Social Work Commons^™

An Effective Nonprofit Board-Executive Relationship Starts With Defined Roles, Jaxon Didericksen

Research on Capitol Hill

Nonprofit executive directors have three, seven, and sometimes over 15 bosses. Their relationship with the board is complex to navigate, but it is crucial to organizational success.

Social Networks And Their Impact On Social Values In The United Arab Emirates, Muhammad Al-Naqbi

Journal of Police and Legal Sciences

The aim of the study was to measure the impact of social media networks on societal values in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). To achieve this objective, a questionnaire was used as a data collection tool, and a social survey method was employed within the study's community. A simple random sample of 50 individuals was selected from the employees of the Social Support Center and the Department of Social Care in the Emirate of Sharjah. The study found several results, including that social media networks contribute to learning unethical behaviors and the spread of extremist ideas that affect societal values. …

Using Sbirt (Screen, Brief Intervention, And Referral Treatment) Training To Reduce The Stigmatization Of Substance Use Disorders Among Students And Practitioners, Efren Gomez, Matthew Gyger, Stephanie Borene, Amanda Klein-Cox, Ramona Denby, Sara Hunt, Oscar Sida

Social Work Faculty Research

Negative attitudes and stigmatization of substance-using patients lead to treatment avoidance and poor physical and health out- comes. Research suggests that training in substance use disorders is a vital tool to abate negative attitudes among health workers. The present longitudinal study trained students and experienced practitioners from various disciplines on the evidence-based Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) model. The study found significant improvements in the attitudes of students—but not practitioners—who were trained during the program. The paper discusses policy and implementation implications to support and complement sustained impact of training on models such as SBIRT.

Over The Hills And Through The Hollers: How One Program Is Assisting Residents Of Appalachia With Opioid Use Recovery, Aubrey E. Jones, Jayme E. Walters, Aaron R. Brown

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: The consequences of increasing opioid misuse in the U.S. over the last two decades have been severe, contributing to hundreds of thousands of lives lost and heavy tolls on individuals, families, and society. The Appalachian Region has been hit particularly hard, with its predominantly rural landscape seeing disproportionate increases in opioid misuse and overdoses. These cases have been difficult to address due to poor treatment access and capacity constraints in many areas of Appalachia.

Purpose: The current study focuses on evaluating The Kentucky Access to Recovery Program (KATR), which provides services to individuals recovering from opioid addiction residing in …

Developing An Ecological Model Of Turnover Intent: Associations Among Child Welfare Caseworkers’ Characteristics, Lived Experience, Professional Attitudes, Agency Culture, And Proclivity To Leave, Dana M. Hollinshead, Rebecca Orsi

QIC-WD Journal Articles

Almost a quarter of the child welfare workforce leaves their job each year, and despite clarion calls over the decades, our insights into dynamics underlying turnover remain limited. Using survey data from 276 caseworkers in a Midwestern state, this analysis explores an array of personality, stress, attitudinal, and perception measures and their association with three measures of turnover intent: thinking about quitting, intending to search, and intent to leave. Findings indicate that controlling for demographic factors, burnout, and confidence in decision support from agency leadership had consistent and strong associations with all three outcomes (positive for burnout; negative for decision …

Using Interprofessional Collaboration To Assist Refugees, Hannah E. Hoekstra

Social Work Masters Capstone Projects

This capstone will demonstrate my competency and ability to use interprofessional collaboration with the nine Eastern Kentucky University (2022a) Master of Social Work (MSW) program interprofessional social work practice competencies. I will begin by describing my practicum setting and learning goals (EKU, 2022b) for the MSW program, as well as the two sub-groups within the agency I primarily worked with. Next, I will do a literature review of previously researched interprofessional collaboration with the two sub-groups, before demonstrating my practice of the nine competencies using my practicum experiences. I will then finally end with evaluating the effectiveness of interprofessional collaboration …

Guide To The Alice Pettee Adams Collection, 1880-1990, Orson Kingsley

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

Alice Pettee Adams came from Jaffrey, New Hampshire when she enrolled at the Bridgewater Normal School (now Bridgewater State University) in 1885. She graduated from the four-year program in 1889. In 1891, after a brief stint as a teacher and principal of a high school in her hometown, she went to Okayama, Japan through a Christian Missionary program. She originally had the ambition of dedicating ten years of her life to this social work/education endeavor. Rather than ten years, she went on to dedicate the rest of her life to helping the poor and impoverished in Okayama, Japan.

