Social Work Commons^™

A Qualitative Analysis Of Catholic Mental Health Services In Texas For School-Age Children And Adolescents, Dylan R. Benson

Social Work Theses - Archive

Introduction: This study’s purpose was to provide a snapshot of what mental health services are available to school-age children and adolescents in the state of Texas that are provided by the Catholic Church and Catholics, and to provide feasible recommendations for improvements concerning said services. This study also aims to dispel the stigma against mental healthcare provision by licensed professionals that still exists in some areas of the Catholic Church by displaying the intersection between having faith and the ability to provide care to everyone regardless of faith or lack thereof. Methods: This study used a qualitative research method due …

Preparing Students For Social Work Practice With Grieving Clients, Lisa Battle

Social Work Theses - Archive

Social workers will encounter grief, death, and dying in their professional careers. Whether or not it is integral to the practice setting, it is integral to life, and clients in all settings will be impacted by grief and death. Rapidly increasing research in this area has uncovered grief and death as an important competency that new social workers are lacking (Pomeroy et al., 2019). This shortfall impacts social workers through increased risk of vicarious grief and trauma, and their clients through decreased level of care provided (Richmond et al., 2021). Extricating social workers and clients from this burden is a …

Former And Present Military Service Members' Perceptions Of The Use Of Psychedelic Substances For The Treatment Of Mental Health Conditions, Chloe Seay

Social Work Theses - Archive

Now more than ever, Americans are experiencing a serious mental health crisis. However, it can be asserted that veterans are even more in need of effective interventions to address mental health concerns. Veterans experience disproportionally high rates of anxiety, depression, substance abuse disorders, PTSD, and death by suicide. They often do not find significant symptom reduction from traditional mental health intervention methods. Psychedelics are re-emerging as an option for mental health treatment, however our knowledge of veterans’ attitudes toward the use of psychedelics for treatment for various mental health conditions is currently limited. This work presents the results of an …

Health Care Quality And Health Care Access Disparities Among Racial And Ethnic Populations With Comorbid Mental And Physical Health Conditions, Amanda Lee Ryan

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This study reports the individual and county-level factors associated with racial and ethnic disparities in the ED and inpatient utilization rates and discharge status for adult individuals with chronic mental illness (CMI) and comorbid medical conditions. Social determinants at the individual and county levels associated with rates of higher risk discharge statuses, and the extent to which these account for heterogeneity in acute care utilization and post-acute care plans were also assessed. Despite the significant literature in racial and ethnic disparities, and emergency department and inpatient admission utilization, there remains gaps in the literature regarding individuals with chronic mental illness …

How Covid-19 And Racial Justice Protests Influenced Social Workers’ Perceptions Of Policy And Political Participation, Amy Krings, Maria V. Wathen, Teresa Kilbane

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

Drawing on political opportunity theory, this study examined how the political context created by the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests influenced social workers’ perceptions about social welfare policy and political participation in the summer of 2020. Authors conducted a thematic analysis of the open-ended survey responses of 120 social work practitioners. Regarding perceptions of policy, respondents reported that they experienced new awareness about the breadth and depth of structural racism in the United States; that they held pessimistic views of the government’s ability to mitigate harm associated with the pandemic or racial injustice; and that structural change, including …

Analysis Of Trauma Screening As A Potential Predictor Of Congregate Care Placement As A Key Factor In Caseworker Decision Making, Amy Louise Perricone

Dissertations

The placement of foster care children into congregate care (CC) facilities has been debated regarding whether CC can provide safety and healing, or if it is harmful and retraumatizing to children. In recent years CC has come under scrutiny due to high per diem costs and increasing reports of abuse and even death of children. In response, the federal Families First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) was enacted in 2018 with a goal of reducing the number of children in CC. Since then, efforts have been implemented nationwide to achieve this goal. This study explored the value of statewide trauma screening …

