Social Welfare Dissertations and Theses

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Parenting intervention effects on reunification: A randomized trial of PMTO in foster care
(Elsevier, 2018-07-17) Akin, Becci A.; McDonald, Thomas P
Evidence-supported parenting interventions (ESPIs) have expanded into child welfare because a growing research base has demonstrated positive results among children with serious emotional and behavioral problems. Despite a clear federal policy emphasis on reunification, few randomized trials have tested ESPIs with biological families of children in foster care; even fewer studies have investigated the distal outcomes of ESPIs. The aim of the current study was to examine the effects of Parent Management Training, Oregon (PMTO) model on reunification. Children in foster care with emotional and behavioral problems were randomized to in-home PMTO (n=461) or services as usual (SAU) (n=457). Cox regression models tested whether children in the PMTO group achieved higher rates of reunification. We applied life tables data for integrals calculations to estimate days saved in foster care. Analyses were conducted as intent-totreat (ITT), and per protocol analysis (PPA). ITT results showed reunification rates were 6.9% higher for the PMTO group (62.7%) than the SAU group (55.8%) with 151 days saved per typical child. PPA indicated that intervention completion strengthened effects as PMTO completers’ reunification rates (69.5%) were 13.7% higher than the SAU group (55.8%), and were 15.3% higher than non-completers (54.2%). Days saved were also greater for completers as compared to the SAU group (299 days) and non-completers (358 days). Overall, findings suggest that an inhome parenting intervention positively affected reunification as delivered to biological parents of children and youth in foster care with serious emotional and behavioral problems. Implications and future considerations for research are discussed.
Development and Initial Validation of a Measure for Early Childhood Program Readiness for Data Driven Decision
(University of Kansas, 2019-08-31) Barton, Jared Lee
Harnessing the use of data to demonstrate program effectiveness, establish lines of accountability, and implement evidence-based programs is a present demand of social welfare and human service organizations. Early childhood service organizations, in particular, face requirements to use data to support decision-making, while having little research that offers best practices for data use in early childhood and limited programmatic capacity to collect and process data in ways that enhance decision-making. While literature promotes utilizing the Active Implementation Drivers Framework (AIF Drivers) as a theoretically-based strategy for data-driven decision-making (DDDM), there has yet to be an application of this idea in early childhood practice. To this end, this study sought to increase understanding of how early childhood programs use data and what factors drive program readiness for DDDM. The study involved the development and initial validation of the Early Childhood Data-Driven Decision-Making (EC-DDDM) survey based on the nine core AIF Drivers. Three key questions were posed: 1) How do early childhood program administrators rate their organizations’ readiness for DDDM? 2) Is the AIF Drivers an effective guide for understanding organizational readiness for DDDM? 3) How are demographic characteristics of program administrators and characteristics of early child programs related to factors of readiness for data-driven decision-making? To answer these questions, 173 early childhood program administrators responded to the EC-DDDM. Findings from this study inform understanding of early childhood programs’ data use and readiness for DDDM in three ways. First, the study provided a deeper and theoretically-grounded description of program administrators’ perspectives on data use. Second, through confirmatory factor analysis and an evaluation of EC-DDDM based on Goodwin’s (2002) measurement validity recommendations, it established initial evidence supporting the validity of the EC-DDDM and confirming the AIF Drivers as a fitting underlying factor structure for understanding readiness for DDDM. And third, the study found no evidence of relationships between administrator demographics and program characteristics and readiness for DDDM. These findings may inform future research attempts to develop theoretically-based measurement tools, especially as they pertain to developments that apply the AIF Drivers. Moreover, findings may advance early childhood practice as the EC-DDDM could serve as a platform for early childhood programs to understand their own readiness for DDDM and identify areas of strength or opportunities for improvement within their own practice. Future research is needed to accumulate validity evidence for the EC-DDDM and to understand the patterns and relationships between the nine AIF Drivers as well as what other external variables influence DDDM.
