The purpose of this project was to build the capacity of a Perinatal and Postpartum Support Network in a county in rural Northern California to effectively engage, cultivate and build up the community supports that address perinatal mental health. The . . .

With the growing Latino population in the rural Humboldt County, there is a pressing need for more bilingual services. The purpose of my community project is to find out which service providers in Humboldt County provide bilingual services to monoling . . .

This project’s purpose is to provide Arcata School District (ASD) with a toolkit of resources and a set of eight proposed policies aimed to increase cultural humility. ASD may choose to adopt these for the upcoming academic year. Current policies, his . . .

A pilot study was conducted that examined the potential benefits of a newly established five-week program entitled ‘FRESH’ (Feeling Revitalized, Emotionally Stable, and Healthy). Program participants were invited from the community to attend this prog . . .

Nationwide bullying in schools continues to increase even though it has been shown to be associated with negative outcomes (Swearer, 2011). Bullying affects not only a student’s sense of security, but also their academic performance and their health ( . . .

The experience of homelessness is wrought with challenges related not only to meeting immediate needs for daily survival, but also coping with exacerbating risk factors, such as addiction, mental illness, and trauma. These risk factors are pervasive i . . .

Humboldt County Child Welfare Services uses a variety of placement options to meet the needs of the children who are taken into care. These placements require an assortment of services to be successful. It is important for the stability of these child . . .

This document seeks to encourage the development of allies to the LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer and intersexed) community as they are accessing social services. Content analysis was used to demonstrate the applicabilit . . .

As a rural community, Fort Bragg faces the challenge of not having enough activities for its children. A significant percentage of children and youth spend their leisure time drinking, smoking, and using illegal substances. Negative social consequence . . .

Juvenile Justice has become a complex and growing system in the United States. What began as a rehabilitative system is increasingly becoming more punitive. As this transformation is occurring, protections and new regulations have not been implemented . . .

The school to prison pipeline is the problematic phenomenon of funneling children out of schools and into the prison system. The Council of State Governments in 2011 found that students who are suspended or expelled are almost three times as likely to . . .

A needs assessment for respite care was conducted to identify specific self-reported needs of out-of-home caregivers contracted through a public child welfare agency located in a rural Northern California community. The aim of the needs assessment was . . .

The purpose of this project is to create a sustainable resource for the Lassen County Office of Education and all Lassen county school districts. In 2015, the Lassen County Office of Education recruited two school social workers to provide counseling . . .

The goal of this project was to survey members of indigenous communities in the rural northern Central Valley regarding their recommendations for improving services to individuals who have experienced violence in their community. Based on prior profes . . .

This study is intended to investigate food insecurity among international students, who are working on a college campus, and to provide greater understanding of the barriers for them and/or their families in accessing SNAP benefits. Twelve individuals . . .

The focus of this project was to create a simplistic yet thorough curriculum and teach a few individual community members how to become a probate conservator without the use of a lawyer or a government entity. I developed a curriculum in the style of . . .

Problem: The issues I am focusing on are implementing and sustaining a mental health peer support “warm line” for Humboldt County; one that does not currently, exist. This type of “warm line” can assist our community by increasing resources, decreasin . . .

Al-Anon is an international fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems. The purpose of my community project is to seek to find if it would be beneficial to h . . .

Searching for quality information about trauma on the Internet can be a daunting task. Previous to my education in social work, I found this to be frustratingly true. I noticed this similar challenge while working with local community agencies and com . . .

My project researched and analyzed Humboldt State University (HSU) student themes related to transforming traditional non-edible landscape to edible landscape as a means to address the growing issue of food insecurity among university student populati . . .

Trends from across the nation are that there is a shortage of foster parents for the number of children in foster care. In a rural northern California county, it is typically a struggle to find a place for children removed from their homes to be place . . .

The growing field of trauma work supports professionals and clients alike in healing from trauma, and creating ways to sustain one’s wellbeing. It is important to consider the benefits of implementing a trauma course in the MSW Distance Learning progr . . .

Emerging research demonstrates American college student food insecurity is a pressing issue, potentially affecting academic performance and health. However, college students do not qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) unles . . .

This project focused on transportation for older adults in unincorporated areas with particular attention given to Ridgewood Heights in Humboldt County, CA. for older adults. The research looked at current transportation for older adults such as publi . . .

Life histories of women who are or have participated in an intervention at Men/Women Experiencing Non-Abusive Directions (M/WEND), a local private agency serving domestic violence offenders, were analyzed. An analysis of existing data and case files t . . .

The purpose of this research is to take a closer look at the most recent reform to health care coverage and policy implemented in 2013, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act PL 111-148. More specifically, this research is a review of the lite . . .