Crisis Migration Adverse Childhood Events: A New Category Of Youth Adversity For Crisis Migrant Children And Adolescents, Beyhan Ertanir, Cory L. Cobb, Jennifer B. Unger, Teresa Celada-Dalton, Amy E. West, Ingrid Zeledon, Patrizia A. Perazzo, Miguel Ángel Cano, Sabrina E. Des Rosiers, Luis H. Zayas

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The present article proposes an extension of the concept of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to apply to crisis migration - where youth and families are fleeing armed conflicts, natural disasters, community violence, government repression, and other large-scale emergencies. We propose that adverse events occurring prior to, during, and following migration can be classified as crisis-migration-related ACEs, and that the developmental logic underlying ACEs can be extended to the new class of crisis-migration-related ACEs. Specifically, greater numbers, severity, and chronicity of crisis-migration-related ACEs would be expected to predict greater impairments in mental and physical health, poorer interpersonal relationships, and less job …

Social Work And The Platform Economy: A Labor Process Theory Analysis, Lauri Goldkind, Barbara Pohl, Lea Wolf

Social Service Faculty Publications

Therapy is now available via digital platforms brokering relationships between practitioners and clients. Licensed clinical social workers contract with direct-to-consumer digital platforms to provide tele–mental health services. We employ labor process theory (LPT) to explore the interpersonal work of therapy as a labor arrangement, arguing that the core theory of LPT is useful for analyzing the overlapping clinical and material dynamics of conducting social work in online environments. We extend LPT analyses of gig work to the behavioral health field. Although platforms attract social workers by promising autonomy, the managerial controls that platforms exert and the emotional labor that social …

Model Of Evidence-Based Practice: Children Experiencing Domestic Violence In Rural Areas, Linden Sutton, Mckenzie Kurtz

Student Projects

Domestic violence is often something that occurs between an abuser and a victim. However, children are also deeply affected by any type of abuse that they witness or experience. More specifically, children in rural areas face more challenges and barriers preventing them from experiencing the freedom to simply be a child. This study examined theories and interventions to treat children experiencing domestic violence. The researchers developed a treatment curriculum based on solution-focused brief therapy to address this population. Overall, solution-focused brief therapy is an effective treatment for children who have either witnessed or experienced domestic violence in a rural setting.

Domestic Violence In Sioux County: Raising Awareness And Stimulating Empathy, Jenna Aalbers, Bailey Brown, Kenzie Kurtz, Linden Sutton

Student Projects

Domestic violence is a pertinent problem in Sioux County, Iowa, yet community members tend to be unaware of its existence and relevance. That is because it operates in a sly cycle, largely undetected by those outside the family. There is a general lack of public discussion and understanding about domestic violence, which tends to be viewed as a private, family matter. Despite this, the impacts of domestic violence extend beyond the family, and there are systemic factors that serve as barriers and risk factors for domestic violence survivors. This paper highlights the conditions of domestic violence in general as well …

Food Insecurity At Los Abuelitos, Rosalina Duran

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Food insecurity among the senior population is a social problem that can cause malnutrition, chronic conditions, and death. CHISPA Housing Management and Community Services is a non-profit organization that builds low-income senior housing in Monterey County and provides senior hot lunches to its residents. The causes of food insecurity are a lack of income, chronic conditions, and transportation issues. The consequences of food insecurity are the deterioration of their physical and mental health. This capstone project is an assessment that consists of gathering data on the residents who reside at the Los Abuelitos Townhome housing rather than taking advantage of …

Chinatown Outreach - Targeted Resources For The Unhoused Population, Jesus Herrera

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Addressing housing insecurities is one of The Epicenter’s pillars while utilizing a new federal grant. The Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program is the division implementing the project that will consist of outreach through a mobilization team. Housing insecurities are not only a city issue but a statewide one and YHDP is designed to help reduce those insecurities and improve a client’s quality of life while providing food, clothing, hygiene packs, and resource information to improve their livelihood. To assess the effectiveness of our deliverables it consisted of tallying, informal dialogues, and data analysis. The most important measure is that we were …

