Social Work Commons^™

A Digital Environment Approach: Four Technologies That Will Disrupt Social Work Practice., Lauri Goldkind, Lea Wolf

Social Service Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Comparing The Clinical Approaches Of Christian Social Workers And Secular Social Workers, Kristin Larsen

Dissertations

This mixed methods research study explores the current interface of religion and social work in clinical practice. A total of 91 National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter members and 120 North American Association of Christians in Social Work members responded to clinical vignettes via an online survey. Subsequently, a small group of Christian social workers and a small group of Secular social workers convened for focus group discussion. This study found that the approaches of Christian social workers and secular social workers were not fundamentally different; however, there was some evidence of significant differences between the groups and their …

The Process Of Learning To Do Social Work In The Undergraduate Field Practicum In Mainland China : Bsw Students' Perceptions Of Most Useful Learning Event, Qiang Chen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Social work educational programs have been rapidly expanded in mainland China since 2000, and field practicum is considered as one of the most problematic areas. This qualitative study explores baccalaureate social work students’ perceptions of the most useful learning event in the field practicum. Critical Incident Technique-based interview was conducted with 27 students from one undergraduate program in Beijing. Interview transcripts were analyzed using Nvivo software, guided by a constant comparative method in the ground theory tradition. From data analysis, a general learning process emerged that reveals similar patterns of learning among the student participants. This general learning process comprises …

African American Grandparents Residing In A Nursing Facility: Perceptions Of Influence With Their Grandchildren, Family, And Community, Monica Bester

Wayne State University Theses

African American older adults have historically been identified as vital members of the African American family and community (Hill, 1972; Cox, 2002; Waites, 2008). Unfortunately, research has shown an increasing number of older African Americans are being admitted into nursing facilities (Paul, 2004; Feng et al., 2011). Between the years of 1998-2008, it was projected African Americans living in nursing homes increased by 10.8% (Feng et al., 2011).

This study explores the intergenerational relationships of older African American adults with their grandchildren, family, and community through the lens of Intergenerational Family Systems Theory. By viewing this qualitative study through the …

Hoping For Help: The Organizational Response To Street Children In Tangier, Stefanie Cruz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Although the exact number is impossible to obtain, there are an estimated 30,000 street children living in Morocco. There are many different profiles of street children, but they are categorized mainly as children in the street and children of the street. Children in the street leave home due to poverty and precarious family situations but still return home from time to time if not every night. Children of the street have no homes to go to; they live, sleep and struggle to survive on the streets. In the city of Tangier where this study takes place, most of the children …

Are Non-Profit Immigration Organizations Ready For A Comprehensive Immigration Reform?, Sandra Lizeth Molina, Deserae Leanna Quezada

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore whether non-profit immigration organizations are ready for a comprehensive immigration reform. Social workers need to recognize that a lack of readiness among non-profit immigration organizations for a comprehensive immigration reform will lead to a lack of required services for undocumented populations. The sample consisted of twelve religious and non-religiously affiliated non-profit immigration organizations. A qualitative research method was used to analyze the data.

The results of the study concluded that non-profit immigration organizations are not ready for a CIR. Although the organizations are not ready, several factors were found to affect their …

Social Workers' Perception On Hiv/Aids And The Effects On Their Service Delivery, Elsa Rodriguez, O'Shonda Mcdowell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explores the relationship between social workers’ perceptions of the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) /AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) population and the effects on their service delivery. This study used a quantitative online survey with a self-administered questionnaire. Data was collected for 60 social worker participants for this study. Participants were provided a postcard to a link of the questionnaire that surveyed participants’ regarding demographics, general knowledge, knowledge about contracting HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS risk, and service delivery. Implications from the correlation coefficients identify a significant negative relationship between stigma and HIV/AIDS knowledge, suggesting that higher levels of stigma were present …

Review: Group Work With Adolescents: Principles And Practice (3rd Edition), Brian L. Kelly

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

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of A Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program That Offer Special Benefits For Pregnant And Parenting Teens: A Qualitative Study, Marsha Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Teen pregnancy continues to be a problem for families, educators, health care professionals, and the government. Teenagers are not afforded the opportunity to learn or receive reinforcement on God's laws on abstaining from premarital sex because religious education is not allowed in the public school system. This increase has led to the creation of the Teenage Parenting Center (TAPP), located in southwest Georgia. TAPP is one of 64 schools in a school district that offers special benefits for pregnant and parenting teens. This qualitative case study used a phenomenological approach to explore the experience of eight former attendees of the …

