Social Work Commons^™

Mission Critical: Reforming Foster Care And Child Protective Services In Massachusetts, Emily M. Douglas Ph.D, Melinda Gushwa Ph.D, Martha J. Henry Ph.D, Denise A. Hines Ph.D, Mickayla Aboujaoude, Annie E. Casey Foundation

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

One major topic of debate during the 2014 gubernatorial elections was the functioning of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in Massachusetts. Prior to the debates and subsequently as well, the media has highlighted some challenges and issues that plague DCF, and several high-profile cases have sparked not only the attention of our state government, but the public at large as well. After consultation with legislators, we decided that our 2015 Massachusetts Family Impact Seminar would focus on this crisis.

2015 Massachusetts Family Impact Seminar, Emily M. Douglas Ph.D., Melinda Gushwa Ph.D., Licsw, Martha J. Henry Ph.D.

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

Mission Critical: Reforming Foster Care and Child Protective Services is the sixth Massachusetts Family Impact Seminar. It is designed to emphasize a family perspective in policymaking on issues related to reforming foster care and child protective services in the Commonwealth. In general, Family Impact Seminars analyze the consequences an issue, policy, or program may have for families.

Measuring The Support Networks Of Transition-Age Foster Youth: Preliminary Validation Of A Social Network Assessment For Research And Practice, Jennifer E. Blakeslee

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Multi-dimensional social support is an important factor in any positive transition into young adulthood, and youth who are exiting foster care ideally receive comprehensive social support from a range of informal and formal sources. Yet the social networks of transition-age foster youth are likely influenced over time by child welfare involvement, which can weaken or disrupt natural support relationships, while introducing service-oriented relationships that are not intended to last into adulthood. To better understand the social support context of youth aging out of care, we can apply social network theory and methods to systematically identify their networks of supportive relationships …

Christian Civility, Erin Olson

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Every day people are faced with difficult choices about their lives and many times we are called to walk alongside them as they try to navigate these decisions. Sometimes, when decisions and situations are very difficult and complicated the person will seek the help of a social worker, someone who has been professionally trained to help. How are we to best help in these situations?"

Posting about how Christian social workers should respond when they disagree with the life decisions their clients are making from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, …

Serving Families In Broken Situations, Tara Boer

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"We are entrusted to walk alongside people during some of the most difficult and vulnerable times in their lives. It’s work that God could do without us but God still allows us to be a part of it. Social workers show up when abuse is occurring, when violence is erupting, and when homes are dirty. We are asked to meet families during times of loss, adoption, school problems, divorce, addictions, trauma, and relationship problems. We get to hear stories, play with kids, sit in team meetings, solve problems, and see people heal and get well."

Posting about how to help …

Outcomes Of Children Reunified From Institutional Care In Ghana, Kevin Shafer

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Both attachment theories and current research suggest that institutional care (more popularly thought of as orphanages) does not meet the attachment needs of children, which has strong negative consequences over the life-course. While preventing a child’s separation from a parent or parents is ideal, reunification may be the next best option when separation occurs. However, to date, no study has examined the well-being of children reunified with their families from residential care centers. Current policy in Ghana provided a prime opportunity to study this issue, since the government has recently instituted a policy facilitating the reunification of children. Currently, many …

Beyond Ferguson: Empowering Low-Income People To Build The Future Of Their Communities, Dorothy Stoneman

Center for Social Development Research

Beyond Ferguson: Empowering Low-Income People to Build the Future of Their Communities

Does Unsecured Debt Decrease Savings? Evidence From The Refund To Savings Initiative, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Jane Oliphant, Blair D. Russell, Ray Boshara

Center for Social Development Research

Does Unsecured Debt Decrease Savings? Evidence From the Refund to Savings Initiative

Practice Recommendations For Mental Health Professionals: Perspectives From Grandparents And Their Adolescent Grandchildren, Kendra A. O'Hora, Megan L. Dolbin-Macnab

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Although grandfamilies are consumers of a variety of mental health services, less is known about what these families, particularly the grandchildren, want from practitioners. To gain insight into how practitioners can best meet the needs of grandfamilies, 40 custodial grandmothers and their adolescent grandchildren were interviewed. Results of a qualitative analysis indicated that grandmothers and grandchildren did not make clear distinctions between various types of services and service providers. Grandchildren, in particular, emphasized the need for mental health professionals to facilitate mentoring and to provide opportunities for grandchildren to socialize with other grandchildren who have been through similar circumstances. Grandmothers …

Using Kinship Navigators To Assess The Needs Of Kinship Caregivers, Suzanne T. Sutphin

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Kinship care is a viable alternative to foster care for many children, however, the proper supports and services must be in place for the families. This article describes a kinship navigator program for children and kin caregivers involved in Child Protective Services in-home treatment cases. The program was piloted over a three-year period to assess and address the service needs of kinship caregivers. Using the Family Needs Scale as a measurement tool, the results of the evaluation are provided along with a discussion of the need to support caregivers to provide the best outcomes for children in kinship care.

