Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Social Workers’ Philosophical Attitudes Towards Harm Reduction Services In Housing First Organizations, John Gay Woolley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOver the past three decades, harm reduction has gradually become more prevalent among social workers and is now viewed as an instrumental approach in treating people with drug and alcohol problems. Although there have been several studies that described how harm reduction approaches were applied in Housing First (HF) settings, there are few studies that have described social workers’ perspectives of their philosophical attitudes regarding harm reduction in HF settings. The purpose of this study was to understand social workers’ perspectives of their philosophical attitudes toward harm reduction services and how those attitudes were apparent in their interactions with substance-using …

Relationships Between Stress, Family Support, And Resources Among Custodial Grandparents In Appalachia, Yvonne Sherii Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Appalachian region has experienced a substantial increase in the number of grandparent-headed households providing care to grandchildren. Custodial parenting is not a typical responsibility for many grandparents and can be challenging. The specific problem addressed in this research study was the high level of stress experienced by many custodial grandparents. The theoretical foundation of the current study was based on Selye’s stress theory, which was introduced in 1936 and examined biological stress that he referred to as “the syndrome of being sick.” The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, and correlational study was to examine the predictive relationship that custodial …

An Evaluation Of A School-Based School Connectedness Program, John G. Emmerich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, approximately 45% of high school students are either not engaged (28%) or actively disengaged (17%) in the academic process. Increasing a school's average student engagement yields an increase in reading and math achievement. This study evaluates a school connectedness program, Promoting Positive School Engagement (PPSE) program using a convergent mixed methods model to determine the degree of effectiveness measured by the Hemingway measure of adolescent connectedness instrument in an Urban, Midwest public middle school. Quantitative data were collected from 20 students who participated in the program and 20 students who did not (control group). Analyzed using …

Clinical Social Workers’ Perceptions And Experiences Of Parental Alienation, Martinek Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative research study aimed to explore clinical social workers’ perceptions and experiences of parental alienation (PA). Using Bowen’s family system theory as the framework, the research questions examined the problem from multiple levels of practice, including individual, family, institutional, and systematic. The individual interview approach aligned with the study goal by allowing participants opportunities to share their perspectives and experiences working with PA. The study used a purposive and snowball sampling of eight participants who were licensed social workers in the United States. Individual interview responses were transcribed and coded. Thematic content analysis was also used to analyze the …

Help-Seeking Behaviors And Employment Hope Among Depressed Black Male Foster Care Alumni, Vanessa Jennings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traumatic depression is a system of experiences where the mind, heart, and gut track happenings lingering among systemic models of prevention and intervention and personal stories. This nonexperimental correlational study aimed to provide insights into mental help-seeking and employment hope among depressed Black/African American foster care male alums. The central research question was to what degree, if any, a positive relationship exists between employment hope and seeking access to mental health-related services among male foster care alums who identify with depression. It was hypothesized that a statistically significant relationship exists. The social cognitive career theory and theory of planned behavior …

The Effect Of Federal And State-Level Policy On Undocumented Childhood Arrivals, Kim Kaczmarowski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) provides a 2-year reprieve from deportation and a work permit for eligible undocumented childhood arrivals. It does not provide a pathway to citizenship or confer rights or protections enjoyed by those with permanent legal status leaving recipients in a constant state of legal limbo. State-level policy can mitigate or exacerbate obstacles faced by this population. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore how federal and state-level policy in a conservative location shaped experiences of membership or exclusion. Responses were examined using segmented assimilation theory to identify layered contexts of reception. The …

Strategies For Emotional Intelligence Training For Improving Employee Performance, Dale Elizabeth Laing-Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The nursing home industry's lack of emotional intelligence (EI) can negatively impact patient satisfaction and performance. Nursing home leaders who lack strategies to apply EI training to increase job satisfaction, reduce employee turnover, and improve interpersonal skills risk financial loss and business failure. Grounded in the EI framework, the purpose of this multiple qualitative case study was to explore strategies nursing home leaders use to apply EI training to reduce employee turnover, increase job satisfaction, and improve interpersonal skills for performance improvement. The participants comprised four nursing home leaders from multiple nursing homes in Florida who implemented strategies to reduce …

