Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Expanding Full-Service Community Schools In Minnesota, Angela Dabu, Kaylee Olson, Allie Paulson, Kaylee Warner

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

While many students across Minnesota (MN) receive an excellent education, too often disenfranchised children and children from under-resourced families do not obtain the same educational benefits and outcomes as their peers. Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) offer a better path to equity and excellence by welcoming community agencies as partners in school improvement by bringing community services into the school and empowering the people closest to students to examine disparities and target racial and economic opportunity gaps. Building on the success of the FSCS model, Minnesota legislators are proposing a $90,000,000 allocation to support and expand FSCS throughout the state. With …

You Betcha We Want Mn Paid Family Medical Leave!, Julie Bishop, Crystal Haugen, Alicia Nelson, Cassandra Rigdon

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Minnesota workers deserve a paid family and medical leave policy that strengthens families, increases employee productivity, and builds better communities for all. Current family and medical leave policy in Minnesota disproportionately negatively affects workers in lower-income careers (Minnesotans for Paid Family & Medical Leave, 2023). Rural communities also experience disproportionate negative impacts from current family and medical leave policy due to their proportionately older populations and higher rates of residents with disabilities that — when combined with geographic complicating factors such as distance from medical care, shortages in eldercare and childcare providers, and limited long-term care options — force residents …

Reforming Predatory Payday Loan Practices In Minnesota, Michelle Dammann, Neida Juantos, Wendy Tougas

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Since 1999 the payday lending industry has been draining millions of dollars from Minnesotans struggling to keep a roof over their heads, put food on the table, and provide for other basic needs. For many people, repeat borrowing is the only via options to meet their monthly expenses. People who use this short-term loan option often fall into a debt trap because of steep interest rates that make it nearly impossible pay off the original and subsequent loans. Predatory marketing and lack of available banking solutions force marginalized groups into a cycle of debt. Minnesota needs to invest in fair …

Reforma A Las Prácticas Predatorias De Los Préstamos Del Día De Pago En Minnesota, Michelle Dammann, Neida Juantos, Wendy Tougas

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Desde 1999, la industria de préstamos de día de pago ha drenado millones de dólares de los ciudadanos de Minnesota que solo luchan por mantener su hogar, poner comida en la mesa y satisfacer otras necesidades básicas. Para algunas personas, los préstamos son la única opción de cubrir sus gastos mensuales. Las personas que usan estos préstamos usualmente caen en una trampa de deuda por las tasas de interés elevadas. Estas hacen que sea casi imposible pagar el préstamo original. La estrategia de marketing predatoria y la falta de soluciones bancarias disponibles obligan a los grupos marginados a entrar en …

Interprofessional Collaborative Attitudes: Comparing Social Work Learners To Their Medicine And Nursing Peers, Joseph Bartholomew, Marcia Mount French, Hea-Won Kim

Florida Public Health Review

Interprofessional learning activities in higher education aim to unite healthcare professionals in their future practice, thus reducing duplication and fragmentation of services. This study uses a social learning perspective to examine advanced practice medicine, nursing, and social work learners’ attitudes toward interprofessional education and collaborative practice activities within their university programs. The authors used a cross-sectional design to administer a questionnaire that included the Interprofessional Attitudes Scale (IPAS) to 151 advanced practice health care learners (internal medicine residents, nurse practitioner students, master’s-level social work students). Findings indicated significant differences in three subsections of the IPAS. Social work learners possessed a …

Social Work Awareness Month 2023, Raquel Estrada, William Flores

Library Display Posters

Collection of posters for the Social Work Awareness Month.

End Felony Disenfranchisement And Restore The Right To Vote, Anna Lahr, Hannah Van Otterloo, Nichole Smith, Taylor Ernste

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

In Minnesota, felony disenfranchisement is the withdrawal of voting rights of individuals with a criminal offense through incarceration, probation, parole, or supervised release. Current felony disenfranchisement laws prohibit roughly 55,000 Minnesotans' right to vote long after their release from incarceration. This law specifically suppresses Minnesotans of color, vulnerable populations, and low-income communities. Promptly restoring the right to vote for individuals with felony convictions upon release from imprisonment will promote equality in voter representation for actively contributing members of society.

Investing In Rural Mental Health: An Approach To Increasing Access To Mental Health Professionals And Services, Corey Jeries-Bardon, Paige Peterson, Paige Pittmann, Makena Roeker

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Farmers and rural residents in greater Minnesota are often overlooked relating to mental health services. Minnesota needs to focus on an approach to increase accessible mental health services in rural communities. The model for delivering mental health services has often been a one-size-fits-all approach without understanding the unique barriers, cultures, and strengths rural communities offer.