By the …

Grace Abbott Training Supervision Academy: A Year Of Growth, Collaboration, And Impact, Susan Reay, Grace Abbott Training And Supervision Academy, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Social Work Faculty Publications

I am pleased to share with you our 2023 Grace Abbott Training and Supervision Academy Report: A Year of Growth, Collaboration, and Impact. As you read through our report, you will see that in 2023, we focused on refining our offerings to meet the needs of our loyal base of social workers, mental health practitioners, and critical stakeholders who are passionate about learning and collaborating to improve people's lives. The Grace Abbott Training and Supervision Academy provides evidence-based workforce development through continuing education and supervision for behavioral health practitioners at any career stage. We are committed to breaking down barriers …

Validation Of The Pcl-5, Phq-9, And Gad-7 In A Sample Of Veterans, Aazi Ahmadi, Warren Ponder, Jose Carbajal, Donna Schuman, James Whitworth, R Andrew Yockey, Jeanine Galusha

Faculty Publications

Objective: Veterans can present at nongovernment (Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs) mental health agencies with complex symptom constellations that frequently include posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and generalized anxiety. To date, no veteran study has validated these measures on a treatment-seeking sample of veterans outside the DoD and VA. Methods: We used a treatment-seeking sample of veterans (N = 493) to validate measures that assess these constructs (PTSD Checklist 5, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7). Results: The seven-factor posttraumatic stress disorder hybrid configuration was the best fit. The best fitting model of the depression …

What Can Child Welfare Leaders Do To Improve Job Satisfaction?, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

QIC-Tips

There is a saying, “a happy worker is a productive worker” and research suggests there is a modest relationship between job satisfaction and job performance. But what can child welfare leaders do to create a satisfied, productive workforce when the work is stressful, complex, and challenging? There is a lot of evidence on what employers should be aware of among worker characteristics and the work environment that is related to higher employee job satisfaction. For example, employees who thrive at work are less likely to experience stress and burnout. Positive experiences related to coworkers, supervisors, and the organization show strong …

“We’Re Dealing With An Inhumane Lack Of Resources”: Provider Perspectives On Palliative And End-Of-Life Care For Adults Experiencing Homelessness, M. Pilar Ingle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although palliative and end-of-life (PEOL) care offer many benefits to individuals with life-limiting illness, unhoused individuals face barriers in accessing these forms of care. Despite calls over the last several decades to improve PEOL services for unhoused individuals, this population remains underprioritized in efforts to improve access to healthcare. A richer understanding of these inequities as they relate to the specific social and political contexts within a state, such as Colorado, may offer more direct guidance on opportunities to improve policy and care provision.

The purpose of this study was to explore healthcare and social service provider-identified approaches and challenges …

Sense Of Community And (Third) Place Among Young Adults In Permanent Supportive Housing: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry, Danielle Maude Littman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Unhoused young people have often endured co-occurring experiences of marginalization, including long-term abuse and neglect from systems which have failed to support them. Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is a formal intervention which seeks to offer stability and support to young people. This three-manuscript dissertation uses community-engaged mixed methods to understand sense of community, sense of place, and third places among young adults in PSH in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The first manuscript used longitudinal mixed methods to understand how PSH residents’ (N = 27) sense of community shifts over 1.5 years of living in PSH. We found that residents’ sense …

Guaranteed Income As A Structural Social Work Response To Homelessness In The United States, Katherine Hoops Calhoun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The number of projects exploring guaranteed income, or unconditional direct cash transfers, in the United States has exploded in recent years (Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, 2022a). Between June 2021 and June 2022, the number of city mayors engaged with the group Mayors for Guaranteed Income grew from 11 to 82 (Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, 2022b) and as of Winter 2023, there were over 90 guaranteed income demonstrations and projects in the United States (Guaranteed Income Community of Practice, 2023). Guaranteed income refers to direct cash transfers, often to targeted populations, that are unconditional, consistent, predictable, and flexible (Castro …

