Social Work Commons^™

Human Capital, Mental Health, Substance Use And Social Support Among Low-Income Women, Sarabeth Leukefeld

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Low-income women, including women who receive welfare, are some of the most misunderstood citizens in the U.S. Low-income women often live in extreme situations that are complicated by poverty and multiple issues related to human capital, social support, mental health, and substance use. These factors make low-income women unique in that they contribute not only to the women’s current situations, but to their potential for future self-sufficiency. The majority of previous studies have described these factors as barriers to self-sufficiency. This study explored these factors differently by examining the extent to which human capital is associated with mental health problems …

Exploring Support Network Structure, Content, And Stability As Youth Transition From Foster Care, Jennifer E. Blakeslee

Dissertations and Theses

Many older youth in foster care lack adequate resources and ongoing support in their social networks as they transition into young adulthood, while other youth in these circumstances experience stable social networks providing comprehensive support. Systematically measuring the supportive personal and service-oriented relationships in youth networks expands the scope of inquiry in this area by identifying patterns of social network structure, member composition, and relational qualities that are associated with more or less support provision through formal and informal relationships. These can also be measured over time to observe changes in network form and content and assess network stability. This …

Health Care Options For American Indians In Rural, Navajo Nation Facilities Compared To Those Available In Los Angeles County, Megan Maguire-Marshall

Whittier Scholars Program

American Indians experience poorer health, higher incidences of disease, and lower incomes than any other group in the US. There are 2.235 million total American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) residing in the United States with the largest urban congregation of AI/AN in the LOs Angeles region (approx. 140,000 people). Medical anthropologists have found that commitment to culturally competent care combining Western biomedicine and traditional medicine can improve health outcomes. Despite large policy changes and institutionally driven efforts, the diverse American Indian population across the US still does not have consistent access to providers and healthcare; whether culturally competent or not. Using …

The Impact Of Mindfulness And Relaxation Techniques Implemented Within Minnesota School Settings: A Program Proposal For Waseca Junior And Senior High School, Laura Bartsch

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research project is to gain insight into the extent of the use of relaxation oriented curriculums within Minnesota schools through the distribution of an email survey. Additionally, a review of empirical literature was conducted to identify and evaluate evidence based relaxation-oriented curriculums and to create a proposal for implementation at Waseca Junior and Senior High School.

The Effectiveness Of The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Across Cultures, Caylin Cedergren

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This project has two purposes. First, to evaluate the effectiveness of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) across cultures since it is the standard depression tool used across Mayo Clinic Health System. Second, to develop a Standard of Care that would create consistency in the follow-up provided to patients at Mayo Clinic Health System – Springfield Clinic whose PHQ-9 score reflects signs of depression.

40 Developmental Assets: A Research Analysis: Healthy Youth Committee & Fairmont's Youth Surveys, Tiffany Gullord

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This writer teamed together with the Healthy Youth Committee of Fairmont, Minnesota. The Healthy Youth Committee is a committee comprised of about 15 various community professionals who want to make a positive change for the youth of Fairmont. The committee includes court administrations staff, police chief, probation officers, teachers, non-profit employees, and social worker. The Healthy Youth Committee requested the Search Institute to complete the 40 Developmental Assets survey Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors with the youth in Fairmont, in 1997, 2002, and 2011. 40 Developmental Assets is a research-based framework that identifies basic building blocks of human …

Stroke Rehabilitation, Length-Of-Stay, And Re-Admission Rates: A Literature Review, Morgen Hagedorn

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Stroke is shown to be a significant U.S. health problem with a profound impact on the nation’s rising healthcare costs (Hall, Levant, & DeFrances, 2012). Longer patient length-of-stay [LOS] and higher re-admission rates have brought consequences to healthcare systems as institutional budgets are unable to reconcile the additional services and the influx of healthcare demands. Through a comprehensive literature review, the author illustrates the general knowledge available on the stroke experience, on stroke care and rehabilitation, and on patient LOS and re-admission rates. The literature review is based on general medical research with a focus on the stroke population. The …

Study Skills, Organizational Skills, Self-Awareness And Understanding Self Skills: A Development Of Skills Curriculum For Middle School Students, Aliina Vivant Peterson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The skills curriculum: Study Skills, Organizational Skills, Self-Awareness and Understanding Self Skills: A Development of Skills Curriculum for Middle School Students was created for the guidance staff at Twin Oaks Middle School. Each lesson is designed around an issue or topic that has been identified as a common subject matter during scheduled group sessions during this age of adolescence. The purpose of the skills curriculum allows for the guidance staff to have an additional resource to pull material from regarding specific subject matters.

Specifically, each lesson is based upon research and literature that supports the introduction, education, and implementation of …

Policies In Hospital Social Work, Jolene L. Reisdorfer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The goal of this project was to create an environment that provides a professional standard of care to ensure patient safety. This project will address the absence of policies in the Social Service Department at Mayo Clinic Health System, Southwest Region. A standard of care is a detailed standardized model of an intervention process that discusses the goals, objectives, settings, process, procedures and interventions (Gayle, 2005). Policy development must occur to assure that patients with social service needs are being identified appropriately and are being provided necessary interventions to meet their needs (Gordon & Rehrs, 1969). The project also identified …

A Review Of Developmentally Appropriate Evidence-Based Effective Parenting And Resources For Parents, Kari Schwecke

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Krisma Counseling, a counseling center located in rural southern Minnesota, offers high quality and affordable consumer-centered mental health services to individuals, families, couples, including in-home therapy. In order to provide adequate services and care that abides by the Nation Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, there needs to be standard ethical practice rooted in evidence based literature. The purpose of this project was to research developmentally appropriate evidence-based effective parenting and create a resource guide for clinicians to use in their work with parents of children ages two to 17.

