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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Articles 3001 - 3030 of 4997

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Caregivers' Challenges In Accessing Services For Children With Autism, Anita Payne Jones Jan 2019

Caregivers' Challenges In Accessing Services For Children With Autism, Anita Payne Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The perspective of the caregiver is vital to understanding the experiences of raising a child with autism, including the challenges faced in accessing services. The purpose of this qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of primary caregivers raising a school-age child with autism and to bring about an understanding of the challenges faced in accessing services. Resiliency theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 participants raising a child with autism in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Data were analyzed using Moustakas's descriptive approach. Results yielded 5 themes: overall …

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Effective Planning Of Urban Communities' Vulnerabilities For Mitigation Of Homelessness After A Natural Disaster, Tamara Michelle Lapsley Jan 2019

Effective Planning Of Urban Communities' Vulnerabilities For Mitigation Of Homelessness After A Natural Disaster, Tamara Michelle Lapsley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Urban communities often lack the ability to recover after disaster plans have been implemented because of a lack of coordinated resources among federal, state, and local agencies. As a result, economically marginalized citizens find themselves in risky conditions, particularly concerning finding and securing post-disaster housing. Using social conflict theory as a guide, the purpose of this exploratory case study of an urban area in a southern state was to better understand the specific vulnerabilities of urban communities and develop solutions for challenges related to emergency or temporary shelters to victims. Data were primarily collected through interviews with 10 residents who …

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Policy Implications Of Intentional Contamination Of The Retail Food Chain, James C. Mack Jan 2019

Policy Implications Of Intentional Contamination Of The Retail Food Chain, James C. Mack

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The retail food safety chain is vulnerable to deliberate contamination, yet food safety professionals and emergency managers typically respond to intentional contamination in different ways. Little is known about the practices of environmental health food safety professionals (EHFSP) as compared to emergency managers and whether those approaches can be combined to more successfully impede intentional food contamination. The purpose of this narrative policy analysis was to use routine activity theory to compare the narratives of EHFSPs and emergency managers to determine whether there are opportunities to better understand the relationship between vulnerability and resiliency of the retail food safety chain. …

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Local Government Programs For The Learning Of English Among Adult Spanish-Speaking Immigrants, Charlotte E. Mcgee Jan 2019

Local Government Programs For The Learning Of English Among Adult Spanish-Speaking Immigrants, Charlotte E. Mcgee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Spanish is the second-largest speaking language in the United States, and while many government agencies have developed programs to help immigrants learn English, little is known about how program participants perceive the programs in terms of utility in transitioning to life in America or the usefulness of skills learned. Using Blalock's racial power-threat theory as the foundation, the purpose of this general qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of one such program in a mid-Atlantic city specifically oriented toward Spanish speaking immigrants. Data were collected from 15 adults, Spanish speaking program facilitators and a review of publicly available documentation …

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Military Sexual Trauma Survivors' Experiences And Perceptions Of Cognitive Processing Therapy, Sally A. Mead Jan 2019

Military Sexual Trauma Survivors' Experiences And Perceptions Of Cognitive Processing Therapy, Sally A. Mead

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military sexual trauma (MST) has been associated with poor emotional and psychological well-being, less overall life satisfaction, and poorer health in general as well as higher rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Department of Veterans Affairs provides treatment for veterans who experienced MST and recommends cognitive processing therapy (CPT) as a preferred treatment modality. Quantitative studies have shown that CPT can decrease symptoms of PTSD; however, a neglected area of study concerns the experiences of veterans who receive CPT for MST-related PTSD. In this generic qualitative study, the perceptions and experiences of female veterans who were survivors of MST …

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Successful Strategies For Retaining Profitability In An Education-Sector It Project, Cassandra Romae Middleton Jan 2019

Successful Strategies For Retaining Profitability In An Education-Sector It Project, Cassandra Romae Middleton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many information technology (IT) project managers (PMs) and other business leaders lack effective strategies for enhancing communication among their project team members, thereby reducing profitability and organizational cohesion. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore communication strategies that IT PMs used to successfully complete IT mobile device projects. The conceptual framework for this study was McQuail's mass communication, Craig's communication, and Deming's profound knowledge theory. Purposive sampling method was used to identify 6 successful IT PMs and leaders who worked at 2 leading educations settings located in southeastern South Carolina. Data gathered from the semistructured interviews and …