Implications Of Child Abduction For Human Rights And Child Welfare Systems: A Constructivist Inquiry Of The Lived Experience Of Guatemalan Mothers Publically Reporting Child Abduction For Intercountry Adoption, Carmen Monico

Theses and Dissertations

The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption was agreed upon in 1993 at the Hague Conference on Private International Law to address growing allegations of abduction, sale, and trafficking of children around the world. The Hague Convention guides countries to attend to the “best interest of the child” in making decisions on intercountry adoptions, and to apply the “principle of subsidiarity,” which calls for the consideration of family and kinship placement and national adoption prior to the consideration of intercountry adoption. This dissertation research focused on the experience of Guatemalan mothers reporting …

Easy Effective Counseling: A Strategy For Busy Pastors, Benjamin Karner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pastors are expected to counsel various people with various problems. However, in most circumstances, pastors have little time to prepare for counseling sessions and cannot be long-term therapists. Therefore, it is critical for the pastor to be able to quickly and effectively give substantial guidance to counselees. The purpose of this project is to develop and implement a pastoral counseling program with a decision management focus. A survey will be conducted with at least one hundred (100) pastors who engage in counseling as part of their regular ministry duties. This project will develop and communicate a practical counseling approach for …

The Impact Of Home Visitor Relationship Quality On Parenting And Child Outcomes: Does Maternal Age Matter?, Elizabeth A. Colsey

Senior Honors Theses

Early Head Start (EHS) is an early intervention program that seeks to mitigate the effects of risk for those families with young children. Consistent with attachment theory, the home visiting component of EHS targets parent-child relationships in order to combat negative child outcomes. Research indicates that children of adolescent mothers are susceptible to poor outcomes both in childhood and adulthood. The current study utilized EHS data from 1198 parent-child dyads to assess the indirect relationship of home visitor quality on child aggression through parent quality, as moderated by maternal age. Findings indicated that home visitor quality may have a greater …

The Impact Of Service-Learning On Community Involvement Attitude In Career And Technical Education Students, Christopher Daniel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Service-Learning is a teaching methodology, which incorporates community service and classroom learning. Students take the skills and techniques gained in the classroom into the community to address real world problems. The basis for this methodology comes from the theories of John Dewey and more recently the Experiential Education Theory of D.A. Kolb. The three phases of preparation, action, and reflection move service-learning beyond other models of experiential education to build a reciprocally beneficial model for all stakeholders. This quantitative study examines the effect service-learning has on attitudes toward community involvement among community college, career and technical education students of eastern …

Gender Differences In Material, Psychological, And Social Domains Of The Income Gradient In Mortality: Implications For Policy, Peter Muennig, Meghan Kuebler, Jaeseung Kim, Dusan Todorovic, Zohn Rosen

Faculty and Staff Publications

We set out to examine the material, psychological, and sociological pathways mediating the income gradient in health and mortality. We used the 2008 General Social Survey-National Death Index dataset (N = 26,870), which contains three decades of social survey data in the US linked to thirty years of mortality follow-up. We grouped a large number of variables into 3 domains: material, psychological, and sociological using factor analysis. We then employed discrete-time hazard models to examine the extent to which these three domains mediated the income-mortality association among men and women. Overall, the gradient was weaker for females than for males. …

Emergency Department Use For Preventable Behavioral Health-Related Disorders Among Ex-Prisoners In Rhode Island, Christina Andrews

Faculty and Staff Publications

Background

The population of ex-prisoners returning to their communities is large. Morbidity and mortality is increased during the period following release. Understanding utilization of emergency services by this population may inform interventions to reduce adverse outcomes. We examined Emergency Department utilization among a cohort of recently released prisoners.

Methods

We linked Rhode Island Department of Corrections records with electronic health record data from a large hospital system from 2007 to 2009 to analyze emergency department utilization for mental health disorders, substance use disorders and ambulatory care sensitive conditions by ex-prisoners in the year after release from prison in comparison to …

Senior Centers And Policy Advocacy: Changing Public Perceptions, Manoj G. Pardasani, Lauri Goldkind

Social Service Faculty Publications

As critical components of the aging continuum of care, senior centers promote older adult health and well-being by providing opportunities for recreation, socialization, nutrition, health education, and access to vital social services. As the United States population ages rapidly, public funding, which is the primary source of support for a majority of senior center services, has remained stagnant. If senior centers are to continue to effectively serve older adults and meet their comprehensive needs, they need to demonstrate their relevance to the community and advocate for increased funding support. This paper explores the policy concerns of senior center administrators, investigates …

Client-Provider Relationship And Treatment Outcome: A Systematic Review Of Substance Abuse, Child Welfare, And Mental Health Services Research, Christina Andrews

