Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Implementation Of The Indian Child Welfare Act, Daniel G. Dierfeldt

Theses and Graduate Projects

The Indian Child Welfare Act (I.C.W.A.), P.L. 95-608, became federal law in 1978. Its purpose was to protect Native American children, families and culture. Prior to the passage of the I.C.W.A. Native American children were being placed in substitute care in statistically high numbers The law mandates a system which provides for tribal participation whenever permanent or temporary care is required for Native American children. The I.C.W.A. encourages family preservation and establishes legal protections when children must be separated from their families.

To date little study has been done related to the implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act at …

Community Based Mental Mental Health Services: Perspectives Of Clients With Mental Illness And Of Case Managers, Taylor Jones Jr

Theses and Graduate Projects

Mental illness is a disease of the brain that affects how a person feels, thinks and acts. It is caused by a variety of genetic disorders, environmental and personal stressors. Prior to the establishment of community based mental health treatment, persons with mental illness were usually institutionalized in state mental health institutions. The treatment purpose was to lock people up away from public view and to keep them behind locked doors with very little effort towards treatment rehabilitation. The purpose of this research study is to find out what kind of community resource services best help clients to live more …

A Study Of The Characteristics, Experiences, Emotions, Needs Of Primary Caregivers Whose Relatives Were Admitted To A Short Term Rehabilitation Unit In A Health Care Community, Sandra G. Nelson

Theses and Graduate Projects

This research investigated the socio-demographic characteristics of primary caregivers and their emotional experiences at the time of the admission of an older relative to a short term rehabilitation unit of a health care community. The findings indicated that the majority of primary caregivers are adult children and spouses. In addition, the research indicated that family members assume the primary responsibility for their older relatives while they reside in the community. The results of this research differed significantly from studies of long-term care in regards to the emotions experienced at the. time of the admission. This study found that primary caregivers …

Work Satisfaction Of Arab Social Services Employees In Southern Israel, Soleman H. Abu Bader

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to describe work satisfaction of Arab social services employees in Southern Israel, to compare it with work satisfaction of Jewish social services employees, and to ascertain if work satisfaction of Arab and Jewish employees is either similar or different. In the State of Israel, the national government which has a historical conflict with the Arab people has to approve all local administrations, policies, taxes, and budgets. In this study two hypotheses are posited. The first hypothesis states that work satisfaction of Arab social services employees who are controlled by administrative structures nominated by the …

Development Of Workshop For School Social Workers: A Framework For Addressing Sexually Abused Adolescents, Lisa M. Baird

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to develop a training program to equip school social workers to work effectively with the growing population of adolescents who have suffered sexual abuse. The framework of the program focuses on empowering the victims to move from the mindset of feeling controlled by the victimization to utilizing their freedom to choose positive behaviors and taking responsibility for those choices, despite their suffering.

A workshop was developed for presentation to school social workers. The workshop educates social workers on a framework from which to address the adolescent victim. It presents an overview of sexual abuse, …

Minnesota Youth In Care: Voices Of Wisdom, Michelle L. Chalmers

Theses and Graduate Projects

Adolescents currently make up the largest proportion of young people entering substitute care in the state of Minnesota. In this exploratory project, eleven young adults with a history of out of home placement in two Minnesota counties were interviewed. Participants shared their perceptions on the degree of influence they feel they had when decisions regarding their placements were made. They provided "advice" for youth currently entering the system and for practitioners working with adolescents in care. A review of the literature exploring the relationship between empowerment theories and youth participation in service provision provides a foundation for the study. Literature …

Evaluating A Grandparent Support Group, Mary A. Taylor

Theses and Graduate Projects

Having developed a grandparent support group for grandparents raising grandchildren, the author conducted an evaluation of the group using both quantitative and qualitative information from group members. The support group was sponsored by a Western suburban school district in the Minneapolis - St. Paul metropolitan area. The author utilizes attachment theory in an attempt to understand the needs of grandparents raising their grandchildren, an increasing phenomena. After reviewing research findings on the usefulness of support groups, especially those sponsored by schools, the evaluation of this support group and its usefulness to grandparents are presented. Suggestions for future groups and information …

Implementation Of Apprenticeship Programs In The High School Curriculum, Marian A. Allen

Theses and Graduate Projects

Implementation of apprenticeship programs in the high school curriculum is a policy analysis of the efforts of the German apprenticeship system to help motivate and train non-traditional age students and apparently known non-college-bound youth. The study explains how the apprenticeship would utilize work places as learning environments, create opportunities for mentor relationships to provide important adult roles, and develop the flexibility, dependability, and vocational skills that most employers agree will be necessary in the years to come.

