Social Work Commons^™

Examining The Contributing Factors To Aging Out Of Foster Care, Aida Justiz Skipper, Ericka Ross

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: There is a need for an enhanced understanding of factors contributing to foster youths’ decision to leave the foster care system prematurely and not participate in the Extended Foster Care (EFC) program given California has the largest population of non-minor dependents in care and a very small percent of transitioning foster youth participating in the EFC program. Purpose: This study examined the factors that impact a youth’s decision to participate in EFC and strived to answer the following question: Is there an association between the social worker-client relationship and a foster youth’s knowledge of EFC? Methods: This quantitative study …

You Call Us Treatment Resistant: The Effects Of Biases On Women With Borderline Personality Disorder, Cassidy Acosta

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explored how negative attitudes toward and discriminatory practices against women with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) affect them and impact their treatment. The study adopted a constructivist paradigm, and data was collected via virtual interviews with research partners (i.e., women with BPD) who use online mental health forums. A final construction was established after the data was interpreted. Ultimately, it was determined that women with BPD face stigma and are described as treatment resistant; however, by providing a supportive treatment environment, women with this diagnosis see positive outcomes. The results of the study are intended to support women with …

Examining The Association Between Family Cohesion And The Risk Of Substance Use In Offspring, Angelica Mendoza

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background and Purpose: Progress has been made in understanding substance use and its transmission, whether it be biological or environmental, yet there is a lack of research in understanding protective factors and the disruption of developing a substance use disorder. The study was aimed to fill the gap in our understanding of protective factors against familial transmission of substance use disorders by examining the association between family resilience and the risk of transmission to an offspring. We hypothesized that those without a substance use diagnosis would have higher levels of family functioning compared to those with a substance use diagnosis. …

First-Generation Social Work Latinas Balancing Life And Career, Angelica Venegas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The study focused on learning about the successes and challenges first-generation social work Latinas face in the labor sector. The research project shows how Latino cultural values, beliefs, customs, and educational attainment impact Latinas’ careers and overall well-being. The research utilized a post-positivist approach and qualitatively gathered data through interviews with first-generation Latina social workers in Southern California. The study presents qualitative research project results, with quantitative demographics, of first-generation post-graduate Latinas balancing life and career. Themes from the findings include job satisfaction/dissatisfaction, assimilation and enculturation, labor sector discrimination and oppression, familismo and marianismo projection toward individualization, feeling balanced or …

Perceptions Of The Impact Of Parental Mental Health On Adult Children, Samantha Ann Gallo-Vargas, Queray Mcmihelk Jr.

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study sought to gain further understanding of the perceptions of parental mental illness on adult children. Previous research suggests that parental mental illness may create generational trauma that impacts children even into adulthood. This study used a qualitative, exploratory approach, including in-depth interviews with eight individuals who grew up with a parent or caretaker with a mental illness. The participants ranged from ages 18 to 45 and came from various cultural and socioeconomic statuses. The interviews followed a semi-structured interview guide that the researchers designed. The findings of this study suggest that most of the participants used their experience …

Exploring The Impact Of The Placement Discontinuity In Foster Care, Michelle Sepulveda, Angela Williams

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background and purpose: Over the past ten years, there have been more foster parents. Still, foster parents find it difficult to fulfill their obligations. It is crucial to conduct research into the variables that affect foster parents' effectiveness. Method: The Aim of this study was to gather quantitative data utilizing a cross-sectional study from foster parents to determine whether there is a correlation between their level of preparedness to be foster parents and the number of placement changes. The target sample included foster parents who had fostered children within the last twelve months. Although the nonprobability sampling technique was practical, …

Exploring Permanency Rates Within The Southern California Counties Of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino And San Diego, Karrene Turner

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The term permanency within child welfare is the right for all children to have a childhood with a nurturing and permanent family. For children within foster care, it means a permanent family-based living situation with one of the following: parents, permanent placement with relatives, reunification with parents or adoption (Freundlich et al., 2006). The purpose of this study is to examine the perceived differences in permanency rates within 12 months of entry in child welfare within the Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego within a 10-year time span. The study will use pre-existing data …

Examining The Obstacles In Rehoming The Homeless With Substance Use Addiction, Denise Ortuno

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the obstacles in re-homing the homeless with substance use to provide an understanding of the issues and possible solutions through the lens of social work caseworkers. The method of research was interviewing caseworkers from a homeless shelter that works with the homeless population with substance use. The caseworkers were interviewed via Zoom by the researcher who provided them with questions pertaining to their work with said population. The caseworker’s answers were then coded for themes, and categorized. The results indicated that there is a need to foster trust with the homeless with substance use, in order …

Social Workers’ Perceptions Of Disproportionality And Disparity In The Child Welfare System, Nelyda Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Disproportionality and disparity within the United States child welfare system continue to be a problem affecting ethnic minority children and families. This study examined the opinions of social workers on racial disparity in the child welfare system through a qualitative approach. The information on the perceptions of seven child social workers was gathered through open-ended interview questions. The study's findings reveal a range of viewpoints on the factors that contribute to the disproportionality in child welfare, including historical reasons, systemic issues, bias among social workers and society, training, education and cultural humility, and communication between social workers and supervisors. The …

Perceived Financial Strain And Its Effects On College Students’ Welfare, Monica Contreras, Clarissa Adrianna Martinez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between perceived financial strain and the physical, mental/emotional, and social well-being of students in college. The quantitative study used online surveys to gather data from ninety-eight college participants. The data gathered from the surveys suggests there is a relationship between perceived financial strain and student well-being. Students reported an impact on their friend, peer, and familial relationships and reported higher levels of worry, sadness, and frustration. In addition, all three categories of student well-being were associated with overall perceived financial strain, indicating as financial stress increased, it affected physical, mental/emotional, and social well-being. Results indicate …