Humanizing Migration: A qualitative case study of a Learning Delegation to the United States/Mexico border
(University of Kansas, 2019-05-31) Chappell Deckert, Jennifer Marie
This qualitative case study used a feminist social justice framework to explore a Learning Delegation to the border of the United States and Mexico as an intervention strategy for increasing social inclusion of migrants and improving perceptions of migration among North Americans. Participant observation, formal and informal interviews, and document review provided data that painted a rich picture of the ways in which primarily white, North American people shift their understandings about migration and migrant populations. The research suggests that there are several concrete ways that people change their attitudes or actions regarding migration. This includes the following: (a) Engaging in direct storytelling and shared human connection with people who were different from them; (b) Being in the same spaces and context within which migration and migration-related experiences happen, and (c) Improving their confidence and efficacy in migration-related advocacy efforts through exposure. An emphasis on local expertise and a sense of responsibility/privilege were also key thematic elements in the data. This study illustrates the potential role for social work to collaborate with immigration educators and advocates for paradigm shifts in North American society. This could foster social inclusion for migrants who are specifically coming into the United States from the southern border.
Characterizing the developmental heterogeneity of connectedness to school or work during the transition into adulthood
(University of Kansas, 2019-05-31) Palmer, Ashley N.
Prior research has focused on “disconnected youth,” often defined as individuals between 16 and 24 who are neither enrolled in school nor employed. This particular issue has gained attention, at least partially due to research that suggests that there are individual consequences such as worse health and lower income associated with precarious connections to school or work and societal consequences such as lost taxes and costs associated with public assistance, healthcare, and crime. However, most prior research has been cross-sectional and has defined connectedness to school or work as an either-or outcome. This conflicts with research on the transition into adulthood that suggests there are varied, individualized pathways in moving from adolescence into young adulthood. The purpose of this study was to characterize differences in the developmental trajectories of connectedness to school or work across the transition into adulthood. Two research questions were posed: (1) Are there individual differences in the developmental trajectories of being connected to school or work during the transition into adulthood? (2) What childhood factors are associated with individual differences in the developmental trajectories of being connected to school or work during the transition into adulthood? Latent variable mixture models were used to answer the first question. The sample included 2,027 individuals between the ages of 18 and 26 who participated in at least two waves of the Transition into Adulthood Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) between 2005 and 2015. The second question was answered using a subsample of 757 individuals from the original sample of 2,027 who had data from middle childhood (i.e., ages 8, 9 or 10) collected in either the 1997 or 2002 PSID Childhood Development Supplement interviews. Multinomial logistic regression examined childhood factors related to differences in the developmental trajectories identified in the first analytic phase. Based on model comparison fit statistics, examination of classification quality, and subjective evaluation of usefulness and interpretability, a four-class latent growth mixture model was selected to describe four qualitatively different developmental patterns of connectedness to school or work. Overall, findings implied that there is considerable heterogeneity in connectedness patterns across the transition into adulthood, with a substantial proportion of sample members experiencing sporadic connections to school or work across the transition into adulthood. Further, at least some middle childhood factors were related to differences in connectedness pathways during the transition into adulthood, even when controlling for young adult demographic factors. Future research is necessary to improve the conceptualization and measurement of this phenomenon, as well as research that examines how differences in the developmental trajectories of connectedness to school or work fit within the broader life course. These findings and future research may inform policies and programs that target supports to young people before and during the transition into adulthood.
Exploring the Potential Relationship between Historical Trauma and Intimate Partner Violence among Indigenous Women
(University of Kansas, 2015-12-31) Holder, Melissa Renee
This qualitative study explores the insights of Indigenous human service practitioners, who work with Indigenous women experiencing intimate partner violence, about connections between historical trauma and intimate partner violence. The 15 participants represent female Indigenous practitioners from the Midwest and are citizens from various tribal nations throughout the United States and Canada. Interview transcripts were analyzed according to a naturalistic inquiry approach and guided by empowerment principles. Findings include the major themes as participant characteristics, views on factors contributing to intimate partner violence, historical trauma as an overarching concept, paths to healing, contributing factors to recovery and transformation, and human service approaches to address domestic violence. Based on participants’ insights, a flowchart was developed to aid in understanding the relationship between historical trauma and intimate partner violence, and various healing responses. Practitioners’ insights and the flowchart lead to implications for culturally appropriate provision of human service and social work education as well as directions for future research.
