Social Work Commons^™

An Examination Of Religious Institution Involvement In Trauma Recovery, Caitlin M. Brown

Masters Theses

This qualitative study examines the ways in which faith leaders within the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) work with parishioners who have experienced an interpersonal trauma and are seeking religious support. For the purposes of this study, interpersonal trauma will include physical, emotional, or sexual abuse experienced as a child or adult, childhood neglect, and/or witnessing violence as an adult or a child. The researcher interviewed 14 Pastors at CRCs in Kent and Ottawa Counties in the state of Michigan to learn more about their experiences in working with survivors of interpersonal trauma. Common findings indicate that pastors assist survivors of …

Addressing Environmental Toxins That Affect Children Through A Children's Rights Framework: Tools To Help You Succeed, Jenifer Cartland

Center for the Human Rights of Children

This toolkit was developed as part of Loyola University Chicago’s Advancing Healthy Homes and Healthy Communities Initiative (HHHCI). This initiative establishes an interdisciplinary university-community-public-private partner- ship to tackle the problem of environmental toxins in homes and communities through a range of activities. This approach integrates a unique set of strategies and tactics, including applied research, public education, organiz- ing, coalition building, legislative and policy advocacy, and policy implementation. HHHCI uses an integrative research and advocacy model to address the public health and hous- ing problems associated with environmental toxins. This approach integrates a unique set of strategies and tactics, including …

Validation Of The Employment Hope Scale (Ehs) Among Summer Youth Employment Program Participants, Philip Young P. Hong, Rana Hong, Choi Sangmi

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

The purpose of this study is to validate the Employment Hope Scale (EHS) among vulnerable youth who are seeking to enter the workforce through a summer youth employment program (SYEP). Hong, Polanin, and Pigott (2012) developed the EHS as a client-centered measure based on its earlier conceptualization from the client focus group interviews resulting in an original delineation of a 24-item six-factor structure. Considering a dearth of reliable measures of youth employment hope, this study examined the applicability of EHS to the youth population by validating it using a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The results from a sample of 255 …

Supporting The Child Welfare Workforce When People Have To Work From Home, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Other QIC-WD Products

Transitioning a face-to-face, people-focused workforce into one that leverages virtual meetings and visits is no small feat, especially in a crisis. Many child welfare agencies are considering how best to incorporate technology solutions into everyday workforce activities. The QIC-WD is focused on strengthening the child welfare workforce by reviewing and translating the evidence about what works for agency leaders. Although there is not a lot of research on the most effective strategies to manage a remote child welfare workforce, Harvard Business Review recently released an article that summarizes the available evidence and provides concrete tips for managers with employees who …

The Sustainability Of Child Protection Services In The Republic Of Kosovo, Shpetim Bylykbashi

Capstone Collection

Today, in Kosovo, are services provided for the children most in need sustainable? Do these services have stable and long-term funding? Did the decentralization of the Kosovo government strengthen or weaken the existing child protective environment? In an attempt to answer these questions, a review of available literature was completed, as well as direct interviews conducted with relevant stakeholders engaged in Kosovo’s child protection services at both the governmental and civil society levels. The main finding of my research is that vulnerable children in Kosovo, such as children without parental care, children with special needs, and child victims of domestic …

Cognitive Ability Tests, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What are cognitive ability tests?

In an employment context, cognitive ability (also known as general intelligence or general mental ability) tests are hiring tools that assess candidates’ ability to learn and solve problems (Hunter & Schmidt, 1996). There are many commercially available cognitive ability tests, and they typically involve multiple-choice questions that measure abilities such as vocabulary, verbal comprehension, and verbal, numerical, and spatial reasoning. Some tests measure a combination of these abilities, whereas some focus only on specific abilities. Because the questions have right and wrong answers, the tests must often be proctored. Tests vary in terms of length, …

Ebci Progress Update- Developing An Onboarding Program, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) established their Family Safety Program (FSP) in 2015. FSP is a multi-disciplinary unit and includes behavioral health and child welfare. They are a small agency with about 35-40 child welfare employees at any given time, including front-line caseworkers, case aides, supervisors, and a manager. Minimum qualifications for the caseworker role are rigorous, requiring a bachelor’s or master’s degree in social work and/or years of relevant experience. They also seek to hire enrolled members of the EBCI, enrolled members of other federally recognized tribes, or those married to, or who are children of, enrolled …