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Extent, Correlates, And Consequences Of Careless And Inattentive Responding In Certification Job Analysis Surveys, Patricia M. Muenzen Jan 2019

Extent, Correlates, And Consequences Of Careless And Inattentive Responding In Certification Job Analysis Surveys, Patricia M. Muenzen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Survey data quality is influenced by the care and attention that respondents take in answering questions. Careless and inattentive (CI) responding is a confound in survey data that can distort findings and lead to incorrect conclusions. This quantitative study explored CI responding in job analysis studies supporting occupational certification programs and its relationship to survey features, data quality measures, and test content validity. Satisficing theory served as the framework, and secondary analysis of 3 job analysis surveys was undertaken. Results indicated that 9-33% of respondents engaged in CI responding, with the rate differing by CI index used (Mahalanobis distance, long …

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Evaluating Counseling Modality Based On Recidivism For Misdemeanor Offenders, Erin D. Prisbrey Jan 2019

Evaluating Counseling Modality Based On Recidivism For Misdemeanor Offenders, Erin D. Prisbrey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Illegal substance use in the United States is a growing problem, and a western state has a higher than average rate of drug offenders. Many courts, including misdemeanor courts, have limited to no budget for drug treatment programs outside of the drug court treatment programs. As such, many court-ordered drug treatment programs, when drug counseling is ordered in exchange for a reduction in charges, are outsourced to privately owned companies. The drug counseling entails a single 8-hour outsourced drug counseling course, which includes either in-person, online, or correspondence-based counseling. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of …

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Supply Chain Managers' Reverse Logistics Strategies To Control Cost Through Risk Mitigation, Lawrence A. Reeves Jan 2019

Supply Chain Managers' Reverse Logistics Strategies To Control Cost Through Risk Mitigation, Lawrence A. Reeves

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supply chain managers in the food and beverage industry face significant challenges regarding the use of effective reverse logistics strategies to reduce supply chain disruptions, control risk, and reduce costs. Through the lens of resource dependence theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore reverse logistics strategies used by supply chain managers in the United States to control cost through risk mitigation. Participants in this study included 5 supply chain managers in the food and beverage distribution industry in the state of Georgia who implemented successful reverse logistics strategies to control cost through risk mitigation. Data were …

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Information And Communications Technology Strategies For Improving Global Virtual Teams' Success Rates, Sadie Lee Soto Jan 2019

Information And Communications Technology Strategies For Improving Global Virtual Teams' Success Rates, Sadie Lee Soto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective strategies to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) to support global virtual teams (GVTs) have adversely affected organizations' performance. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the effective strategies participating GVT managers in 2 organizations in the United States used to integrate ICT to support teams' success. The population comprised managers in New York with at least 3 years of service integrating successful strategies in ICT to support GVT success. Transformational leadership theory was used as the conceptual framework for this study. The data collection process included asking 4 participants semistructured interview questions as well as …

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Perspectives Of Sierra Leoneans Healthcare Workers' Mental Health During The Ebola Outbreak, Guy O. Taylor Jan 2019

Perspectives Of Sierra Leoneans Healthcare Workers' Mental Health During The Ebola Outbreak, Guy O. Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The mental health of healthcare workers during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa was a serious concern for healthcare professionals and the mental health field. One area in West Africa where healthcare workers played a significant role during the Ebola outbreak of 2014 and 2015 was Sierra Leone. This qualitative research study was designed to explore the perceptions of Sierra Leoneans healthcare workers' mental health, how they coped, and treatment they received while providing care for Ebola virus patients. This study, with a phenomenological research approach, used purposeful sampling to recruit 10 healthcare workers to participate in semi structured, open-ended …

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Stress And Burnout: Empathy, Engagement, And Retention In Healthcare Support Staff, Burnette Vidal Jan 2019

Stress And Burnout: Empathy, Engagement, And Retention In Healthcare Support Staff, Burnette Vidal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on stress and burnout and their influence on empathy, engagement, and retention, in healthcare support staff is scarce in the literature. The theoretical framework for this study was the conservation of resources (COR) theory which claims that when people are stressed, emotionally exhausted, and experiencing burnout, they protect and preserve their physical and mental resources from becoming depleted by reducing their effort and withdrawing from work. The key research question was: Does burnout mediate the relationship between stress and empathy, engagement, and turnover intentions in healthcare support staff working in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)? This quantitative, non-experimental, …