Effects of a Restorative Justice Based Intervention on Peer Victimization and Positive Youth Development Outcomes at the Middle School Level
(University of Kansas, 2018-12-31) Moses, Mindi
Peer victimization in U.S. schools is a serious social issue. Research shows aggressive behavior toward peers peaks during the middle school years. However, existing interventions to combat bullying and victimization have decreased efficacy with youth as they age. This dissertation research sought to evaluate an intervention aimed at addressing the issue of peer victimization with middle school aged students. This approach known as restorative justice conceptualizes harm as a violation of human relationships and emphasizes dialogue, accountability, reconciliation, and reintegration as key components of healing and repair. This study’s sample was composed of 2,425 students from 13 middle schools. Seven schools composed the treatment group that received training, consultation and support as they implemented the Restorative Practices Intervention for a period of 2 years. Data were gathered pre- and post-intervention. Outcome measures included data on student experiences of peer victimization, levels of empathy, peer cooperation, and school connectedness. Results showed no significant differences in victimization outcomes between the treatment and control groups; however, significant pathways were found in models evaluating the effects of intervention components on positive youth development outcomes. Positive significant pathways were found between empathy and shame management and between peer cooperation and restorative dialogue. These results suggest that the restorative justice based intervention has the potential to influence positive youth development and enhance peer interactions in schools. These results also suggest directions for future research and important implications for policy and practice.
Birth Parent Involvement at a System Level in Child Welfare: Exploring the Perspectives of Birth Parents in Parent Partner Programs
(University of Kansas, 2018-05-31) Damman, Jeri L.
Promoting child welfare services improvement and reform through the system level involvement of birth parents is an emerging national trend, but little is known about how this type of involvement is reflected in practice and what involvement achieves. One approach to involving parents is through parent partner programs, where parents with prior child welfare service experience provide direct services to families currently receiving child welfare services, and often serve as representatives to the child welfare agency. This exploratory qualitative study uses a pragmatic paradigm to examine birth parent involvement at the system level through parent partner programs. In-depth telephone and focus group interviews were conducted with 28 birth parents in parent partner and parent partner coordinator roles at two nationally recognized parent partner programs in the U.S. Interviews explored the perceptions and experiences of parent partners, including the factors that led to parent partners becoming involved at a system level, what they hope to achieve from this involvement, their experiences of involvement activity, and how their involvement may contribute to service improvement and reform. Findings indicate that birth parents’ life experiences are a substantial factor in their decision to become a parent partner, and that considerable development is required to prepare them for their system level involvement role. Parent partners are involved in a wide range of involvement activities that include varied roles and processes. Parent partners also identify child, family, system, and community outcomes they hope to achieve or perceive are being achieved through their system level involvement. This study develops new knowledge of birth parent involvement at the system level in child welfare and offers practice, policy, and research implications to inform the continued development of meaningful involvement practices in child welfare.
Family, Friends, and Romantic Partners’ Influence on Mental Health Recovery among Emerging and Middle-aged Adults with Serious Mental Illness
(University of Kansas, 2018-05-31) Nam, Eunji
Emerging adults refer to young people between the ages of 18 to 29 according to the theory of emerging adults. Scholars now recognize that emerging adults with serious mental illness (SMI) are at a distinctive developmental stage and thus their services and support needs are distinguished from children or older adults with SMI. However, evidence-based and developmentally appropriate mental health programs, particularly for emerging adults with SMI, are lacking. The purpose of this study is to explore the distinctiveness of emerging adults with SMI. Guided by the social convoy model and the multidimensional model of mental health recovery, this study compared the differences in the social relational characteristics and their influences on mental health recovery between emerging (n=149) and middle-aged adults with SMI (n=296) using the National Survey of American Life. The findings suggest that emerging adults with SMI are different from middle-aged adults with SMI in a few ways; however, they also have many similarities in terms of the social relational characteristics and their influences on mental health recovery. First, regarding the social relational characteristics of emerging adults with SMI, emerging adults with SMI had more negative interactions with family, more positive support from friends, and more negative interactions with romantic partners than middle-aged adults with SMI, though these differences in social relationships were not statistically significant after adjusting for sex, race, income level, and number of years since the onset of SMI. Second, regarding the role of social relationships in mental health recovery, the influence of family was different for emerging and middle-aged adults with SMI. Positive support from family was statistically significantly associated with the mental health recovery of emerging adults with SMI while negative interactions with family were statistically significantly associated with the mental health recovery of middle-aged adults with SMI. However, positive support from friends was statistically significantly associated with the mental health recovery of both emerging and middle-aged adults with SMI. This study has further discussed implications for theory, empirical mental health research, and social work practice. Limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.
