Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Resilience, Outcomes, And Burnout In Social Service Workers, Savannah Muse

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Savannah Muse on August 9, 2022.

A Typology Of Foster Home Quality Elements In Relation To Foster Youth Mental Health, Paul Sorenson

Dissertations and Theses

Foster care has been one of the primary interventions in society's efforts to address child maltreatment. The foster parents and foster homes follow a process of certification intended to ensure that maltreated children be placed in substitute care that supports and encourages positive outcomes. One of the outcomes of principle concern is mental health. Few studies have been conducted that explore the makeup of certified foster homes with respect to the cumulative impact of multiple indicators of quality on mental health outcomes of foster youth.

This study sought to identify a typology of foster homes based on theorized indicators of …

Defining Regenerative Business Through The Context Of Place: A Case Study West Michigan Businesses, Aislinn Teachout, Aislinn Teachout

Masters Theses

This study builds upon existing scholarly literature on regenerative design and regenerative sustainability by relating the framework to existing West Michigan businesses and their place-specific practices. Applying concepts from those more developed fields to business sustainability, this paper contributes to the still emerging field of regenerative business by proposing a comprehensive definition of regenerative business. The definition is then applied to three businesses in a case study format to highlight regenerative business practices. While none of the businesses highlighted claim to be regenerative, all have examples of practices that demonstrate regenerative action and enhance the West Michigan community.

By defining …

Pathways From Exposure To Community Violence To Bullying Victimization Among African American Adolescents In Chicago’S Southside, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

The present study proposes and examines the pathways from exposure to community violence to bullying victimization through the influences of depression, exposure to peer delinquency, and drug use among 638 African American adolescents (aged 12–22) from low-resourced neighborhoods in Chicago’s Southside. The study found that African American adolescents who were exposed to community violence were likely at risk of bullying victimization, depression, exposure to peer delinquency, and drug use. Depression can heighten the risk of bullying victimization. These findings have implications for future research.

Disability Inclusion, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Workforce Analytics Resources

The following resources provide information to help agencies create disability-inclusive workplace policies and practices. The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is a non-regulatory federal agency that promotes policies and coordinates with employers and all levels of government to increase workplace success for people with disabilities. The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) is an ODEP technical assistance center that provides resources to help employers recruit, hire, retain, and advance individuals with disabilities and comply with their responsibilities under the ADA. Inclusion@Work: A Framework for Building a Disability-Inclusive Organization allows organizations to explore strategies for creating disability-inclusive …

Treating Active-Duty Military Members: Best Practices For Common Mental Health Diagnoses Across The Dod, Leah Lawson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to varying service experiences, active-duty service members endure military related stressors in addition to everyday life stressors. As a result, their risk of mental illness onset increases. Considering that many of the stressors and events are unique to military personnel, it is important to identify best-practice interventions for working with this population opposed to employing civilian best practices. The purpose of this study was to determine what treatment interventions are best-practice when working with active-duty military members diagnosed with the three most common mental disorders (e.g., adjustment disorder, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders) across the Department of Defense (DoD). This …

Community Based Rehabilitation Programs For Resettled Muslim Women Refugees, Lori Maria Walton Phd, Dpt, Mscpt, Mph(S), Renee Hakim, Phd, Pt, Ncs, Veena Raigangar, Phd(C), Mscpt, M.Ed., Jennifer Schwartz, Dpt, Ncs, Sjm Ummul Ambia, Mscpt, Najah Zaaeed, Drph, Lmsw, Bassima Schbley

Journal of Health Ethics

According to the 2021 report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 82.4 million people were forcibly displaced because of violence, wars, or persecution and over 26.4 million are currently living with refugee status. Displacement and resettlement trauma are associated with chronic disease onset and poor cognitive, physical, and mental health outcomes for refugee populations. To mitigate some of the deleterious effects of resettlement trauma, we propose a community-based rehabilitation program (CBRP) framework that is culturally sensitive, trauma-informed and focused on the vulnerabilities of women. The purpose of this novel CBRP framework is to address health inequities among a …

The Effects Of Digital Civic Engagement Training On The Political Knowledge And Internal Political Efficacy Of Social Work Students, Christian Andrew Mason

Social Work Theses

It is an ethical obligation for social workers to be civically engaged because the issues central to the profession, like poverty, are public issues. One widely used method to examine civic engagement is the civic voluntarism model developed by Verba et al. (1995). Furthermore, an emerging arena for civic involvement is the digital environment and its potential use as a training ground. This study was a pilot study to determine if a brief training in digital civic engagement for social work students could lead to an increase in the internal political efficacy and political knowledge of social work students. While …

