Social Work Commons^™

Healthy Aging And Older Asian Indian Immigrants: A Key Informant Survey Of Seven Ethnic Community Centers In Santa Clara County, Sadhna Diwan, Sharvari Dixit

Faculty Publications

This study is an examination of the present status of healthy aging programs and services provided to older Asian Indian (AI) immigrants in Santa Clara County. The primary goals of the study were to develop a profile of programs being offered to AI seniors at various ethnic community organizations; and to determine the met and unmet needs for programs and services that promote healthy aging in the AI senior population. A key informant survey was conducted with leaders of seven different organizations in Santa Clara County known to currently provide some services to AI seniors. These seven organizations are estimated …

Mexican American Adolescents’ Perceptions Of Dating Violence Programs: Recommendations For Effective Program Design And Implementation, Lela Rankin Williams, Heidi Adams Rueda, Bianca N. Altamirano

Social Work Faculty Publications

Although promising dating violence programs have emerged, little is known about their effectiveness for Mexican American youth, a vulnerable and understudied population. The purpose of this study was: (1) to offer culturally-grounded recommendations towards the development of effective Teen Dating Violence (TDV) programs and/or the modification of existing programs, and (2) to identify potential barriers to Mexican American youth’s participation in TDV programs. Using the perspectives of Mexican American youth (15 to 17 years old) and a phenomenological study design, focus groups (N = 14) were conducted that were homogeneous by gender and level of acculturation (low/bicultural/high). Youth provided …

Validation Of The Employment Hope Scale: Measuring Psychological Self-Sufficiency Among Low-Income Jobseekers, Philip Young P. Hong, Joshua R. Polanin, Terri D. Pigott

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

The Employment Hope scale (EHS) was designed to measure the empowerment-based self-sufficiency (SS) outcome among low-income job-seeking clients. This measure captures the psychological SS dimension as opposed to the more commonly used economic SS in workforce development and employment support practice. The study validates the EHS and reports its psychometric properties. Method: An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted using an agency data from the Cara Program in Chicago, United States. The principal axis factor extraction process was employed to identify the factor structure. Results: EFA resulted in a 13-item two-factor structure with Factor 1 representing “Psychological Empowerment” and Factor …

Sole Power: Pedal Phone Charger Final Report, Nicole Hensley, Anthony Ruh, Krista Schmidt, Joseph Garcia

Mechanical Engineering

The device design was conceived to meet the energy needs of rural populations in India. These communities have cell phones but lack access to reliable grid power, especially during monsoon season. The charger is designed to be affordable, durable, and easily repairable for each owner family. It uses off-the-shelf components and is intended to be replicated by backyard manufacturing startups in developing countries.

Its purpose is to efficiently transfer human foot motion via a treadle, four-bar-linkage, and sprocket-chain step-up to drive a rotor & stator generator from a common gas scooter. The single-phase alternating current from the generator is passed …

Social Work Students And Competent Practice With Lgbtq Clients, Drionne Arney

HIM 1990-2015

Research suggests that social work students' attitudes towards the LGBTQ populations fail to mirror the expectations of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and its code of ethics. In this cross-sectional research study, a survey distributed to undergraduate and post-graduate part-time and full-time social work students conducted by two students of a post-graduate social work program, is an assessment of social work students' attitudes and knowledge of competent practice with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning clients. This researcher used the findings of the study used to analyze: the relationship between social work students' age and knowledge of competent …

Birth Order And The Academic And Social Success Of College Students, Jessica Nissenbaum

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The purpose of the study of Birth Order and the Academic and Social Success of College Students was to examine the relationship between birth order and the academic and social experiences that students have during their college years. An ideal college experience involves students being actively engaged in what they are learning and having positive social interactions and support networks. Unfortunately, the college experiences of many students fall short of these expectations and they struggle to continue their pursuit of higher education. Depression has become a serious concern on college campuses. Understanding the birth orders that may create challenges in …

Cultivating An Opportunity: Access And Inclusion In Seattle's Community Gardens, Alice K. Opalka

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis explores the social dynamics of community gardens and their participation within them in the contemporary food justice movement in Seattle, Washington. Community gardens are seen as solutions to myriad urban and environmental problems, such as food deserts, community empowerment, urban greening, environmental education and sustainability of the food system. Three case studies of Seattle organizations, the P-Patch Program, Lettuce Link and Alleycat Acres, provide a basis for analysis of the purported benefit of community empowerment as a function of organizational structure, history and policies. City government support, flexibility, and a critical outlook towards the processes of inclusion and …

Social And Contextual Factors That Influence Hiv Risk Behaviors Among Indigenous Msm In The Peruvian Amazon, Isaac E. Alva, E. Roberto Orellana

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Men who have sex with men (MSM) face a significantly higher risk of HIV infection than the general population around the globe. In Peru, HIV prevalence among MSM range from 14% to 23%, with Lima, the capital, and port cities in the Amazonian region being the most affected. Recent studies found that indigenous MSM who leave their villages for cities along the Amazon River and its tributaries, engage in high risk behaviors such as high alcohol consumption and unprotected sex with mestizo (non- indigenous) MSM. This study examined social and contextual factors associated with risky behaviors among indigenous MSM in …

Understanding The Gendered Patterns Of Substance Use Initiation Among Adolescents Living In Rural, Central Mexico, Stephanie Ayers, Flavio Marsiglia, Steven Hoffman, Zhyldyz Urbaeva

Faculty Publications

Background: Little is known about the age of initiation and gender differences in substance use among adolescents in rural, central Mexico.

