Social Work Commons^™

The Impact Of The Deinstitutionalization Policies On Homelessness, Henrique Krigner

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

Homelessness is a growing issue in America. In 2019 there were 567,715 homeless individuals in the United States, distributed in emergency shelters (63%) or residing unsheltered on streets (27%). In 2021, even though specialists argue that the Covid-19 restrictions greatly harmed an accurate counting, the total number of unsheltered homeless in America increased in 20%. Such increase became a central discussion not only to regular citizens and neighborhood associations, but it also became a great concern within the federal government which has been appropriating billions of dollars each year to “end homeless”.

Specialists point out that the growth of the …

Op-Ed: It’S Time To Renew The Fight Against Housing Voucher Discrimination, Nicole Roberts

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

The Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP), known as Section 8, is the most recognizable public housing program in the U.S. Through empowering households to use their voucher to rent units in high-opportunity neighborhoods, this program can liberate and transform the outcomes of families experiencing poverty. However, in many Cleveland neighborhoods landlords still exclude Section 8 tenants by simply refusing to accept housing choice vouchers as payment. This explicit refusal leaves low-income households with limited options and traps participants into high-poverty neighborhoods.

Mental Health Navigators Bridging The Gap Of Care, Valentina Loreto-Ashley

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

Individuals with schizophrenia are most vulnerable at time of discharge due to risk factors that lead to relapse, re-admission, suicide and/or danger to others. A successful discharge process can decrease overall care costs, promotes team collaboration, supports the therapeutic relationship between client and care provider, and helps the client to reach autonomy and self-efficacy. This DNP is a quality improvement project that aims at educating Mental Health Navigators about symptoms of schizophrenia, medications management, and community resources. Effectiveness of the educational intervention will be assessed as the differences between the pre- and post-test assessment score on insight or lack of …

L’Économie Solidaire De Kabylie : Une Perspective Critique, Mohamed-Amokrane Zoreli

Journal of Amazigh Studies

Résumé :

Dans cet article, l’auteur réalise, pour le contexte de la Kabylie, une étude d’ensemble de l’évolution des pratiques d’économie sociale, du modèle originel jusqu’à la période actuelle, en passant par les différentes phases de colonisation puis d’indépendance. L’objectif est triple. Voir d’abord quels sont les ressorts, les mécanismes et les finalités des solidarités locales originelles et comment elles se mobilisent pour répondre à des besoins socio-économiques et politiques. Voir ensuite comment l’Etat-nation et la mondialisation ont impacté dans le temps long ces solidarités locales, en les démobilisant et immobilisant par différents moyens, juridiques, économiques et politiques. Voir enfin …

The Participation And Exploration Of Play For Children In Foster Care, Isabella J. Relph, Jazminne Orozco Arteaga

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project, The Participation and Exploration of Play for Children in Foster Care, was completed by a Doctor of Occupational Therapy candidate at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. Project objectives develop an understanding of the occupational therapy involvement in foster care and how to improve current advocacy and educational efforts related to play. A literature review of play participation, engagement, and exploration was conducted in conjunction with analysis of environmental barriers, generalized background information on children in foster care, and the role of occupational therapy for children in foster care. Play is essential for the pediatric …

Examining The Benefits Of Adding Mindfulness-Based Programs In The Curriculum Of Undergraduate And Graduate Social Work Programs: A Review Of Literature, Sarah M. Dickerson

Honors Thesis

Undergraduate and graduate students are often enveloped in an array of stress and anxiety, and it is no surprise that undergraduate and graduate social work students are faced with high amounts of stress due to vicarious trauma as a result of exposure to via coursework and experiential learning. It also comes as no surprise that social work professionals are exposed to numerous stressors causing the burnout rate for social workers to be high. Mindfulness techniques are used in various cultures and religions around the world with the purpose of synching mind and body. Using mindfulness techniques, individuals can be fully …

Prescribing Music To Forensic Settings: A Literature Review, Sydney A. Bouchard

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Though prison is inherently musical, evidence-based forensic music therapy is rather understudied. This thesis critically reviews musical experiences in forensic environments and synthesizes its intersection with inmates' psychological distress. Additionally, the literature explores how forensic music therapy can act as a health and social resource for the incarcerated and their communities. Engaging in this work is vital because healthier correctional systems mean healthier communities (Hopwood, 2021). This review synthesizes relevant literature to inform better practices in music therapy, counseling, and healthcare and seeks to popularize discussion around an otherwise unpopular population, incarcerated folx. Emerging themes include (1) incarceration breeds negative …

Talking About Death: Exploration Of The Impact Of Death Communication Norms On End-Of-Life Caregivers, Maureen H. Mckenzie

