Social Work Commons^™

Bolstering Leadership Engagement To Community Coalition Work In Rural Appalachia, Melissa Slone

DSW Capstone Projects

Rural Appalachian communities are overwhelmed with high cancer rates, diabetes, disabilities, and substance use disorder. The challenges in addressing these increase when you factor in workforce shortages and limited funding. The literature documents the effectiveness of coalitions in addressing healthcare challenges within communities. The need is for leaders to reduce their hesitancy to engage in community coalition efforts and increase awareness of the impact community coalitions can have on addressing rural populations' health and well-being needs.

Product One was a systematic review focused on research that examined agency leaders’ perspectives on community coalition involvement. The purpose of conducting the systematic …

Healthcare Equity For Transgender Individuals, Mollie Staggs

DSW Capstone Projects

In the field of social justice and integrity, Social Work has dedicated itself to improving the welfare of the world, in which we all participate and interact. There are countless issues in our society that warrant professional attention for the fundamental purpose of positively impacting the livelihood of subcategories of people. For this particular Capstone Project, the focus is on transgender individuals’ systemic healthcare barriers that cisgender people within the United States do not similarly experience. The purpose is to unveil these disparities to then pose progressive alterations within the healthcare system to make the navigation and accessibility better for …

Children And High Conflict Divorce: Using Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy As Treatment, Ashley Berry

DSW Capstone Projects

The act of divorce has been commonplace throughout the world during the 20^th century, plateauing around the 1970s at around 50% of all marriages. While most divorces end peacefully, many contain ongoing conflict which can become detrimental to all involved, including the children. While historical treatment methods focus on changing the behavior of parents, there are instances where these methods may be ineffective, especially when the parents are unable or unwilling to change their conflictual behaviors. Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP), which has been used with individuals who have suffered from trauma, may be an option to use with this population …

Meta-Practice For The Bachelor Level: A Needed Compliment To The Generalist Model, Patrick Callahan

DSW Capstone Projects

Meta-practice in this concept is the web or roadmap, that is, the interconnectedness of the three pillars of the generalist model of social work. The generalist model teaches that micro, mezzo, and macro are interconnected. However, students and new professionals often do not understand precisely what the connection is. This work gathers the available literature, the conceptual idea of the introduction for the bachelor level of education, and an application of introducing it in a course for instruction. There is a need for introducing meta-practice at the bachelor’s level because of the continued globalization of society. By teaching the concept …

Neuroleadership A New Burnout Prevention Strategy, Zakery David Sloan

DSW Capstone Projects

This capstone project examines the current state of burnout, prevention strategies, prevalence, and introduces neuroleadership as a new leadership theory to advance burnout prevention among the public human service population. Neuroleadership presents a new conceptualization of leadership practice and burnout prevention method by utilizing neuro-informed leadership practices. This new neuro-informed leadership strategy is explored throughout the three major products of this capstone project including a systematic literature review, conceptual paper, and practice application paper.

The first product completed was a systematic literature review. This literature review included a total of 13 articles which were used to answer the research question, …

Defining Posttraumatic Stress In Law Enforcement: Normalizing Trauma Response, Britta D. Caudill

DSW Capstone Projects

Significant inequalities exist within the expectations of police officers regarding trauma exposure and the lack of mental health preventive efforts and treatment opportunities. The prevalence of stigma thrives within the thought process of this culture paired with the expectation for resiliency, as police culture focuses on the ability to repress emotion instead of utilizing appropriate coping methods. This review takes an interesting look at the history, definition, and diagnostic criteria of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by focusing on its evolution within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) over time. The primary goal is to establish a relationship between the definition …

Postpartum Depression: Mitigating Treatment Barriers For Women In Appalachia, Tabitha Simpson

DSW Capstone Projects

This capstone focuses on maternal mental needs, specifically postpartum care and postpartum depression. Each article in this capstone centers on postpartum depression, treatment barriers, introducing standard care of practice for women in rural communities, and identifying gaps leading to further research in postpartum education. Countless articles were read and utilized in conducting the systematic literature review to begin this process.