Internal Family Systems (Ifs) Therapy: Non-Pathologizing Healing For Inner Peace, Sylvia Hill

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is a new approach to healing of the wounds and burdens caused by trauma, neglect and other relational injuries. The history of the development of IFS is outlined. The basic assumptions of IFS are shared. The roles parts take on in response to trauma are explained. The process of working with parts to bring about healing are described. Research on IFS is listed followed by a brief discussion of how IFS can fit within a Christian framework. Two case studies are provided to illustrate IFS being used in conjunction with Christian beliefs.

Inspiring Macro Practice Through Rural Social Work: Teaching Notes On Experiential Learning, Dana C. Branson

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Experiential learning is the cornerstone of social work education and has been shown to be highly beneficial to students, especially with increased self-confidence in skills, interest in similar work post-graduation, cultural humility, application of theory to practice, problem solving skills, and critical thinking. Additionally, experiential learning opportunities support the nine competencies of social work education and provides students with an opportunity to try out their budding skills with the guidance and supervision of seasoned social workers. This paper discusses an innovative course project that allowed a group of social work students to engage in macro-level social work practice and grant …

The Covid-19 Pandemic As A Catalyst For Integrated Global Mental Healthcare And Tuberculosis Care, Alexander L. Chu, Aneeta Pasha, Carmen Contreras, Leonid Lecca, Annika C. Sweetland, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Mental disorders are common among persons with tuberculosis (TB), and the COVID-19 pandemic has only amplified the mental and physical health consequences of this deadly synergy. Here, we call to attention the immense vulnerability of people with TB to mental disorders during the pandemic and highlight the unique challenges and opportunities that the pandemic brings to the future integration of global TB and mental healthcare. We argue that the pandemic era is an ideal period to accelerate this integration and we provide research and policy recommendations to actualise this urgent need.

Hearing Aid Loan Program For Hearing Loss At The End Of Life, M. Courtney Hughes, Diane Schecklong, King Chung

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

This article describes a hearing aid loan program to provide free amplification devices for patients at the end of life to help them communicate more effectively at this critical time. It includes steps for establishing such a program, addressing challenges, and the role of the informal caregiver throughout the intervention. Healthcare professionals and social workers are encouraged to develop similar programs and use the information here as helpful suggestions to consider for their programs.

Decision-Making And Christianity: Black Queer Women's Mental Health, Deborah Coffy

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study investigated how Christianity affects Black queer women's decision-making regarding seeking mental health services. Those who felt they met the inclusion criteria completed a Basic Demographic Survey. After vetting these individuals, eleven female participants—who are both Black and queer—were asked to participate in an individual semi-structured qualitative interview. The interview focused on one's journey with mental health, societal and relationship influences, Black and LGBTQ+ identity, influences from conservative, traditional, or mainstream Christianity, and sense of self. Although Christianity may not have directly impacted most of the women in this study to seek mental health services, Christianity did have an …

Predicting Alcohol Consequences Using Family History And Audit-C Scores, Victoria Ell, The Spit For Science Working Group, Karen Chartier Phd, Msw

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Does Ethnic-Racial Discrimination And Alcohol Use Predict Anxiety Symptoms In Female Black And Latine College Students, Paloma Rodriquez Saucedo, Arlenis Santana Phd, Johanna Pasquel, Chelsea D. Williams Phd

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Early Onset Age Of Regular Alcohol Use In Indigenous Persons, Angel Lewis, The Spit For Science Working Group, Amy Adkins Phd, Karen Chartier Phd, Msw

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

School Stability And Foster Care Youth, Noah Thomas, Victoria Cashio, Muna Saleh, Philip Lee, Florence Martinez, Jamie Cage Phd

