Social Work Commons^™

Sexual Exploitation And Juvenile Girls, Kimberly Renell Thompson

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to examine the variables that are associated with sexually exploited juvenile girls in Contra Costa County, and offer rehabilitative services to these girls while they are detained in juvenile hall. This study used quantitative secondary data analysis collected from Contra Costa County Probation Department from December 2012 to April 2013. The data were collected from a random question survey of Probation Officers within this Department.

The Psychological Effects Of Ageism On Older Adults: Are There Any?, Christina Denise Nieblas

Theses Digitization Project

The focus of this study was the psychological effects and experiences of ageism on older adults. Data was gathered qualitatively through interviews with seventeen older adults living in independent living apartments of a continuing care retirement community. The study site was a continuing care retirement community with independent living apartments for older adults in Riverside County, California.

Needs Of Transitional Age Youth, Evelyn Kelli Ensman

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into needs of transitional age youth by interviewing experts in this field. The study participants for this research study are the employees that work with the transitional age youth population. The study participants consisted of: Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Masters level Social Workers (MSW), and Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT). The research site for this study was Bilingual Family Counseling Service, INC located in Ontario, California. It is a non-profit behavioral health-care organization that provides a wide range of services to individuals and families. This study used a post positivist methodology. …

Perspectives On Aging: Stereotypes And Implicit Personality Theories, Reannin Michelle Weinstein

Theses Digitization Project

Current research regarding perspectives on aging discusses perspectives of older adults aged 65+ and college aged young adults, but does not include a discussion of perspectives of individuals aged 30-60 on aging.

Social Workers' Perspectives On Implementation Of Extended Foster Care In San Bernardino County Children And Family Services, Brandi Vanessa Guzman

Theses Digitization Project

This study partners with San Bernardino County Children and Family Services (CFS) to assess child welfare employees on how extended foster care is being implemented. Data was collected via face-to-face interviews with extended foster (EFC) social workers. The goals of this study were to assess the needs of non minor dependents through qualitative interviews with case carrying workers, to assess the strengths and areas of need in services for non-minor dependents, to evaluate initial outcomes of Extended Foster Care (EFC) from the workers perspective, to identify and provide education and training suggestions and materials for future and current child welfare …

Non-Mandated Reporters' Attitudes On Reporting Child Abuse, Christina Ramirez Rivera

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to identify what barriers to reporting child abuse may exist within the population of non-mandated reporters. The number of child abuse reports being filed is on the rise and many of these reports are being evaluated out (not needing follow up).

Ex-Prisoners’ Perceptions Of The Availability And Effects Of Programs And Services In Correctional Settings, Jenna Houston

Undergraduate Review

The U.S. system of retributive justice drives punitive measures, rather than interventions that could reduce recidivism. If prisoners’ needs are not met while serving time within the penal system, their chances of re-offending are greater (Baillargeon, 2010). The purpose of this study was to gather information about correctional programming from male ex-prisoners who have been involved in community re-entry services at Span Inc. in Boston, MA. Furthermore, this study also examines whether or not the programming contributed to positive coping skills during their incarceration as well as adaptation upon reentering the community. Data were collected during ten interviews, using a …

Juvenile Life Without The Possibility Of Parole: Constitutional But Complicated, Christopher A. Mallett

Social Work Faculty Publications

The Supreme Court's recent decision in Miller v. Alabama found that juvenile life without the possibility of parole sentences for homicide crimes was unconstitutional if mandated by state law. Thus, allowing this sentence only after an individualized decision determines the sanction proportional given the circumstances of the offense and mitigating factors. This decision, for a number of reasons, does not go far enough in protecting those youthful offenders afflicted with maltreatment victimizations, mental health problems, and/or learning disabilities - all potential links for some adolescents to serious offending and potentially homicide. While the Supreme Court has not protected these youthful …

Expanding Assessment Of Fear Of Falling Among Older Adults With An Intellectual Disability: A Pilot Study To Assess The Value Of Proxy Responses, Sinead Foran, Mary Mccarron, Philip Mccallion

Social Welfare Faculty Scholarship

Introduction. Fear of falling (FOF) has emerged as an important health concern in older adults, yet it has rarely been investigated in people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Valid and reliable measurement approaches are a particular challenge. Scales that have been developed to measure FOF have not been validated for use with older people with ID and are not routinely used with proxy respondents. Method. 63 people comprised purposeful samples of 3 groups, people with ID , their nominated key workers , and additional support workers . Test-retest reliability and interrater reliability were assessed for using a dichotomous, single-item FOF screening …

Mental Disorders And Inequality In The United States: Intersection Of Race, Gender, And Disability On Employment And Income, Jessica K. Camp

Wayne State University Dissertations

Purpose: Existing research has shown that individuals with mental disorders experience inequality when looking at income, wages, and poverty in the United States. Still, there has been a dearth of literature exploring how individuals with mental disorders fare economically when exploring multiple inequalities. In this study disability, race, and gender are explored to examine differences in economic and labor market outcomes for Americans with mental disorders. This study hypothesizes that when looking at working-aged Americans, individuals with mental disorders will tend to experience the greatest amount of economic inequality when compared to individuals with non-mental disabilities and that these inequalities …

Countervailing Parental Monitoring On Teenage Deviance, Cheng-Hsien Lin

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

No abstract provided.

