Social Work Commons^™

Ethnic Minority Children’S Perceptions Of Violence Exposure In Communities, Caleb Kim, Rana Hong

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

Ethnic minority children living in urban communities that are socioeconomically disadvantaged are disproportionately exposed to violence. However, little is known about their perceptions of violence, day-to-day experiences of violence, and multifaceted risk factors for preventing their exposure to violence. Using a focus group method, this study explores minority children's definition of violence, daily exposure to violence, and perceived risk factors in the context of developing an effective violence prevention program. Findings from this study will help community practitioners and policymakers understand these children's lived experiences and provide insights for designing and implementing a community-based violence prevention program in disadvantaged urban …

Unstable Housing In Rural Communities, Amber Theis, Ruth Chalstrom, Kara Richard

Student Projects

Housing is a crucial part of survival and one’s ability to engage in life, but the increasing difficulty in obtaining affordable, quality, safe housing is of great concern. To better understand the housing crisis and be equipped to advocate on behalf of the unhoused, research was conducted on many factors including correlation with the ACES study, the housing crisis in America, the redefinition of housing terms, psychological impact on both adult and children, and the physical impacts of housing insecurity. It becomes evident that housing is a complex, multi-faceted issue. Nonetheless, it is one that requires significant consideration. There are …

Small Town, Big Impact: Bringing Awareness To Human Trafficking, Meridith Hochstetler, Taylea Mills, Hannah Odell

Student Projects

The goal of this community project was to bring awareness to human trafficking in rural communities. Researchers completed research to further educate themselves so that they would be able to educate persons in the community about the issue. The collected information of the issues surrounding human trafficking and how to bring awareness to the issue. Researchers organized two community events, a trivia night and awareness walk, and encouraged community members to participate. Through these events organizers were able to initiate conversations with members of the community and educate them about what human trafficking looks like in their community. Organizers collected …

Calling Attention To Campus Trends: Let’S Talk About Wellness, Mandy Magalhaes, Rachel Cullity

The Graduate Review

Abstract

This article explores the emerging focus on self-care and wellness amongst college students. In this article, the authors highlight the cultural shift from the “grind culture,” the complete and exhaustive dedication towards one’s work, to a focus on individual and community well being and how educational institutions are responding to students’ needs (Absher, 2020). Bridgewater State University's current response to student wellness is discussed, with a focus on the School of Social Work’s research efforts, programs and services being implemented, from the voices of graduate students. Self-care and wellness is an emerging conversation occurring in many professions and educational …

Human Trafficking Of People With A Disability: An Analysis Of State And Federal Cases, Andrea Nichols, Erin Heil

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The current academic discourse examining human trafficking is lacking in focus on survivors with a disability. The increased likelihood of abuse experienced by people with a disability is well documented in the research literature, and a small body of research indicates heightened sex trafficking victimization of minor girls with a disability. Yet, very little research specifically examines sex and/or labor trafficking of people with a disability, and no systematic research analyzes prosecuted cases of trafficking with disability as the focal point of analysis. Drawing from a content analysis of 18 federal and 17 state cases of human trafficking, the current …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) And Substance Use: A Review Of The Literature, Alexandra Scott

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that happen in a child’s life. These experiences can cause multiple negative outcomes for the child even into their adult life. In the United States, roughly one in ten children have experienced three or more ACEs, and nearly half of all children in the United States have experienced at least one ACE. These problems can be physical, mental, personal and social. Of these outcomes, the individual could develop alcoholism or addiction to substances. Substance abuse is the overindulgence or dependence on substances that are addictive, mainly drugs or alcohol. The relevance substance …

Challenges Faced By Recently Emancipated Youth, Williams Peña, Jerry Walter Butkiewicz Iii

Communication Senior Capstones

In this academic research paper, we will be exploring the challenges faced by recently emancipated youth. We chose this topic because of the fact that this is not often spoken about or taught to the general public. This lack of attention to these issues creates hurdles when attempting to solve these sensitive issues. Considering this, we thought it would be a strong choice for further research and review. We explored many obstacles these new adults face. One such issue that we would like to touch on is the unstable housing situation of these recently emancipated individuals. Another prudent example is …

Teaching Note—Teaching Trumpism, Hannah E. Karpman, Rory Crath

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

The election of Donald Trump was an astounding moment in the history of the United States. As academics across disciplines and social work as a profession struggled to understand the election and its effects, several syllabi were crowd sourced to explain the phenomenon known as Trumpism. This article describes a social work social policy course derived from these syllabi, as well as the pedagogical choices and consequences of teaching this course at the graduate level.