The study will emphasize the necessity of helping young people to make the crucial connections between school learning, community participation, and a satisfying, …

Biracial Children Research Project, David Alan Branch

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of the Biracial Children Research Project is to determine and develop elementary school social workers' awareness of the unique needs and issues related to biracial children.

Sixty-seven Minneapolis elementary school social workers were surveyed in order to assess their awareness level of issues related to African American and White racially mixed children. Issues that were identified by the Biracial Children Research Project dealt with; 1) school and community; 2) psycho-social; 3) racial identity development; 4) racial categorization; and 5) social workers use of referrals to agencies that serve biracial children.

The Biracial Children Research Project is a study …

The Role Of The School Social Worker In The St. Paul School District, Kathleen Lombardi

Theses and Graduate Projects

School social workers often times experiences role confusion for a number of reasons As social work staff, they work an a host setting that often times does not know what to expect from school social workers Because of this, they are often times assigned a wide range of duties and responsibilities. This research examines how school social workers an the St Paul School District prioritize the tasks assigned to them and how they define their role. It also examines how much acceptance and support school social workers feel they receive from teachers and administrators in the district, and how connected …

Evaluating Head Start: An Historical Review Of Program Goals And Factors Which Impact Program Evaluation, Violet M. Finkelson

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory historical study researches the Head Start program goals and performance standards from the original task force and President Johnson's declaration of the war on poverty, to the present day. The historical research on the Head Start program is presented by decade adjacent to historical information about child development and early childhood education, and the political climate of that decade. The study will examine major Head Start program evaluations which occurred during each of the past three decades and discuss historical factors which may have impacted the research designs. The ultimate goal of this project is to learn from …

Computers In Social Work: A Review Of The United Way's First Call For Help System, Michael Resig

Theses and Graduate Projects

This stud,y was a formative evaluation of the Uni ted Ways of Minneapolis and Saint Paul Minnesota's First Call for HeIp referral program specifically the quality control of information concerning social service agencies and programs. This analysis includes how this service receives information, how information is recall ed from the computer and how information is dispensed to the clients and professionals who are seeking information concerning social services. In addition, this analysis reviews the training the operators of this service are required to complete. The final chapter of this analysis explores how computers may be able to be used as …

Family Centered Birth Project: Prenatal Education And Outcomes, Deanna Scherr

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to explore and evaluate the effectiveness of the Family Centered Birth Project and to increase the access of prenatal patients to the birthing classes conducted at Ramsey Family Physicians. This researcher is interested in determining what factors influence patients to attend on-site prenatal classes. Possible factors from the literature review include: existence of a supportive companion (i.e., someone present during delivery), or support system (i.e., someone that the patient identified as supportive), education level, transportation, child care, age, fear of delivery, denial, living arrangements, the cost of the birthing classes, domestic abuse, perceptions of …

When Two Worlds Collide: Awkward Or Troubling Post-Termination Encounters Between Therapists And Clients, Kay M. Adams

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study explored the topic of awkward or troubling post-termination encounters between therapists and clients. Fifteen interviews were conducted with mental health professionals, most of whom were themselves members of the minority communities they frequently served, including gay and lesbian, and African American therapists. This study relied heavily on the literature concerning dual relationships, and was based on the hypothesis that therapists have many awkward or troubling encounters with former clients for which they are unprepared to adequately deal with, based on lack of formal training or education. Results from this research demonstrate that these encounters are more frequent and …

Urban Gangs: The Dynamics Of Poverty, The Media And Gang Membership, Chalmers Lee Davis

Theses and Graduate Projects

Street gangs are a fact of life in every major city in the United States. Street gangs have also been recognized as a problem in American cities since the early 1920s. Is there a connection between poverty and gang membership? The inner-cities of America have lost manufacturing and non-service jobs to the suburbs. During the same time period adolescent gang activities have increased. What causes kids to join gangs and who are the kids that join gangs? The media in the United States paints a portrait of gang members as predominantly youth of color, is this accurate? The author, through …

Case Study: Supporting Resilience In Males, Deborah Schurman Strand

Theses and Graduate Projects

This research is a case study of how Southside Family Nurturing Center (SFNC), an early childhood intervention center, encourages resilience in boys who are considered at-risk because of their exposure to adversity. In-depth, open-ended interviews with staff and parents were conducted to identify both the apparent risk and protective factors of two boys enrolled in SFNC's program and the ways staff supported protective mechanisms in these boys. This study found that SFNC's program supports individual and environmental protective factors for both the boys and their families.