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Influence Of Implicit-Bias Training On The Cultural Competency Of Police Officers, Marvin Whitfield Jan 2019

Influence Of Implicit-Bias Training On The Cultural Competency Of Police Officers, Marvin Whitfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Highly publicized media events involving African American men and the use of deadly force by police officers have occurred between 2013 and 2014. These events have emphasized the need to examine the influence of implicit bias training on police officers' decision-making processes. During the past two decades, Community Oriented Policing Services has invested several billion dollars in training programs designed to eliminate racial bias within the law enforcement community. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how implicit-bias training influences the decision-making processes of police officers. More specifically, this study examined the perceptions of police officers regarding the …

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African American Aged Adults' Attitudes And Perceptions About Assisted Living Facilities, Delois Ann Wilson Jan 2019

African American Aged Adults' Attitudes And Perceptions About Assisted Living Facilities, Delois Ann Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In comparison with the national U.S. population, African American aged adults are less likely to reside in assisted living facilities (ALFs). At present, little qualitative data exist concerning how African American aged adults perceive living at home as opposed to living in an ALF. Using a phenomenological approach, this study explored how African American aged adults who live at home feel about residing in ALFs. The research questions focused on aged adults' perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes about ALFs and the conditions that may prevent African American aged adults from living in ALFs. A conceptual framework based on the Purnell Model …

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Perceptions Of Residents In Rural Areas Toward Law Enforcement, Joseph James Wagner Jan 2019

Perceptions Of Residents In Rural Areas Toward Law Enforcement, Joseph James Wagner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Negative public perceptions toward law enforcement officers (LEOs) have increased in recent years as the result of police shootings of unarmed men. Researchers have focused on urban residents' perceptions toward LEOs, but have not examined the perceptions of rural residents. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the dependent variable (DV) of rural citizens' perceptions toward LEOs and the independent variables (IVs) of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, income, employment status, educational attainment, and immigration status. The social judgment theory and the primary socialization theory were used as the theoretical foundations to …

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The Lived Experiences Of Male Victims Of Intimate Partner Violence, Arielle Chieko Woodyard Jan 2019

The Lived Experiences Of Male Victims Of Intimate Partner Violence, Arielle Chieko Woodyard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of male victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Few studies exist about the experiences of men who are victims of female-perpetrated IPV and there are not many studies about these men's experiences in seeking and receiving psychological help. Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Peck's gender role strain paradigm guided this study to understand victimology and perceptions of gender roles. Research questions attempted to understand the lived experiences of male IPV victims of female-perpetrated IPV, accessing supportive and psychological services, and their experiences of these services. Seven male individuals were recruited through flyers in …

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Gis Suitability Analysis To Situate Recreational/Retail Marijuana Stores In Denver, Colorado, Aniekan Okon Akpanekong Jan 2019

Gis Suitability Analysis To Situate Recreational/Retail Marijuana Stores In Denver, Colorado, Aniekan Okon Akpanekong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

On October 1, 2013, the city of Denver adopted bill CB 570 allowing state-licensed retail marijuana businesses. Section 6-211(b) of the Denver Code of Ordinance codified distance separations between licensed retail marijuana sites and prohibited locations. Using distance decay theory coupled with Geographic Information systems (GIS)-based multicriteria analyses, Denver's licensed retail marijuana stores were evaluated in relation to their proximity compliance with �6-211(b). Using GIS topology testing from 1000 feet to 650 feet, current retail marijuana stores had a compliance percent ranging between 29% to 56% from each other, 2% to 7% from licensed medical marijuana stores, 39% to 68% …

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Graduate Student Self-Efficacy During The Psychology Practicum Experience, Janice Baylor Jan 2019

Graduate Student Self-Efficacy During The Psychology Practicum Experience, Janice Baylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been limited attention as to whether effective clinical supervisors help to build self-efficacy in clinical trainees by focusing on positive instances of their behavior during practicum. Trainees' may enter practicum with lower self-efficacy regarding their skills and having a supervisor that provides an experience that was positive would be expected to lead to higher self-efficacy. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine whether a relationship existed between self-efficacy and graduate students' experience in practicum training as measured by the role conflict subscale of the role conflict and role ambiguity inventory); working alliance inventory-supervisee; supervision evaluation questionnaire; …

