Social Work Commons^™

Louisiana Children's Trust Fund Annual Report 2021-2022, Elizabeth Winchester, Jada Thomas-Smith, Harleen Sandhu, Aimee H. Moles, Judith L. F. Rhodes

Reports

Child abuse and neglect is a leading factor in the staggeringly high rates of child mortality in Louisiana. In 2017, Louisiana had 44,793 total referrals for child abuse and neglect of which 19,851 were investigated (CWLA, 2019). Child abuse and neglect can have multiple detrimental effects on a child’s physical, psychological, and behavioral health. Effective prevention efforts are critical to ensuring the immediate and long-term safety and well-being of children in Louisiana. Each year, LCTF selects high-quality proposals and funds a range of prevention efforts to protect children, strengthen family well-being, and educate the public about children’s safety. Local, national, …

Description Of Audiologic, Developmental, Ophthalmologic, And Neurologic Diagnoses At A Primary Care Clinic For Children In Foster Care, Jill Mcleigh, Lauren Malthaner, Melissa Reynoso, Kimberly Stone

Health Status, Outcomes, and Literacy and Healthcare Utilization

This study aimed to describe the prevalence of medically diagnosed audiologic, developmental, ophthalmologic, and neurologic conditions in a foster care primary care clinic and to identify any associations among these diagnoses and patient characteristics, placement type, and maltreatment type.

For questions about this study or others, please email [email protected]

childrens.com/fostercare

Examining Community Engagement Strategies In Richmond, Va Nonprofits Addressing Food Insecurity: A Case Study, Moné Bailey

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Nonprofit Studies Capstone Projects

Food in America is often a reflection of values, cultures and customs. Food choices give way to your upbringing, geographic location and even socioeconomic status. In the United States, 8.6 million adults live in households with very low food security. As nonprofits begin to shift from a charity-based structure in addressing food insecurity to an equity-based approach, it is important to understand how they are effectively engaging the community. Community engagement is a fundamental practice for nonprofits to build trust, foster relationships and empower the community. Though the concept of community engagement has been an important theme across disciplines, there …

Analyzing The Nature Of Immigrant Mobility With Respect To Property Taxes, Megan Kaminski

University Honors Program Senior Projects

Immigration is one of the most heavily debated current issues in the United States. One area of this topic under investigation is what characteristics impact mobility decisions with respect to choice of location . A variety of factors can have an influence on immigrant mobility, one being property taxes. In this study, an analysis was conducted to determine if a relationship exists between property tax rates and immigrant mobility. County-level data from Illinois was used to see whether or not the percentage of foreign born individuals residing in a given county had any correlation with the property tax rate of …

Mindset Theory Relates To Attitudes About Prison And Parole Among College Students, Cassandra R. Petersen

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The maintenance of prosocial relationships has been strongly connected to criminal desistance among past offenders. The opinions held by the community shape the prejudice often encountered by those with a criminal record. To promote desistance, we must understand how criminals and their abilities are considered by the public. In this study, 69 college students were surveyed about the United States prison and parole system in conjunction with Dweck’s mindset theory. Along with explicit questions, an Implicit Associations Test (IAT) was employed to measure unconscious associations between mentality and punishment preference. The IAT revealed that traits of a growth mindset were …

Religiosity And Midwestern Lgbtq+ Homeless Youth, Alecia Keller, Nancy Kelley

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Previous investigations have focused on the intersections of LGBTQ+ youth and religion, homelessness and religion, or homeless LGBTQ+ youth, without recognizing the multiple intersections that make up each LGBTQ+ youth’s identity. The purpose of this study was to gain more insight into how being homeless, identifying as LGBTQ+, and growing up with some religion played a role in transitional-aged (ages eighteen to twenty-five) youths’ lives. After working with Youth Emergency Services (YES) in Omaha, Nebraska, and conducting interviews with LGBTQ+ youth who were previously homeless, similar topics emerged among participants. Three participants were evicted from their homes because of their …

An Exploration Into The Design Of A Portable Music Player For People With Alzheimer’S And Dementia, Jaxon V. Silva

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

An exploration into the design of a portable music player for people with Alzheimer's and dementia.

