Social Work Commons^™

Ages And Stages: 3-, 4- And 5-Year-Olds .G2106, Lisa M. Poppe, Ladonna A. Werth, Jacqueline M. Guzman, Gail L. Brand, Marilyn S. Fox, Leslie Crandall, Tonia Renee Durden, Rasheema Pitt

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Three-, four- and five-year-olds are active, imaginative, and increasingly independent. Learn about their developmental milestones and how you can help further develop their skills and confidence.

Three-, four-, and five-years-olds are active, imaginative, and eager to engage in the world around them. They are building skills and becoming more confident. At this stage, children have many “why” questions. Parents and caregivers can provide the preschooler with lots of support and a responsive and stimulating environment. As you help the 3- to 5-year-old child become more imaginative and confident, here are a few developmental milestones to consider.

Ages And Stages: Toddler (12-24 Months) .G2104, Jacqueline M. Guzman, Ruth E. Vonderhole, Gail L. Brand, Leslie Crandall, Tonia Renee Durden, Rasheema Pitt

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

During the second year of development, toddlers grow and develop rapidly as they learn new things and explore their world. Learn what milestones to watch for and how you can provide a safe and supportive environment for your child’s development.

Children 12 to 24 months old are learning, exploring, and communicating at a rapid rate, growing from dependent infants to more independent toddlers. They may challenge the patience, sense of humor, and even common sense of a parent or caregiver. Be prepared to “baby proof” the entire home, yard, and outside environments. This stage can be fun and rewarding as …

The Impact Of The In Home Support Services Program Reformation On Its Recipients, Jamie Michelle Neal

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the reformation of the In Home Support Services (IHSS) program. This study is significant because the IHSS program keeps many elderly citizens out of assisted living facilities. Surveys were sent to the San Bernardino County IHSS social workers to determine how the program reformation has affected their clients.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation Of Young Women, Crystal Pauline Castillo

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to examine if law enforcement is properly trained to screen for trafficking victims. If a sex trafficking victim is identified what services are offered to commercially sexually exploited juvenile females. In the Inland Empire many young women are at risk of becoming victims of sexual exploitation and minimal services are available for prevention or safehouses. This research focuses specifically on the Inland Empire. Questionaires were emailed to law enforcement agencies in San Bernardino and Riverside County.

Foster Parent Perspective On Infant And Young Child Multiple Placement, Ana Luisa Guardado, Shannon Marie Owens

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to explore foster parents' perspectives' on factors contributing to multiple placements of young children with a special emphasis on infants ages 0-1 year. This study hopes to identify systemic problems within child welfare services that hinder permanency and to provide useful information to determine if current services and interventions are effective in meeting the agency's responsibility of providing safe and permanent homes for foster children.

The Causes Of Recurrence Of Maltreatment In Child Welfare, And The Impacts Of The Family Team Decision Making Initiative, Juana Lorena Gonzalez

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to identify causes and impacts on family when children re-enter child welfare as a result of recurrence of child maltreatment and what child welfare agencies are doing to reduce those incidences.

Placement Stability Of Legal Guardianship With Relative And Non-Relative Caregivers, Erin Renee Hebert

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to measure the stability of relative and non-relative legal guardianship placements.

Social Workers Attitudes Toward Providing Social Services To Undocumented Immigrants, Michael Ryan Chavez

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to examine social workers' and social work students' attitudes toward providing publicly funded social services to undocumented workers.

The Effects Of Childhood Sexual Abuse On Women In Recovery For Substance Abuse, Barbara Eileen Egan

Theses Digitization Project

This study assessed if women who are survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse and receive treatment for this issue, when they were in treatment for substance abuse, stayed sober longer and thus experienced a healthier and happier recovery. The benefit of this research is two-fold as it not only leads to better treatment programs for women who have this co-occurring condition, it also allows for better treatment outcomes and as a result is more cost effective for treatment agencies. The data was collected confidentially through surveys that were distributed at 10 local Alcoholic's Anonymous meetings in the Inland Empire area.

