Social Work Commons^™

Art And..., Dayna J. Kriz

Graduate School of Art Theses

Almost anything goes in this time of contemporary artistic production as long as an artist can ‘back’ their ideas and the position they operate from. This expanding territory of production and engagement is an exciting potential for working artists, providing freedom to self-determine ones modus operandi within an expanding support system to engage the world with. While this is an exciting growth it is also potentially dangerous. The un-named and historically ambiguous position that Art1 operates from has created a rootless position to the production of culture. This rootlessness or, universal position has historically established itself as the gatekeeper and …

Motivations Of Yoga Teachers And The Impact Of Training And Teaching, Casadi "Khaki" Marino

Student Research Symposium

Objective: Most research on yoga focuses on efficacy with physical and mental health conditions. Little attention is given to yoga teachers. This project focused on motivations to engage in yoga teacher training and the personal impact of training and teaching.

Methods: 10 yoga teachers practicing in a metro area were engaged in individual interviews. They were asked what led them to yoga teaching, plans regarding teaching, barriers faced to engaging in training, the challenges of training and teaching, and self-care. Interviews were transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis.

Results: Participants reported realizing significant benefits from yoga practice and desire to …

A Mixed-Methods Study Of Head Start Family Service Worker Qualifications And Family Services Utilization: Implications For Policy And Leadership, Laura H. Trull

Dissertations, 2014-2019

This mixed-methods research study utilized Shared Leadership and Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) design and looked at the relationship between qualities of Family Service Workers (FSWs) in Head Start and family outcomes. Head Start is a federally funded comprehensive early child development program serving families of low income children ages birth to five. Fifty Head Start FSW participants from a convenience sample in Virginia provided complete responses to a survey instrument distributed at the Virginia Head Start Association Health and Family Conference in November 2014. FSWs from Culpeper Head Start served as CBPR participants and contributed to the selection of variables, …

Risk Factors For Social Isolation In Older Korean Americans, Yuri Jang, Nan Sook Park, David A. Chiriboga, Hyungwoo Yoon, Jisook Ko, Juyoung Lee, Miyong T. Kim

Social Work Faculty Publications

Objective: Given the importance of social ties and connectedness in the lives of older ethnic immigrants, the present study examined the prevalence of social isolation and its risk factors in older Korean Americans.

Method: Using survey data from 1,301 participants (M_age = 70.5, SD = 7.24), risk groups for marginal social ties with family and friends were identified and predictors of each type of social isolation explored.

Results: Male gender and poorer rating of health were identified as common risk factors for marginal ties to both family and friends. Findings also present specific risk factors for each type …

Strategies To Strengthen Youth Leadership And Youth Participation Opportunities In Central Appalachia, Rebecca O'Doherty, Ada Smith, Ben Spangler, Elandria Williams, Katie Richards-Schuster

Carsey Publications

The purpose of this study was to assess opportunities for strengthening youth leadership and participation in the Central Appalachian region. In particular, authors Rebecca O’Doherty, Ada Smith, Ben Spangler, Elandria Williams, and Katie Richards-Schuster sought to understand and document the range of activities and strategies in the region as well as understand the nuances involved in promoting and sustaining youth leadership opportunities. Through interviews with key leaders in the region, they explored critical themes for strengthening youth leadership. To highlight the potential and opportunities for future development, they share a case study of an innovative approach to nurturing and sustaining …

Poverty Measurement: A Social Work Perspective, Katelyn David

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The purpose of this study is to determine the information given to BSW students about poverty measurement and alternative measures via standard social work textbooks. Poverty measurement is rarely discussed in the national conversation about poverty in the United States. The poverty rate, guidelines and threshold are regularly used by policy makers and communicated to the public, but the formulas behind the calculations of these measures are not well known. The calculations of these measures are based on outdated assumptions and have not been updated in more than half a century. This study presents a literature review on poverty measurement …

Bridgewater State University Students’ Perceptions Of Undocumented Immigrants, Christina Minich

