Social Work Commons^™

An Exploration Of Employment Services For Survivors Of Domestic Violence In The Region Of Waterloo, Alishau Diebold Mrs.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The ability of survivors of domestic violence to secure employment once they leave their vulnerable situations has been identified in the existing knowledge base as a significant issue, and one that urgently needed to be addressed. This qualitative applied social policy research study was undertaken to derive recommendations that could improve the current state of employment services available to women who had survived domestic violence residing in the Region of Waterloo. This was accomplished by determining which employment services align with the needs of a survivor as they began to seek employment. In-depth interviews were conducted to collect information from …

The Spirit Of Haudenosaunee Youth: The Transformation Of Identity And Well-Being Through Culture-Based Activism, Bonnie M. Freeman

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation examines the connection between Indigenous knowledge and culture-based action, and how this connection facilitates a sense of identity and well-being for Haudenosaunee youth. This study examines the experience of fourteen Haudenosaunee youth and five parents/adults as they ran for four summers (2005-2008) on a youth-led spiritual journey known as the Unity Run. On this journey youth travelled throughout Haudenosaunee traditional territory (Ontario and Quebec, Canada; and New York State, U.S.A.) and beyond (Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee) carrying a message of peace, unity and social justice.

The methodology of this research is framed within Haudenosaunee traditional protocols (visiting and …

"It's A Very Silent Pain": A Phenomenological Study Of Women Who Are In A Relationship With A Sexually Addicted Spouse, Jacqueline S. Thibodeau

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Being in a relationship with someone who is sexually addicted has been recognized as disorienting and painful. What is lacking in the literature is inclusion of the voices of those individuals who have been affected by his behaviour. This study attempts to capture the phenomenon experienced by those individuals who are in a relationship with a person who is sexually addicted. Twelve women, who identified being in a current or past relationship with a person who is sexually addicted, participated in qualitative interviews where they were encouraged to share their experiences. The interviews were analyzed within the transcendental phenomenological framework. …

Embracing The Grey Zone: Navigating Flexible Boundaries At Welcome Inn Community Centre, Carly H. Gaylor

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis is an exploration of relationships and issues of professional boundaries at Welcome Inn Community Centre, a faith-based community centre offering programs and services to address issues of poverty in Hamilton, Ontario. Data was gathered through semi-structured qualitative interviews with fifteen staff members, volunteers, and participants at Welcome Inn. A strengths-based perspective combined with mutual relationships and flexible boundaries were found to foster inclusion, acceptance, community building, and personal transformation at Welcome Inn Community Centre; Welcome Inn staff, volunteers, and program participants described these qualities positively. Mixed positive and negative comments were used to describe decision-making and boundaries at …

Perceptions Of Determining Factors: A Case Study Of Eviction Risks Of People Who Hoard In Waterloo Region, Emily J. Gibson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Recently distinguished as a distinct disorder in the DSM-V, hoarding remains a behaviour about which we have only a cursory understanding. Hoarding behaviours can lead to a variety of health and safety risks, not only for the person who hoards, but for others who live with them, and their neighbouring community. Many studies make reference to the vulnerability of people who hoard as a result of these health and safety risks However, there has been little written about eviction specifically due to hoarding. This study explores the research question: what factors enable individuals who hoard to maintain their housing when …

"It's Not Written In Stone": A Narrative Analysis Of The Mothering Experiences Of Women Who Experienced Childhood Sexual Abuse By A Family Member, Eva L.P. Burrill

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Within the existing body of literature on women survivors of intrafamilial childhood sexual abuse (CSA), there is extant literature that indicates that survivors will experience mothering challenges later in life. However, little research has focused on the possibility that mothering might also function as a site of healing. Addressing this gap, this thesis explores the mothering experiences of six women who experienced childhood sexual abuse by a family member. Working within a narrative methodology, data was gathered through semi-structured, in-depth interviews, and analyzed using a combination of categorical-content and holistic-content analysis. Three overarching themes were identified: 1) The Impact of …

