Clinical and Medical Social Work Commons^™

A Descriptive Study Of The Elderly In California Substance Abuse Treatment Programs, David Berenschot

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As gerontologists may know, there are a great deal of studies and a variety of academic literature on the misuse of alcohol and prescription medication amongst the elderly population. While there is a plethora of information on alcohol and prescription misuse, there is little reported data about the prevalence of other substance misuse experienced by this population. This study aims to help to fill that gap in the data by using quantitative methods to describe the scope of substance abuse of individuals 55-years or older. This study utilizes data from the Treatment Data Set Admission (TEDS-A). The TEDS-A is a …

Effects Of Training On Suicide Assessment And Intervention, Vanessa Phillips Bosshart

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

The rate of suicide is increasing in America. Healthcare professionals are an instrumental part of suicide prevention. The APNA has acknowledged that there are serious gaps in nursing education, specifically in the area of suicide risk assessment, prevention, and intervention, and there have been continued efforts to increase competencies in these areas among behavioral healthcare workers. Evidence shows that suicide specific training programs have a positive impact on healthcare professionals. Training programs such as the RRSR training program and the GSAP for nursing personnel improves nurses' confidence and abilities to assess for and intervene with suicidal patients. These programs also …

Experience Of Adults With Special Needs In Sexual Education Programs, Kate C. Hallissey

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Adults with special needs are discouraged from exploring their sexuality, expressing it, accessing sexual health care, and learning about their sexual rights. As a result, this population experiences higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases and sexual abuse than the general population (Saxe & Flanagan, 2014). Adults with special needs deserve to receive sexual education programming that provides them with the information they need to make informed choices about sexuality and relationships. Understanding their experiences in sexual education programs can better inform future programming for this population.

Job Retention And Job Satisfaction At The Behavior Therapist Level Working In Aba Companies In The Home Setting, Melissa M. Dauster

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this relational study was to identify and compare the factors related to job satisfaction and job retention as perceived by behavior therapists working with children diagnosed with autism. A second purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between the level of burnout related to job retention, and the intrinsic and extrinsic level of motivation related to job satisfaction as perceived by Behavior Therapists working with students with autism. A further purpose of the study is to describe the improvements in the work place that behavior therapists working with students with autism identified as necessary …

{Ace}Ing Early Childhood In Minnesota, Bailey Alston, Casie Devos, Alisha Field, Renee Gasner

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Too many young children are facing ACEs that are detrimentally impacting their development and contributing to negative outcomes that persist into adulthood. There are no current policies using the ACE questions to drive mental health interventions. The Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health made nine recommendations that, if implemented, will greatly improve the mental health and well-being of children and their parents. Improving early childhood prevention and intervention programs helps ALL Minnesota’s families build healthy and rich experiences for their children.

1. Expand the Early Childhood Mental Health Grant program statewide to increase early childhood mental health specialists.
2. Create a Governor’s …

Creating Healthy Communities Across Minnesota: Investing In Integrated Health Care, Leah Jacobson, Nicole Lidstrom, Jenna Lipovetz, Jamie Schuller

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

In Minnesota, behavioral health homes have become an efficient resource for individu­als on Medical Assistance to receive integrated behavioral and primary health care under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The rising popularity of behav­ioral health homes in Minnesota introduced the concept of integrated medical care with a patient's primary care physician as the "home-base". Figure 1 illustrates the inte­grated approach that supports the patient and their family, provides care that covers an entire continuum of care with a comprehensive care team focused on the whole person, is accessible with short waiting times, and is committed to quality and …

A Mental Health Workforce Crisis: Roadmap For Enhancing Recruitment & Retention In Minnesota, Iowa & Wisconsin, Lindsay Duenow, Rebecca Kobernick, Mckenzie Sohre, Kim Wallgren

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Building and maintaining an adequate mental health workforce requires successful recruitment and retention of qualified workers. Identifying recruitment and retention factors specific to behavioral health providers is essential in determining strategies for increasing the rural health behavioral workforce. The World Health Organization estimates there are 1.18 million additional mental health workers needed to end the mental health treatment gap between patients and providers worldwide. In the U.S., there has been a nationwide shortage of mental health professionals, and this shortage is more pronounced in rural communities,with twenty percent of rural areas lacking mental health services, compared to five percent of …

The Scope Of Social Work Practice In Transition To Adulthood Care, Teresa Hickam

Posters

This is a study of roles executed by social workers and nurses to address common transition planning needs in a pediatric hospital. Duties were stratified based upon tasks assigned only to social work versus those shared with nursing or other team members.