Comparing The Effects Multiple Roles Have On Female Professionals And Their Families, Patricia M. Parsinen

Theses and Graduate Projects

Today more than ever professional women are juggling multiple roles. with conflicting values, combining work and family roles becomes difficult. This thesis studies how a group of women employed at a metropolitan medical center perceive the effects their multiple roles have on themselves and their families. Specifically, this thesis explores the hypothesis that women who see themselves as having good self esteem will also report their families as having a better understanding of their work challenges. Those women will indicate that their families participate in at least 25-50% of the household responsibilities, compared to those women who do not feel …

School And Human Service Collaboration: A Needs Assessment, Amy Clark

Theses and Graduate Projects

Across America schools and human service organizations have become more aware of the difficulty in providing for the needs of families and children alone. There is a growing need for organizations to work together to effectively provide appropriate services. Recently, collaboration has received a great deal of attention as a necessary strategy in working together.

This study explores the perceived need for a school and human service collaboration in Dakota County, Minnesota, that would service families and children currently receiving services from the Intra-Dakota Educational Alternative (IDEA) program. A needs assessment was conducted through a review of the literature and …

An Evaluation Of Employee Assistance Program Services To Monolingual Spanish Speaking Hispanics In The United States, Richard Crislip

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine an Employee Assistance Program's (EAPs) bilingual and bicultural capacity in their service delivery to Hispanics who require Spanish. The methodology of the study takes two approaches. First, a client satisfaction survey was administered to a sample of EAP clients who required Spanish. The survey measured satisfaction with EAP access, satisfaction with the EAP counselor, and satisfaction with EAP office procedures. Second, an EAP counselor survey was distributed to a sample of counselors who stated they have bilingual capacities in their service delivery. The findings of the study identify strengths and areas for …

Review Of Reinventing Government: How The Entrepreneurial Spirit Is Transforming The Public Sector. David Osborne And Ted Gaebler. Reviewed By Mark Lusk, Boise State University., Mark W. Lusk

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

For most, the concept of a public entrepreneur is an oxymoron much like military music. But for a new generation of thinkers, such as those at the Progressive Policy Institute, government can be held accountable to its constituency by combining democratic representation with lessons learned in the marketplace. Therein lies the essence of a series of publications of which the present volume is among the better recent examples. Beginning with Peter Drucker's Age of Discontinuity in 1968 and culminating in the 1991 publication of Susan Rose- Ackerman's Rethinking the Progressive Agenda, non-conservatives have been considering the importance of market forces …

Structural Social Work: Ideology, Theory And Practice. Robert Mullaly.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Robert Mullaly. Structural Social Work: Ideology, Theory and Practice. Toronto, Canada: McClelland and Stewart, 1993. $19.95 papercover.

Effectively Teaching African American Social Welfare Historical Developments, Wilma Peebles-Wilkins

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A select group of African American and other educators continue to develop literature on African American social welfare. As this literature increases and is subjected to scholarly exchange and debate, educators are beginning to raise questions about effective teaching strategies for integrating the content into the curriculum and effectively delivering the content through classroom lectures and discussions. In addition to concerns about the content being "heard", black educators are concerned that African Americans not always be depicted historically as helpless individuals who were the "white man's burden" and are also concerned about the broad characterization of African American Social Welfare …

Introduction - The Legacy Of African-American Leadership In Social Welfare, Iris Carlton-Laney

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The legacy of African-American leadership in social welfare history is only recently finding space in social work literature. The small number of professional journals in social work that publish historical articles, along with institutionalized resistance to the acknowledgement of African-Americans contributions to the development of the profession, have contributed to this dearth of scholarship. The results have been that many professionals are disinclined to perceive of African-Americans as resourceful, skilled and powerful. Instead, the theme of pathology permeates social work literature, teaching, and ultimately social work practice. The social work profession emphasizes the importance of diversity, yet fails to acknowledge …