The Boston Miracle Version 2.0: The Organizing Role Of Technology In The Boston Police Department's Community Problem Solving Strategy, Michael J. Jenkins

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

No abstract provided.

Understanding Social Care, Kevin Lalor, Perry Share

Books/Book chapters

There is a good chance you are reading this because you are planning to be, or already are, a social care practitioner. Yet for many in Irish society, even those entering the field themselves, the meaning of the term ‘social care’ is not self- evident. A common question directed at social care students and professionals alike is, ‘What do you do?’ Misconceptions abound and in many cases practitioners are not accorded the recognition or status they deserve, partly as a consequence of a limited understanding of what the term means This chapter explores the notion of social care itself. Some …

Understanding The Role And Decision-Making Process Of The Juvenile Court Judge: A Descriptive Survey, Nathan C. Lowe, Adam K. Matz, Amy J. Messer

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

No abstract provided.

Critical Reflectivity And The Development Of New Culturally Relevant Teachers ., Tonia Renee Durden, Diane M. Truscott

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Three case studies present how preservice teachers use reflections while learning to teach. Interviews and document analysis reveal that critical reflections evidence greater understanding of culturally relevant pedagogy and offer a platform for critical consciousness. Using critical reflectivity to develop teachers’ understandings of culturally relevant pedagogy is discussed.

The Reintegration Experiences Of Ex-Child Soldiers In Liberia, Gracie E. Brownell

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Previous researchers have reported the lasting effects of child soldiering and the difficulties that ex-child soldiers experience as they transition to civilian living. The primary purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding about the reintegration experiences and meaning of reintegration as perceived by ex-child soldiers located in or near Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia. Furthermore, this study explores participants' expectations, perceptions of the reintegration process as well as contributing factors and obstacles to reintegration that helped shaped their reintegration experience within the context of Liberia. A phenomenological research design was used to study the reintegration experiences …

Systemic Components Of Care That Affect Self-Sufficiency For Youth Transitioning Out Of Foster Care, Amy M. Strong-Blakeney

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Although research indicates that former foster youth fare poorly in a number of domains of self-sufficiency upon leaving care, it is unclear whether their poor outcomes are related to systemic components of care. The purpose of this study was to examine the systemic components of foster care that either promote or inhibit self-sufficiency in foster youth once they transition from care through the lens of Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory. Using data gathered from both Child Protective Services and Transitional Resource Action Center's databases, the study described in this dissertation explored factors of care that most influence former foster youth's self-sufficiency. Results …

Ecological Correlates Associated With The Academic Achievement Of African American Youth, Latoya Leshea Smith

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

There has long been an achievement gap between African American youth and their European counterparts. This phenomenon has constantly been studied and continues to be a concern in not only the education arena, but also the social work field. The current study was conducted using The Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The Ecological Systems Theory was used in order to guide the current study in order to determine which factors are correlated with the high academic achievement of African American youth. The overall purpose of the proposed study was to analyze ecological correlates that contribute to academic achievement among African …

Geography Of Disability. An Analysis Based On The Socioeconomic Levels Of Two Metropolitan Areas: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon And Dallas, Texas, Silviya Pavlova Nikolova

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This doctoral project investigated the performance of disability within two different political, cultural, and socioeconomic environments. Data were analyzed from decennial census data from Mexico (2010) and the U.S. (2000) that included a measure of disability prevalence and the activities on which disability status is assessed. In Chapter 1, the relevance of the study to the understanding of disability as a context-related matter was explained. Comparative statistics and scholarly reports on disability have been used to discuss the existing discrepancies between disability trends in developing and developed countries. An emphasis for a construction of multifactorial comparative model for disability research …

Bulimia Nervosa And Substance Use Disorders: Comorbidity And Treatment, Kara Cunningham

Social Work Theses - Archive

This paper will demonstrate the connection in the professional literature that individuals who suffer from bulimia nervosa also have a high chance of suffering from a substance use disorder. Although, the literature supports this comorbidity issue, there is a lack of research on the treatment of both disorders simultaneously. The purpose of this study is to determine if clinical professionals are screening for substance use disorders among their clients who are being treated for eating disorders. The primary questions for this research project are: 1) What portion of eating disorder professionals recognize substance use disorders when treating clients who are …

Organizing For Environmental Justice: From Bridges To Taro Patches, Amy Krings, Michael S. Spencer, Kelcie Jimenez

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

No abstract provided.

