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1. A Community needs assessment of Arvin, Lamont, and Weedpatch, California: focus group prioritization
- Creator:
- Ceballos, Oscar
- Description:
- The purpose of this community needs assessment was to identify the health and psychosocial services and access needs of residents in three rural communities in central California. Three focus group meetings were organized with community members from Arvin, Lamont, and Weedpatch, California. Group participants reported main concerns were safety (crime), lack of schools, mistrust of officials, pollution (air and water pollution), lack of emergency and health services, and lack of transportation. Each group prioritized its needs. Recommendations and implications for social services and social policy are discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Nieto, Petra
- Description:
- This study is a statewide comparative study in California of the existing Celebrating Families! (CF!) Programs in evaluating the similarities and differences among these programs and their effectiveness of families actually completing the CF! Program. This research utilized both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Data was collected through structured telephone interviews with the use of the CF! Telephone Questionnaire. The CF! Telephone Questionnaire consisted of fifteen open-ended questions, pertaining to each CF! Program’s use of the original CF! curriculum. A purposive sample was used in selecting 8 of the 13 CF! Programs existing in California to participate in this research study. Through the use of SPSS analysis, the results indicated no statistically significant findings designating any one of the CF! Programs’ use of the CF! curriculum to be more effective in increasing the number of families to complete the CF! Program.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Pawloski, Michael
- Description:
- The researcher’s purpose for this community project is to meet the needs for adolescents (ages 13-18); who have been exposed to domestic violence, and create a curriculum for them that is teen-centered and creative. With the help of adolescents that come into our agency seeking treatment and employees at AAFVSA, the researcher of this study will create a drama therapy curriculum for adolescents who have been exposed to domestic violence. The term exposure to DV is defined by the researcher as: those who have experienced it 1st hand (received threats, physical attacks, or verbal/emotional assaults of DV) and those who have witnessed DV (seen DV happen to others). Therefore, when adolescents do come into the agency seeking services due to exposure of domestic violence, they have the option to do individual therapy (which is already intact at AAFVSA) and now group therapy.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Sparks, Tiffany Jean
- Description:
- This study examines the personal beliefs, thoughts, and opinions about the relevance of incorporating the idea of attachment theory in daily, social work practice from a population of individuals who first hand serve children placed in the child welfare system, social workers employed by the Family Services and Permanent Placement programs of the Kern County Department of Human Services. The research was conducted using a survey method. This research aimed to introduce and support the idea that applying attachment theory in child welfare policies and practice is key to improving the lives of children in the child welfare system. Results from the study indicated that social workers from the two employee programs share similar and differing opinions about the idea of including attachment theory in daily practice. Overall, two themes derived from the results; social workers determine decisions for children placed in the child welfare system on a case by case basis and what is deemed to be in the child’s best interest. Implications for further study suggest conducting surveys about the relevance of attachment theory in the family lives among those who care for these children, foster parents, and the importance of child welfare agencies providing continual trainings about attachment theory for their employees and foster parents.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Morris, Courtney Anna Ruth
- Description:
- Through stakeholder interviews and in-depth literature review this project explored the feasibility of creating, implementing, and maintaining a California elder abuse registry. This project aimed to formulate a white paper for the California Senior Legislature for future proposal development. Five stakeholders from across California were interviewed. Utilizing content analysis and grounded theory analysis, interview data were examined leading to the development of a model. The resulting model was a visualization of stakeholders’ knowledge and perceptions about elder abuse registry issues. The model contains three phases, integrated categories, and subcategories. The model was grounded in that data and supported by literature. The findings and resulting model support the feasibility of California creating, implementing, and maintaining an elder abuse registry. The Researcher concluded with three recommendations for future research and California elder abuse registry creation.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Avila, Maria L
- Description:
- The purpose of this project is to create a psychoeducational curriculum for adolescents with type 2 diabetes. The desired outcome is for group participants to acquire knowledge, learn the management of the psychological effects of diabetes and to gain awareness of typical environmental stressors of the disease. Cognitive behavioral therapy will be utilized to treat psychological issues, such as grief and depression, in adolescent with type 2 diabetes. The overall purpose of this curriculum is to minimize psychological issues in adolescents with diabetes to reach optimal glycemic levels.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- North, LaToya
- Description:
- The role of child welfare workers has been complicated with the task of treating juvenile sex offenders. With an increase in the number of juvenile sex offenders, this has become a specialty area and effective treatment requires focus beyond traditional counseling skills. This problem has been complicated since it has been challenging to find a consistent definition of juvenile sex offender. “There is not an accepted term or definition that is widely used to describe or refer to this population” (Moore, Franey, & Geffner, 2004, p.1). How can a worker learn evidenced-based treatment interventions when there is no clarity in the definition. This study reviewed the literature and developed preliminary resources for social workers and other professionals who will be working with clients who are juvenile sex offenders.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Tate, Rachel
- Description:
- The purpose of this project was to provide members of the California Senior Legislature information relevant to end-of-life services in correctional institutions. This information will be used to shape policies that ensure correctional end-of-life care is commiserate with community standards as mandated by the 1996 American Correctional Association. Integration of community standards in program design ensures protection of fundamental human rights. A thorough review and analysis of current policies and services areas requiring further development were identified and recommendations offered.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
9. Implementing an intergenerational program at an adult day health care center in southern California
- Creator:
- Smith, Jessica R
- Description:
