Social Work Commons^™

The Effects Of Emotional Distress On Substance Use In First Generation And Continuing Generation College Students, E. Noelle Rogers, Karen G. Chartier Phd, Msw

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Socioeconomic, Political, And Regulatory Determinants Of State Sanctioning Patterns For Clinical Social Workers, Nickolas Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The regulation of social work licensure and the associated rules governing social work practice fall under the purview of the states. Each state has implemented different policies and requirements governing social work licensure. Like many other helping professions, social workers are largely governed by a state board that has the authority to impose sanctions for violation of the established laws and rules. These sanctions are reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank administered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Some research has been conducted on sanctioning trends of state boards; however, it is limited in that …

Exploring The Cultural Identity And School Efficacy Of Students Through The Lens Of Digital Storytelling, Rachael Mack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Digital storytelling is a modern storytelling method that uses videos, images, and audio to share knowledge, wisdom, values, and personal stories from the point of view of the creator in a 2-8-minute first person narrative. This study explored the cultural identity and school efficacy of students through the lens of digital storytelling. This mixed-methods study consisted of both qualitative and quantitative measures. A survey was conducted using the In-Group Identification Scale, the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity, and the School Efficacy Scale as the quantitative measures, and qualitative data was generated from the transcription and analysis of the digital storytelling …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Racial And Ethnic Differences In Cost Of Care Conversations Among Older Adults, Kyaien Oquinn Conner, Jaqueline Wiltshire, Edlin Colato Garcia, Barbara Langland-Orban, Erica Anderson, Iraida Carrion, Amber Goodman, Ashley Goodman

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: The rapidly growing racially diverse, aging population in the United States is presenting unique challenges for our social, economic, and healthcare systems. Rising health care costs, increased patient cost-sharing, and limited financial resources make this generation of older Americans susceptible to large medical bills or debt which disproportionally impacts older racial/ethnic minorities. Cost-of-care (CoC) conversations between patients and doctors is one recommended approach to containing health care costs and alleviating patients’ financial burden of care.

Methods: The current study used focus group methodology to qualitatively explore the contextual factors that influence CoC conversations in a diverse sample of older …

Tuberculosis Clinical Presentation And Treatment Outcomes In Pregnancy: A Prospective Cohort Study, Brittney J. Van De Water, Meredith B. Brooks, Chuan-Chin Huang, Letizia Trevisi, Leonid Lecca, Carmen Contreras, Jerome Galea, Roger Calderon, Rosa Yataco, Megan Murray, Mercedes C. Becerra

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: There is limited research to guide TB treatment specifically in pregnant women and few studies have described the presentation of TB in pregnant women. We aimed to understand TB presentation and treatment outcomes in pregnant women in a low HIV burden setting. We describe a cohort of women of childbearing age treated for TB disease in Lima, Peru, and compare clinical presentation and treatment outcomes among pregnant and non-pregnant women between 2009 and 2012, including 36 pregnant women.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study. Subjects were recruited from across 106 public health centers in Lima, Peru. Baseline demographic, …

Impact Of Mental Disorders On Active Tb Treatment Outcomes: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, G. Lee, J. Scuffell, J. T. Galea, S. S. Shin, E. Magill, E. Jaramillo, A. C. Sweetland

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: Comorbid mental disorders in patients with TB may exacerbate TB treatment outcomes. We systematically reviewed current evidence on the association between mental disorders and TB outcomes.

Methods: We searched eight databases for studies published from 1990 to 2018 that compared TB treatment outcomes among patients with and without mental disorders. We excluded studies that did not systematically assess mental disorders and studies limited to substance use. We extracted study and patient characteristics and effect measures and performed a meta-analysis using random-effects models to calculate summary odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: Of 7687 studies identified, 10 …

Parent-Led, Stepped-Care Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy For Youth With Autism And Co-Occurring Anxiety: Study Rationale And Method, Ana C. Ramirez, Stacey C. Grebe, Morgan M. Mcneel, Danica L. Limon, Sophie C. Schneider, Leandra N. Berry, Robin P. Goin-Kochel, Sandra L. Cepeda, Robert G. Voigt, Alison Salloum, Eric A. Storch

Social Work Faculty Publications

Anxiety disorders affect up to 50% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are significantly impairing to the person affected, as well as to their loved ones. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been established as the gold-standard treatment for anxiety disorders among typically developing youth and adults, and demonstrates similar efficacy among youth with high-functioning autism (HFA). Many CBT interventions utilize a “full-package” treatment approach to treat co-occurring anxiety in youth with ASD. However, these service delivery systems are often therapist-intensive, costly, and impractical, thereby compromising full engagement and treatment adherence. This paper describes the design, rationale, and methodology of …

