Social Work Commons^™

How Does Current Sex Education Perpetuate Rape Culture, Alec Deboard, Alyssa Williams

Undergraduate Research Posters 2018

Rape culture as it is used within this analysis refers to the general trend as a society to normalize the occurrence of sexual violence and can encompass behaviors such as acceptance and perpetuation of common rape myths, “slut-shaming”, and victimblaming. These behaviors are taught from a young age, mostly through the media or socialization. However, through examining sixteen sex education textbooks, certain themes seem to highlight the notion that children are exposed to rape culture through school systems. The aspects explored include discussions of consent (or lack thereof), forced stigma towards sexuality, perpetuation of harmful misconceptions including gender stereotypes, and …

The Sleep Gap: Advancing Healthy Sleep Among Youth In Rural Communities, Vanessa N. Jones, Justin Bucchio

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Sleep is essential to survival yet remains a public health concern affecting rural youth and adults (Chang et al., 2012; Kakkar, Bohra, Trivedi, Gupta, & Saini, 2016). Besides emotional and social problems, regular short sleep among youth contributes to neurodevelopmental and mental health concerns. Youth that reside in rural communities experience higher rates of short sleep (Daly et al., 2015); therefore, understanding and recognizing specific health risks and protective factors among this population is important to addressing sleep disparity. Future research should explore translating sleep knowledge into practical strategies to help reverse sleep insufficiency among rural youth. This practice note …

Behavioral Health In Rural America: Understanding Citizen Perceptions And Willingness To Respond To Community Needs, John M. Keesler, Helen Johnston, Jonah Simon, Taegan Anthony, Meagan Barnhart, Madison Bartlett, Janet Delong, Sharon Galloway, Melissa Kilpatrick, Jonathan Laucella, Hope Moreland, Gaby Ryan, Valerie Shannon

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Amid nationwide efforts to address behavioral health needs, rural communities often face unique challenges and a lack of resources. This study presents a bottom-up approach used by one rural community in the Midwest to respond to their needs regarding mental health and substance use. A survey instrument was developed from interviews with community stakeholders and disseminated in both online and paper formats. The survey sought to understand citizen perspectives regarding quality of life, barriers to treatment, and willingness to engage in efforts to address the community’s needs. Data from 1,303 respondents (71.5% women, 54.7% income <$42,000) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses. Results indicate that cost of treatment, shame, and lack of privacy were a barrier for most citizens’ treatment-seeking behavior. In addition, many citizens were willing to engage in strategies to address the community’s needs, including increased county spending, forming a neighborhood watch, and donating money. Differences associated with gender and income emerged across perceptions and willingness to support efforts. Implications for community efforts are discussed.

Review Of Dreams Derailed: Undocumented Youths In The Trump Era, Carleen A. Simpson

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Review of Dreams Derailed: Undocumented Youths in the Trump Era

On The Politics Of Mobility A Review Of Milking In The Shadows, Kimberley Klein

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Keller explores in MILKING IN THE SHADOWS: Migrants and Mobility in America’s Dairyland, the complexity of the undocumented workers experience on rural Midwest dairy farms. Analyzing the shift from small family run dairy farms to mega-dairy operations that rely on the labor of undocumented immigrants, Keller exposes the paradox of America’s demand for cheap dairy products while also denying these individuals basic labor rights. Written largely from the lens of immigrant workers, Keller outlines the circular migration pattern of these dairy workers and the dangers they face not only crossing the border but also living on Midwest dairy farms. Expressing …

Self-Care Among Social Workers Employed In Rural Settings: A Cross-Sectional Investigation, Diane N. Loeffler, J. Jay Miller, Theresia M. Pachner

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Despite growing recognition about the importance of self-care for social work professionals, research related to the topic has not kept pace with the changing landscape of the profession. Particularly, self-care practices among rural social work professionals have been overlooked in the research. Rural social work practice is, in many ways, decidedly different from practice in more urban areas. Thus, the primary aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the personal and professional self-care practices of rural social workers. Specifically, the study sough to better understand how often social workers engage in self-care and whether or not there are associations …

Learning Outside The Box: How To Incorporate An Experiential Service-Learning Project Encompassing Implicit And Explicit Curriculum In Rural Areas, Kimberly M. Wickersham

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

The theoretical basis of this teaching pedagogy combines infusion methodology with experiential learning. The infusion method addresses two areas which faculty specifically wanted to include: critical thinking and problem-solving skills. A comparable project by Young, Lee and Kovacs (2016) also used experiential learning and stated, “university student engagement in service-learning type activities has been shown to have an impact on students’ beliefs, attitudes, and values, particularly related to working with older adults”. (p. 2) As a measurement of explicit curricula and core competencies, the students developed a portfolio with content prescribed to meet CSWE EPAS 1-9. The portfolio may also …

Teaching Msw Students Suicide Assessment, Intervention, And Postvention In Rural Areas, Aisling Del Quest, Randall Nedegaard

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This teaching note argues the need for enhanced suicide assessment and intervention training for MSW students preparing for rural social work practice. A detailed outline of a suicide elective course is presented, addressing rural specific challenges. After course completion, students (N = 49) reported feeling better prepared to work with suicidal clients and better able to conduct an accurate assessment and suggest appropriate interventions.