- Intergenerational programming has benefits for both the older adults and the children involved in them. The objective of this project was to work toward the implementation of an intergenerational program at an adult day health care center in Southern California. A thorough literature review was conducted focusing on intergenerational programs and the benefits of such. In addition, qualitative data was collected through in person interviews, telephone interviews, and email correspondence. The knowledge gained from the literature review and qualitative data collected for this project will help with the implementation of an intergenerational program at an adult day health care center in Southern California and may encourage more adult day health care centers to look into implementing their own intergenerational programs.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Rodriguez Salinas, Evette
- Description:
- The purpose of this study was to explore training models and funding related to the health care workforce needs of those who serve an older adult population. Three main questions were addressed: What methods of training a health care workforce focused on serving older adults have been developed and implemented successfully?; How is workforce training funded?; and Is there a model of training and funding that is more successful in addressing the shortage of competent health care professionals that serve the older adult population? This research explored four training and funding models that were developed to increase workforce training in geriatrics. Data consisted of the narratives of key informants who provided in-depth descriptions of each program. Content analysis was used as the method using manifest content of the narratives. Categories and themes were pulled and compared to a successful program (Council on Medicine Education) and put in the context of social work. Federal policy such as Social Security Title XIX and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are discussed as they apply to the results.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Sweeney, Kathleen Ann
- Description:
- This report proposes to increase prevention of childhood onset obesity (COO) through a 41-week afterschool social work lifestyle intervention program teaching nutrition, cooking, and healthy eating habits to middle school students and their families. Research shows that COO heightens risk of catastrophic chronic health conditions. Using evidenced based techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), as practiced by Judith Beck Ph.D. and Motivational Interviewing (MI) as practiced by Miller and Rollnick, the social worker will empower participants to make healthier lifestyle choices including adopting better eating habits and more physical activity. Participants will be voluntary, minority, low income, at risk children and families. Research questions of this project include the impacts of two factors: participatory parental engagement and use of evidence-based social work techniques on families' rates of change and degrees of success with respect to healthy lifestyle changes. This project hypothesizes that the inclusion of specific, evidenced-based social work counseling and parental engagement in hands-on participation with their child/children will decrease predicted catastrophic outcomes such as diabetes and kidney disease through lifestyle enhancements. If successful and instituted widely, rates of obesity and diabetes-linked complications could decrease dramatically. Projected to society, the pain and suffering of the afflicted and their families will decrease. The projected billions of dollars for procedures for catastrophic conditions such as amputations, dialysis, and cancer treatments could decline for the benefit of all. A Program Evaluation Plan follows. Longitudinal study with a greater sample size is advisable because of the small sample size and the short duration of the program.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Figueroa, Erica
- Description:
- Purpose: The purpose of this research project was to learn about the self-care practices that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are engaged in while also identifying the barriers impeding DACA recipients from implementing self-care practices in order to be able to better support their usage of current self-care practices while also identifying ways to eliminate or reduce barriers. Descriptive study of self-care practices of DACA. The research design for this study was descriptive with the use an anonymous online survey created with Qualtrics. The results revealed that there was a relationship between the hours worked and time spent on physical activity. The results revealed that the most common self-care practices were listening to music, watching a movie and spending time with family or friends. Based on the findings, it is recommended for more research to be done in order to further explore how we can better support the self-care practices most used by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Villa, Mayra
- Description:
- Background and purpose: Domestic Violence has become a nationwide problem, affecting communities of all races, socioeconomic statuses, educational levels, and geographical settings. However, some groups may be especially vulnerable as they may encounter additional challenges in reporting the abuse or seeking help. For Latina women, their traditional and cultural beliefs may put them at higher risk of not reporting the violence due to the belief that domestic violence is a private matter and that men hold all the power. Specifically, this study explored whether there are unique barriers that prevent Latina women from reporting domestic violence. Methods: A qualitative exploratory study was conducted using anonymous semi-structured phone interviews to examine Latina women's perspective of being in an abusive relationship and barriers they faced in reporting the abuse. Participants needed to be female, Latina, English and/or Spanish speaking, between the ages of 25-55 years old, previously in an abusive relationship, and currently enrolled in domestic violence services. Results: Eight participants between the ages of 27-48 were interviewed. Findings showed that the participants experienced the common barriers that prevent women from reporting domestic violence found in previous research studies. In addition, participants revealed four additional unique barriers. Discussion: Study findings support previous research on barriers to reporting domestic violence for Latina women and identified additional barriers may also interfere with reporting domestic violence. Based on the findings, recommendations suggest the importance of suicide prevention awareness, making resources available throughout the community, and increased training for law enforcement about domestic violence.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Chavez, Jacqueline
- Description:
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a very serious mental health condition that is associated with an anxiety disorder (U.S Department of Veterans Affairs, 2015). This disorder can emerge after someone has witnessed or experienced a traumatic event, although it is still unclear why some people develop PTSD and others do not (U.S Department of Veterans Affairs, 2015). Veteran women are reported to have more psychological distress than men among those who have deployed to Iraq (Seppala et al, 2014). The purpose of this qualitative research paper is to analyze the results that compare and contrast the experience of veteran women with PTSD using deep breathing meditation and how this type of exercise helps them live with the disorder. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of this type of exercise while living with the disorder. This paper measures the efficiency of deep breathing meditation. The results suggest that mind-body interventions, such as deep breathing meditations showed a significant reduction in symptoms of PTSD. The study of this small population of veterans with PTSD, especially women suffering from PTSD can further help improve their quality of life.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Viens, Aemon