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A Case Study Of Forensic Interviewing Of Antisocial Personality Disorder Diagnosed Inmates, Markus Michael Bressler Jan 2019

A Case Study Of Forensic Interviewing Of Antisocial Personality Disorder Diagnosed Inmates, Markus Michael Bressler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interview strategies applied in adult criminal justice settings focus on the interviewer and concentrate on obtaining information for the courts, while simultaneously neglecting a forensic understanding of interviewees, including the interviewee's decision-making and behavioral health impairments. As a consequence, there is a deficiency of evidence-based research regarding interview practices with persons diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Using social control and neutralization theories as the foundation, the purpose of this case study of a single justice system in the United States was to better understand the perspectives and experiences of ASPD diagnosed inmates (n =5) compared to incarcerated participants without …

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Policy Alternatives For The Cameroon Conflicts With Views On Abolishing The Federation, Christmas Atem Ebini Jan 2019

Policy Alternatives For The Cameroon Conflicts With Views On Abolishing The Federation, Christmas Atem Ebini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The violent conflicts in the Northwest and Southwest provinces of Cameroon (Southern Cameroons) have obtained national and international attention. The government of Cameroon and armed separatists (Southern Cameroonians) have been called upon to address the root cause of the conflicts and reach a lasting peaceful settlement. This qualitative study is aimed at providing policy alternatives for the current conflict. The primary research question seeks to establish how the 1972 abolition of the federal system may have provided the impetus for the current conflicts. A second question addresses the options for resolving the conflict and the prospects of resolution. Data was …

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Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Perceptions Of Subcontracting Training Within The Department Of Defense, Thomas Wayne Krusemark Jan 2019

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Perceptions Of Subcontracting Training Within The Department Of Defense, Thomas Wayne Krusemark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Veteran-owned small businesses that possess ratings as service-disabled companies (i.e., service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses [SDVOSB] are 1 of 5 socioeconomic small business contracting goals that U.S. government agencies seek to comply with U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) set-aside goals. Little is known about collaborative strategies for improving training regarding single point of entry into Department of Defense (DOD) subcontracting. The research questions in this study focus on how veteran-owned small businesses pursue acquisition opportunities from training opportunities. Sabatier's advocacy coalition theory was used as the theoretical foundation for this study. This qualitative study was employed using 6 semistructured interviews of …

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Gender Identity Development Of Women In The U.S. Army, Marshelle Lee Machtan Jan 2019

Gender Identity Development Of Women In The U.S. Army, Marshelle Lee Machtan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In spite of a newly developed military policy to facilitate gender integration since 2012, women service members in the U.S. Army today still face a discriminatory social climate. Male-dominated units foster the masculine ideal that subsequently leads to hypermasculine attitudes enabled through gender harassment behavior. Here, women employ coping strategies that facilitate either gender management or a balanced military identity, addressed in Culver's (2013) Gender Identity Development of Women in the Military (GIDWM) 4-phase matrix. A woman service member's position in the matrix is proportional to her level of gender management or military identity development. Similarly, her matrix position is …

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Increasing The Efficacy Of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy For Fear-Of-Flying, Chad Macmillan Jan 2019

Increasing The Efficacy Of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy For Fear-Of-Flying, Chad Macmillan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is a treatment often used to treat fear-of-flying (FOF), which research shows is effective for treating this phobia. Researchers have identified that the realism of the virtual environment is an important component in the efficacy of VRET and increased realism is likely to increase the efficacy of VRET. Guided by cognitive theory, emotional processing theory, and behaviorism, the purpose of this quantitative study was to demonstrate if a new generational technique called true reality-virtual reality exposure therapy (TR-VRET) is at least as efficacious as traditional VRET for treating the fear and anxiety associated with FOF. …

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Progress On The Economic Empowerment Of Female Entrepreneurs In Kenya's 30% Preferential Public Procurement Policy, Rukaya Mohammed Jan 2019

Progress On The Economic Empowerment Of Female Entrepreneurs In Kenya's 30% Preferential Public Procurement Policy, Rukaya Mohammed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Kenya, a 2013 presidential directive reserved 30% of government procurement opportunities for enterprises owned by women, youth, and persons with disabilities to promote economic empowerment; however, as of 2016, female entrepreneurs continued to be outpaced by their male counterparts. The lack of policy evaluation from the female entrepreneur perspective limits the ability to assess progress and identify obstacles. Through purposeful sampling and semistructured interviews, this qualitative phenomenological study obtained the perceptions of the implementation and impact of Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) on economic empowerment from the perspective of 20 female entrepreneurs in Kenya previously awarded procurement contracts. …

