Social Work Commons^™

Resilience In Families Of Children Who Have Disabilities, Janet Appleby

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Families are foundational units that facilitate societal function. They are responsible for many of the integral processes that allow communities to continue to function. Not the least of these processes are providing for the survival of members, and the development of children into adults who constructively participate in society. An understanding of how families adapt, when faced with trauma or overwhelming stress, is important to supporting a constructive external support system and education for future families. How does adaptation successfully proceed when the family includes a child who has a disability? This exploratory research is intended to reveal practices that …

Engaging Families In Literacy Education, Karin Marie Havens

Social Work Theses - Archive

Parent/caregiver participation is an essential component of the literacy education process. Current school-directed methods of involving parents/caregivers have shown inconsistent results regarding student literacy outcomes. Parent/caregiver-directed, collaborative efforts that engage families, teachers, and other school professionals ensure that parents/caregivers are invested in educational outcomes for their children. Charter schools, growing in popularity in the United States, are required to meet standards but are awarded flexibility with curriculum and implementation practices. For this reason, charter schools have the ability to experiment with new and groundbreaking practices to improve literacy education. The purpose of this study was to explore family engagement in …

Ptsd, Alcohol Use Disorder, And Treatment, A Review, Anthony Gayle Ensey

Social Work Theses - Archive

This systematic review examines the empirical literature for American veterans with a dual diagnosis of PTSD and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Concurrent treatment and treatment targeting one of the disorders was the basis for research question used. Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE), the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement, and COPES (Client Oriented Practical; Evidence Search Guides) method of question formation was chosen. Five full reports were extracted from 128 through three electronic databases. Selected quantitative studies were peer-reviewed journals. No randomized clinical trials were located. All five studies included received a low …

The Role Of Social Capital In Rural Community Development, Desiree D. Frederickson

Social Work Theses - Archive

This study explores the impact of social capital on community development in a rural community in Texas. There is very little research on social capital relative to community development. Much of the research that has been conducted is focused on measuring the level of social capital among different groups. Utilizing methods of Participatory Action Research--interviews, focus groups, and town hall forums--this study explores the association of social capital with rural community development. This study reviews relevant literature, explains the methods used, provides data analysis and findings. This study concludes with findings and recommendations that support the belief that the development …

Prefrontal Responses To Digit Span Memory Phases In Patients With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd): A Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy Study, Fenghua Tian, Amarnath Yennu, Alexa Smith-Osborne, F. Gonzalez-Lima, Carol S. North, Hanli Liu

Social Work Faculty Publications & Presentations-Archive

Neuroimaging studies of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related memory impairments have consistently implicated abnormal activities in the frontal and parietal lobes. However, most studies have used block designs and could not dissociate the multiple phases of working memory. In this study, the involvement of the prefrontal cortex in working memory phases was assessed among veterans with PTSD and age-/ gender-matched healthy controls. Multichannel functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was utilized to measure prefrontal cortex hemodynamic activations during memory of neutral (i.e., not trauma-related) forward and backward digit span tasks. An event-related experimental design was utilized to dissociate the different phases (i.e., …

Review Of The Fukushima Dai-Ichi Accident. Peter Bernard Ladkin, Christoph Goeker, And Bernd Sieker (Eds.). Reviewed By Richard York, Richard F. York

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Peter Bernard Ladkin, Christoph Goeker, and Bernd Sieker (Eds.), The Fukushima Dai-Ichi Accident. Lit Verlag (2013). $59.95 (paperback), 291 pages.

Food For Thought: Thoughts On Food, Grace Mayer

A with Honors Projects

For this Parkland College A with Honors project, the student reflects on a group project to create a video on volunteering with the Wesley Food Pantry.

