Social Work Commons^™

Where Are The African American Males In The Social Work Program, Nicole Arkadie

University Diversity Committee records

This poster presentation discusses the lack of African American males in the social work program at California State University of San Bernardino. It highlights the problem across all the CSU Institutions of significant decrease in Freshman enrollment of African American Males compared to the number of students who were admitted.

Teaching Intersectionality To Improve Msw Students’ Understanding Of Oppression And Privilege., James D. Simon, Rigaud Joseph

University Diversity Committee records

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Grant Abstract

Teaching Intersectionality to Improve MSW Students’ Understanding of Oppression and Privilege.

Background and Purpose:

There are growing calls to understand how clients’ multiple intersecting identities result in compounded disadvantage, which leads to disparate and disproportionate outcomes (CSWE, 2008; Ortega & Faller, 2011; Nadan, Spilsbury, & Korbin, 2015; NASW, 2015). Although social work students are required to learn about intersectionality (NASW, 2015), there is some evidence that blind spots remain with respect to the relationship between intersectionality, oppression, and privilege (Bronstein, Berman-Rossi, & Winfield, 2002; Bubar, Cespedes, & Bundy-Fazioli, 2016). In response, this project attempted …

The Academic Success And Beyond-Academic Wellbeing Of High Functioning Autistic Boys: A Policy-Professional Care-School-Parent Ecological Perspective, Evelyn Sauceda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High Functioning Autistic (HFA) boys have significant social, emotional, and cognitive difficulties and unique cognitive abilities that require special support from stakeholders in their ecology (policy makers, care providers, schools, and parents). The quality of such support and its ecological integration are of poor quality. The purpose of this study was to report on the perceptions of parents of HFA boys about their children’s academic and beyond-academic experiences as understood within a policy-care provider-school-parent ecological framework. This study contributes to the limited ecological literature on the topic. This exploratory, qualitative, phenomenological, non-experimental, and cross-sectional research study used a non-probability, purposive, …

"We Are Forgotten." Framing Disaster Via Twitter In The Aftermath Of Hurricane Maria: Implications For Social Work Policy Practice, Barbe A. Fogarty

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

This work presents a comprehensive study of the disaster discourses generated by key social media user groups in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria, the third most destructive hurricane in American history, resulted in billions of dollars in damage and the loss of nearly 3,000 lives. Disasters result in widespread geophysical impacts as well as social, political, and economic upheavals for individuals, families, communities, and nation-states in the storm’s wake. The discourses that emerge on social media are significant in how they frame public narratives in the aftermath of disaster. The social construction of disaster points …

The Perceived Impact Of Basic Need Insecurity On Social Work Student Success, Amy B. Downes

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the lived experiences of undergraduate social work students who self-identify with struggling to meet their basic needs. Through individual in-depth semi-structured interviews coupled with photo-elicitation, several important considerations for social work educators and leaders emerged including: how undergraduate social work students define success; academic, social and financial barriers to learning; work-school balance; strategies for coping; messages for social work faculty and college/university administrators about their experience; adverse childhood events; and, the role of the academic advisor. The findings of this study can be utilized to help inform social work faculty …

Navigating "Technoference" In The Family System, Kathlynn Sergent

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This integrative literature review explores the increase of technology use in families, with a focus on how technology is disrupting in-person social interactions within the family system. Many studies have been conducted on how technology impacts a couple’s romantic relationship, and only a few have examined the relationship between the parent and child. This review is one of the first to examine how technology may affect the entire family unit from before children to raising adolescents. Each section of the family unit is examined, beginning with before children, followed by the early bonding and attachment associated with infant/childhood, and then …

The Shape Of Trafficking, Abigail Shifley

Honors Projects

“Much of the popular writing on human trafficking has been anecdotal or sensationalistic, and most scholarly publications are either general overviews of the problem or critiques of the literature” (Weitzer 2014).

