Social Work Commons^™

Social Class In The Therapeutic Dyad : How Do Clinicians Engage In Dialogue About Class With Their Clients?, Andrew L. Cohen

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory qualitative study surveyed practicing clinicians about their experiences engaging in discussions about social class with their clients. There is little research on the topic of social class in the therapeutic setting broadly and on the topic of broaching social class specifically. As such, this research was an initial attempt to begin to fill this gap in the literature. Twelve mental health clinicians voluntarily participated in an anonymous online survey about their experiences and thoughts about engaging in dialogue about social class with their clients. Results included a pattern in the difference between which clients clinicians discussed social class …

Clinical Social Work And Administrative Leadership : An Analysis Of Msw Programs In United States, Amanda J. Cloninger

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore graduate level clinical social work programs’ preparation of students for administrative leadership. Relevant literature shows that social workers are attaining positions in management and administrative leadership without the needed skills and knowledge to competently perform the job. Further, even when clinical social workers are not in positions of management or administration, they are asked to perform duties related to management and administration, for which they are often not trained. This lack of training has contributed to the underrepresentation of clinical social workers in administrative leadership positions at agencies in which they are …

Gender Role Socialization Of Clinical Social Workers And Its Effect On The Treatment Of Male Alexithymia, Joseph D. Burke

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this exploratory, qualitative study was to gain a deeper understanding of how the gender role socialization of clinical social workers affects their experience of treating men with alexithymia. The study used two semi-structured, in-person interviews with six licensed independent clinical social workers to gather qualitative data about their attitudes, beliefs and experiences of gender role socialization, as well as their experience of treating men with alexithymia.

The findings suggest a clinician’s experience of struggling with their gender role schema may lead to increased empathy toward men with alexithymia. Personal struggle with gender role was a prominent theme …

How Does Hip Hop Serve As A Catalyst For Collective Resistance : "Fight The Power"- A Beats, Rhymes, And Life Approach : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At Beats, Rhymes And Life, Maria Camila Camacho

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explores what elements of social justice, Hip Hop, and therapy the Oakland, California based agency Beats, Rhymes, & Life, Inc. (BRL) engages in to ignite Collective Resistance among its members, youth, and the outside community. The study utilized a mix of both narrative and phenomenological approaches throughout. In total, twelve participants were interviewed, however, only six participants were included for the purpose of this research and ranged from teaching artists, clinicians, community members, and leaders of BRL. Each participant was asked a series of questions regarding (1) Hip Hop, (2) Oppression and Power, and (3) Collective Resistance …

"You Have To Know Whether Or Not You Can Really Compassionately Hold White Folks" : Perspectives Of Instructors On White Msw Student Engagement With Race And Racism Course Material, Eleanor H. Broh

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative, exploratory thesis explores the perspectives of instructors of courses on race and racism in social work masters programs. It looks at how these instructors are teaching race and racism content and how White students in their classes engage with the content. In doing so, this study addresses a gap in the social work literature on pedagogy for race and racism, which often fails to address the particular dynamics of teaching this material to White students in the United States.

Through qualitative, semi-structured interviewed with eleven instructors, this project describes the many ways White students engage with this material, …

African-American And Black Women's Process Of Learning, Unlearning And Resisting Internalized Racism, Bianca M. Blakesley

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to address the research question, how do African American/Black Women unlearn internalized racism, and to understand the relationship between internalized racism and racial identity development. Internalized racism was defined as the acceptance of negative, stereotypical or devaluing ideas and beliefs about ones own racial group, and about oneself as a member of that group.

