Social Work Commons^™

Exploring The Association Of Victimization And Alcohol And Marijuana Use Among American Indian Youth Living On Or Near Reservations: A Mixed Methods Study, Lindsay Nicole Merritt

Dissertations and Theses

Adolescent substance use research has yet to consider victimization as a potential risk factor contributing to alcohol and marijuana use among American Indian youth living on or near reservations, despite the presence of traumatic experiences, childhood adverse events, racism, and discrimination. Contribution to this lack of attention may be due to little being known about American Indian youth victimization. Even less is known about its association with alcohol and marijuana use in general and for those youth living on or near reservations in particular.

This study utilizes mixed methods with a nationally representative sample of American Indian youth living on …

Penny And Pound: Unpacking The Impacts Of The Fringe Economy On Household Economic Wellbeing, Zibei Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

As an increasing number of American families cope with chronic financial stability, they have withdrawn from traditional financial systems and instead have chosen to participate in the fringe economy where alternative financial services (AFS) and products are costly. Although individuals’ lives have become highly financialized, the issue of financial inclusion is not well understood. Research to date primarily has focused on the banked and unbanked group, yet, evidence indicates the presence of a sizeable group of people who are underbanked. Using a posttest-only, nonequivalent control group quasi-experimental design, this dissertation study investigated banking statuses (unbanked, underbanked, and banked), and AFS …

Exploring Self-Injury: An Art-Based Approach To Cultivating Empathy And Understanding In Mental Health Professionals, Dana Wyss

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

Self-injury greatly affects individuals, their families, and the mental health professionals who provide their care. This art-based research investigates the impact of clients’ self-injury on mental health professionals. It addresses four research questions and applies a methodology that integrates body art, photography, poetry, and dialogue. Six participants (including the researcher) participated in three meetings wherein they artistically responded with temporary body art to two questions, sorted through their photographs, reviewed poetry created about their work, and discussed the study experience. The researcher navigated being a witness-researcher by personally and creatively engaging in the study.

The results present raw, distilled narratives, …

Data Make A Difference! (Sometimes), David Sedlacek, Rene Drumm, Alina M. Baltazar, Duane C. Mcbride

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

This presentation offers an overview of three studies dealing with pastor family stress in the North American Division. Using these large-scale endeavors as a case study, the research team delineates the study outcomes, the known ways that these data have driven system change, and enumerates barriers that prevent data from having greater impacts in the SDA Church.

Relational Spirituality: An Opportunity For Social Work In Long-Term Care, Ann M. Callahan

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Aim

Sandage and Shults (2007) suggest that “all spirituality can be viewed as relational” (p. 263). Likewise, according to Heyse-Moore (1996), “we exist to relate to each other and if we do not our spirit dries up within us like a desert” (p. 307). Spirituality reflects our “innate human yearning for meaning through intra-, inter-, and transpersonal connectedness” (Belcher & Griffiths, 2005, p. 272). If spirituality is the experience of meaningful relationships, then it is important to understand what relationships are meaningful to clients. These relationships are particularly important in long-term care.

Background

Long-term care involves a network of relationships …

Improving Integrated Care For Medically Underserved Patients At A Texas Fqhc Using Sbirt And Phq-9, Irene Fuentes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Integrated Care, under provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), aimed to reduce fragmented care for Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs) who depend on community-based centers for their health care needs. Well-defined by the World Health Organization, social determinants of health such as low socioeconomic status, low educational attainment, and housing instability often contribute to health disparities, making it difficult for MUPs to achieve optimal health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to gather preliminary data indicating the need to integrate a social work program at a Texas Federally Qualified Health Center using the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to …

Barriers To School-Based Parent Involvement While Living In Public Housing: A Mother’S Perspective, Stephanie Lechuga-Peña, Daniel Brisson

The Qualitative Report

Parent involvement is associated with child academic outcomes, positive behaviors, and social skills. This qualitative study explored school-based parent involvement barriers experienced by nine low-income mothers. In-depth interviews were used to collect data from mothers participating in a community-based program offered in a large public housing neighborhood. Findings included three main barriers: (a) cultural and language differences in their children’s school, (b) undertones of racism from teachers and parents, and (c) being the primary caregiver or sole provider for their children. Although all parents experience challenges to school involvement, low-income mothers face additional obstacles preventing them from engaging in their …

P-05 Emphasizing Multi-Faceted Self Care To Puerto Rican Communities Post-Hurricane Maria, Lianne Wynne, Kimberly Cruz, Ruby Huerta, Alina M. Baltazar

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

Six months post-hurricane Maria, a group of 20 Andrews University students and faculty went on a Mental Health mission trip to Puerto Rico. Students and faculty from the Social Work department presented various techniques of self-care for adults and children, on a physical, emotional, social, and spiritual levels.