Volunteerism among Older Adults with Mobility-Limiting Disabilities: An Exploratory Study
(University of Kansas, 2018-05-31) Sellon, Alicia Marie
While an extensive research literature has examined participation of older adults in volunteer activities in the United States, there is a dearth of knowledge on the participation and experiences of older adults with disabilities. Research suggests that people with disabilities of all ages are less likely to be involved in volunteer activities, compared to those without disabilities (Burr, Mutchler, & Caro, 2007; Butrica et al., 2009; Shandra, 2017). The extensive physical and emotional health benefits that have been found to be associated with volunteerism for older adults (see Anderson et al., 2014) suggests that the lack of inclusion of older adults with disabilities is a social justice issue worthy of social works' attention. To address the knowledge gaps around the participation of older adults with disabilities, this research explores the experiences of older adults with mobility-limiting disabilities who are engaged in volunteer activities. Using Naturalistic Inquiry (Lincoln & Guba, 1985), in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 older adults (aged 55-80) who had aged with a disability, acquired a disability in midlife, or developed a disability in later life. Participants in this study self-identified as having significant mobility limitations defined as serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs, and had volunteered with one or more organizations. The constant comparative method of analysis was used to identify themes from the data. The thematic findings convey participants’ discussions of the challenges but also the benefits and enjoyment that volunteer participation can bring. Seven themes were identified from participants’ discussions: Disability Across the Life Course, Meaningful Engagement, Environmental Barriers and Facilitators, Individual Facilitators and Barriers, Organizational Facilitation, Costs of Participation, and Benefits of Meaningful Participation. An additional overarching theme, Importance of Meaningful Participation illustrates how all of the themes are connected. These findings provide an important first step in developing a deeper understanding of volunteerism among older adults with disabilities. This knowledge can help us to better identify opportunities and approaches to increase the chances that older adults with disabilities who are interested in volunteering, will be able to do so. Implications of these findings for social work education, policy, and research are discussed as well as limitations of the study.
Health and Employment for Adults with Serious Mental Illness: An Examination of Physical Health Conditions, Healthcare Utilization, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Employment
(University of Kansas, 2018-05-31) ONeill, Elizabeth Ann
Mounting chronic condition rates, elevated healthcare spending, and increased attention to the importance of structural and social health determinants, have magnified attention to disparities in health and healthcare in the United States. Adults with serious mental illness (SMI) have higher rates of many chronic physical health conditions when compared to the general U.S. population, and co-occurring physical and mental health conditions are associated with higher use of emergency healthcare services and higher healthcare costs compared to those with only one condition. At the same time, while adults with SMI express a desire to work, they experience high rates of unemployment. Research indicates that mental health symptoms and mental health care are related to employment for adults with SMI, however there is a need for further inquiry regarding the roles of physical health and healthcare. Drawing on three theoretical perspectives-the social determinants of heath framework, the health as human capital model, and the behavioral model for health service utilization-this dissertation examined relationships between physical health conditions, healthcare, health-related quality of life, and employment for adults with SMI, at both the bivariate and multivariate levels. Direct and indirect relationship were examined using structural equation modeling (n = 645), and findings suggested that individuals with SMI and co-occurring physical health conditions had higher use of healthcare, and lower health-related quality of life, compared to those with SMI only. Further, healthcare receipt and health-related quality of life mediated relationships between physical health conditions and employment status, and physical health-related quality of life had a stronger relationship with employment than mental health-related quality of life. The findings of this dissertation are discussed, and implications for future research, social work practice, and health policy are provided.