Building The Pathway Towards Inclusivity: A Policy Brief Advocating For Inclusive Postsecondary Education, Callie Fore, Crystal Morales, Deann Prouty, Emily Whittaker

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) lack a pathway and adequate support to pursue post-secondary education in Minnesota. Opening pathways to inclusive higher education will strengthen the state's workforce and economy and will reduce dependence on costly formal supports. In Minnesota less than 3% of students with ID have access to in-state postsecondary education, and there are only four colleges and universities that specifically offer enrollment to students with ID. Barriers to education and funding have dramatically slowed progress toward expanding inclusive higher education options, and Minnesota is far behind other states in the nation. Inclusive higher education is a proven …

Ensuring Equity In Education: End Exclusionary Discipline To Protect All Students Access To Learning, Emma Daugherty, Dominika Dyminski, Lacey Erickson, Carly Manderfeld

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

A student's race, disability status and previous history of discipline are leading factors associated with being subjected to exclusionary discipline. This contributes to a negative cycle of discipline for our Black, Indigenous, and other students of color (BIPOC) and students with disabilities. This cycle prevents BIPOC and students with disabilities from learning, growing, and reaching their full potential. Minnesota must disrupt this negative disciplinary cycle by ending subjective disciplinary practices and investing in practices that promote an equity and a healthy school environment for all students.

Incorporating Cultural Healing Practices Into Mental Health Care, Maria Jeremiason, Hailey Wilhelm, Yuriana Soto, Erin Sudbeck

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Minnesota approaches mental health based on Western cultural traditions. This approach does not encompass the traditions of multicultural communities, many of whom have experienced deep generational trauma, oppression, and discrimination. We must address our treatment of people living with mental illness by incorporating and expanding holistic cultural traditions rooted in the cultural traditions of all Minnesotans. This will include honoring the work of cultural healers, cultural brokers, elders, and community health workers within all communities.

Texas School Social Workers: Who And Where Are They?, George Padilla, Velma D. Menchaca, Astrid Gandaria

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

School social workers have a long history in American education and much research is needed to better understand their role and impact in schools. Texas schools employ one of the highest numbers of school social workers in the country, but there is also little to no research related to their demographics, working conditions, or effectiveness. Only one recent study on Texas school social workers was found in the research literature. This report analyzes Texas state reports, available to the public on the internet or by specific request from the Texas Education Agency, to develop a descriptive and exploratory overview of …

Virtual Training In Child Welfare, Penny Putnam Collins

QIC-Takes

Child welfare offices and training centers had to transition their classroom instructor-led training to virtual platforms when the pandemic hit. Some training systems were already using virtual platforms or asynchronous learning tools to deliver training content, but no agency was 100% virtual pre-pandemic. The transition was sudden and there was a steep learning curve for some trainers. Changes made when the pandemic hit may now be the new normal. This QICTake highlights what our QIC-WD sites and team members experienced as child welfare agencies shifted to, and are now embracing, virtual training. What We’re Seeing Finding the Right Tools for …

Affective Depression Mediates Ptsd To Suicide In A Sample Of Treatment-Seeking First Responders, James Whitworth, Jeanine Galusha, Jose Carbajal, Warren Ponder, Donna Schuman

Faculty Publications

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the associations of comorbid

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), affective or somatic depression, and

suicide among first responders (FRs). Method: We used baseline data from

FRs (N = 232) who sought services at a nonprofit mental health agency specializing

in treating trauma exposed FRs. We conducted two PROCESS simple

mediation models with PTSD as the predictor, affective depression and somatic

depression as the mediators, and suicidality as the dependent variable.

Results: Affective depression significantly mediated the relationship between

PTSD and suicidality, whereas somatic depression did not. The direct effect …

“It Helped Us More Than I Could Have Imagined”: How The 2021 Expanded Child Tax Credit Supported Families Raising Children With Disabilities, Laura Brugger, Stephen Roll, Leah Hamilton, Allyson Baughman, Meg Comeau, Candace Jarzombeck, Caroline Parker

Social Policy Institute Research

The 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) provided temporary enhancements to the existing CTC for the tax years 2021 and 2022. Under the expanded credit, families with children under the age of 18 were eligible to receive a credit of up to $3,000 per child ($3,600 for children under the age of 6). In addition, half the credit was paid out on a monthly basis rather than as a one-time payment at tax time. This provision was designed to provide more immediate financial support to families with children during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it also supported families who were at …

Exploring Facilitators, Barriers And Concerns Of Police Using Social Media When Investigating Missing Children, Eleanor Howlings, Reka Solymosi

International Journal of Missing Persons

Missing person investigations involve the collection of information to ensure the person is located as fast as possible, minimising their exposure to harms. Social media is a valuable source of information in police investigations both to learn about the missing person, and to appeal for information to the public. To ensure social media is used safely and effectively, we must understand the concerns and experiences of investigating officers. In this pilot study, we analysed interviews from 8 experts who investigate missing children to identify the facilitators and barriers of using social media. We also identified concerns raised by officers around …

Does Structural Racism Influence How Black/African Americans Define Memory Loss And Cognitive Impairment? An Africana Phenomenological Study, Andre Pruitt

Dissertations and Theses

With the variety of research about dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD), few studies have explored the effect of social structures, such as racism, on how Black/African Americans conceptualize memory loss, dementia, or AD. Furthermore, limited within the scholarship are the environmental factors and structural racism that are thought to influence cognitive impairments and meaning making about cognitive decline impacting Black/African Americans.

