Social Work Commons^™

Sea Program Process Evaluation: Improving Existing Evaluation Methods, Rachel Faust

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to provide a process evaluation to more closely define how the program is currently being monitored, areas of quality assurance, and to create tools to aid in long term data analysis and collection of program outcomes. Staff and stakeholders of the program identified needs related to the program’s evolution which has since created transition and instability in how outcomes are tracked.

Due to increasing demands of current and potential funders to provide concrete objectives and outcome measurements, as well as to provide consistency in tracking between multiple schools that participate in the program, the …

Interning As An Outpatient Therapist: Developing A Comprehensive Training Manual Grounded In The Professional Knowledge Base, Katie Stadheim

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this Capstone Project is to develop an intern orientation manual that is effective in training outpatient therapy interns. The manual needs to be supported by the literature in developing orientation training manuals and in the orientation needs of therapy interns. The manual needs to be easy to use and learn from, particularly when a supervisor is not available for training. A completed intern orientation manual will be presented to the stakeholders and directors of Counseling Services of Southern Minnesota to be used with future interns at their discretion.

"First Impression": Creating An Intake Procedure That Is Welcoming To Clients And Useful To Clinicians, Brandi Embacher

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Have you ever contacted an agency and felt doubtful about their ability to help you due to the phone interaction or written correspondence you received? The significance of this Capstone project is to create an intake procedure that will leave a positive first impression for individuals seeking services with Mankato Marriage and Family Therapy Center (MMFTC).

Family Meetings : Facilitators Reflect On Neutrality And Family Empowerment, Ona B. Belser

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

Twelve-Step Program Familiarity And The Referral Process, Cory Brad Dennis

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation considered Twelve-Step Program (TSP) referrals as an important area for addressing the less than desirable levels of client participation in TSPs despite the incorporation of them into a majority of substance abuse treatment programs. Clinicians are in a prime position to mentor clients through the socialization process, towards affiliation with the program. TSP familiarity was modeled as foundational to effective mentorship that aims to incorporate of best referral practices. The primary research question guiding this study was: What role does a clinician's level of 12-Step program familiarity have when referring clients to TSPs?

How Does The Nonprofit Workforce Perceive College Student Service Learners In Their Workplace?, Elisa M. Martin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This qualitative case study explores the perceptions that employees from one nonprofit workplace have of college students completing community service as part of an undergraduate class with the Community and Public Service Program (CPSP). Social cognitive theory was used to frame the research questions. Factors of work stress, public service motivation, and volunteer/service learner management practices were considered. In-person interviews and a focus group were conducted with fifteen employees. In addition, four personnel from the CPSP and two students taking a class with CPSP and performing service at the case study site were also interviewed. Findings show that employees appear …

Impacts Of A School-Based Mentoring Program On Academic And Behavioral Outcomes For Middle School Youth, Kari Lisa Dupuis

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACT

The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd) Family Workshop : A Pilot Study Of Preliminary Outcomes And Effect Sizes Of An Attachment-Based Intervention For Family Members Of Veterans With Combat-Related Ptsd, Jennifer M. Courtney

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

Gender And Empowerment In Supported Housing : A Consumer-Oriented Empowerment Model For Adults With Psychiatric Disabilities And Histories Of Homelessness, Eleanor M. Jaffee

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Using data from an evaluation of a supported housing program for adults with psychiatric disabilities and histories of homelessness (n = 59), the relationships of gender and the presence of children with subjective measures of mental health, personal mastery, personal empowerment, social support, and quality of life were explored, and the results informed the development of a revised consumer-oriented empowerment model. Key findings include a significant relationship between gender and personal mastery and empowerment with women scoring significantly lower than men on measures of this construct, and the role of personal mastery and empowerment as a mediator between psychiatric symptoms …

Parent Involvement Plan For Lincoln Elementary, Michelle Kaune

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project was to create a parent involvement plan for Lincoln Elementary using research based information. The information gathered during the literature review will be used to gain a better understanding of parent involvement along with evidence based strategies to improve parent involvement. This plan will then be used by the school to work to increase the amount of involvement parents during the 2012-13 school year. Creating a strategy to increase parent involvement has been identified as a need by the school. It is also part of the school’s Adequate Yearly Progress plan which was submitted …

Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practices In Opioid Substance Abuse Treatment, Elizabeth V. Keck

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project is to begin the implementation of evidence-based practices for opioid substance abuse population in the rural community of Owatonna, MN and the surrounding communities.