Enhancing Recovery With The Use Of Animals, Christina Martinez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Avenues is a program designed to help adults lead happier and more productive lives by overcoming mental health and chemical dependency challenges. The problem is, participants are not fully prepared for independent living following these programs. The plan was to provide participants a therapeutic approach to gaining hands-on experience while combating symptoms of mental illness with the use of animals, with hopes that participants would be better prepared for life after leaving the program. If the project met the expected outcome, the agency would see a lower rate of participants returning to the program and a higher success rate of …

School Social Work 238 Exam Preparation: Resources And Handouts, Leticia Villarreal Sosa, Tiffany Nelson, Brenda Coble-Lindsey, Annette Johnson, Giesela Grumbach

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Organizational Supports For Evidence Use In Child Welfare, Emmeline Chuang, Crystal Collins-Camargo, Bowen Mcbeath, Monica Perez Jolles

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite its importance to achieving positive outcomes for vulnerable children and families, use of evidence by child welfare managers and practitioners remains limited. This study describes four types of organizational supports that child welfare agencies may use to facilitate evidence use. Data collected in 2016 from a six-state sample of private child welfare agencies are used to examine agency investment in different supports for evidence use and their association with managerial evidence use. We also identify contextual, organizational, and managerial factors associated with agency investment in these supports. Findings suggest that technical infrastructure is necessary but not sufficient for promoting …

Exploring Burnout And Work Engagement In The United States Refugee Resettlement Policy-Practice Domain: A Qualitatively Driven Mixed-Method Study., Eva X. Nyerges

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Refugee resettlement workers are crucial actors within refugee resettlement, supporting newcomers’ acculturation into a new society. Little is known about the comprehensive range of organizational characteristics that impact workers’ experiences of burnout and work engagement. This qualitatively driven mixed-method study using Constructivist Grounded Theory analytic techniques aimed to develop a holistic understanding of the organizational elements influencing burnout and work engagement among refugee resettlement workers. Further, the study aimed to illuminate the mechanisms by which job demands and resources influence burnout and work engagement. In-depth qualitative interviews with 22 refugee resettlement workers operating in a southeastern state of the United …

Texas School Social Workers: Demographics, Work Characteristics, Job Satisfaction, And Work Barriers And Facilitators, Astrid Gandaria

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the demographics, and job, services, responsibilities, barriers, facilitators, and satisfaction of Texas school social workers. A survey was emailed to Texas school social workers identified on a state list. A convergent parallel mixed method design was used to compare and discuss quantitative and qualitative data obtained. The data reveal consistency with existing school social work literature related to demographics and provided novel information on work characteristics, job satisfaction, work barriers and facilitators, and program preparation of school social workers. The data shows school social workers are highly involved …

Organizational Commitment, Sarah Stepanek, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is organizational commitment?

Organizational commitment, along with job satisfaction, is one of the most commonly studied job attitudes within the psychological sciences and is often used to gauge how employees feel about their job. Research on organizational commitment has largely been a fragmented endeavor, with no clear consensus on what organizational commitment actually is or how it should be conceptualized. To date, there is not one definition that is regarded as the best, but there are some common themes that can be seen throughout the many definitions in existence. For example, most definitions refer to organizational commitment in terms …

Faith's Role In Patients' Approaches To Healthcare Decisions, Maeve Chawk, Colin Fitzgerald, Andrew Ganninger, Grace Sorrentino, Justina Zolikoff

Content presented at the Roesch Social Sciences Symposium

This is a literature review focusing on faith’s role in breaking down financial and cultural barriers to healthcare.

Through our research and analysis, we have found that faith-based approaches to healthcare break down the barriers that deter people from seeking treatment. Although there are different types of barriers that communities face, they all prevent individuals from receiving the care they deserve. Through increased support from their faith community, individuals are more likely to seek out help without any reservation.

How Science Education Impacts The Religious Beliefs Of Students, Sahithi Kunisetty, Alexa Neal, Benjamin Ravas

Content presented at the Roesch Social Sciences Symposium

This is a literature review exploring the conflict between science and religion. It seeks to understand how a science education influences a student's level of religious beliefs. Furthermore, it provides reasons as to why one would have less access to a science education, and how religion can restrict one from learning about science.