"Gentle Student Bend Thine Ear To My Speech" An Essay About Sojourner Truth, Abolitionist And Feminist, Laura B. Somerville

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Sojourner Truth provides a powerful model of advocacy for the social work profession. This paper offers an analysis of this important historical figure that centers around the implications of being a doubly oppressed minority. An analysis of the nineteenth century chattel slavery system sets the stage for understanding the social environment. A brief biography of her life and evolution from enslaved chattel to feminist activist will highlight her social, spiritual, and personal development. Her philosophy, which is compatible with the modern feminist movement, is outlined by an analysis of her speeches.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 21, No. 1 (March 1994)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

SPECIAL ISSUE ON THE LEGACY OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN LEADERSHIP IN SOCIAL WELFARE

Edited by Iris Carlton-LaNey

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• INTRODUCTION: THE LEGACY OF AFRICANAMERICAN LEADERSHIP IN SOCIAL WELFARE - Iris Carlton-LaNey
• "GENTLE STUDENT BEND THINE EAR TO MY SPEECH:" AN ESSAY ABOUT SOJOURNER TRUTH, ABOLITIONIST AND FEMINIST - Laura Budd Somerville
• WILLIAM STILL, A PIONEER AFRICAN AMERICAN SOCIAL WORKER 1821-1902 - Audreye E. Johnson
• TRAINING AFRICAN-AMERICAN SOCIAL WORKERS THROUGH THE NUL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM - Iris Carlton-LaNey
• NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC WELFARE INSTITUTES FOR NEGROES 1926-1940 - N. Yolanda Burwell
• THE HISTORY OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION FOR BLACK PEOPLE, 1900-1930 - Robenia Baker …

North Carolina Public Welfare Institutes For Negroes 1926-1946, Yolanda N. Burwell

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Black welfare workers in the South had limited opportunities for professional social work education and development. In 1926, annual public welfare institutes for Blacks were sponsored by the North Carolina State Board of Charities and Public Welfare through its Division of Work Among Negroes. They filled a critical educational and professional void. For twenty years, these annual institutes bolstered the knowledge and skills of a growing corp of Black welfare workers and the maturation of the profession in North Carolina.

A Black Community Development Model: The Universal Negro Improvement Association And African Communities League 1917-1940, Amnifu R. Harvey

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A discussion of The Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA & ACL) founded by Marcus Garvey in 1915 is presented. The organization provided social services for people of African ancestry in both the U.S. and other countries as well. An analysis of this organization occurs, citing the functions of subgroups like the Universal African Legions and the Universal African Motor Corps. This organization serves as a historic model for contemporary community development.

Review Of Citizenship And Employment: Investigating Post-Industrial Options. Jocelyn Pixley. Reviewed By James Midgley, Louisiana State University., James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Jocelyn Pixley's book uses the concept of social citizenship to examine the issue of structural unemployment in post-industrial societies. She is not entirely sympathetic to Marshall's conceptual schema, but she recognizes its significance as an organizing concept when writing about chronic unemployment. Pixley challenges the view that the separation of income from work offers a solution to chronic unemployment and that the destruction of the work/cash nexus offers a liberating alternative to the drudgery of daily work. She is emphatic in her claim that citizenship can only be meaningful in capitalist societies when people have access to secure and renumerative …

Social Work Macro Practice. F. Ellen Netting, Peter M. Kettner And Steven L. Mcmurtry.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

F. Ellen Netting, Peter M. Kettner and Steven L. McMurtry. Social Work Macro Practice. New York: Longman, 1993. $35.50 hardcover.

The term 'macro-practice' has been bandied about in social work circles for some years but it has not been satisfactorily 167 168 Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare defined. It is still used loosely as a synonym for community organization, administration or social policy, and sometimes it is employed to denote any form of social work intervention other than clinical practice.

Rethinking Social Policy: Race, Poverty And The Underclass. Christopher Jencks.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Christopher Jencks. Rethinking Social Policy: Race, Poverty and the Underclass. New York: Harper Collins, 1992. $12 papercover.

Jencks is best know for his pioneering study of the affects of education on the life chances of individuals but he has also gained a reputation as a astute commentator on diverse social questions. His articles in magazines such as the New York Review of Books, The New Republic and American Prospect have been widely read.