Social Work Commons^™

Crafting The Wings Of Tomorrow's Leaders, Anushka Sharma

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

SOAR is a social impact initiative I founded in partnership with Big Brothers/Big Sisters Lafayette. We provide novel leadership and character development resources for local Lafayette youth. The motto—engage, uplift, and achieve—speaks to my aims for inspiring the next generation of leaders, within Purdue members and local youth. This reflection essay is an opportunity to express the aims of SOAR, the intentionality behind this initiative, and how I hope to contribute to the development of youth in Lafayette and beyond. Mr. Brennan’s visit is a milestone for SOAR, and having the opportunity to converse with a renowned youth development leader …

Women, Collective Creative Practice, And Community Health, Anne Hensley

Honors Theses

A growing body of research shows that art therapy yields positive outcomes for those experiencing stress and mood disorders. Creative arts therapies have been shown to lower cortisol, improve personal and universal outlook, decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression, increase self-esteem and confidence, alleviate burnout, help individuals to cope with trauma, and support brain function through activity-dependent plasticity. However, little research has been done on collective and collaborative arts, and the enhanced benefits communal practice might bring. Additionally, art therapy is inaccessible to many, due to a dearth of practitioners and cultural and socioeconomic barriers to participation. Peri-, menopausal, and …

Local View: Boulder Tells Deeper Story, Susan Reay

Social Work Faculty Publications

When my son, a freshman at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, placed his hand on the glacial boulder outside Morrill Hall, he turned to me and said, “I guess it’s my turn to keep watch over the rock now.”

His words marked a poignant moment that connected our family history to Nebraska’s geological and cultural legacy and our enduring ties to the university.

This boulder, an artifact of Nebraska’s glacial past and human history, is more than a simple chunk of granite. Originally found on my family’s farm near Hartington, Nebraska, in 1869, it carries a story etched on its surface …

Nature Of Child Welfare Social Work, Sarah Vail Anders

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Social workers in the field of child welfare ensure the safety and well-being of children. While this career field is rewarding, it results in high levels of stress, burnout, and fatigue for workers. To support the challenging needs of child welfare social workers and to enable them to successfully protect children and support their families, an examination of the nature of child welfare social work was conducted. The purpose of this study was to understand the nature of child welfare social work in North Carolina, which was gained through a qualitative transcendental phenomenological study. Twenty-one child welfare social workers were …

Transdisciplinary Collaboration Of Healthcare Professionals And The Emotional Connectedness With Working With Patients Coping With Death And Dying, Princess Nguyen, Lindsay Gietzen

Pacific Journal of Health

Abstract

Purpose: This study explores how an integrated approach to care for patients and families by transdisciplinary healthcare teams provides opportunities for a patient-centered care approach to support quality of life throughout one's chronic illness and at the end-of-life. Discussions and conversations about impending death or dying are often challenging and a complex task for healthcare professionals in whatever settings. While there is an understanding of aspects of collaborative care and transitions and processes to support patients and families about how to cope and communicate about death and dying, it is essential to recognize how best to support end-of-life care …

Disparities In The Pregnancy Experience: A Multi-Case Analysis, Tiffany C. Thomas, Lindsay Gietzen

Pacific Journal of Health

Racial disparities in maternal healthcare continue to be a significant issue, with Black women experiencing worse outcomes compared to White women. Despite improvements in healthcare, Black women are still 2.5 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes, and they face higher rates of preterm births, low birth weight, and insufficient prenatal care. This paper examines the experiences of three African American women from high socioeconomic backgrounds, focusing on where these negative experiences are most common throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal care. The study uses the Pregnancy and Maternity Care Patients' Experiences Questionnaire (PreMaPEQ) to explore different stages of care, …

Emotional Wellbeing Of Asylum-Seeking Children After Release From Immigration Detention, Luis H. Zayas, Alice P. Villatoro, Tatiana Londoño, Jaime Fuentes-Balderrama

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Families seeking asylum in the United States are often placed in detention centers after fleeing crime, violence, and government ineffectiveness in their countries. Migration brings more hardship, terror, and trauma. The cumulative psychological and social effects from detention need to be better understood. This exploratory study examines the effects of detention and family separation on immigrant children’s psychosocial wellbeing after released. We recruited 81 Central American children previously detained with their parents to assess their wellbeing since release. A third of the children had been separated from their parents during detention. Over a third of parents and less than a …