Faculty and Staff Publications

This systematic review reports on the association of the client-provider relationship with service outcomes across 3 service sectors: substance abuse, child welfare, and mental health. The review includes 60 research reports meeting inclusion criteria: 25 in substance abuse, 7 in child welfare, and 28 in mental health. For each social service sector, we analyze the association of the client-provider relationship to intermediate and ultimate outcomes. In addition, we examine potential moderating mechanisms of rater type (i.e., client, provider, and observer) and treatment setting (i.e., inpatient, outpatient, other). Social services research increasingly seeks to identify the active elements that affect outcomes …

Journal Of The American Deafness And Rehabilitation Association Year 2011, Volume 44, Number 3 Complete

JADARA

Upload of old JADARA issue for digital access

From Classroom To Workplace: Becoming A Social Worker, Sarah Louise Hessenauer

Dissertations

This exploratory qualitative study examines the key educational experiences that graduated bachelor level social workers identified as being most helpful to them in their current social work careers. Twenty traditional aged social workers who graduated from CSWE accredited, bachelor level, social work programs in the last 4 to 24 months and who had been working in a social work agency for a minimum of three months were asked to voluntarily participate in the study. The social workers participated in one-on-one interviews in which they were asked to describe their educational experiences and their beliefs about how those experiences supported them …

Does Context Matter In Determining Psychological Abuse? Effects Of Pattern, Harm, Relationship, And Norms, Dana D. Dehart, Diane R. Follingstad, Alice M. Fields

Faculty and Staff Publications

This study explored contextual influences in determining whether psychologically aggressive actions constitute abuse. One hundred and thirty-one undergraduates completed measures of key experiences, attitudes, and traits, and rated abusiveness of behaviors in a series of vignettes. Vignettes varied contexts in which behaviors occurred, including whether the behavior was a pattern, whether there was harm to the recipient, characteristics of the initiator-recipient relationship, and whether behavior was normative. Results showed no effects for participants' gender, past experiences with psychological aggression, and traits or attitudes. Findings indicated that behaviors were rated as more abusive when harm to recipient was evident. Findings regarding …

An Interdisciplinary Theoretical Interpretive Synthesis Examining The Barriers To Implementing Restorative Justice As The Standard Paradigm Of Adult Criminal Justice Within The Context Of The United States, Matthew J. Van Maastricht

Masters Theses

A systemic paradigm shift of any sort is complex and multifaceted. A systemic paradigm shift of justice is no different. The purpose of this study is to identify the barriers that exist in a systemic paradigm shift from retributive justice to restorative justice. The methodology for this study is an interpretive synthesis of literature on restorative justice and consists of primarily theoretical literature. The literature for this study came from a variety of disciplines (e.g. psychology, criminal justice, sociology, and social work) in order to obtain a holistic perspective. A tripartite analysis was conducted using three perspectives: criminal justice, social …

Collaboration Between Victim Services And Faith Organizations: Benefits, Chanllenges, & Recommendations, Dana Dehart

Faculty and Staff Publications

Although many crime victims seek support from members of the faith community, faith leaders may feel unsure of their abilities to assist. This paper describes findings from a descriptive needs assessment that preceded a national project to link faith-based organizations and victim service programs in five high-crime neighborhoods. Approximately 90 participants were interviewed, including faith leaders, victim service providers, and other professionals. A majority saw positive implications of faith-secular collaboration but also identified concerns. Findings focus on perceived obstacles and facilitators of collaboration, addressing climate for faith-secular collaboration, disciplinary differences, community engagement, and church-state separation. Implications for collaboration are explored …

Cognitive Restructuring Through Dreams & Imagery: Descriptive Analysis Of A Women's Prison-Based Program, Dana Dehart

Faculty and Staff Publications

This report describes process and outcome evaluation of an innovative program based in a women's maximum-security correctional facility. Methodology included review of program materials, unobtrusive observation of group process, participant evaluation forms, focus groups, and individual interviews with current and former program participants. Findings indicate that program was a great source of emotional respite, release, and support for the women, with women describing increased insights into themselves, their traumas, and their crimes. Implications are discussed, including popular appeal of dream work and its potential clinical relevance to prisoners' inner conflicts.

