Social Work Commons^™

Immigration And Social Work: A Content Analysis Of Schools In Liberal States, Yenicka Avila, Stephanie Ibarra

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The social work profession vows to defend society’s most vulnerable populations, including undocumented immigrants. Yet, how immigration is perceived in social work education and the extent to which social works schools are integrated this concept in their mission statements and/or social media pages remain understudied in the existing literature. This study is a mixed-methods content analysis of 133 social work schools accredited (or in the process of accreditation) by the Council of Social Work Education (N = 133). It was hypothesized that the proportion of social work schools that overtly/covertly mentioned immigration in their mission statements and Facebook pages will …

The Caregiver-Biological Parent Relationship’S Impact On Reunification, Karol Valencia Reynoso

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child welfare cases that require the removal of children from the parents require court involvement. Children in foster care are placed in a foster home. Foster caregivers are responsible for the daily care of the court Dependent meanwhile their parent(s) is participating in Family Reunification services.

Interviewing social workers with family reunification case work experience allowed for identification of common barriers or commonalities caused by the relationship between foster caregivers and biological parents. Visitations between the children and bio-parents are a great indicator of reunification likelihood based on the child-parent bond. The study was centered on child welfare social worker’s …

Loss Of Face-To-Face Interaction In Telehealth, Steven Lu

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Telehealth usage has increased dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The loss of face-to-face interaction may have an impact on rapport building, noticing verbal and nonverbal cues, and attitudes towards telehealth which may negatively affect the quality of mental health services. The study aimed to determine if the loss of face-to-face interaction has any effect on the quality of mental health services through telehealth. The study employed an exploratory qualitative research method design using interviews. Audio recordings were transcribed to written form to analyze themes that were present. The study found that the loss of face-to-face interaction can influence rapport …

Measuring Competency In Social Work: Lgbtqia Populations, Desirae Nicole Aguirre, Samantha Raquel Stephens

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The study conducted interviews to measure the level of competency social workers have assisting members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, and asexual community (LGBTQIA+) using a qualitative exploratory research design. Data was collected from nine social workers from the United States of America. Key findings indicated the participants generally did not feel competent to work with this community, particularly transgender persons. Training at work, through school, or learned on their own about serving LGBTQIA+ clients were generally limited in scope. Lastly, findings on what the participants thought the specialized needs of the transgender population were …

Identifying Perceptions And Factors Of Pursuing Higher Education In Former Foster Youth, Karina Alicia Galindo, Julissa Arielle Gonzalez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explores former foster youth’s perceptions and factors in pursuing higher education. Twelve participants provided insight on their experiences when in the foster care system that had impacted their pursuance of higher education. Many participants elaborated on their lives after aging out of the system, and how they navigated life as former foster youth. This was done through a self-paced audio recorded interview along with questions regarding demographics and information pertaining to the amount of time each individual spent in the foster care system.

This study’s findings were able to identify overarching themes on former foster youth, such as …

Social Workers’ Competency When Working With Latino Immigrant Families, Suleima Corea, Cynthia Gutierrez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study will focus on exploring the competency of social workers who provide services to Latino immigrant clients, who are court-ordered to complete services, meaning that a juvenile court has had to remove the child from their parents due to abuse or neglect. When social services practitioners provide service to Latino immigrant clients, it is important for them to be familiarized with the culture, beliefs, and behaviors to better understand and serve the population.

