Social Work Commons^™

Building Or Burning: Critical Reflections On Social And Political Change, Amy Krings, Karen D'Angelo, Jan Ivery, Amy B. Murphy-Nguyen

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

Social change oriented toward social justice is a core tenet for social work practice. However, there are times that our profession espouses a commitment to social change and yet struggles to actualize it within research, teaching, and practice. In an effort to support social workers taking social action, we put forward the Equiticity Racial Justice Movement framework as a tool for individual or collective discernment about approaches to social change (https://www.equiticity.org/).

From Childhood Obesity Risk To Healthy Growth In The U.S.: A 10-Year Social Work Research & Policy Update, Brittany R. Schuler, Christian E. Vazquez, Nicole O'Reilly

Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Childhood obesity is a major health issue and a prominent chronic health condition for children in the United States (U.S.), caused by a multitude of factors. Most existing models of childhood obesity prevention have not worked, yielding little to no effect on improving weight status or the proximal health behaviors most attributed to obesity risk: nutritional intake, physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and sleep. There is an urgent need for new approaches to prevent health disparities that are responsive to impacts of economic inequality on healthy child growth in marginalized populations. In this Short Commentary, a social justice update is …

Examining Factors Related To Tobacco Treatment Engagement Among Tobacco Dependent Black/African American; Hispanic/Latino Cancer Patients: An Analysis Of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’S Tobacco Treatment Program, Gleneara E. Bates-Pappas

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Among patients diagnosed with cancer, persistent tobacco use is associated with adverse clinical outcomes such as worse treatment side effects, decreased effectiveness of cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery), all increasing risk of recurrence, second primary cancers, and poor survival. Despite the clinical importance of tobacco cessation in the context of high quality cancer care, engaging Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino cancer patients in tobacco treatment programs can be challenging. Prior studies with the general adult population demonstrate that Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino smokers are referred to and accept tobacco cessation treatment at lower rates compared to non-Hispanic White smokers. This …

The Effect Of Federal And State-Level Policy On Undocumented Childhood Arrivals, Kim Kaczmarowski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) provides a 2-year reprieve from deportation and a work permit for eligible undocumented childhood arrivals. It does not provide a pathway to citizenship or confer rights or protections enjoyed by those with permanent legal status leaving recipients in a constant state of legal limbo. State-level policy can mitigate or exacerbate obstacles faced by this population. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore how federal and state-level policy in a conservative location shaped experiences of membership or exclusion. Responses were examined using segmented assimilation theory to identify layered contexts of reception. The …

The Intersection Between Harm Reduction And Social Work, Sydney Biondi

Undergraduate Research Posters

This qualitative study explores the intersection of harm reduction and social work. Social workers who practice harm reduction were recruited to participate in interviews. In the field of social work, harm reduction is seen as a promising practice, but we do not know very much about what it looks like in practice. The purpose of this research study is to find out how the perceptions of social workers of harm reduction aid or inhibit community harm reduction efforts. We think that the geographical location of a social worker impacts the perceptions and experiences of harm reduction, because of the resources …

Risk At The Boundaries Of Social Work: An Editorial, Rory Crath, Jeremy Dixon, Jo Warner

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

In this editorial we introduce a special thematic collection of articles which focus on how risk operates, or is conceptualised, at the boundaries of social work practice. The collection includes theoretical, empirical, and practice-oriented articles, each of which critically engages with contemporary debates about risk and social work and its complex intersections with boundary making in diverse fields. These fields include social work with older people, child sexual abuse and exploitation, and people with learning disabilities. We begin the editorial with a brief account of how social work can be defined and the competing ideological traditions that underpin differing forms …

The Effect Of Federal And State-Level Policy On Undocumented Childhood Arrivals, Kim Kaczmarowski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) provides a 2-year reprieve from deportation and a work permit for eligible undocumented childhood arrivals. It does not provide a pathway to citizenship or confer rights or protections enjoyed by those with permanent legal status leaving recipients in a constant state of legal limbo. State-level policy can mitigate or exacerbate obstacles faced by this population. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore how federal and state-level policy in a conservative location shaped experiences of membership or exclusion. Responses were examined using segmented assimilation theory to identify layered contexts of reception. The …