Community Collaborations With Saving Lives, Inspiring Youth: A Community-Based Cross-Age Peer Mentoring Program, Cynthia Onyeka, Kevin Miller, Chana Matthews, Amzie Moore Ii, Katherine Tyson Mccrea Professor, Maryse Richards

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

Scholar-community collaborations offer an opportunity to conduct translational research that is both useful and respectful to the population of study (Foster-Fishman, Berkowitz, Lounsbury, Jacobson & Allen, 2001). When projects involve an intervention targeted towards a marginalized community, it is even more important to perform the research with such regard. Community-based interventions are more likely to find sustained success with community members as part of the service and research team. However, tensions between researchers and practitioners may present challenges with this work (e.g., researchers devaluing practitioner insights, practitioners and community members concerned about past histories of mistreatment of research subjects), particularly …

Institutional Logics And Diverging Organizational Forms: An Empirical Study In Russia, Maria V. Wathen

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

Using an institutional logics approach, this study investigates how the institutional logics of leaders of grassroots social service nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Russia changed over time and how these changes related to changes in organizational mission, people served, professionalization, and interactions with the government. Relying on interviews as well as other data gathered, this analysis of organizational leaders’ narratives reveals the identities and experiences that these leaders turn to in their sensemaking of significant events. The findings show that, on the one hand, social welfare NGOs continued to provide services, increased their advocacy efforts, and professionalized their staff. Volunteer organizations, …

When We Can’T Say Goodbye — Loss, Grief, And Dying During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Holly Nelson-Becker, Ann Callahan

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

How do we understand and manage our thoughts about death? How can we prepare for our own and the deaths of others for whom we care deeply? How can we communicate at times when our clients, significant others, or friends are dying? Finally, how do we say goodbye in haste or cope when we cannot?

This article addresses three complementary aspects of death and grief: death and loss for the one who is dying, death and loss for the person mourning, and death and loss for communities. Each section is informed by public health guidelines, statements by professional organizations, and …

Quality Of Life Among Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming

The Graduate Review

No abstract provided.

"The Men's Group" At St. Pius V: A Case Study Of A Parish-Based Voluntary Partner Abuse Intervention Program, Maxine Davis, Melissa Jonson-Reid, Charles Dahm, Bruno Fernandez, Charles Stoops, Bushra Sabri

Social Work Faculty Publications & Presentations-Archive

Literature on Latino men and intervention for intimate partner violence/abuse (IPV/A) is slim. Over 100 men have voluntarily sought help for IPV/A perpetration from “The Men’s Group” (TMG) at St. Pius V parish in Chicago, IL (US) and remained engaged for extended periods. Given the rarity of prolonged non-court mandated engagement in batterer intervention programs (BIPs), a case study was conducted to explore how TMG functions. Drawing on multiple data sources, this study examined development and implementation of TMG, while also investigating contextual factors, motivators and facilitators of participants’ involvement. Data revealed that TMG functions within a supportive community context …

The Blind Spots: The Importance Of Measuring Non-Academic Indicators That Are Critical To Producing Positive Outcomes Specifically For Youth Who Are Living In Adverse Conditions, Orrin White

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The study explores the impact of measuring non-academic indicators to establish and promote positive secondary and post-secondary outcomes, specifically for youth living in adverse conditions. In pursuit of this objective, the sixth grade population attending a traditional public middle school in Wilmington, Delaware completed the Search Institute’s Developmental Asset Profile (DAP), a self-report survey designed to understand the strengths and supports young people have in their lives. The assessment of the secondary data was the result of already existing programming and evaluation initiatives by the United Way of Delaware. The analyses show that participants perceptions of self, family, and community …

Critical Black Feminist Mentorship: A Review Of A Middle School And University-Sponsored Program For Adolescent Black Girls, Dyann C. Logwood

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation study aims to illuminate the creation of safe spaces for marginalized youth through mentorship initiatives. Likewise, the study examines the roles of mentorship programs in transforming the lives of Black adolescent girls by providing them with tools to change the narratives depicted by society. A qualitative design was employed that used phenomenological interviewing techniques and ethnographic observations to explore the experiences of the Black adolescent girls in one university-sponsored mentorship program. The findings illustrate what is coined through this research—a critical Black feminist mentorship model that emphasizes an intersectional identity development, the actualization of voice, the creation and …