From The Editor, Peg Munke

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Volume 10 for 2018 is finally completed and closed. This year, actually 2019, we have finally mastered the software for editing and publication so we expect to be closer to our target date in publication henceforth. We appreciate everyone’s patience more than we can tell you.

Elecciones 2018 De Colombia En Twitter, Yadira Lizama Mué, Juan Luis Suárez

CulturePlex Lab DataPoints

l análisis de los tuits de diciembre muestra una campaña que recién empieza en la plata-forma. El lenguaje usado por los diferentes actores políticos apunta a algunas de las ban-deras con las que intentarán atraer a los votantes, así como da cuenta de sus reacciones a los acontecimientos políticos del día. A diferencia de los candidatos, Santos y Uribe siguen siendo muy activos en Twitter, generan reacciones y atraen mucha atención. Si los candidatos quieren distanciarse de la historia política reciente y ganar credibilidad como presidentes potenciales, deberán establecer perfiles más audaces, generar reacciones más fuertes y desarrollar un lenguaje …

Relationships Between Hiv Testing, Knowledge, And Stigma Among Men: Reports From Belarus, Moldova, And Ukraine, Jildyz Urbaeva, Lynn Warner

Social Welfare Faculty Scholarship

A surge in heterosexual transmission of HIV among men in post-Soviet countries prompts the need to understand the determinants of HIV testing in the region. Survey data from Belarus (n = 2,769), Moldova (n = 1,545), and Ukraine (n = 3,620) were used to assess an influence of psychosocial determinants on testing among men. A mediation analysis for binary outcomes was used to assess effects of knowledge and stigma on testing. While knowledge had a positive influence on testing in each country, an indirect influence of knowledge through stigma was unique for each country. Implications for interventions …

Is Informal Financial Aid Good For Health? Evidence From Kyrgyzstan, A Low-Income Post-Socialist Nation In Eurasia, Jildyz Urbaeva, Theodore Jackson, Daejun Park

Social Welfare Faculty Scholarship

The importance of social capital and economic advantage for health is well established in literature. The relationship between health and social capital through informal financial aid is less understood. Using representative data (N = 7,474), authors explored an association between informal financial aid and health satisfaction in Kyrgyzstan, a post-socialist low-income country in Eurasia. Multilevel modeling revealed significant associations between informal aid and health. Cross-level interactions between individual and neighborhood financial aid were also significantly associated with health satisfaction. The results suggest that (a) social capital is influenced by socioeconomic status of the person, and (b) paths between informal …

Exploring The Perspectives And Experiences Of Physicians In Wv Who Prescribe Medication-Assisted Treatment (Mat) To Patients With Opioid Use Disorder (Oud), Kimberly Ann White

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of six physicians in West Virginia who treat patients with opioid use disorder using Buprenorphine, often referred to as medication-assisted treatment (MAT). MAT is an empirically-supported method of treating people who suffer from the physiological symptoms of opioid addiction and its associated psychological, social, and behavioral components to ease withdrawal. West Virginia ranks first in the nation for opioid overdose deaths, with an estimated 60,000 people needing treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and approximately 280 physicians certified to provide MAT. Semi-structured individual interviews lasting one hour were the primary source of information …

Circles Presentation.Pdf, Brandie Oliver

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

This presentation will share the results of two pilot studies using Circles. Circles give people an opportunity to speak and listen to one another in an atmosphere of safety and equality. Circles were used to build and strengthen relationships as well as deliver academic content and increase social/emotional learning principles. One pilot study focused on infusing children’s literature into Circle lessons in a 3rd grade classroom and the second pilot study targeted academic motivation and lack of connectedness for high school students in 9th and 11th grade. 

Trauma Treatment For Children In The Child Welfare System, The Rees-Jones Center For Foster Care Excellence

White Papers and Policy Briefs

Children involved in the child welfare system almost universally have experienced trauma, and many have experienced complex trauma. Research has shown that early intervention, treatment, and positive caregiving can reduce damage to the brain caused by trauma. Children coming into care should be screened to determine their trauma histories and related symptoms. Based on the outcomes of screenings and assessments, trauma-specific, evidence-based treatments or interventions should be provided.