This is a mixed methods, retrospective program evaluation of the Spare Change Peer Education and Teen Theatre Troupe (Spare Change) for the academic school years between 2006/2007 – 2010/2011. Spare Change is a sexual health education program that has . . .

This manuscript examines the concerns of the local Latino community in Humboldt County, California, through the lens of grassroots community organizing. True North Organizing Network (TNON) utilizes the PICO model (People Improving Communities through . . .

The animal-human bond is important to consider when dealing with the social, medical, and psychological outcomes of human society. The concept of trans-species food security is not new. However, the concept of food insecurity in companion animals nega . . .

The Fatherhood Is Sacred® and Motherhood Is Sacred Program™ is a program that has reached many Tribal communities across the Nation. The student researcher will conduct a program evaluation to measure the effectiveness of the program and capture the v . . .

Indigenous communities throughout the world are under pressure from mainstream societies and the western world to assimilate and to abandon their Indigenous Culture. Colonialism has disrupted Indigenous ways of living for over five centuries now. Much . . .

Paso a Paso (Step by Step) is a community based program for Latino families in Humboldt County. For many years Paso a Paso has provided different services that educate parents and children on how to live healthier lives. Paso a Paso has become a trust . . .

In this study I examined the role of a batterers’ treatment program relative to other factors that influence the likelihood that a domestic violence offender will be arrested for further violence. Then I looked at factors that best predicted attrition . . .

The focus of this project is the coordination and implementation of an event that exemplifies how the arts can be a sustainable form of social work practice that is not only effective for individuals but also holds great potential for entire communiti . . .

There are many differing populations of students in University whose success depends on the level of support and resources available on campus. The life of a student does not stop and end during holiday breaks and support may be needed during holidays . . .

The project gathered the perspectives of current licensed foster parents in Del Norte County in regards to factors effecting recruitment, retention and support of foster parents by both social workers and in the community. Telephonic interviews were c . . .

Evaluating the significance of applied mindfulness interventions and techniques for veterans who have returned from active duty is an important undertaking. As more soldiers transition from combat related service and reintegrate into civilian life, th . . .

The focus of this project is to provide a free class that introduces American Sign Language (ASL) and raises awareness of deaf culture to the community. Social network media and word of mouth was utilized for recruitment. Family members of deaf and ha . . .

My community project surveyed domestic violence survivors on their experiences with medical/healthcare providers. There are little to no guidelines, protocols or training for medical providers to provide services for survivors of domestic violence. By . . .

There is a housing crisis in rural Northern California due to a lack affordable housing to meet the needs of the people and many vulnerable people are becoming homeless. Many of these people and their families are living outside in tents along the coa . . .

Humboldt Mediation Services (HMS) has a desire to be culturally respectful to all of the diverse clients it serves in Humboldt County. As there are eight different Federally Recognized Indigenous tribes in Humboldt County, in order to build relationsh . . .

The purpose of this project was to develop a policies and procedures manual for a peer-based mental health warm line service for a nonprofit social service organization in northern California. The rural community in which this organization operates su . . .

I am an intern at Redwood Coast Regional Center (RCRC). While I am interning at RCRC, I will construct and produce a Transitional Handbook for youth with developmental disabilities (DD). Currently the area that Redwood Coast Regional Center covers doe . . .

Parents of transition age youth (TAY) who hear voices and/or experience extreme states can be faced with the socially accepted idea that their child is “disabled for life.” Many of these parents believe this idea, and lose hope of recovery for their c . . .

Self-efficacy has been shown through literature, to affect motivation, decision-making, and life choices in children, (Bandura, 1994; Feltz, 2011). This study explored the differences between academic, social, emotional, and physical activity self-eff . . .

In a brief from the Department of Health and Human Services (Recent demographics, 2013), data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) estimated that although national trends have shown dramatic declines in most ethnic . . .

This community project has been done in partnership with the Redwood Coast Regional Center (RCRC) and seeks to fit the needs of service coordinators serving transition age clients and their families. There was not a previously existing resource for th . . .

All over the country crisis intervention teams (CIT) have developed among law enforcement agencies to address the needs of persons with mental illness that are approached by first responders in the community. These programs have proven to reduce recid . . .

Paso a Paso (Step by Step) is a community based program for Latino families in Humboldt County. For many years Paso a Paso has provided different services that educate parents and children on how to live healthier lives. Paso a Paso has become a trust . . .

The overarching goal of this project is to ascertain the communities’ readiness to bring together existing agencies and community supports to collaboratively provide an expedient and professional response to children who have experienced, or may have . . .

Native Americans suffer from mental health and Alcohol and Other Drug issues at high rates, yet low rates of service utilization are reported. This study aims at uncovering the barriers associated with receiving formal services for MH and/or AOD in Na . . .