Masters Theses

This study seeks to understand the experience of end-of-life caregivers and how their subscribed communication norms regarding death impacted their caregiving experience and preparedness to make decisions on their person’s behalf. Eight participants were recruited from a Midwestern support group facility with a population of nearly 8,000 members that include cancer and grief support members. Criteria required adult participants that were less than 10 years out from their caregiving experience. Phenomenological research methods were used capturing eight opened ended interviews about participants death communication history, caregiving experience, and reflection on current death communication norms. Thematic analysis was utilized to assess …

Book Review: Under The Weather: Reimagining Mobility In The Climate Crisis., Raymond Murphy

Critical Disaster Studies

Under the Weather: Reimagining Mobility in the Climate Crisis is an insightful, important book that reports on a fine-grained investigation Sodero made of the consequences and response to the disasters resulting from Hurricane Juan in Nova Scotia in 2003 and Hurricane Igor in Newfoundland in 2010, with comparisons to Hurricane Sandy in New York, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, the 1998 ice storm in northeastern North America and the Icelandic ash cloud. One original feature is the focus on mobility, how indispensable it is in modern societies, how it is disrupted by extreme weather, and …

Relational Connections For Youth Aging Out Of Foster Care: A Policy Content Analysis, Heather Miller

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Social work professionals and policymakers are faced with the dilemma of older youth exiting foster care each year with poor outcomes, lacking resources and supports that make successful transitions a challenge. Research suggests that youth who have a supportive relationship with a consistent and trusted adult to help navigate the transition to adulthood supports a youth’s successful transition from care. The Federal John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood, initially birthed from the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 and revised through the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018, provides states with funding and guidance …

Differences In Resilience And Mental Health Symptoms Among Us First Responders With Secure And Insecure Attachment, Donna Schuman, James Whitworth, Jeanine Galusha, Jose Carbajal, Warren Ponder, Kathryn Shahan, Katelyn Jetelina

Faculty Publications

Objective: This observational study aimed to determine whether attachment style predicted first responders' mental health and resilience. Method: Data were from a treatment-seeking sample of first responders (N = 237). Each participant completed six assessments measuring attachment, resilience, generalized anxiety, depression, suicidality, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Results: On the attachment assessment, 25.3%were categorized as secure, 19.0%as dismissive, 25.3% as preoccupied, and 30.4% as fearfully attached. As predicted, securely attached participants had the lowest scores for generalized anxiety, depression, suicidality, and posttraumatic stress disorder and the highest scores on the resiliency measure, followed by dismissive, preoccupied, and fearfully …

Agreement Of Psychiatric Diagnoses Within And Between Groups Of Mental Health Clinicians From Different Disciplines, Wade Mcguire

Dissertations

The development of therapy as a treatment option for mental health problems has led to the creation of different disciplines. Each discipline has developed its own conceptualization of classification and treatment of mental health problems. These conceptualizations have led to different areas of focus for each of the disciplines, specifically counseling, psychology, and social work. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether these areas of focus influence how each discipline diagnoses. For this study, data was collected by having clinicians provide diagnoses for three fictitious clients. The vignettes for the clients were taken from a psychopathology textbook to …

Job Posting, Megan Paul, Nina Williams-Mbengue, Courtney Harrison

QIC-Tips

A job posting must be informative, clear, transparent, and appealing to potential child welfare job candidates. It should also be candidate-centric and answer questions candidates often ask, especially any key information that has turned out to be a dealbreaker for people later in the process. This QIC-Tip is designed to highlight actionable strategies to create a good job posting. Please note that the information presented is not meant to override or supersede local, state, or federal legal civil service or human resources guidance.

Think of the job posting as a marketing opportunity for your agency and highlight the positive aspects …

Early Childhood Support Specialist Evaluation Report, Emilie Swenson Msw, Rachel Gallo Mph

Children, Youth, & Families

The Early Childhood Support Specialist (ECSS) at MaineHealth builds relationships with families who have children aged birth to three, a timeframe when infants and toddlers are rapidly developing, learning, and benefiting from family and community connections. The ECSS assesses a family’s strengths and needs to understand how that family can be supported and connected. The ECSS connects families to resources, provides referrals, coaches families on children’s social and emotional development, and generally serves as a point of contact to assist families with social, emotional, and medical needs. Ultimately, the intended outcome of this model is to increase family connections, decrease …

Phenomenological Qualitative Program Evaluation Of Goat Yoga For Cultivating Joy And Positively Shifting Perspective, Teri Relyea Berbel

