Social Work Commons^™

Making Sense Of Meta-Analysis: A Critique Of "Effectiveness Of Long-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy", Julia H. Littell, Aron Shlonsky

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Evidence-based practice depends in part on knowledge derived from relevant research. For any given topic, there are likely to be many, potentially relevant studies; a careful appraisal and synthesis of the results of these studies is needed to understand the state of the empirical evidence. Meta-analysis is widely used to combine results of quantitative studies; yet this method is unfamiliar to many people and, as a result, meta-analyses are often uncritically accepted. In this article, we argue that meta-analysis is only one component of a good research synthesis. We critique a recent meta-analysis on the effectiveness of long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy, …

Conflict, Health Care And Professional Perseverance: A Qualitative Study In The West Bank, Cindy A. Sousa, Amy Hagopian

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

The past three decades have been a time of considerable global conflict, affecting over 50 countries and causing substantial impacts on civilian health. While many effects are direct results of violence, conflict also impinges on health through indirect means. The restricted mobility of health care staff and patients, targeting of health care workers, and stressful working conditions disrupt the ability of health care workers in conflict zones to function effectively. This paper explores the challenges experienced by health care workers in West Bank, Palestine, as well as their strategies of persistence. Research activities included participant observation and interviews with health …

Ganando Confianza: Research Focus Groups With Immigrant Mexican Mothers, Carolina Hausmann-Stabile, Luis H. Zayas, Sandra Runes, Anna Abenis-Cintron, Esther Calzada

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Immigrant families with children with developmental disabilities must be served using culturally sensitive approaches to service and research to maximize treatment benefits. In an effort to better understand cultural issues relevant to the provision of parenting programs for immigrant Mexican mothers of children with developmental disabilities, we conducted sustained focus groups through which we could learn more about our participants and thereby improve services. This paper reports on the challenges and lessons learned from these groups. We characterize the key lessons as (a) recruitment and retention is more than agreement to participate; (b) confidentiality is not just a word but …

Family Relationships And Latina Teen Suicide Attempts: Reciprocity, Asymmetry, And Detachment, Lauren E. Gulbas, Luis H. Zayas, Allyson P. Nolle, Carolina Hausmann-Stabile, Jill A. Kuhlberg, Ana A. Baumann, Juan B. Peña

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Using qualitative data collected from adolescent Latinas and their parents, this article describes ways in which family relationships are organized within low-income Latino families (n = 24) with and without a daughter who attempted suicide. Based on a family-level analysis approach, we present a framework that categorizes relationships as reciprocal, asymmetrical, or detached. Clear differences are identified: Families of nonattempters primarily cluster in reciprocal families, whereas families with an adolescent suicide attempter exhibit characteristics of asymmetrical or detached families. Our results highlight the need for detailed clinical attention to family communication patterns, especially in Latino families. Clinicians may reduce the …

Challenges And Solutions For Latin American-Trained International Medical Graduates In Psychiatry Residency, Carolina Hausmann-Stabile, Luis H. Zayas, David Hauser, Carlos Carvajal, Carlina Mejia, Delia Nieves

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

Objective: Latin American-trained international medical graduates (IMGs) in psychiatry residency face multiple challenges that go beyond their medical training. These challenges call for innovative problem-solving. Although the professional development of IMGs has been discussed in the professional literature, little is written about their experiences. In this report, a group of IMGs reflect on their experiences and describe how they solved challenges. Method: Using cogenerative ethnography, four IMGs trained in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico provided insights on their

challenges and solutions while adapting to psychiatric residency training. Individual interviews, focused discussion, and written reports were analyzed using data reduction, …

Familism And Family Environment Among Suicidal Latinas: Three Family Types, Juan B. Peña, Jill A. Kuhlberg, Luis H. Zayas, Ana A. Baumann, Lauren Gulbas, Carolina Hausmann-Stabile, Allyson P. Nolle

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

This study examined the relationship between familism and family environment type as well as the relationship between family environment type and suicide attempts among Latina youth. Latina teen attempters (n=109) and non-attempters (n=107) were recruited from the NYC area. Latent class analysis revealed three family environment types: tight-knit; intermediate-knit; and loose-knit. Tight-knit families (high cohesion and low conflict) were significantly less likely to have teens that attempted suicide as compared to intermediate-knit families or loose-knit families. Moreover, familism increased the odds of being in the tight-knit family vs. the loose-knit family and the odds of being in the tight-knit family …

Positive Peers: Exploring How And Why To Incorporate Peers Into Hiv Prevention Services, Allison Tan

Dissertations

In 2002, the Human Resource Service Administration (HRSA) began encouraging and funding a new strategy in HIV prevention. Referred to as Prevention with Positives (PwP), this approach to HIV prevention focused efforts on intervention with individuals who were already HIV-infected. This study examines one particular modality for the delivery of these important prevention messages to men and women living with HIV - the utilization of a peer-based model. "Peer-based" refers to any program which utilizes HIV-positive individuals as service providers for other HIV-positive individuals. A nationwide sample of such programs is used to provide an exploratory look into the possibilities …

Evaluation Of School Social Workers' Time Spent In Direct And Indirect Practices, Kris Brummund

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore District 77 school social workers’ time distribution of direct and indirect services. Time spent in these services for school social workers is not well researched or documented.