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Factors Leading To Successful Asian American Women Leaders, Vishakha S. Naresh Jan 2019

Factors Leading To Successful Asian American Women Leaders, Vishakha S. Naresh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although women have been progressing in the U.S labor force into supervisory and management positions, the number of Asian American women in leadership roles continues to be limited. There is support in the literature for research on factors associated with the leadership development of Asian American women. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the racial and gender experiences and perspectives of 7 Asian American women in U.S. health care organizations and how they developed into leaders. Feminist and sociocultural theories were applied to gain insight. Interviews were carried out to comprehend the manner in which gender …

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Elder Abuse In Illinois: A Two–Pronged Approach To Assessing The State's Response, Angelique Marie Pass Jan 2019

Elder Abuse In Illinois: A Two–Pronged Approach To Assessing The State's Response, Angelique Marie Pass

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Adult Protective Services Program is tasked with enforcing the standards and policies created at the federal level relating to how provider agencies should respond to elder abuse. What has yet to be explored is whether the Adult Protective Services Program is efficiently responding to the issue of elder abuse through its monitoring and evaluation protocols, which are based on the current policies. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of the 13 planning and service areas in their response to elder abuse. The response to elder abuse is guided by the current policies and funding strategies …

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Role Of Stand-Alone Business Entities In Sustaining Newly Established Nonprofit Organizations, Sharif S. Shamroukh Jan 2019

Role Of Stand-Alone Business Entities In Sustaining Newly Established Nonprofit Organizations, Sharif S. Shamroukh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Thousands of newly established nonprofit organizations (NPOs) with long-lasting and needed missions disappear annually, which negatively impacts the nonprofit sector in general and the potential recipients of the discontinued NPOs' services. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the possible influence that the presence of a strategic resource development plan and the establishment of a stand-alone business entity have on the persistence of newly established NPOs that have long-lasting and needed missions in the United States within the context of the theoretical framework resource dependence theory. Research questions focused on the role of commercial activities, particularly the stand-alone …

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Experiences Of Subtle Sexism Among Women Employees In The National Park Service, Audrey Marie Ashcraft Jan 2019

Experiences Of Subtle Sexism Among Women Employees In The National Park Service, Audrey Marie Ashcraft

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although blatant sexism persists in the workplace, there is a subtler type of sexism that is not often discussed. Some of the harmful outcomes that concern organization employees and leaders include decreased job satisfaction and morale, increased stress and turnover, damaged workplace relationships, barriers to career development for women, and decreased feelings of safety in law enforcement employees. Subtle sexism is often disguised as friendliness or chivalry, and therefore is difficult to detect, so it is often ignored or trivialized. The harms are cumulative and compound over time. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to gather data about …

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Parental Needs Regarding The Future Of Their Adult Intellectually Disabled Child, Jeannie Brown Jan 2019

Parental Needs Regarding The Future Of Their Adult Intellectually Disabled Child, Jeannie Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem examined in this study was the lack of policy in New York State regarding the provision of prioritized residential services for intellectually disabled individuals who are being cared for by an aging caregiver. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and document the needs experienced by aging parents regarding securing the future of their intellectually disabled adult child. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Sabatier’s advocacy coalition framework. The research questions examined the lived experiences of aging parents caring for an adult child with an intellectual disability what parents perceive their needs …

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Service Delivery Agents' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Panhandling Policy In Virginia, Nancy Brown Jan 2019

Service Delivery Agents' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Panhandling Policy In Virginia, Nancy Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Panhandling (also called begging and mendicancy) has been a problem for lawmakers. Although current crime control measures (based on the broken windows theory) have identified a perceived link between disorders (i.e., panhandling) and crime, previous attempts to ban panhandling were deemed unconstitutional. The purpose of this work was to investigate the impact of the latest attempt to curb panhandling in Hampton Roads, Virginia, known as the Public Education Campaign. This phenomenological inquiry examined the perceptions and work-related experiences of service delivery agents to explore the impact of the panhandling policy on panhandling and policy enforcement. Purposive sampling was used to …

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