Adverse Childhood Experience Scores Of Social Work Students Vs. Non-Social Work Students At Western Michigan University, Grace Conrad

Honors Theses

This project researched the differences in Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) scores among Social Work students compared to other majors at a Midwest University. The purpose of the study was to research the ACE scores within fields of study and various demographics to target the most at-risk populations on campus. The sample was composed of 185 undergraduate students studying social work and other fields of study. The sample included various grade levels, races, genders, and environments participants were raised. The participants were given a 16 question on-line survey including demographic questions and questions from the ACE score test. The research concluded …

Biodata Measures, Stephanie Weddington, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What are biodata measures?

Biodata measures are hiring tools that assess a variety of biographical or background data about job candidates. When they were first developed, biodata measures included objective and verifiable questions about a person’s background and history (e.g., education level, number of siblings, job history), but over time they have come to include more subjective questions similar to those found on personality tests (e.g., attitudes, interests, recreational activities, education, and work experiences and preferences) (Schmitt & Golubovich, 2013). They are typically administered using a paper-and-pencil or online-survey format (Breaugh, 2009), and the response options can be yes-no, multiple …

Meaning-Centered Supervision: A Structured Self-Reflection Model To Reconnect With Personal And Professional Meaning In Palliative Care Work, Rebecca Cammy, Msw, Lcsw

Department of Medical Oncology Posters

Meaning-centered supervision explores participant’s sense of meaning of past, present, and future personal and professional experiences. The series aims to reintegrate selfreflection into clinical practice through experiential exercises, homework journaling, and group discussion. Social workers develop a narrative around themes of professional attitude, living and creating work life, and connections with the social work profession. The goal is to help palliative care social workers create a sense meaning and purpose in their work as they develop their personal and professional identities. Additionally, the hope is to support supervisees through any concerns of burnout and compassion fatigue.

Couples' Relationship Qualities And Child Behavior Problems, Erin Wallace Lovett

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This dissertation examines couples’ relationship quality on child externalizing behavior problems. Family systems theory and Belsky’s determinants of parenting model posit that child behavior problems stem from problematic familial relationships and lack of support within the couple’s relationship. A secondary data analysis was conducted using data from the National Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. The independent variables represent couples’ relationship quality and are affection/support, relationship instability, and coercion. Dependent variables represent child behavior problems and are aggression measured when children are age five and age nine, and rule-breaking behavior when the child is age nine. To examine what …

Social Contexts And Disconnectedness: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Interrelated Effects Of Families, Peers, And Schools On African American Youth, Danielle R. Eugene

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Youth disconnection, characterized as no school and no work in emerging adulthood, is widespread in American society with debilitating outcomes for each affected young person. Substantial rates of this phenomenon have been found for all youth groups; however, more recently the disconnection rate for African American youth has increased from 17.2% to 17.9% despite remaining flat or falling for all other major racial and ethnic groups. This study utilized a mixed methods approach to examine features of social contexts that explain how African American youth become disconnected from education and employment. This study involved analyzing qualitative data collected from student …

The Journey Of Life Before, During And After Foster Care And The Path To Resilience, Sara B. Wood

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Children who are impacted by abuse and situations that result in foster care have the ability to overcome trauma with the support of stable and nurturing adults. This presentation will take participants on a journey of the life of a foster child from the early years to adulthood from the point of view of a foster child, social worker, and teacher.

Act To Save A Life: Evidence-Based Youth Suicide Prevention, Meghan Diamon

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Youth suicide is a preventable tragedy that can occur when children's mental health needs are unmet. Participants will discuss published research on risk factors for youth suicide, how to implement an evidence-based prevention program, and how to tackle common obstacles encountered. Participants will be prepared to mobilize school staff, parents, and community members to address the critical issues of depression awareness and suicide prevention.

We Need Sex Ed, Too! : Addressing The Sexual Risk Behaviors Of System Involved Youth, Nadine Finigan-Carr

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

System involved youth (e.g., youth in child welfare or juvenile services) are a vulnerable population with increased risk for unintended pregnancy, HIV, and STIs. This workshop is designed to (1) identify their sexual reproductive health risk behaviors; (2) describe the related determinants; and, (3) improve awareness of how educators can promote the development of positive sexual risk behaviors among them.