The first article in the capstone, the Systematic literature review, details the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression and how it differs from a major depressive disorder. A thorough review of the literature was conducted, identifying the central concern of …

Good Trouble: Disrupting The Disproportionality Of Black Boys In Special Education Due To Misdiagnosed And Unaddressed Trauma, Montrell Pryor

DSW Capstone Projects

Black boys experience a myriad of trauma as they navigate through society under the gaze of white patriarchy and archetypes. Whether engaging in trauma or witnessing it, it impacts Black boys tremendously, particularly in the educational setting. What typically looks like misbehavior in the classroom can be symptoms of unaddressed and untreated trauma that have been triggered and exacerbated in the school setting. As a result, this phenomenon contributes to the disproportionality of Black boys in special education and adds to the expansion of the school-to-prison pipeline.

This capstone provides a thorough examination of the literature in the form of …

Addressing The Mental Health Disparities Among Black Children During Natural Disasters: A Clinical Perspective And Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic., Brittany Reed

DSW Capstone Projects

The experiences of Black children resulting from the events surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic present a projection to create long-term mental health effects at higher rates than their peers of other races. While the long-term effects of this pandemic are still considered ongoing, the disparities within the Black community will subsequently develop into a trickle-down effect of secondary traumatic experiences faced by Black children. Then, where does that leave Black children and their mental health? This capstone project aims to examine how the Covid-19 pandemic will affect Black children, explore the mental health challenges and disparities faced by Black children resulting …

The Role Of A Certified Child Life Specialist Within A Child Advocacy Center, Breanna E. Hintz

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Childhood abuse and neglect is currently a prevalent issue in our society. Children who do not receive adequate support and ongoing services experience lasting impacts on their mental health and ability to cope with future events. Child Advocacy Centers (CAC) are community-based agencies that promote the intervention of childhood abuse and neglect. This setting, paired with the tailored support of Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS), is an under-researched yet promising combination of services that can encourage the healing process for these children and their families. This study aims to understand the role of CCLSs in a CAC and how their …

Malawi's Marriage Law (2015) And Constitutional Amendment (2017): Analysis Of Policy Solutions To Increase Girls' Rights, Linda Chimwemwe G. Banda, Juliana Carlson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Child marriage is a global epidemic that requires policy-level intervention. After almost ten years of organizing and international pressure, the Re- public of Malawi passed the Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Bill of 2015, widely known as the “Marriage Act” and the “Constitutional Amendment” of 2017. At the center of both monumental changes were human rights, justice, and violence targeted at the girl child. Although the passing of these two policies was a historical moment in safeguardinggirls’ and women’s rights in Malawi, there is a paucity written on the approaches used to achieve their enactment. Using Stone’s solutions and human …

Punishment By Another Name? The Welfare State’S Disciplinary Role In The United States And Britain, Kavya Padmanabhan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Scholarship on the changing nature of the welfare state in both the United States and in Britain has revealed how the influence of neoliberal ideologies has heightened the experience of punishment for poor mothers. Through a comparative literature review on the welfare states in the United States and in Britain, this article builds upon prior research to consider how the welfare state’s contemporary focus on discipline may be the product of neo- liberalism and may encourage similarities across different contexts. Furthermore, this article considers how the welfare state’s different agencies may be united in their goals and treatment of poor …

Review Of Welfare States In The 21st Century: The New Five Giants Confronting Societal Progress By Ian Greener, James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Neighborhood Tenure, Donated Social Support, And Participation In Low- And Moderate-Income Communities, Megan E. Gilster

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Understanding what facilitates participation in neighborhood civic life is important for improving participatory interventions, and ultimately improving neighborhoods. The longer someone lives in a neighborhood, the more likely they are to participate in their neighborhood by organizing with neighbors, volunteering, or taking on a leadership role in a neighborhood organization. At the same time, the longer someone lives in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhood, the more social ties they develop, which may increase social obligations. The present study examines whether helping friends and family (i.e., donated social support) is a barrier to neighborhood participation. Data come from the Anne E. Casey …