A 2017 report estimated 24.9 million people were victims of human trafficking globally. Of those 24.9 million, 71% are women and girls and 25% are under the age of 18. Research on human trafficking is limited, and training is lacking within organizations essential to the fight against human trafficking. Additionally, members of the public are typically ignorant of the true nature of human trafficking, which is multifaceted and much …

What Makes Inclusion Work: An Autoethnography On Coordinating An Inclusive Youth Advocacy Program, Megan Price

University Honors Theses

In this autoethnographic thesis, I analyze my observations as the co-coordinator of an inclusive youth advocacy program (YAP) to detail what made inclusion successful, and what was ineffective. I had the unique position of facilitating conversations and workshops around social justice issues and how to advocate using self-expression and art. In this thesis, I will reflect on the Inclusive Education Conference (IEC) in Spring of 2019, and the Summer Summit in the summer of 2019, both in Portland, Oregon. At the IEC some of the observations noted as harmful to inclusion included: people wanting to silence the youth, inclusion being …

Humor, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is humor?

There are numerous definitions of humor in the research literature, with significant variety among them. A relatively simple definition of humor is something that is said or done to elicit levity or laughter (Dubinsky, Yammarino, & Jolson, 1995). Examples of the more complex aspects of other definitions of humor include expression, recognition, or appreciation of it; the purpose, nature, or target of it; and attitudes toward it. One way of summarizing some of the different perspectives is to define humor as being either (a) positive or negative and (b) directed inward or outward (Martin, Puhlik-Doris, Larsen, Gray, …

Experiences Of Transgender Adults Navigating Healthcare Access In Massachusetts, Nic Tompkins-Hughes

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Recent research studies regarding Transgender individuals’ experiences of discrimination in health care settings strongly recommend the value of qualitative data, and the need for research into how transgender patients find, obtain, and access medical care, preventatively and as needed. However, despite calls for qualitative data, limited qualitative studies have focused on medical access and experiences of transgender patients as of 2019. This exploratory qualitative study utilized semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted between May 27^th, 2019 through August 10^th, 2019 to ask about the experiences of transgender individuals as it pertains to accessing health care services in Massachusetts. …

Diversity And Social Justice In The Massachusetts Classroom: Teachers Implementation And Students Reflections, Josephine Ciatto

Honors Program Theses and Projects

As public school classrooms have become increasingly diverse and complex, the curriculummust reflect this to prepare students for their futures. When shaping the curriculum that ourstudents receive, it is important to ensure a well rounded, multicultural education even if theclassroom itself does not reflect a diverse community. This qualitative and quantitative, mixedmethod research study looked at the Massachusetts state guidelines concerning diversityeducation and compared it to what teachers say they are implementing in the classroom as wellas with what students say they learned. This mixed method design includes teacher surveys (n=78), teacher interviews (n=4), and student surveys (n=289). The student …

Examining Relationships Between Early Childcare Teachers' Adult Attachment Orientations And Quality Of Interaction In The Infant Classroom, Alexandra Morris Benoit

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past several decades, women have entered the workforce in increasing numbers. This has led to the majority of infants and young children being cared for outside of the home by extra-familial caregivers. Research has shown the benefits that quality childcare can have on the developmental trajectories of children, as well as the detrimental effects that can be seen when children experience low quality care. Further, children are particularly vulnerable in the first year of life when they are establishing attachment bonds with their primary caregivers. With the long hours that many spend in the care of childcare workers, …

Guide Lines Vol. Ii, Issue 3 - May 2020, College Of Health And Human Services

GUIDE Lines

Periodic Newsletter of the Governors State University - University of Illinois, Chicago - Disparities Education Cancer research training and education project (The GUIDE Project).