For questions about this publication or others, please email [email protected]

childrens.com/fostercare

Extracurricular Activities And Disadvantaged Youth: A Complicated - But Promising - Story, Ryan D. Heath, Charity Anderson, Charles M. Payne, Ashley Cureton Turner

Social Work - All Scholarship

Increased political and research interest in extracurricular activities stems, in part, from the claim that these programs especially benefit disadvantaged youth. However, little literature has synthesized studies across types of disadvantage to assess this claim. This article reviews research on disadvantaged youth in extracurricular programs, including differences by gender, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and immigrant status. Our review reveals a promising, if complicated, picture. Although disadvantaged youth are less likely to participate in extracurricular activities, they often experience greater benefits, depending on the risk status and activity type. Evidence clearly supports expanding access to extracurricular programs for disadvantaged youth.

Inequalities In Us Child Protection: The Case Of Sex Trafficked Youth, Lisa Werkmeister Rozas, Jason Ostrander, Megan Feely

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

This article demonstrates how structural social work theory and critical consciousness development can be used to help facilitate a transition from a deficit model approach to an inequities perspective in a child welfare system that was working to improve the identification of and services for domestic minor sex trafficked youth (DMST). The response of Connecticut’s child welfare system to the issue of DMST is provided as an example of how a child welfare systems could apply an inequities perspective to a population involved in and at risk for exploitation. Structural social work theory helps illustrate how neo-liberalist social structures in …

Lgb Help-Seeking For Mental Health And Substance Abuse Services In Rural Northern Michigan, Jennifer Towns

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals are often exposed to stressors based on their nonheterosexual status; they may have unique needs related to help-seeking for mental health in a rural area where more people identify as religious or as politically conservative. To date, there have been no studies on the mental health help-seeking experiences of LGB individuals in rural Northern Michigan. This qualitative, single case study was completed to explore the help-seeking experiences of 10 LGB individuals who were recruited through criterion and snowball sampling. In-depth, semi structured interviews were conducted. Transcribed interview data were entered into Nvivo software for …

A Case Study On Learning Transfer In A Social Service Organization, Cynthia A. Barnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Support from managers, training specialists, and human resource development specialists is needed if social service employees are to transfer learning to their organizations. There is a gap in the literature about managers, training specialists, and HRD specialists familiarizing employees with learning transfer expectations. This study addressed the way social service employees transferred what was learned after attending normal training classes. The research questions focused on learning transfer expectations for the employees, conditions that addressed during the learning transfer, processes that are in place where there was not a learning transfer initiative, and the way learning was used by employee. The …

Effects Of Stigma On The Use Of Spirituality By Older Black Men Living With Hiv, Warren Lee Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research on HIV stigma and the use of spirituality by people living with HIV/AIDS is scarce. Moreover, the research with older Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) is scant. The focus of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of BMSM living with HIV aged 50 and older with encounters of HIV stigma on the use of spirituality. The research questions were designed to explore the lived experiences of aging, HIV stigma, and spirituality. Conceptually, this study was framed within the minority stress theory and the HIV stigma framework. Data were collected through …

Identifying Factors That Predict Policy Practice Among Social Workers, Dawn R. Broers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The social work profession has long touted a dual focus on service within micro and macro realms of practice, preparing social workers to serve marginalized populations at the boundary between the powerful and the powerless. Research, however, has shown that macro social work, or policy practice, has diminished. Current research has been inconsistent in identifying predictive factors of increased policy practice. With recent efforts by the profession to bolster waning policy practice among social workers, it is vital to identify factors that predict higher engagement. Theoretical frameworks suggest that professional socialization in policy practice as a group norm, having resources …

African American Women Caring For Loved Ones With Alzheimer's Disease And Dementia, Lisa M. Forbes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

In 2016, a dramatic shift occurred in demographics in the United States because the oldest people in the baby boomer generation, which consists of people born between 1946 and 1964, reached age 65. The larger aging population and longer lifespans have produced an increased need for care and services. There are an estimated 5.4 million Americans of varying ages living with a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Diagnoses of Alzheimer's disease are more prevalent among African Americans than other ethnicities. With little research found on culturally appropriate interventions for specific ethnic groups, a more detailed review of the …

Kansas City, Missouri, Inner City Schools' Parent Involvement Policy, Practices, And Accreditation Problems, Gena L. Ross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2012, the Missouri Board of Education took away Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) accreditation status. For over 40 years, KCPS has struggled with poor academic achievement, decreased enrollment and budget, and numerous leadership turnovers. Although KCPS regained provisional accreditation in 2014 and earned enough points on the annual performance report for consideration to become a fully accredited school system, state education officials first want to ensure that the district can sustain its new performance level before granting full accreditation. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to explore parents' perceptions about how the KCPS' parent involvement policy and …

