Reconsidering Self Care, Sara Bressi, Elizabeth R. Vaden

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

In light of diminishing resources in service settings, and the subsequent high risk for worker burnout, self care remains an important vehicle for promoting worker well-being. However, traditional definitions of self care are based in formulations about the nature of the self that don’t reflect paradigmatic shifts in social work practice that place increased emphasis on the multiplicity of workers’ selves, use of self and a collaborative frame for the worker–client relationship. Thus, a reconsidered definition of self care is proposed that reflects intersubjective, relational, and recovery-oriented frames for practice and posits strategies for self care that make the self …

{Ace}Ing Early Childhood In Minnesota, Bailey Alston, Casie Devos, Alisha Field, Renee Gasner

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Too many young children are facing ACEs that are detrimentally impacting their development and contributing to negative outcomes that persist into adulthood. There are no current policies using the ACE questions to drive mental health interventions. The Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health made nine recommendations that, if implemented, will greatly improve the mental health and well-being of children and their parents. Improving early childhood prevention and intervention programs helps ALL Minnesota’s families build healthy and rich experiences for their children.

1. Expand the Early Childhood Mental Health Grant program statewide to increase early childhood mental health specialists.
2. Create a Governor’s …

Creating Healthy Communities Across Minnesota: Investing In Integrated Health Care, Leah Jacobson, Nicole Lidstrom, Jenna Lipovetz, Jamie Schuller

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

In Minnesota, behavioral health homes have become an efficient resource for individu­als on Medical Assistance to receive integrated behavioral and primary health care under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The rising popularity of behav­ioral health homes in Minnesota introduced the concept of integrated medical care with a patient's primary care physician as the "home-base". Figure 1 illustrates the inte­grated approach that supports the patient and their family, provides care that covers an entire continuum of care with a comprehensive care team focused on the whole person, is accessible with short waiting times, and is committed to quality and …

A Mental Health Workforce Crisis: Roadmap For Enhancing Recruitment & Retention In Minnesota, Iowa & Wisconsin, Lindsay Duenow, Rebecca Kobernick, Mckenzie Sohre, Kim Wallgren

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Building and maintaining an adequate mental health workforce requires successful recruitment and retention of qualified workers. Identifying recruitment and retention factors specific to behavioral health providers is essential in determining strategies for increasing the rural health behavioral workforce. The World Health Organization estimates there are 1.18 million additional mental health workers needed to end the mental health treatment gap between patients and providers worldwide. In the U.S., there has been a nationwide shortage of mental health professionals, and this shortage is more pronounced in rural communities,with twenty percent of rural areas lacking mental health services, compared to five percent of …

Time To Stand Up For Female Vets: Improving Access To Vegerans Administration Health Services For Female Veterans Who Experience Military Sexual Trauma, Rhonda Haugstad, Dana Miller, Michelle Remold

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Military Sexual Trauma (MST), is defined as sexual assault and/or sexual harassment experienced while serving in the United States military. The process of obtaining Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits are difficult for individuals that suffer from MST. MST survivors are faced with delays and numerous barriers in accessing services, including discrimination in seeking compensation. Statistical data from the Department of Defense (DOD) is reviewed highlighting the high rates of sexual assault in the military and addresses concerns about the long-term implications for survivors of MST.

Many female veteran survivors of MST are struggling to access needed services covered by …

Stop Truancy Before It Starts: Getting Every Kid To School, Everyday, Brittany Roulette, Hannah Twedt, Paula Skala

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Attending school consistently builds a foundation for academic achievement and social success in the future. Students missing an excessive number of school days throughout childhood for any reason experience increasingly negative outcomes as they grow older. When truancy leads to dropping out of school, this costs individuals money in lost wages associated with reduced education levels. Truancy also costs society as a whole in reduced tax collection, increased crime, and increased need for public services. Research demonstrates that minority students and youth with other risk-factors are more likely to experience school disengagement leading to truancy. Punitive school policies such as …

Different States, Common Issues: Moving Mountains One Service At A Time., Suzzanne Freeze, Allison Hall, Stacy Collins, Duane Shumate, Cindy Thomas, Barbara Brent, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

No abstract provided.