Positive Ageing And Death Or Dying: A Scoping Review, Robin Otto

Social Work Theses

This scoping review aims to examine the extent and how research that utilizes successful, active, productive, and healthy ageing framework(s) include death or dying. An examination of peer-reviewed academic articles published between 1980 and 2021 were reviewed following Joanna Briggs Institute's methodological standards for scoping reviews and conforming to Arskey and O'Malley's five-stage framework. The initial search resulted in 1,759 articles for review, and following the rigorous screening, 35 studies were included for the final review. A thematic analysis was the qualitative method employed to identify how research utilizes the concepts of death and dying in the context of four …

Female Labor Force Participation And Intimate Partner Violence Among Married Women In Nepal, Nibedita Shrestha

Social Work Dissertations

Nepal has the highest rate of female labor force participation (FLFP) in South Asia (Ghosh, Singh, & Chigateri, 2017), alongside high levels of violence against women (Yoshikawa et al., 2014). The explanation for the co-occurrence of high levels of female labor force participation alongside significant amounts of intimate partner violence (IPV) has not been adequately explored. Studies on how the working status of a woman in Nepal makes her vulnerable to violence are few and far between (John, 2020). Theoretical models to account for this phenomenon are crucial to formulating interventions that are protective of working women. The current study …

What Is The State Of The Literature About Robotic Animal Use Among Older Adults Receiving Hospice Or Palliative Care?, Allyson Miles

Social Work Theses

Objective: This review aims to assess the extent of the literature on robotic pet use among older adults receivinghospice or palliative care. Introduction: In 2015, in the U.S, an estimated 1,426,00 individuals received hospice; among this population, 94.6% were aged 65 or older (National Center for Health Statistics,2019). According to the literature, a social robot is defined as something that interacts with individuals socio-emotionally during the intervention (Hudson et al., 2020). Social robots, including robotic pets, are promising technological interventions that can benefit the psychosocial health of older adults and people with dementia. Although there are previous reviews on robotic …

How Word Choice Influences Collegiate Recovery: A Quantitative Analysis On The Impact Of Identifying Terms On Self-Compassion, Stigma, And Recovery Capital, Morgan Humberger

Social Work Theses

Purpose: This study seeks to better understand how word choice when referencing people with a substance use disorder is associated with self-compassion and overall recovery capital while in a collegiate recovery program. The main domains to be explored are: 1. how students personally identify, 2. how they prefer to be identified by individuals not in recovery, and 3. how they prefer to be identified by other people in recovery and how their preferences are related to self-reported levels of self-compassion and recovery capital. The information gained from this study can inform collegiate recovery staff, university administration, and peers on how …

Empathy: The Unspoken Language Of Humanity: A Systematic Review Protocol, Yasmin Khaled Al-Zubi

Social Work Theses

Prolonged exposure to violence may result in habituation or desensitization, which has negative impacts. Desensitization to real-life violence is a reduced initial arousal response to real-life violence. Real-life violence includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, peer violence, and community violence. Children who have been exposed to violence-related adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are more likely to achieve violence desensitization, by definition. As a result of ACEs, children are at risk of mental health complications, health-related problems, and risk for maladaptive behavior. Children who have reached violence desensitization are more likely to exhibit externalized symptoms such as aggression …

Describing Participation In Veteran Peer Support : A Secondary Analysis Of Women Veterans' Experiences, Amanda L. Matteson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This research explores peer support described by women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Women military veterans are a growing subpopulation with unique experiences and challenges as women who have served in a male-dominated warrior culture. Understanding women veterans’ experiences and how they view peer support will help improve their mental health and well-being. Research questions included: (1) How do women veterans describe peer support for their mental health and well-being? (2) What does peer support mean to the woman veterans in this study? (3) For what life situations is peer support helpful for women veterans? (4) …

The Perceived Quality Of Social Work Education And Internship In Preparation For Career, Precilla Martinez, Jennifer Ruvalcaba

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aims to analyze whether California State University of San Bernardino students in the two social work programs, the Title IV-E program and the generalist social work program, perceive a difference in social work career preparation in education and internship. The literature on social work education and training suggests that preparation for career is an important component for students of any specialization.

This quantitative study used a self-administered, anonymous survey created by the researchers to assess social work students’ perceptions of their career preparation. Participants were recruited from the California State University, San Bernardino School of Social Work from …

Exploring The Effects Of Substance Use Disorder Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Service Barriers, Erica Vanderhyde

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This project will focus on Substance Use Disorder/Alcohol Use Disorder (SUD/AUD) treatment service barriers in the rural desert communities of Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, and Twentynine Palms, CA.