Journal Of Sociology And Social Welfare Vol. 49, No. 1

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Applying Critical Race Theory And Risk And Resilience Theory To The School-To-Prison Pipeline: Theoretical Frameworks For Social Workers, Christopher Thyberg, Christina Newhill

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social workers are essential stakeholders in the mounting efforts to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. This article presents a theoretical framework integrating Critical Race Theory and Risk and Resilience Theory as a tool for social workers and other school-based social service providers seeking to create meaningful change to school discipline policies. In this article, we apply the theories to expand the understanding of the school-to-prison pipeline and why it has persisted, compare and contrast each theory’s relative strengths and limitations, and conclude with implications for social workers, counselors, and social service providers at the practice, policy, and research levels.

What Do We Know About Access To Public Benefits And Services Among Low-Income Minority Families?: A Scoping Review Of The Literature, Chi-Fang Wu, Steven G. Anderson, Anissa Sheena Chitwanga, Soohyun Yoon

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In a time of economic crisis following decades of reduced commitments to low-income families, it is critically important to improve our understanding of the obstacles encountered by low-income families attempting to access public benefits and services. Following PRISMA guidelines, this paper offers a scoping review of research published since 2000 that addresses the distinctive barriers encountered by minorities in the United States when attempting to access public benefits. While our review included studies on access to all types of public social welfare benefits, most research during the study period focused specifically on access issues in obtaining various forms of health …

A Psychometric Evaluation Of The Mutual Efficacy Scale: Factor Structure, Convergent, And Divergent Validity, Michael C. Gearhart

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Mutual efficacy refers to group members’ beliefs that collective action will be successful at achieving group goals. The primary purpose of mutual efficacy is to increase the effectiveness of interventions aimed at facilitating collective actions in communities. The present study builds on previous mutual efficacy research by examining the psychometric properties of a mutual efficacy scale. Findings suggest that the mutual efficacy scale represents a single construct, though some of the items correlate with each other. Mutual efficacy is positively correlated with neighborhood activism and not correlated with neighborhood disorder. The implications for practice and research are discussed.

Review Of The Tyranny Of Merit: What’S Become Of The Common Good? By Michael J. Sandel, Edward Murphy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Exploration Of Justice System Stakeholders’ Perceptions Of Disproportionate Minority Contact And Behavioral Health Access Among System-Involved Youth Of Color, Tiffany D. Baffour, Dawn X. Henderson, Denise Nation, Pedro M. Hernandez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Previous research demonstrates that system-involved youth of color experience procedural and structural biases within the U.S. juvenile justice system. These biases and disparities are evident in behavioral health access and treatment. This study examined justice stakeholders’ (social workers, therapists, court counselors, judges, and school resource officers) perceptions of barriers and facilitators to behavioral health treatment among youth of color in the juvenile justice system. This qualitative exploratory study examined data from six focus groups comprising statewide stakeholders (n = 55) from a southeastern state. Results showed that the stigma associated with behavioral health treatment and the incapability of juvenile justice …

The Origin And Evolution Of The Term "Social Work", Wade Luquet, Stephen Monroe Tomczak

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The origin of the term “social work” has long been misattributed to the 1907 work of economist Simon Patten. While Patten’s contribution to social work is important, though mostly forgotten, the term had been used long before regarding the work of nuns and settlement workers. Quoting archival and historical findings, this article traces the origin, evolution, and widespread use of the term “social work.” The words of the early founders of social work are utilized to tell the story of how the work of persons doing “the social work” of the church or settlement evolved into the name of the …

Promote Smart Decarceration And Eliminate Racism Grand Challenges For Social Work: Reimagining Marijuana Policy, Charles H. Lea Iii, Gaby Mohr, Susan A. Mccarter, Sarah B. Coughlin, Aaron Gottlieb, Briana S. Partlow, Keshawn S. Matthews, Branden A. Mcleod