Financial Capability, Money Management, and Developmental Resources for Young Children in Low-Income Families
(University of Kansas, 2017-05-31) Shibikom, Alegnta Shibikom
The financial and social vulnerability of low-income families with young children requires a thoughtful and multidimensional response. Much of the research in this area has been undertaken with insufficient attention to social structures that serve as a foundation for poverty. Recent scholarship on financial capability, which is thought to be a construct that includes both financial knowledge and inclusion in the mainstream financial sector, provides the conceptual framework for this dissertation. One central purpose of the study is to examine the individual and interactive associations between financial knowledge and financial inclusion and: (1) money management as well as (2) developmental resources for young children in low-income households. This study uses longitudinal survey data from low-income parents of Head Start children (n=681). Associations were tested using multiple regression methods and controlling for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Study findings on financial inclusion suggest that owning a savings account appears to help explain money management and developmental resources for young children in the home more than owning a checking account for families in this study. Further, both financial knowledge and financial inclusion seem to be more consistently associated with developmental resources for young children than money management. Implications for policy, practice, theory and research are discussed.
Associations between Financial Inclusion, Liquid Assets, Income Shocks, and Later Housing Instability in Households Headed by a Single Mother
(University of Kansas, 2016-01-01) West, Stacia Michelle
Single mothers negotiate the competing demands of family life and the formal market economy on an unequal playing field. As a result, they are disproportionately represented among households in extreme poverty and have little resources set aside to sustain their families’ financial stability. Little research has explored how fragile household finances relate to material outcomes for single mothers. Specifically, the existing literature has failed to explore how financial instability is a manifestation of the feminization of poverty that may be related to housing instability. This dissertation lends insight into how financial exclusion, limited liquid assets, and income shocks are related to missing housing payments among different household types. Using a sample of households from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (N=9,620), results of logistic regression models suggest that single mothers, especially those who are financially excluded, do not have adequate liquid assets, and have experienced an income shock, are at increased risk of missing a housing payment. These findings are discussed in relationship to social work practice, policy, and future research.
Reconceptualizing social work’s person-in-environment perspective : explorations in radical environmental thought
(University of Kansas, 1997) Besthorn, Fred H.
Sexual Objectification, Self-Objectification, Body Appreciation, and Quality of the Sexual Relationship in Relation to Preventative Sexual Health Behaviors in a Sample of Emerging Adult Women
(University of Kansas, 2015-05-31) Ramseyer Winter, Virginia Lynn
Poor body image has negative consequences for women’s sexual health, but existing scholarship in this area fails to account for the relationship context in which sexual behaviors occur. Furthermore, the majority of existing research in this area focuses on pathology. A better understanding of how objectification, body image, relationship quality, and sexual behaviors are related can help scholars and practitioners identify appropriate avenues for intervention. This dissertation marries two theoretical frameworks—objectification theory and relational-cultural theory—to provide a better understanding of the relationships between sexual objectification, self-objectification, body appreciation, quality of the sexual relationship, and preventative sexual health behaviors. A theoretically- and empirically-informed model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling (N = 399). The findings suggest that when women internalize objectification, it may have a negative impact on their body image. Further, findings indicate that body image is related to preventative sexual health behaviors directly and indirectly through relationship quality. Recommendations for social work practice, education, policy, and research are discussed.