The Structural Clinical Model: Disrupting Oppression In Clinical Social Work Through An Integrative Practice Approach, Maria Del Mar Fariña, Peggy O'Neill

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

It is critical that clinical social workers become actively aware of the endemic processes and manifestations of racism, social inequities, structures and dynamics of white supremacy within and across organizational, supervisory and clinical relationships. The Structural-Clinical Model (SCM) is presented, providing a multi-layered and theoretically rich pathway for clinical social workers to examine the intricate, and multifaceted interconnections expressing racialized oppressive forces across macro, meso and micro systems that impact the totality of clinical practice. SCM integrates critical race theory, liberation psychology, and relational theories bridging long standing theoretical and conceptual divides. The SCM aims to de-pathologize clients, recognizing instead …

Searching For Consistency In Attendance Data Recording, Reporting, And Utilization In The Usa, Patricia A. Graczyk, Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, Amber Humm Patnode, Sara E. Moulton

Founder’s College - Scholarship and Professional Work

"According to the United States Department of Education (USDOE), 16% or over eight million kindergarten through twelfth grade students in the US missed 10% or more school days during the 2017−2018 school year. This is approximately 18 of 180 days required. We know this because schools are mandated to report their attendance data to their respective states and to the USDOE. There are concerns around accuracy and consistency because each state is al-lowed to compile data in their own way and report only select metrics to the USDOE to comply with federal guidelines. The consistency on federal metrics, nonetheless, allows …

Revealing Underlying Factors Of Absenteeism: A Machine Learning Approach, Francis Bowen, Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, Jane Siegler, Marlin Jackson

Founder’s College - Scholarship and Professional Work

Introduction: The basis of support is understanding. In machine learning, understanding happens through assimilated knowledge and is centered on six pillars: big data, data volume, value, variety, velocity, and veracity. This study analyzes school attendance problems (SAP), which encompasses its legal statutes, school codes, students’ attendance behaviors, and interventions in a school environment. The support pillars include attention to the physical classroom, school climate, and personal underlying factors impeding engagement, from which socio-emotional factors are often the primary drivers.

Methods: This study asked the following research question: What can we learn about specific underlying factors of absenteeism using machine learning …

“It Doesn’T Matter How Good The School Is If You Don’T Learn To Socialize”: Latinx Immigrant Students’ Testimonios Of Coping With Social Isolation In High School, Jenn M. Lilly

Social Service Faculty Publications

Understanding how Latinx immigrant youth cope with the stressor of social isolation is vital to understanding and improving their functioning and well-being; yet little is known about how they cope with experiences of social isolation in school. To fill this gap in the literature, the purpose of this exploratory study was to qualitatively examine the coping strategies that Latinx immigrant students utilized in the face of social isolation in one high school in a newer Latinx destination in the U.S. south. This study employed a narrative and culturally congruent methodological approach, analyzing the digital testimonios of 5 female and 2 …

Returning To Their Roots: Examining The Reintegration Experiences Of Returned Indigenous Migrant Youth In Guatemala, Jenn Miller Scarnato

Social Service Faculty Publications

This article examines the reintegration experiences of Indigenous migrant youth returned to Guatemala from the United States and Mexico, thereby filling a gap in extant literature. This qualitative study employed a critical ethnographic approach with reflexive thematic analysis of fieldwork and interviews with social service providers working with this population through the lens of Critical Latinx Indigeneities. Four major themes emerged: identity negotiation (subthemes being Indigenous identities and returned migrant identities), trauma and its consequences, institutional and internalized oppression, and decolonization. Implications for social work emphasize the importance of Indigenous and decolonizing approaches to social work.