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Undocumented immigration is a hot-topic discussion in the United States and among students at Bridgewater State University. The perceptions students have may impact future policies, how undocumented immigrants are treated, and the overall cultural competency of the country. This study examines the perceptions students at Bridgewater State University have about undocumented immigrants and if a number of demographic variables affect their opinions and beliefs. In this study, a total of 236 undergraduate students at Bridgewater State University participated in an online survey. The survey results demonstrated that students’ political party, major in college, and year at Bridgewater State University impact …

Peers Helping Peers: A Model For Planning A Support Group For Women Struggling With Eating Disorders, Jennifer Sims

Honors Projects

Women are constantly bombarded with images that advertise unrealistic beauty standards. These negative portrayals of women often lead to negative self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, unhealthy dieting, extreme exercising and—in more extreme cases—the development of eating disorders (ED). When treating EDs, practitioners often turn to Cognitive-behavioral Therapy (CBT) as the first choice of intervention, but this treatment option lacks the key element of social support. This paper looks to create a model for planning a support group that balances CBT techniques with social support elements. Elements such as self-monitoring, progressive relaxation, homework, goal setting, and psychoeducation will be pulled from CBT models …

University Scholar Series: Ed Cohen, Edward Cohen

University Scholar Series

Mental Health and Cultural Context in Vietnam

On May 6, 2015, Dr. Ed Cohen spoke in the University Scholar Series hosted by Provost Andy Feinstein at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. In this presentation, Dr. Cohen explored current research about mental illness and approaches to treatment in Vietnam, in addition to this country’s world view about illness, wellness and emotional health. Cohen is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work and a Co-Investigator of SJSU's Social Work Education Enhancement Program in Vietnam.

Resident Advisors React: Autoethnographic Reflections On High-Intensity Situations, Brenna A. Merrill

Sustainability and Social Justice

Resident Advisors (RAs) are paraprofessional peer leaders who are trained to respond to high-intensity incidents. Upon witnessing a crisis situation, I found it difficult to reflect and maintain my own personal wellness. The intent of this research has been to learn of and to give voice to the multiple ways in which RAs respond to such scenarios.

Utilizing autoethnography, I incorporate my experience with the perspectives of my coworkers and multidisciplinary literature. Seven current RAs, who had self-identified experiencing such an incident, volunteered to be interviewed. These narratives are embodied in the text in order to establish a dialogue between …

Domestic Violence Shelter Policies Across The State Of Florida, Kyra Nickell

HIM 1990-2015

Domestic violence shelters can vary greatly in the services available to victims and their families. The funding shelters receive can impact the shelter’s ability to provide specialized services. Since the availability of services might vary from shelter to shelter, victims can have different experiences based on their location. This cross-sectional study contacted representatives from nine shelters in the State of Florida and asked the representatives nine questions about the services which are available at their respective shelter. The findings from this research show that these nine shelters offer a greater number of services than the study expected. However, there is …

The Mediating Roles Of Coping And Social Support On Adolescent Lesbian Homelessness, Katelynn Craft

HIM 1990-2015

This paper analyzes the stress and coping mechanisms of lesbian homeless adolescents to identify potential buffers against homelessness. The Minority Stress Model and identity theories are used as a framework to interpret the findings in the literature. Based on the findings in the literature, it is possible to conclude that lesbian homeless youth are more susceptible to minority stress due to a lack of adaptive coping resources and social support. Increased levels of minority stress may lead to internalizing and externalizing symptoms that cause runaway and throwaway episodes in homeless youth. This paper proposes a new model to understand the …

Latino Cultural Competency In Social Work Education: A Review Of The Literature, Liana Menendez

HIM 1990-2015

Cultural competence serves as resource for social workers and other helping professionals to improve service delivery by using approaches that are compatible with the client’s cultural values and beliefs. As the Latino population continues to grow, understanding the culture has important implications for social work practice, advocacy and research. There is a dearth of cultural competence training and educational programs that seek to effectively identify, address and meet the unique cultural and linguistic needs of Latinos. With the growing population and a lack of culturally responsive services, clinicians familiar with the Latino culture and Latino cultural competency training and education …