Caseloads And Salaries Of Nephrology Social Workers By State, Esrd Network, And National Kidney Foundation Region: Summary Findings For 2007 And 2010, Joseph R. Merighi, Teri Browne, Kathleen Bruder

Faculty and Staff Publications

The Council of Nephrology Social Workers and the National Kidney Foundation conducted two national online surveys of nephrology social workers to assess caseload and salary trends by state, End-Stage Renal Disease Network, and National Kidney Foundation Region. Between 2007 and 2010, outpatient dialysis social workers experienced increases in mean case-load size from 73 to 79 (up 8.2%) for those employed 20–31 hours per week, 113 to 121 (up 7.1%) for those employed 32–40 hrs/wk, and 117 to 126 (up 7.7%) for those employed 40 hrs/wk. Increases in mean hourly wage were also reported across all three employment status groups for …

Institutional Responses To Self-Injurious Behavior Among Inmates, Dana D. Dehart, Hayden P. Smith, Robert J. Kaminski

Faculty and Staff Publications

To date, little research has systematically investigated perceptions of mental health professionals regarding perceived motivations for self-injury among prison inmates. To help fill this gap, descriptive techniques were used to examine self-injurious behavior among inmates from the perspective of correctional mental health professionals. A quantitative survey was used to assess perceptions of mental health staff regarding etiology, motivations, and manifestations of self-injury. A qualitative interview component was used to explicate responses from the survey. Findings indicate that inmate cutting, scratching, opening old wounds, and inserting objects were the most commonly witnessed behaviors. There were indications that self-injury occurred regularly and …

Harm Reduction In Outpatient Drug-Free Substance Abuse Treatment Settings, Michael Eversman

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In the United States, drug-free substance abuse treatment programs generally operate under an abstinence-only, disease model based service orientation. Citing several reasons, critics suggest disease model approaches hinder client utilization and retention within such services. The framework of harm reduction offers an alternative approach to substance abuse treatment services and may have potential for improving utilization and retention outcomes. Yet little is known about how harm reduction is perceived by practitioners in drug-free substance abuse treatment settings, and the circumstances in which harm reduction may or may not be accepted. In addition, despite a body of narrative literature suggesting harm …

Prevention Of Elder Mistreatment In Nursing Homes: Competencies For Direct-Care Staff, Dana Dehart, Jennifer Webb, Carol Cornman

Faculty and Staff Publications

Existing training on elder mistreatment in nursing homes focuses on detection and reporting of abuse, with little training specifically targeted toward prevention of mistreatment before it occurs. We used qualitative interviews with nursing home staff, policymakers, and related professionals to identify training needs. Based on participant accounts, we drafted a number of competencies essential for caregiver training to prevent mistreatment in nursing homes. Competencies include those dealing with: definitions and policies; risks for mistreatment; communication and respect; and development of a cooperative working environment. Competencies are discussed along with illustrative examples, and implications for practice and policy are addressed.

Emotional Exhaustion And Workload Demands Of Kidney Transplant Social Workers, Joseph R. Merighi, Teri Browne, Sarah Keenan

Faculty and Staff Publications

This exploratory study examined training issues, emotional exhaustion and workload demands in U.S. kidney transplant socialworkers. Online survey data were obtained from 91 respondents who represented all 18 End-Stage Renal Disease networks.Findings indicated that the majority of the respondents’ employers provided resources for educational training and paid timeoff associated with these trainings. With regard to hours per week spent on specific job tasks, respondents indicated that pretransplantactivities were the most time-consuming, followed by post-transplant and inpatient work. Generally, emotionalexhaustion and workload demands were slightly lower than reported for dialysis social workers. Implications for social workpractice and research are discussed.

Who Uses Community-Based Youth Shelters? An Inter-Group And Intra-Group Analysis, Jennifer Mcclendon

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Community-based youth shelters are the primary method of intervention designed to meet the complex needs of at-risk youth who leave home before they have developed the skills to live independently. This research examines shelter users' patterns of cross-sector service use to better understand the needs and resources of shelter residents. The aims of this study are 1) to perform an inter-group analysis, comparing sheltered youth with status offense runaways and foster care runaways, and 2) to explore the population of emergency shelter residents using an intra-group analysis, determining whether distinct profiles of sheltered youth exist, based on individual characteristics and …

Pathways To Prison: Impact Of Vicitimization In The Lives Of Incarcerated Women, Dana Dehart

Faculty and Staff Publications

This study examined ways in which victimization may contribute to criminal involvement among incarcerated women. We conducted interviews with 60 women in a maximum securtiy prison to gather each woman's perspective on psychological, physical, and sexual victimization in her life. Qualitative analyses indicated ways that victimization related directly to women's crimes as well as influenced health, psychosocial functioning, or systemic involvement to create difficult situations with which the women struggled. Case histories are used to illustrate pervasive impacts of victimization, and role of multiple traumas and cumulative impact are discussed.