Social Work Commons^™

A Systems Approach To Revenue Fluctuation In Nonprofit Human Service Organizations, Joshua James Hunter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nonprofit Human Services Organizations (NPO) are normally considered to do all they can to work toward providing clients with optimal services (Bowman, 2011). What has not been considered is the possibility that NPOs sometimes allocate more revenue toward accumulating profit than toward generating services. This study used IRS 990 Forms of 150 private nonprofits from 2009 to 2010 to investigate whether NPOs did this at the peak of the recent recession, a time when there was a strong need for NPOs to increase their level of services. Results showed revenue increased 56%, services increased 1.4%, profit increased 43%, operating margin …

The Relationship Between Hospitalizations And Anxiety And Depression Symptoms In Patients With Cystic Fibrosis, Ronni T. Barker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2015, the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation collaborated with the European CF Society to develop new guidelines to screen for depression and anxiety in people with CF. The guidelines were based on a study that assessed over 6,000 patients and 4,000 caregivers among 45 centers in the United States and eight European countries. Research has proven that depression and anxiety have a negative impact on CF and overall health. 186 adolescents within the CF clinic at Children’s Health Center voluntarily completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7). These screenings were completed between February 2016-March 2017 and …

Waiting For The Wisdom To Drop: A Photovoice Exploration Of Menopause, Delinda L. Free

Student Research Symposium

The purpose of this study was to create a women’s menopause discussion group based on the Photo Voice method, to use a narrative approach to learn what is currently relevant in the experience of menopausal women, to reveal insights about menopause as a phase of psychological development, and to bring a visual representation together with narratives to tell a story about the collective psychological themes. Participants were asked to meet and reflect on what has changed in their values, attitudes, aspirations, goals, and outlook on life. Then participants were asked to take pictures over the course of a week, and …

Kinship Care: Policy And Practice In The Shenandoah Valley, Anneliese L. Keeler

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Kinship care has a long history of being used as a system of care for children whose parents are unable to care for them. However, it’s formal utilization is much newer in the United States and has significant impact on both families, workers, and society in general. My research explored how the Shenandoah Valley has employed kinship care in various counties. The findings of the study were that while children benefit substantially from kinship care, it is largely underfunded and lacks the support that could allow it to make the biggest positive impact on all parties involved.

A Systematic Review Of Mexican American Elders With Type-2 Diabetes Under Family Care Of Medication Administration In Borderland, Hsueh-Fen S. Kao, Diana L. Woods, Minzhi Ye, Lin Chen, Maria A. Amaya, Show-Mei Lin

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The prevalence of type-2 diabetes (T2DM) among Mexican-American older adults along the U.S.-Mexico border region is at epidemic proportions. Healthcare reform is trending toward long-term home-based management of chronic conditions. Under the Mexican cultural norm of familism, daily care for elders is also often provided by family caregivers whose competence levels may vary. Adherence to the prescribed medication regimen is critical to attainment of optimal glucose control. However, there is a startling lack of literature that addresses the link between family medication administration and care recipients’ health outcome. This paper explores the role of culture in medication administration by family …

Case Study: Healthy Texas Women Program In The Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District, Saul Francisco Delgado

School of Social Work

The public healthcare system faces continuous transformations and challenges of constant adjustments to the increasing usage of fee for service revenue and the decrease of federal investment to women’s healthcare services and to the safety net healthcare providers (Meit, 2013; Weisman, 1997).

In 2016, the Texas 84^th Legislation Session determined to consolidate two existing women’s healthcare service programs into one a single program: the Healthy Texas Women (HTW) program. The new women’s program is a preventative care program that provides services of family planning and chronic illness care under a complete fee for service reambursement system as its sourse …

Case Study: Healthy Texas Women Program In The Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District, Saul Francisco Delgado

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The public healthcare system faces continuous transformations and challenges of constant adjustments to the increasing usage of fee for service revenue and the decrease of federal investment to women’s healthcare services and to the safety net healthcare providers (Meit, 2013; Weisman, 1997).