Economic Conditions and Risk for Child Physical Abuse per Maternal Report: The Mediating Roles of Parenting Stress, Depression, and Domestic Violence
(University of Kansas, 2015-05-31) Conrad-Hiebner, Aislinn
Child physical abuse is a serious social problem associated with a host of risk factors and consequences, ranging from unemployment and poverty to substance use and criminality. Despite years of research on the etiology of child physical abuse, child physical abuse remains a persistent concern for our society. Exploring the relationship between poverty and child physical abuse is an underutilized approach for understanding and responding to child physical abuse. At present, much of the literature emphasizes the connection between maltreatment and income-based poverty. Using the family stress model, this dissertation research explores the impact of economic conditions (income and material hardship) on risk for child physical abuse, and the process by which these economic conditions contribute to an environment where child physical abuse occurs. With a sample of 4,845 mothers from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study (FFCWS), a full panel model of mediation was conducted over three waves of data to investigate the invariance of the proposed model (economic state, housing hardship, bill-paying hardship, health hardship, food hardship, depression, parenting stress, domestic violence, risk for child physical abuse); the effect of the mediators (parenting stress, depression and domestic violence) on the relationship between economic conditions and risk for child physical abuse; and the strongest economic predictors of risk for child physical abuse. Although the results indicate a good fit of the measurement and structural models to the data, the indirect and direct effects are negligible and non-significant, indicating no evidence of partial or full mediation (p<.005). Using p<.05, only one indirect pathway was significant: Maternal depression (year 5) significantly mediated the relationship between food hardship (year 3) and risk for child physical abuse (year 9) (β=.007, p<.05). Although the effect sizes were small, there were significant direct effects between bill-paying hardship and maternal parenting stress and domestic violence, food hardship and maternal depression, and economic state and parenting stress (p<.05). These results support the use of an inclusive model to explore the relationship between economic conditions and risk for child physical abuse, suggest directions for future research, and highlight the importance of emphasizing the roles of economic conditions and child maltreatment in policies and practices that affect families.
A Pilot Study of MY VOICE: Strengths-Based and Self-Directed Recovery Planning
(University of Kansas, 2013-05-31) Manthey, Trevor Jay
An imbalance of power and autonomy exists between individuals with psychiatric disabilities and their treatment providers. Electronic decision support interventions (EDSI's) help individuals with psychiatric disabilities increase consumer self-determination and decision-making in care. The MY VOICE: Strengths-based and Self-Directed Recovery Planning is an EDSI designed to assist consumers in writing their own recovery plans. The purpose of this randomized waitlist controlled pilot study of the MY VOICE program was to test the hypothesis that participation in a self-directed EDSI program will lead to increases in consumer self-identified empowerment, self-determination and recovery. Findings indicate that participation in the MY VOICE program in comparison to the control group was a significant predictor of consumer self-identified recovery while participation in MY VOICE was not a significant predictor of self-identified empowerment or self-determination. The number of tasks a person completes and completion of the program itself were also not predictors of self-identified empowerment, self-determination, or recovery. Future research may need to control for the relationship with the peer-support worker facilitating the MY VOICE program, endeavor to the determine elements within the MY VOICE program that facilitate increases in self-identified recovery, and conduct qualitative analysis to better understand how participants are using their self-directed recovery plans and how they view the MY VOICE program and the peer support facilitator influencing them.
Job Satisfaction of Social Workers in Nursing Homes: Nursing Home Type and Culture Change Affiliation
(University of Kansas, 2013-05-31) Dye, Alice La Vern
Abuse, neglect, and deficits in quality of life still persist for residents in the nation's nursing homes. Best practices in this area recommend the implementation of humanistic, culture change initiatives to ameliorate this situation. However, there is scant research on the subject of culture change, and fewer still on social workers in culture change nursing homes. The studies that do exist have been affiliated with hospital settings, finding that the implemention of culture change had little to no impact on the job satisfaction of social workers. To test these findings, and further explore the role of social workers in non-hospital affiliated nursing homes, this study sent out 700 job satisfaction questionnaires to social workers in 12 mid-western states. The study looked at job satisfaction in regard to nursing home type (traditional, combination, humanistic) as well as culture change affiliation. Using a General Linear Model (GLM), it was found that in regard to nursing home type, the humanistic category had a higher level of job satisfaction than did the traditional or combination types. It was additionally found that social workers who identified themselves as practicing in a culture change nursing home had a higher level of job satisfaction than did those social workers not employed in a culture change home. These findings were statistically significant. It was concluded that at least in non-hospital settings, both nursing home type (traditional, combination, humanistic) and culture change affiliation did have a positive impact on the job satisfaction of nursing home social workers. Further empirical studies of social workers in culture change nursing homes are highly recommended and essential to the continued deliverance of resident-centered services that enhance the quality of life for nursing home residents.
