Social Work Commons^™

Social Work Students’ Knowledge Of And Attitudes Towards Working With Transgender Clients, Devin Hoff, Edgar Camacho

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Over the past few decades, there has been an increase in literature on social work practice with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community, with a strong focus on the LGB portion of the community. Due to the lack of literature in social work practice with the transgender population, this study was designed to assess bachelor and master levels social workers’ knowledge, attitudes and preparedness for working with the transgender community. This study is significant to the field of social work as it evaluates if students can provide comprehensive services to transgender clients. The study uses a quantitative survey …

Common Sources Of Anxiety For Students Who Experience Suicidal Ideation, Austin Nystrom, Fabian Ortiz

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study was conducted to identify what sources of anxiety are most closely associated with experiencing SI among students in a school district in Southern California. Anxiety and suicide rates in youth continue to grow and a need for preventative services is a must. The research design consists of qualitative, biopsychosocial assessments, and qualitative, utilizing the collected data. MSW interns at the district site conducted the assessments and the writers analyzed and reviewed the data to draw out an answer to the research question. Implications for social work practice include gaining a better understanding on the common sources of anxiety …

Social Work Perspectives On The Constraints Of Managed Care And Mental Health Treatment, Lana Kaissi

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Approximately 46.6 million adults in the United States live with a mental illness as of 2017. Therefore, managed care being the system that facilitates access to mental health treatment needs to be addressed. Managed care (such as healthcare plans) seeks to facilitate healthcare service delivery by providing direction and guidance to utilization and prevention of services. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore social work perspectives on the constraints of managed care as it impacts access to mental health treatment. This study conducted qualitative interviews through a non-random sample of professional colleagues of social workers in the in …

The Impact Organizational Factors Have On Role Ambiguity Amongst School Social Workers, Melissa Kichura

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore what organizational factors increase or decrease role ambiguity amongst school social workers. This study attempted to provide practical information for schools on the influence of specific organizational factors on role ambiguity so that they can provide a supportive work environment for school social workers and students. A cross-sectional survey design was used to provide a snapshot of the current organizational factors impacting the ambiguity of school social work roles from a sample of 73 members of the School Social Work Association of America. Some findings were not congruent with the literature. The …

Social Work’S Contribution To Research Regarding Suicide Among African Americans, Darius Reed

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Suicide among African Americans has increased significantly in the past 15 years, yet it remains a neglected topic in social work research. Social workers are the largest direct provider of mental health services in the United States. However their valuable person-in-environment perspective has not been incorporated into research to provide insight on ways to decrease incidents of suicide among African Americans. This systematic review examines social work’s contribution to suicide research while focusing on the social context in which African Americans live. The systematic review also examines protective factors specific to African Americans that can be used to mitigate suicide …

“Navigating The Impact Of Trauma In The Classroom: An Analysis Of The Trauma-Informed Care In Three Alternative Public Schools”, Hanna Mcwilliams

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Trauma-informed care is a growing strengths-based model in the world of social and human services that focuses on understanding past trauma to create sustainability and build a strong relationship between the client and service provider. Though it is used in various types of agencies, this thesis focuses on the implementation of the trauma-informed care model within three alternative public schools in three cities. The trauma-informed care model is used specifically in public school systems’ alternative schools to influence success for children who have experienced behavioral issues within traditional school settings in light of the consideration that these issues may have …

Partnering For Social Justice: Social Work Students’ Placement At Public Libraries, Sarah C. Johnson

Publications and Research

While the collaborative trend among professional social workers and librarians is garnering much deserved attention, literature about social work students partnering with public libraries is virtually nonexistent. Public librarians can advocate for social justice by initiating partnerships with master-level social work (MSW) students to enhance small- and large-scale programs to address the unique needs of patrons. In this chapter, I highlight existing collaborations among public libraries and student social workers to raise awareness of possibilities.