Show Me: Effectively Collaborating With Community Partners To Develop Students' Macro-Practice Skills, Rashida Crutchfield, Simon Funge

Social Work Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Impact Of The Academic-Social Context On American Indian/Alaska Native Students’ Academic Performance, David A. Patterson-Silver Wolf, Sheretta T. Butler-Barnes

Center for Social Development Research

Impact of the Academic-Social Context on American Indian/Alaska Native Students’ Academic Performance

Learning By Leading: Using Social Work Month Planning As Task Group Engagement, Abby M. Foreman, Erin Olson

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

No abstract provided.

Community Partner Perspectives Of Dukeengage: 2011–2013, Sarita Barton, Amanda Moore Mcbride, Jaclyn Demarse Purtell

Center for Social Development Research

Community Partner Perspectives of Dukeengage: 2011–2013

Flip The Prison: Using A Holistic, Interdisciplinary Approach To Transform Closed Prisons And Adjudicated Youth, Debby Hanmer, Noran Sanford, Jason Hutchens, Michael Menefee

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Flip the Prison: Is a collective Impact Model for transforming closed prisons into farms and educational centers utilizing mental health therapy, youth focused, sustainable agricultural entrepreneurship and service learning to stabilize adjudicated youth in the community. Of interest to educators, mental health clinicians, veterans, community leaders, clergy and entrepreneurs.

An Introduction To Guided Imagery Techniques For At-Risk-Youth, Lisa M. Skeens Dr.

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

"An Introduction to Guided Imagery Techniques for At Risk Youth" is a hands-on presentation that will enable participants to learn the basic components of guided imagery. Participants will have an explicit learning experience in learning how to use relaxation techniques, guided meditation methods and skill building exercises in writing guided imagery scripts. Participants will experience the technique first hand so they can apply these skills with at - risk youth after the conference. The participants can also use these techniques to benefit their own personal lives!

Grief And At-Risk Behavior: A Look At The Effectiveness Of Grief Counseling Groups For Adolescents In Public Schools, Kiana Battle

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Brief Description: This presentation will explore the affects that grief has on adolescents, including at–risk behaviors, identity confusion, issues of self-worth, and many more. The presentation will illustrate the positive impact that grief counseling groups have among adolescents (with a special focus in the public school environment). Barriers that hinder the effective delivery of group counseling within the public school arena will also be addressed (such barriers are amount of time in the school day, student caseload, and administrative support). This presentation will also address the critical role that school social workers play, in effectively providing group counseling interventions to …

Some Secrets Should Be Shared: Implementing An Evidence-Based Suicide Prevention Program, Meghan W. Diamon

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Youth suicide prevention is critical in schools and local communities. Participants will discuss published research on risk factors for youth suicide, how to implement an evidence-based prevention program, and how to tackle common obstacles encountered. Participants will be prepared to mobilize school staff, parents, and community members to address the critical issues of depression awareness and suicide prevention.

“Don’T Hate, Peer Mediate!” – Teaching Students To Say Yes To Non-Violent Conflict Resolution, Jocelyn Lee, Wendy Williamson

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Rumors. Threats. Relationships. Bullying. The Mediation Center’s Peer Mediation Program has been successfully resolving these student-to-student conflicts (and more) since 2007. Through the use of non-violent conflict resolution training, Peer Mediators are helping their schools become more peaceful. Looking for a way to encourage positive student leadership and effective conflict resolution? Look no further - Peer Mediation is your answer! Target Audience: Teachers, Counselors, School Social Workers, Administrators, School Discipline Personnel.

Parental Involvement: Engaging A Father's Role In The Social And Psychological Development Of Our Daughters, Ivan Page Dr

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This session will examine the importance of a father’s involvement in raising his daughters during the teen years. The objective of this presentation is to discuss: (1) the need for a positive father/daughter relationship, (2) the social and psychological development of teen daughters as a result of father involvement, and (3) some best practices to enhance father/ daughter relationship

Increasing The Use Of Trauma-Sensitive Lens For School Case Managers: A Training Assessment, Breanne Thomas, Becky Scott, David K. Pooler

Journal of Adolescent and Family Health

This manuscript reports on a study to determine the efficacy of a one-day training for school-based case managers on the impact of trauma on students, utilizing a trauma sensitive lens in schools, and using various trauma assessments and screens. The one-day training was presented to 25 case managers providing direct social services in schools. We gathered data at three points in time (pretest, post-test, and post-test one month after training) and found statistically different scores at each point in time. We discuss the implications for training school based professionals.

Youth Savings Patterns And Performance In Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, And Nepal: Executive Summary, Lissa Johnson, Yungsoo Lee, David Ansong, Margaret S. Sherraden, Gina Chowa, Fred Ssewamala, Li Zou, Michael Sherraden, Mose Njenga, Joseph Kieyah, Issac Osei-Akoto, Sharad Sharma, Jyoti Manandhar, Catherine Rodriguez, Frederico Merchán, Juan Saavedra

Center for Social Development Research

This summary presents an overview of findings from the YouthSave Project's 2015 research report Youth Savings Patterns and Performance in Columbia, Ghana, Kenya, and Nepal. Created in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation, YouthSave investigated the potential of savings accounts as a tool for youth development and financial inclusion in developing countries by co-designing tailored, sustainable savings products with local financial institutions and assessing their performance and development outcomes with local researchers. This study tracked account uptake, saving patterns, and savings performance in youth savings accounts in Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, and Nepal.