"Where's The Support?": An Exploratory Study Of Supports For Primary Caregivers Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In The Toronto Region, Nicole H. Siron

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The experience of being a caregiver of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is complicated and fraught with obstacles. Presently, we do not know how to support caregivers adequately. In this thesis, I explore the supports that exist for primary caregivers of children with ASD in the Toronto region, with the goal of examining caregiver experience when accessing supports. The literature that I reviewed highlighted the importance of examining the caregiver experience by acknowledging that caregivers of children with ASD experience elevated levels of stress. This review made it clear that by not addressing how to support caregivers, the …

The Felt Sense Of Interconnectedness: A Qualitative Analysis Of Perceptions On Finding Resilience In The Aftermath Of Trauma Using The Mind-Body Connections Of Yoga, Ashley Collette

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Members and veterans of the military are at an increased risk of exposure to traumatic experiences due to the very nature of their occupation. The most recent statistics on Canada’s deployment to Afghanistan show that 13.2% of the (Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members deployed have been diagnosed with a mental injury within a five year follow up period of redeployment from the theatre of operations. The present preliminary study was designed to examine Yoga as a therapeutic intervention for trauma in a population of CAF members and veterans. The author interviewed 4 service providers and 2 service users of Yoga-based …

Attitudes Toward Couple Therapy In Helping Profession Graduate Students, Laura Demoe

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A core issue of couple therapy is the evident delay in help-seeking behaviours among distressed couples. This study had two main objectives. The first objective was to examine if there is a negative stigmatization associated with attendance at couple therapy and whether this is related to a person's willingness to attend. The second objective was to examine whether couple therapy is perceived as a resource to be used once distress levels are severe and other options have been exhausted. This study used a survey methodology with qualitative components and participants consisted mainly of graduate students enrolled in helping profession programs. …

Influx Of Child Immigrants To The United States: Policy & Practice Implications, Megan Vogt

Graduate Research Papers

Beginning in 2012, an influx of immigrant children from the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras arrived in the United States from their home countries searching for safety and security. As the federal government stepped in to help place the children throughout the states, the governor of Iowa made a stance refusing to provide funding to these children leaving non-profits and faith-based organizations to provide the necessary resources. This study examines the options, services, and resources the children have accessed or are capable of accessing after arriving in the United States. Through interviews with agencies, groups, and organizations in …

A National Scan Of Psychiatric Involuntary Hold Policies, Evan D. Peters

Undergraduate Research Posters

Psychiatric involuntary holds are initiated when an individual suffering from mental illness is deemed a danger to themselves or others. Each state and the District of Columbia has its own legislation outlining the process for involuntary holds and the assessments that take place during a hold. A variety of individuals, professional and non-professional, can be involved in the process. Each state also sets a time limit during which a person can be held, and specific language that details the behavior of individuals that are eligible for psychiatric involuntary holds. This information was gathered by examining each states' codes involving psychiatric …

Enhancing Child Care For Children With Special Needs Through Technical Assistance, Cyleste C. Collins, Robert L. Fischer, Nina Lalich

Faculty Scholarship

Children with special needs often require additional supports in child care settings. The provision of technical assistance (TA) and consultation to child care teachers is an established method for addressing this need. This study expands on existing research by bringing the perspective of different adults (parents, technical assistance consultants, teachers, and child care center directors) together to better understand the experiences of all parties involved in TA cases for children between the ages of three and five. The concerns most frequently leading to the consultation were social-emotional-behavioral (50.5%), developmental (32.3%), medical (28.3%), and environmental risk (14%), and one quarter of …

New Measures Of Economic Security And Development: Savings Goals For Short-Term And Long-Term Economic Needs, Yunju Nam, Yungsoo Lee, Shawn Mcmahon, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

The long-term economic security and development of a family depend largely upon saving and asset-accumulation, yet most measures of economic well-being focus on short-term consumption needs. This study takes a broader view, developing precautionary, retirement, homeownership and education savings goals. Together these savings goals constitute a new set of asset-based measures of family financial well-being. Estimated savings needs depend upon family type and other assumptions, and we consider investment gains and differences in dollar values over time in our calculations. This study shows that families should save $155 to $572 every month to address all four savings needs. The number …