The Relationship Between Perception Of Physical Features, Racial Identity, And Self-Esteem Of Black Adolescent Females, Carolette Yvonne King

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perception of physical features, racial identity attitudes, and self-esteem of Black adolescent females. Thirty-eight Black adolescent females, ranging from 14 to 19 years old, were administered a survey packet including a Demographic Questionnaire, The Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and a shortened version of the 50-item Racial Identity Attitude Scale.

Social Workers' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Animal Assisted Therapy Within Social Work Practice, Rebecca Marie Carpino, Janet De La Cruz

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to examine social workers' perceptions of the effectiveness of animal assisted therapy (AAT) within social work practice throughout Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. This study focused on AAT and the therapeutic contribution animals have offered to individuals suffering from a mental health illness, such as depression. The interventions used for depression or other mental illness rarely entail AAT because of lack of education and traning.

Exploring Recovery Experiences Of Women In Alcoholics Anonymous, Linda Myllmaki

Undergraduate Review

Twelve step recovery programs are prevalent in the United States, however, there is relatively little empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of these programs for female alcoholics or addicts. How women experience the process of recovery within the twelve-step model is critical to our overall understanding of the recovery process. This article reports the results of an exploratory qualitative study of women in Alcoholics Anonymous. Through the use of semi-structured interviews, nine women were asked to discuss their personal experiences of recovery in the AA program. Grounded theory methodology was utilized to analyze the data. Reasons for joining AA, meeting attendance, …

Sabbatical Leave Report, Laura Jamison

Sabbaticals

As a professor and social worker, I'd been intrigued by Jane Addams for years. She is routinely discussed in introductory social work and sociology texts as a significant historical figure. She has been described as a selfless social reformer and as a catalyst in the American settlement house movement. I always felt that she deserved far more attention than she received in the texts- and from our students. I used my spring 2011 sabbatical leave to accomplish two different but complementary goals-engaging in research to acquire a greater depth of knowledge of Addams and also developing a strategy for how …

Assessingopportunities And Barriers To Reducing The Environmental Footprint Of Natural Gasdevelopment In Utah’S Uintah Basin, B. Gentry, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith, L. Belton, G. Theodori

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Development of natural gas resources in the United States has increased dramatically over the past two decades, a boom driven by favorable prices, new technological developments, and growing interest in domestic sources of energy with a smaller carbon footprint than coal or oil. Most of the expansion in U.S. natural gas production has been from so-called ‘unconventional’ reserves in which extensive natural gas resources trapped in continuous sandstone and shale formations can now be extracted using modern directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies. The Uintah Basin in northeastern Utah has been one of several areas in the U.S. where major …

Foster Parents' Perspectives On Foster Children With Autistic Spectrum Disorder In The Child Welfare System And How They Impact The Lives Of The Foster Parents, Uchechukwu Adaure Alozie

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to examine how foster parents contributed to the wellness and permanency of an autistic foster child and to know if foster caregivers were adequately equipped to care for a child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Foster parents of children with ASD were interviewed to gather their opinions and perceptions about whether their autistic foster children were receiving adequate services and if these services increased the child's safety and quality of life. The study used a qualitative design, with in-depth face-to-face and telephone interviews with nine foster parents of children diagnosed with ASD in child …

How Independent Living Skills Services Affect The Outcomes Of Emancipated Foster Youth In Attaining Self-Sufficiency, Tracy Burks, Sandra Fernandez

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to highlight the services that are beneficial and highlight additional services that are needed in order to facilitate a successful transition for emancipating foster youth. This study shows how self-sufficiency in emancipating foster youth is affected by the services provided by the Independent Living Skills (ILP) program. Face-to-face interviews were completed with ILP participants as data collected source and quantitative research was conducted using surveys and focus groups to obtain firsthand information and personal experiences from former foster youth themselves.

Reunification Outcomes For Hispanics In The Child Welfare System, Lucia Aguirre Coronel

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to identify any contributing factors to the overrepresentation of Hispanic children in the child welfare system. This study used an exploratory design and quantitavie methods to examine reunification oucomes of 100 case files in a county in Southern California.

