This thesis examines women's insights as mothers on participating in a support group for intimate partner violence. Qualitative research using semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 women, aged 36 to 60 years, who lived in Montreal, Canada, and had one or more children. Open-ended and semi-structured interview questions were designed to elicit information regarding experiences of mothering through intimate partner violence, including participation in a support group. The constant comparisons method was used to identify the qualities and experiences that shape mothers' participation in a support group for intimate partner violence. The findings are discussed in reference to published scholarship on support group intervention for intimate partner violence as well as mothering and intimate partner violence, and how understanding the commonalities as well as unique experiences of women as mothers might prove insightful for further developing group interventions with this demographic. / Cette thèse examine la perspective des femmes en tant que mères participantes à un groupe de soutien pour la violence conjugale. La méthode qualitative des entrevues semi-structurées a été conduite auprès d'un groupe de 8 femmes, âgées de 36 à 60 ans, habitants à Montréal au Canada, et ayant un ou plusieurs enfants. Des questions ouvertes et semi-structurées ont été conçues afin d'obtenir des informations au sujet des expériences de maternage au sein de la violence conjugale, y compris leur participation à un groupe de soutien. La méthode de comparaison constante a été employée afin d'identifier les qualités et les expériences qui influencent la participation des mères dans un groupe de soutien pour la violence conjugale. Les conclusions empiriques sont discutées en faisant référence aux bourses de publications sur les interventions en groupe de soutien pour la violence conjugale ainsi que pour les soins maternels et la violence conjugale. Nous examinerons également comment la compréhension des éléments communs ainsi que les expériences uniques des femmes en tant que mères pourraient être pertinente pour le développement futur des techniques d'interventions de groupe auprès de cette population démographique.

The main purpose of this study was to explore how a multidisciplinary team approach is used to address the complex needs of refugees living with HIV/AIDS, what are the principal needs of HIV+ refugee patients, what challenges exist to employing such an approach and the barriers that exist to access and delivery of health care services. Data were acquired using qualitative methods. Individual interviews were conducted with a sample of seven multidisciplinary team members who work directly with HIV+ refugees at an HIV clinic in Canada. The results revealed that a multidisciplinary team approach is an effective way to provide holistic care for HIV+ refugees, barriers to current immigration and health care services and policies both prevent refugees from meeting their own needs and hinder the work of health care providers, and patients require culturally competent services. Implications for policy, practice and research are included. / L'objectif principal de cette étude était d'explorer la manière dont une approche d'équipe multidisciplinaire est utilisée pour répondre aux besoins complexes de réfugiés vivant avec le VIH/SIDA, quels sont les besoins principaux des patients réfugiés séropositifs, quels sont les défis liés à une utilisation d'une telle approche ainsi que les barrières entravant l'accès et l'offre de services de santé. Les données ont été récoltées en utilisant des méthodes quantitatives. Les entrevues individuelles ont été réalisées avec un échantillon de sept membres d'équipes multidisciplinaires travaillant directement avec des réfugiés séropositifs dans des cliniques de VIH du Canada. Les résultats ont montré qu'une approche d'équipe multidisciplinaire est une solution efficace pour offrir des soins holistiques aux réfugiés séropositifs, que des barrières présentes dans les services et politiques d'immigration et de soins de santé actuels empêchent de répondre aux besoins des réfugiés et entrave le travail des fournisseurs de soins de santé, et que les patients requièrent des services conformes à la culture. Les implications pour des politiques, pratiques et recherches futures sont présentées.

Decisions made in Youth Protection cases are influenced by many different factors that have been outlined in previous research. Assessment tools, definitions of risk and the overarching cultural milieu intermingle to inform the decision-making process and, ultimately the final decision. This research seeks to explore the factors that affect the decision-making process and is intended to build on previous research. By qualitatively analyzing the transcripts from actual decision-making meetings, and talking to the participants about their experiences within the research it was shown that the decision-making process is a complicated one. The roles of the participants within the organization along with the pervasive culture of blame within society seem to primarily affect the dynamics of the people responsible for making the decisions. The effect that these factors have on the actual decision was not studied but would be beneficial to examine. Workers within the organization, especially caseworkers, struggled with wanting more autonomy while simultaneously reported not wanting the responsibility that coincides with it. It is felt that more responsibility would ultimately mean more possibility of blame.

