Social Work Commons^™

The Child Client: Representing Children In Child Protective Proceedings, Merril Sobie

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Organizational Leaders’ And Staff Members’ Appraisals Of Their Work Environment Within A Children’S Social Service System, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd, Catherine N. Dulmus Phd, Eugene Maguin Phd, John Keesler, Byron James Powell

Brown School Faculty Publications

Several studies have demonstrated the effect of an organization’s culture and climate on the delivery of services to clients and the success of clinical outcomes. Workers’ perceptions are integral components of organizational social context, and in order to create a positive organizational culture and climate, managers and frontline staff need to have a shared understanding of the social context. The existing literature does not adequately address that discrepancies in perceptions of culture and climate between frontline staff and managers impact the implementation of policies and services. The purpose of this study is to compare the workgroup-level culture and climate of …

The Effects Of Trauma On Brain Development In Infancy, Sasha Kellogg

Honors Theses

This thesis explains how trauma, which can be defined for this study as traumatic experiences, affects brain development in infants. For the purpose of this report, infants are defined as being fifteen months or younger. As gathered from the book and articles researched, typical infant brain development, including the eight processes of neurodevelopment and the four main parts of the brain, will be explained in this report, along with how the brain grows and matures. This thesis shows how maturation of the brain in infancy is dependent upon the bonds and connections infants form with others and explains how trauma …

A Dereliction Of Duty: Homeless Veterans In America, Christopher R. Fee

English Faculty Publications

U.S. government efforts to help homeless veterans in America are not enough.

When I first began grappling with homelessness issues in my local community quite a number of years ago, Dave, then-director of the local homeless shelter in our small town, told me a story that illustrates some of the special circumstances faced by homeless veterans in America.

Dave said a community of homeless vets had based themselves in caves in the hills outside of town, and after one was stricken with pneumonia and had to be hospitalized, his ongoing recovery left health care providers with a thorny dilemma. Clearly, …

National Child Maltreatment Response And Foster Care Entries: 2005-2010, Zeinab Chahine

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study involves secondary analysis of the national administrative data contained in two major federal child maltreatment and foster care data systems, the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System and the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System for 2005 to 2010. The study examines the data related to screening in and determination of maltreatment reports (child maltreatment response), as well as the provision of services to children referred for maltreatment. The purpose is to determine how the child welfare services/child protective services systems responses to child maltreatment contributed to the 17% decline in foster care entries from …

I Didn't Consent To That: Secondary Analysis Of Discrimination Against Bdsm Identified Individuals, Larry Iannotti

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Sadomasochism (BDSM) sexual behavior is an understudied phenomenon within the social sciences generally, and social work in particular. While BESM sexuality encompasses a wide variety of activities a community of individuals interested in BDSM is identifiable and has coalesced around organized groups, events, political activism, and shared sexual interests. This community has experienced discrimination, violence, and harassment (DVH) as a result of social approbation and stigma associated with BDSM practices. The study examines results of a secondary analysis of data from the Survey of Violence & Discrimination against Sexual Minorities, conducted in 2008. Severity and frequency of various types …

An Equine-Facilitated Prison-Based Program: Human-Horse Relations And Effects On Inmate Emotions And Behaviors, Keren Bachi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Policy makers and correctional authorities are seeking ways to enhance effectiveness of incarceration and reduce recidivism. Equine-facilitated prison-based vocational programs aim to rehabilitate inmates. Informed by the theories of attachment and desistance, this study evaluates the emotional and behavioral effects of such an intervention utilizing a quasi-experimental methodological triangulation design.