Most U.S. research centers on methodologies and epistemologies grounded in Eurocentric ways of knowing (objectivity, individuality, either/or logic). However, Eurocentric methodologies fail to acknowledge the cultural experiences with memory loss, cognitive impairment, dementia, and AD, as well as the …

Paths To Equity: Parents In Partnership With Ucedds Fostering Black Family Advocacy For Children On The Autism Spectrum, Elizabeth H. Morgan, Benita D. Shaw, Ida Winters, Chiffon King, Jazmin Burns, Aubyn Stahmer, Gail Chodron

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Racism and ableism have doubly affected Black families of children with developmental disabilities in their interactions with disability systems of supports and services (e.g., early intervention, mental health, education, medical systems). On average, Black autistic children are diagnosed three years later and are up to three times more likely to be misdiagnosed than their non-Hispanic White peers. Qualitative research provides evidence that systemic oppression, often attributed to intersectionality, can cause circumstances where Black disabled youth are doubly marginalized by policy and practice that perpetuates inequality. School discipline policies that criminalize Black students and inadequate medical assessments that improperly support Black …

Shared Responsibility: Conceptualising How A Public Health Approach May Enhance Police Response To Missing Persons, Katie Gambier-Ross, Joe Apps Dr, Sarah Wayland Dr

International Journal of Missing Persons

When a person is reported missing there are substantial costs for the individual, their family and society. This paper conceptualises the experience of missing persons episodes, through a public health approach. This then allows police, stakeholders and the community to engage in discussions about who is vulnerable to going missing by intervening in a way that addresses risk. Historically, a missing persons episode involves an absence, typically followed by police involvement in consultation with next of kin with establishing the whereabouts of the missing person being the primary focus. Yet, the risk factors of going missing relate more to the …

Advancing Racial Equity Through Community Land Trusts, Amal Alzhrani, Brittany Kiefer, Da-Yup Kim, Gabby Eissner

Center for Social Development Research

Community land trusts are nonprofit organizations designed to preserve housing affordability. This brief describes the design and operation of such trusts, illustrating the concept by spotlighting the Columbia Community Land Trust of Columbia, Missouri.

The contents of this brief evolved from a presentation given in the Colloquium on Inclusive Housing Policy for the St. Louis Region. Held in the Brown School at Washington University on December 15, 2022, the event was organized by the Center for Social Development in partnership with Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice and the Alliance for Interracial Dignity. The contents may also be found in …

Racially Restrictive Covenants: A Story Of Segregation, Disinvestment, And Lingering Implications, Fadya Al Hammam, Janeka Haden, Livi Logan-Wood, Joseph Roeder

Center for Social Development Research

Racially restrictive covenants are agreements, typically embedded in property deeds, that limit the transfer of property to non-white people. The covenants remain common features of property deeds in the St. Louis region, though enforcement of them was outlawed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Shelley v. Kraemer decision in 1948. This brief discusses the covenants and identifies strategies for communities to deploy in addressing them.

The contents of this brief evolved from a presentation given in the Colloquium on Inclusive Housing Policy for the St. Louis Region. Held in the Brown School at Washington University on December 15, 2022, the event …

Zoning: Issues And Reform, Olivia Borland, Casey Kohlstruk, Lindsay Owens

Center for Social Development Research

What steps can communities take to broaden equitable access to housing and prevent residential displacement? This brief identifies strategies for reforming zoning policy to advance those goals.

The contents of this brief evolved from a presentation given in the Colloquium on Inclusive Housing Policy for the St. Louis Region. Held in the Brown School at Washington University on December 15, 2022, the event was organized by the Center for Social Development in partnership with Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice and the Alliance for Interracial Dignity. The contents may also be found in Welcome Home: A Policy Briefing Book for …

Linkage Fees: A Vehicle For Financing Affordable Housing, Lillian Murphy, Stanford Cooper, Russell Beckham

Center for Social Development Research

A linkage fee is a policy instrument for capturing resources to fund affordable housing development and other public services. This brief describes the instrument and offers recommendations on implementing linkage-fee policies.