Bridging Tactics: Parental Support Systems: A Proposal For A Psycho-Educational Parent Group, Emily F. Thompson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this Capstone project is to design and present a new intervention program for increasing supportive services to the parents of clients being served through the infant/early childhood mental health program at CSSM. The goal of this project is to provide CSSM with a culturally-­responsive, theoretically grounded, evidence-­based proposal for the development of a psycho-educational group that includes a clear rationale for why this intervention is needed and how it will help the agency achieve the outcomes of infant/early childhood mental health program.

Delinquents After Exile: A Review Of Aftercare Programs, Jeremy Olson, Daniel R. Lee

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

No abstract provided.

The Power Of Protection: A Population-Based Comparison Of Native And Non-Native Youth Suicide Attempters, Juliette Mackin, Tamara Perkins, Carrie Jeanne Furrer

Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services Publications

This study provides actionable information about intervening with American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth to prevent suicide. Statewide school survey data were used to model the impact of risk and protective factors on self-reported suicide attempts (both AI/AN and non-AI/AN). The cumulative risk and protective model worked similarly for both groups. AI/AN youth had a higher threshold of risk before making a suicide attempt. Protective factors buffered the impact of risk, particularly for the higher risk youth.

A Counselor’S Role In Diagnosing The Proposed Dsm-5 Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome: A Pathway To Early Intervention Or Iatrogenic Consequences?, Vanessa Jung Tirman, Ryan P. Melton

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

Psychosis in general, and schizophrenia specifically, are among the most debilitating and difficult to treat disorders in mental health (Correll, Hauser, Auther, & Cornblatt, 2010). Identifying a patient with at-risk symptoms before the first episode of schizophrenia can be invaluable to the patient, clinician, and the community because the patient is treated early in the course of the disease where treatment is highly effective. After years of research it has been confirmed that at-risk symptoms for schizophrenia generally precede the first episode of psychosis, which results in the diagnosis of schizophrenia (Correll et al., 2010). At present however, the assessment …

Nsu Center For Psychological Studies: Master's Programs In Counseling: Policies And Procedures Handbook 2012–2013, Nova Southeastern University

College of Psychological Services / College of Psychology Postgraduate Student and Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Dr. Alfred J. Kahn, Nancy V. Kahn

Social Service Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

How Much Does The Distance In Distance Education Matter? Our Students Speak, Manoj Pardasani, Lauri Goldkind, Janna Heyman, Bronwyn Cross Denny

Social Service Faculty Publications

Distance learning programs in social work education have been growing exponentially throughout the United States. This study interviewed Master of Social Work (MSW) students enrolled in two synchronous distance-learning courses that employed a blended pedagogy, and evaluates their insights about the learning experience. For these two courses, material was presented via video conferencing and supplemented with online media at two campuses at a large school of social work. In order to give students a voice about their experiences, data were collected using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Common themes included: autonomy, emotional connectedness, technological challenges, and knowledge acquisition. Both the strengths and …

More Than The Sum Of Its Parts: An Innovative Organizational Collaboration Model, Lauri Goldkind, Manoj Pardasani

Social Service Faculty Publications

For at least the past decade, the social service sector has been pressed by external forces to develop models of interagency collaboration. While many organizations use strategic partnerships, joint service delivery models, and even mergers to remain viable in climates of competition, few agencies have explored the possible rewards of sharing development and fundraising tasks. This article examines an innovative collaborative fundraising entity forged by three child welfare organizations in the New York City area. The authors conducted structured interviews with key stakeholders at each of the three agencies to describe the model as implemented by the agencies as well …

Senior Centers And Policy Advocacy: Changing Public Perceptions, Manoj G. Pardasani, Lauri Goldkind

Social Service Faculty Publications

As critical components of the aging continuum of care, senior centers promote older adult health and well-being by providing opportunities for recreation, socialization, nutrition, health education, and access to vital social services. As the United States population ages rapidly, public funding, which is the primary source of support for a majority of senior center services, has remained stagnant. If senior centers are to continue to effectively serve older adults and meet their comprehensive needs, they need to demonstrate their relevance to the community and advocate for increased funding support. This paper explores the policy concerns of senior center administrators, investigates …

Maternal Humanitarian Entrants “Me Time”: The Ways Social Support Works In A Facilitated Playgroup, Annmarie La Rosa

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

This study explored how maternal humanitarian entrants (MHE) ascribe meanings to the ways social support works in a facilitated playgroup context. The secondary research question addressed the extent to which accounts of playgroup support could be explained by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (BEST). A focus group followed by case study and follow-up interviews provided the women, staff and stakeholders the opportunity to share their narratives. Rich descriptions of their "lived" experience were central to the research purpose. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed to validate the ascribed meanings of ways social support manifested in the playgroup. The role of BEST contributed …