A series of 11 interview questions explored the processes in which Black women learn and unlearn racism over time. Thirteen self-identified Black/African-American women were interviewed regarding their experiences. They were further questioned regarding their methods of coping with and resisting …

Social Workers And Nurses In Labor And Delivery Units : Supportive Partnerships Or Parallel Work Lives?, Allison M. Barbey

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Despite increased research on the misconceptions of social work, further investigation is needed to explore the impact of such attitudes on specific practice settings, including their effects on interdisciplinary collaborations. In an effort to help address this gap in research, this study explored the dynamics of social workers’ and nurses’ interactions using labor and delivery units as a lens. In this mixed method study, 71 participants, comprised of both nursing and social work professions completed an online survey inquiring how each profession views its own roles, that of the other profession, and factors that influence collaborations, if they occur at …

Santeria And Mental Health : Bridging The Gap Between The Social Work Profession And Orisha, Penelope Williams

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study was conducted with the purpose of exploring how Orisha priest and priestesses dealt with issues of mental health with in their Iles and/or community. This study was made possible by the participation of seven priests and priestess, by conducting semi-open ended narrative interviews. The findings indicated that issues of mental health were present and dealt with in a number of ways by elders in the community. The results show that collaborative measure need to be supported between elders in the Santeria community and the social work profession, in order to establish culturally competent and therapeutic results to …

The Impact Of Clinical Social Workers' Conceptualizations Of Moral Injury On Their Treatment Actions In Work With Veterans, Zachary P. Wigham

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory study was designed to determine how clinical social workers’ conceptualizations of Moral Injury impacted their treatment actions in work with veterans. Additionally, this study allowed insights into the clinical social workers’ education and practice on Moral Injury.

Using semi-structured interviews with licensed clinical social workers who each held a Master of Social Work degree and held at least two years of experience working with veterans, this study gathered data from 7 participants. This study gathered data categorized under five major areas: demographics, conceptualizations and related data, sources of learning and frequency of contact, treatment actions, and perceived skill …

Caregiver Involvement In Child And Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatient Care : A Clinician's Perspective, Erika Wentworth

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This mixed-methods exploratory study aimed to contribute to the knowledge about caregiver involvement during child and adolescent inpatient psychiatric treatment, as it is the most agreed upon factor of treatment outcomes by both psychiatric providers and previous research. Thirty-two licensed clinicians who either currently work or worked within the last five years on child and/or adolescent psychiatric inpatient units completed an online survey. The survey included both multiple choice and open ended questions about participants’ perceptions of how they involved caregivers during treatment as well as the involvement of the unit and day programming. The findings of the study confirmed …

Clinician Perceptions Of Harm Reduction, Psychotherapy And The Role Of Traditional Abstinence Models, Abigail R. Vayda

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study sought to better understand clinicians’ perceptions of harm reduction, psychotherapy, and the role of traditional abstinence models when working with actively using clients. This study analyzed the results from a survey completed by 52 practicing clinicians in the United States. The survey contained demographic questions and Likert scale questions measuring attitudes toward harm reduction, abstinence, and psychotherapy with actively using clients. In addition to rating questions, there was also one open-ended question allowing participants to express their understandings of the development of a substance use disorder. The overall response to this survey was a positive attitude toward harm …

Co-Parenting Children Survey : An Investigation Between Separated And Intact Families, Abigail R. Sushchyk

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study sought to investigate and test the newly designed Co-Parenting Children Survey (CPCS). As a preliminary examination of the CPCS, the study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of reliability and internal consistency of the measure and whether it could distinguish co-parenting differences between diverse family structures (intact and separated). A total of 252 participants completed the online CPCS containing 13 demographic questions, the 56-item co-parenting measure, and two open-ended questions. The findings revealed that initial testing of the CPCS demonstrated good overall internal consistency and reliability between items on the measure and the capacity to differentiate co-parenting between …

Social Workers' Experiences Related To Online Dating : A Descriptive Study, Miriam B. Stevens

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This descriptive, mixed methods study was undertaken to explore social workers' experiences related to online dating. This study aimed to describe social workers' attitudes and approaches to online dating, determine the type and frequency of ethical and clinical issues that social workers may encounter in the course of online dating, learn how social workers are addressing these issues, and determine the extent to which there is a need for guidance and policies related to online dating as a social worker.