This qualitative study used a snowball sampling method to interview six Southern California social workers in two different child welfare agencies via Zoom. The participants were …

Examining Geographic Variation In Mental And Behavioral Health Outcomes Of Sexual Minority Youth, Kerry M. Mcloughlin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Sexual minority youth (SMY) are a population vulnerable to behavioral health challenges. While behavioral health disparities between SMY and heterosexual youth are well documented, less attention has been given to how such disparities vary geographically. The aim of this study is to begin to fill this gap by using a national dataset to examine how behavioral health disparities between SMY and heterosexual youth vary by geography. Understanding how SMY’s experiences vary by location will allow social workers to better allocate resources. Secondary data analysis of cross-sectional data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study was conducted to …

Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces): Role Of Emotional Intelligence On Psychological Distress, Ariana Romero, Sean Panganiban

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Currently, over 60% of adults in the U.S have suffered from at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE). The impact of ACEs on mental health and well-being has been immensely researched over the past couple decades. The current study aims to see how emotional intelligence impacts psychological distress among individuals who have experienced ACEs. Researchers conducted a quantitative study in which 3 surveys were administered to a group of 93 voluntary participants via Qualtrics on social media platforms. Participants completed the following surveys: BEIS-10 (Emotional intelligence measure), K-6 (psychological distress measure) and the ACEs questionnaire. Results found that there was …

The Privatization Of The Prison System In The United States: A Comparative Study Of Rehabilitative Resources, Wendi Witherell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Facing high rates of mass incarceration and prison overcrowding, the United States of America seems to believe that the privatization of its prison system could be a viable solution to the aforementioned problems. Despite the increased incarceration rates of the past few decades, the gradual privatization of the prison system is an understudied area. It is therefore important to understand the rationale behind the movement away from the public sector toward the private sector. This cross-sectional study adopted three theoretical approaches—Models of Incarceration Theory, Political Explanation Theory, and Overcrowding Theory—in an attempt to determine such rationale. It was hypothesized there …

Homelessness In Southern California: A Look Toward Prevention, Briana Sanchez, Esmeralda Arellano

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Despite living in the richest country in the world, many individuals and families across the United States face the harsh reality of homelessness. A social phenomenon, homelessness has affected hundreds of thousands of people every year. The impact of homelessness has been detrimental across the whole country, including Southern California. This exploratory study raised two questions: (1) What are contributing factors to homelessness in Southern California? (2) How can homelessness in South California be prevented? Taking a qualitative approach, this study interviewed 15 participants, 10 social workers and 5 people living in/or having experienced homelessness (N = 15). Thematic analysis …

The Impact Of Religion And Spirituality On County Child Welfare Workers, Celeste Ramos, Sonia Magdaleno Ayamel

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aims to identify and analyze how county child welfare workers can utilize their own religious and spiritual beliefs to alleviate some of the work-related stress. In addition, the study will examine how participating in religious or spiritual support groups will benefit county child welfare workers. The findings may encourage social workers to rely on their respective religious and spiritual beliefs while dealing with difficult situations.

The Effects Of Foster Care Experience On Foster Youth's Intimate Relationships, Britney Smith

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Former foster youth are in the unique position of taking on the transition from adolescence to adulthood, while also carrying the weight of growing up in non-traditional homes, likely away from their biological families. While the causes of a child being placed in foster care vary, inadequate parental care is a factor that exists within each case. Because of this, former foster youth are at heightened risk to experience several traumas associated with being placed in foster care such as teen pregnancy, dating violence, substance abuse, psychiatric disorders, and neglect. An area that is often overlooked when discussing the impact …

Barriers To Mental Health Treatment: A Qualitative Study Of The Hispanic Community In A Southern California County, Fred Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aimed to highlight the perspectives of the Southern California County’s Hispanic community on how to address the underutilization of mental health services and inform mental health stakeholders on steps toward solving a major social issue. Three major themes were identified through data analysis: Hispanic culture/tradition, the need for increased education and promotion of mental health, and lack of information from agencies and organizations. A limitation of this study included results that could not be generalized to the larger population due to the small sample size. Recommendations included educating the community, parents and children, and increased promotion of services …