- Description:
- The disproportionate disenfranchisement of people of color is compounded in states that have strict felon disenfranchisement laws and therefore, voter disenfranchisement policies perpetuate the second-class status of people of color. In response to a growing trend to enfranchise felons across the country, Florida voters passed Amendment 4. In response, the Florida legislature made multiple attempts to limit the reach of the policy. The author uses Bell's Critical Race Theory as a framework to assess how the policy advances social justice and what barriers impede it. The analysis found that Amendment 4 is a progressive policy that has the potential to enfranchise felons of color, although the exclusion of felony murder and sexual offenders promotes the further legal disenfranchisement of an already marginalized community. In addition, the benefits of Amendment 4 are undermined by the Florida legislature, which is currently litigating the policy's implementation and intends to uphold a neo-poll tax that disproportionately impacts people of color. Other considerations and policy recommendations are discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Quevedo, Yvette
- Description:
- The rationale behind this study is to identify how effective parent support groups are in minimizing stress levels amongst mother caring for children with special speeds. Chihiro (2011), states, parents of children with disabilities can be effectively educated through parent support groups, workshops, psychological intervention or counseling if right approach or channel were utilized. Additionally, our goal is to help bring awareness to the disparities with accessing services for Latino mothers. Furthermore, Hispanic families have reported they have experienced difficulties using services because of language, communication or cultural problems with providers (Ngui and Flores, 2006). This is why it is especially important to further study what services Latino mothers find most helpful and accessible.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Barnes, Breanna
- Description:
- Purpose: To establish unique consequences of religious abuse experienced in childhood on mental health and development. Hypothesis: What is the impact of religious abuse on mental health and development? Methods: Systematic literature review utilizing research from five databases. Results: 599 potential articles were narrowed down to 17 that were deemed appropriate for the study. These articles were further explored for relevant information and reveal of themes. Discussion: Five themes were identified including: unique consequences present in abuse cases perpetrated by clergy, developmental and mental health consequences, diagnostic considerations and implications for treatment.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Starnes, Melissa
- Description:
- Transitions Mental Health Youth Treatment Program (YTP) in San Luis Obispo, CA, is seeking a grant to ensure foster youth who are placed within YTP are equipped with basic health, hygiene, self-care, and school essentials. The purpose of this service is to help ease the transition into residential treatment, support foster youth in feeling comfortable in their new environment, and give them the confidence and reassurance that their basic needs are met. Additionally, the purpose is to equip foster youth with basic school essentials (school supplies, materials, and clothing) to prepare them as they start a new school and enter within a new community to increase the likelihood of developing new peer relationships. This service is based on research studies that focus on protective factors for foster youth. Studies show that youth who have developed healthy peer relationships, engage in youth development programs, and develop independent living skills have greater social, emotional, physical, and developmental health outcomes. Funding in the amount of $8,500 is requested to purchase the necessary materials for the basic needs baskets for up to 10 foster youth who enter into YTP.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Starnes, Melissa
- Description:
- Transitions Mental Health Youth Treatment Program (YTP) in San Luis Obispo, CA, is seeking a grant to ensure foster youth who are placed within YTP are equipped with basic health, hygiene, self-care, and school essentials. The purpose of this service is to help ease the transition into residential treatment, support foster youth in feeling comfortable in their new environment, and give them the confidence and reassurance that their basic needs are met. Additionally, the purpose is to equip foster youth with basic school essentials (school supplies, materials, and clothing) to prepare them as they start a new school and enter within a new community to increase the likelihood of developing new peer relationships. This service is based on research studies that focus on protective factors for foster youth. Studies show that youth who have developed healthy peer relationships, engage in youth development programs, and develop independent living skills have greater social, emotional, physical, and developmental health outcomes. Funding in the amount of $8,500 is requested to purchase the necessary materials for the basic needs baskets for up to 10 foster youth who enter into YTP.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Cruz, Ruth
- Description:
- Housing Instability may impact educational achievement of college students, but has been understudied. Purpose: This study examines the relationship between housing instability and stress among college students. Hypothesis: CSUN students with housing instability will report higher perceived stress compared to CSUN students with housing stability. Methods: CSUN students (N=361) completed a short, anonymous survey on their housing situation and stress using self-designed demographics and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4). Results: There was a significant difference in stress scores for students who reported housing stability in the past 12 months (M = 6.06, SD = 2.81) and students with housing instability (M = 6.94, SD = 2.12; t (358) = 2.86, p = .00, two-tailed). Discussion: Students with housing instability have higher stress levels than students in housing stability.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
21. From Our Perspectives: Untold Stories of LGBTQ Youth in the Foster Care System in Los Angeles County
- Creator:
- Solis Flores, Humberto
- Description:
