Social Work Commons^™

Childhood Poverty And Psychological Health Of Youths In Hong Kong: Mentoring As A Social Capital Intervention, Hor Yan Lai

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Considering that one out of five youths live in poverty in Hong Kong, and poverty is found to have a negative impact on youths' psychological well-being, this dissertation proposes mentoring as a social capital intervention to improve the psychological health of these young people, both who are locally born and who immigrated from Mainland China. In this dissertation, mentoring is defined as a social capital intervention that changes the social resources available to youths living in poverty, and such changes enhance young people's positive psychological outcomes. Based on the social capital theory, poverty-related and psychological theories, three aims were formulated. …

An Exploration Of The Experience Of In-Home Counseling Services, Greg Czyszczon

Dissertations, 2014-2019

This qualitative study explores the lived experience of in-home counseling services by using a phenomenological method. In-home counseling services are used in situations where families experience extreme emotional distress, in part owing to the problematic behavior of a child. A semi-structured interview was used to elicit parents’ experience of in-home services in a geographical area that included a large portion of Virginia. The study found that the whole of parents’ experience of in-home services was dynamically influenced by constituent parts including the parent’s experience of the child, their experience of parenting, their experience of systems of care, and their experience …

Strengths In Action: Implementing A Learning Organization Model In A Human Service Setting, Barbara Ann Whitbeck

Dissertations and Theses

Although learning organization theory evolved in corporate settings, literature suggests that the theory has much to offer human service organizations. This dissertation examines the implementation of a modified learning organization model in three small field offices of a publicly-funded vocational rehabilitation organization in the Pacific Northwest, at a time when the organization was negotiating financial cutbacks and organizational changes. The model - known as Strengths in Action - was based on Senge's five learning organization disciplines, and informed by organizational culture theory. In each participating office, all staff worked together to set a goal, make a plan, and achieve the …

Understanding Sexual Assault Survivors' Willingness To Participate In The Judicial System, Mildred Ann Davis

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation examined the relationship between support services for adult survivors of sexual assault and judicial outcomes. Specifically, this study explored survivors' willingness to participate in the judicial process. Although "victim unwilling to participate" is the primary reason given by the police for cases not progressing to prosecution, we know little about most aspects of survivors' willingness to participate in the judicial process, especially beyond initial reporting of the assault. The steps to prosecution are dependent on one another yet a survivor's willingness to participate in these steps is a fluid process. The primary research question explored was Are there …

A Review On Literatures Of Zakat Between 2003-2013, Fuadah Johari, Muhammad Ridhwan Ab. Aziz, Ahmad Fahme Mohd Ali

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The objective of this article is to analysis the related literatures on zakat between 2003 until 2013. The methodology of this article is through descriptive research based on document-analysis on previous articles and literatures on zakat between 2003 until 2013. Data from each articles related in this field were collected and statistically analyzed using the Statistical Product & Service Solution (SPSS) software. This study looked at several variables which include authorship patterns, number of articles published, research approach, subject and gender of the author. The general finding of this article shows that the zakat issues are among the most discussed …

Access To Information And Implications For Healthy Ageing In Africa: Challenges And Strategies For Public Libraries, Ifeanyi J. Ezema, Richard N. Ugwuanyi Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The elderly people are of intrinsic value to societies. Their health is Africa’s wealth. Unfortunately, Africa has serious health burden raging from diseases, poverty ignorance that hardly support healthy ageing. Development indicators from World Health Organization and the World Bank provide glaring evidence that Africa countries are far behind other regions of the world in health conditions of the citizens. This paper discusses the benefits that accrue from having a healthy old age population. Such includes poverty reduction, stress free ageing, assisting in taking care of young ones. It examines the role of information in enhancing healthy ageing in Africa. …

Exploring And Utilizing The Concept Of Setting Conditions In The Functional Assessment Process, Linda Aldridge, Richard Harrison, Kimberly Harrison, Cherie Blanchat