Relationship Of Religiosity And Spirituality To Hazardous Drinking, Drug Use, And Depression Among Sexual Minority Women, Laurie Drabble, Cindy Veldhuis, Barth Riley, Sharon Rostosky, Tonda Hughes

Faculty Publications

Using data from Wave 3 of the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) study (N = 699), we explored whether religiosity and spirituality were associated with risk of hazardous drinking, drug use, and depression among sexual minority women (SMW; i.e., lesbian, bisexual) and possible differences by race/ethnicity. Participants were more likely to endorse spirituality than religiosity, and endorsement of each was highest among African American SMW. We found no protective effect of religiosity or spirituality for hazardous drinking or drug use. An association initially found between identifying as very spiritual and past-year depression disappeared when controlling for help-seeking. …

Helping Navigate The Complex Web Of Community Medicine: How Dedicated Social Services Support In The Ed Can Prevent Unnecessary Ed Visits And Hospital Readmissions, Adam Kennah

Learning Showcase 2016: A Celebration of Discovery, Transformation and Success

A hospital's Emergency Department (ED) serves as its front door to the community. The vast majority of admitted patients present initially to the ED, and even more still begin and end their hospital visit in the ED. A hospital's ED will deal with every societal ill facing that community. However, most hospitals reserve dedicated Social Service resources to admitted patients who have had prolonged inpatient hospital stays. EDs around the country are being overburdened with patients who present to the ED for non-emergent conditions. Access to community based healthcare is daunting even for well-connected individuals. It can be downright impenetrable …

Influence Of Phosphatidylethanolamine Concentration And Composition On The Detection Of Antiphosphatidylethanolamine Antibodies By Elisa, Ke Ke, Zachariah I. Strango, Paul E. Harper, Ming Zhao

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Background: Accumulating evidence supports a positive correlation between the presence of antiphosphatidylethanolamine (aPE) autoantibodies and clinical symptoms of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). However, there is a lack of standardized ELISA-based method for detecting aPE. The current study was conducted to investigate the dependence of aPE ELISA on lipid concentration and composition of PE antigens. Methods: A range of ELISA conditions were examined by varying the concentrations of egg PE and by substituting egg PE with combinations of synthetic DOPE and DSPE. The physical properties of the synthetic PE species were also characterized. Results: Our data indicated that there are different optimal …

A Case Study Using The Biopsychosocial Vulnerability-Stress Model As A Framework To Understand The Incarceration Experience, Annette T. Maruca

Journal for Evidence-based Practice in Correctional Health

In the United States, the Center for Disease Control estimates that about 80% of incarcerated inmates have a substance abuse problem. More than one fourth of inmates are in prisons because of drug related arrests. Additionally, many inmates have cooccurring mental illness disorders as well as health related issues. A multiple (four) case study design was used to explore the association between co-occurring diagnoses, antisocial traits and challenging behaviors within the incarcerated population. The analysis revealed that the four co-occurring diagnoses studied did contribute to poor health outcomes. Study findings suggest that there is a great need to create services …

Integration Of Professional Identity And Christian Religious Identity In Undergraduate Social Work Students, Lolene K. Bargerstock

Dissertations

Undergraduate social work programs are responsible to prepare students who will practice in accordance with the NASW Code of Ethics. Such preparation is not simply limited to developing a body of knowledge or set of skills but extends to adoption of a professional identity. Several research studies point to religious values as a significant motivational factor in choosing social work as a profession, yet little research has been conducted to investigate the integration of religious identity with an emerging professional identity. The current study sought to explore the experience of professional identity formation in undergraduate Christian social work students …

Addressing Health Disparities Among Homeless In Alachua County Through Community-Based Participatory Research., Meron Hirpa, Omar Iqbal, Haider Ali, Sama I. Ilyas, Nabeel Iqbal, Jeena A. Kar, Tiffany Splatt, Brendan Shortley, Nancy Hardt