This project follows the concepts of the positivist paradigm. Because of this, the author primarily collected quantitative information. The author gathered data through snowball and convenience sampling utilizing local personal social connections and posting her questionnaire on Facebook. Study participants entered their answers into a self-administered questionnaire on Qualtrics. After completing data collection utilizing Qualtrics, the author examined the frequency analysis of the demographic statistics and key variables by exporting the data …

Proficiency Of Social Workers In Teaching Mindfulness-Based Practices And Techniques, Vanessa Morales

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explored the self-rated proficiency of social workers in teaching mindfulness-based practices as part of treatment. It paid special attention to what they feel is the benefit to incorporating mindfulness-based practices (MBPs) into treatment and as their own personal practice. Participant responses of what has helped to develop their perceived expertise are highlighted. The literature on mindfulness reveals that mindfulness-based interventions have been effective at decreasing psychological distress caused by mental illness. MBPs help individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder to gain a sense of control when it comes to their mental health.

The study employed …

What Is The Current State Of Literature Regarding The Effectiveness Of Buprenorphine For Opioid Use Disorder Among African American Men?, Tamiko L. Stanley

Social Work Theses

Purpose: This scoping review aims to explore the comparative effectiveness of buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD) among African American men. Methods: The Arksey & O’Malley scoping review method was used to identify relevant articles and extract data related to the research question. Results: The author identified 16 studies that have met all inclusion criteria. Results indicate that buprenorphine treatment is associated with positive substance use and health outcomes for African American men. Discussion: Issues remain with access to MOUD treatment for African American men, despite the positive impact buprenorphine can have on health outcomes. As social workers, advocating for …

Piloting An Index Of Segregation At The Census Tract Level: Associations With Place And Racial/Ethnic Disparities In Life Expectancies, Katherine F. Kitchens

Social Work Theses

This study considers residential segregation as a critical driver of racial/ethnic health disparities and introduces an index of segregation, the Representation Index, that measures segregation degree at the neighborhood level with a metric capturing the overrepresentation of a racialized/ethnic group in a census tract in relation to that group’s representation at the city level. Using Dallas, Texas as a pilot city, the index is used to investigate the association between Latinx, non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic Black, and Asian-American groups’ over-representation at the neighborhood level with neighborhood rates of life expectancy at birth. This study aimed to expose the possibility of neighborhood …

How Do Social Work Students Demographic Identities Impact Ally Behavior?, Jayme Dooley

Social Work Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the potential correlation between a national sample of social work students’ demographics and their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual (LGB) and Transgender (T) ally behavior. The sample consisted of 784 final respondents after missingness was accounted for. The main demographic categories analyzed were age, gender, sexual orientation, race, and religion. The data used for this analysis is secondary from a national survey produced by the thesis chair. The findings from this research suggest a link between non-heterosexual orientations and non-cisgender male identifying individuals showed increased ally behavior. Whereas, identifying as Evangelical Christian showed a …

When Families, Organizational Culture, And Policy Collide: A Mixed Method Study Of Alternative Response, Stacey L. Shipe, Mathew C. Uretsky, Catherine A. Labrenz, Corey S. Shdaimah, Christian M. Connell

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective Alternative response (AR) is a family-centered, preventative approach for child protection systems. This study first examined what family and case factors predicted re-investigation and then explored which organizational factors influence caseworker and agency implementation of AR. Method Using administrative data from child protection reports, AR families (N = 9,959) and traditional response (TR) families (N = 13,974) were followed for 18 months to determine re-investigation rates using multilevel modeling where families were nested in county of residence. Four focus groups with 14 participants were conducted to discuss the quantitative findings, organizational culture, and implementation of AR. Results AR families …

Pediatric Oncology Social Work Job Analysis., Alyssa Ashlyn Middleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an examination of the tasks most important to the pediatric oncology social work role. It begins with an argument that pediatric oncology social work is a blend of four social work specialties: generalist medical social work, oncology social work, pediatric social work, and hospice and palliative care social work. Studies report pediatric oncology social workers feel unprepared for numerous tasks related to their role. Despite calls for increased education and training opportunities, few are available. Until now, there has been no study evaluating the tasks that pediatric oncology social workers deem most important to their role, nor …

Working Towards More Effective Sexual Violence Prevention Programming For Young Men In Canada, Aadhiya Vasudeva

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Although extant literature underscores the importance of addressing men’s risk for sexual violence perpetration, there is limited research examining sexual violence prevention programs for young men in Canada. Using community-based, mixed-method research and a clinical logic model, this study involved the development and application of an evaluation mechanism for a sexual violence prevention program for young men, Man|Made. Triangulation of survey data (n = 43 pre-program and n = 21 post-program) and qualitative interviews of program participants (n = 5) and facilitators (n = 6) highlighted some promising findings related to changes in men’s consent knowledge, acknowledgement of past harm, …

Role Stress, Sarah Stepanek, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is role stress?