Rethinking The “Best Interests” Of The Child: Voices From Aboriginal Child And Family Welfare Practitioners, Maureen Long, Rene Sephton

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

n Victoria, recent reforms to the child and family welfare system, through the introduction of the Children Youth and Families Act (2005), have significantly strengthened the principle of the ‘‘best interests’’ of the child. Giving substance to the principle, this legislation defines a set of standards and a practice framework to guide its application. How this is to be applied is of particular interest to the Aboriginal child and family welfare sector, given that the principle of best interests has historically underpinned the removal of thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families on the basis of …

Barriers And Opportunities For Evidence-Based Practice: Curriculum Changes In Fieldwork And Classroom In Social Work Education, Anwar Najor-Durack

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to consider perceptions held by social work faculty and agency-based field instructors to incorporate EBP into social work student classroom and field placement experiences. This study identifies perceptions of social work faculty and field instructors about EBP, determines the extent to which social work faculty and field instructors incorporate and use EBP; and considers how organizational leadership and/or technology supports influence adoption and utilization of EBP. The population for this study included all full-time social work faculty members employed by three large public universities in southeast Michigan (Michigan State University [MSU], University of Michigan …

Building A Child Welfare Response To Child Trafficking Handbook (2011), Katherine Kaufka Walts Jd, Shelby French Msw, Msc, Heather Moore Msw, Sehla Ashai Jd

Center for the Human Rights of Children

In 2007, the International Organization for Adolescents (IOFA), under the leadership of Katherine Kaufka Walts the then Executive Director, developed and launched the Building Child Welfare Response to Child Trafficking project. The purpose of this project is to build the capacity of child welfare agencies and service providers to identify and respond to this often invisible and underserved population. The primary goals are to ensure that children are correctly identified as trafficked persons and that they receive the appropriate protections and referrals to specialized services to which they are entitled under federal and state laws. This project, supported by funding …

Demographic And Offense-Related Variables In Pennsylvania Court-Ordered Placements For Juveniles, Kristen N. Asplin, Diane T. Marsh, Adeline Beighley

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

When making placement decisions for juvenile offenders, court officers often consider the types of charges listed against them. We examined the pattern of offenses charged to residents of 7 types of placements in 1 county in Pennsylvania over a period of 2 years. Consistent, predictable patterns were found across placements, with more restrictive placements assigned to juveniles with more severe offenses, although there remained a considerable degree of variation in offenses represented in each placement type. The pattern of placements was different between genders as well, with female offenders being placed in less restrictive care even more often than their …

Self-Determination Theory And Juvenile Delinquency: A Validation Of A Combined Theory For Understanding Youth In Conflict With The Law, Sibley Y. Hawkins, Forrest A. Novy

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

In this study, we propose an expanded theory of delinquency that integrates social learning, control, and motivationally based explanations of human behavior. We posit that delinquency occurs partly due to attempts to fulfill 3 developmentally necessary psychological needs; auton-omy, competence, and relatedness. Melding elements of 3 theories (Social Control Theory [Hirschi, 1972], General Crime Theory [Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990], and Self Determination Theory [Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000a, 2008]), provides a better understanding of the precursors to delinquency and possible approaches to mitigating their impact. The study examines: (a) the extent to which the 3 basic psychological needs (competence, …

The Relationship Between Religiosity And Substance Abuse Among African Americans: A Systematic Review Of 30 Years Of Research, Jeongah Kim

Faculty Publications - College of Social Work

The main purpose of this study is to systematically examine research conducted over the past 30 years regarding the effects of religiosity on substance abuse among African American. The present study was designed to examine whether there is empirical support for a relationship between religiosity and substance abuse among African American. This study is a partial replication of a systematic review by Johnson et al. (2000) on the effect of religion on delinquent behaviors. Johnson and his colleagues (2000) found that there is a consistent negative relationship between religiosity and deviance in the most rigorous research. Given that various types …

Youth Work As A Public Good: Older Teenager's Experiences Of Youth Services In Dulbin, Matt Bowden, Kerri Lanigan