Comparison Of Minnesota's Community-Based Jail Reentry Programs, Lori A. Sanborn

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project is to begin to compare and analyze explicitly what services each community-based reentry program in Minnesota provides. Through a presentation of the data collected and in a written report, the key findings of the project were presented to the CARE Program’s Coordinator and the Director of the South Central Human Relations Center of current practices throughout Minnesota in order to improve staff efficiency and increase the success rate of client outcomes.

Evaluation Of The Best Program, Rana Wehner

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to analyze the effectiveness of the BEST program. Parents/caregivers of youth involved in the BEST program were surveyed to evaluate to what extent the BEST program is achieving their goals. It was hypothesized that participation in the BEST program would result in positive family outcomes, as defined by – needs being met, increased family empowerment, and improved access to resources.

Social Work For Social Justice: Strengthening Social Work Practice Through The Integration Of Catholic Social Teaching, Julia Pryce

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

No abstract provided.

Frederic Siedenburg, Sj: The Journey Of A Social Activist, Edward Gumz

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

This is an archival study of Frederic Siedenburg, SJ, a Jesuit, who founded the first Catholic-Jesuit School of Social Work in the United States at Loyola University of Chicago in 1914. This study examines the multi-faceted career of this sociologist who served at two Catholic universities from 1914 through the 1930s when Progressivism and the New Deal in the United States were attempts to deal with social reform; the Catholic Church, in a variety of ways, responded to these reform efforts. Siedenburg espoused Catholic social teaching and attempted to carry out its tenets within a Catholic context as an educator …

Patterns Of Discovery In Participatory Action Research From The Insider’S Perspective, Katherine Tyson Mccrea

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

No abstract provided.

Working With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Voices From The Field, Page Walker Buck, Rebecca G. Laster, Jocelyn Spencer Sagrati, Rachel Shapiro Kirzner

Social Work (Graduate) Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Community Violence, Wan-Yi Chen, Kenneth Corvo

Social Work (Graduate) Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Of Social Stress, Economic Hardship, And Psychological Distress To Addiction Severity Among Kentucky Substance Abuse Treatment Participants, Elizabeth A. Wahler

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Stress is associated with poor mental health, specifically anxiety and depression, and stress and mental health problems are predictors of substance dependence and relapse. Social characteristics, such as racial/ethnic minority status, female gender, and low socioeconomic status, are often associated with increased psychological distress and substance use disorders. Pearlin’s social stress theory postulates that this association is due to increased exposure to stress and subsequent experiences of distress related to social disadvantage and decreased access to resources for coping with stress. This project uses a social stress theoretical perspective to examine predictors of substance use after treatment entry and follow-up …

Human Capital, Mental Health, Substance Use And Social Support Among Low-Income Women, Sarabeth Leukefeld

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Low-income women, including women who receive welfare, are some of the most misunderstood citizens in the U.S. Low-income women often live in extreme situations that are complicated by poverty and multiple issues related to human capital, social support, mental health, and substance use. These factors make low-income women unique in that they contribute not only to the women’s current situations, but to their potential for future self-sufficiency. The majority of previous studies have described these factors as barriers to self-sufficiency. This study explored these factors differently by examining the extent to which human capital is associated with mental health problems …

Louisiana Social Workers: A Study On Attitudes Toward Lgbt Youth, Rachel Kathleen O'Pry

LSU Master's Theses

Social workers in most professional practice settings will encounter young clients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). It is therefore important that variables influencing levels of homophobia and transphobia among these workers be analyzed. In this study, the author sought to examine the attitudes and perceptions of social workers in Louisiana toward LGBT youth. These attitudes and perceptions were then compared to individual variables such as religion, previous training on sexual orientation and gender identity, and race. The Religious Commitment Inventory (RCI), Genderism and Transphobia Scale (GTS), and Heterosexual Attitudes Toward Homosexuals (HATH) scale were completed by …

Spiritual Support As Coping Among Alzheimer's Caregivers, Mary Katherine Schillings

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of spiritual support on Alzheimer’s caregiver’s perceived burden. This study will examine the relationship between spiritual support and burden among Alzheimer’s caregivers. The collection of data was accomplished by a packet of surveys mailed to Alzheimer’s caregivers. For this study the population is separated and difficult to survey as a whole, therefore, a smaller cluster sample is surveyed from a specific organization. The global score of the burden measure is negatively correlated with the global score of the Spiritual Support Scale. In this study, spiritual support is not the sole …

Health Care Options For American Indians In Rural, Navajo Nation Facilities Compared To Those Available In Los Angeles County, Megan Maguire-Marshall