Older Mexican Americans: Role Of The Family And Mental Health Service Utilization, John M. Gonzalez, Denise A. Longoria, Romeo Escobar, Leyla Feize

Interdisciplinary Journal of Best Practices in Global Development

This study explored role of the family and mental health service utilization by older Mexican-Americans. Using qualitative exploration, the study investigated family factors influencing their mental health service utilization. The researcher used a purposive sample and interviewed 20 older Mexican Americans, who completed outpatient mental health services located in Texas. Kleinman’s explanatory model (1980) guided the ethnographic content analysis. Findings show the family took several roles to facilitate use of mental health services. The family was involved with respondents throughout the process of help-seeking and accessing mental health services. Family members helped respondents recognize their mental distress by noticing behavior …

Does Privatization Matter? An Exploration Of Foster Care Permanency Outcomes, Allison Early Dunnigan

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, at any given time, there are nearly 400,000 children in foster care due to maltreatment or for reasons such as parental incarceration, parental death or voluntary relinquishment. Youth in out of home care are a small proportion of all children served by the child welfare system, but they comprise the majority of the system costs and are at high risk for poor outcomes across a number of domains. Concerns regarding both cost and poor outcomes began a trend toward privatization of child welfare in the mid-1990s. Despite the long history, there has been very little evaluation …

Understanding Child Maltreatment Report Risks As A Function Of Age, Socioeconomic Status, Race, And Neighborhood, Hyunil Kim

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: This study seeks to improve our understanding of risk and protective factors for child maltreatment both over time and within an ecological context. First, this study examines longitudinal patterns of child maltreatment reports (CMR) with child age from 1 to 17 years based on various risk and protective factors (Aim 1). This study also examines neighborhood contextual effects on CMR (Aim 2). Methods: This study used secondary data from a larger longitudinal study which had followed up two samples from the 1991-1994 St. Louis birth cohorts. The CAN sample included all children aged 3 or under with a first-time …

How Do Changes To 529 Rules Affect Children’S Savings Account Programs?, Margaret Clancy, Shira Markoff, Justin King

Center for Social Development Research

Federal legislation enacted late in 2017 altered the statue governing 529 college savings plans, which were originally designed to hold assets for postsecondary education. Under the amended statute, funds in 529 plans may be used to cover K–12 tuition. This brief, developed through the Center for Social Development’s collaboration with Prosperity Now and New America, examines the implications of the changes for existing Child Development Account (CDA) policies and concludes that the new federal rule changes do not affect the ability of CDA programs to retain previous—or define new—restrictions for postsecondary education use. Yet, as the discussion illustrates, CDA programs …

Predictors Of Graduate Students' Self-Efficacy For Working With Persons With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Their Families, Cassie M. Dinecola

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

As diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continue to climb, the need for knowledgeable and competent professionals is critical. Research has shown that child symptoms and behavior are related to parent stress and mental health and that this relationship is bidirectional, suggesting the need for the use of a family-centered care model (FCC) that addresses both child and parent needs. While social workers are well-prepared to provide FCC to persons with ASD and their families, few social workers enter the field of developmental disabilities. Professionals more involved in the ASD field, such as special educators, often are equipped to work …

The Intersection Of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration, Intervention And Faith, Maxine Davis

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

In the U.S. most interventions with men who have acted abusively against intimate partners occurs because of a domestic violence conviction and court-mandate to complete treatment. This dissertation examines the intersection of intimate partner violence/abuse (IPV/A), intervention, and faith by investigating a parish-based voluntary partner abuse intervention program known as The Men’s Group (TMG). The function and implementation of TMG is first explored through a case study, laying the groundwork for understanding why men continuously participate in the program. This qualitative study then investigates how group members view the role of religious faith in relationship to IPV/A and how they …

Self-Employment In Later Life: Implications For Financial, Physical, And Mental Well-Being, Cal Halvorsen

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

More than one in five working Americans aged 50 and older are self-employed, yet scholarship that examines the relationships between self-employment and personal health and financial well-being is limited. Using data from six biennial waves of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally-representative panel study of Americans past 50 years of age, this quasi-experimental dissertation documents the characteristics of self-employed older adults in comparison to wage-and-salary workers, as well as compares self-employed and wage-and-salary workers in later life on a set of financial well-being and personal health outcomes. This study incorporates inverse probability of treatment weighting (also referred to as …