A work role consists of “a pattern of behaviors perceived by an employee as behaviors that are expected” (Tubre & Collins, 2000, p. 156). When perceived work role expectations are unclear, incompatible with other expected behaviors, or too much to handle, role stress is said to occur (Tubre & Collins, 2000). Role stress is typically broken down into three main types: role ambiguity, role conflict, and role overload. Role ambiguity refers to a situation in which employees are unsure about what their responsibilities are, what behaviors are expected of them, and what the standards are for …

The Role Of Community Factors In Predicting Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Workforce: A Longitudinal Study In Rural And Urban Settings, Wanlian Li, Guanghan Gao, Fei Sun, Lin Jiang

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: The dual urban-rural division system in China has led to distinguishes in economic development, medical services, and education as well as in mental health disparities. This study examined whether community factors (community cohesion, supportive network size, foreseeable community threat, and medical insurance coverage) predict the depressive symptoms of Chinese workers and how community factors may work differently in rural and urban settings.

Methods: This secondary data analysis was conducted using data from the 2014 and 2016 China Labor-force Dynamics Survey (CLDS). The sample of this study includes 9,140 workers (6,157 rural labors and 2,983 urban labors) who took part …

Examining Demographic And Environmental Factors In Predicting The Perceived Impact Of Cancer On Childhood And Adolescent Cancer Survivors, Nazan Cetin

Dissertations and Theses

Cancer survivors' perceptions on how cancer has impacted their lives has been identified as a "critical predictor" of psychosocial well-being and quality of life outcomes. Given the dramatic increase in survival rates and the long-term health and psychosocial challenges, as well as survivorship care barriers, this study focuses special attention on childhood and adolescent cancer survivors and is guided by Tedeschi and Calhoun's theory of posttraumatic growth and Hammond's theory of distinctiveness. This study aims to examine the influence of demographic (i.e., age at diagnosis, biological sex, race/ethnicity, type of cancer) and environmental factors (i.e., geographical location and insurance type), …

Sport Chaplains And Social Workers: A Theoretical Understanding Of A Necessary Component Of An Interprofessional Collaborative Practice In Sport In The United States, Lauren Beasley Phd, Ms, Lmsw, Emily J. Johnson Mph, Ms, Steven N. Waller Phd, Dmin, Cspc

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Holistic care of athletes is a growing area of research and practice. Yet, there is still much to consider as attention to this matter continues to expand. Specifically, what are the different theoretical perspectives of each profession working together towards the holistic care of athletes? The theoretical understanding between professions is essential for effective interprofessional teams—what some scholars have termed interprofessional cultural competence. The purpose of this paper is thus to provide the theoretical underpinnings for collaboration between sport chaplains and social workers, both emerging professions within interprofessional care in sport. This paper presents the unique partnership of sport chaplains …

The Effectiveness Of Administrative Practices In Security Teams Work (Survey Study On Sharjah Police General Directorate), Khalifa Alhemeiri

Journal of Police and Legal Sciences

This research aims to identify the effectiveness of administrative practices in security work teams, an exploratory study on the General Command of Sharjah Police, and accordingly the researcher used the descriptive analytical approach, and the total number of members of the completely random sample reached (30) employees, which represents (11%) of the total employees Fieldworkers in the Department of Criminal Investigation and Investigation at the Sharjah Police General Command, as it is the most dependent on security teams in carrying out work directly related to the functions of the General Command of Sharjah Police, which is to combat and reduce …

Police Cartoon Series: Between Learning And Awareness Of Deviance And Crime (Comparative Study), Khawlah Al-Tkhayneh, Arwa Alchamali, Marwa Nazar

Journal of Police and Legal Sciences

This study aimed at detecting the impact of watching police cartoon series introduced by different communication channels, such as TV, YouTube, etc. on children's behaviour by conducting a comparative study between two well-known police cartoon series in order to identify which one of them behaved based on promoting children's awareness about delinquency and crime and which one used the educational method about crime and delinquency (intentionally and unintentionally) as well as identifying the most prominent differences between the methods of introducing the cartoon series in each series. In order to achieve the study objectives, the researchers used the comparative approach …

Practice Note: Using Yoga For Emotional Regulation In Intermediate School Teenagers, Nafees Alam

Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: This paper examines techniques used in yoga, including breathing techniques, various forms of meditation and physical postures that can impact youth diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) learning to regulate their emotions to enhance their academic performance. Methods: The intervention was administered to teens at an intermediate public school for six weeks. Seventeen participants were chosen by mental health counselors and worked together with a yoga facilitator to better serve teens struggling with emotional regulation. Results: Pre- and post-tests show that meditation was the overall preferred technique chosen by students as a method to aid with emotional regulation. …