Work Sample Tests, Maggie Thompson, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What are work sample tests?

Work sample tests are methods used to assess an individual’s ability to successfully perform a job. These tests require individuals to perform tasks that are physically and/or psychologically similar to those they would experience on the job (Schneider & Schmitt, 1986). Though much of the early use of work samples was to assess psychomotor skills for manual tasks like carpentry, electrical work, or welding (Robertson & Downs, 1989), more relevant examples include role plays, in-basket exercises, filing, and writing or typing exercises (Roth, Bobko, McFarland, & Buster, 2008). There are two primary categories of work …

Get Teens Talking: A Hands-On Approach To Sel Through The Arts, Gina H. Moore, Gina H. Moore

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Explore the power of art to give tweens and teens a vehicle for healthy self-expression and life skills that can take them from risk to resilience. Interact and connect in this hands-on session that demonstrates engaging activities to create a sense of community within groups. Exercise your creativity and leave with unique artwork and a written guide to facilitate the activities in your programs.

“Re/Imagining Culturally Responsive Educational Practices (Crep) And Effectively Implementing Crep To Meet The Needs Of A Diverse Student Population”, Rena' Glass-Dixon, Shelbie Dixon-Brown

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

The aim of this interactive workshop for educators and administrators is to promote cultural awareness and reflect on the impact that our own cultural influences have on the teaching and learning process. This interactive session will also allow professional educators and leaders to apply culturally informed practices to foster positive school climate, learning and academic achievement relevant to a widely diverse student population. The workshop strives to encourage dialogue between educators, administrators and interdisciplinary/inter-agency team members through the application of evidence-based practices for the development of a deeper understanding of ourselves and how our views as educators, schools and districts …

Hard Conversations, Healthy Conversations: How To Respond When Tragedy Strikes, Elizabeth Marston, Samuel Marion

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

How do we talk to children and students about tragedy? How do we support families faced with a health crisis or unexpected death? This presentation will discuss the challenges of dealing with tragic circumstances and how we can best support children, students, and their families in a way to promote emotional health.

Practical Strategies For Regulating Students’ Brains, Kathy Van Horn, Joshua Macneill

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Knowing your students are impacted by trauma is only step one. It is more important to know what to do. This session will cover interventions such as brain breaks, fidgets, student curriculum and service dogs. We will share how we transformed four schools to meet the needs of struggling students. Whether you are an academic, clinical, or administrative staff, you will leave with tangible interventions you can implement immediately.

Pornography: Adolescent Brain Development & Addiction, William K. Canady

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation will explain the historical development of pornography. It will highlight three segments: 1- Porn’s impact on brain development of reward pathways, ultimately increasing the appetite for more porn. 2- Porn can be a false substitute for real intimacy, resulting in decreased sexual satisfaction with a real person and increased verbal and physical aggression. 3- Porn promotes sex trafficking, promotes multiple sex partners and reduced STD prevention.

What’S In A Name? How The Language Of Mental Health Diagnoses Affects The Ability To Heal, Elizabeth Marston, Samuel Marion

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

When a person receives a mental health diagnosis, they are often started down a path of receiving help, but also of receiving stigma. This presentation will discuss how language around a diagnosis can affect a child’s sense of self as well as either help or hurt a student’s ability to manage and heal.

Correctional Officers' Mental Health Literacy And Attitudes Toward Offenders With Mental Illness, Amber Rebecca Hebert

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Overrepresentation of people with mental illness in the criminal justice system is a major societal problem. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, nearly three quarters of people housed in local jails report having symptoms suggestive of mental illness. Individual consequences to incarceration for people diagnosed with a mental illness include disruption in treatment, increase in symptomology, exposure to violence, and victimization. Correctional officers are an important component to the criminal justice system but their role in the lives of offenders with mental illness has been understudied. The current study explored the mental health knowledge, attitudes, and personal experiences of …

Protection Orders And Their Perceived Effectiveness - A Domestic Violence And Sexual Assault Crisis Center Program Evaluation, Shelby Connett

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

This presentation showcases the program evaluation of the Spouse Abuse Sexual Assault (SASA) Crisis Center's legal advocacy program in Hastings, NE. The quantitative and qualitative research components assessed the effectiveness of protection orders of individuals receiving services from SASA's legal advocacy program. Results, recommendations, and limitations are discussed.