- Abstract From Our Perspectives: Untold Stories of LGBTQ Youth in the Foster Care System in Los Angeles County By Humberto Solis Flores Master of Social Work The current study explored the experiences of LGBTQ foster care alumni in the Los Angeles County child welfare system. The researchers interviewed six participants and utilized life history interviews and Photovoice methods. Participants were between the ages of 18-26, identified as LGBTQ, and resided within the Los Angeles County foster care system. Individuals first participated in a face-to-face semi-structured interview where they were asked a series of questions relating to their experiences before, during, and after foster care. Following the interview, the participants were asked to take 5-10 photographs over the course of 7-14 days that represented past experiences and hopes for the future. Participants then scheduled a follow-up dialogue session with the researcher where they were able to discuss their photographs. All data collected in this study was analyzed and then consensually coded into twelve domains: pre-placement history, placement history, transitioning out of foster care, educational experiences, mental health, substance abuse, LGBTQ identity, mentorship, resilience, systemic change, sexual/romantic relationships, and significant relationships. The results suggest that LGBTQ youth in foster care face unique challenges before, during, and after their involvement with the child welfare system. Some of these challenges include substance abuse, homelessness, and barriers to accessing mental health services; however, despite these obstacles, participants remained hopeful and resilient. Many participants attributed their resilience to faith, religion, and/or spirituality; creative activities and outlets, such as music or writing; and volunteering/community involvement. They also spoke highly of mentors and family members, or family members of choice, that assisted them throughout their transition from foster care. Recommendations for systemic change include recruitment of more LGBTQ foster parents, additional access to resources, and increased support and awareness from those working directly with this population. Keywords: LGBTQ, foster care, Los Angeles, Photovoice, qualitative interviewing
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Cornejo, Joaquin
- Description:
- This research pursued the following question: Is there a relationship between self-compassion and coping mechanisms for stress among college students? Stress is something that college students face throughout their academic journey; however, this stress can be mitigated by coping skills implemented by students. In this contribution, I present the results of a systematic literature review on stress and coping mechanisms among college students to establish what research has been conducted and to what extent there is evidence of the relationship of self-compassion as a coping mechanism for stress among college students. The major topics associated to stress and how college students cope with stress are stressors, maladaptive behaviors, and coping mechanisms. Students experience numerous stressors that negatively impact their learning capabilities and practice effectiveness (Adonizio, 2012). Countless students have numerous role expectations and demands such as academics, internships, family, friends, intimate relationships, work, and conflicting demands on time, all which increase stress levels. In an effort to manage this stress, students either engage in maladaptive behaviors or implement coping mechanisms. Self-compassion can be a valuable strategy for students to practice to manage their stress. The purpose of this study is to assess if there is a relationship between higher levels of self-compassion and college students' coping skills when dealing with stress.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Citlali, Christian
- Description:
- The purpose of this research study was to explore how healthcare providers’ understand barriers that Transgender youth face when accessing health services in the East San Fernando Valley. This exploratory study used a survey design and convenience sampling of healthcare providers’. An online survey was used to capture the narratives of participants’; responses were coded and analyzed for emerging and reoccurring themes. A total of nine (9) participants’ completed the online survey. Analysis of the data revealed three major themes related to the access to services for Transgender youth: 1) how healthcare providers’ viewed their role when providing services to Transgender youth; 2) the quality, usefulness, and implementation of healthcare professional training and education; 3) healthcare provider’s perspectives on the barriers that Transgender youth face in accessing health services. The results of this study indicated that six out of nine healthcare providers’ saw their role as having empathy and providing equitable service when providing health services to Transgender youth. Participants’ acknowledged that it is important to provide quality care with respect and equal treatment to Transgender youth. Seven out of nine participants’ reported the need for additional training and education to improve their skills and knowledge related to the delivery and quality of Transgender care within the healthcare field.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Murguia, Tita
- Description:
- A major challenge in child welfare and child protection services includes a large number of children living in households with absent fathers. To date, few studies have explored individual efforts by states to engage and involve fathers in child welfare case planning. Focus of Inquiry: This study explored the perspective of both fathers and families as well as the agency practices in an effort to better understand the practices, strengths and challenges to engaging fathers in case planning by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) caseworkers. Methods: The study utilized de-identified administrative mixed data from a sample of 91 case reviews gathered from the Federal Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR); the CFSR assesses a state's performance in achieving safety, permanency, and well-being for children and families. Results: The study found 45.5% of father's received a comprehensive assessment, 36% of fathers received services, 48% were involved in case planning and 51.4% had quality visits. Discussion: Future studies should continue to make fathers a priority, conduct more studies using larger samples.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Hernandez, Moses
- Description:
- The purpose of this policy analysis is to evaluate the current state of amateurism in collegiate athletic programs and the impact it is having on student-athletes. Research question: How will California Senate Bill 206: Student Athlete Compensation and Representation impact the well being of student-athletes and their families? Methods: The Family Impact Analysis (FIA) model was utilized to the measure the impact of SB 206. SB 206 was viewed through the lens of four of the FIA principles, Family Responsibility, Family Stability, Family Relationships, and Family Diversity. Results: SB 206 takes steps in the right direction for student athletes to be able to maximize their opportunity of access to higher education and participating in collegiate athletics while promoting family stability. Discussion: The NCAA's longstanding position to disallow student athletes from benefiting from their name, image, or likeness was stance taken to protect them from unscrupulous actors and avoid exploitation. However, the NCAA managed to commercialize the collegiate athletics, distribute the revenue with involved participants other than student athletes, and in the process gain the attention of legislators willing to advocate for student athletes.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Phillips-Brown, Angela
- Description:
- Research shows that social workers' attitudes and feelings about suicide and their level of preparation related to suicide are not being taught or discussed in graduate level programs. According to data, there is very minimum education provided by the social work graduate program regarding the subject of suicide. The Garrett Lee Smith suicide prevention exposure, awareness, and knowledge questionnaire surveyed 35 CSUN MSW students in the year of 2014. This survey provided further information regarding social work students and their linkage to the topic of suicide. There were no significant findings on the attitudes and feelings of students and their linkage to their level of preparation and interest in training. Implications regarding students' attitudes, feelings, preparation and their interest in training about suicide are discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
27. The Experiences of African American men in an Informal health care setting such as the Barbershop
- Creator:
- Curry, Michael