The Increase Of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) Participation By Low Income Workers: A Social Work Perspective, Elizabeth Scheiner

HIM 1990-2015

The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the literature focused on the increased utilization of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by low-income workers attempting to become food secure. Poverty measurement will be discussed for its importance to accurately identify individuals and families who are still excluded of social services and programs due to a faulty measurement of poverty. Furthermore, this paper will identify how the limitations of the current minimum wage system in the United States contributes to food insecurity within the population of low-income workers. A concise history of the creation of the SNAP …

The Effects Of Cumulative Victimization On Psychological Distress., Amanda Dishon Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Justice-involved women experience significantly higher rates of victimization and psychological distress when compared to the general population. While both childhood victimization and adult Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) both directly contribute to psychological distress, scant research examines the effects of cumulative victimization (both child and adult IPV) across a woman’s lifetime on psychological distress. Additionally, a gap in the literature is the investigation of behavior specific mechanisms (self-esteem, social support, coping, and substance use) that may mediate the relationship between victimization and psychological distress. As such, the primary aim of this dissertation was to explore the relationship between cumulative victimization (childhood …

Keep Your Head In The Game: Fosterclub And The Better Futures Project At Portland State University, Lee Ann Phillips, Isha Charlie‐Mccneeley, Timothy Bell, Celeste Bodner, Laurie E. Powers, Sarah Geenen

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This workshop, developed through a partnership between Better Futures and FosterClub, is focused on the challenges youth transitioning from foster care may face while pursuing their goals around higher education.

Examining The Relationship Between Childhood Victimization, Health Risk Behaviors, And Adult Physical Health Outcomes Among Women On Probation And Parole., Tanya R. Renn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to begin to identify and describe the pathways through which childhood victimization negatively affects adult physical health. In particular, the proposed research will examine the relationship among childhood victimization, health risk behaviors and adult physical health in a population of criminal justice involved women. Previous research has depicted a relationship between childhood victimization, and physical health outcomes, but there is scant research that examines why this relationship exist. Among the most frequent health risk behaviors are alcoholism, smoking, illicit drug use and sexual risk behaviors. Health risk behaviors are highly intertwined with the bio-psycho-social factors that result …

Relational Aggression In School Settings : The Efficacy Of The First Step To Success Intervention., Alicia Latrelle Dailey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a study of relational aggression (RA) in school settings. RA is a nonphysical type of aggression where the intent is to harm relationships and the social standing of a targeted peer. Examples include social exclusion, gossip, spreading rumors and the silent treatment. RA has negative consequences for both perpetrators and victims, and is associated with friendship problems, peer rejection, depression, anxiety, poor academic performance and dropout. RA is stable and reaches its peak in middle school, continuing into adulthood. In order to address RA, this dissertation argues that early intervention is necessary with young children as early …

Modeling Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Victimized Women On Probation And Parole : Examining The Impact Of Childhood Victimization., Katherine M. E. Winham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women are the fastest growing segment of the criminal justice population in the United States (Minton, 2013; Pew Center on the States, 2009). Research is needed to understand Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among women involved with the criminal justice system to inform prevention and rehabilitation efforts. Despite findings suggesting that a mental health diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common among women in this population (Lynch, DeHart, Belknap, & Green, 2012; Salina, Lesondak, Razzano, & Weilbaecher, 2007), little research has examined the presence of this disorder among women involved with the criminal justice system with experiences of childhood victimization. …

Identifying Barriers To Mental Health Services For Limited And Non-English Speaking Clients In A Rural Homogenous Environment: An Approach To Reduce Barriers With Technology, Alma Torres

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the current protocols set in place by local agencies when working with limited English proficiency clients (LEP). Due to the homogenous environment in the state of North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota and the increase of immigrants, migrants and refugees to the area, the use of interpreters has become a necessity. A questionnaire was used as means of collecting data regarding the number of agencies that service limited English proficiency clients, employ interpreters, how interpreters are trained and the use of technology for interpretation purposes. Interpreter is defined for this purpose as an …