Journal of Adolescent and Family Health

Functional assessment is embedded in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (1997) and Positive Behavioral Supports (PBS) (Horner & Carr, 1997). While the process of functional assessment has helped many students become more successful in the educational setting, it is time to take a deeper look at those conditions from which behaviors originate. Such conditions, referred to in this article as setting conditions, often serve to initiate and sustain inappropriate behaviors that are the focus of the functional assessment. Unless directly analyzed, setting conditions weaken the impact of interventions focused solely upon those factors targeted in the Antecedent Behavior …

Adults With Intellectual Disability Or Autism Spectrum Disorder. Executive Summary, Kimberly I. Snow Mhsa, Ba, Stuart Bratesman Mpp, Taryn Bowe, Julie T. Fralich Mba

Disability & Aging

This chartbook describes Maine’s historical trends in meeting the needs of adults with ID/ASD through institutional and community based services in comparison to other states; a detailed analysis of the population’s utilization of different types of services and their costs in SFY 2010; the implementation of the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) as a means of identifying the supports needs of the adults with ID/ASD; and the complement of providers serving this population in Maine.

Measuring Student Perception Of Ethics Instruction In Social Work Programs At The Bsw And Msw Level, Madeline P. Massey

Social Work Theses - Archive

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) programs lack a universal method to teach ethics, and it is at the discretion of the program to determine the type of ethics education received. The purpose of this research was to determine the level of ethics instruction received by graduating students at the BSW, advanced standing (BSW and MSW), and two-year MSW level (two years of graduate education) by asking students their perspective on their ethics education. This study involved a demographics and ethical questionnaire, The Nathanson and Giffords Ethics Scale (NGES) that allowed students to report their …

Shock Incarceration Programs Creative Problem Solving, Djuana L. Munn

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Abstract of Project

Shock Incarceration Programs Creative Problem Solving

Many women who are incarcerated inside correctional boot camp prisons might have substantial low self-esteem that could worsen due to the stress of the prison environment, confinement, and being far away from their children and family members. Shock Incarceration or “boot camp” male correctional programs are degrading for female inmates: They do not meet the special needs and problems of women. Programs are based on control theory, which implies that an individual’s behavior assimilates to that which is expected by society. Female inmates are taught discipline and responsibility by “breaking down …

Ending Poverty In Mongolia: From Socialism To Social Development, Richard J. Smith

Social Work Faculty Publications

While recent literature on social welfare has included Asian countries, less is known about low-income and former socialist countries in Central Asia. This article combines a documentary-historical method with a value-critical approach to analyze Mongolia’s social policy response to poverty. Mongolia is unique in Asia because it transformed from nomadic pastoralism to socialism without a phase of capitalist industrial development. The case study found that Mongolia lost social welfare when it transitioned from socialism, a statist model, to market liberalism and multiparty democracy. In the 21st century, Mongolia has been aspiring to promote social development by redirecting mining revenues to …

Self Assessed Training Needs Of Family Service Workers In Arkansas, Gretchen Belinda Skinner

Theses and Dissertations

Research in the field of child welfare signifies that training is necessary to adequately prepare staff for their duties as family service workers. This study examines the association between self-assessed training needs and demographic characteristics of 102 Arkansas family service workers in 2008-2009. The purpose of this interdisciplinary retrospective exploratory study is to gain knowledge about training needs in in an effort to design better training curriculum that meet the needs of the new employees, thus reducing burnout and attrition. Findings of this study indicate there is no significant association between self-identified training needs and demographic characteristics. However, the findings …

An Innovative Approach To Improving Father-Child Relationships For Fathers Who Are Noncompliant With Child Support Payments: A Mixed Methods Evaluation, John R. Gallagher, Joan R. Rycraft, Tommy Jordan

Journal of Adolescent and Family Health

Mixed methods were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Fathers Offering Children Unfailing Support (FOCUS) program. FOCUS is a diversion program which is designed to offer an alternative to incarceration for fathers who are noncompliant with child support payments. Quantitative data were collected through a pretest/posttest design (n = 55) and qualitative data were collected through telephone interviews with FOCUS instructors (n = 2) and community key stakeholders (n = 5) and focus groups with FOCUS participants (n = 76). FOCUS appears to be benefiting children by increasing their fathers’ emotional support, strengthening co-parenting relationships, and promoting their fathers’ …