Perceptions Of Foster Care Workers On Birth Parenting Times, Pallas Schuster

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Birth parenting time between children in foster care and their biological parents are often thought of as a standard path toward achieving reunification (Browne & Moloney, 2002; Haight et al., 2003). The overall goal of parenting time is to create space for both the parent and child to have positive parent-child interactions and either work towards or maintain a healthy parentchild relationship. However, birth parenting times can be stressful for the parent, child, foster parent, and the foster care caseworker. To facilitate optimal parenting times, evidenced-based practices recommended foster care workers utilize a relationship-based approach when supervising parenting time. However, …

Fix Society, Please: Three Papers On The Mental Health Treatment, Social Support Resources, And Suicidology Of Transgender And Gender Diverse Adults, Annie Snow

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Despite their frequent utilization of mental health resources, transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults are more likely than their cisgender counterparts to attempt suicide. While this phenomenon may inspire a myriad of explanations, the present dissertation is interested in two exploratory ideas: namely, that 1) mental health professionals may be failing their TGD clients, and 2) traditional mental health paradigms may be myopically inadequate. Paper 1 addresses the first issue by considering TGD experiences of active discrimination by mental health professionals. In addition to investigating the prevalence of abuse, this paper analyzes how intersectionality of oppression plays a role in …

Kinship Care Providers: Exploring The Relationship Of Child Temperment, Combined Factors Of Provider’S Relationship To Primary Parent And Reason For Placement, And Intensity Of Parenting Tasks To Parenting Stress, Shelagh Larkin

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

In the United States some 2.3 million children, or 3.1 % of all children, live with relatives or non-relatives in foster care or informal care situations outside the foster care system (Radel et al., 2016). These types of placements are called kinship and result from a variety of issues. Focusing on kinship care providers is important given that placement with strangers is stressful and even traumatic for a child (Vandivere et al., 2012). Vandivere et al. (2012) determined that children in kinship care, such as with grandparents, have better outcomes than children in non-kinship foster care. However, providers experience a …

Supporting Student Mental Health During And After Covid-19, David Bryant Naff, Shenita Williams, Jenna Furman, Melissa Lee

MERC Publications

This report by the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) in the VCU School of Education offers a rapid review of research about supporting student mental health as they return to school during COVID-19. It pulls from literature on natural disasters like hurricane Katrina, the psychological impacts of quarantine, and emergent research on the mental health impacts of the Coronavirus. The report is structured to answer three overarching questions: 1) Why is it important to address the mental health needs of students in schools? 2) How can we expect COVID-19 to impact the mental health of students? 3) What are some …

Online Communities For Information Sharing And Mutual Support For Health Professionals, Meghan Budvarson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study was conducted to explore the use of online communities for information sharing and mutual support by health professionals, in this case, oncology social workers (OSW). The characteristic traits of individuals using online listservs and reasons for use is largely under researched. The main objective of this research is to explore the nature of social exchange and use of a professional online community that occurs on the Social Work Oncology Network (SWON) listserv and the characteristics of those OSWs using the listserv. Using a researcher developed survey, associations between characteristics of listserv users and reasons for use were explored. …

2020 Adult Foster Home Resident And Community Characteristics Report On Adult Foster Homes, Paula Carder, Sheryl Elliott, Ozcan Tunalilar, Sarah Dys, Portland State University Institute On Aging

Institute on Aging Publications

This report is the sixth in a series prepared by the Institute on Aging at Portland State University for Oregon’s Department of Human Services (ODHS) and examines a sample of Adult Foster Homes (AFHs) throughout the state. This study has four objectives: 1. Describe AFH characteristics, including staffing types, policies and monthly charges and fees. 2. Describe current residents’ health-related needs, service use and demographic characteristics. 3. Compare current results with prior Oregon surveys to identify changes and current trends. 4. Describe characteristics that might affect access, quality, or cost. Oregon has licensed adult foster homes (AFHs) as a type …

[Social Work] Newsletter, 2019-2020, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Social Work.

Social Work Newsletter

Inside This Issue:
--Year In Review Fall 2019-Spring 2020
--New Faculty Spotlight
--Student Spotlight
--Alumni Spotlight
--Student Services
--Highlights from the Field
--Snapshots

The Home As A Site Of Family Communicated Narrative Sense-Making: Grief, Meaning, And Identity Through “Cleaning Out The Closet”, Kendyl A. Barney

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study utilized communicated narrative sense-making theory to explore the process of sorting through a deceased loved one’s belongings and changing the home after loss (referred to as “cleaning out the closet”), as the site of family communication and storytelling. Through storytelling, families make order of the disordered experience that is bereavement by negotiating meaning, identity, and family. The stories told about and within the process of “cleaning out the closet” elicit rich insight on each family’s experience with bereavement, loss, and life with each other. “Cleaning out the closet” narratives shed light on the interactions that occur between family …