I’M Ok: Black Women’S Perceptions Of Vulnerability And Coping, Bridget Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within the social work profession, there has been limited understanding of tailoring treatment and coping strategies specific to Black women. The parallelism of Black women and strength has created a generational, internal conflict with maintaining the cultural label known as the strong Black woman (SBW) and stigma related to seeking help to improve mental health. The stigma associated with seeking help has hindered Black women from communicating thoughts or behaviors that categorize vulnerability. Grounded in the SBW collective theory and Black womanist theory, this study explored how the SBW stereotype impacts the communication on vulnerability and coping strategies Black women …

Caucasian Social Workers’ Cultural Competence Regarding Advance Care Planning Among Southern African Americans, Lisa Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Caucasian social workers who work in healthcare and implement advance care planning (ACP) may not be competent regarding African Americans’ reluctance to complete advance directives. Research is lacking on how Caucasian social workers in Louisiana are increasing their cultural competence regarding the interplay of historical trauma, past medical mistrust, and spiritual beliefs on African Americans’ use of ACP. This study explored how Caucasian social workers are increasing their cultural competence regarding the interplay of historical trauma, past medical mistrust, and spiritual beliefs on African Americans’ use of ACP. The conceptual framework that guided this study was the cultural competence model. …

Public-School Superintendents’ Perceptions Of Trauma-Informed School Assumptions And Principles, Denise Gay Presnell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that trauma-informed practices in schools can increase student performance and well-being. School social workers are well-suited to bring these practices to their system but are most successful when partnering with public-school superintendents. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand public-school superintendents’ perceptions of trauma-informed school assumptions and principles. The study was guided by four assumptions for trauma-informed care, six principles for trauma-informed schools, ecological systems theory, and empowerment theory. Research questions were designed to ask participants about their experiences of trauma in their schools, their perceptions of the assumptions and principles, the benefits and challenges …

Examining Contributing Factors To Poor Mental Health Among College Students: A Guide To Student Mental Health Resources, Kora Dutton

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Among college students, poor mental health is an issue that continues to progress. In this literature review, contributing factors to mental health conditions of college students are examined. These factors include financial burden and living standards, violence, substance use, pandemics, and health crises. After the initial onset of a mental illness, the risk for other negative consequences increases. Students with mental illness are less likely to graduate, more likely to develop substance use disorder, and are at an increased risk for other mental health comorbidities and suicide. As poor mental health among college students persists, more accessibility to resources is …

The Intersection Between Harm Reduction And Social Work, Sydney Biondi

Undergraduate Research Posters

This qualitative study explores the intersection of harm reduction and social work. Social workers who practice harm reduction were recruited to participate in interviews. In the field of social work, harm reduction is seen as a promising practice, but we do not know very much about what it looks like in practice. The purpose of this research study is to find out how the perceptions of social workers of harm reduction aid or inhibit community harm reduction efforts. We think that the geographical location of a social worker impacts the perceptions and experiences of harm reduction, because of the resources …

Perceptions Of Florida Victim Advocates During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Katarina Renee Hamburg

Theses and Dissertations

In December of 2019, a new virus known as COVID-19 emerged out of Wuhan, China. COVID-19 is a respiratory virus which is highly contagious and, in some cases, lethal. By January 20th, 2020, the United States reported its first case of COVID-19. Between January and December of 2020 there were 18.7 million cases and 329,000 deaths in the United States alone. Globally, during that time frame, there were 79.8 million cases and 1.75 million deaths. Due to the highly contagious and dangerous nature of COVID-19, countries across the world have attempted to promote public health by enacting social distancing measures. …

A Different Perspective: An Exploration Towards The Emancipation Of Practice Within Social Care, Jonathan Condon

Theses

In Ireland today, it is recognized that the Reflexive Practitioner is the dominant paradigm within the district of Social Care and the approach of professionals is obtained through the traditional ways; whilst Social Pedagogy is still a relatively new import with only a couple of organizations operating across the country. Both disciplines work with the same general clientele and have similar goals for the clients with whom they work (Lalor and Share, 2013). The professional approach of both disciplines was unfastened and discovered throughout this study. Social care professionals focus on the protection of those in their care. Along with …

"Can I Trust You?" Observing Human Intervention At The Border, Julia Grace Marmor

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Current border policies and interventions operate from a stance of efficiency over the value of human life and dignity. This project presents ethnographic data of a trip to work along the US-Mexico border in a humanitarian organization as means of identifying moments in everyday interactions and policies that highlight larger, structural values of authorities in receiving migrants to the United States. Through analysis of observations in this landscape, the significance of humanity and small-scale disruptions employed by nonprofit groups in the area serve to open up moments that are often overlooked in the study of border politics and humanitarian work.