Linking Homelessness In Secondary School To Postsecondary And Early Labor Market Outcomes In Maryland Using A Continuum Of Risk Framework, Dawnsha R. Mushongaa, Mathew C. Uretsky, Bess A. Rose, Angela K. Henneberger

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Homeless and low-income students share multiple overlapping risk experiences; however, some studies report little to no observed differences in outcomes between these students. From the cumulative risk perspective, homelessness is perched at the extreme edge of economic insecurity, suggesting that homeless students encounter additional hardships beyond poverty experiences alone. Using a continuum of risk framework, this study leveraged statewide administrative data from a 6th grade cohort of Maryland public school students (N = 52,610) to investigate the association between homelessness and educational and early labor market outcomes, above and beyond the associations linked to poverty. Findings provide support for the …

Veterans Treatment Court: Outreach Specialist, Francisco Narewski

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Monterey Military and Veterans Affairs Office (MVAO) is a lifeline to Monterey County veterans who suffer from PTSD, substance abuse, and have fallen into the justice system due to service connected disabilities. The MVAO has a justice outreach program that includes peer mentorship. The project's purpose is to ensure that veterans comply with the rules and regulations of the Monterey County Veterans Court and graduate from the program. The current program manager is tasked with the huge responsibility of veteran advocate, court liaison, peer program manager, and Veterans Affairs subject matter expert. The next steps the agency can take …

Power Of Arts & Craft To Support Children With Illnesses, Gerardo Hernandez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services is a non profit agency in Watsonville, California. Providing family-centered care for children and their families in their emotional, practical, and financial struggles. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s a need for a laser-focused strategy to meet the immediate needs of children’s health. Childhood cancer greatly affects their upbringing and may create worse problems throughout their adulthood. Without assistance, these families are critically vulnerable to their physical and mental health issues. This project allows children with illness alongside their families to receive mental health assistance throughout their complex journey. With the …

A Preliminary Exploration On The Views Of Terrorism Among Indian And U.S. College Students, Eric G. Lambert, Shanhe Jiang, N. Prabha Unnithan, Sudershan Pasupuleti

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

No corner of the world is completely safe from terrorist attacks. Both India and the United States have suffered horrific acts of terrorist-inspired violence. While views of terrorism vary for different reasons, culture certainly plays a role. A total of 918 undergraduate college students, composed of 434 Indian students and 484 U.S. students, were surveyed on their views of terrorism, responses to terrorism, and appropriate punishment of terrorists. Ordered ordinal regression results indicated a significant difference on 20 of the 26 items by nationality. Indian participants were more likely to express strong views on the problem of terrorism for society …

“It’S Embarrassing. I Get Angry. I Get Frustrated.”: Understanding Severe Hypoglycemia And Glucagon Usage From The Perspectives Of People With Type 1 Diabetes, Allyson S. Hughes, Katherine Chapman, Jeoffrey Bispham, Jeannett Dimsits, Stuart Weinzimer, Wendy Wolf, Nazanin M. Heydarian

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Introduction: This study characterized the emotional impact of severe hypoglycemia, views of glucagon, and barriers to glucagon use from the perspective of adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods: Participants included individuals recruited from the T1D Exchange online community. The current study conducted 7 focus groups consisting of adults with T1D (N = 38, average age 49.4, SD = 16.11 years). Average duration of diabetes was 34.4 years (SD = 17.3) and average self-reported A1c was 6.8 % (SD = 0.7). Focus group interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed.

Results: A range of emotions was expressed about severe hypoglycemia …

“It’S Embarrassing. I Get Angry. I Get Frustrated.”: Understanding Severe Hypoglycemia And Glucagon Usage From The Perspectives Of People With Type 1 Diabetes, Allyson S. Hughes, Katherine Chapman, Jeoffrey Bispham, Jeannett Dimsits, Stuart Weinzimer, Wendy Wolf, Nazanin M. Heydarian

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Introduction

This study characterized the emotional impact of severe hypoglycemia, views of glucagon, and barriers to glucagon use from the perspective of adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods

Participants included individuals recruited from the T1D Exchange online community. The current study conducted 7 focus groups consisting of adults with T1D (N = 38, average age 49.4, SD = 16.11 years). Average duration of diabetes was 34.4 years (SD = 17.3) and average self-reported A1c was 6.8 % (SD = 0.7). Focus group interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed.