Trauma Treatment: The Influence Of Social Workers' Knowledge, Perceived Self-Efficacy, And Use Of Evidence-Based Interventions, Jose I. Carbajal

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This research report asserts that trauma is pervasive and of those traumatized, 10 to 20 percent develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD symptoms do not automatically dissolve, thereby making treatment necessary. However, there is little research regarding social workers' knowledge of trauma and trauma treatment efficacy. Furthermore, there is a gap in the literature specifying social workers' utilization of trauma-focused evidence-based interventions. The aim of this research study was to determine if social workers' level of trauma knowledge and trauma treatment efficacy predicted the use of evidence-based interventions. A cross-sectional design was used to examine social workers' trauma treatment and …

Analysis Of Several Factors Contributing To Increased Fertility Rates In India: Religion As Compared To Education And Wealth, Victoria Highland

Social Work Theses - Archive

India continues to experience increased population growth, in spite of the country's nationally instituted family planning program that began in 1952. While there is research on the various factors contributing to the continued increase in fertility rates in India, previous studies have utilized older data sets (Chamie, 1981); (Yadava, 1999); (Jeffery & Jeffery, 2000); (Brookins & Brookins, 2012); (Kulkami & Algarajan, 2005). One theory about factors influencing fertility rates was explained by Chamie (1981). The theory acknowledges that fertility rates vary based on religion, but the underlying structural differences between religions has a stronger influence on fertility rates than the …

Text Analysis Of Social Development As A Concept, Shamsun Nahar

Social Work Theses - Archive

Theory of social development is composed of an amalgam of several interrelated and independent theories, such as representational, explanatory, and normative theories. The objective of this study is to contribute to the representational theories of social development by examining the contextual variations that characterize the discourse of development in published scholarly journals. Applying the text analysis method in all abstracts (N=707) of the journal of Social Development Issues (SDI), which is one of the prominent international journals where social development is analyzed from international and interdisciplinary perspectives, this study explores the associated terms of social development, their frequency, and terms …

Social Work Mediation/Conflict Resolution: The Benefits, Challenges, And Practitioner Improvements Associated With The Use Of Mediation/Conflict Resolution In Social Work Practice, Don R. Kelly

Social Work Theses - Archive

Social workers continually work in areas where conflict is prevalent on a daily basis. Yet there is little research regarding the benefits, challenges, and practitioner improvements associated with social workers being trained in mediation/conflict resolution. However, there is much literature regarding the usefulness of mediation/conflict resolution. Utilizing an exploratory, qualitative, semi-structure interview process, numerous benefits, challenges, and practitioner improvements are identified in this study. In many respects, social work has always been about conflict and resolving conflict. As conflict resolution is a core competency in social work and considering that mediation/conflict resolution is a growing field, exploring the benefits, challenges …

Suicidal Ideation Among Korean Adolescents, Yi Jin Kim

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Purpose: A significantly high rate (18.3%) of Korean adolescents had suicidal ideations in 2012 (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2012) and suicidal ideation is more prevalent among adolescents than any other age group in Korea. Suicidal ideation is one of the most significant factors in predicting an increased risk for future suicide attempts. Considering the fact that suicidal ideation is the onset of the suicidal process triggering more serious suicidal behaviors including suicide intent, attempt, and completion, it is critical to examine the risk factors for suicidal ideation to prevent more risky suicidal behaviors among Korean adolescents. There have …

Communication In Combat Through The Optics Of Internal Working Models, Warren Neil Ponder

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation asserts that communication between a committed dyad during a deployment affects post-deployment functioning. Historical communication patterns among veterans and their families are examined from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada and the Global War on Terror (GWOT) among others. Recent research has delineated different forms of communication: interactive and delayed. Communication is conceptualized in the three phases of a deployment cycle: pre, during, and post-deployment. However, the largest gap in the current literature is the identification of one theory that explains dyadic communication during a deployment. It is posited that attachment theory is the best orientation available. An online questionnaire …

African American Families' Expectations And Intentions For Mental Health Services, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Richard Thompson, Barbara L. Dancy, Tisha R. A. Wiley, Sylvia P. Perry, Jason Wallis, Yara Mekawi, Kathleen Knafl

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

A cross-sectional qualitative descriptive design was used to examine the links among expectations about, experiences with, and intentions toward mental health services. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 32 African American youth/mothers dyads. Content analysis revealed that positive expectations were linked to positive experiences and intentions, that negative expectations were not consistently linked to negative experiences or intentions, nor were ambivalent expectations linked to ambivalent experiences or intentions. Youth were concerned about privacy breeches and mothers about the harmfulness of psychotropic medication. Addressing these concerns may promote African Americans’ engagement in mental health services.