Little is known about youth involved in child protection services and their inclusion in formal planning and decision-making. This study seeks to explore youths' experiences of planning and decisions made about their lives as well as map current child welfare legislation in two Canadian provinces. This study is divided into three types of data collection. The first includes a single case interview with a youth living in foster care. The second is an analysis of secondary data obtained from an agency satisfaction survey, which included 16 youth between 14 and 17 years of age. The third method involved mapping current child protection legislation in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Three main themes emerged from my individual interview: The meaning of participation and decision-making; Intervention planning; and The relationship with caseworker and agency. Secondary data from the agency's satisfaction survey provided further insight about youths' experiences of intervention planning and service provision. Most youth respondents were satisfied with the way they were involved in planning and with the relationship they had with service providers. Legislation was mapped according to different types of decisions, the criteria for inclusion and conditions in place for inclusion. This study is a stepping stone towards a greater understanding of youths' experiences with child protection services. As service providers, we need to develop more collaborative approaches to communicate and work with youth. Researchers, policy makers and professionals must continue to give meaning to young people, especially as active participants in their own lives. / II existe peu d'information au sujet des jeunes impliqués dans les services de protection de l'enfance ainsi que de leurs implications en termes de planification et de prises de décisions. Cette étude cherche à explorer l'expérience des jeunes face à la planification et les décisions qui ont un impact sur leurs vies ainsi que cartographier les lois courantes de la protection de l'enfance au Canada. Cette étude est divisée en trois types de collection de données. La première s'agit d'une étude de cas via l'entrevue d'un jeune en foyer d'accueil. La deuxième est une analyse de données secondaire provenant d'un sondage de satisfaction d'une agence externe incluant 16 jeunes âgés de 14 à 17 ans. La dernière méthode implique la cartographie des lois en protection d'enfance courantes dans les provinces de l'Ontario et du Québec Trois thèmes ont ressortit de l'entrevue avec l'individu : la signification de la participation et de la prise de décision; la planification d'intervention et; la relation avec l'agence et l'intervenant assigné au dossier. Bien que les données du sondage de satisfaction ne démontrent pas une différence statistique, on a su comprendre mieux au sujet de leurs expériences de la planification d'intervention et de la provision de services. La majorité des répondants étaient satisfaits avec leur implication et leurs relations avec le travailleur de dossier. La loi fut cartographiée selon le degré d'implication des jeunes dans les différents types de décisions, les critères d'implication et les conditions associées aux critères d'implication. Cette étude représente un premier pas et nous aide à mieux comprendre les expériences spécifiques de la planification et la prise de décisions. Les professionnelles doivent développés des approches collaboratives en ce qui attrait à la communication et le travaille avec les jeunes. Aussi, les chercheurs, les responsables politiques ainsi que les professionnelles doivent continuer à valoriser les jeunes, surtout comme participants actifs dans leurs propres vies.

Research has repeatedly demonstrated that maltreatment increases the likelihood of criminality when compared to a non-maltreated population. What remains unclear is how maltreatment directly or indirectly affects criminality. This study was conducted to delineate any existing relationships between age of onset, type, severity and chronicity of maltreatment and age of onset, type, severity and chronicity of criminality in a Canadian context. The possible impacts of gender, parental capacity impairments, and reduced child functioning were taken into account when examining this relationship. In addition, the characteristics of these children were examined to see if there were major differences within this group. This retrospective study examined the complete official youth protection and young offender dossiers of 87 subjects, involved with Batshaw Youth and Family Centres, who were maltreated and criminal during the period April 1, 2002 to March 31, 2003. A survey instrument was designed to collect quantifiable data on each child. Findings indicate that maltreated and criminal children are characterized as an extremely high needs population. Within this group, children who came to the attention of DYP in infancy had the highest likelihood of parental and personal functioning issues throughout their lifespan and committed their first official crime at the earliest age. Multiple regressions indicated that parent risk score and age of first known DYP involvement were significant predictors of criminality. These results confirm the important role parents play in determining their child’s life outcomes, and suggest that parenting capacities should be fully evaluated, treatment plans should be comprehensive in nature and based on cognitive abilities of both parent and child, and focus should be placed on permanency planning. / La recherche a à plusieurs reprises, démontré que le mauvais traitement augmente la probabilité de la criminalité une fois comparé à une population non-maltraitée. Ce qui reste peu clair est comment le mauvais traitement affecte directement ou indirectement la criminalité. Cette étude a été entreprise pour tracer les rapports existants entre l’âge du début, le type, la sévérité et la chronicité de mauvais traitement avec l’âge du début, du type, de la sévérité et de la chronicité de criminalité dans un contexte canadien. L’impact possible du genre, des affaiblissements parentaux, et le fonctionnement réduit d’enfant ont été pris en considération en examinant ce rapport. En outre, les charactéristiques de ces enfants ont été examinées pour voir si elles différaient de quelque façon les uns des autres. Cette étude rétrospective a examiné la protection officielle complète de lajeunesse et les jeunes dossiers de contrevenant de 87 sujets, impliqués avec Batshaw Youth and Family Centres, qui ont été maltraités et criminels pendant la période du 1 avril, 2002 au 31mars 31, 2003. Un instrument d’aperçu a été conçu afin de rassembler des données quantifiables sur chaque enfant. Les résultats indiquent que maltraité et des enfants criminels sont caractérisés, en tant que population extrêmement haute des besoins. Chez ce groupe, les enfants qui sont venus à l’attention de DYP dans la petite enfance ont eu une probabilité plus élevée des issues de fonctionnement parentales et personnelles tout au long de leur durée de vie et ont commis leur premier crime officiel à un âge plus jeune. Les régressions multiples ont indiqué que des points de risque de parent et l’âge de la première participation connue de DYP étaient les prédiseurs significatifs de la criminalité. Ces résultats confinnent les conséquences du comportement parentale sur la vie de leur enfant et suggèrent que les capacités paren

The purpose of this study was to examine to perceptions of early adolescent girls with regards to friendships, peer relations and stress. Ten early adolescent girls (aged 12-13 years) were interviewed using a semi-structured qualitative format. Findings report that subjects felt a sense of belonging in friendships, as well as experiencing exclusion from friends. In summary, the participants reported that they do experience stress and that it is friends, boys and parents that act as the main stressors in their life. A number of strengths were reported, including friendship as protective factor, empathy and optimism. The Positive Youth Development Framework is identified and implications for future research and social work practice are discussed.