Articles

In the context of consumerism, individualism and the privatisation of young people’s leisure, youth work struggles to attract young people, especially those aged 15 to 9 years. Drawing from a study exploring young people’s perspectives on participation in youth services, it is argued that youth work offers a type of public and civic engagement that is not on offer from consumption-based activities. While certain activities attract young people into youth work, what maintains their participation is the sense of belonging they experience and the opportunity to participate meaningfully in decision making. In this regard the youth work sector needs to …

Racial/Cultural Identity Development In Foster Children Placed In Transracial Foster Homes, Vanessa Brooks Herd

Wayne State University Dissertations

This qualitative study was designed to identify how racial and cultural identity is developed and maintained in foster children who are placed in foster homes racially and culturally different than they are. The research questions included how the foster care system addresses racial identity issues and how foster parents assign meaning to the transracial foster care experience. Another area of interest was the preparation by the foster care system for foster parents to manage issues of racial identity. The pre-training curriculum for foster parents was subjected to a content analysis.

Efficacy Of The Jesness Inventory-Revised Conduct Disorder And Oppositional Defiant Disorder Scales, Terry B. Pinsoneault, Frank R. Ezzo

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

The authors investigated the Conduct Disorder (JR-CD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (JR-ODD) scales developed for the Jesness Inventory-Revised. Participants included 340 youth aged 12 to 18 seen at a juvenile court diagnostic clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. The authors also investigated the previously existing Social Maladjustment (JR-SM) and Asocial Index (JR-ASO) scales. Participants were independently diagnosed as having CD, ODD, Disruptive Behavior Disorder NOS (a milder behavioral disorder), or no diagnosable behavioral disorder. Mean scores varied across the groups in the expected directions for all four scales. JR-CD and JR-ODD were better able to differentiate between their target groups and the …

The Theory Of Cognitive Dissonance: A Reappraisal, Peter A. Metofe

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

The cognitive dissonance theory, as postulated by Festinger (1957), has undergone increased scrutiny since its development. Through a reappraisal of this theory as explicated by other researchers, specifically relying on extant and current research in this theory, coupled with recent developments, this paper provides a context for better understanding of how individuals experience cognitive dissonance and its implications for clinical practice.

Missing And Exploited Children In Jamaica: An Empirical Analysis, Lorna E. Grant

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

This paper is an analysis of missing, abused, and exploited children in Jamaica. I examined the responses of advocate groups and the government to determine the steps to take to protect children who are most vulnerable. I collected data through interviews from the Police National Intelligence Bureau, the Office of the Children's Registry, the Office of Children Advocate, literature review, and the printed media (e.g., The Jamaica Gleaner, The Jamaica Observer, and The Jamaica Star).

Social Justice Education: Impacts On Social Attitudes, Bronwyn Cross-Denny, Janna C. Heyman

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Paramount to multicultural social work practice is acquiring a comprehensive understanding of oppressed and vulnerable populations who often lack access to healthcare and economic resources. A practitioner’s self-awareness of social attitudes can provide a foundation for developing cultural competency skills. Using a pretest posttest design, social attitudes of Master of Social Work (MSW) students enrolled in a required social justice course were examined (N=85). A repeated-measure MANOVA indicated significant main effects on: 1) within subject factor of time on students’ cognitive attitudes towards racial diversity, affective attitudes toward racial diversity, and women equity following students’ exposure to the social justice …

Factors Assocated With Employee Satisfaction In Minnesota Community Action Agencies, Kelsie Peters

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In 2011, the state of Minnesota faced a difficult budgetary decision. At the time of this writing, the state HHS budget had been vetoed by the Governor and State Employees were preparing for a government shutdown. Disagreement between the Republican majority and the Democratic Governor on how to balance the state budget had serious implications for Community Action Agencies that received, on average, 10% of their annual funding from the State of Minnesota in 2010 (MNCAP, 2010). Considering the fact that budget cuts would be imminent, and raises and bonuses unlikely, the researcher wanted to provide CAAs of MN with …