In 2016, the Texas 84^th Legislation Session determined to consolidate two existing women’s healthcare service programs into one a single program: the Healthy Texas Women (HTW) program. The new women’s program is a preventative care program that provides services of family planning and chronic illness care under a complete fee for service reimbursement system as its sourse …

Warrior To Civilian: The Impact Of Social Identity And Emotional Well-Being On The Community Reintegration Of Us Service Members And Veterans, Mary E. Fortson-Harwell

Doctor of International Conflict Management Dissertations

In this dissertation, the author explores the relationship between the social identity and emotional well-being of military service members and veterans when transitioning to civilian roles following deployment(s) and/or the end of military service. This mixed-methods study uses participant observations, survey measures, and semi-structured interviews to answer the following questions: How does social identity impact the emotional well-being of military service members when transitioning to civilian roles following deployment(s) and/or end of military service? How does participation in formalized or ad hoc community reintegration “rituals” influence the service member’s felt sense of return? By combining Social Identity Theory with Maslow’s …

The Effect Of Anxiety And Depression On College Students’ Academic Performance: Exploring Social Support As A Moderator, Katherine H. Bisson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore how social support is related to the overall well-being of college students. Literature suggests social support buffers a negative effect of distress on academic performance. This study attempts to provide practical information for a program called Student Opportunities, Advocacy, and Resources (SOAR) at Abilene Christian University (ACU), which assists students and connects them to resources available to support their path to success. A multiple linear regression was conducted to examine the association between anxiety, depression, social support, and academic performance using a sample of 93 students enrolled in this program in Fall …

School Of Social Work, May 2017, College Of Health And Human Services

Social Work Newsletter

• Upcoming Events
• Please welcome Dr. Jennifer Harrison as an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work, effective August 2017.
• Dr. Dee Sherwood, Faculty Specialist II, and Coordinator of Extended University Program, Grand Rapids, has won a CDC case study grant in collaboration with Public Health faculty Dr. Shannon McMorrow and Dr. Vivian Valdmanis.

The Everyday Food Practices Of Community-Dwelling Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender (Lgbt) Older Adults, Nevin Cohen, Kristen Cribbs

Publications and Research

Malnutrition during old age is a significant public health issue. Prevailing behavioral and structural senior malnutrition interventions have had marginal success, largely failing to reflect the realities of people's daily lives. This novel study employed Social Practice Theory (SPT) to explore the food practices of an under-researched, yet highly vulnerable, segment of the older adult population—Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) seniors. Four focus groups were conducted with 31 older adult clients and volunteers at a national LGBT social service and advocacy organization. Findings revealed that food practices—far from being mere expressions of individuals' choices or immutable habits—are entities composed …

Homo Faber Juvenalis: A Multidisciplinary Survey Of Children As Tool Makers/Users, David F. Lancy

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

The overall goal of this paper is to derive a set of generalizations that might characterize children as tool makers/users in the earliest human societies. These generalizations will be sought from the collective wisdom of four distinct bodies of scholarship: lithic archaeology; juvenile chimps as novice tool users; recent laboratory work in human infant and child cognition, focused on objects becoming tools and; the ethnographic study of children learning their community’s tool-kit. The presumption is that this collective wisdom will yield greater insight into children’s development as tool producers and users than has been available to scholars operating within narrower …

Understanding Aging Well From The Perspectives Of Homebound Older Adults, Debra Lynn Rogers

Social Work Theses - Archive

With the population becoming “grayer” the United States has begun to question what it means to be aging well. Previous research has examined what it means to age well how to diminish age-related losses, although there is a lack of consensus about what this means. The older adult population is diverse regarding race, ethnicity, sex, culture, sexual orientation, and ability; thus, aging well can mean different things to different people. Due to this diversity, the subjective perspectives and experiences of older adults are important to understand the processes of aging well and expand its conceptualization to a heterogeneous population of …

Effectiveness Of Suicide Prevention Programs To Reduce Suicide Ideation And Behavior In Older Adults: A Systematic Review Of The Literature From 2009-2016, Marissa Steen Wallace

Social Work Theses - Archive

A systematic review was conducted to replicate a previous systematic review and to examine the effectiveness of various suicide prevention interventions for the older adult population. A search through 6 databases presented 7 articles that met all elibility criteria. All included articles presented interventions for adults age 60 and over that resulted in a statistically significant reduction in suicide ideation or behavior. The programs were reviewed with the GRADE protocol, which measured the quality of methods and results, and included strengths and limitations of the studies. The discussion provided implications of intervention settings and suggestions for future directions for social …

“In A Way It’S A Violation”: Pap Smear Knowledge And Beliefs Among Underserved Women In Substance Abuse Treatment, Amberly R. Prykhodko

Social Work Theses - Archive

Due to many factors, women in substance abuse treatment are at high risk of contracting the human papillomavirus (HPV) and developing cervical cancer. Despite this, the likelihood of accessing preventative healthcare, such as a Pap exam, is low. Substance abuse treatment facilities may be suitable access points for preventative cervical cancer screening. Using secondary focus group data, this qualitative narrative analysis examines answers given by women in substance abuse treatment regarding knowledge, experiences, barriers, and facilitators to Pap exams. The purpose of this analysis was to further understand how this population views Pap smears in order to guide best practices …

