Pacheco, 2011; Stuber, 2011). Little is known about the experiences of first-generation students in schools of social work. In this research I've expanded the focus beyond students' experiences of academic integration to explore how first-generation students in a school of social work describe their relational worlds and the implications for professional socialization.

Informed by Standpoint Feminism and Postmodern/Post structural Feminism, I conducted focus groups with 19 students in two undergraduate programs and one graduate program in a school of …

Prefrontal Responses To Stroop Tasks In Subjects With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Assessed By Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Amarnath Yennu, Fenghua Tian, Alexa Smith-Osborne, Robert J. Gatchel, Fu Lye Woon, Hanli Liu

Social Work Faculty Publications & Presentations-Archive

No abstract provided.