- Description:
- Purpose: The barbershop is a landmark in the black community which has been utilized for physical health outreach (Hypertension detection) exclusive of mental health (Hess et al., 2007). An understanding of African American men's perspectives could aid current and future social workers, educators and stakeholders in formulating interventions and practices catered to African American men. Research Question: What are the experiences of African American men in an informal health care setting, such as the barbershop? Methods: Utilizing the video voice methodology in a qualitative study, 10 (N = 10) African American men, Natives of San Bernardino County or Los Angeles county, 18-75 years old, who have had experiences in an informal health care setting, recorded short videos responding to prompts about their experiences in the barbershop in regard to mental health. Results: Understandings of mental health, the black man's country club, vulnerability in the chair, healing in the shop and informal vs. traditional therapy were the main themes identified and analyzed for insight to providing for better outreach, intervention creation and practices to support for education and development for this population. Discussion: African American men are willing to embark on conversations about their mental health within informal healthcare settings. Participants felt that their experiences within the barbershop yielded them much psychological, emotional and social well-being.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Bambakyan, Marine
- Description:
- The purpose of this study is to identify the barriers that prevent older Armenian-Americans aged 55 and over, who live in residential buildings, from accessing mental health services. Limited research exists on the berries older Armenian-Americans encounter while trying to access mental health services. The available research found that there is a significant under-utilization rate of mental health services by ethnically diverse groups. This research was a quantitative study, for which sampling took place in Magnolia Towers, a residential building which houses a diverse group of older Armenian American adults. Survey questionnaires were distributed to one hundred Armenian residents at the building and a sample size of 37 completed surveys was collected as a result. Researchers concluded that, depending on the age, length of residency, language proficient and education levels, the significance of identified barriers of accessing mental health services might wary among Armenian American older adults.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Amigon, Cristal
- Description:
- Families throughout the income spectrum experienced economic strain during the 2007 Recession. This then resulted in stress and worry regarding financial stability needed to in order to meet their basic needs. The Stress Process Model was used to guide the research on how the social climate affects families, not only financially but also emotionally and physically. Purpose: This study aimed to examine how families respond to financial instability and economic pressures during the time of the recession. Method: This study utilizes data from "Familial Responses to Financial Instability and How the Family Responds to Economic Pressure: A Comparative Study, 2009 (United States)" in order to address this studies research question. The research question is, "How do families facing economic burden respond to financial hardships?" The data collected in these surveys were completed by 1,169 respondents. Results: The study identified that although the respondent's expenditures remained the same, nearly 66% of respondents stated they were getting by with their family's income with great difficulty and nearly 69% often worried about their family's income. Discussion: In identifying how economic stressors affect individuals throughout the income spectrum, social workers can provide these families with resources that will assist with managing those hardships. It is important to understand the role social climate has on families' economic stability.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- West, John
- Description:
- Purpose: Youth homelessness is an ongoing societal crisis throughout the United States. This research project seeks to integrate frameworks from positive youth development, therapeutic songwriting, and nondeliberative social work practice as it examines the potential of utilizing music studio sessions, such as those offered at Mic City, to create safe spaces for engaging and mentoring homeless youth. Research Question: What are the experiences of homeless youth within a collaborative music studio space? Additional research subquestions investigate the role of collaboration, experiences of mentorship, and unique qualities inherent to Mic City, as experienced by participants. Methods: Using a phenomenological approach, participants in the weekly music production group, known as Mic City, were interviewed about their unique experiences. Additional field notes were used to triangulate research data. Results: Interviews revealed consensus among participants regarding the important role which music plays in their lives. Most participants reported experiencing a mentoring relationship with the group facilitator, who was frequently framed as a supportive educator. An assortment of attitudes towards creative collaboration were voiced, with most participants indicating that collaboration was useful under the right conditions. Discussion: This exploratory research indicates that a music studio setting holds promise as a site for engaging and mentoring homeless youth. Further research may seek to explore quantitative outcomes of participation in similar programming.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Hernandez, Liliana
- Description:
- The study examined the prevalence of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder (PMADS) and perceived social supports, and effects of PMAD and perceived social supports on child rearing practices among 50 Latina immigrant mothers. Most of the sample (98%) had some level of postpartum depression and anxiety with 8-12% at high risk. Although 12% had a high risk of using corporal punishment, those with perceived social supports by friends had adequate expectations of children, r (50) = .334, p=.009. Mother's with perceived family support had lower rates of postpartum depression, r (50) = -.331, p= .019. Furthermore, three interview participants shared the desire to have had additional support, increased financial hardships, lack of support, and fear of deportation due to the current political climate. It is crucial to support mother's rights in legislature and to obtain an appropriate diagnosis in the DMS-5 to provide mothers with screening and services to decrease the risk for child maltreatment.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Morro, Shana
- Description:
- The majority of research about summer camp does not take the child’s perspective into account. This study proposes to evaluate children’s level of satisfaction while attending a summer day camp. The study utilized self-report surveys in a sample of campers (N=103) ranging in age from 4-12 years old (M = 7.5, SD = 2.38), male (63.1%) and female (35.9%), at AdventurePlex in Manhattan Beach, California. Results suggest a small, positive correlation between age and overall activity satisfaction, r = .21, n = 103, p = .03, with older campers associated with higher levels of satisfaction. There was a large, positive correlation between youth outcomes and satisfaction, with higher levels of satisfaction associated with increased physical (r = .53, n = 52, p <0.01), social (r = .50, n = 52, p <0.01), and self-exploration development, (r = .65, n = 52, p <0.01). Camp programs can provide positive experiences, particularly for older youth.