Perceptions And Experiences Of The Benefits Of Premarital Counseling Among African American Couples, Evelyn N. Roberts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have conducted studies on the benefits of premarital counseling. However, little was known about the experiences of African American couples. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore African American couples’ perceptions and experiences concerning the benefits of premarital counseling. Social learning theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with eight heterosexual African American couples. Colaizzi’s seven-step method of coding was used to analyze participants’ responses. Four themes emerged: couples’ expectations of premarital counseling, influences regarding participation, quality and structure of sessions, and overall experience. Findings could impact social change by …

The Reconciliation Of Cognitive Dissonance Among Social Workers In Substance Use Treatment Settings, Miranda Ashley Kieler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although harm reduction (HR) and abstinence-based treatment approaches are both useful in addiction treatment, the former is less accepted and integrated into practice. Social workers who embrace an HR approach but who work at substance abuse treatment facilities that are abstinence based may experience cognitive dissonance because they perceive their work role to be incompatible with social work practice values and education. Little was known regarding how practitioners with a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree experience and reconcile cognitive dissonance related to their HR education and abstinence-only practice in substance use treatment centers. To address this gap in the …

Perceptions And Experiences Of The Benefits Of Premarital Counseling Among African American Couples, Evelyn N. Roberts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have conducted studies on the benefits of premarital counseling. However, little was known about the experiences of African American couples. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore African American couples’ perceptions and experiences concerning the benefits of premarital counseling. Social learning theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with eight heterosexual African American couples. Colaizzi’s seven-step method of coding was used to analyze participants’ responses. Four themes emerged: couples’ expectations of premarital counseling, influences regarding participation, quality and structure of sessions, and overall experience. Findings could impact social change by …

Technology As A Change Agent For Social Work Supervision, Hermaya Onunwor

DSW Capstone Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a critical impact on the social work profession, with social workers relying heavily on technology to deliver services. There have been concerns about the effectiveness of these evolved practices, and practitioners are questioning whether they are acceptable as emergency orders caused by the pandemic begin to lapse. To address these concerns, a systematic literature review was conducted to synthesize scholarly literature on the effectiveness of telesupervision in social work practice. This capstone project aims to provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of telesupervision in social work practice

When evaluating the training and development of social …

Applications Of Transformative Justice Principles For Centering Transgender And Gender Expansive Experiences In Social Work Education And Practice, E. Bickford, Angela Matijczak, Aaron Kemmerer, Florence Martinez, M. Alex Wagaman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social work education has traditionally used frameworks, such as cultural competency, to guide implicit and explicit curricula that shape how we think about communities that live and thrive outside of white supremacist and cis/heteronormative norms and values. While the cultural competency framework intends to promote a level of consciousness and attention that is required to practice with diverse individuals, families, and communities whose identities differ from that of the social worker, it instead inadvertently creates a knowledge base that reinforces harmful power dynamics between social worker and client/community. The cultural competency framework is absent of historical and structural context and …

The Reconciliation Of Cognitive Dissonance Among Social Workers In Substance Use Treatment Settings, Miranda Ashley Kieler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although harm reduction (HR) and abstinence-based treatment approaches are both useful in addiction treatment, the former is less accepted and integrated into practice. Social workers who embrace an HR approach but who work at substance abuse treatment facilities that are abstinence based may experience cognitive dissonance because they perceive their work role to be incompatible with social work practice values and education. Little was known regarding how practitioners with a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree experience and reconcile cognitive dissonance related to their HR education and abstinence-only practice in substance use treatment centers. To address this gap in the …

Secondary Traumatic Stress Is An Occupational Hazard For Pet Hospice Support Staff: Psychoeducational Support Groups Provide The Cure, Kari Hayden

DSW Capstone Projects

There are three separate yet interrelated products presented in this final capstone product. The completed product is focused on pet hospice veterinary support staff and the need for an evidence-based social work intervention to combat secondary traumatic stress. This capstone uses the andragogical approach to adult learning theory as the foundation to construct a psychoeducational peer support group specific to this population. Implications for clinical social work in veterinary medicine are presented within this project.