Social Work Theses - Archive

There is increasing evidence that animal-assisted interventions are helpful for mental wellbeing in reducing anxiety and depression. There is also a large body of research supporting the benefits of yoga for symptoms of trauma. However, there can be resistance to participating in yoga interventions because of insecurity or personal aversions to the practice. Also, yoga alone may not provide sufficient positive affect attributes to promote the needed change. The combined yoga and animal-assisted intervention of “Goat Yoga” has been popular for several years as a fun and uplifting activity but has not been studied for its influence on mental wellbeing. …

Examining Differences In Adult Attachment Across Varying Family Dynamics, Hannah Miller

School of Social Work Undergraduate Honors Theses

Recent research suggests that attachment in adulthood impacts many aspects of an individual’s life, including experiences with romantic partners, emotional regulation, and overall life satisfaction. Research attributes this to the levels of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance individuals experience due to relationship experiences with their caregivers in childhood. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between specific family dynamics and the presence of attachment anxiety and avoidance in adulthood. The present study recruited 185 adults to participate in an anonymous survey about the family dynamics they experienced in childhood, including the relationship between their parents or guardians …

A Scoping Review Of The Impact Of Solitary Confinement On Self-Harm And Suicide Among Adults In U.S. Prisons, Jessica Diana Puebla

Social Work Theses - Archive

Solitary confinement is a widespread issue that impacts the most vulnerable individuals in our country. The U.S. uses solitary confinement more frequently and for longer periods of time compared to other countries though its use has not proven to be an effective intervention in prisons. Solitary confinement limits the individual’s ability to connect with peers, friends, and family as visits are restricted, thus impacting their mental health. This thesis aimed to understand the impact of solitary confinement of self-harm and suicide among adults in U.S. prisons; This thesis also attempted to shed light on the theoretical lenses that were stated …

Young Adult Well-Being After Childhood Maltreatment Experiences, Katherine Fahrenthold

Social Work Theses - Archive

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s), attachment style, and well-being in transition-age youth. The study sought to address two questions; is the attachment style of young adults who have experienced maltreatment associated with well-being and overall adjustment in the transition to adulthood? What is the lived experience of young adults who have experienced child maltreatment as they transition to adulthood? An online survey containing questions about demographics, 3 validated measures (the ACE questionnaire, Revised Adult Attachment Scale, and the Mental Health Continuum Short Form), and expanded ACE item questions was administered …

La Pieza Que Falta: How Gender Roles And Cultural Norms Impacted How Latinas Learn About Sex, Toni A. Gallegos

Social Work Theses - Archive

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge around what Latinas learned about sex growing up. It was used to create foundational work for future research with this population. More importantly it is a means for members of the community to speak about their lived experiences surrounding sex education, gender roles, and growing up in their households. Methods: This study used a mixed methods design due to the limited amount of research that is focused on sex education and Latinas. It was used to collect a wide range of data that could be used to help with future …

How They See Me: Reentry Experiences Of Women With Mental Illnesses: An Interpretative Phenomenological Approach, Mansi N. Patel

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

The reintegration of justice-involved people into the community has emerged as a key concern of the criminal justice system as prison populations have increased globally. High recidivism rates indicate that prisons have not adequately prepared many prisoners for life after prisons. Over one million women are released from US jails and prisons each year and reintegrate into society (National Institute of Justice, 2022). These women will reintegrate into society with disproportionately high rates of mental health issues and women who leave jails and prisons with mental health issues face increased risks of experiencing substance use, risky behaviors, homelessness, and recidivism …

Black Maternal Health Disparities In The United States, Merci Wilson

Honor’s College Freeman Research Journal

This paper serves to inform and explain the treatment of Black women within the healthcare system. Black women and their babies are dying at insane rates in the United States. Most of the deaths are preventable. The numbers are alarming and have caught the eyes of society and the government. This tragedy is serious and brings many questions. This paper and my research are created to answer most of those questions. The main question is why the maternal mortality and morbidity rates for Black women are higher than any other race. This question is my research question and the foundation …

Transforming The Volunteer Experience In The Social Service Sector, Dalvin Sidhu, Weng Lin Ng, Thilanga Dilum Wewalaarachchi

Lien Centre for Social Innovation: Research

Transforming the Volunteer Experience in the Social Service Sector is the first analysis report of its kind that focuses on investigating and enhancing volunteerism in Singapore. Through the perspectives of volunteers and volunteer managers via surveys and in-depth interviews, this report reveals a framework depicting five key features that contribute towards a quality volunteering experience. The study also makes recommendations on the actionable steps and strategies that Social Service Agencies can adopt to engage their volunteers more strategically, so that they can play a more significant role in delivering enhanced quality services to service users.