Whittier Scholars Program

American Indians experience poorer health, higher incidences of disease, and lower incomes than any other group in the US. There are 2.235 million total American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) residing in the United States with the largest urban congregation of AI/AN in the LOs Angeles region (approx. 140,000 people). Medical anthropologists have found that commitment to culturally competent care combining Western biomedicine and traditional medicine can improve health outcomes. Despite large policy changes and institutionally driven efforts, the diverse American Indian population across the US still does not have consistent access to providers and healthcare; whether culturally competent or not. Using …

The Impact Of Mindfulness And Relaxation Techniques Implemented Within Minnesota School Settings: A Program Proposal For Waseca Junior And Senior High School, Laura Bartsch

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research project is to gain insight into the extent of the use of relaxation oriented curriculums within Minnesota schools through the distribution of an email survey. Additionally, a review of empirical literature was conducted to identify and evaluate evidence based relaxation-oriented curriculums and to create a proposal for implementation at Waseca Junior and Senior High School.

The Effectiveness Of The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Across Cultures, Caylin Cedergren

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This project has two purposes. First, to evaluate the effectiveness of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) across cultures since it is the standard depression tool used across Mayo Clinic Health System. Second, to develop a Standard of Care that would create consistency in the follow-up provided to patients at Mayo Clinic Health System – Springfield Clinic whose PHQ-9 score reflects signs of depression.

40 Developmental Assets: A Research Analysis: Healthy Youth Committee & Fairmont's Youth Surveys, Tiffany Gullord

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This writer teamed together with the Healthy Youth Committee of Fairmont, Minnesota. The Healthy Youth Committee is a committee comprised of about 15 various community professionals who want to make a positive change for the youth of Fairmont. The committee includes court administrations staff, police chief, probation officers, teachers, non-profit employees, and social worker. The Healthy Youth Committee requested the Search Institute to complete the 40 Developmental Assets survey Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors with the youth in Fairmont, in 1997, 2002, and 2011. 40 Developmental Assets is a research-based framework that identifies basic building blocks of human …

Stroke Rehabilitation, Length-Of-Stay, And Re-Admission Rates: A Literature Review, Morgen Hagedorn

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Stroke is shown to be a significant U.S. health problem with a profound impact on the nation’s rising healthcare costs (Hall, Levant, & DeFrances, 2012). Longer patient length-of-stay [LOS] and higher re-admission rates have brought consequences to healthcare systems as institutional budgets are unable to reconcile the additional services and the influx of healthcare demands. Through a comprehensive literature review, the author illustrates the general knowledge available on the stroke experience, on stroke care and rehabilitation, and on patient LOS and re-admission rates. The literature review is based on general medical research with a focus on the stroke population. The …

Study Skills, Organizational Skills, Self-Awareness And Understanding Self Skills: A Development Of Skills Curriculum For Middle School Students, Aliina Vivant Peterson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The skills curriculum: Study Skills, Organizational Skills, Self-Awareness and Understanding Self Skills: A Development of Skills Curriculum for Middle School Students was created for the guidance staff at Twin Oaks Middle School. Each lesson is designed around an issue or topic that has been identified as a common subject matter during scheduled group sessions during this age of adolescence. The purpose of the skills curriculum allows for the guidance staff to have an additional resource to pull material from regarding specific subject matters.

Specifically, each lesson is based upon research and literature that supports the introduction, education, and implementation of …

Policies In Hospital Social Work, Jolene L. Reisdorfer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The goal of this project was to create an environment that provides a professional standard of care to ensure patient safety. This project will address the absence of policies in the Social Service Department at Mayo Clinic Health System, Southwest Region. A standard of care is a detailed standardized model of an intervention process that discusses the goals, objectives, settings, process, procedures and interventions (Gayle, 2005). Policy development must occur to assure that patients with social service needs are being identified appropriately and are being provided necessary interventions to meet their needs (Gordon & Rehrs, 1969). The project also identified …

A Review Of Developmentally Appropriate Evidence-Based Effective Parenting And Resources For Parents, Kari Schwecke

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Krisma Counseling, a counseling center located in rural southern Minnesota, offers high quality and affordable consumer-centered mental health services to individuals, families, couples, including in-home therapy. In order to provide adequate services and care that abides by the Nation Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, there needs to be standard ethical practice rooted in evidence based literature. The purpose of this project was to research developmentally appropriate evidence-based effective parenting and create a resource guide for clinicians to use in their work with parents of children ages two to 17.