Trafficking In Child Labor In Ghana And Senegal, Steven Brandt

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 6th (2014)

The goal of this paper is to determine the efficacy of anti-trafficking governance in Senegal and Ghana and what social, political, legal and economic factors work for or against those policies such as: - social policies for and against the growth of the NGO community - enforcement of anti-trafficking laws - economic policies for impoverished urban and rural communities - government rehabilitation policies for minors - federal, state and local corruption - border security/immigration - religious and political freedom This research comprises a comprehensive literature analysis as to the current state of trafficking of minors in Ghana and Senegal. First …

A Holistic Aboriginal Framework For Individual Healing, Gus Hill

Lyle S. Hallman Social Work Faculty Publications

This paper offers up an holistic Indigenous model of individual healing that utilizes medicine wheel teachings to break down the four aspects (spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental) of individual wellness. Teachings about each direction are presented followed by practice techniques for each aspect of the individual self. It is bookended by an introduction to the historical trauma faced by Indigenous peoples in Canada, and a conclusion that draws implications for healing.

Therapists' Experiences Treating Clients With Dissociative Identity Disorder, Alexandra E. Paull

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this exploratory study was to collect qualitative data to examine what social workers describe as their experience working with clients who fit the diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). This study interviewed twelve licensed therapists through in person, phone, and skype interviews. These interviews explored the experience of their clinical work and its impact on them personally. Seven major themes were identified from coding the narrative data: the challenges and rewards of treatment, characteristics of the population, characteristics of the clinicians, treatment structure, what treating their first client with this disorder was like, misconceptions, and places current …

What Does The 'Q' Stand For Anyway? : Queerness And Agency Competence, Eleanor C. Taylor

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory study’s purpose was to explore queer identity in mental health practice through the question, "Does queerness emerge as a distinct cultural category through the language of conversation, clinical practice, and administrative policy in mental health agencies that serve queer people, and in what practices is this reflected?” This project was undertaken in order to begin to fill gaps in existing cultural competence literature, particularly regarding queer identity.

This project entailed semi-structured interviews with ten participants, who worked in direct service at mental health agencies that serve LGBTQIA+ populations. This study examines the meanings and effects of queerness in …

An Exploration Of Romantic Adult Attachment, Marital Satisfaction And Parenting Stress In Couples Participating In The Supporting Father Involvement Program, Sarah T. Robins

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Over the years attachment theory and research have provided frameworks for understanding infant attachment and adult attachment. More recently, the phenomenon of romantic attachment between couples has been examined. The current mixed-methods study investigates the relationship between romantic adult attachment, marital satisfaction, and parenting stress in partners participating in the Supporting Father Involvement Program. Quantitative and qualitative results indicate that there is an association between adult attachment styles, marital satisfaction, and parenting stress. More specifically, fearful insecurities in mothers are associated with more parenting stress while secure attachments in mothers are connected to more satisfaction in the marital relationship. Fathers …

Exploring Clinicians' Use Of Evidence-Based Interventions That Treat Attachment Problems Between Children, Five Years Of Age And Under, And Their Primary Caregivers, Jean Faucher

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory quantitative study was an attempt to address the dearth of research regarding the use of attachment-focused evidence-based treatments (AF EBT) in the clinical setting. Thirty-eight Master’s level or higher licensed mental health clinicians who work with children that are five years old and under, as well as with their primary caregivers, were surveyed via an anonymous web based questionnaire. The survey explored clinicians’ level of awareness, training, use, adaptation, and perceived effectiveness regarding four AF EBTs, as well as potential barriers that may have impeded their use. The AF EBTs were Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-UP …