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Marijuana decriminalization and legalization policies are being passed in many state and local jurisdictions throughout the United States (U.S.). In this process, many lawmakers have used the argument that these policies and associated practices will redress racial disparities in the criminal punishment system. Yet, the evidence suggests this is not the case. We, therefore, use Critical Race Theory (CRT) to interrogate how marijuana-related policies and practices perpetuate collateral consequences and racial disparities in mass incarceration and recidivism to uncover the ways in which they challenge efforts to promote smart decarceration and eliminate racism. We argue that in order to effectively …

Journal Of Sociology And Social Welfare Vol. 49, No. 2

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Non-Contractual Relations Between Private Mutual Aid And Government During A Crisis, Roland Zullo, Heather Kiningham

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

We examine United Ways 211 call data to test for a non-contractual relationship between a mutual aid nonprofit network and the distribution of federal stimulus checks during the COVID-19 economic recession. Data trends reveal an increase in requests for cash-equivalent relief at the early stage of the 2020 recession, and that the spike in requests from government sources was more than double, proportionately, than for requests from private mutual aid sources. Regression results indicate that the probability of a request for cash-equivalent relief from a government source, as well as United Ways referrals to government agencies, were elevated by the …

Perceptions Of Goal Attainment Scaling Among Future Behavioral And Mental Health Providers: A Qualitative Analysis, Hannah Kenny, Joshua N. Carver, Jennifer E. Harrison, Ann M. Chapleau, Bridget E. Weller

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Goal Attainment Scaling is a method for measuring an individual’s progress toward a given goal. It was used as part of an interprofessional workforce development program that trained social work and occupational therapy graduate students and peer support workers on meeting the mental and behavioral health needs of underserved communities. The purpose of this research note is to describe participants’ experience with Goal Attainment Scaling using data gathered from eight focus groups. Qualitative data were coded, and thematic content analysis was used. Four themes emerged that described participants’ experience with Goal Attainment Scaling: accountability, motivation, insight into developing own goals, …

Using Complex Adaptive Systems Theory To Identify Best Adaptive Practices For Inclusion Within Systems Of Care: The Impact! System Of Care And Its Model Theory Of Change, Marya R. Sosulski

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Systems of Care (SOCs) are distinctive among health care organizations because they focus on process as much as outcomes and consider families as equal partners in improving clients’ outcomes. Because SOCs attend to interactions among all aspects of the clients’ world, we may think of them as ecosystems with continually changing environments. “Theories of Change” (TOCs) are logic models that structure and coordinate SOCs’ conceptualization, implementation, evaluation, and adaptation. Of these elements, current SOC literature is least focused on adaptation, though adaptive practices are vital to addressing clients’ interests. A Complex Adaptive Systems model is used to analyze an exemplary …

Financial Stress And Hardship Among Young Adults: The Role Of Student Loan Debt, Min Zhan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Analyzing data from the 2018 National Financial Capability Study, this study investigated the associations between student loan debt and financial stress and hardship among young adults. The results show that student loan debt was positively related to all indicators of financial stress and hardship, after controlling for a range of socioeconomic factors as well as measures of financial knowledge and behaviors. In addition, minority young adults were more likely to experience health-care related hardship and higher levels of financial stress. This study further reports that financial literacy and emergency savings were important buffers against financial stress and hardship among young …

Volume 49, Issue 3 (2022)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Digital News Literacy And Social Work: Core Competencies, Cynthia H. Nover

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Digital news refers to online news, television news, and other electronic sources where individuals can gather information about the world around them. As college students increasingly get their news from online sources and comedy television, it is important for students to have appropriate media literacy skills to evaluate content. The relationship between news literacy skills and core competencies of social work education is discussed in this paper, with recommendations for incorporating news literacy in the classroom.

School Social Workers’ Perceptions Of Compassion Fatigue Syndrome, Gloria I. Collazo Cartagena

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School social workers face domestic violence, trauma, social violence, and mental and emotional health problems in their work context. Indeed, compassion fatigue results from professionals’ continuous exposure to these problems. This study explored school social work professionals’ perceptions of compassion fatigue. For this, the following questions were explored:the perception of school social workers working for the Puerto Rico Department of Education about compassion fatigue.