Fatal Attraction : Intimate Partner Violence Among Black Lgbtq Relationships., Amberli A. Seay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social workers play a pivotal role in intervening in instances of intimate partner violence. It is imperative that social work intervention education is relevant, competent and inclusive. In this study, a content analysis is conducted on the true-crime documentary series, Fatal Attraction. Fatal Attraction targets Black audiences and sheds light on Black victim-survivors and perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). The documentaries in this series act as a resource to understanding representation and treatment of Black LGBTQ. The following research questions are explored and discussed: 1. To what degree are Black LGBTQ victims and perpetrators of IPV represented in media? …

The Experience Of Social Workers Who Utilize Therapy Dogs In Practice, Kathryn Jochems

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Animal assisted therapy, which incorporates animals into structured therapeutic interventions, and its use within social work has been shown to increase social interactions, communication, and the overall health and safety of clients (Nimer & Lundahl, 2007). However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the professional and personal experiences of individual social workers with incorporating certified therapy dogs into their practice. This study examined the approval process, perceived effects on practice, perceived effects outside of practice, and future implications of using therapy dogs in social work through the analysis of qualitative data from seven in-depth interviews with licensed social …

Exploring Social Worker Knowledge, Conceptualization, And Use Of Cultural Humility In Hospice, Shelby L. Schiller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This capstone project examined social workers’ knowledge, values, and beliefs as related to the concept of cultural humility to determine how hospice care professionals treat patients’ cultural preferences and traditions with respect and sensitivity at the end of life; as such practices have the ability to improve the hospice experience. Research questions addressed in the study (a) how social workers in Nevada define cultural humility in the context of hospice social work practice, (b) the values or principles hospice social workers in Nevada consider most important in providing culturally appropriate care to hospice patients, and (c) the ways hospice social …

Interprofessional Intentional Empathy Centered Care (Ip-Iecc) In Healthcare Practice, Deepy Sur

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Training interprofessional healthcare teams continues to advance practice for patient-centered care. Empathy research is also advancing and has been explored in social work, psychology, and other healthcare areas. In the absence of understanding empathy in an interprofessional setting, educators are limited in preparing teams to develop empathy as part of core competencies This grounded theory study explored for a theory of how interprofessional healthcare teams conceptualize and operationalize empathy in their practice. Azjen's theory of planned behavior and Barrett-Lennard's cyclical model of empathy framed the study. Data were collected using 6 focus groups and 24 semistructured interviews of varied healthcare …

Can The Lifeworld Save Us From Neoliberal Governmentality? Social Work, Critical Theory, And Habermas, Stephanie A. Bryson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Two years have passed since the 2016 election of Donald J. Trump, and U.S. social work is revisiting its radical stirrings and grappling with its conservative moorings. In this paper, I will argue that as U.S. social work appraises the adequacy of its intellectual leaders, the cultural relevance of its practice models, and its stance toward the Enlightenment ideals of reason, truth, and justice, it might usefully re-examine its relationship to the critical theory legacy of the Frankfurt School, especially the thinking of Jürgen Habermas. My goal is in this essay is to suggest ways in which Habermasian thinking could …

Examining Cultural Humility And Intersectionality In Mental Health Treatment, Sandra Y. Herrera-Spinelli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cultural awareness is an ethical standard in the social work profession and, as the diversity in the United States continues to grow, it is a social work practice problem when cultural awareness is not implemented in mental health settings. The National Association of Social Workers revised the cultural awareness standards to include cultural humility and intersectionality as practice indicators. The purpose of this action research study was to examine how clinical social workers demonstrated cultural humility and intersectionality in mental health settings. Person-centered theory guided this study and a total of 17 clinical social workers in New Mexico participated in …

Prison Nurseries And Social Work Practice, Brooke Sheehan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study sought to examine what gaps existed in practice through the perspectives of correctional social workers in terms of helping incarcerated mother–infant dyads bond. Additionally, it examined whether a prison nursery was viewed as a possible option within a smaller correctional facility. Theories used to guide this study included attachment theory and separation-individuation theory, which align with the research questions that sought to explore gaps in services, supports that could be established, and program feasibility. Action research, using an anonymous online survey, resulted in N = 6 social work participants who worked as prison social workers in the northeast …

Social Work Crisis Interventions With Traumatic Death Survivors In Medical Settings, Sabrina R. Spencer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traumatic death survivors are an at-risk population that could benefit from social work interventions. This action research study explored social work perspectives on crisis practice with traumatic death survivors in acute medical settings. The research questions focused on whether early crisis interventions by social workers would benefit traumatic death survivors, which interventions were recommended in crisis practice with this population, the potential effects of repeated trauma exposure on the social workers providing the crisis interventions, and recommendations to manage this professional exposure to trauma. The purpose of the study was to explore social work perspectives on potential benefits of crisis …

Don’T “Just Call The Social Worker”: Training In Structural Competency To Enhance Collaboration Between Healthcare Social Work And Medicine, Margaret Mary Downey, Joshua Neff, Kate Dube