Development And Validation Of The Resilience Protective Factors Inventory: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Kristin Whitehill Bolton

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

The concept of resilience was empirically discovered over 40 years ago. Over the last several decades' researchers continued to generate a theoretical and empirical evidence base relative to the concept of resilience. This study builds on the existing theoretical and empirical literature of resilience in an attempt to construct a measurement model capable of assessing the protective factors associated with resilience in an older adult population. The development of the tested measurement model was two-fold (N=151). First, a qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis (QIMS) of qualitative studies on resilience among older adults was performed. Findings from the QIMS revealed 9 factors: Grit, …

Is There Trauma And Resilience In Adolescents Who Experienced Immigration Raids? An Annotated Bibliography Of Research, Esther Ayers

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of A Memory Box Activity On Relationships Between Residents Of A Long Term Care Facility And The Staff, Camilla Reynolds

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

When working in a residential facility it is difficult for staff to take the time to really get to know whom they are helping due to time constraints. This study conducted a pre and post test to determine the impact that a Memory Box Activity has on staff attitudes about the residents. The Memory Box is a box put together by residents (with staff help) that includes items that have meaning to them. The presumption was that by participating in this activity with the residents the staff attitudes would be positively impacted. This study was conducted at two local long-term …

¿Déjalo Descansar? The Parental Bereavement Experience Of Mexican Migrant Mothers, Illeana Gomez

Dissertations

"Déjalo descansar, no le llores" - "Let them rest, don't cry for them" is an expression Mexican mothers often hear after the death of a child. While accepted as a culturally polite means of expressing condolence, the phrase nonetheless can have a detrimental effect on the parental bereavement experience of these mothers. Through the use of focus groups, 22 Mexican migrant mothers were interviewed to better understand the role that imperatives such as "Déjalo descansar" and other prescribed beliefs, rituals, and customs play in their bereavement experience. From the five focus groups conducted in this qualitative study, participants reported that …

Preserving The Bond: Child Welfare Professionals' Perspectives On The Opportunities And Challenges Of Parent-Child Visitation, Lina M. Munoz

Dissertations

The foster care system was designed to be a temporary placement for children when their parents are unable or unwilling to provide proper care and supervision. A permanency plan must be established for all children in care, stating clear goals for a permanent living arrangement to facilitate the child's reunification with his/her family. The current Illinois Child Welfare Practice Model promotes a family-centered, trauma-informed, and strength-based practice approach when providing child welfare services to families in foster care with the caseworker serving as the primary vehicle for facilitating change.

This study explored how this child welfare practice model is reflected …

Organizational Constraints And Supports For Psychosocial Care Of Ethiopian Children At Risk: The Case Of Services In Addis Ababa, Daniel Hailu

Dissertations

The dissertation describes from an institutional perspective psychosocial support services being provided to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. Despite the presence of sufficient but fragmented legal, policy and strategic framework, Ethiopia's social protection landscape has suffered from a historic dearth of interventions that address psychosocial risks and vulnerabilities. Over the past decade and half, however, psychosocial support services to OVC have been slowly defused into the Ethiopian society as elements of programming for care and support to the population. Consequently, there currently exists diversity in the types of psychosocial risks and vulnerabilities that interventions prioritize …

Psychotherapist Understanding Of Genital Self-Mutilation Amongst Male To Female Transsexuals, Michael Robert Kenney

Dissertations

Self-mutilation of the genitals is a complex phenomenon that can provoke strong countertransference reactions amongst mental health clinician. Transsexuals who engage in self-inflicted mutilation of the genitals face a potentially increased risk of alienation from healthcare providers due to marginalization and lack of understanding by treating clinicians. Frequently, assumptions are made regarding the motivation for the behavior that fails to take into account the complex interplay between contributing psychological, social, and environmental forces.

This qualitative study explored the experience of four psychotherapists who had encountered the behavior in their work with transsexual clients in order to gain a more accurate …

Identity Negotiation Of Young Arab Muslim Women Attending College In The United States And France, Danielle Dunand Zimmerman

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how young Arab Muslim women attending college, in the United States and France, negotiate their identity vis-à-vis multiple contexts of citizenship in secular state, gender, religion, culture, and race. Sixteen interviews were conducted, eight in Paris and eight in Chicago. Using the theoretical frameworks of social identity, cultural studies, and critical race feminism, this study approached identity negotiation in terms of integration and differentiation from others; influence of dominant culture and attempt to redefine identity; gender and specificity of the experience of women of color as well as interrelation of multiple …

Professional Preparation And Practices Of Child Custody Evaluators: A Comparative Study Of Masters-Level And Doctoral-Level Practitioners, Aaron Robb

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

While a substantial amount of the research on child custody evaluation practices has focused on psychologists and psychiatrists, virtually none of the existing research has addressed child custody evaluation practices of social workers or other mental health professionals. This study explores and describes the training and practice differences between doctoral-level child custody evaluators, primarily psychologists, and their masters-level counterparts, who are drawn from a much wider professional background. The exact population of evaluators in the community is unknown, thus a snowball sampling method was utilized for outreach to evaluators who then provided responses to a survey instrument. Statistical comparisons of …