This study used combined methods of observations, interviews and document analysis to understand issues related to aging in Indonesia. The study describes relevant policy and practices for older persons in Indonesia, and discusses major social issues of poverty, the need for social security, and ambivalent views of older people in Indonesian society. While the Social Department Affair (Depsos) has pioneered in providing initiatives for older persons, the benefits of these supports are often limited (e.g., formal sector, urban areas). Complexities of the emphasis on family caregiving, constrained government budgets, and social stigma (e.g., "the last priority") mean that older people do not necessarily receive appropriate support from government and society. The role of religion, culture and gender in shaping aging issues are specifically discussed. It would seem that improving the lives of older people in Indonesia requires a social work approach drawing on outside examples while maintaining local tradition.

This research examines Hemodialysis patients' psycho-social characteristics and predictors of quality of life and compliance at a small rural hospital. Sixty-four patients from the hemodialysis unit at Renfrew Victoria Hospital in Renfrew, Ontario, and a satellite unit at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in Barry's Bay, Ontario, were assessed using the Social Work Patient Profile, Perceived Quality of Life and Compliance Indices. Bivariate correlation and multiple regressions were conducted on psychosocial, physical and mental health variables to determine if they correlated, and could be predictors of, social worker and nurses' perceptions of patients' quality of life and compliance. / Findings support multiple correlations between variables. Younger age, recreation, family support, self driving to dialysis, dementia, diabetes as the cause of chronic kidney failure (CKF), and other as the cause of CKF were significant individual predictors of social work quality of life score. Significant individual predictors for the nurses' quality of life scores were dementia, glomeruloneph, compliance, level of education, and polycystic kidney disease as the cause of CKF. The statistically significant risk factors for nurses' quality of life were lower levels of education and dementia. The four psychosocial variables that predicted compliance to treatment, suggested that there was increased compliance for patients who had recreation and family support, and increased risk factors with age and lower levels of education.

Access arrangements for birth parents of crown wards are a concern for child protection workers. Data on 84 crown wards were collected from 11 in care workers at a Children's Aid Society in Ontario, to determine whether best practice guidelines were being observed. Best practice derived from literature was operationalized as: (1) inclusion of birth parents and others in decisions affecting the child, and (2) connectivity ---maintaining family ties. Regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of inclusion and connectivity scores. Results showed three significant predictors of inclusion---worker knowledge, years in child welfare, and birth parents' source of income---and two predictors of connectivity---worker knowledge and parents' source of income. Findings suggest that agency training and support of workers can have a positive effect on implementation of best practice. The effect of income source is a puzzle, as income from employment was associated with lower inclusion scores, but higher connectivity scores.

Note: / AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) have a central role in providing HIV/AIDS related services to rural communities in Ontario, Canada. To date, very little information has been published on the experience of people employed by ASOs who work in rural Canadian communities. In an effort to learn more about this important topic, this research explored the challenges, risks and benefits people in the field associate to their work. Using A. Giorgi (1985) and B. Giorgi (2006) phenomenological method a purposive sample of three participants were interviewed on two separate occasions. From 179 significant statements, 23 themes emerged to be part of three categories that included: Rural Communities, AIDS Service Organizations, and Workers' Experiences. Through the unfolding of the participants' experiences it became apparent that HIV / AIDS remains a complex phenomenon that is influenced by the structural aspects of Society. / Les organismes offrant des services dans le domaine du VIH/SIDA jouent un rôle central dans l'offre de services en matière de VIH/SIDA auprès des communautés rurales de l'Ontario, au Canada. Jusqu'à présent, très peu d'infonnation a été publiée sur l'expérience vécue par les gens employés par ces organismes dans les communautés rurales canadiennes. Afin d'en apprendre davantage sur ce sujet d'un grand intérêt, la présente recherche a pour but d'explorer les défis, les risques et les bénéfices que ces gens perçoivent dans leur travail. En se basant sur une méthode phénoménologique de A. Giorgi (1985) et de B. Giorgi (2006), un échantillon de trois participants a été ciblé. Pour ce qui est des entrevues, elles ont été conduites auprès de chaque participant à deux occasions différentes. Les 179 commentaires des participants qui étaient pertinents ont pennis d'identifier 23 thèmes qui ont été divisés en trois catégories: les communautés rurales, les organismes offrant des services dans le domaine du VIH/SIDA et l'expérience vécue par les gens employés par ces organismes. En parcourant l'expérience décrite par les participants, il est apparu évident que le VIH/SIDA demeure un phénomène complexe qui est grandement influencé par les structures et les caractéristiques de la société.