Exploring The Intersectionality Between Homelessness And Addiction: A Review, Antonia Miranda

Honors Projects

The homelessness crisis and drug epidemic have been, and continue to, ravage the nation in a manner that is both detrimental to society and humanity. The correlation between substance abuse and homelessness is enormous, though not necessarily causal. The conditions of being homeless coupled with the prevalence of mental illness drastically increases the susceptibility to substance abuse and addiction. On the other hand, addiction and substance abuse can contribute to someone entering homelessness. The intersectionality between the two is frequently ignored, yet critical to address. Informed by research regarding both conditions, the implications for public policy and reform are huge. …

Mental Health Disorders And Psychotropic Medication: Prevalence And Related Characteristics Among Individuals In Foster Care, Jill Mcleigh, Lauren Malthaner, Madeline Tovar, Mohsin Khan

Behavioral Health/Developmental Delay

This study sought to provide prevalence data for mental health (MH) diagnoses and psychotropic medication prescriptions among individuals in foster care and to examine their relationships with physical health status, maltreatment type, placement type, and demographic variables.

For questions about this study or others, please email [email protected]

childrens.com/fostercare

The Mental Health Experiences Of Daca Recipients And Non-Daca Recipients, Lizeth Ariana Guadalupe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Millions of immigrant children without legal status grow up in the U.S. and aspire to live and thrive in American society. However, without legal status, they face challenges in integrating into society. Implemented in 2012, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was created to help immigrant youth integrate into society by providing them with work permits, facilitating educational opportunities, and protection from deportation. However, not all immigrant children qualify for DACA, and the recent legal challenges to DACA prohibit new applicants and put roughly 600,000 recipients in legal limbo. The research questions this study poses are 1.) How …

Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants: A Study Of Burnout And Quality Of Life, Lori Light

University Honors Program Senior Projects

This study examines whether flight attendant lifestyles, including commutes, relationships, home life, and seniority, are associated with burnout levels, quality of life, and difficulty detaching from work during time off. Participants were collected through a private Facebook page for Southwest Airlines flight attendants, and responded from varying locations, seniority groups, and demographic categories. It was hypothesized that being employed during the pandemic would indicate higher burnout levels, regardless of whether participants opted to fly during that time. In addition, we proposed that commuting flight attendants that travel to their base by airplane have a lower quality of life and psychological …

Measuring Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In The Child Welfare Workforce, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

QIC-Tips

Some child welfare professionals have stated that there is a critical need for systemic changes to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion, but where do child welfare agencies begin? Although change is never easy, the starting place on the journey to have a diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) workforce is relatively simple. It starts with you—a child welfare supervisor, manager, or administrator. Start by considering what you think you know. Is your knowledge based on perception or data? What experiences shape your perceptions? What tools do you have to measure your workforce? Administrative data sets and surveys that gather both qualitative …

Factors That Increase Social Worker Longevity In Child Welfare Services, Heather Lovejoy

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

High social worker turnover rates have impacted Child Welfare Services (CWS) for many years and remains a consistent issue. Retaining child welfare social workers is important to effectively serve clientele involved with CWS. This study sought to identify factors that increase social worker longevity in CWS. Using a post-positivist approach, the researcher gathered qualitative data from employees who previously and currently work for CWS in southern California through interviews. The researcher interviewed ten participants. Of those participants, four are no longer employed with a CWS agency and six remained employed with CWS, all with different lengths of employment and came …

"Challenge And Hold One Another Accountable:" Social Work Faculty Respond To Incivility, Njeri Kagotho, Jennifer Mcclendon, Shannon R. Lane, Todd Vanidestine, Matthew Bogenschutz, Theresa D. Flowers, Lauren Wilson

Social Work (Graduate) Faculty Publications

Incivility within social work education reflects patterns seen across higher education and within society. Previous work has found that social work faculty are reluctant to report incivility and have limited confidence in their ability to address it effectively. In order to address potential solutions, this paper uses qualitative data (n = 164) drawn from a larger survey of social work faculty in the United States. The exploratory analysis focuses on strategies social work faculty use when experiencing incivility and bullying them-selves, and methods recommended by social work faculty to confront incivility administratively and systemically within the social work academy. Responses …

Queer Need In The Natural State: An Exploratory Needs Assessment Of The 2slgbtqia+ Community In Northwest Arkansas, Leea Jean Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the current needs of the 2sLGBTQIA+ community in Northwest Arkansas between the ages of 18-40 and what their experiences have been attempting to get their needs met. Eight semi-structured interviews were completed with members of the 2sLGBTQIA+ population, and ethical considerations were made throughout the process. The findings of this study were expansive and included six overarching themes with various subthemes. The findings report on the specific needs outlined by participants, how participants found the resources to meet their needs, and common positive and negative experiences that participants identified in the process. Findings showed that intersectional identities …