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this short paper, we argue that providing in-depth structural competency training to both social workers and physicians has the potential to promote a deeper collaboration between these two fields—to the benefit of patients as well as providers. We describe structural competency’s evolution as a pedagogical and practical framework in medicine and social work, then discuss three overlapping ways in which structural competency can enhance collaboration between physician and social work practitioners and educators. First, training in structural competency can fill gaps in both medical and social work education and training—namely a lack of curricula that consistently attend to the …

Financial Literacy Research In China: The Progress And The Role Of Social Work, Minchao Jin, Yiqing Yuan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Growing income disparity, expanding financial markets, and diversifying financial products have pushed economically vulnerable groups in China into greater disadvantage in recent decades, resulting in a call for financial literacy. Compared with the research in developed countries, studying financial literacy is relatively new in China. Based on a literature review of studies on financial literacy in China, this paper presents the current progress and the gaps in both theory and methods. To address the gaps, social work can and should contribute to this area.

Their Sorrow, Their Story: The Lived Experience Of Individuals Impacted By The Death Of Special Forces Members In The 1996 Black Hawk Accident, Marion Ann Smyth

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

On the 12 June 1996, the Australian Special Forces were conducting night-time counterterrorism training when two Black Hawk helicopters transporting Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) troops collided mid-air. Eighteen personnel were killed, including members from the elite SASR and crew from the 5th Aviation Regiment. In the aftermath of this accident a charity, the Special Air Service Resources Trust, was established to provide ongoing support to the dependants of those killed. This trust is now the Special Air Service Resources Fund (SASRF), and it continues to support the dependants of those killed and the injured from the accident.

There is …

Processing Youth Adventure Wellness Experiences: Poetic Representations Of Youth’S Peace Bus Experiences, Ty Th Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This narrative inquiry explored how youth are processing their Peace Bus program experiences two and a half years after program completion. The purpose was to gain an understanding of (1) what program components the participants reflect on, (2) how they conceptualize their program experiences, and (3) what factors contribute to their reflection processes. This research sought to address the gap in literature where little is understood about the ongoing experiences of program participants of adventure wellness programs and the processes that lead to positive changes. As the researcher, I conducted a qualitative study using narrative inquiry and poetic representation methods. …

Use Of The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory With Social Workers: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Jayme E. Walters, Aaron R. Brown, Aubrey E. Jones

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Burnout among social workers continues to be a relevant issue as it can lead to major problems: personal health issues, service deterioration, and turnover. This study examined the use of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory with U.S. social workers (N = 1774) in direct-service and non-direct-service roles. The CBI is a no-cost alternative to the commonly employed Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results revealed that the CBI is a suitable tool to measure burnout among social workers regardless of position. Screening, identifying sources, and action planning to reduce burnout are critical steps for organizations to ensure a quality atmosphere for employees and clients.

Examining Self-Care Among Individuals Employed In Social Work Capacities: Implications For The Profession, J. Jay Miller, Joann Lianekhammy, Erlene Grise-Owens

Social Work Faculty Publications

Increasingly, the social work profession recognizes the need for more attention to self-care. Concomitantly, this growing awareness and ethical commitment is fostering a burgeoning self-care movement. However, despite recognition about the importance of self-care, there is a paucity of research that explicitly examines self-care practices among social workers. This cross-sectional study examined the self-care practices of individuals employed in social work capacities (n=1,011) in one southeastern state in the United States. Findings suggest that participants in the sample engaged in personal and professional self-care practices only moderately. Further, data suggest significant group differences in the practice of self-care, by relationship …

Social Work Support For Families In Crisis At Our Southern Border, Gil Villagran

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

"What the hell is going on at the U.S.-Mexico border?"Knowing of my 35 years of Child Welfare direct practice social work for the Santa Clara Social Services Agency, and 20 years of teaching social work at San Jose State University, as well as my study of human rights and Latin American history, many of my friends have been asking me, about as our president might ask: "What the hell is going on at the U.S.-Mexico border?"