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Relational Disruptions And Mental Health Among Sexual Minority College Students During Covid-19, Nia Warren, The Spit For Science Working Group, Traci Wike Phd

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

How Is Ethnic-Racial Identity Affirmation, Exploration, And Resolution Related To Flourishing In Emerging Adult Students Of Color?, Johanna Pasquel, Chelsea D. Williams Phd, Arlenis Santana Phd, Paloma Rodriguez Saucedo, Amy Adkins Phd, Herb Hill Ed.D

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Addressing The Health Of Children In Foster Care, The Rees-Jones Center For Foster Care Excellence

White Papers and Policy Briefs

Studies have shown high rates of physical, developmental and behavioral health concerns along with high rates of health care utilization, among children and adolescents in foster care. In 2016, the Rees-Jones Center for Foster Care Excellence produced a white paper entitled, Addressing the Health and Safety of Children in Foster Care (Children’s HealthSM, 2016), which drew attention to some of these needs and made recommendations for promoting improved health-related outcomes for this population. Much has changed during the last six years, and the purpose of this current white paper is to highlight progress made, draw attention to new and continuing …

Empowering Kinship Caregivers In Texas: A Call To Action For Policy Change, The Rees-Jones Center For Foster Care Excellence

White Papers and Policy Briefs

Kinship care refers to the care of children and adolescents by relatives or close family friends, who are referred to as fictive kin. These relationships can be formal, meaning the child has been removed from a parent and placed by Child Protective Services (CPS) into the care of a relative or family friend, or informal, meaning the relationship occurs without any involvement from CPS. This brief focuses on the former and uses the term kinship care to refer to formal kinship caregiving.

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

childrens.com/fostercare

Exploring An Unrecognized Grief: A Quantitative Study Of Older American Parents Whose Only Child Has Died, Yongqiang Zheng, Jeongah Kim, Leslie G. Wuest

Faculty Publications - College of Social Work

In the United States, older parents who have experienced the
death of their only child constitute an extremely understudied
group. Based on a conceptual framework developed from
Worden’s “mediators of mourning,” this cross-sectional study
hypothesized that older bereaved parents who experience
severe grief symptoms would differ from those with less
severe grief on age, time since death, attachment style, coping
strategy, social support, and spirituality. It further aimed to
investigate the association between the above factors and
aggravated or alleviated grief symptoms. A sample of 183
bereaved adults over age 50 was recruited and an online sur-
vey was utilized …

Understanding Social Care, Teresa Brown, Kevin Lalor

Books/Book chapters

As the English writer L. P. Hartley noted in opening his 1953 novel The Go-Between, ‘The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there’. The previous edition of this book was published in 2013, and indeed Ireland then was in many ways a substantially different place. It was a country that had suffered the ignominy of being ‘bailed out’ by our European partners after the trauma of the financial crash that had commenced in 2008. Hard to believe now, but commentators bemoaned the excessive level of construction of houses and hotels, marriage equality for LGBTQ+ people was still …

Case Manager Perspectives On Transition Services For Youth With Intellectual Disabilities, Alecha Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth with intellectual disabilities have poorer outcomes during the transition period from school to adulthood. Very few studies were found that examine the perspective of the human service case manager. The perspectives of human service case managers were examined regarding the services that are needed to help youth with intellectual disabilities transition effectively. The study's purpose was to determine the services available and those needed to help support the transition from school to work, college, or in living independently for youth with intellectual disabilities. The theoretical framework for this study was Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory used to explore the errors …

Clinicians' Perceptions Of Telehealth Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Virginia, Johnetta Hill Guishard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The onset of COVID-19 introduced unprecedented changes to how U.S. public health services were delivered. Many public and private agencies faced mandatory closures, social distancing mandates, and rapid transitions to telehealth interventions and treatment. Mental health clinicians witnessed disruptions in continuity of care and an increase in mental health risks overall. Although some studies have been conducted to survey clinicians’ perceptions of the usefulness and ease of use of technology-based interventions, knowledge about mental health clinicians’ experiences and perceptions in Virginia was sparse. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore how mental health clinicians in Virginia described …