A Whole New World: Exploring Coming Out Experiences Of International Students In The U.S., Rosalind M. Evans

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this study was to explore the coming out experiences of international students in the U.S. who identified on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Queer (LGBTQ) spectrum. Between 2015 and 2016 there was a seven percent reported increase of international students studying in the United States (U.S.) (Institute of International Education [IIE], 2016). Although there are many reports of the increase in international students studying in the U.S. over the years and their experiences of challenges and achievement there is little to no research focused on international LGBTQ students’ experiences in the U.S. Furthermore, there is limited …

Latinos With Diabetes: How Do Social, Psychological, And Cultural Factors Affect Health Outcomes?, Erika Ruiz

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Diabetes has become one of the most common, costly, and preventable health problems diagnosed among all Americans (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2015a). Twenty-nine million individuals (9.3% of the population) have diabetes; this figure includes both diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes cases (American Diabetes Association, 2014a,b). Diabetes is highly prevalent among Latinos in the United States; it is the fifth leading cause of death among this population (National Center for Health Statistics, 2011a). Yet, most people with diabetes do not die from diabetes per se; most people with diabetes die from cardiovascular disease. Given the large number of Latinos in the …

A Retrospective Exploration Of The Factors Affecting Domestic Violence Among A Sample Of Older African American Women: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Jacqueline Burse

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

African American women experience domestic violence at a rate that is 35% higher than the domestic violence rate of White women. Moreover, African American women encompass 8% of the U.S. population but account for 22% of domestic violence-related homicide victims. African American women are at greater risk for facing economic difficulties, homelessness, unemployment, and health and educational disparities due to domestic violence. However, little attention has been given to the lived experiences of older women who are domestic violence survivors. No extant literature related to the experiences of African American survivors of domestic violence from a retrospective lens was available, …

Connecting Beyond The Circle: A Restorative Approach In Co-Creating A Safe Space For Social Justice Education At Utec, Nikki F. Pelonia

Capstone Collection

“Social justice is both a process and a goal. The goal of social justice education is full and equal participation of all groups in a community that is [co-created] to meet the members’ needs. Social justice includes a vision of a community that is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure” (Adams, Bell, & Griffin, 2007, p. 1). In the process, one is used to going straight to issues of social justice before connecting by building trusts and relationships. This Course-Linked Capstone in Training focuses on SIT Graduate Institute coursework from Training Design in Experiential Learning …

Sustainable Tourism Study Through Solimar International, S Silongwengjia

Capstone Collection

This inquiry explores a pragmatic approach of sustainable tourism and its application as a transformative development instrument. It seeks a general understanding of the global tourism sector, looks specifically at an individual tourism enterprise, Solimar International, and examines rural tourism, and its proposed standards. It discusses the opportunities and threats to the culture, ecology, and livelihoods of the residents of destination tourism and the unique experience to geotravelers. It analyzes the theoretical development history of tourism and the integrated approach of Solimar International as a leading agency in the tourism industry sector. And it seeks to understand a new type …

Understanding Mental Health Literacy Of Hispanic Patients In Primary Care Settings: Examining The Relationship Between Depression Stigma, Depression Knowledge, And Education Level, Veronica Lopez

Social Work Theses - Archive

Hispanics are less likely to access mental health care services due to stigma related to depression and lack of cultural effective education, along with other socioeconomic factors. Hispanics are more likely to access care through a primary care provider, making a primary care setting with an integrative behavioral health program an ideal place for early mental health interventions. Understanding the mental health literacy of patients in a healthcare setting may improve quality of care, that can lead to early detection of mental illness and can help engage a patient into treatment. The present study seeks to add to the research …

Adoption Dissolution From The Perspective Of Adoptive Parents From The Usa Who Adopted Children Internationally, Olga Vladimirovna Verbovaya

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

The goal of this qualitative dissertation is to explore why some international adoptions result in dissolution. I attempt to answer this question through the experiences of American parents who adopted children internationally and experienced dissolution of an adoption. The objective of the research is to expand existing knowledge concerning international adoption disruption because the topic is extremely understudied. Factors examined are: aspects contributing to adoption dissolution as described in existing literature; historical perspectives on adoption, including international adoption; effectiveness of adoption services as ways to enhance adoption outcome; proposed methodological approaches for adoption dissolution research; and results of the study. …

Social Work And Moreno: A Systematic Review Of Psychodrama Methods And Implications, Katherine E. Bendel