Guide To The Alice Pettee Adams Collection, 1880-1990, Orson Kingsley

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

Alice Pettee Adams came from Jaffrey, New Hampshire when she enrolled at the Bridgewater Normal School (now Bridgewater State University) in 1885. She graduated from the four-year program in 1889. In 1891, after a brief stint as a teacher and principal of a high school in her hometown, she went to Okayama, Japan through a Christian Missionary program. She originally had the ambition of dedicating ten years of her life to this social work/education endeavor. Rather than ten years, she went on to dedicate the rest of her life to helping the poor and impoverished in Okayama, Japan.

By the …

Indigenous Women In Active Drug Abuse Recovery: An Analysis Of Native And Non-Native Programs, Raquel J. Muñoz

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In general, much has been written on the experiences of prototypical women in drug recovery programs, however there is only a scarcity of research on the experiences of rural women of color in drug recovery programs. Very few Northern American cultures had experience with alcohol before the first wave of European settlers. Responses to intergenerational trauma faced by Native women include substance abuse, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, suicidal thinking, and more. Due to socioeconomic disadvantages drug and alcohol abuse tends to be a coping mechanism for many Native American women. Drawing on the narratives of ten Indigenous women who are …

The Experiences Of Female Sexual Minority Service Members After 2013, Ada I. Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2010, the United States Armed Forces ended the policy Don’t Ask, Don’t Tellthat excluded sexual minorities from being able to serve openly in the military. Full military benefits were extended to them and their family members in 2013. Despite these changes, victimization, stigma, and discrimination have continued to impact the lives of service members who identify as a sexual minority, as the result of microaggressions due to their sexual orientation. Past literature has examined experiences of sexual minorities, but little research has focuses on sexual minority women whose minority gender identity creates greater risk to experience micro assaults with …

An Evaluation Of A Community-Based Children’S Bereavement Group Using A Resilience Model, Ada Terry Denone Terry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The death of a loved one can be an extremely painful process that can have detrimental consequences on the emotional well-being of individuals if they don’t receive grief intervention support. When it specifically comes to the emotional eudaemonia of children and teens experiencing the death of a loved one, research is limited on empirical-based bereavement intervention support to enhance their coping skills. Utilizing the theoretical framework of resilience theory, the purpose of this quantitative secondary research study was to evaluate the Sutter Sacramento Children’s Bereavement Art Group (CBAG) ten- week intervention for children and teens ages 5-12. The first question …

Relationships Between Stress, Family Support, And Resources Among Custodial Grandparents In Appalachia, Yvonne Sherii Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Appalachian region has experienced a substantial increase in the number of grandparent-headed households providing care to grandchildren. Custodial parenting is not a typical responsibility for many grandparents and can be challenging. The specific problem addressed in this research study was the high level of stress experienced by many custodial grandparents. The theoretical foundation of the current study was based on Selye’s stress theory, which was introduced in 1936 and examined biological stress that he referred to as “the syndrome of being sick.” The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, and correlational study was to examine the predictive relationship that custodial …

Well-Being Among Foster Parents Of Children With A History Of Sexual Abuse, Jelenny Marquez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are over half a million children and adolescents living in foster care in the United States, and many of them endure frequent disruptions to their placements. Disruptions are more common among children with a history of sexual abuse. The disruption of placement increases the likelihood of undesirable outcomes for both the children and their foster parents. Foster parents who are willing to offer a home that is safe and stable for a child in the foster care system are more important than ever. This qualitative study explored foster parents’ experiences of well-being after having fostered children with a history …

Social Work's Unremitting Identity Crisis: Can The Dsw Provide Answers?, Debra Joyce Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThis study is centered on a long-standing professional identity dilemma that poses potential problems for the future of the field of social work. Current literature points to specific shortcomings in the field that threaten the future of the profession. Some researchers also suggest that the reemergence of the Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) may be used to solve some of the identity concerns with the profession. The study further asserts that practicing licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) have not been a part of the conversation regarding the identity issues or the remedies that the field is considering. Using both a …

Case Manager Perspectives On Transition Services For Youth With Intellectual Disabilities, Alecha Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth with intellectual disabilities have poorer outcomes during the transition period from school to adulthood. Very few studies were found that examine the perspective of the human service case manager. The perspectives of human service case managers were examined regarding the services that are needed to help youth with intellectual disabilities transition effectively. The study's purpose was to determine the services available and those needed to help support the transition from school to work, college, or in living independently for youth with intellectual disabilities. The theoretical framework for this study was Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory used to explore the errors …