“There's So Much They Don't Cover:” Limitations Of Healthcare Coverage For Indigenous Women In A Non-Federally Recognized Tribe, Jessica L. Liddell, Jenn M. Lilly

Social Service Faculty Publications

Access to healthcare is an essential component in addressing health disparities. However, the limitations of insurance coverage, and other barriers in paying for and accessing healthcare have seldom been researched for Indigenous peoples. In addition, state recognized tribes do not have access to the healthcare services provided by the Indian Health Service, and there is a need for research documenting their unique healthcare needs. Qualitative description was used to conduct 31 semi-structured interviews with women from an Indigenous tribe in the Gulf South to understand their experiences in paying for healthcare services. Participants described: (1) Discrimination Based on Perceived Ability …

Why Are So Many Indigenous Peoples Dying And No One Is Paying Attention? Depressive Symptoms And “Loss Of Loved Ones” As A Result And Driver Of Health Disparities, Catherine E. Mckinley, Jennifer Miller Scarnato, Sara Sanders

Social Service Faculty Publications

Indigenous peoples have not only experienced a devastating rate of historical loss of lives, they are more likely to experience mortality disparities. The purpose of this article is to examine Indigenous women’s lived experiences of grief and loss in two Southeastern tribes and the relationship between depressive symptoms and recent loss of a loved one. Our exploratory sequential mixed-methods research was informed by the Indigenous based Framework of Historical Oppression, Resilience, and Transcendence (FHORT). We summarized key qualitative themes from ethnographic data from 287 female participants across the two tribes, collected through focus groups, family interviews, and individual interviews. We …

“When You Come Together And Do Everything, It’Ll Be Better For Everybody”: Exploring Gender Relations Among Two Southeastern Native American Tribes, Jenn M. Lilly, Catherine E. Mckinley, Hannah Knipp, Jessica L. Liddell

Social Service Faculty Publications

Prior to the imposition of patriarchal colonial norms, Native American (NA) gender relations were characterized as complementary and egalitarian; however, little research has explored gender relations within NA communities today. This study used a community-based critical ethnography to explore contemporary NA gender relations with a purposive sample of 208 individuals from the “Coastal Tribe” and 228 participants from the “Inland Tribe.” After participant observation, interviews, and focus groups were conducted, a collaborative approach to reconstructive analysis was used to identify themes in the data. Within these communities, gender relations tended to reflect egalitarian and cooperative but gendered norms, and participants …

Healthcare Experiences Of Uninsured And Under-Insured American Indian Women In The United States, Jessica L. Liddell, Jenn M. Lilly

Social Service Faculty Publications

Background: Extensive health disparities exist for American Indian groups throughout the United States. Although insurance status is linked to important healthcare outcomes, this topic has infrequently been explored for American Indian tribes. For state-recognized tribes, who do not receive healthcare services through the Indian Health Service, this topic has yet to be explored. The purpose of this study is to explore how having limited access to health insurance (being uninsured or under-insured) impact American Indian women’s healthcare experiences?.

Methods: In partnership with a community advisory board, this study used a qualitative description approach to conduct thirty-one semi-structured life-course …

‘A Learning Experience’: Disciplinary And Parenting Practices Among Native American Families, Catherine Mckinley, Hannah Knipp, Jenn M. Lilly

Social Service Faculty Publications

Research indicates that effective disciplinary practices, such as offering praise and teaching acceptable versus non-acceptable behaviour, can act as protective factors against the social and behavioural health disparities experienced by Native Americans (NA). The purpose of this critical ethnographic study (n = 436 qualitative elder, adult, youth and professional participants) was to use the Framework of Historical Oppression, Resilience, and Transcendence (FHORT) to qualitatively examine participants' reported experiences of disciplinary practices. Thematic analysis of qualitative results indicated several approaches to disciplining children, which included the following themes: (a) Establishing Structure and Boundaries; (b) Taking Away Privileges and Rewarding Good Behavior; …

A “Totally, Acceptably Racist Environment”: Examining Anti-Black Racism In A School Of Social Work, Jenn M. Lilly, Jasmine Hillyer, Eboni Jaggers, Kayla Garnigan