Latinas' Cultural Beliefs Affect On Their Postpartum Mental Health, Cindy Hernandez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Postpartum depression affects Latinas at a higher rate than the general population; however, Latinas often refrain from seeking mental health services due to their cultural beliefs. By examining Latinas’ experiences and perspectives on postpartum depression and how their cultural beliefs impact them. This study provides insight to increase postpartum depression awareness and mental health service seeking among Latinas. In this exploratory study, a qualitative approach was utilized in which Latinas were recruited to participate in interviews containing open-ended questions, then transcribed into transcripts. The transcripts were reviewed for accuracy, coded for themes, and examined by utilizing thematic analysis. The findings …

Improving Social Worker Engagement With Commercially Sexually Exploited Children, Kennisha Lesley

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study used a survey to describe social workers’ most pertinent barriers to engaging Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) and sought to identify the most effective practices currently used to improve engagement with this population. The purpose of the research was to assess social worker’s knowledge, preparedness, training, and most effective approaches to improve engagement. Data was collected from thirty participants. Findings were that social workers’ knowledge was relatively high, despite the expressed need for more thorough training to engage and help the population. Social workers provided insight on what interventions and approaches have been most effective when engaging with …

Former Foster Youth Who Become Child Welfare Workers, Candace Watts, Shantel Ortega

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Former foster youth who become child welfare workers are an asset to the child welfare system because of the combination of their lived experience and professional experience in child welfare, which allows them to understand the circumstances of their clients on a deeper level. This study seeks to uncover the reasons why former foster youth become child welfare workers. There are three main questions that our study seeks to know: What factors lead former foster youth to become workers in child welfare? Do these workers have any advantages because of their past personal experiences with child welfare? And do child …

Integrating Neuroscience Research Into Social Work, Esteban Solis

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Historically, the field of social work has implemented a bio-psycho-social perspective to conceptualize mental illness, and to further investigate how biological, psychological and social factors contribute to client circumstances. Although, the biopsychosocial model aims to emphasize all three areas, in social work, psycho-social realms receive more attention while biological factors—particularly neurological ones receive less. Research and recent findings from neuroscience can enhance social work’s understanding of mental health and improve education, training and practice. However, very limited literature of cross-disciplinary collaborations between social work and neuroscience exists and the rationale for that is unclear. This study seeks to fill this …

Do Adverse Childhood Experiences Impact Parenting Skills, Life Satisfaction, And Resilient Coping Skills: A Descriptive Study Of Hispanic Parents In Southern California, Andrea Pineda

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACES, are traumatic events that happen from ages 0-18. ACEs have been linked to physical and emotional issues in adulthood. Some issues include chronic disease, struggles with mental health, and the adoption of maladaptive coping skills. This research sought to assess the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in parenting skills, overall life satisfaction, and the use of resilient coping skills on Hispanic parents residing in Southern California. The study utilizes an online survey to gather numerical data on the impact of ACES in the areas of life mentioned above. A bivariate analysis was used to …

Disenfranchised Grief In Queer Companionship And Chosen Family, Derek Lowell Corns

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examined the ways in which queer people experience disenfranchised grief when mourning the death of a loved one who also identified as queer/LGBTQIA2S+ and whose relationship with one another existed outside of cisgender/heteronormative frameworks. Research suggests that the life experiences as LGBTQIA2S+-identified people can vary in specific ways to those of cisgender heterosexual people, and in the occurrence of death and bereavement, such circumstances can be further complicated and disenfranchised by the types of relationships the bereaved and the deceased shared. Through interviews and qualitative data analysis, this study provided supportive and informative insight into social work practice …

Zoom Fatigue In The Age Of Covid-19, Angela Bullock, Alex D. Colvin, M. Sebrena Jackson

Journal of Social Work in the Global Community

As the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted how institutions of higher education function, colleges and universities have shifted to remote learning and now rely heavily on the use of web conferencing tools, such as Zoom, WebEx, Adobe Connect, and others. As a result, educators are increasingly experiencing the effects of Zoom fatigue. The purpose of this article is to explore the videoconferencing fatigue that has emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The technostress model is used as the framework to provide strategies for recognizing and addressing videoconferencing fatigue.