The first scholarly product presented is the Systematic Literature Review (SLR). The SLR utilizes a scoping review process in an attempt to locate prior research …

Deep In The Shadows Of Loss: An Exploration Of Grief, Mourning, And Intellectual Disability, Cara Grosset

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This qualitative research project explores grief and mourning experiences of people labelled/with intellectual disabilities subsequent to the death of someone important in their lives. The primary research question was: in what ways do people labelled/with intellectual disabilities experience grief after the death of a significant person in their lives? The need for a project of this kind is grounded in the lack of research and social work practice literature related to better understanding grief, mourning, and support experiences after a death from the perspective of people labelled/with intellectual disabilities. The dual purpose of this research is to better understand (and …

Best Practices For Social Workers Engaging With Spiritual/Religious Clients, Stewart J. Smith Mr.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research examined what Canadian social workers should consider when engaging therapeutically with clients for whom spirituality/religion is of central importance. There are several challenges in examining this issue in Canada (the north section of Turtle Island). One is the oppression of Indigenous peoples’ spirituality by colonizers imposing various Christian denominational spiritual/religious views. There has also been a trend of Christian practice declining in church worship among settler people, although Christianity remains part of the dominant cultural norms. Like many of the helping professions, social work has little to no education/training related to spirituality/religion and clinical work. This move away …

Finding Employment For Individuals With Disabilities Utilizing Interprofessional Collaboration, George G. Gaertner

Social Work Masters Capstone Projects

This capstone is going to demonstrate my abilities to practice and apply all nine social work competencies. I will be conducting a case study on one of my clients that I have been able to assist during my time at my practicum placement. This capstone will begin by discussing my practicum placement and the agency's goals. The capstone will then thoroughly examine each competency as I describe how I have been able to utilize interprofessional social work practice and skills while working with my client. Lastly, this capstone will discuss the case outcome and how the outcomes were evaluated by …

Capstone: Interprofessional Collaboration, Caleb Dobbs

Social Work Masters Capstone Projects

Interprofessional collaboration is vital in the social work profession. Working with an interprofessional team consisting of various professions and backgrounds is both challenging and rewarding when done correctly. There are numerous models and theories out there for best practices for interprofessional collaboration. This paper evaluates different facets of interprofessional teamwork as a client case study rooted in the nine competencies set forth by the CSWE at the micro, mezzo, and macro level. Topics such as Michelle P. Waiver program, Model for Interdisciplinary Collaboration, ethical dilemmas and violation, how to be culturally responsive, how to handle client termination, and using self-care …

Clark/Floyd Crisis Intervention Team Capstone Project, Troy L. Mansfield

Social Work Masters Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Pediatric Oncology Social Work Job Analysis., Alyssa Ashlyn Middleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an examination of the tasks most important to the pediatric oncology social work role. It begins with an argument that pediatric oncology social work is a blend of four social work specialties: generalist medical social work, oncology social work, pediatric social work, and hospice and palliative care social work. Studies report pediatric oncology social workers feel unprepared for numerous tasks related to their role. Despite calls for increased education and training opportunities, few are available. Until now, there has been no study evaluating the tasks that pediatric oncology social workers deem most important to their role, nor …

Dr. Jennifer Greenfield, Anit Tyagi

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Interview of Dr. Jennifer Greenfield.

Intersections Between Social Work And Public Administration: A Case Study Of Urban Water Poverty, Katherine M. Lindsey

Social Work Theses - Archive

Despite infrastructure advances, water testing, and environmental policies, there are still areas in the United States that lack clean water. Some communities are negatively impacted by policies, location, socioeconomic status, water obtainment methods, and racial, ethnic, or cultural differences. Social workers desiring to intervene may not know where to begin. To identify potential interventions, this case study examines how the community of Green Tree Estates gained access to clean water through advocacy efforts and community organizing. This community, located within a large city in Texas, is a previously annexed, small mobile home community consisting of a Hispanic, Spanish speaking population …

Social Work Allyship: Exploring White And Bipoc Perspectives At Predominately White Institutions Within The Southeastern Conference, Aubrey Franke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the experiences of allyship through the perspectives of White and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) social work students at primarily White universities within the Southeastern Conference. The study includes 10 semi-structured interviews with Bachelor and Master’s level social work students. The findings from this study present necessary characteristics and qualities for effective social work allyship. Interestingly, BIPOC students emphasize the importance of informed action, while White students share relational qualities such as empathy and willingness to learn. The findings also show that some BIPOC students experience performative allyship from White social work students. BIPOC participants …