Recidivism and disciplinary misconduct are examined by clinical data-mining of institutional records. Propensity Score Matching, binary and multinomial logistic regressions are applied in a discrete-time event history analysis. Semi-structured interviews revealing the subjective experiences of participants are analyzed via the Listening Guide methodology. Quantitative questionnaires, exploring attachment and closeness to …

Women In Foreclosure: Social Reproduction & Mortgage Strain In The Subprime Era, Amy Baker

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Advisor: Professor Mimi Abramovitz

This research captures the experiences of 31 single female homeowners with risky lending markets and mortgage foreclosure in the city of Philadelphia. In-depth, semi-structured interviewing was employed to build knowledge about single women's experiences with seeking a loan, buying a home, entering default and attempting to stall foreclosure. Thematic analysis of the data demonstrated that risky lending and foreclosure did not mark the onset of financial instability among study participants. Instead, it functioned as a tipping point for single women unable to access upward mobility and asset accrual throughout the lifespan. Women's status as the strongest …

Motivating Students Through Classroom-Based Service Learning: Toward Adoption And Impact, Anne S. Robertson, Amanda Moore Mcbride, Saras Chung, Allison Williams

Center for Social Development Research

Motivating Students Through Classroom-Based Service Learning: Toward Adoption and Impact

Social Challenges And Policy Innovations By Social Workers In Australia, Manohar Pawar

Center for Social Development Research

By summarizing the social challenges in the contemporary Australian context, this article aims to discuss policy innovations by Australian social workers. Acknowledging that the concept of policy innovation is broad and sometimes ambiguous, it looks at four examples by social workers. Drawing on secondary data analysis, it discusses how social workers played an important role in introducing legislative changes/amendments to protect children in difficult circumstances, resisted a refugee policy that incarcerates innocent children, challenged and changed procedures and policies within an organization, and influenced policymakers to revert budgetary decisions to enhance access to services. These examples show the social workers’ …

How Quickly We Forget: Comments On “A Historical Analysis Of Evidence-Based Practice In Social Work: The Unfinished Journey Toward An Empirically Grounded Profession”, Anne E. Fortune

Social Welfare Faculty Scholarship

The Social Service Review article, “A Historical Analysis of Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work: The Unfinished Journey toward an Empirically Grounded Profession,” by Nathanael J. Okpych and James L-H Yu, is the kind of article that makes you sit up and say, “That’s revisionist history!” “What new ideas!” “I wish I had written that!” “But that’s not what I know!” Such an ambivalent response suggests that it is a groundbreaking article or at least one that will stimulate discussion and reassessment of what we know. Constructivism suggests both that there are many legitimate worldviews and that it is worth knowing …

Working With Native American Youth To Promote Healthy Dating Relationships, Araceli Iniguez-Reyes

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Adolescent dating violence is a significant problem in the US in general. Research regarding programs that promote healthy dating relationships for Native American adolescents is however limited. This study explored cultural factors to consider in delivering a healthy relationship program with Native American youth, used this data to adapt an evidence-based program, and then pilot tested the culturally adapted program to see if it was effective in promoting healthy dating relationships attitudes and skills in this population. We used a mixed methods design in two phases. In the qualitative phase we conducted nine key informant interviews and two focus groups …

Examining Racial Disparities In Beaverton, Alexis D. R. Ball

Center to Advance Racial Equity Publications and Reports

Examining Racial Disparities in Beaverton aims to assist the City of Beaverton’s Diversity Advisory Board in understanding the current state of Beaverton’s communities of color as they work to create a “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Plan.” It synthesizes and analyzes available data to describe racial disparities in Beaverton, Oregon through the use of raw data and secondary analysis, reports and communications from the City of Beaverton, and expert interviews. The presentation of data emphasizes a comparison of outcomes for communities of color and the white community with the purpose of highlighting common experiences across communities of color and demonstrating urgency …

Teachers’ Beliefs About Mental Health Issues, Shannon R. Kelleher

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examined teachers’ beliefs about mental health issues in students. A quantitative research method was utilized, and survey instrument was created modeled after the theory of planned behavior. Thirty-seven teachers were surveyed in five areas in relation to their beliefs about assessment and referral; including, previous assessment and referral; mental health training; attitudes toward assessment and referral; the perceived social normality of assessment and referral; and perceived self-efficacy or behavior control. These five areas became independent variable measures, with the dependent variable being their future intention of assessing and referring students with mental health issues. Multiple regression analysis revealed …