Social Service Faculty Publications

Social work education is considered an important venue for advancing the field’s commitment to anti-racism. This research employed collective auto- biographical methods within a Critical Race Theory framework to explore Black social work students’ experiences of anti-Black racism in the learning environment of a Predominantly White Institution. Data was analyzed through a collaborative, inductive approach. Analysis revealed four interrelated themes: 1) racial microaggressions directed at Black students; 2) the perceived complicity of school administration in maintaining a racist environment; 3) the harm that an anti-Black racist learning environment caused to Black students; and 4) a relational approach to challenging anti-Black …

“It’S In The Family Circle”: Communication Promoting Indigenous Family Resilience, Catherine E. Mckinley, Jenn M. Lilly

Social Service Faculty Publications

Objective: We use the Framework of Historical Oppression, Resilience, and Transcendence (FHORT) to investigate the framework’s core concept of family resilience and related protective and promotive factors that contribute to greater resilience, namely communication.

Background: Scant research has examined communication in Indigenous families; yet general research suggests that family communication is a prominent aspect of family resilience.

Methods: In this exploratory sequential mixed-methods study with data from 563 Indigenous participants (n = 436 qualitative and n = 127 quantitative survey), thematic reconstructive analysis was used to qualitatively understand participants’ experiences of family communication and quantitatively examine protective …

‘Marriage Is Going To Fix It’: Indigenous Women’S Experiences With Early Childbearing, Early Marriage And Intimate Partner Violence, Catherine E. Mckinley, Jenn M. Lilly

Social Service Faculty Publications

Intimate partner violence (IPV), early childbearing (ECB) and early marriage (EM) are interconnected to the historical oppression of patriarchal colonialism imposed upon Indigenous peoples throughout the world by colonising nations, such as the UK. The artefacts of colonial oppression persist in both colonising nations and those that have been colonised through social norms of patriarchal oppression perpetuated upon women with far-reaching consequences. Indigenous women of the US experience higher rates of IPV, ECB and EM than any other ethnic group—which pose risks to women’s physical, psychological, socioeconomic and educational status. The purpose of this study is to explore Indigenous women’s …

Community Health Worker Program Syllabus, Daniel Matishek, Jaunia Clarke

Open Educational Resources

Syllabus for Community Health Worker programs. This includes an outline for instruction, resources to supplement learning, assignments issued to students, course objectives, information about institutional resources, and related content.

Social Work Newsletter 2020-2021-2022, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Social Work.

Social Work Newsletter

In this Issue:

--- Years in Review 2020-2022
--- New Staff & Faculty Highlights: Sarina Carrillo; Jaimie O'Gara; Angelica Velazquillo Franco
--- In Memoriam: James G. McCullagh
--- Student Spotlight: Monifah (Mo) Ponton; Chit Phuu
--- Alumni Spotlight: Ashley Wood; Ariane Hakizimana
--- Highlights from the Field: Arielle Roth; Zoey Weber; Emma Baertlein; Madison Neece
--- Agency Partnership Highlights
--- Conference Highlights
--- UNI Boasts Top Ranking MSW Program
--- Social Work Advisory Board

Phoenix: An Indigenous Learner, Gus Hill

Lyle S. Hallman Social Work Faculty Publications

The purpose of this chapter is to highlight an Indigenous experience in the school system in Canada in case study format, to provide some reflections on the experience, and to make some recommendations as to how to mitigate the experience. This will be accomplished by providing some background/history related to the education system and Indigenous learners, a case study of PHOENIX, and asking some critical questions related to PHOENIX’S experience. The questions on offer within this chapter are for you to use as prompts for your self-reflection. I hope you will use them wisely, not on others, but on your …

Analyse Prospective De L’Adaptation Des Travailleurs En Centre De Protection De L’Enfance Et De La Jeunesse Exposés À Un Évènement Potentiellement Traumatique : Effets D’Une Intervention De Soutien Par Des Pairs, Stéphane Guay, Alexandre Lemyre, Josianne Lamothe, Steve Geoffrion

