Social Work Commons^™

Building Community Supports For Young People In The Transition Years: A Tip Sheet For Service Providers, Pauline Jivanjee, Eileen Brennan, Maria Carolina Gonzalez-Prats, Pathways Transition Training Partnership

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Social support is vital for the well-being of children and adults of all ages. Social support includes information, advice, or practical help from others that has positive effects on the young people receiving it (Munson et al., 2015). Since formal support ends when a young person transitions out of services, providers can assist young people to strengthen their existing informal supports and/or to connect them with other supports.

Social support is particularly valuable during times of difficulty or stress. Support from family members, friends, romantic partners, neighbors, mentors, and other community members may be given during a single event or …

Men As Caregivers: Latino Fathering Of Children With Cancer, Noe Mojica

Dissertations

Although women are often viewed as primary caregivers of children, the twenty-first century social conditions are challenging men in the Latino community to assume an increasingly active role in raising children. This study explored the relationships between Latino fathers' masculine identity, caregiving and coping when faced with the demands generated by having a child diagnosed with cancer. The study pursued to inquire the relationship between Latino fathers’ masculinity, their caregiving activities, and how they cope with pediatric illness. Results indicated no significant relationship between masculinity and caregiving or coping. However, there was a significant relationship with conflict between work and …

A Phenomenological Study Of Methadone Treatment By Opiate-Dependent Individuals Ages 50-55 Years, Lamart Hightower

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Today's methadone patients differ from those of the past due to increases in polydrug use, mental health issues, and medical needs. Patients requiring methadone treatment for their opiate addiction are now older than those who initially presented for treatment when methadone treatment first started. The number of older opiate users will continue to grow as the population continues to age. Although previous studies on opiate addiction focused on using methadone in treatment of younger adults, this study used phenomenological methodology to explore the lived experiences of opiate addicted methadone users between the ages of 50 to 55, an understudied population. …

Digitally Immigrant Social Work Faculty: Technology Self-Efficacy And Practice Outcomes, Ellen M. Belluomini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was the lack of a model for technology integration in social work education to meet the needs of graduate social workers in the field. Extant research has focused on the efficacy of online or blended learning, but not on social work educators' technology literacy. The purpose of this study was to explore social work educators' self efficacy related to technology use in curriculum and pedagogy. Digitally immigrant educators, defined as those over the age of 35, were studied since this group struggles in adjustment to technology, commonly used by younger students. The conceptual framework …

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Social Work, Spring 2016, Carrie Moran

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Hospice Social Work And The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act, Christine A. Couture

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study was undertaken to explore how hospice social workers based at United States hospice agencies perceive changes in their work responsibilities in relation to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Secondly, this study sought to explore hospice social worker support of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act healthcare policy reform.

A nonprobability sample of availability was used to find research participants. The researcher recruited participants through online social and professional networking groups and forums and by snowball sampling methods. Self-selected participants electronically confirmed their eligibility for participation in the study, prior to completing the 20-question online …

"War Was Either Going To Be A Skeleton In My Closet Or I Could Try To Make It Something Else" : An Exploration Of Moral Injury, Moral Repair, And Veteran Anti-War Activism, Zoe Rose Rudow

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory study investigates the impact of collective anti-war organizing on veterans’ experiences of moral injury. Moral injury refers to the emotional, psychological, and spiritual unrest that emerges as the result of “perpetrating, failing to prevent, [or] bearing witness to… acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations” in the context of war (Litz et al., 2009, p 695). While current literature centers treatment for moral injury through clinical interventions, this study investigates if and how anti-war activism can provide a process for moral repair. Qualitative interviews with six veteran anti- war activists reveal that many intervention steps proposed …

Unhealthy Weight Control Behaviors In Adolescents : Are There Classes Of Risk?, Grace M. Van Schoick

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This quantitative secondary analysis was undertaken to determine if classes of risk exist for the use of Unhealthy Weight Control Behaviors (UWCBs) in adolescents. Engagement in UWCBs increases the likelihood that an adolescent would develop a full-syndrome eating disorder, which are both difficult and expensive to treat. Using data previously collected as part of the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, it was possible to conduct a Latent Class Analysis (LCA) using 8,885 responses which contained data about a number of potential risk factors that might influence a participant’s likelihood to engage in UWCBs. Factors considered were gender, race/ethnicity, experiences …

Student Satisfaction With The Quality And Quantity Of Mental Health Services Offered By Their Msw Programs, Willa R. Mayo

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study sought to explore the mental health needs of clinical MSW students, and the degree to which they feel satisfied by the quality and quantity of mental health services provided to them by their schools. For this mixed-methods study, 111 current MSW students were surveyed, representing twenty eight different graduate programs. Participants reflected on their experiences with counseling services at their schools and commented on their level of satisfaction with the resources provided to them. Overall, 13% of respondents reported being “somewhat” or “very satisfied,” 31% were “not very” or “not at all” satisfied, and 50% were “neutral.” Areas …

Toxic Stress : Exploring Mental Health Narratives Of Environmental Justice In Richmond, California, Elizabeth Gonzalez