Violence Exposure And Pathways To Hiv Risk Behaviors In Black And White Young Men Who Have Sex With Men, Donald Robert Gerke

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

HIV remains a critical public health issue facing men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. Young MSM (YMSM) ages 13-34 years account for the greatest number of new HIV infections in MSM, with Black YMSM bearing the highest burden of disease. Sexual risk behaviors (e.g. unprotected sex) continue to be the leading transmission mode for HIV among all YMSM and studies have indicated that these behaviors are associated with a number of psychosocial and environmental factors, including adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), exposure to violence, substance use, and mental health problems. Moreover, recent studies based on the …

Impact Of Innovative Menstrual Technology And Awareness On Female Empowerment Outcomes In Rural Nepal, Anjali Limbu

Master's Theses

In developing countries, menstruation poses two significant challenges for females. First, the resources required for periods are expensive for those in low-income communities. Hence, the absence of such menstrual products lowers females’ access to schooling and employment. Next, periods are also heavily stigmatized – especially in poorer or rural areas. Such taboos surrounding menstruation negatively impacts females’ psychological development and hamper their prospects of socialization. Thus, to analyze this issue, we ran a randomized control trial in Nepal, where we provided reusable menstrual pads and / or health seminar to 312 schoolgirls and 100 of their mothers. Our outcomes demonstrate …

Household Financial Assets Inequity And Health Disparities Among Young Adults: Evidence From The National Longitudinal Study Of Adolescent To Adult Health, Shiyou Wu, Xiafei Wang, Qi Wu, Kathleen Mullan Harris

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Introduction: Research has established a strong relationship between financial resources and health outcomes. Yet, little is known about the effects of assets disparities on health outcomes, especially during the critical period when adolescents transition to adults.

Methods: Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 10,861), this study investigated the relationships between three household total assets value groups (low, moderate, and high assets) and three net worth groups (negative, neutral, and positive) on young adults’ general health, obese, and depression.

Results: Both assets and debts were related to young adults’ health status, …

Teenage Dating Violence: Perceptions Of Need, Priority, And Prevention Responsibility Among Schools In Predominantly Mexican Heritage Communities, Lela Rankin Williams, Heidi Adams Rueda

Social Work Faculty Publications

Teen dating violence (TDV) affects adolescents’ overall wellness, subsequent social–emotional and academic development, and future success. The extent to which high schools recognize the importance of TDV prevention, and their accountability to prevent or reduce its occurrence, is largely unknown. Recently, there has been increased legislative debate urging or requiring school boards to include TDV prevention strategies in their curriculum. The purpose of this study was to understand how high school personnel from three large schools, of predominantly Mexican heritage urban communities, perceive their role to intervene and prevent TDV. The authors conducted five focus groups (N = 26). …

A Sexual Assault Prevention Program Proposal For Abilene Christian University, Ammie Brooks, Ammie Kae Brooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop the most effective sexual assault prevention

program for Abilene Christian University. The program will meet the federal regulation requiring Universities to participate in sexual assault prevention and education. Additionally, the program will be made to fit the audience at Abilene Christian University. The proposed program is designed to encompass all undergraduate students at Abilene Christian University and use a pretest and posttest to measure the effectives of the program to meet its eight predetermined goals. The following paper presents the program proposal, methodology and evaluation tools needed for its future implementation.

Geographic Variation In Sex Ratios Of The Us Immigrant Population: Identifying Sources Of Difference, Erin Trouth Hofmann, E. Miranda Reiter

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

This paper describes geographic variation in the sex composition of the foreign-born population in the US since 1990, and uses Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition to identify key sources of variation in regional sex ratios. We use data from the 1990 and 2000 US Censuses, and from the 2007–2011 American Community Survey, to create estimates of the size and characteristics of foreign-born populations at the level of Consistent Public-Use Microdata Areas. We find substantial local- and region-level variation in population sex ratios, with the highest sex ratios in the South and Midwest. This variation is partly explained by differences in the age- and …

Prevention Of Child Maltreatment In U.S. Air Force Families, Amber Ester Coody

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense created the Family Advocacy Program (FAP) to provide primary and secondary intervention and prevention services to military families to decrease the risks of family maltreatment. This review synthesized literature to reveal how deployment, domestic abuse, mental health, and substance abuse relate to adult and child maltreatment in the armed forces. Systematic review procedures are used to evaluate nine studies meeting inclusion criteria to correlate factors significant in the increased risk of child maltreatment. Based on results, this paper discusses how FAP can effectively provide primary and secondary services by transitioning from a traditional medical model to …