A Visit To The Doctor: Preparation For Activism, Simone Watson

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Cumulative Sexual Victimization And Mental Health Outcomes Among Incarcerated Women, Jennifer Hartsfield, Susan F. Sharp, Sonya Conner

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

This research explores the relationship between three different types of self-reported sexual victimization and subsequent mental health problems in a sample of incarcerated women. Previous literature establishes a link between victimization histories and poor mental health outcomes. This study focuses on sexual victimization experienced as a child, as an adolescent and as an adult, both individually and cumulatively, in relation to entering prison with a mental health diagnosis as well as reporting current depressive symptoms while incarcerated. Each type of victimization is significantly related to both prior mental health diagnosis and current depression in prison. Furthermore, there is an additive …

Hpv Vaccine Knowledge And Acceptability Among Peruvian Men Who Have Sex With Men And Transgender Women: A Pilot, Qualitative Study, Jerome T. Galea, Emmi Monsour, César R. Nureña, Magaly M. Blas, Brandon Brown

Social Work Faculty Publications

Purpose Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection globally and is responsible for a variety of cancers in men and women. An effective HPV vaccine licensed for use in girls and boys has been indicated forbut is not widely implemented in men who have sex with men (MSM). Limited data are available for transgender women (TW). We explored the social and behavioral aspects related to HPV vaccine uptake and participation in HPV vaccine studies among Peruvian MSM and TW.

Methods Focus groups and individual in-depth interviews were conducted to obtain the knowledge, thoughts, and opinions from Peruvian …

Communicative Behaviors Elicited By Leisure Activities In Memory Care Units, Tarynn Clune

Honors Projects

A wide variety of leisure activities used in reminiscence care have been studied for their merits in terms of preventing cognitive decline, and increasing quality of life; however, little is known about what different types have to offer in terms of communicative opportunities. Communication with peers is imperative for quality of life, and is crucial for maintenance of relationships between the person with dementia (PWD) and their loved ones. As a result of this importance, an exploration of communication elicited by different activities facilitated in a unit was conducted. The communication explored in this study was solely vocal, and included …

Invest In Your Librarians: An Open Thesis To Nypl President Tony Marx, Wilfredo Rivera-Scotti

Publications and Research

An exploration of the resources required to address the issues New York City public libraries – particularly those in underserved, low-income communities – face in dealing with patrons afflicted by homelessness, mental illness and addictions.

Using a New York Public Library branch in the Bronx as a case study, there will be ample evidence indicating a lack of resources for both employees and patrons alike.

Coping With A Crisis: Financial Resources Available To Low- And Moderate-Income Households In Emergencies, Dana C. Perantie, Stephen P. Roll, Jane E. Oliphant, Shenyang Guo, Michal Grinstein-Weiss

Center for Social Development Research

Using data from tax records and a longitudinal survey, this brief investigates the choices low- and moderate-income households make about their tax withholding and their preferences for withholding. The relationship between withholding preferences and the use of the tax refund, measures of material hardship, and the use of alternative financial services is also explored. We find that almost half of all survey respondents preferred to overwithhold their income each year in order to get a larger tax refund. Yet despite preferring to take home less income during the year, these households experienced higher levels of material hardship than those who …

Free Market Ideology And Deregulation In Colorado's Oil Fields: Evidence For Triple Movement Activism?, Stephanie A. Malin, Adam Mayer, Kelly Shreeve, Shawn K. Olson-Hazboun, John Adgate

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Unconventional oil and gas extraction(UOGE) has spurred an unprecedented boom in on-shore production in the U.S.Despite a surge in related research, a void exists regarding policy-related inquiries.To address this gap, we examine support of federal regulatory exemptions for UOGE using survey data collected in 2015 from two northern Colorado communities as part of a National Institutes of Health study.We assert that current regulatory exemptions for UOGE can be understood as components of broader societal processes of neoliberalization. We test whether free market ideologies relate to people’s regulatory views and find that free market ideology increases public support for federal regulatory …

Testing Three Pathways To Substance Use And Delinquency Among Low-Income African American Adolescents, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Objective Mounting literature suggests that parental monitoring, risky peer norms, and future orientation correlate with illicit drug use and delinquency. However, few studies have investigated these constructs simultaneously in a single statistical model with low income African American youth. This study examined parental monitoring, peer norms and future orientation as primary pathways to drug use and delinquent behaviors in a large sample of African American urban adolescents. Methods A path model tested direct paths from peer norms, parental monitoring, and future orientation to drug use and delinquency outcomes after adjusting for potential confounders such as age, socioeconomic, and sexual orientation …

The Impact Of Parents Having Health Insurance On Their Children’S Health Care, Andrea Bennett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Abstract of the Dissertation

This study examines the impact of parents having health insurance on their children’s health care in Kentucky. Child health insurance status and child a usual source of medical care are the two health care measures analyzed. The author builds on prior research that indicated more children would become insured if parents had access to affordable health insurance options. Through the implementation of the ACA in 2014, Kentucky expanded Medicaid eligibility to low-income adults up to 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and offered discounts on private health insurance plans for families in certain income thresholds …

Bullying Is Not A Conflict, Jan Kircher

Social and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Research

The misconception of workplace bullying as normal workplace conflict is described and refuted. Motivations of workplace bullies are presented and how organizations can identify the difference between bullying and conflicts.