Beliefs About Substance Abusing Clients Among Social Work Students, Seidy Jhosselyn Soto, Marry Jean Stuart

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study was a quantitative survey and explored beliefs about substance abusing clients among sixty-three social work students. The study focused on the extent to which social work students display bias toward clients with a substance abuse disorder. The study also explored the attitudinal domains of permissiveness, treatment intervention, non-stereotypes, treatment optimism, and non-moralism. The study found that social work students who have taken a substance abuse education class are less like to attribute substance abuse addiction to a weak will in the client. The study recommends that future studies on beliefs about substance abusing clients among social work students …

Incarcerated Fathers And Their Children: Effects Of A Reciprocally Connected Relationship, Amber Jay-Marie Houghton, Abigail Navarro

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The present study was aimed at exploring the issues faced by previously incarcerated fathers and their children. A qualitative design utilizing face to face interviews was used to answer the question: according to previously incarcerate fathers, what are the differences between the reciprocal connectedness of fathers and their children prior to, during, and following incarceration? Interviews were conducted with 10 previously incarcerated fathers.

Researchers found that all participants had positive relationships with their children at some point prior to incarceration. Furthermore, during incarceration the reciprocal connectedness of these relationships severely decreased due to limited or no contact. Following incarceration, fathers …

Incarceration And Reintegration: How It Impacts Mental Health, April M. Marier, Alex Alfredo Reyes

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Background: Previous criminal justice policies have been non-effective leading to overpopulated prisons and unsuccessful reintegration. There is a lack of effective supportive and/or rehabilitative services resulting in high rates of recidivism and mental health implications. Objective: This study investigated the perceived impact that incarceration and reintegration with little to no supportive and/or rehabilitative services has on the mental health status of an individual. The emphasis was on participant perception and not on professional reports because of underreporting and lack of attention to mental health in the criminal justice system. Methods: Focus groups in the Inland Empire and Coachella Valley …

The Relationship Between Social Workers' Alcohol Or Drug Use And Subjective Well-Being, Gustavo Torres, Katherine Clair Newell Tristan

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The relationship between alcohol or drug use and subjective well‑being among master of social work students and practitioners was examined. Subjective well‑being measures included core, life satisfaction, affect, eudaimonia and domain evaluation. Frequency of alcohol, tobacco, cannabinoids and psychotropic drug use was collected. There were modest to moderate negative correlations between alcohol and life satisfaction and eudaimonia. There were moderate negative correlations between psychotropic medication and life satisfaction, eudaimonia and domain. There was a modest negative correlation between tobacco and life satisfaction and a strong negative correlation between tobacco and eudaimonia. There were no significant correlations with cannabinoids in any …

Social Work Students’ Knowledge Of Veterans’ Needs And Issues, Sylvia H. Samy

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The veteran population is under-served. Due to the current circumstances of increased deployment and the rate of returning soldiers from current wars (Iraq and Afghanistan); there is an increased demand for competent social workers to provide them with services. Furthermore, the Department of Veteran Affairs is the number one employer of social workers. Hence, measuring the knowledge of social work students is essential to explore their competence of working with the veteran population. The study presents an exploratory research method, using a quantitative approach. Further, students’ knowledge was measured in ten domains: Benefits and Services, Service Related Disabilities, PTSD/Trauma, Childcare, …

Searching For Inclusion: The Impact Of Environmental Barriers On People With Physical Disabilities, Angela Y. Coate

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

People with physical disabilities face challenges each day when trying to navigate a world filled with environmental and architectural barriers. Research indicates that environmental barriers isolate and prevent many people with physical disabilities from accessing and participating in the community and society. This research study directly applied quantifiable investigative methods through the dissemination of anonymous, online surveys that obtained a total of 363 participants who met the requirements of being between the ages of 18 and 65, and who have a medically diagnosed physical disability in order to identify key factors leading to the isolation among physically disabled persons. This …