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Introduction. In states such as Florida that did not expand Medicaid, a large number of economically disadvantaged individuals do not qualify for subsidies to buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ². This leaves the health needs of Florida’s homeless population largely unaddressed. Nearly 48.1% of Alachua County’s homeless population has disabling conditions ¹⁶. This confirms a pressing need to understand the homeless population's healthcare needs, knowledge, and barriers in accessing healthcare. Methods. We used a Community-Based Participatory Research model in conducting health fairs and needs assessment surveys, incentivizing participation, and providing education about existing resources. …

Violence Against Pregnant Women With Disabilities, Ari K. Mwachofi

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background

Each year, violence is perpetrated against 1.5 million US women, of whom 324,000 are pregnant. Violence in pregnancy has adverse effects on maternal and infant health. Although there are 4.7 million childbearing age women with disabilities, and their pregnancy rates are growing, there is very little information about violence against pregnant women with disabilities.

Objectives

The study questions are: Are there differences in pre- and in-pregnancy violence experiences of women with and without disabilities? Is disability a significant predictor of pre- and in-pregnancy violence against women?

Methods

The study uses data from the 2009 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System …

Providing Pediatric Patients With A Voice : Understanding How Children Want To Live Before They Die, Nina Friedman

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper explores what quality of life is for pediatric patients and how health care professionals, a certified child life specialist in particular, can help the patient, family, and medical team to navigate treatment options and decisions regarding end-of-life.

Nebraska Sex Trafficking Survivors Speak – A Qualitative Research Study, Shireen S. Rajaram, Sriyani Tidball

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

This exploratory, qualitative research study was conducted by researchers Dr. Shireen S. Rajaram in the College of Public Health at University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and Ms. Sriyani Tidball in the College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL), and was funded by the Women’s Fund of Omaha. The purpose of this study was to document the perspectives of adult women survivors of sex trafficking about the “3Ps” paradigm: to identify strategies to prevent sex trafficking, provide protection and support for survivors and prosecution of the perpetrators to reduce the demand for sex …

Multiple Behavior Change Intervention To Improve Detection Of Unmet Social Needs And Resulting Resource Referrals., Jeffrey D. Colvin, Jessica L. Bettenhausen, Kaston D. Anderson-Carpenter, Vicki Collie-Akers, Laura Plencner, Molly Krager, Brooke Nelson, Sara Donnelly, Julia Simmons, Valeria Higinio, Paul J. Chung

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: It is critical that pediatric residents learn to effectively screen families for active and addressable social needs (ie, negative social determinants of health). We sought to determine 1) whether a brief intervention teaching residents about IHELP, a social needs screening tool, could improve resident screening, and 2) how accurately IHELP could detect needs in the inpatient setting.

METHODS: During an 18-month period, interns rotating on 1 of 2 otherwise identical inpatient general pediatrics teams were trained in IHELP. Interns on the other team served as the comparison group. Every admission history and physical examination (H&P) was reviewed for IHELP …

Caregiver Opinion Of In-Hospital Screening For Unmet Social Needs By Pediatric Residents., Jeffrey D. Colvin, Jessica L. Bettenhausen, Kaston D. Anderson-Carpenter, Vicki Collie-Akers, Paul J. Chung

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: Child health is strongly influenced by social determinants. Little is known about the opinions of primary caregivers regarding the physicians' role in addressing social needs. Our objective was to examine caregivers' opinions about that role and any associations between those opinions, previous exposure to screening for needs by pediatric residents, and socioeconomic status (SES).

METHODS: Cross-sectional survey study of caregivers of hospitalized children. The survey collected information on caregiver opinion regarding their ability to ask physicians for help with social needs, whether physicians know how to help with those needs, and whether physicians should ask about social needs. The …

Promoting Socially Just Healthcare Systems: Social Work’S Contribution To Patient Navigation, Patricia Desrosiers, Gayle Mallinger, Tonya Bragg-Underwood

Social Work Faculty Publications

Patient navigation is an emerging area of healthcare practice that uses an interdisciplinary and integrated care model designed to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes. The authors define patient navigation, delineate the alignment of social work competencies with patient navigator requirements, and argue for a clear social work role and presence as patient navigators in interdisciplinary healthcare delivery. Social workers are well-equipped to carry out a variety of patient navigator responsibilities due to their unique skill of social justice advocacy as a macro-level intervention. Through involvement in patient navigation, social work leaders can promote the development of socially just …