Clinicians' Perceptions Of Telehealth Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Virginia, Johnetta Hill Guishard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The onset of COVID-19 introduced unprecedented changes to how U.S. public health services were delivered. Many public and private agencies faced mandatory closures, social distancing mandates, and rapid transitions to telehealth interventions and treatment. Mental health clinicians witnessed disruptions in continuity of care and an increase in mental health risks overall. Although some studies have been conducted to survey clinicians’ perceptions of the usefulness and ease of use of technology-based interventions, knowledge about mental health clinicians’ experiences and perceptions in Virginia was sparse. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore how mental health clinicians in Virginia described …

Social Work's Unremitting Identity Crisis: Can The Dsw Provide Answers?, Debra Joyce Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThis study is centered on a long-standing professional identity dilemma that poses potential problems for the future of the field of social work. Current literature points to specific shortcomings in the field that threaten the future of the profession. Some researchers also suggest that the reemergence of the Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) may be used to solve some of the identity concerns with the profession. The study further asserts that practicing licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) have not been a part of the conversation regarding the identity issues or the remedies that the field is considering. Using both a …

School Social Workers’ Role In School Discipline: Understanding School Discipline And Juvenile Justice, Staisha D. Hamilton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disproportionate disciplinary actions relating to school-based offenses for Black youth influence their early juvenile justice involvement. The continued excessive disciplinary actions involving Black male students in lower-level academic settings are concerning because, without being addressed, continuing disproportionate disciplinary action toward Black males can lead to future juvenile justice involvement and create a large-scale social work practice issue. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to focus on school social workers’ perspectives of their role in addressing disproportionate disciplinary strategies and their understanding of the relationship between school discipline strategies and juvenile justice involvement. The theoretical framework of this project …

Preferred Practices To Retain Black Female Caseworkers Employed In Child Welfare, Anna Koehle

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed by this study was that the turnover rate among social workers has been highest for Black female child-welfare caseworkers. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of Black female child-welfare caseworkers and effective strategies for retention. Ten experienced Black female caseworkers in child welfare were interviewed; participants represented five U.S. states. Participants were asked about mentorship programs, preservice training, financial incentives, major concerns related to retention, and recommendations for retention initiatives to specifically address the needs of Black female caseworkers. Themes emerged related to Black female caseworkers in child welfare. Mentorship programs …

Mental Health Problems Among Elementary School Students Mandated To E-Learning: A Covid-19 Rapid Review Caveatmandated To E-Learning: A Covid-19 Rapid Review Caveat, Renee M. D'Amore, Angelina N. Halpern, Lauren R. Reed, Kevin M. Gorey

Social Work Publications

Extended lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic mandated millions of students worldwide to e- learning and by default made many of their parents proxy homeschool teachers. Preliminary anecdotal, journalistic and qualitative evidence suggested that elementary school children and their parents were probably most vulnerable to this stressor and most likely to experience mental health problems because of it. We responded with a rapid review of 15 online surveys to estimate the magnitude of such risks and their predictors between 2020 and 2021. The pooled relative risk of mental health problems among school children and their parents was substantial (RR = 1.97). …

Episcopal Church Home For Children Records - Accession 31, Episcopal Church Home For Children

Manuscript Collection

This collection is a valuable source on the Church’s historical effort to extend its services for the social improvement of South Carolina (in this case the Episcopal Diocese’s program for destitute children.) While there is information on the Episcopal Home for Children from its beginning in 1850 to 1967, the actual records do not start until 1866. A centennial history of the Episcopal Home will serve as an aid and general guideline to the researcher. (See box 1, folder 1). The collection consists of minutes, reports of the annual meeting, general correspondence, superintendent’s records, health records, attendance registers, financial records, …

Between The Noise And Silence: An Autoethnography Challenging Schools Of Social Work To Evolve For Trans Students, Isaac M. Akapnitis, G. Trey Jenkins, Natasha S. Mendoza

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social work programs have been largely silent in the face of legislative at- tacks on transgender/nonbinary (TGNB or “trans”) communities across the U.S., which signals to TGNB students that they may not be supported in their respective programs. Consequently, TGNB students, staff, and faculty shoulder the burden to advocate for change within social work academic institutions and to speak out about violence perpetrated against TGNB communities. Using our voices as two trans doctoral students and a queer cisgender associate professor, we employed collaborative and critical autoethnography to share insights about the impact of this burden on TGNB social work students …