The contents of this brief evolved from a presentation given in the Colloquium on Inclusive Housing Policy for the St. Louis Region. Held in the Brown School at Washington University on December 15, 2022, the event was organized by the Center for Social Development in partnership with Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice and the Alliance for Interracial Dignity. The contents may also be found in Welcome Home: A …

Hr And Child Welfare Data – Building Connections To Improve Practice, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Other QIC-WD Products

Combined human resources (HR) and child welfare data is essential to answer pertinent workforce questions. The Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) has been intentional about bringing HR and child welfare professionals together to better understand and use the data they have available to them. In some cases, however, public child welfare agencies struggle to link their HR and child welfare data sets. Through the QIC-WD’s work with our intervention sites and Child Welfare Data Analytics Institutes, our team has worked directly with agencies grappling with the challenge of connecting these vitally important data sets to address a …

Welcome Home: A Policy Briefing Book For Housing Opportunity In St. Louis County, Molly W. Metzger

Center for Social Development Research

“Equality of opportunity” is a beautiful American ideal, but it stands in stark relief to the history of racist policies in the United States—including policies in the St. Louis region. Edited by Molly Metzger, this briefing book aims to broaden opportunity by offering ideas for housing policy change in the majority-white, inner-ring suburbs of St. Louis. The policy works in this collection were written by masters of social work students at Washington University’s Brown School as part of a social-policy course taught by Metzger in partnership with Mayor Laura Arnold of Webster Groves, Missouri, Webster Groves’ Alliance for Interracial Dignity, …

Point/Counterpoint: Transgender Sport Participation Policy, Matt Moore, Nafees Alam

Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

I am looking forward to a spirited point/counterpoint regarding the NCAA (2022) policy on transgender sport participation. The NCAA Board of Governors voted in support of a sport-by-sport approach to transgender participation that preserves opportunity for transgender student-athletes while balancing fairness, inclusion, and safety for all who compete. The national governing bodies for each sport will determine policies for transgender participation (e.g., USA Swimming). The NCAA policy became effective in January. The policy requires transgender student-athletes to document sport specific testosterone levels beginning four weeks before their sport’s championship selections. In the 2022-2023 competition season, transgender student-athletes will need documented …

On Income Inequality And Poverty In Egypt: Is Prosperity Immoral?, Mohamed Karim Lotfy Abdelkhalek

Theses and Dissertations

There are varying perspectives on, and divergent solutions to, the phenomena of income inequality and poverty. There seems to be polarizing views on both of these sensitive topics. One side of the argument believes income inequality should in itself be mitigated through redistribution measures, while the other argues that this should not be the focus of policy makers, as it deters them from facing the more pressing issue facing society – which is absolute poverty. The relationship between income inequality, poverty, and citizen well-being in Egypt is one that warrants further research, and this paper aims to fill this lacuna. …

Adventure And Spiritual Restoration: Older Adult Motivations For Undertaking A Pilgrimage On El Camino De Santiago, Holly Nelson-Becker, Joseph G. Pickard, Florian Sichling

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

A pilgrimage is an intentional journey undertaken for reasons that can increase a sense of well-being. Although originally completed for religious purposes, motives in contemporary times may include anticipated religious, spiritual, and humanistic benefits as well as appreciation of culture and geography. This quantitative and qualitative survey research explored the motivations of a sample subset age 65 and over from a larger study who completed one of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela routes in Spain. Consistent with life course and developmental theory, some respondents walked at life decision points. The analyzed sample was 111 people, nearly 60% of whom …

The Challenges Of “Moving At The Speed Of Trust”: How Women Navigate New Public Management Dynamics In Power-Based Community Organizations, Mary L. Dungy, Amy Krings

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

The practice of professional community organizing aims to create a more equitable, inclusive society. However, power-based community organizing in the Alinsky tradition has historically been criticized for being unwelcoming to women, especially those who are caregivers at home. To better understand the paradox of working for social justice within an occupational context where one is not fully welcome, this exploratory interview-based study used an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis to explore how women organizers understand, experience, and navigate gendered features of new public management within power-based community organizations in Chicago. Our findings indicate that women community organizers experience significant tensions due to …

The Effects Of Colorism On The Self-Esteem And Relationships Among College Students, Marrakesh Shiloh Spann, Pius Nyutu

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study was designed to examine the relationship between colorism and self-esteem and relationship satisfaction among college students. Additionally, the impact of other social-economic factors such as gender, race/ethnicity, and income level were evaluated. Data was collected via a questionnaire developed in google forms from 202 participants. The instruments included the Rosenberg Self- Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), A Generic Measure of Relationship Satisfaction (Hendrick, 1988), The Colorism Scale (Harvey, Banks, & Tennial, 2014) and a general demographics questionnaire. The results indicated a very low correlation between colorism and self-esteem (r = .084) and between colorism and relationship satisfaction (r = …