Preliminary Efficacy Of Motivational Interviewing On Problem Drinkers 55 And Older Compared To Younger Counterparts, Alexis Kuerbis, Sijing Shao, Nehal Vadhan, Jon Morgenstern

Publications and Research

Background: Older adults who drink problematically are the largest group of substance users among those 55 and older. This group often chooses moderation as a goal instead of abstinence, and motivation and self-efficacy are found to have less of an impact on drinking compared to younger adults. No study has examined age effects (specifically 55 and older vs. younger counterparts) on motivational interviewing (MI) compared to brief advice with a sample that includes individuals over 65. Objective: To explore the moderating impact of age on heavy drinkers’ (aged M=50.7 years SD=11.6, range 23-73) response to MI. Methods: Data …

Gestational Age At Birth And Risk Of Developmental Delay: The Upstate Kids Study, Kimberly A. Hochstedler, Griffith Bell, Hyojun Park, Akhgar Ghassabian, Erin M. Bell, Rajeshwari Sundaram, Katherine L. Grantz, Edwina H. Yeung

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Objective—To model the association between gestational age at birth and early child development through 3 years of age.

Study Design—Development of 5868 children in Upstate KIDS (New York State; 2008–2014) was assessed at 7 time-points using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). The ASQ was implemented using gestational age corrected dates of birth at 4, 8, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months. Whether children were eligible for developmental services from the Early Intervention Program (EIP) was determined through linkage. Gestational age was based on vital records. Statistical models adjusted for covariates including sociodemographic factors, maternal smoking and …

Training And Experience Evaluations, Kate Stephenson, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What are training and experience evaluations?

Training and experience (T&E) include previous work and volunteer experience, education or other training, and credentials (Schneider, 1994). Evaluations of T&E are often included in employee selection procedures to screen and rate applicants based on information provided on resumes, applications, or other documents. These evaluations attempt to identify future successful employees by examining and applying systematic, judgment-based ratings to this information (McDaniel, Schmidt, & Hunter, 1988). The idea behind T&E evaluations is that past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior, and people with experience are more committed and motivated to perform well …

Conducting Research In Non-Traditional Settings: Research Assistant Experiences In A Gay Bathhouse, Michael R. Lloyd, Michael P. Dentato Phd, Msw, Brian Kelly, Hayley Stokar

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

Research conducted in traditional and non-traditional settings remains essential to understanding behaviors and attitudes among diverse populations. The effective preparation of research assistants is essential in order to conduct ethical research and ensure safety for the participants and those conducting the research. One such example pertains to examining the behavior of men who have sex with men (e.g., gay, bisexual, other MSM) within bathhouse settings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among six graduate students and alumni examining their overall interest in conducting research as well as their thoughts and feelings prior to, during, and after collecting data at a gay male …

Conducting Research In Non-Traditional Settings: Research Assistant Experiences In A Gay Bathhouse, Michael R. Lloyd, Michael P. Dentato, Brian L. Kelly, Hayley Stokar

The Qualitative Report

Research conducted in traditional and non-traditional settings remains essential to understanding behaviors and attitudes among diverse populations. The effective preparation of research assistants is essential in order to conduct ethical research and ensure safety for the participants and those conducting the research. One such example pertains to examining the behavior of men who have sex with men (e.g., gay, bisexual, other MSM) within bathhouse settings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among six graduate students and alumni examining their overall interest in conducting research as well as their thoughts and feelings prior to, during, and after collecting data at a gay male …

Long-Term Impact Of Welfare Reform: Biopsychosocial Barriers To Successful Transition Away From Welfare Reliance Among Rural Women In Louisiana, Jake Jerome Guidry

LSU Master's Theses

The discussion regarding government benefits and reliance on welfare benefits is one that takes place in arenas of policymaking and academia alike. These discussions often focus on poverty that exists in densely populated metropolitan areas, resulting in a scarcity of research regarding unique characteristics of rural poverty. Eighty-four rural Louisiana women participated in a longitudinal study of the impacts of welfare reform in their lives. Twenty years later, two (N = 2) rural Louisiana women, each former welfare recipients, participated in an in-depth qualitative case study examining their transition away from welfare programs. Data show that neither woman was …