Results

A range of emotions was expressed about severe …

Contact Based Intervention Reduces Stigma Among Pharmacy Students, Christine R. Bakos-Block, Tamara Al Rawwad, Marylou Cardenas-Turanzas, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Introduction

Interventions to reduce the stigma of substance use disorders by health professionals often include didactic instruction combined with an interactive component that includes a guest speaker in recovery. Few interactive studies have focused on pharmacy students. Community pharmacists are moving to the front lines to battle the opioid epidemic; therefore, pharmacy students should be included in interventions aimed at reducing stigma by health professionals.

Methods

This study examined the effects of a contact-based interactive intervention delivered by a peer recovery support specialist on perceived stigma of opioid use disorder among third-year pharmacy students (N = 115) enrolled in …

“Immigration Enforcement Is A Daily Part Of Our Students’ Lives”: School Social Workers’ Perceptions Of Racialized Nested Contexts Of Reception For Immigrant Students, Sophia Rodriguez, Benjamin J. Roth, Leticia Villarreal Sosa

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

This qualitative analysis examines school social workers’ equity work for immigrant students, including their perceptions of immigration enforcement and school climates that support or hinder immigrant student experiences. We conceptually expand understandings of nested contexts of reception and racialized organizations across macro, meso, micro levels, and how they affect immigrant students’ educational experiences, mobility, and belonging. Utilizing open-ended responses from a unique national survey data set, we examine school social workers’ perceptions of the macro, meso, micro racialized contexts that immigrant students encounter, how school social worker perceptions reflect racial attitudes as part of the racialized organization of schools in …

Psychological Self-Sufficiency And Financial Literacy Among Low-Income Participants: An Empowerment-Based Approach To Financial Capability, Philip Young P. Hong, Maria V. Wathen, Alanna Shin, Intae Yoon, Jang Ho Park

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

Building on theory and research in financial capability, this study enhances a financial capability model by integrating psychological self-sufficiency (PSS) theory as part of the financial literacy component. Using PSS, a concept from workforce development literature, this study investigates the extent to which an empowerment-based PSS process in targeting financial goals is associated with financial literacy. Path analyses were conducted using a sample of 187 low-income individuals from a large social service agency in Chicago. Findings suggest that perceived financial barriers and financial hope—the two targets of PSS interventions—are associated with financial attitude and behavior, controlling for other demographic variables. …

In-Home Support Services Provider Training Needs, Em Bowman Fowler

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Aging and Adult Services of Monterey County offers support to an umbrella of county agencies that assist older adults and people with disabilities including Public Authority and In-Home Support Services (IHSS). Public Authority manages a registry of providers who work for IHSS recipients. The providers often encountered issues that required immediate answers. Many of the questions were simple but took up much of the Public Authority staff’s time to return every message. By creating instructional videos and posting them on the Aging and Adult Services website, providers had instant access to the solution to their issues. The videos received feedback …

Important Activities For Infants And Toddlers / To Support A Foster Child, Vanessa Salas

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a non-profit organization that serves children in the foster care system as mentors and advocates. There was a need for more resources to be available for CASA’s when appointed an infant or toddler and the activities that would be aged appropriate. The purpose of this project was to have a resource tool that is easily accessible during weekly visits with the infant or toddler so that the time spent together is used to its fullest potential. The desired outcome is that CASA’s develop meaningful relationships with their infants and their guardians throughout this difficult …

Branding For Hope Services, Roberta Garcia

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Hope Services is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization located in Seaside, California. Hope Services was in need of a new marketing and branding plan in order to reach more people throughout the various communities that are being served. The first contributing factor is limited outreach throughout the community, the consequence to that is low client rates which brings less staff. The second contributing factor is limited caseworkers, the consequence is low levels of applications being accepted or seen. The last contributing factor is limited access to technology, the consequence is low levels of knowledge of resources for possible clients. The capstone …

Are Basic Care Homeless Shelters Beneficial To The Homeless, Lucy Karanja

Symposium of Student Scholars

This research aims to analyze homeless shelters that only provide basic care, i.e., food and shelter, to individuals experiencing episodic or chronic homelessness. Evaluating the effectiveness of these shelters and their ability to help individuals overcome homelessness. Research in this area suggests that there are commonly seen factors that result in homelessness, and although there are noted gender differences, these factors include aspects such as mental illness, substance abuse, poverty, illness, disability, violence, and a lack of access to resources, i.e., education, income, affordable housing, social support. All of these are complex on their own to address and only grow …