Children’S Participation Rights In Child Welfare Systems: Identifying Opportunities For Implementation, Anna M. Cody

Theses and Dissertations

Children’s participation rights are critically important for supporting children’s well-being. Studies across the world consistently demonstrate that children and youth feel uninvolved, silenced and marginalized within the child welfare context which has a direct impact on their physical safety as well as their subjective well-being. There has been a shift in US policy and practice towards recognizing the value and importance of engaging youth, older youth in particular, in being involved with planning for their care and for their future. However, definitions of what meaningful “youth engagement” might look like within the child welfare context generally lack clarity. In addition, …

Analysis Of Stigmatic Content In State Mental Health Legislative Proposals, David L. Conley

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the proven effectiveness of mental health interventions, services remain limited across the country. Social workers have repeatedly advocated for increased funding, but mental healthcare gaps persist. Disparities could be addressed through the policy process, but critical proposals often do not pass. One of the biggest barriers is the concept of stigma, which could extend into legislatures and influence mental health-related policy outcomes as a form of structural stigma. Factors that influence legislator voting behavior are found in the literature, but studies have not explicitly focused on structural stigma or mental health-specific policy outcomes. Thus, the present study aimed to …

Health Literacy And Discharge Planning In Social Work Practice, Michele Munzner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low health literacy is a public health crisis, currently, there is limited research on social worker engagement with the low health literate patient. The research questions for this study examined health literacy knowledge in medical social workers and how their MSW curricula built their knowledge of health literacy. It also explored challenges that arise when discharge planning for patients with low health literacy. It also asked what social workers can do to aid patients with limited health literacy during the discharge planning process. This basic qualitative research study used criterion sampling and was informed by the socioecological model. Data collection …

2020 Community-Based Care Resident And Community Characteristics Report On Assisted Living, Residential Care, And Memory Care Communities, Paula Carder, Ozcan Tunalilar, Sheryl Elliott, Sarah Dys, Portland State University Institute On Aging

Institute on Aging Publications

This report summarizes findings from the 6th annual study of Oregon community-based care settings, including assisted living and residential care facilities, and memory care communities. This study was conducted during fall 2019 and winter 2020.

It’S About Time: Staff Support Contacts And Mentor Volunteer Experiences, Thomas E. Keller, Alison Drew, Hyuny Clark-Shim, Renee Spencer, Carla Herrera

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Formal youth mentoring programs typically rely on volunteers to serve as mentors to young people, with training and guidance from agency staff. A fundamental program practice is to provide ongoing support and supervision to volunteer mentors by engaging in regular contact to monitor the progress of the mentoring relationship and offer guidance and encouragement. Using data from mentors (n = 504) in multiple mentoring programs (n = 55), the current study investigated how the amount of time devoted to these match support contacts was associated with mentor perceptions regarding the nature of their volunteer experience, specifically: the quality of supervision …

On The Proposed Legalization Of Commercial Surrogacy: I Thought We Had Abolished The Sale Of Human Beings, Phyllis Chesler

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

"Most Importantly, I Hope God Keeps Illness Away From Us": The Context And Challenges Surrounding Access To Health Care For Syrian Refugees In Lebanon, Cindy A. Sousa, Bree Akesson, Dena Badawi

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

The influx of 1.5 million Syrians into Lebanon has created an increased demand for health services, which is largely unmet, due to cost, a highly fragmented and privatised system, and crises around legal documentation and refugee status. The aim of this study was to use a constant comparison analysis of qualitative data to explore how Syrian refugees living in Lebanon describe their experiences accessing healthcare (N = 351 individuals within 46 families). Pervasive fear, lack of confidence in the medical system, and high costs all hinder access to healthcare for Syrians in Lebanon. Findings demonstrate the need for attention …

"The Utmost Strength I Can Bear": Strategies And Psychological Costs Of Mothering Within Political Violence, Cindy A. Sousa, Mona El-Zuhairi, Manahil Siddiqi

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

Though certainly not women’s only identity or set of responsibilities for women in conflict settings, political violence creates distinct challenges for mothers due to the additional burdens of care-taking in these contexts. Yet, given the paucity of research on the topic, we still are operating without a clear understanding of how political violence jeopardizes maternal well-being and care-taking practices. Drawing on feminist perspectives on mothering, in the analyses presented here, authors use content analysis to explore mothering and political violence from five focus groups with women in Palestine. Results demonstrate the considerable suffering mothers and children endure in war; the …