A Phenomenological Study On The Challenges Experienced By Kinship Adopters, Allyson Foster Hamlin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research addressed the social and emotional challenges kinship adoptive families have encountered when their adopted child's trauma symptomology surfaces. The unique relationship between the adoptive relative and the kinship child offered a different view on the coping techniques used by kinship families and uncovered areas where resources could support permanency. In this phenomenological study, 12 interviews with relative adoptive parents guided by the attachment and family system theories, offered insight to what fosters or degrades the bond with the adopted child. Using post-adoption resource events, service agencies, and community resources, this study recruited participants through flyers posted on websites, …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Of The Effectiveness Of The Tyro Dads Program, Young-Il Kim, Sung Joon Jang

Faculty Publications - College of Social Work

Objective: To examine whether fathers who attend TYRO Dads class report greater satisfaction in their relationship with their child and increased engagement in activities with

their child than nonparticipants and, if so, whether parent- ing efficacy, parenting role identity, and coparenting rela- tionship with the child’s mother account for differences in

father involvement between the intervention and control groups. Background: Despite the growing number of fatherhood intervention programs, limited experimental research has been conducted to evaluate their effectiveness. Method: A randomized controlled trial was conducted

with a sample of 252 fathers randomly assigned to inter- vention and control groups. Both …

The Relationship Between Anogenital Hpv Types And Incident Hiv Infection Among Men Who Have Sex With Men And Transgender Women In Lima, Peru: Findings From A Prospective Cohort Study, Brandon Brown, Logan Marg, Segundo R. Leon, Cynthia Chen, Junice Ng Yi Siu, Gino Calvo, Hugo Sánchez, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Although it is known that individuals living with HIV have a higher HPV prevalence, the impact of individual HPV types on HIV acquisition is less clear. In this prospective cohort study we investigated the relationship between HPV types and incident HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) in Lima, Peru. Six hundred HIV-negative Peruvian MSM and TW participated in a 2-year study with biannual visits. At baseline, participants completed a computerized, self-administered questionnaire on sexual behavior and HPV knowledge and underwent a physical exam including anogenital swabs for HPV DNA (37 genotypes via …

Genotypic Clustering Does Not Imply Recent Tuberculosis Transmission In A High Prevalence Setting: A Genomic Epidemiology Study In Lima, Peru, Avika Dixit, Luca Freschi, Roger Vargas, Roger Calderon, James Sacchettini, Francis Drobniewski, Jerome Galea, Carmen Contreras, Rosa Yataco, Zibiao Zhang

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) can elucidate Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) transmission patterns but more data is needed to guide its use in high-burden settings. In a household-based transmissibility study of 4,000 TB patients in Lima, Peru, we identified a large MIRU-VNTR Mtb cluster with a range of resistance phenotypes and studied host and bacterial factors contributing to its spread.

Methods: WGS was performed on 61 of 148 isolates in the cluster. We compared transmission link inference using epidemiological or genomic data with and without the inclusion of controversial variants, and estimated the dates of emergence of the cluster and antimicrobial …

Recapturing The Power Of Ritual To Enhance Community In Aging, Holly Nelson-Becker, Kimberly Sangster

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

Ritual returns us to the center of who we are. In times of transition, loss, disconnection, and loneliness, ritual offers transformative power. It can provide a language for expression, stability, serve an integrating force in community, mediate tradition, and offer emotional support. This article explores the need for ritual in coping with late life changes, the relationship of ritual to suffering, value of ritual in storytelling and mourning, and explains the role of witness facilitated through community. Therapeutic functions of ritual are addressed and a framework for ritual design is suggested.

Integrating Green Social Work And The U.S. Environmental Justice Movement: An Introduction To Community Benefits Agreements, Amy Krings, Hillary Thomas

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

No abstract provided.

Preterm Birth And Infant Mortality Among African American And Caucasian Women: A Critique Of The Systematic Devaluing Of African American Women And Infants, Catherine E. Cooper

The Graduate Review

Health disparities are a persistent reality for minority groups in the United States with serious, and sometimes lethal, consequences. The disparate rates of preterm births and infant mortality between African-American and Caucasian women is a well-documented but largely unaddressed occurrence falling into this category. The complex systems that contribute to the perpetuation of this health disparity are explored with particular attention to the intersection of race, culture and socioeconomic status. The influence of personal health beliefs and often-over-emphasized role of behavior are also investigated in an effort to examine why there has been an inadequate response to this problem in …