- Resource Type:
- Graduate project
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Garcia, Janet
- Description:
- Every community is unique, and promotoras are uniquely positioned to work with what the community needs. Previous literature has looked at how promotoras programs effectively work in communities, but little literature has examined effects of training on promotoras themselves. The purpose of this study is to explore the life experiences (before and after) of promotoras. Using qualitative interviewing and grounded theory the narratives of ten promotoras were examined. The researcher focused on themes of empowerment and economic development and other themes that arose such as reasons for becoming promotoras, barriers and religious/spiritual beliefs. Promotora training and activity can positively affect the women in many areas.
- Resource Type:
- Graduate project
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Ramirez‐Lozover, Lizabeth
- Description:
- Older adult exercise participation has proven beneficial for improving physical and mental health. This study evaluates older adults’ quality of life after participation in an exercise class. The WHOQOL-bref survey was utilized in a sample of older adults (N=16) who fall within the range of 60 to 100 years of age (M=78, SD=11.54), male (31%) and female (69%), at Jewish Family Service in Los Angeles, California. Results suggest a significant difference in the Domain 2 psychological scores between females (Md=75, n=11) and males (Md=44, n=5), U=8, z= -2.24, p=0.02, with a large effect size (r= 0.56). No significant differences were found in Domains 1, 3, or 4. Overall scores were found to fall below previously tested WHOQOL-bref norm ranges. These findings are not aligned with previous research, which has recognized numerous benefits for older adults who participate in exercise classes. Future studies should strive to collect pre and posttest data to better understand changes or improvements that may have occurred after exercise participation.
- Resource Type:
- Graduate project
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Vieyra, Belinda
- Description:
- Wraparound services serve to support children/youth with remaining in a family setting. This study examines the level of the Kern County Aspiranet Wraparound Program in improving life domain functioning for children/youth and parents/ planned permanent caregivers. The inquiry answered three research questions: 1) How effective is the Kern County Aspiranet Wraparound Program (KCAWP) in increasing children/youth and parents/planned permanent caregivers’ life domain functioning outcomes after participation in the KCAWP? 2) What life domain areas demonstrate the greatest improvement for children/youth and parents/planned permanent caregivers after participation in the KCAWP? 3) Are there different program outcomes for participants based on age, gender, ethnicity, and the referral source type? A One-group pretest-posttest research design was used to examine 174 cases and determine the program’s level of effectiveness. Findings indicate that the KCAWP is effective in improving children/youth and parents/planned permanent caregivers’ life domain functioning. Out of the twelve life domains, ten were found to be significantly effective. The four highest life domain scores were for emotional/behavioral, school/educational, and social relationships. Results indicate that after KCAWP intervention, families have learned to deescalate crisis and safety concerns are minimal. School attendance, academic performance, and involvement in extra curricular activities also improved. Additionally, Children/youth’s attendance to therapy, coping skill development, and decision-making improved. Similarly, social relationships improved for children/youth, they learned to access community resources, and developed a natural support system. These findings demonstrate the importance of expanding wraparound services as an early intervention program.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Petrosyan, Iveta
- Description:
- The program evaluation will provide data in reference to individuals over the age of 21 who have successfully completed Ben's House Transitional Housing Program, a transitional housing program for youth who have completed their residence from various Los Angeles County Youth Services. The program introduces individuals between the ages of 18-21 to specific life skills and builds connections with caring adults, including relatives and mentors. The program evaluation of Bens House, will consist of providing details of the success rate of the program by examining how former residents of the program are performing after completion of the program within the areas of employment, academia, marriage and family, incarceration, and those lost to violent death, one and three years' post graduation from the program.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Malenka, Nicholas
- Description:
- Purpose: The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the experiences of informal caregivers of Individuals With Dementia (IWD) in caring for their loved ones. Focus of inquiry: What are the experiences of Informal Caregivers who assist IWD? Methods: A phenomenological study method was utilized with a snowball sampling recruitment method. The study was conducted through the formal interviewing of ten informal caregivers. The data from these interviews was analyzed and compared to current literature. Results: The results yielded the following recurring themes: daughters as caregivers, time burden, caregiver responsibility, caregiver burden, the protective factor of family and friends, and the protective factor of the Christian Church. Discussion: This study demonstrates how the role of caregiving shapes the participant's lives. While Informal caregivers of IWD face a variety of difficulties while caring for their loved ones, protective factors were found to play a critical role in alleviating some of the adverse effects of caregiver burden. Resources such as ADS and caregiver support groups were found to be beneficial but underutilized. The implications of this study suggest that future research on informal caregivers of IWD should focus on the enhancement of protective factors for this population.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Faralan, Ejay
- Description:
- The purpose of this work is to identify areas of improvements through the gaps between the experiences of transgender employees and management on the implementation and enforcement of transgender inclusive policies within the workplace. The research questions if transgender inclusivity is being effectively implemented and enforced within the service/hospitality industry. This qualitative study utilized the Clark and Braun Thematic Analysis in Psychology as a guide for cross-referencing responses given by Transgender individuals and individuals working as management within the industry. Th primary researcher identified 5 themes through the coding process: belonging, employer support, exposure dictating concern, inclusivity indicators, and comradery. It is hoped that this insight helps transgender individuals better navigate through their service/hospitality career and improve the overall transgender inclusivity within the industry.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
39. Foster youth and suicide prevention: care provider's attitudes, awareness and prevention education