Intervention Program To Increase Preparedness For Life After High School, Melisa Garcia

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

In Monterey County, too many skilled-labor positions are not filled by local youth, negatively impacting long-term well-being, stability, and success. This capstone project was implemented at Learning for Life Charter School (LFLCS), an alternative middle and high school for at-risk youth. There is a lack of preparedness among LFLCS seniors for postsecondary life. This is an intervention program aimed to increase preparedness among graduating seniors. Participants are expected to identify a post-graduation plan; the intermediate and long-term expectations are that more LFLCS graduates will pursue their identified plan, increasing individual and community well-being, stability, and success. Of 50 LFLCS seniors, …

The Importance Of Self-Care Among Hospice Social Workers, Lillianna Gomez, Divina Perez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social workers in general face daily challenges, but social workers in the field of hospice face unique daily stressors. The purpose of this study was to investigate what self-care methods hospice social workers use to combat burnout and compassion fatigue. One hundred hospice social workers were surveyed. Researchers used two scales to measure participants’ current self-care methods and their current quality of life. Researchers used two tailed Pearson test to analyze relationships between self-care and burnout as well as self-care and compassion satisfaction. Researchers also utilized various SPSS tests to analyze the relationship between demographics and self-care method. Participants reported …

A Need For Support Services Among Hispanic First-Generation College Students, Evelyn Arellano, Jessica Cazares Armenta

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Hispanics are the largest minority group in the United States, yet the retention and graduation rates among Hispanics continue to remain low. This study examined some of the barriers and social challenges that Hispanic First-Generation College Students experience. The main objectives addressed low retention rates, low graduation rates, discussed unique cultural issues, and looked at the most prevalent challenges that this population endures while trying to successfully achieve higher education.

A qualitative approach was utilized to gather data. A total of ten participants were recruited and placed in two focus groups. These focus groups were conducted virtually due to national …

Inter-Agency Collaborations Among Mental Health And Law Enforcement Professionals In San Bernardino County During Covid-19: A Qualitative Study, Sonya Mcisaac

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As first responders, law enforcement officers and mental health professionals are constantly sought after regarding the delivery of critical services to people in need. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought almost everything to a halt. It is therefore important to understand how social services were delivered during the crisis. It has been assumed in the literature that interprofessional collaboration is an important service delivery framework. However, because COVID-19 is a relatively recent public health phenomenon, relevant studies on interprofessional collaboration between law enforcement officers and mental health professionals are scant, if not non-existent. This qualitative study addresses this gap by exploring …

Self Care And Burnout Among Child Welfare Workers During The Coronavirus Pandemic, Stephanie Carranza, Claudia Castillo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The study was designed to explore associations between burnout and self-care practices among child welfare social workers and how they were impacted during the Coronavirus pandemic. The researchers completed a qualitative study with research participants by completing interviews via Zoom. All research participants composed of current and former child welfare social workers. Through the data gathered, the researchers found that there were no associations between burnout and self-care practices during the pandemic. It was concluded that burnout has remained consistent regardless of self-care practices prior and during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Impact Of Religion And Spirituality On County Child Welfare Workers, Celeste Ramos, Sonia Magdaleno Ayamel

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aims to identify and analyze how county child welfare workers can utilize their own religious and spiritual beliefs to alleviate some of the work-related stress. In addition, the study will examine how participating in religious or spiritual support groups will benefit county child welfare workers. The findings may encourage social workers to rely on their respective religious and spiritual beliefs while dealing with difficult situations.

Former Foster Youth Who Become Child Welfare Workers, Candace Watts, Shantel Ortega

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Former foster youth who become child welfare workers are an asset to the child welfare system because of the combination of their lived experience and professional experience in child welfare, which allows them to understand the circumstances of their clients on a deeper level. This study seeks to uncover the reasons why former foster youth become child welfare workers. There are three main questions that our study seeks to know: What factors lead former foster youth to become workers in child welfare? Do these workers have any advantages because of their past personal experiences with child welfare? And do child …