Data Collection Technology In Social Work: Evaluating Barriers To Utilization, Cynthia Lynn Jewett

Social Work Theses - Archive

This thesis explores Master of Social Work students’ Behavioral Intent (BI) to use Excel using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Technology Usage (UTAUT) as a theoretical framework. Excel was selected as a proxy measure of students’ overall readiness for data-intensive professional tasks, including fundraising, outcome tracking and reporting, and assorted administrative and research activities. A survey was adapted from the original UTAUT to measure students’ BI to use Excel, as well as four theorized constructs which were hypothesized to explain BI. The survey was then distributed to a sample of students. Fifty-eight complete responses were received and analyzed using …

Assessing The Relationship Between Acute And Chronic Health Conditions And Transportation Disadvantage And Quality Of Life Among Older Adults In Tarrant County, Texas, James Craig Keaton

Social Work Theses - Archive

By the year 2035, for the first time in US history, there will be more older adults in the US than individuals under the age of 18 (Vespa, 2018), and Tarrant County, Texas is the fastest growing community in the country (US Census Bureau, 2018), with older adults comprising a significant portion of that growth (United Way Tarrant County Community Assessment, 2015). Accompanying this, older adults are among the most at-risk individuals for acute and chronic health problems and are the highest utilizers of health care (Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program, 2018). Syed, Gerber, and Sharp (2013) report the …

Exploring An Outdoor Experiential And Pyd Program's Influence On Youth In A Residential And Day Treatment Program, Rebecca Durbahn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the process and examines the outcomes of youth participating in a positive youth development adventure-based intervention Challenge By Choice (CBC) with outcomes of youth receiving treatment as usual in a residential and day treatment program. This dissertation aims to build on the growing body of literature on outcomes associated with PYD theoretical models and AET approaches. Specifically, the proposed dissertation asks: Is there a difference in externalizing behavioral outcomes for youth who participate in CBC as compared to peers of similar age/behavioral baseline who receive only treatment as usual?

To answer this research question, a mixed methods …

A Study Of The Effect On Organizational Factors On Job Satisfaction Of Geriatric Practitioners Between Millennials And Older Generations, Peter (Minsuk) Jang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to recognize and improve the understanding of social workers’ job satisfaction in the geriatric area. Low job satisfaction makes social workers want to move their field and change their career. The research is the conceptual model of the moderating effect of patient engagement. The hypothesis is that the organizational factors of this model (climate, workplace, pay, supervision) lead to low job satisfaction for social workers and the generation gap between Millennials and older generations will result in different job satisfaction. The assumption was that among the factors (climate, workplace, pay, supervision), salary has the …

Msu-M Social Work Students' Perceptions Of Sexual Assault Reporting, Elizabeth M. Guss

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Prior research on sexual assault reporting has identified several barriers to reporting, such as rape myths, negative perceptions about how the report will be handled, and misinformation about reporting rights. Due to these barriers, many cases of sexual assault go unreported. By increasing education about sexual assault policies and access to resources, it is hoped that college campuses can become safer for all students. Data for this study was gathered through an online, anonymous survey which contained twelve questions- six about reporting perceptions and knowledge, and six about socio-demographic information. The survey was sent to an intro-level Social Work class …

The Effectiveness Of Domestic Violence Trainings On Helping Professionals, Paula Virginia Preciado Romero

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research project examined the effect of domestic violence trainings on helping professionals. This research project sought out to measure differences in pre-test and post-test scores from study participants to assess the participants’ beliefs and knowledge regarding the dynamics of domestic violence.

The research project gathered quantitative data from a convenience sample of 28 helping professionals who participated in a domestic violence training. A series of paired samples t-test were conducted to assess differences in the pre-test and post-test scores to determine if our hypothesis was confirmed. Key findings from this study revealed that the domestic violence training was quite …

Impact Of Compassion Fatigue And Emotional Intelligence On The Quality Of Care In Skilled Nursing Facilities, John Simon Pangilinan

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Staff in skilled nursing facilities (SNF) can experience physical and emotional strain via caregiving. The purpose of this study was to educate staff on the harm of compassion fatigue and a lack of emotional intelligence and provide steps that can be taken by administration to improve the quality of care provided. It was hypothesized for staff that having low compassion fatigue and high emotional intelligence would result in a higher quality of care. The study design utilized a quantitative approach and a purposive sample from a SNF. Participants were provided with The Professional Quality of Life 5 Scale (ProQoL 5), …

The Place Of Spirituality In Social Work: Practitioners’ Personal Views And Beliefs, Alexis Garcia-Irons

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The integration of spirituality in Social Work is on the rise, but due to the lack of literature on spiritually-involved interventions and applicable integration of spirituality into ones practice, literature suggests social workers do not feel competent or confident in this area of practice. This study explores the attitudes and beliefs of social workers in San Bernardino County towards spirituality in their own practice and social work overall. The data is collected through audio recording individual interviews with each participant, which are then transcribed into transcripts. The transcripts are coded for themes and commonalities among the participants. Results lay …