“She Posted It On Facebook”: Mexican American Adolescents’ Experiences With Technology And Romantic Relationship Conflict, Heidi Adams Rueda, Megan Lindsay, Lela Rankin Williams

Social Work Faculty Publications

We examined experiences with technology and dating conflict among Mexican American (MA) adolescents (ages 15-17 years) using mixed qualitative methodologies. Focus groups, divided by three levels of acculturation and gender (N = 20), and videotaped observations of couples (N = 34), found that technology (i.e., cell phones, social media) afforded adolescents increased visibility of their partners’ day-to-day peer interactions. Feelings of romantic jealousy resulted in text message harassment and the expectation of immediate technology-facilitated contact. Females were more flirtatious as well as emotionally affected by jealousy resulting from social media sites, and males set rules regarding other-sex texting. …

Repositioning Art Work From Patients Suffering From Anorexia Nervosa In A Gendered, Socio-Cultural Context: A Self-Reflective Study, Dafna Rehavia-Hanauer

Journal of Clinical Art Therapy

This article, conceptualized within a post-structuralist, feminist approach to art therapy, addresses the role of visual images as a controlling constituting discourse significant to the formation of the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. As a core position this article argues for a change in the way art work created within the art therapy process by women who suffer from anorexia nervosa is interpreted and analyzed by art therapists. The article argues for an enhanced appreciation and critical analysis of gendered, social-cultural contextualization of visual images and recognition of how these forces have a role in directing women to enact behaviors of …

The Use Of Creative Art As A Strategy For Case Formulation In Psychotherapy: A Case Study, Semra Karaca Phd, Nurhan Eren

Journal of Clinical Art Therapy

Case formulation refers to the appraisal of the individual data and the treatment plan in terms of certain principles. In psychotherapy, case formulation is relevant for the recognition of conceptual and clinical tools, as well as for the evaluation of the therapeutic endeavor. Art work (painting) provides an effective tool for case formulation because it allows the individual to express his/her thoughts and emotions, which are prone to the influences of subconscious drives, conflicts, fears, and desires in a symbolic fashion. In this study, case formulation of a 31-year-old woman, who could not overcome her verbal and physical aggressive behaviors, …

Editorial Poem, Einat Metzl

Journal of Clinical Art Therapy

No abstract provided.

Journal Cover And Front Matter

Journal of Clinical Art Therapy

No abstract provided.

Implementing Outside The Box: Community-Based Social Service Provider Experiences With Using An Alcohol Screening And Intervention, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd, Alex T. Ramsey, Carissa Van Den Berk-Clark

Brown School Faculty Publications

Objective: The aim of this study is better understand perceptions of front-line social service workers who are not addiction specialists, but have to address addiction-related issues during their standard services. Method: Six social service organizations implemented a validated alcohol assessment and brief education intervention. After a 3-month trial implementation period, a convenience sample of 64 front-line providers participated in six focus groups to examine barriers and facilitators to the implementation of an alcohol screening and brief intervention. Results: Three themes emerged: (1) usefulness of the intervention, (2) intervention being an appropriate fit with the agency and client population, and (3) …

A Qualitative Study Exploring The Perceptions Of Social Workers Concerning Independent Living Programs In Conjunction With Post-Secondary Education After New Jersey Foster Youth "Age-Out" Of The Foster Care System, Patrick L. Beatty

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this research study is to investigate the perceptions of New Jersey social workers regarding potential barriers that may exist with foster care youth maturity development, independent living programs emphasizing foster care alumni post-secondary education achievement, and social worker departmental training relating to their understanding of independent living programs.

The design of this qualitative study focused on New Jersey Division of Children & Family volunteer participants consisting of three district office manager interviews, and three social worker focus group discussions from specific geographic locations throughout New Jersey. The interview and focus group questions were developed after comprehensive research …