<p> The purpose of this thesis project was to write a grant proposal to secure funding for a mindfulness meditation training program for adults diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at Venice Family Clinic in Venice, California. A literature review was conducted to examine topics related to ADHD including the unique and challenging experiences of adults with ADHD. The purpose of the proposed program was to increase knowledge in participants about ADHD, improve their mindfulness skills, reduce their ADHD symptoms, and improve their perceived well-being. The Ralphs M. Parsons Foundation was chosen for the proposed grant funding. The actual submission or funding or this grant proposal was not a requirement for the successful completion of the project.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to write a grant to develop a mentoring program for foster youth. The program will be designed for minority male youth, ages 12 to 18, and will espouse the Recovery Model. This model seeks to promote client empowerment by allowing the minority males to have a say in the selection of mentors. The client will have a large state in their treatment plan and other goals concerning permanency following departure from the out of home foster care environment.</p><p> A literature review was conducted in order to provide empirical evidence in support of a mentoring program. The mentoring program will be located in Ettie Lee Youth &amp; Family Services, located in Los Angeles County. The actual submission or funding of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of the project.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to create awareness about the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) community. The CSEC victims face many challenges, which include socioeconomic hardship, mental health issues, criminal charges and inappropriate coping mechanism. The workshops will be focus on educating the Willowbrook community members and bringing awareness about CSEC using the Public Health Model (PHM) perspective. The workshops will focus on what commercial exploitation is, who the victims are, how CSEC victims are lured, circumstances that lead a juvenile into being sexually exploited, and what the community can do to help alleviate CSEC population. The workshops will only include risk factors associated with the CSEC population, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered Questioning Youth (LGBTQ), international sex trafficking and the main causes for the CSEC victims. The different prevention programs and interventions currently in place will also be a focus in the workshop. The major component of the proposed program will be to educate the community with facts about the CSEC population and linkages to the multiple programs serving the CSEC community. Submission and/or funding of the project were not requirements for the successful completion of this project.</p>

<p> Mental illness can be debilitating and gravely affect the quality of life (QoL) of individuals with mental disorders. What is more, it is often difficult for individuals to manage their disorder while maintaining a good QoL and to work towards a recovery that encompasses all aspects of their lives. This content analysis of 23 scholarly articles attempted to collect as many influencing factors to QoL and recovery, both positive and negative. The results indicated that there are a variety of environmental, psychological, and social elements that affect QoL and recovery. Social support and social networks were cited most often as improving QoL and aiding in recovery while stigma was found hinder recovery and improved QoL. Additionally, it gathered information about different treatments, interventions, and resources used to treat mental disorders. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a therapeutic intervention, was found to be a commonly used intervention. Recommendations for social work practice, policy, and future research regarding mental health are also presented in this analysis.</p>

<p> The purpose of this thesis project was to write a grant proposal to make peer specialist trainings available in Orange County, California. The trainings will be funded by Mental Health Services Act&rsquo;s Workforce Education and Training funds and take place at the Recovery Education Institute, in the City of Orange. The trainings will be coordinated by Orange County Health Care Agency&rsquo;s Behavioral Health Services branch, using the Peer Employment Training program developed by Recovery Innovations, Inc. The trainings will help contribute to the development of the growing peer workforce in Orange County and increase the quality and efficacy of the peer support services provided. The implementation and/or submission of this grant proposal was not a requirement for the successful completion of this thesis project.</p>

<p> This thesis project explores the chronic issue of untreated mental illness as a social problem within the context of the County of Santa Barbara California&rsquo;s mental health public policy decision making process. As the county&rsquo;s Board of Supervisors considers implementation of the California Legislature&rsquo;s Assembly Bill AB1421, which provides for Assisted Outpatient Treatment, it is essential that the board fully consider the issues, community perspectives and impact. Funding to be requested in the following grant proposal is to be used for interventions providing an educational forum focusing on diverse stakeholder perspectives in order to develop implementation recommendations. Actual submission and/or funding of the grant were not required for the completion of this project. An assessment of current research establishes both that untreated mental illness is a serious social problem with high costs to the individual and communities, as well as the importance of community involvement in the development of public policy.</p>

<p> The purpose of this policy analysis was to analyze the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) of 2004 using research articles and state and governmental documents. The analysis explored the expansion of mental health services and the challenges of implementation. The programs that were developed to meet the specific needs of the MHSA included early intervention, prevention, curriculum development, education, training, and community services. A thorough examination of the act provided an understanding of how the funds are distributed and how the MHSA will continue to support specialized mental health program services. The information presented in this policy analysis focused on children and youth and in detailing the services they received through the MHSA.</p>

<p> Transnational parents encounter mental health problems and emotional difficulties when they separate from their children to migrate to the United States. The purpose of this project was to locate a funding source and write a grant to develop a program for transnational parents at Maternal and Child Health Access, in Los Angeles, California. The goal of this program was to decrease depressive symptomology and other mental health problems among Latino transnational parents; as well as to address parent-child separation stressors. The proposed program was designed to be culturally competent to meet the needs of Latino immigrant parents through three support groups that utilize supportive, educational, and cognitive behavior therapy components. The Langeloth Foundation was identified as a potential funder for this proposed program. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of the project.</p>

<p> With one in five youth in the United States (US) having a diagnosable mental illness in a given year and fewer than seven percent receiving needed treatment, a tremendous burden has been placed on the US economy and society. Given the lack of connection between mental health service need, resource availability, and factors influencing receipt of treatment, this study aims to lay the groundwork, elucidating the complexity of mental health for youth using Anderson&rsquo;s Behavioral Model of Service Use. Before further system modifications are made or policy revisions, there needs to be a full understanding of the problem. Utilizing the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, factors that potentially influence reported mental health concerns and service utilization, such as age, gender, SES, geographic location, race/ethnicity, religion, and insurance status, were explored. The results showed that youth with the highest prevalence of MDE in 2015 were White, high SES, females, living in urban settings, with private insurance. However, higher prevalence of MDE did not equate with increased utilization of mental health services, even though MDE was the most significant predictor of mental health utilization in the final logistic regression model. Given the barely adequate fit of the model, important variables are missing in determining access to mental health care in youth. Therefore, it is recommended that a more robust national mental health survey be developed to provide greater understanding of the associated factors to receipt of mental health treatment, in addition to more research to further understand the impact of insurance status and geographic location.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore correctional mental health clinicians&rsquo; views of the role mental illness plays in offending behavior, barriers to effective treatment and receptiveness to criminogenic interventions. The sample consisted of 15 mental health clinicians working in an urban jail. The consensus among participants that was untreated mental illness is a vulnerability factor leading to criminal risk factors. As such, limited support was found for the criminalization hypothesis. There was general endorsement of implementing criminogenic interventions to target criminal risk factors. Barriers to effective treatment largely pertained to lack of collaboration with the sheriff&rsquo;s department and environmental constraints. There was a perceived need for increased community services for continuity of care of inmates following release. The results suggest that social workers should advocate for an integrated treatment approach to target criminal risk factors in addition to mental health needs.</p><p>