The Impact Of A Civic Service Program On Biopsychosocial Outcomes Of Post 9/11 U.S. Military Veterans, Monica M. Matthieu, Karen A. Lawrence, Emma Robertson-Blackmore

Social Work Faculty Publications

Volunteering as a health promotion intervention, improves physical health, mental health, and social outcomes particularly in older adults, yet limited research exists for veterans. We conducted a preliminary study to explore whether volunteering impacts a variety of biopsychosocial outcomes, including symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, among returning military veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. A survey enrolling a prospective cohort of United States (U.S.) veterans who served in the military after 11 September 2001 and who participated in a national civic service program was conducted. A total of 346 veterans completed standardized health, mental health, and psychosocial self-report …

How Living In The ‘Hood Affects Risky Behaviors Among Latino And African American Youth, Anna Maria Santiago, Eun Lye Lee, Jessica Lee Lucero, Rebecca Wiersma

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Using data from a natural experiment in Denver, we investigate whether the initiation of running away from home, aggressive or violent behavior, and marijuana use during adolescence are statistically related to the neighborhood contexts in which low-income Latino and African American youth were raised. Our analysis is based on retrospective child, caregiver, household, and neighborhood data for a sample of approximately 850 Latino and African American youth whose families were quasi-randomly assigned to public housing operated by the Denver (CO) Housing Authority during part of their childhood. We used Cox PH models and accelerated failure time models to estimate ethnic …

Collective Power To Create Political Change: Increasing The Political Efficacy And Engagement Of Social Workers, Jason Ostrander, Shannon R. Lane, Jennifer Mcclendon, Crystal Hayes, Tanya Rhodes Smith

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Because social workers are called to challenge social injustices and create systemic change to support the well-being of individuals and communities, it is essential that social workers develop political efficacy: belief that the political system can work and they can influence the system. This study explored the impact of an intensive political social work curriculum on political efficacy and planned political engagement among social work students and practitioners. The findings suggest this model of delivering a political social work curriculum effectively increases internal, external, and overall political efficacy, and that increasing political efficacy has promise for increasing future political engagement.

A Qualitative Examination Of Pain Centrality Among Veterans Of Iraq And Afghanistan Conflicts, Samantha D. Outcalt, Christina Nicolaidis, Matthew J. Bair, Laura J. Myers, Edward J. Miech, Marianne S. Matthias

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective. Centrality of pain refers to the degree to which a patient views chronic pain as integral to his or her life or identity. The purpose of this study was to gain a richer understanding of pain centrality from the perspective of patients who live with chronic pain.

Methods. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 26 Veterans with chronic and disabling musculoskeletal pain after completing a stepped care intervention within a randomized controlled trial. Qualitative data were analyzed using an immersion/crystallization approach. We evaluated the role centrality plays in Veterans’ lives and examined whether and how their narratives differ when centrality …

North Douglas County Community Needs Health Assessment (Phase 2), Callie H. Lambarth, Diane Reid, Beth L. Green

Early Childhood

Beginning in August 2016, Phase 2 of the North Douglas County (NDC) Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) built on work completed in the Phase 1 planning process, and engaged the communities of Drain, Elkton, and Yoncalla, Oregon in the development and administration of a regional health services survey. The purpose of the survey was to learn from families with children ages 0-8 in the NDC region in order to:

• Identify service needs across a range of health service types, e.g., dental care, immunizations, prenatal care, well-child care, primary care, and mental health;
• Identify barriers to access;
• Prioritize the programs and …

The Fear Factor: Exploring The Impact Of The Vulnerability To Deportation On Immigrants' Lives, Shirley P. Leyro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This qualitative study explores the impact that the fear of deportation has on the lives of noncitizen immigrants. More broadly, it explores the role that immigration enforcement, specifically deportation, plays in disrupting the process of integration, and the possible implications of this interruption for immigrants and their communities. The study aims to answer: (1) how vulnerability to deportation specifically impacts an immigrant’s life, and (2) how the vulnerability to deportation, and the fear associated with it, impacts an immigrant’s degree of integration. Data were gathered through a combination of six open-ended focus group interviews of 10 persons each, and 33 …

Dehumanization: A Case Study, Regina Varthi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The capstone “Dehumanization” is divided into three main parts.

The first part contains a brief presentation on the UN family (or UN system), showing its role through its organizational and managerial structures. All data are derived from UN corresponding websites.