Older Adults in Nursing Homes: Assessing Relationships Between Multiple Constructs of Social Integration, Facility Characteristics, and Health
(University of Kansas, 2013-05-31) Leedahl, Skye N.
An extensive body of research has examined connections between older adults' social worlds and health and well-being, particularly for community-dwelling older adults. Yet, little is known about the social worlds of older adults living in nursing homes because of this population's exclusion from many studies and national databases. Further, the influence of social workers and culture change practices on the social lives of nursing home residents is not well-documented. This research assessed the relationships between multiple social integration (i.e., social networks, social capital, social support, and social engagement) and health (i.e., depression, functional health and well-being) constructs, and examined the influence of facility characteristics (i.e., culture change, role of social workers) on these variables. This study drew on a model based on social network theory developed by Berkman, Glass, Brissette, and Seeman (2000). Data were collected at 30 nursing homes in Northeast Kansas using a cross-sectional, quantitative, planned missing data design with random sampling techniques. Data collection occurred at the individual-level through in-person structured interviews with older adult nursing home residents (N = 140) and at the facility-level (N = 30) with social service directors and nursing home administrators. Data were imputed using multiple imputation, and multilevel confirmatory factor analysis was used to verify measurement properties. Multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) was used to answer the research questions and test hypotheses. Findings revealed that the data did fit the proposed model supporting social network theory, showing that social networks and social group participation indirectly influence depression and functional health and well-being primarily via social engagement. Social capital had a direct influence on both health constructs. Further, the relationships sub-scale of culture change involvement significantly influenced between-level differences in residents' social networks, and the number of social workers in a nursing home was positively associated with between-level differences in residents' social support. These findings inform social integration strategies for reducing social isolation and related declines in physical and mental health for older adults in nursing homes as well as nursing home and health care policies for improving quality of life of those utilizing long term care services.
Bridging the Dichotomy between Micro and Macro Practice in Social Work: A Study of Clinical Social Work Practice with Domestic Violence Survivors
(University of Kansas, 2013-05-31) Hahn, Sur Ah
This dissertation used qualitative interviews with social workers working with domestic violence (DV) survivors to explore how social workers integrate micro and macro practice in their daily practice. Clinical practice in DV organizations was chosen as the focus of this study because of the heavy influence of social change movement in the development of this practice setting as well as the historical criticism of therapeutic approach to DV as victim-blaming. The findings of this study showed that DV work continues to struggle to categorize its identity between service delivery and grassroots advocacy. Moreover, clinical social workers continue to experience tension between the clinical and non-clinical workers in DV organizations, a by-product of professionalization in the field. Clinical social workers have been attempting to circumvent the tension by conceptualizing therapy as another essential service for DV survivors to address the impact of abuse on these clients' psychological wellbeing. They also attempted to integrate micro and macro practice by building comprehensive, survivor-defined practice models based on existing models such as trauma-informed care model and Transtheoretical model. In addition, they have created alternative mental health service delivery systems in which clinicians explicitly address negative consequences of diagnosing for clients and critically evaluate exiting therapy models while considering power relations as the primary guideline for constructing domestic violence-specific therapy. Finally, working in the DV organizations with social change orientation seemed to influence these social workers' professional identity. Realizing that clinical social work is more than providing therapy, they have adopted advocacy as one their core practice components. By reconnecting clinical social work to social change work, clinical social workers are crossing the boundaries between micro and macro practice, shedding some light on the age old question of how to connect these two practice levels in social work.
A study of thirty-two early adoptive placements by the Kansas children’s service league 1954-1957
(The University of Kansas, 1959) Brigden, Virginia Louise

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