The Relationship Between Loneliness, Stress, And Alcohol Consumption Among College Students, I'Esha Baber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the misuse of alcohol among college students remains a public health concern in the United States, students are participating in problematic drinking for various reasons. Loneliness and stress have both been associated with the reasoning behind why some college students participate in heavy drinking. Studies show that students who perceive themselves as under a lot of stress tend to drink more and that students who feel they need to overcome structural and emotional barriers such as loneliness and shyness, use alcohol as a resource. This paper examines the relationship between alcohol consumption, loneliness, and stress. Sixteen students, who attended …

Conceptualizing Allyship As An Actionable Construct In Higher Education, Shannon Radford

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This research intends to re-conceptualize allyship as an actionable construct. Previous research conducted on allyship primarily focuses on development and motivation. Although action is often identified as a component of allyship, previous research has only briefly touched upon this topic. In such a tumultuous political climate, this gap in research is distressing. With hate groups on the rise, it has become increasingly important for allyship to become synonymous with action. As institutions of higher education can play a crucial role in providing an actionable definition of allyship and fostering it in campus communities, this study focuses on identifying actions exhibited …

Describing The Education Reform Landscape: A Typology Of State Charter School Laws, William Flanary Dabney Jr.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Since 2014, 42 states have adopted charter school legislation. Research has been conducted on charter school effectiveness and legislative adoption. However, limitations in the research exist regarding school choice in that studies address inequalities and outcomes at the school level, with limited attention to the state-level policy environment. Additionally, research does not consider variations in state school choice policy nor does it link policy differences to equitable educational outcomes.

This descriptive study described and categorized the variation of state charter school polices and explored differences in state level education finance, student demographics and academic outcomes, and school type characteristics. A …

A Cross-Cultural Examination Of The Effect Of Employer Support On Employee Productivity, Shawn Tuman, Haley Lipton

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this creative, collaborative, capstone project is to conduct a cross-cultural examination of the effect of employer support on employee productivity by compiling, examining, and synthesizing conclusions from existing research. In a world of growing globalization and technological innovation, the speed of productivity is often the cornerstone that differentiates successful businesses from unsuccessful businesses, providing a competitive advantage to the quick while the others fall behind. Often this increased level of efficiency comes at a cost beyond the price of the product and the salary of employees, a deeper, psychological cost. By reviewing research focused in the United …

Perceptions Of Intra-Familial Child Sexual Abuse And Intimate Parent-Child Interactions, Qian-Wen Xie, Joshua Miller

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

The current study aimed to explore Chinese undergraduate students’ perceptions of intimate parent-child interactions (IPCI) and intra-familial Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) as well. 354 undergraduate students from 15 universities or colleges in Beijing were recruited to participate in an online-based survey. Results indicated that IPCI such as co-bathing and co-sleeping were very common among Chinese undergraduate students during childhood. Factors including the child’s age and gender, as well as the parent’s gender involved in IPCI were found to impact respondents’ perceptions of the appropriateness of those interactions. Moreover, respondents’ perceptions of the appropriateness of parent-child intimate interactions might also be …

Policy Recommendations For Financial Capability And Asset Building By Increasing Access To Safe, Affordable Credit, Julie Birkenmaier, Mathieu R. Despard, Terri Friedline

Center for Social Development Research

Strong credit is a prerequisite for financial well-being, but many U.S. consumers lack access to safe and affordable credit options. This brief, released through the Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative’s network toBuild Financial Capability for All, identifies policies that would enable households to build and maintain credit and that would ensure access to credit products with adequate consumer protections.

Policy Recommendations For Expanding Access To Banking And Financial Services, Terri Friedline, Mathieu R. Despard, Julie Birkenmaier

Center for Social Development Research

Access to financial services is a necessity in the modern economy, yet many households lack such access. This brief, released through the Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative’s network toBuild Financial Capability for All, identifies policies with the potential to expand access to financial services for households in the United States.

Policy Recommendations For Helping U.S. Households Build Emergency Savings, Mathieu R. Despard, Terri Friedline, Julie Birkenmaier

Center for Social Development Research

In households without emergency savings, an unexpected expense or financial shock can heighten stress and threaten the ability to meet basic needs. This brief, released through the Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative’s network toBuild Financial Capability for All, identifies three types of policies to enable U.S. households to save for emergencies.