The second part, “Homelessness,” focuses on the SDG 11 of the 2030 GA Agenda. In 2014 the United Nations Human Rights Council appointed Leilani Farha Special Rapporteur on adequate housing in order to conduct research on the subject of homelessness as a violation of human rights. In her report, presented at the Human Rights Council in March 2016, Farha claims …

Do Savings And Assets Reduce Need-Based Aid For Dependent Students?, Margaret M. Clancy, Sondra G. Beverly

Center for Social Development Research

Federal programs such as Pell Grants provide financial aid for college according to need. Although the federal government is the principal source of need-based student aid, almost all states offer assistance. Rules governing student aid designate income as the primary indicator of ability to pay but assets are also considered. This policy brief documents the impact of assets on need-based aid for dependent students under current rules and formulas. The main observation is that savings and assets do not affect need-based aid for most dependent students. When assets count toward the EFC, savings held in 529 plan accounts have less …

Fitting-In: How Formerly Incarcerated New York City Black Men Define Success Post-Prison, Mika'il Deveaux

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The problem of community reintegration emerged following the rise of the US prison population, which began in in the 1970s, disproportionately affecting US-born African American men. In this qualitative study, the researcher examined the perceptions of 17 formerly incarcerated New York City African American men to understand how they defined post-prison success after having been in the community at least three years in the wake of the era of mass (hyper) incarceration.

During the study, the researcher employed a constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2006) approach using data from semi-structured interviews to identify factors that enabled these African American men to …

A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial Of Different Mobile Messaging Interventions For Problem Drinking, Frederick Muench, Katherine Van Stolk-Cooke, Alexis Kuerbis, Gertraud Stadler, Amit Baumel, Sijing Shao, James R. Mckay, Jon Morgenstern

Publications and Research

Introduction
Recent evidence suggests that text messaging may help to reduce problem drinking as an extension to in-person services, but very little is known about the effectiveness of remote messaging on problem drinking as a stand-alone intervention, or how different types of messages may improve drinking outcomes in those seeking to moderate their alcohol consumption.

Methods
We conducted an exploratory, single-blind randomized controlled pilot study comparing four different types of alcohol reduction-themed text messages sent daily to weekly drink self-tracking texts in order to determine their impact on drinking outcomes over a 12-week period in 152 participants (≈ 30 per …

Graduating Msw Students’ Recommended Interventions For Teen Dating Violence: A Descriptive Analysis, Heidi Adams Rueda, Alicia Hawley, Beverly M. Black, Bernadette Ombayo

Social Work Faculty Publications

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a widespread issue that social workers are likely to encounter in their practice with youth, yet little research exists concerning their preparedness to do so. This study assessed the proposed interventions of graduating MSW students (n=73) from two accredited universities in response to two scenarios of TDV. Each scenario reflected various forms of relational violence. Nearly one-third of students’ proposed interventions focused on the need to deliver some form of education, healthy relationships being the most prevalent theme. Other interventions included teaching about appropriate boundaries, issues of control and anger, self-esteem-building, and communication skills. The …

School Sabotage As A Form Of Intimate Partner Violence: Provider Perspectives, Rachel Voth Schrag, Tonya Edmond

Social Work Faculty Publications & Presentations-Archive

This study examined provider perspectives on school sabotage. Service providers participated in semi-structured interviews exploring these questions: Are service providers aware of instances of school sabotage occurring? What are the tactics that service providers have observed? What do service providers identify as the key impacts of school sabotage? The following are the themes: (1) tactics of abusive partners include disruption of financial aid, physical violence or stalking at school, and disrupting academic efforts; (2) survivors experience consequences, including emotional and academic impacts; (3) abusers display emotions including jealousy, resentment, and insecurity; and (4) many survivors use education as a pathway …

Policy Recommendations For Meeting The Grand Challenge To Achieve Equal Opportunity And Justice, Ruth G. Mcroy, Yolanda C. Padilla, Rocío Calvo, Jeremy T. Goldbach, Martell L. Teasley, Hortensia Amaro, Marilyn Armour, Manuel Cano, Sandra E. Crewe, Westy Egmont, Victor J. Figuero, Rowena Fong, Cynthia G. S. Franklin, Ruby M. Gourdine, John L. Jackson Jr., Mit Joyner, Michael S. Kelly, James E. Lubben, Larry Ortiz, Macheo Payne, Robert Rosales, William A. Vega, Michael D. Walter, Mary C. Waters

Center for Social Development Research

This brief was created forSocial Innovation for America’s Renewal, a policy conference organized by the Center for Social Development in collaboration with the American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare, which is leading theGrand Challenges for Social Work initiative to champion social progress. The conference site includes links to speeches, presentations, and a full list of the policy briefs.