Using availability and snowball sampling, data was collected from 577 social workers and social work students using an online survey …

Caring For The Caregivers : The Relationship Between Perceived Organizational Support And Teacher-Child Interactions In Head Start Classrooms, Mariel R. Stadick

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose ofthis study was to examine whether there is a correlation between Head Start preschool teachers’ perceived agency support and the quality of their interactions with children in their programs. This study utilized a mixed methods design with both observational and self-report measures to examine the correlation between two measures as administered in Head Start preschools programs: The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS). A national sample of 69 Head Start preschool teachers responded to a modified version of the SPOS that included demographic items and agreed to release their CLASS scores. …

"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 …

First-Generation College Students And Class Consciousness : Exploring How Social Class Influences College Adjustment, Rachel L. Redd

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

First-generation college students (FGCS), defined as students whose parents have not obtained a bachelor’s degree, is a new identity constructed primarily over the past decade. Utilizing the umbrella term of FGCS is problematic as it places a heavy concentration on parental education and lack of cultural capital, ignoring how current class experiences in the context of other identities, such as race and gender, shape adjustment to college. The purpose of this quantitative study was twofold: (a) to examine whether class consciousness affects first-generation students’ adjustment to elite, non-profit private undergraduate institutions, and (b) to examine how the intersectionality of race, …

Transfigured Treatment : A Comparative Needs And Specialized Services Assessment Of Transgender Youth And Gender Specialist Providers In The Bay Area, Lark E. Nierenberg

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Transfigured Treatment is a mixed-methods study that aims to assess and improve multidisciplinary clinical care for transgender and gender expansive youth in the Bay Area. This trans-led research is a joint needs- and services-assessment of local gender-specialized care, including mental health support, access to medical care, and housing assistance. Transfigured Treatment is a tool with which to share histories of need and transform them into legacies of care. Participants were recruited via non-probability sampling and data were collected via an anonymous online survey. Adult participants must have/had a gender expansive identity while living in the Bay Area at some point …

Social Workers' Education, Training, And Experience In Practice With Clients Bereaved By Suicide Death, Nicole S. Nejad

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study is a mixed-methods descriptive survey of social workers with and LCSW or LMSW about their understanding of suicide survivorship, and their access to professional training related to treatment of survivors of suicide loss. The purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes and experiences of clinical social workers with regards to their education and training, as well as their knowledge and comfort level, in treating patients who are bereaved by a suicide death. Results show that social workers have limited opportunities for education and training in suicide bereavement, however they desire increased training opportunities in a variety …

Adhd Or Ptsd? : Exploring The Overdiagnosis Of Adhd In Minority Boys With The Potential Of Ptsd, Megan A. Negron

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder is a common diagnoses for school aged children. Studies have indicated that within these diagnoses children of color are disproportionately diagnosed in comparison to their white counter parts. Many have questioned whether this disproportionately comes from a lack of cultural awareness on the part of the clinician and/or a potential misdiagnosis of trauma that be being missed throughout the evaluation process. In this study 6 licensed social workers who have worked with Latino boy in the past were interviewed. They were asked to discuss their evaluation process and what measures they take to rule out a …

Coping With Incarcerated-Related Stress : A Study Of Coping Responses By Women Romantically Involved With Incarcerated Men, Jaleesa I. Myers

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Research related to coping responses of women romantically involved with, or married to, incarcerated men has been unexamined in social work literature. This study examined how women romantically involved with, or married to, incarcerated men cope with economic, social and emotional stress associated with their partners ’ incarceration by examining their use of problem-focused, emotion-focused and avoidant-focused coping styles. The study answered to what extent do women romantically involved with, or married to, incarcerated men utilize adaptive coping responses, especially paying close attention to experiences of African American women. Using quantitative methods, the Brief COPE —a 28-item inventory—was administered to …