Social Workers' Knowledge And Attitudes About Treating Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Angelah Dawn Gomez

Wayne State University Theses

The current research seeks to understand how social work students and social work professionals increase their knowledge about AD/HD and how they formulate their attitudes about the disorder. The literature provided illustrates the many components of AD/HD risks, etiology, treatments, and professional opinions about the disorder. AD/HD is one of the most studied childhood mental health disorders in the nation. However, there is little research providing insight to social workers' knowledge and attitudes about the disorder. This is especially alarming because social workers are one of the largest professional populations to provide mental health services to children and their families. …

Characteristics Of Patients Admitted With Alcohol Related Traumatic Injuries, Jessica Wolf

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Alcohol use is well recognized as a contributor to traumatic injury. The purpose of this review was to describe the demographics of patients admitted to a regional trauma center with alcohol related traumatic injuries in order to improve service to this population and provide injury prevention programs directed towards this population.

Research Question: What are the characteristics of patients admitted to St. Marys Hospital with an alcohol related traumatic injury?

Improving Communication And Team Cohesion In A Long Term Care Facility, Jen Watson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this Capstone project was to provide a staff development training that was researched based and educational. The training focused primarily on communication with a secondary emphasis on team cohesion. Training aimed to equip staff with skills and knowledge useful for working within various systems

Effective Trauma Assessment Tools For Women With Severe Mental Illness, Heather A. Bangu

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Minnesota Security Hospital (MSH) serves individuals under civil commitment as Mentally Ill and Dangerous by the State of Minnesota. MSH is evaluating its practices to ensure the treatment environment encompasses a recovery oriented, person-centered, and trauma-informed program. Understanding and assessing trauma will assist clinicians in providing patients with the most effective and efficient treatment (Carlson, 1997). Long term negative outcomes exists for individuals with severe mental illness who have experienced trauma including more severe psychiatric symptoms, substance abuse, and homelessness (Mueser, Salyers, Rosenberg, Ford, Fox, & Carty, 2001). The purpose of this Capstone project was to identify and recommend evidence-based …

Incredible Years Dina Dinosaur Program Evaluation, Amanda Holzapfel

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine the effectiveness of the Incredible Years (IY) Dina Dinosaur Child Training Program in the Early Childhood Special Education Classroom (ECSE) at the GFW Elementary School, a small town school. The Dina Dinosaur Program is designed to promote children’s social, emotional, behavior and academic skills through social skills and problem solving curriculum. This program has been found to be appropriate for children with ADHD, language and/or developmental delays and mild autism spectrum disorders, which were all present in the ECSE classroom at GFW Elementary. All of the ECSE teachers and paraprofessionals had …

Evaluation Of Greater Mankato Area United Way's Annual Allocations Process From The Partner Agencies' Perspective, Erin A. Trytten

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This project aims to provide information to GMAUW about the annual allocations process and level of engagement with partners from the partner agencies/programs themselves. GMAUW values their relationship with their partners and realizes the importance of evaluating their own practices to ensure that the relationship remain strong and mutually beneficial. GMAUW has never had the internal capacity to complete an evaluation of this nature and will use the findings to improve their processes.

Research Question: How do GMAUW’s partners view the annual allocations process?

Best Practices Of A Social Worker's Role In Supporting Family Caregivers Enrolled In Hospice Care, Jessie Wolf

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to explore best practices are for hospice social worker’s providing care to family caregivers enrolled in hospice. This project explored processes and assessment tools that other hospice agencies in rural Minnesota utilized while caring for the family members of hospice patients. The information obtained was used to provide recommendations to Mayo Clinic Health System- Mankato Hospice program to further improve the hospice programming and the social worker’s role.

Mental Health Service Access Among Children And Adolescents Involved With Child Welfare Services, Junqing Liu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Most research on children's access to mental health has focused on child and family factors (e.g. child's age and ethnicity), with little attention being paid to service system factors such as service referrals and insurance. Furthermore, most research conducted to date on mental health service access has been cross-sectional without considering how service access and needs change over time. This dissertation study aims to address these oversights by examining over time service system change and the impact of service system factors on the relationship between service needs and access. The study employs multilevel and longitudinal regression analyses (STATA) using five …

Different Patterns Among Caregivers In Their Utilization Of Formal Services And The Influence On Caregiver Burden And Health, Jeehoon Kim

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study examined how older adults and their primary family caregivers utilized formal services; and how formal service utilizations were associated with the caregiver's burden and health status. Conceptually, the caregiver's stress/appraisal model was modified by adopting a relation between formal and informal care from health economics or policy.

Examining Outcomes When Volunteer Skill Sets Are Matched To Specific Volunteer Opportunities : A Study Of Volunteering Among Older Adults In South Korea, Jihyun Park

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The older volunteers have unique characteristics and are vastly different from previous generations (Einolf, 2008; The Urban Institute, 2007). They have overlooked and undervalued skills that agencies can tap for service to their community. Volunteer agency should develop strategy to managing the match between skills and volunteering. An efficient matching system will use vast skills accumulated through volunteer's history of employment. The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether planned "matching" of an older volunteer with an agency-based on the volunteer skill set results in greater volunteer satisfaction, commitment and role identity than when placement occurs without consideration of …

Comparing Collocated And Non-Collocated Licensed Substance Abuse Outpatient Clinics In New York State : A Program Level Analysis, Bradley R. White

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Objective. The study addresses two research aims: (1) to examine the extent to which caseload and program characteristics differ across substance abuse outpatient programs with respect to collocation with licensed mental health outpatient clinic programs and (2) to investigate the relationship between collocation and program level service outcomes.

Adult Memory And Appraisal Of Maltreatment In Childhood : Implications For Problem Substance Use, Laura J. Elwyn

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Objective: Alcohol and drug abuse are major public health concerns. Child maltreatment has been identified as a risk factor that increases the likelihood of substance use problems in adulthood. However, most studies have used retrospective reports of maltreatment and the few studies that have used prospective measures of maltreatment have found a weaker association with adult substance use problems. This study examines whether adult memory and appraisal of maltreatment is the primary pathway through which substantiated child maltreatment effects adult substance use problems.