- Creator:
- Henke, John
- Description:
- The purpose of this study is to explore foster caregivers' awareness of suicide preventive measures with foster youth under their care, as well as their attitudes and education around suicidality. Foster caregivers were defined as social workers, group home staff, foster youth parents, and other primary caregivers. Quantitative data was collected from an electronic ten-question survey distributed to anonymous participants via email. All respondents were social workers, and the majorities were Caucasian females. The results indicated that these foster youth caregivers are well versed in suicidality recognition, knowledgeable about how to attend to youth with suicide ideation, and feel comfortable addressing the topic of suicide with foster youth. These findings demonstrate a need for future research to be conducted on foster youth caregivers, with particular emphasis on diversity and with the inclusion of foster parents, kinship parents, and other primary caregivers.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Waheed, Amna
- Description:
- The purpose of this project was to evaluate Aggression Replacement Training (ART) with adolescents using multi-professional resources. This literature review--explored published research articles, websites, books, and reports to describe youth violence in the U.S. adolescent population and ART as a prevention model. The logic model was also employed to give a structure to assess ART's purpose, resources, activities, and expected outcomes.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
41. Emergency Department Cluster High Utilizers: Trends, Demographics, and Impact on Health Care Systems
- Creator:
- Barrett, Luke
- Description:
- The purpose of this research was to identify demographics of people who repeatedly have multiple emergency department visits over a short period of time, defined by this project as cluster high utilizers, and to draw attention to the impact of cluster high utilizers on health care systems. This research included retrospective hospital data organized by quantity of emergency department visits per week over a four-year period. The methods for data analysis included descriptive statistics focused on demographics and emergency department utilization for a sample of cluster high utilizers (n = 53). Cluster high utilizers in this research were most likely to be middle aged, homeless, white, male, have MediCal health insurance, not have a primary care provider, and visit the emergency department in the summer months. The results of this research indicate that cluster high utilizers represent an extremely small portion of the overall emergency department patient population (0.83%); however, they use the emergency department at significantly higher rates, in this study 2,644% more than the general patient population (N = 92,313). Further research is necessary to determine the causes of cluster high utilization and to design effective social work and emergency department interventions. Addressing this problem could prevent many unnecessary emergency department visits.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Baker, Donnetta
- Description:
- Violence, discrimination, neglect, and rejection from family members are contributing factors to why Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) youth are introduced to the child welfare system. There are over 400,000 children in foster care in the United States, and LGBTQ youth are disproportionately represented in this population. The purpose of the study is to explore how child welfare agencies support the physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing of LGBTQ foster youth in out of home placement. To explore this question, this is qualitative exploratory study applies a thematic analysis of individual in-depth interviews with Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Administrators. This process identified four major themes of wellbeing, accessibility of resources, inclusivity, and additional support. Results show the DCFS professionals interviewed in this study feel LGBTQ foster youth in out of home placement receive the same level of physical, emotional, and mental health support as youth who are LBGTQ. However, further analysis of this data also indicates tension between the desire of reflect equitable treatment and the need for services designed to meet the unique needs of LGBTQ youth.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Saenz, Crisbel
- Description:
- The Executive Order (E.O.) 13768: "Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States" signed by President Trump represents a significant shift in immigration laws in the United States and the impact it is having on countless individuals. In contrast, Former President Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration policy, which benefited the lives of many and did not target on forcing relocation or discriminated. Further, he continued to expand immigration policies such a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to further support thousands of individuals. The E.O. has shifted the political climate and this current anti-immigrant political climate has prompted discussion about the future of immigrants particularly around how their legal immigration protection status will be impacted should their status be terminated. This policy analysis applies Critical Race Theory Framework to further explore this E. O., its limitations and demonstrate how it is discriminating and targeting people of color.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Rabbani, Tiffany
- Description:
- Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between mindful deep-breathing and teacher burnout rates. Hypothesis: The hypothesis of this is study is that utilizing deep-breathing mindfulness techniques will reduce and/or prevent private school teacher burnout. Methods: This study utilizes pre and post-test surveys. Results: Results were analyzed using bivariate correlations and paired-sample t-tests. Results of this study yielded an overall significant regarding the intervention and teacher burnout levels. Discussion: While this study was able to find some significant results, the overall hypothesis of this study did not hold to be proven true.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Ali, Shamael
- Description:
- This quantitative study examined the relationship between hours spent on technology and the development of social skills (survival, interpersonal, conflict resolution, and problem-solving) in children ages 8-18. It was hypothesized that children who spend excessive amounts of time (3 hours or more per day) on technology, are less likely to form the basic social skills needed to thrive independently in the future. Through a 4-point likert scale, 100 parents/caregivers rated 16 questions about the display of their child's social skills from'almost never' to'almost always' on an electronic survey. As predicted, it was found that excessive technology use negatively correlated with the development of social skills in children. It has been found that children's social skills suffer with the constant technology use. Polices must be in place to ensure that parents, schools, as well as social workers, be actively involved in ensuring that children are well equipped with the necessary social skills.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