Methods: The cross-sectional data were collected from students enrolled in the Videobachillerato (VIBA) (video high school) programme in Guanajuato, Mexico. Questionnaires asked students about the age at which they had used alcohol, cigarettes, or cannabis for the first time. Kaplan–Meier Survival Functions were used to estimate if males and females were significantly different in their cumulative probabilities of initiating substances over time.

Results: On average, alcohol is initiated at 14.7 years of age, cigarettes at 15.1 years of age, …

Motivating Men Who Have Sex With Men To Get Tested For Hiv, Magaly M. Blas, Luis A. Menacho, Isaac E. Alva, E. Roberto Orellana

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although men who have sex with men (MSM) have the highest HIV prevalence in Peru, they are underserved by traditional preventive programs. Interestingly, in Peru the Internet and cell-phones have emerged as a convenient tool to reach this population.

Breathe In, Breathe Out: Utilizing Mindfulness In The Social Work Practicum, Allison Leigh Leonard

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Mindfulness is defined as the ability to be aware of your thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and actions – in the present moment – without judging or criticizing yourself or your experience (McKay, Wood, & Brantley, 2007). It has been used in a variety of settings and in a variety of ways. Within the context of social work, mindfulness can be used to prevent burnout and increase awareness. This paper reports research on teaching mindfulness techniques with the purpose of training students to use mindfulness and improve their professional development. Specifically, the paper presents the following: review of current literature on …

The Current Status Of Social Media Use Among Nonprofit Human Service Organizations: An Exploratory Study, James Young

Theses and Dissertations

Social media has proliferated throughout the nonprofit sector over the last five years and organizations use these new tools in a variety of ways. Little research is available on the use of social media within nonprofit human service organizations (HSO) specifically. This study is one of the first of its kind to explore how and why human service organizations are using social media. The aim of this study is to understand the current status of social media use among nonprofit human service organizations by exploring and describing the social media platforms in use, associated practices with social media, the frequency …

The Social Work Perspective On English Language Learners Entering Special Education, Kerry Fay Vandergrift

Theses and Dissertations

Grounded theory was used to examine the social work perspective on English language learners (ELLs) entering special education. Fourteen interviews were conducted with 11 current school social workers from seven counties and cities in Virginia. The resulting theory is that the core variable, supporting ELLs, is the best attempt to resolve the main concern, the disconnect between the needs of ELLs and the resources available to them. This grounded theory suggests social workers and other school personnel can support ELLs and avoid an inappropriate referral to special education through: (1) culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment outside of the special education …

Exploring The In-Race Adoption Of Asian Children, Kathleen J. Bergquist, Salina Offergeld

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

A growing body of literature exists which explores the transracial adoption of Asian children into White/Caucasian families while there are no studies to date which capture the experiences of Asian/Asian American families who adopt Asian children. It is the researchers' intent to build knowledge in the area as well as illuminate the need for further research.

Coping Styles Of Maltreated Children As Related To Risk And Temperament, Tiffani N. Orne

Senior Honors Theses

A large number of children are classified as maltreated, and these children respond to maltreatment in different ways. Cumulative sociodemographic risk factors and temperament both affect the socioemotional outcomes, including internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the association between risk factors and behavioral outcomes in children who have been neglected or abused is influenced by temperamental characteristics. Social workers in Virginia completed questionnaires about five children and adolescents who are part of their current case load. Questionnaires included demographic questions, a Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and an Emotionality Activity Sociability (EAS) temperament …

Unaccompanied Refugee Minors And Their Strategies To Navigate A New World: A Grounded Theory, Justin Scott Lee

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT UNACCOMPANIED REFUGEE MINORS AND THEIR STRATEGIES TO NAVIGATE A NEW WORLD: A GROUNDED THEORY By Justin Scott Lee A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012 Chair: Pamela J. Kovacs, Ph.D. Associate Professor This study explored how unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) define success. The population of URMs consists of individuals who, through forced migration from their country of origin, were resettled in the United States through the URM program. Little is known about the ways in which refugee adolescents view the resettlement process …

Responding To The Child Welfare Workforce Crisis Here And Now: A Constructivist Approach To Understanding Supervision, Abigail K. Wyche

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, the author argues that there is strong evidence that the child welfare workforce continues to be in crisis. While a great deal of research has indicated that supervision is closely linked to the crisis, extremely high rates of turnover have not been notably reduced through the efforts of administrators or academics to change supervisory practices. Therefore, the author makes the case that it is time to employ an alternative methodology—constructivist inquiry. Constructivist inquiry is based on paradigmatic assumptions that make it distinct from the functionalist approach that researchers most commonly use to understand the child welfare workforce …

Bullying In The Lgbt Community, Dasha Evans

Undergraduate Research Conference

Bullying is not a new trend, but something that has always existed. Different forms of bullying have evolved over time ranging from physical abuse to misuse of cyber activity. Within the past decade there has been a great influx of bullying in all forms in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. This new phenomenon of targeting children and teens in the LGBT community has swept legislative and nationwide attention. Popular stories of suicide as the result of targeted bullying are provided. For children and teens who have suffered from such humility and hurt, generalist social workers are able …

Challenges And Opportunities For Youth Saving, Center For Social Development, Kenya Institute For Public Policy Research And Analysis, Institute For Statistical, Social, And Economic Research, New Era; Universidad De Los Andes

Center for Social Development Research

Challenges and Opportunities for Youth Saving

Youth-Related Policies, Center For Social Development, Institute For Statistical, Social, And Economic Research, Kenya Institute For Public Policy Research And Analysis, New Era; Universidad De Los Andes

Center for Social Development Research

Youth-Related Policies