'T-W-O': External Challenges And Coping Strategies Of Chinese Social Work Service Organisations During The Epidemic, Bin Xu, Bowen Mcbeath, Haobo Xi

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

During the peak years of COVID-19, Chinese social work service organisations actively participated in the preventing and controlling of the pandemic. These organisations also faced external challenges that reflected changing public health policies, contractual and fiscal changes, and immense service needs. This paper describes the specific external challenges that a purposive sample of 11 Beijing-based social work service organisations experienced because of the pandemic, as well as the strategies they used to address them. We find that project and fiscal precarity were the greatest external risks faced by social service organisations. In order to mitigate these concerns, the organisations actively …

Food Insecurity, Psychological Distress, And Discrimination Of Older Black Women In Central Texas, Revonder Ellis-Vanarsdale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Food insecurity is an ongoing public health concern in the United States. There is limited knowledge within social work practice about the experiences of food insecurity specifically among older Black women. Historically, older Black women have faced discrimination which can also negatively impact their psychological well-being and ability to obtain an adequate food supply. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore perceptions of how psychological distress and discrimination affect Black women ages 60 and older who are food insecure in Central Texas. This study used social ecological model and intersectionality theory to identify perceived factors that affect …

Breaking The Yoke: A Systematic Unmasking Of Challenges To Sustainable Rural Development In South Sudan, Gai Chol Paul

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

South Sudan, a young nation grappling with the legacy of protracted conflict, faces significant challenges in fostering sustainable rural development. While the immense potential of its vast agricultural lands remains largely untapped, the persistent triple threat of insecurity, deficient infrastructure, and the absence of robust government policy actively hinders progress. The ongoing armed conflict, characterized by inter-communal violence and sporadic attacks, casts a long shadow over rural areas in South Sudan. Thus, I developed this mixed-method multiple-case study, grounded in the sustainable livelihoods framework, to explore challenges that hinder sustainable rural development in South Sudan. I collected data through document …

Exploring The Correlation Between Sdoh And Diabetes Distress In Latinx Adults Ages 18-75, Vanessa Delgado, Erandy Camacho, Cassandra Tagorda-Varo

MSW Capstone Conference

No abstract provided.

Social Work Bias, Attitudes, And Knowledge: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, Ivy Browder, John Hansbrough Iii

MSW Capstone Conference

No abstract provided.

Diabetes Burnout Among African American And Hispanic Women, Jackelyn Santos, Kalea Robinson, Estefania Vargas

MSW Capstone Conference

No abstract provided.

Burnout And Beyond: A Study On Burnout And Compassion Fatigue Among Social Workers And Case Managers, Latoya Hale, Hung Kevin Dao Huy Dao, Brandon Mccord

MSW Capstone Conference

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Exposure To Domestic Violence On Adults' Interpersonal Relationships, Brenda Camacho Rodriguez, Constance Maldonado

MSW Capstone Conference

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) And Social Determinants Of Health (Sd0h), Amiyah Thomas, Drew Buggs

MSW Capstone Conference

No abstract provided.

Preventative Care For Young Adults And The Role Of Sw Related To Birth Control And Pregnancy, Hannah Kauffman, Amy Wolf, Maria Lourdes Milare

MSW Capstone Conference

No abstract provided.

Religious And Cultural Impacts On College Students Struggling With Anxiety: A Mixed Methods Study, Gloria Luna, Katie Draper

MSW Capstone Conference

This study examines how religious and cultural factors influence the ways in which college students manage anxiety and distress, highlighting how religious beliefs can both comfort and, in some cases, contribute to distress. Through qualitative interviews, we found that students with a strong connection to their faith generally experienced lower levels of anxiety, often finding relief through prayer and other spiritual practices. In contrast, students who struggled to practice their beliefs reported higher anxiety, emphasizing the complex relationship between spirituality and mental health. We also explored the role of culture, noting that cultural backgrounds often intersect with religious practices, shaping …

Loss And Grief Effect On Opioid Use Disorder, Kaycie Allen, Arleen Lopez

MSW Capstone Conference

No abstract provided.

Mental Health Providers' Perceived Barriers To Mental Health Services Amongst The Latino Community, Nancy Valdovinos, Amanda Thomazin

MSW Capstone Conference

No abstract provided.