Research-To-Practice Brief: Promising Evidence That Early Head Start Can Prevent Child Maltreatment, Rachel Chazan-Cohen, Beth L. Green, Catherine Ayoub, Jessica Dym Bartlett, Adam Von Ende, Carrie Jeanne Furrer

Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention

This brief addresses two main questions in a sample of Early Head Start eligible children: 1) the number and type of maltreatment episodes and 2) the impact of Early Head Start on child and family involvement in the child welfare system. These findings are especially important given the lack of scalable and effective preventive interventions. In addition, they are also timely given the recent interest in fostering collaborations between early care and education programs and child welfare agencies, agencies responsible for overseeing child protection from maltreatment (OHS & ACYF, 2010; ACYF & OHS, 2011; ACYF & OCC, 2011). The current …

Behavioral Health Services Needs And Availability For Young Children Involved In The Child Welfare System, Jill Hoffman, Alicia Bunger, Hillary Robertson, Scottye Cash

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purposes of this presentation are to:

• Identify key characteristics of young children (0-5 years old) involved in child welfare
• Learn about the prevalence of behavioral health service needs and use among children 0-5 years old involved in child welfare
• Learn about the availability of behavioral health services targeted toward children aged 0-5 years old
• Have the opportunity to engage in a discussion on this study’s findings and trends they have seen in the populations they serve

Moral Injury And The Military Veteran: Depaul's Multi-Faith Veterans Support Project

DePaul Magazine

Moral injury is gaining recognition as a serious psychological problem that affects some combat veterans. Moral injury, a feeling of inner conflict that arises when actions taken during deployment betray a veteran’s moral beliefs, is seen by many behavioral health professionals as both a spiritual and emotional health problem that presents unique symptoms and challenges. It is also at the center of a new program from DePaul’s Egan Office for Urban Education & Community Partnerships at the Steans Center—the Multi-Faith Veterans Support Project.

Funded by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, the initiative aims to improve the quality of life for …

Alumna Works To Ease The Trauma Of Homelessness

DePaul Magazine

Audrey Thomas is CEO of Deborah's Place, founded in 1984 after a survey of social services in Chicago revealed that existing programs did not address the needs of women who are homeless. The nonprofit’s mission has been to open doors of opportunity for women through supportive housing and services. Thomas believes that for social service professionals to be successful, they need to see their work as a vocation.

Wood County Project Connect: Final Report For Event Held October 15, 2014, Melissa W. Burek, Mamta Ojha, Morgan Fair

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Project Connect is an outreach and an awareness raising event based on a model endorsed by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. The event is an opportunity to inform the community about the need that exists, as well as a chance to address that need. Project Connect (PC) is designed to provide immediate goods and services to at risk individuals in one day at one location. Our report presents that descriptive data and evaluation of a PC event that occurred in October of 2014 in Wood County, Ohio.

Do Cyberbullies Really Want To Hurt Others?, Danielle Law

Clear Language Summaries

Cyberbullying occurs when computer and mobile technologies are used to intentionally harm others. When communicating online there are two basic motivations for online aggression: whether they are posting mean things with intention to harm, or whether they are engaging in these behaviours to defend themselves. This research found that the majority of teenagers are not intentionally mean; rather, they are navigating a world of miscommunication that lends itself to retaliation that spirals out of control in aggressive ways. A small percentage of teens are deliberately malicious and require special intervention. When educating teens about cyberbullying it is important to understand …

Primary Mental Health Prevention Themes In Published Research And Academic Programs In Israel, Ora Nakash, Liat Razon, Itzhak Levav

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

Background: The World Health Organization Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan (CMHAP) 2013-2020 proposes the implementation of primary prevention strategies to reduce the mental health burden of disease. The extent to which Israeli academic programs and published research adhere to the principles spelled out by the CMHAP is unknown. Objective: To investigate the presence of mental health primary prevention themes in published research and academic programs in Israel. Methods: We searched for mental health primary prevention themes in: (1) three major journals of psychiatry and social sciences during the years 2001-2012; (2) university graduate programs in psychology, social work and medicine …

Evaluating Voices Of Youth: A Violence Prevention Program, Jeannette B. Wyatt, Trisha A. Hicks

Journal of Adolescent and Family Health

Faced with rising rates of youth violence in Philadelphia, the United States’ Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania developed a program designed to help youth tell their stories related to violence and to take a role in violence prevention. Youth from five different schools worked with two filmmakers over a three-month period and created films that discussed the impact violence had on their lives. The program provided an exploratory look into creative outlets for cathartic expression. Several lessons learned during the development and implementation of the program can be used for other organizations planning youth violence prevention programs.