The Yurok Circles of Care project seeks to develop a behavioral/mental health service model for Yurok children, youth and transition age adults 0-25 and their families. System improvement is being sought in this community because of the disproportiona . . .

The McKinleyville Family Resource Center (MFRC) is in need of a case management revision plan that entails program development. The MFRC receives case referrals from Child Welfare Services (CWS) through the Differential Response system. Differential r . . .

The purpose of this project is to develop a comprehensive Deaf and Hard of Hearing curriculum in partnership with Humboldt County Transition Age Youth Collaboration (HCTAYC) and their Youth Advisory Board (YAB). This curriculum targets Humboldt County . . .

Client assessments are a necessary part of the therapeutic relationship. The requirements for Medi-Cal billing and opening a client to services result in mandated forms that seem counter-intuitive to a strengths-based, client focused approach. Adaptin . . .

Bullying in schools creates an unsafe environment, not only for those experiencing bullying, for all those around and who are witness to it. Some of the health issues associated with bullying are anxiety, depression, changes in sleeping and eating pat . . .

The purpose of this project was to improve access to comprehensive services for Native Americans in Northern California. A resource manual was developed, by conducting “asset mapping” interviews with relevant service providers in the community in orde . . .

This community project involved interviews with same-sex survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) to further explore their experiences seeking formal support in Humboldt County. There are many barriers to seeking support among the lesbian, gay, bi . . .

A diagnosis of early-stage dementia commonly leads to feelings of depression, anxiety, and isolation among those diagnosed due to its progressive nature including loss of mental and physical functioning. Due to the stigmatization of dementia more than . . .

This project in cultural competency curriculum has been created for Humboldt County Teen Court. The groundwork of the curriculum will include Humboldt Counties racial makeup, religious affiliation, and languages spoken. Within this groundwork, it is a . . .

California is comprised of many major fault segments, creating a high probability for a natural disaster such as an earthquake and or subsequent tsunami. Since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and the 1992 Humboldt County and Landers/Big Bear quakes, . . .

This project aimed to evaluate the interest in mindfulness-based practices in a Veterans Home. Mindfulness-based practices have proven effective as an evidence-based treatment method for depressive disorder allowing individuals to regain a sense of ho . . .

Child Welfare Services becomes involved in families’ lives when there are concerns regarding the safety and well-being of children in their families’ care. In instances where conditions are such that the safety and well-being of the child are at risk . . .

Past research has shown that non-White students in college suffer from higher rates of stress and discrimination than Caucasian students. Students of Color in predominately white institutions are at risk of higher levels of stress and discriminations . . .

The rural frontier community of Mountainville, along with the surrounding area, are usually last to grasp new technology, ideas or practices. Some large cities in California have begun to implement trauma informed practices in schools but if history i . . .

According to Merriam-Webster (2015), bibliotherapy is “the use of reading materials for help in solving personal problems or for psychiatric therapy.” The goal of this project was the promotion of bibliotherapy for therapeutic engagement with youth in . . .

Data Report: A Hidden Crisis was released by the San Francisco based Center for Youth Wellness in 2014. This report compiled four years of data gathered by the annual California Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2008, 2009, 2011, and 201 . . .

Social workers in child welfare often are exposed to children and families dealing with complex and traumatic issues at points of crisis. Child welfare workers regularly are exposed to clients experiencing trauma due to a variety of issues, including . . .

There are limited supportive resources available for parents of individuals identified as LGBTQ+ in the East San Francisco Bay Area. Without such resources, often parents can be unaware of how their behaviors can impact their child’s well-being. The p . . .

This project seeks to identify and describe mediation techniques that promote health and wellness for elders and their families who may have conflict and are looking for resolutions and to identify the gaps in services and resources. The identified en . . .

The child welfare and dependency court systems are complex and can be overwhelming for the families who enter into them. This is further compounded by the trauma and chaos that led to the removal of one’s children from their care as well as the trauma . . .

The purpose of this research examined the interventions and staff attributes perceived to be most helpful to clients enrolled in rural residential substance abuse treatment, to gain an understanding of the types of barriers that inhibit treatment succ . . .

This paper constitutes a report of a needs assessment for the developing nonprofit Safer Sex Humboldt on its service population. That population consists of individuals in the Humboldt County area who are over the age of 18 and identify as a member of . . .

In order to provide caregiver support group facilitators with the knowledge they need to be successful in their role, it is important to conduct training for new caregiver support group facilitators. The purpose of this project was to develop and cond . . .

This project was the development of a curriculum on stress management and self-care education to be utilized as part of a workplace wellness program conducted by LIFT-Levántate, a non-profit community health organization. The curriculum presents stres . . .