46. Risks and implications associated with burnout of child welfare workers: what do they need to know?
- Creator:
- Salazar, Verenice
- Description:
- Purpose: To conduct a content analysis research study and answer the research question, "The risks and implications associated with burnout of child welfare workers: what do they need to know?" Method: The method of this study was conducted by using a systematic review of the topic on burnout and keywords, previously published information is presented, evaluate a program that is used to alleviate burnout and reduce turnover, and complete a logic model together with a selective overview of the pertinent literature. In addition, a comprehensive reference list was provided, consisting of useful articles and/or websites for the readers, beyond what will be cited. Results: These researcher utilized the Program Logic Model by the University of Arkansas system, division of Agriculture Research and Extensions, to analyze, evaluate, and demonstrate the results of the'2011 Los Angeles County DFCS strategic plan' (Browning, 2012). Discussion: By correcting this situation/problem through the use of implementing the strategic plan, DCFS expectations were that burnout and turnover rates will decrease among their child welfare workers. The researchers determined that based on previous evidence-based literature the strategic plan is an effective in reducing burnout and turnover among child welfare workers despite its limitations.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Turner, Heather
- Description:
- Mass housing/incarceration has become a systemic problem in our society that the researchers believe can be solved through educational attainment. The researchers believe that individuals with lower levels of education are more likely to be housed/incarcerated than the general population. This study attempts to shed light on existing data collected from the American Survey, 2008-2012 [United States]: Public. The researchers' ultimate goal is to determine if there is a correlation between educational attainment and incarceration among African Americans in the United States. The goal of this research is to begin to shed light on the importance of education in our society to help other researchers begin a dialogue surrounding education as a tool to defer housing/incarceration in our society. The researchers found indications that there is a significant difference between educational attainment and housing/incarceration within the African American population. The researched again hope that this insight will help other researcher explore education and help determine through further research that education should be funded and not defunded as it constantly is, in our lower socioeconomic communities.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Durazo, Michelle
- Description:
- A strong intersection lays between corporate responsibility and social work. The commonalities between the concept of corporate social responsibility and the social work profession are heavily tied in values based on promotion of social change in communities and societies and the development of programs and organizations. Despite the in-depth training social workers receive in principles that promote the advancement of societal and organizational structures, corporations and social workers have yet to collaborate within the realm of corporate social responsibility. Furthermore, both sectors have been shown to have a lack of understanding about each other's scope of practice. The purpose of this quantitative study is to explore the perceptions of corporate social responsibility and social workers amongst corporate business managers. Twenty-eight individuals holding upper managerial positions in corporate businesses were recruited to participate in an anonymous survey exploring their perceptions regarding corporate social responsibility and the social work profession. The findings of this study suggest that while business managers may not want to collaborate with social workers within the realm of corporate social responsibility their overall perception of social workers is positive. This exploratory study was the first step in gathering information that can raise awareness and provide a foundation for ideas to bridge the gap and create a vision for collaboration between corporations and social workers, which could help corporations better serve their communities more effectively.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Garcia, Janet
- Description:
- Since the beginning of Title IX in 1972, when it brought about equality for females in sports in higher education to now where Title IX promotes safety on campus by advocating for awareness of sexual violence and sexual assault in higher education. Therefore, demonstrating the evolution of Title IX as a powerful law that has impacted the college and university communities as a whole. The purpose of this study is to analyze the portrayal, evolution and intentions of Title IX since it was originally enacted in 1972. By utilizing purposive random sampling, five college and university campuses were selected to be analyzed using discourse analysis of the media portrayal of Title IX. Followed by a careful examination of the implementation and evolution of Title IX on these college and university campuses. Results indicated that Title IX is uniquely implemented within each college and university campuses in a way that fits the culture of their campus. However, the feasibility of obtaining Title IX information varies on each individual campus, thus limiting the accessibility of resources to students, staff, and faculty. This study could be used as a building tool for assessing the implementation and evolution of Title IX while following the OCR guidelines as well as assessing how accessible Title IX resources are to the college and university community.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Paniagua, Rhina
- Description:
- This study focuses on the factors that motivate DACA recipients to pursue higher education. A survey was used to identify the strongest motivator amongst this population. This study found the highest motivator for DACA students to pursue higher education is: wanting to earn a better income with a college degree, closely followed by needing a college degree to achieve their career goal and, wanting to help their families after finishing college. The implications for social work practice this study can contribute to, include: the advocacy for policies such as DACA which provide resources and means to succeed and thrive for undocumented minors which benefits them and the country's economy.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Northridge
- Department:
- Social Work