Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 212-228). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1992. / Includes tables. Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Robert E. Kretschmer. Dissertation Committee: Kay Alicyn Ferrell. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 201-210).

Thesis (M.S.)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2007. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Bethany L. Letiecq. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-77).

published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The shifts in human services re-organization in Canada, and in particular the strategc shifts outlined by the Ministry of Children and Family Development in British Columbia have underscored the importance of the inclusion of communities, service users and parents in service planning. This qualitative case study explores the involvement and participation of parents as clients in multidisciplinary collaborative practice within the family resource program model of service delivery. Data was collected using semi - structured individual interviews and a document review at two sites. A thematic analysis generated major findings in two areas, 1) the framing of multidisciplinary collaborative practice and parent inclusion by the organizational milieu; 'LA and 2) the influence of service contracts, organizational policies and procedures, and work-place relationships on the service approaches. The study includes recommendations for policy and practice, suggested for funding bodies, multi-service community-based agencies, and family resource programs, and recommendations for additional research.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Adelaide, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 400-433).

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A child’s death represents a traumatic loss, which can be understood as a crisis impacting on the family as a functioning unit. The purpose of the current study was to investigate grief and resilience in families in which a child has died, while specifically focusing on the internal resistance resource of family hardiness. A cross-sectional research design was implemented concurrently with intensive interviews conducted according to the principles of grounded theory. In total, 35 bereaved parents from the Western Cape participated in the study as representatives of 23 families. The participants each completed three questionnaires, a biographical questionnaire, the Family Hardiness Index and the Family Attachment and Changeability Index 8. Pearson and Spearman correlational analyses indicated significant positive correlations between family hardiness scores (including scores on the subscales for commitment, challenge and control) and family adaptation (measured by use of the Family Attachment and Changeability Index 8). Significant associations were also found between certain biographical variables and family hardiness. Intensive interviews were, furthermore, conducted with participants representing 12 different families. The analysis of interviewtranscriptions resulted in the formulation of various thematic categories, such as grief-reactions, continuing bonds, external support, religion, as well as the core category of family hardiness. A grounded theory was thus developed concerning grief and resilience in families in which a child has died. The results of the study reveal the importance of qualitative methods to explore the unique experiences of bereaved parents and families with the purpose of constructing applied interventions on the family level. The family hardiness concept was also clarified and shown to be a possible resistance resource conducive to family adaptation following the loss of a child. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die dood van `n kind is `n traumatiese verlies, wat beskou kan word as `n krisis wat `n impak het op die gesin as `n funksionerende eenheid. Die doelwit van die huidige studie was om verdriet en veerkragtigheid in gesinne waarin `n kind oorlede is, te ondersoek, met `n spesifieke fokus op die interne weerstandsbron van gesinsgehardheid. `n Dwars-snit opname navorsingsontwerp is gebruik in oorleg met intensiewe onderhoude, wat volgens die beginsels van gegronde teorie gevoer is. In totaal is 35 ouers, woonagtig in die Wes-Kaap, betrek by die studie, wat opgetree het as verteenwoordigers van 23 gesinne. Die deelnemers het elk drie vraelyste voltooi, naamlik `n biografiese vraelys, die Gesinsgehardheid Indeks en die Gesinsgehegtheid en Veranderlikheid Indeks 8. Pearson en Spearman korrelasie-berekeninge het aangedui dat gesinsgehardheid-tellings (asook die tellings op die subskale vir toewyding, uitdaging en beheer) beduidend positief korreleer met gesinsaanpassing (gemeet met die Gesinsgehegtheid en Veranderlikheid Indeks 8). Beduidende verhoudings is ook gevind tussen sekere biografiese veranderlikes en gesinsgehardheid. Verder is intensiewe onderhoude gevoer met die verteenwoordigers van 12 gesinne. Die ontleding van onderhoud-transkripsies het gelei tot die formulering van verskeie tematiese kategorieë, naamlik verdriet-reaksies, die voortdurende verbintenis, eksterne ondersteuning en godsdiens, asook die kern-kategorie van gesinsgehardheid. `n Gegronde teorie is sodoende ontwikkel, wat betrekking het op verdriet en veerkragtigheid in gesinne waarin `n kind oorlede is. Die resultate van die studie wys op die belang van kwalitatiewe metodes om die uniekheid van bedroefde ouers en gesinne se ervarings te verken met die doel om gepaste intervensies op gesinsvlak te ontwikkel. Die konsep van gesinsgehardheid is ook verhelder en aangedui as `n moontlike weerstandsbron, wat bevorderlik is vir gesinne se aanpassing ná die verlies van `n kind.

This study examined the outcomes for young adults in Extended Foster Care. Extended Foster Care is a relatively new program within the Child Welfare system, which provides services for former foster youth between the ages of 18 and 21 to become more successful, independent young adults. Before the implementation of Extended Foster Care in 2012, most of the foster children were left to fend for themselves after they turned 18, which resulted in negative outcomes. Extended Foster Care is a seemingly helpful program; however, due to its new existence there has been very limited research regarding the outcomes of these young adults in Extended Foster Care. This study used secondary data from the San Bernardino County Legislative, Research and Quality Support Services Unit. After data retrieval, independent t-tests and chi-squared tests were conducted using SPSS version 21. The independent variable of days spent in Extended Foster Care was compared to the following dependent variables: disability status, education status, housing status, and employment status and its barriers. The results of this study showed that the longer a young adults stays in Extended Foster Care, the higher their likelihood is of positive housing, employment, and education status. This study suggests it is critical to continue to provide Extended Foster Care services and further research needs to be conducted to ensure program quality and to continue to improve the services to this vulnerable, young adult population.

The research study explored the impact of community resources has on client progress in their case plans as assessed by social workers in Child Welfare Services. The study site was at the Children and Family Services Agency in Central California. The data was gathered using face-to-face interviews with social workers by using a prepared interview guide, which was later transcribed for data analysis utilizing axial, and selective coding. During the Data analysis the researchers found two major themes that have an influence in the clients’ case progression and they include the following: 1.) barriers towards case plan progression and 2.) key elements to case plan progression. The termination of the study included the preparation of the study findings and was presented to the gatekeepers of the research site.

Burnout among child welfare social workers negatively affects social workers and the social welfare system. The purpose of this action research study was to explore what child welfare social workers do to alleviate burnout. The practice-focused research questions for this study center on two elements: (a) the experiences of burnout among child welfare social workers employed by the Department of Family and Children services in the southeastern region of the United States and (b) the social work practices used to alleviate burnout. The conceptual framework for this study was the Maslach theory on burnout. Action research study procedures were used to facilitate analysis of the research problem. Data were collected using semistructured questions administered to 6 child welfare social workers in a focus group. The selection criteria for the child welfare social workers were social workers who work for the department of children and family services for at least 6 months. The data were transcribed verbatim from an audio recording. Codes were assigned to the data and reliability checks were conducted. The themes that emerged from analysis of the data included workload, lack of influence on the job, lack of rewards on the job, negative social interaction, and value differences in individuals and their jobs. The findings of this study might contribute to positive social change by enhancing awareness regarding burnout in child welfare social workers and providing an opportunity for child welfare social workers and child welfare agencies to learn how to address causes of burnout in child welfare social workers in the southeastern United States.