Individuals who suffer from physical and mental disabilities often experience emotional difficulties that happen alongside their physical and mental disabilities. These emotional difficulties have the ability to hinder an individual’s capacity to lear . . .

Resources for teen girls in the Humboldt County area appear to be very limited. Both adolescent and teen years may be viewed as a “window of opportunity” in which teens can engage in skill-building experiences, and safe, healthy risk-taking, particula . . .

This project has been created as a means to address and prevent commercial sexual exploitation of children and youth who are dependents of the court in a rural community. The rising issues surrounding commercial sexual exploitation of children and you . . .

Limited documentation exists about the therapeutic effects of gardening for Native Americans. Native American individuals who utilized services at local Inter-Tribal Health Center participated in a horticulture group which has been in place since Apri . . .

The purpose of this project is to conduct a needs assessment of the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria. The assessment was developed to evaluate current social services, and provide a community-driven approach to developing a f . . .

This project was developed in partnership with Alice Birney Elementary School in Eureka, California and seeks to address the need of support for families in the Elementary grade levels. The elementary grade levels are defined as grades Transitional Ki . . .

This project explores capacity building in the form of grant writing, donations and building community awareness through education for the Betty Kwan Chinn Homeless Foundation. The Betty Kwan Chinn Homeless Foundation is a local non-profit organizatio . . .

This research examined the high recidivism rate among substance use and reoccurring criminal behavior within Humboldt County. The participants were current AB 109 clients under county supervision or in inpatient substance abuse treatment. A total of 3 . . .

Various factors contribute to the increase in online learning. Social Work Today reported that online education is one of the top ten trends that has transformed social work education (Cummings, Chaffin & Cockerham, 2015). As there continues to be a g . . .

I chose to distribute a needs assessment to administrators at local community organizations because I believed they would be the ones who knew if there was or was not a problem of commercial sexual exploitation in the community. From speaking with a m . . .

The purpose of this project was to build community capacity by enhancing the leadership of a core team of people from the LGBTQ community, to engage in a participatory process that culminated in the creation of an intention statement that communicates . . .

The purpose of the project was to assess supportive rural community spaces for future LGBTQ+ peer-led support groups. The project was based on a transformational research framework, and utilized partnership a local LGBTQ+ grassroots community group in . . .

Humboldt County Child Welfare Services opens a case and gets involved with a family when the safety and well-being of a child is compromised. When a child is removed from the parents care due to abuse or neglect, one of the key factors in the chance f . . .

Several schools in Humboldt County have implemented a “zero tolerance” policy directed at specific offenses committed by students while at school. School administrators have discretion in administering disciplinary action for offenses such as possessi . . .

According to Humboldt Area Foundation (HAF), Humboldt County is home to over 800 nonprofit agencies. Each of these nonprofit agencies, by law, must be governed by a board of directors. These boards are made up of community volunteers who are passionat . . .

This project utilized a literature review to demonstrate the importance of structured visitations. While children are in foster care they receive weekly visitations with their parents to maintain a bond. Because this visitation time is so important fo . . .

The purpose of this project is to examine the experiences of past community partners that have supervised Master of Social Work Student projects from the years 2013-2015. Master of social work students complete master projects in lieu of completing a . . .

Oppression and marginalization are still very much rampant in today’s society. Two groups oppressed groups in rural northern California are indigenous people and immigrant Hispanic populations. Northern California is home to some of the largest tribes . . .

Domestic violence is prevalent across the globe and knows no bounds to ethnicity, class, gender, or sexual orientation. Domestic violence has an annual fiscal impact on the healthcare system totaling more than $5.8 billion; $4.1 billion is for direct . . .

LatinoNet health fair project data was compiled from 71 surveys in fall, 2015. The participants’ identities were kept anonymous and included a wide range of age demographics from youth, college students, adults and the elderly; majority of the survey . . .

People undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer will experience significant emotional and psycho-social distress. Current research supports psycho-social interventions for this population and shows that these interventions can improve the percepti . . .

This project developed a set of recommendations for adapting Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for Central Yup’ik populations, as a community, evidenced-based intervention, in Nome, Alaska. Nome is home to three Indigenous groups: Inupiaq, St. . . .

Animal therapy has many health benefits for people and can be incorporated into the mental health recovery process. People with a mental health diagnosis can suffer from many negative mental health symptoms. Currently there is not a formal animal ther . . .

This project will focus on fundraisers and grant writing for YouthAbility. YouthAbility is a local non-profit organization that addresses the issue of underemployment for foster youth by providing job training to young adults in Humboldt County. Youth . . .

This project has focused on the development of a financial sustainability model planfor rural nonprofits. This plan has been developed based on current recommended best practices, while incorporating the specific considerations or rural communities. T . . .