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this exploratory study was to gather narratives of residents and/or community members who perceive the presence of the Richmond Chevron Oil Refinery in their community as a psychological stressor. The study used semi-structured interviews with eight community organizers and activists to gather qualitative data providing personal accounts of the possible psychological impact of living near a toxic facility with great political power in the city. The common trend among the narratives was the tendency of the participants to focus on a macro interpretation of how mental health is affected by a corporate giant. A collective sense of …

Adjustment To College In The United States: Perceptions Of Qatari Students, Janet S. Walker, Jennifer E. Blakeslee, Batoul Khalifa, Ramzi Nasser, Atmane Ikhlef

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This qualitative study is part of a collaborative research effort undertaken by investigators based in the United States and Qatar to better understand Qatari student perspectives on their post-secondary adjustment and success. Here, we report findings from structured interviews with Qatari nationals studying abroad in the US, all of whom were males who were, or had recently been, undergraduates at state universities and/or community colleges in Oregon (n=21). Approximately two-thirds were in business or economics programs and about a third in STEM programs (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics). Most of the interviews were conducted in Arabic and translated into English …

Race, Place, And Access To Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In South Carolina, Marissa E. Yingling

Theses and Dissertations

Public funding of early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) for the 1 in 68 children who meet criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is rapidly expanding. Evidence indicates that children with ASD experience racial, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities in access to health care services. However, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee and the World Health Organization cite disparities in access to early intervention among the most pressing yet understudied areas of research. Currently, ASD service research is dominated by inquiries into the age of diagnosis and enrollment in EIBI. We know little about disparities in the time-lag between diagnosis and treatment onset …

Transitional Planning And Homelessness Of Youths Emancipated From Foster Care, Sharon Patricia Sutherland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has indicated that approximately 25% of the 30,000 youths emancipated from foster care each year experience negative outcomes including poor education attainment, limited employment opportunities, homelessness, lack of access to healthcare, and poor social networks. Despite the existence of federal legislation that requires foster care agencies to assist foster youths to make the transition to independent living, research has revealed that the current transitional planning process is not effective. There is a gap in the current literature regarding qualitative research on youths' shared experiences of the transitional planning process as they transit out of foster care. This study …

Writing Life Stories: A Phenomenological Study Of Memory And Meaning For People With Early Stage Alzheimer's Disease, Jennifer E. Dimond Msw

All Student Scholarship

There are an estimated five million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease; experts believe that by mid-century, that number will more than triple. The disease is the sixth leading case of death in the U.S., and the only one among the top ten with no known cure, treatment or means of prevention. An emerging body of research suggests that providing people with Alzheimer’s opportunities to tell their life stories can help them negotiate their personal identities and may have positive impacts on their sense of self. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach is used to understand the lived experience of people with early …

The Green Classroom Initiative: Developing A Non-Formal Educational Resource To Promote Positive Youth Development In An Elementary School In The Central Valley Region Of Costa Rica., Marlee Cea

Capstone Collection

While Costa Rica is not the most under-developed country in Central America, it still experiences poverty and school drop outs on par with neighboring countries and some exceptional regions of the United States. The primary focus of this thesis is to discuss how the “Green Classroom” initiative, a Peace Corps Volunteer’s attempt to create sustainable change, is rooted in modern educational theories; and how they have influenced the organizations and practical methodologies used to engineer this project. A secondary focus is on the process the volunteer and vital project partners experienced to create a sustainable educational resource for a primary …

Effects Of Native American Geographical Location And Marital Status On Poverty, Tess Collett, Gordon Limb, Kevin Shafer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examined the association between geographic location (urban, rural, and tribal) and marital status on poverty among the Native American community. A sample of 5,110 Native Americans in the 2008-2010 American Community Survey were used for analyses. Results indicated that Native Americans were similar with the general population in their geographic location, marital status, and poverty. We found that the protective characteristics of marriage in the Native American community varied according to geographic location. We also discuss the impact this may have on the Native American community and what practitioners and policy makers should consider when working with the …

Engaging Employers As Partners In Subsidized Employment Programs, Sarah Taylor, Sarah Carnochan, Gina Pascual, M J. Austin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The majority of studies of subsidized employment programs for public assistance recipients and low-income, unemployed individuals have focused on employment and earnings outcomes for participants. As employers are key stakeholders in a subsidized employment program, engaging them effectively is essential. This paper reports on interviews with 81 employers in four Northern California counties regarding their experiences in working with employees in a subsidized employment program. The findings focus on marketing, program structure, and suggestions for program improvement.

Review Of Inequality, What Can Be Done? Anthony B. Atkinson. Reviewed By James Midgley, James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Anthony B. Atkinson, Inequality, What Can be Done? Harvard University Press (2015), 400 pages, $29.95, (hardcover).

Review Of $2.00 A Day: Living On Almost Nothing In America. Kathryn J. Edin & H. Luke Shaefer. Reviewed By Edward U. Murphy, Edward U. Murphy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Kathryn J. Edin & H. Luke Shaefer. $2.00 a Day: Living On Almost Nothing in America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, (2015), 240 pages, $28.00 (hardcover).

Review Of The Hero's Fight. Patricia Fernandez-Kelly. Reviewed By Katrina Bell Mcdonald, Katrina Bell Mcdonald

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Patricia Fernandez-Kelly, The Hero’s Fight. Princeton University Press (2015), 422 pages, $21.00 (hardcover).