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Problématique. Les travailleurs des services de protection de l’enfance sont exposés de manière répétée à des événements potentiellement traumatiques (EPT) dans le cadre de leur travail, notamment des actes de violence. Ils sont ainsi susceptibles de développer des problèmes de santé mentale tels que l’anxiété, l’insomnie, la dépression et des symptômes de stress post- traumatiques. Sur le plan professionnel, les EPT engendrent des coûts élevés pour l’individu et l’organisation : baisse de la satisfaction au travail, absentéisme, changement d’emploi, baisse de productivité, etc. Dans ce contexte, le Centre de la protection de l’enfance et de la jeunesse (CPEJ) du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île …

Is Embedded Behavioral Health Embedded Enough? Why Behavioral Health Officers Should Be Battalion Level Assets, Amy Hernandez

DSW Capstone Projects

Due to the long-lasting military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, current military members are likely to have deployed multiple times and have experienced chronic high-intensity stress. Numerous studies have demonstrated that military service members are at elevated risk for various psychiatric problems and substantially underutilize mental health services. This capstone consists of a series of academic papers: systematic review, conceptualization paper and practical application paper aimed at exploring barriers to care and conceptualizing possible solutions. The research question guiding the systematic review is what actual or perceived barrier to care has the most significant impact on solider under-utilization rates of …

Exploring Shared Trauma In The Time Of Covid: A Simulation-Based Survey Study Of Mental Health Clinicians, Kenta Asakura, Ruxandra M. Gheorghe, Danielle Rieger, Sarah Tarshis, Stephanie Borgen, Amedeo D'Angiullibrought

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

From fear of contracting the virus, isolation from physical distancing, to navigating lifework balance, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to leave long-lasting psychosocial impacts on many. Shared trauma refers to similar psychological reactions to an extraordinary community event when experienced by both the clinicians and clients. We examined the experiences mong mental health clinicians in Canada and the United States (n = 196) in this online survey study during the second phase of the pandemic (Spring 2021). In addition to using traditional survey items (e.g., demographics, scales, and short answers), we also used video-recorded Simulated Clients (SC; i.e., professional actors) …

Tracing The Evolution Of Welfare Discourse From 1990 To 2016, Jenifer A. Norton

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

In August 1996, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) as the primary cash welfare program for single mothers and children. A political debate during the early to mid-1990s that was particularly hard on welfare recipients culminated in a block grant to states tied to mandatory work requirements and time-limited lifetime benefits for recipients. Media coverage during this period closely tracked the unfolding political discourse around welfare reform and recipients. Following TANF’s implementation, though, coverage dwindled to near nonexistent levels. At this writing in early 2022, TANF remains part of the social safety …

The Negative Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) On Behavioral Problems Of Children In Kinship Care: The Protective Role Of Kinship Caregivers' Mental Health, Yanfeng Xu, Merav Jedwab, Kerry Lee, Sue E. Levkoff

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

This study aims to examine the (a) prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among children in kinship care; (b) relationships between the number and type of ACEs and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems; and (c) moderating role of kinship caregivers’ mental health on the relationships between ACEs and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems. A sample of children in kinship care (N = 224) obtained from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II was used. Ordinary least squares regression models were conducted. Results indicated that neglect followed by parental substance abuse were found to be the most prevalent …

Mental Health And Behavioral Outcomes Among Jamaican Women: The Role Of Childhood Abuse And Witnessing Parental Violence, Kerry Lee, Sharon Rose Priestley, Kevin K. Hylton

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Background

Studies have shown significant links between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental and behavioral health outcomes. However, limited research has examined these associations among Jamaican women.

Objective

We investigated the associations between individual (sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and witnessing a mother being abused) and categorized (0, 1, 2, 3–4) ACEs and depression, anxiety, alcohol and marijuana use among Jamaican women.

Participants and setting

Data were obtained from the 2016 Women’s Health Survey (WHS)—a nationally representative sample of young Jamaican women aged 15–64 years.

Methods

A series of multivariate (OLS) and logistic regression analyses were conducted. OLS regression analyses …