Is There A Relationship Between Professorial-Student Racial Match And Academic Satisfaction Of African American Social Work Students, Ashlei Armstead

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background and Purpose: Although in most recent years, the academic achievement gap between African- American and Caucasian students have slightly decreased, it continues to be a national issue. Previous studies have found that African American students are more likely to receive disciplinary punishment, such as suspension or expulsion, causing them to have lower grades and higher dropout rates, when paired with a Caucasian teacher. On the contrary, when they are paired with an African American teacher, they tend to experience higher rates of academic satisfaction. These findings tend to derive from studies that solely focused on racial match and academic …

Effects Of Corporal Punishment On Parents, David Martinez, Linda Saleh Borghol

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

There has been limited research regarding the effects of corporal punishment on parents. This qualitative study examined the effects of corporal punishment on parents and the reasoning behind their particular discipline practices. The study provides an overview of the thoughts and emotions parents feel before and after utilizing corporal punishment. The data were collected through interviews of parents who utilized corporal punishment as their main form of discipline. We interviewed parents through Zoom meetings in order to gather data that would help this study. Researchers interviewed eight parents who expressed the effects they experienced from utilizing corporal punishment. Analysis of …

Safety Organized Practice Training And Implementation In Central California, Alison Lucado

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study focused on the macro level implementation of the Safety Organized Practice framework for best practice in Child Welfare social work. Safety Organized Practice is a social work framework for engagement with families that is used in California and various other states. It is a relatively new approach to social work in Child Welfare so many agencies are in various stages of implementation. This study gathered qualitative data through virtual interviews with social workers.

The key findings of this study were that Safety Organized Practice implementation needs to start at the supervisor and management level to ensure social workers …

Examining The Relationship Between Technological Skills And Success In Higher Education Among Formerly Incarcerated Individuals, Ebony Cubias

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background and purpose: Research has tended to focus on the outcomes of how digital inclusion for incarcerated individuals has helped reduce the rate of recidivism rather than the success rate in higher education for formerly incarcerated individuals. This study was implemented to examine the relationship between technological skills and academic achievement amongst formerly incarcerated individuals in higher education. Methods: This observational study used cross-sectional data from participants recruited from Project Rebound in California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB). Participants were recruited using purposive sampling method. Students who participated were over the age of 18, formerly incarcerated, and currently enrolled in …

Does The Use Of Social Media Have An Impact On Young Adults Body Identification?, Glycell Robledo Felix, Ashley Olmedo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The present study investigated how social media use has an impact on Body Identification among Young Adults. Both female and male participants (N=104) from the ages 18-30 were randomly sent a link that would take them directly to a survey. The survey took approximately five minutes for the participants to complete. Participants were asked a set of questions regarding what they saw on social media that made them feel insecure about their body image. Many of the participants responded that the main content that would make them feel dissatisfied with their body on social media was about fitness, cosmetic surgery, …

Examining Differences In Adult Attachment Across Varying Family Dynamics, Hannah Miller

School of Social Work Undergraduate Honors Theses

Recent research suggests that attachment in adulthood impacts many aspects of an individual’s life, including experiences with romantic partners, emotional regulation, and overall life satisfaction. Research attributes this to the levels of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance individuals experience due to relationship experiences with their caregivers in childhood. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between specific family dynamics and the presence of attachment anxiety and avoidance in adulthood. The present study recruited 185 adults to participate in an anonymous survey about the family dynamics they experienced in childhood, including the relationship between their parents or guardians …

Lgbtqia+ People And Religious Trauma, Cira Abiseid

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or questioning), intersex, and asexual people (LGBTQIA+) experience religious trauma caused by the harmful messaging often aimed at sexual and gender minorities. Identity dissonance can be created when LGBTQIA+ people find their religious and sexual or gender minority identities at odds with each other. A review of existing literature revealed themes of identity erasure, internalized homophobia, and resilience, but there was limited research involving this population. This qualitative study centers the voices of those who have experienced religious trauma based on their identities and works to understand their healing journeys. Fifteen LGBTQIA+ individuals participated …

The Mental Health Experiences Of Daca Recipients And Non-Daca Recipients, Lizeth Ariana Guadalupe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Millions of immigrant children without legal status grow up in the U.S. and aspire to live and thrive in American society. However, without legal status, they face challenges in integrating into society. Implemented in 2012, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was created to help immigrant youth integrate into society by providing them with work permits, facilitating educational opportunities, and protection from deportation. However, not all immigrant children qualify for DACA, and the recent legal challenges to DACA prohibit new applicants and put roughly 600,000 recipients in legal limbo. The research questions this study poses are 1.) How …

Queer Need In The Natural State: An Exploratory Needs Assessment Of The 2slgbtqia+ Community In Northwest Arkansas, Leea Jean Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the current needs of the 2sLGBTQIA+ community in Northwest Arkansas between the ages of 18-40 and what their experiences have been attempting to get their needs met. Eight semi-structured interviews were completed with members of the 2sLGBTQIA+ population, and ethical considerations were made throughout the process. The findings of this study were expansive and included six overarching themes with various subthemes. The findings report on the specific needs outlined by participants, how participants found the resources to meet their needs, and common positive and negative experiences that participants identified in the process. Findings showed that intersectional identities …

Exploring Best Practices Of Charitable Organizations : A Case Study Of Social Ministry For Widows And Orphans Of Some Selected Non-Profit Organizations In Kaduna, Nigeria, Mary Dizerkiya Bakut

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.