Fearless Friday: Erin O'Connor, Christina L. Bassler

SURGE

For fearless Friday, Surge would like to commend Silent Leader Award recipient, Erin O’Connor. The Silent Leader Award was given this year in memory of Emily Silverstein ’11, a passionate member of the campus community and a fervent advocate for peace at yesterday’s Fall Convocation. [excerpt]

Social Connections, Safety, And Local Environment In Three Manchester, New Hampshire, Neighborhoods Survey Of Residents’ Perceptions, Justin R. Young

Carsey Publications

This fact sheet uses data from a survey of Bakersville, Beech Street, and Gossler Park residents in Manchester, New Hampshire, to draw attention to the current state of connectedness, trust, and perceptions of the local environment in these three neighborhoods. Author Justin Young finds that residents of these neighborhoods report that they generally feel safe during the day, that they are comfortable reporting crimes to the police, and that they are hopeful that if a child was hurt or scared, there would be a trustworthy adult nearby to help. Only about half of respondents in these neighborhoods felt there was …

Faith In The Classroom: Teaching Adolescent Faith Development In A Hbse Course, Erin Olson

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Social work educators and practitioners now recognize the important role of faith, spirituality, and religion in work with both students and clients. A course in Human Behavior and the Social Environment provide an appropriate venue for teaching students how to ethically assess for spiritual and religious beliefs while also assessing how that development occurred.

Universities Need To Do More To Prevent Heterosexism To Support Lgb Students’ Academic Success, M.R. Woodford

Clear Language Summaries

Heterosexism can affect lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) students’ academic success. Peer-group support and general faculty support do not protect students from the impacts of heterosexism, but is still important. To prevent poor academic outcomes, campuses must have spaces in which students feel safe to come out and heterosexism needs to be eliminated on campus.

Social Workers As Social Change Agents: Social Innovation, Social Intrapreneurship, And Social Entrepreneurship, Monica Nandan, Manuel London, Tricia Bent-Goodley

Faculty Articles

This article explores and describes social innovation, social intrapreneurship, and social entrepreneurship practiced by social workers within human service organizations. Each year, the nature and complexity of clients’ problems and challenges experienced by communities continuously evolves and grows. These challenges call for social workers to lead and facilitate social change that can have a lasting impact on communities and people. The authors report findings from an exploratory, descriptive study conducted with ten social workers on these practices. The findings point to the need to develop and integrate these contents within social work education and further promote dual-degree graduate programs.

Indigegogy: A Transformative Indigenous Educational Process, Gus Hill Phd, Alicia Wilkinson Msw

Lyle S. Hallman Social Work Faculty Publications

Social work training programs have not been able to keep step with the needs of Indigenous people since the advent of the profession. As former agents of government assimilation, social workers now find themselves in difficult positions where they are unable to help Indigenous people, despite their best intentions. Indigenous Social Work Education has become a necessary response to the growing needs of Indigenous people, and increasing social problems in Canada. Furthermore, Indigenous people who practice Indigenous social work have become vital to the survival of Indigenous people and their communities. The teaching and practice of Indigenized, social work education …

Unexpected Challenges: Youth, Public Housing Reform And Mixed-Income Development, Mark L. Joseph

Faculty Scholarship

In this brief, we explore the role of and responses to youth in three mixed-income communities in Chicago— Oakwood Shores, Park Boulevard, and Westhaven Park—built on the footprint of large public housing complexes as part of the Chicago Housing Authority’s (CHA) Plan for Transformation. We draw on the perspectives of residents and development professionals expressed in interviews, focus groups, and through field observation, although we were not able to speak with youth directly. We examine both expectations about youth in mixedincome developments and perceptions of how young people contribute to social dynamics and interaction in these contexts. We also explore …