Social Work Theses - Archive

As defined by the National Association of Social Workers, a binding core value of all professional social workers is competency: the aspiration and action of contributing to the professional knowledge base (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). The intention of this systematic review is to advance professional knowledge base by providing a current review of empirical psychodrama literature and to advocate for further research and investment concerning psychodrama and its expansive potentials. The following research will seek to identify particular populations and problems most associated with effective use of psychodramatic techniques. Congruently, the work will also pursue a differentiation of …

Military-Related Posttraumatic Emotional Numbing: A Three-Article Dissertation, Donna L. Schuman

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Three papers on military-related posttraumatic stress and emotional numbing symptoms are proposed for this three-paper dissertation. The first paper will be a systematic review of the literature on the psychosocial impact of combat-related emotional numbing symptoms in veterans. The second paper will utilize a phenomenological approach to analyze veteran’s posttraumatic stress stories using transcripts of ‘milvlogs’ (military video web blogs) and interviews with vloggers. The third paper will present the results of a pilot study analyzing the impact of a single session of heart rate variability biofeedback on military-related emotional numbing symptoms and the use of a mobile phone app …

Leaving Experiences Of Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence In Emergency Shelter And Transitional Housing, Alicia Christine Hawley-Bernardez

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive public health problem across the United States disproportionately affecting women and children. IPV has four primary categories of violence: physical, sexual, stalking, and psychological aggression. This dissertation utilized an interpretative phenomenological as well as a directed content analysis approaches to better understand leaving experiences of survivors of IPV. The study consisted of semi-structured interviews with 19 survivors of IPV who had left an abusive relationship and were living in either an emergency shelter or transitional housing. Participants were recruited from several domestic violence agencies. Interpretative phenomenology served as the framework for understanding the …

Predicting Violent Incidence And Disciplinary Actions In Schools: Use Of The National Center For Educational Statistics To Examine School Violence Interventions, Don R. Kelly

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Background: Violence reduction in schools has become an important consideration as school administrators work to provide a safe and peaceful atmosphere for learning. This study provided evidence of main effect and interaction effect utilizing multiple interventions to predict the number of serious violent incidents and total number of disciplinary actions recorded in schools. Additionally, this study aimed to identify interventions demonstrating the greatest promise for changing school culture. Research indicates that culture change, conflict transformation education, restorative justice/discipline, and mental health interventions are popular processes for reducing violence in schools. It was the intention of the researcher to determine what …

Spirituality And Socioeconomic Determinants Of Caregiver Burden, Brandi Jean Felderhoff

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Caregiver burden as a phenomena is a growing field of study, with great significance considering the aging population in America. This study conducted secondary analysis of the National Long Term Care Survey (2004) data, to analyze the impact of social proximity of family support, physical proximity of family support, spirituality, economic and social constraints, and care settings on the outcome variable of caregiver burden. Statistical significance is present and results highlight important areas of needed future research, as well as implications for social work policy and practice.

Incidence Of Suicidality And Restraint And Seclusion In Inpatient Psychiatric Care For People With Schizophrenia, Heather L. Peterson

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

The current dissertation sought to examine policies and practices that affect the psychiatric care and safety of people with schizophrenia. These included policies related to state- and census-region expenditures in outpatient mental health care and national policies that regulate the use and documentation of restraint and seclusion in psychiatric hospitalization. Additionally, characteristics of inpatient psychiatric treatment for individuals with schizophrenia who present for suicidal self-injury or intent were evaluated. Through an analysis of two national data sets and records of state mental health care funding, the relationship between these policies and the clinical practices they support were assessed from a …

Exploring The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status And Health, As It Affects Men And Women, Taylor Engel

Honors Theses

Low socioeconomic status has been found to adversely affect the physical and mental health of men and women. While research studies have examined the relationship between income and health, few have had special focus on gender differences, as they concern physical and mental health outcomes for persons living in poverty. This study explores the disparities and differences that exist between males and females in the population, and seeks to identify any supports needed for those individuals. This study includes a secondary data analysis, which utilized a sample of 125 adults taken from a primary care clinic in Northern Florida that …

Parents Perceptions Of The Internet And Its Effects On Their Children, Brittany Hill

Honors Theses

The Internet is a vast database filled with education, fun, and danger. Parents have a difficult time protecting their children against the dangers they can face on the Internet (e.g., cyberbullying, sexual victimization, addiction, unwanted pornography). This study’s purpose was to better understand how parents perceived the Internet and also see how they understand the effects on their children’s behaviors. The study was an online social media survey and had both quantitative and qualitative aspects. This study included 28 parents of children eight and older in the school system. Participant’s responses were examined using measures of central tendency and grounded …