State-Community System Of Care Development: An Exploratory Longitudinal Review, Isaac Karikari, Betty Walton, Christine Marie Bishop, Stephanie Moynihan, Pinkie Evans

Faculty Publications

The system of care (SOC) philosophy evolved into a framework to support access to effective behavioral health services for children. This study explored the use of the System of Care Implementation Survey (SOCIS) to monitor SOC development during one Midwestern state’s federal planning and expansion grants. Utilizing a translational framework, results showed that despite fluctuations in SOC factor implementation over time, state and local SOCs had mid-level development. Further, inferential analysis of select factors indicated that outreach and access to services and the skilled provider network were significantly worse over time. Significant improvement in the treatment quality was documented but …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Rwandan Refugees Resettled In The Usa: A Descriptive Phenomenology Study, Betty Chelangat Tonui

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences associated with (genocide, migration, resettlement) and socio/cultural factors that influenced Rwandan refugees’ mental health in the United States (U.S.). In 2018, there were more than 25 million refugees displaced around the world, and more than 50,000 refugees were admitted to the United States in 2017 (UNHCR, 2019). Studies have shown that refugees are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety than the general population (Bogic et al., 2015; Goodkind et al., 2017). Despite the prevalence of mental health concerns amongst refugees, minimal information …

Identifying Protective Factors Against Overweight And Obesity Within The Social Environment Of Women With Low Incomes., Monica M. Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over two-thirds of the United States population have overweight or obese (OW/OB) weight statuses due in large part to an obesogenic environment that encourages unhealthful weight related behaviors. The obesogenic environment appears to place a larger burden on women with low incomes as they experience OW/OB disproportionately compared to other groups. Studies seeking to understand the impact of the obesogenic environment on this population have been deficit focused, largely examining environmental risk factors for OW/OB and ignoring protective factors against it. Most women with low incomes do not have an obese weight status and some women who have OW/OB statuses …

Risks Of Indirect Trauma Among Direct Support Professionals Who Work With Adults With Intellectual/ Developmental Disabilities: Impact On Organizational, Staff And Client Outcomes., Daniel A. Boamah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Direct support professionals (DSPs) provide a wide range of support services to persons with ID/DD to ensure their safety and welfare, development of independent living skills and integrate into their community. Existing literature has shown that as frontline workers, DSPs face various occupational hazards such as burnout, yet very little is known about prevalence of secondary trauma stress (STS) among DSPs.

The present study examines the prevalence of STS and the predictive factors of STS and burnout among DSPs who work with adults with ID/DD. In addition, the study looked at the relationships between burnout and STS on organization-related outcomes, …

Environmental Social Work In The Disciplinary Literature, 1991–2015, Amy Krings, Bryan G. Victor, John Mathias, Brian E. Perron

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

Despite increasing acknowledgment that the social work profession must address environmental concerns, relatively little is known about the state of scholarship on environmental social work. This study provides a scientometric summary of peer-reviewed articles (N=497) pertaining to environmental topics in social work journals between 1991 and 2015. We find that theoretical and empirical scholarship on environmental social work is growing, though this growth remains limited to specific geographical regions and topics. We note the need to clarify the relationship between environmental social work as a theoretical paradigm and as a research topic.

Maternal Mental Health And Keetoowah Women: Past, Present And Future, December Maxwell

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

American Indian/Native American (AI/NA) women experience postpartum depression (PPD) at a disproportionate rate compared to the rest of the United States population. Despite this known prevalence, little research exists exploring essential factors related to postpartum depression among them. Specifically, the experiences of AI/NA women during the postpartum period pertaining to their culture, birthing and mothering expectations, self-sufficiency, and transportation barriers, and trauma (personal and historical). This dissertation research uses the theory of becoming a mother, historical trauma framework, and reproductive justice framework as they all relate to both personal and historical trauma of AI/NA women and offer an innovative approach …

Engagement And Retention In Depression Treatment Among Hispanics In An Integrated Health Care Intervention: A Mixed Methods Analysis, Brittany Hernandez Eghaneyan

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Disparities in the underutilization of mental health services remain prominent among Hispanics in the United States. While integrated health care models can contribute to the elimination of mental health care disparities experienced by Hispanics, more research on how patient-level factors impact engagement and retention within these models is needed. The current study was a secondary data analysis informed by an integrative framework based on Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Service Use (1968) to examine what factors are associated with Hispanics’ depression treatment engagement and retention in an integrated health care intervention that took place in a community clinic. Utilizing a …