<p> Students with disabilities face a variety of challenges that are not experienced by their able-bodied peers. Literature reveals that these students are less likely to succeed in higher education, earn their degrees, and often take more time to earn their degrees than the able-bodied majority. These students face stigma related to their disability and lack of acceptance among their peers and professors. Additionally, these students are tasked with the additional responsibility of disclosing their disability and requesting accommodations often without adequate preparation. The goal of this project was to write a grant proposal to fund a training program for students with disabilities pursuing postsecondary education. This program is designed to empower these students to become their own advocates and lead to their successes in higher education and beyond. Actual submission and funding of the grant are not required for the completion of the project.</p>

<p>Despite movement toward integrating trauma and trauma-informed care into the clinical training curriculum in general and the social work curriculum in particular, there is scant research on retraumatization during training. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze narratives gathered from MSW program students, course and field educators, and staff about situations during training that were perceived as retraumatizing in order to better understand the complex problem of retraumatization during social work training. A web-based qualitative survey was used to collect responses. Narrative and positioning analysis of data from the full sample (n=186) and narrative subsample (n=43) yielded results that fit under four major categories: prevalence, sources, severity, symptoms, and impact; situations that are perceived as retraumatizing; repositioning strategies and positioning types; and what can be learned from growth narratives. Findings from this study help to improve our understanding of retraumatization during training and help to further development of trauma-informed educational principles, practices, and policies which can be used in a variety of educational settings.

<p> Foster youth face significant challenges as they navigate higher education; estimated rates of those who obtain Bachelor Degrees vary from 1 to 11% (Casey Family Services, 1999; Emerson, 2006; Pecora et al., 2003). Grounded in identity, attachment, development, and student success theories and rooted in relational cultural therapy, this proposed program applies components to help counter and shrink the achievement gap of foster youth. Utilizing case management, a mentoring program, and across-system collaboration and communication, educational outcomes for foster youth can be improved, avenues for positive and consistent interpersonal adult connections can be provided, and access to existing services across campus, local, and county systems for foster youth attending a community colleges can be improved. The challenges facing foster youth, associated theories and proposed intervention components are examined and supported by the literature. Intervention strengths, limitations, and implications are also explored.</p>

<p> College counseling centers have adapted through the years to operate in an environment that has undergone frequent changes since such services were first implemented, over 100 years ago. As counseling centers continue to be faced with an increase in the number of students who need mental health services, as well as a continued increase of fiscal pressures that make providing adequate services difficult, both the students and staff must seek new ways of improving current services. Therefore, the utilization of an appreciative action research inquiry (AARI) involved the engagement of university staff, faculty, and students in developing a task force, which looked at ways to improve the current mental health services based on input obtained from individual interviews with the stakeholders: students, faculty, and staff. A qualitative method of data collection consisted of unstructured individual interviews of the members of the task force, a member-check, and field notes. Utilizing epiphanic data analysis proved best. This AARI project explored collaboratively the strengths and weaknesses of the current mental health services currently offered on campus. The AARI provided opportunities for stakeholders to advocate for improvements to the current mental health services on campus as well as recognize the existing strengths. Identified needed improvements that emerged from the date included increased advertisement of the available services, increased education about the need for mental health services, and the necessity for increased awareness of overall mental health services on campus. </p>

<p> From the early days of academia, classroom incivility has been acknowledged as counterproductive to the social contract of an educational environment; however, due to the subjectivity of what constitutes uncivil behavior, classroom incivility continues to be open to interpretation. The recent surge in classroom incivility has been attributed to changes in generational culture, parenting styles, K&ndash;12 educational practices, technological customs, and consumeristic/narcissistic attitudes of students. A marginal amount of classroom incivility literature has focused on higher education settings; even more scant is the literature that has explored uncivil behaviors in social work education environments. </p><p> This quantitative study examined students&rsquo; perceptions of classroom incivility in social work education, using the theoretical framework of social exchange theory. The sample included 203 social work students; nearly 78% were enrolled in the Master of Social Work program and approximately 22% were enrolled in the Bachelor of Social Work program in a public university in southern California. A majority of the sample expressed some level of concern regarding the <i>severity</i> of the uncivil behaviors listed in the survey; however, the participants appeared to be polarized in their responses concerning the <i>frequency</i> of uncivil behaviors. Based on these findings, implications for field internship and professional practice were identified and recommendations were made to assist undergraduate and graduate programs to recognize what is potentially the new norm in social work education settings and to promote a dialog regarding how students are educated and socialized into the social work profession. This research did not clarify the issue of what constitutes classroom incivility; rather, it generated questions for future research regarding probable causes, consequences, and effects of uncivil behaviors in social work education.</p>

<p> Schools of social work are facing a challenge of a lack of social workers with a doctorate to fill faculty positions expected to open due to faculty retiring. There is also a need for more ethnic diversity among social work faculty and schools are struggling to recruit and retain more faculty. This qualitative study used phenomenological methods to explore the factors that 20 Black women attribute to earning their doctorate degree in social work. It used Tinto&rsquo;s theory of graduate persistence, critical race theory, and Black feminist thought to contextualize the findings.</p><p> All of the participants were first generational doctoral students. Two factors motivated them to earn their doctorates (1) influence of family, friends and mentors and (2) their desire to help others. Findings also revealed that participants encountered a number of internal and external obstacles during their studies. While these obstacles delayed many of the women, they did not stop them. The women perceived these obstacles to be connected to their race, gender, and class. All of the women prevailed against the obstacles they encountered utilizing internal supports such as their faith and determination. They also relied on external supports from those with whom they had interpersonal relationships, including family, friends, and their institutions. These findings suggest that having support from their institution and encouragement from their family and friends served as a protective factor to the obstacles they encountered. These findings also outline the dichotomy of finances in this study. Overall 90% of participants received some type of funding for their, however all of accumulated financial debt in pursuit of their doctorate. Based on the findings of this study the following suggestions are made for schools of social work. A) Address issues of institutional racism by providing mentorship training courses for faculty. B) Conduct research to test the effectiveness of recommendations outlined in this study. C) Provide more training and resources to prepare Black women who aspire to pursue their Ph.D. in social work.</p><p>

There has been a surge in the involvement of service users and carers in health and social care education, research, and practice in the last three decades within the United Kingdom. However, there are few studies that have evaluated the impact of Involvement in health and social care students' education. This study explored the impact of active involvement in Adult Nursing and Social Work pre-registration education. It provided a tripartite perspective from the perceptions of the three main stakeholders involved: students, academic staff and service users/carers in a specific Higher Education setting in the United Kingdom. A concurrent embedded mixed-methods approach was employed in this study. The study sample was drawn from the three participating stakeholder groups. A total of 38 participants took part in this study. Qualitative information was gathered using semi-structured interviews and focus groups, which explored participants' perspectives of the impact of active involvement in Adult Nursing and Social Work pre-registration degrees. Questionnaires was the data collection tool for the quantitative information required in this study. Questionnaire was helpful in obtaining contextual information about the participants and service users and carers' involvement at the research site. It was used to gather factual information about the participants and the current nature of the involvement in Adult Nursing and Social Work pre-registration degree as it was being practiced at the time of data collection and characteristics that may influence or affect the impact of involvement Qualitative data was analysed thematically from the semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Additionally, descriptive and cross-tab analysis of quantitative data was carried out. Then, a side-by-side comparison was used to identify aspects of the qualitative and quantitative findings that were convergent and conflicting. Findings of this study indicated that the scope and integration of service users and carers in educational activities varied greatly within and between subjects even within the same university. Social Work degree reported a wider scope and greater inclusion than the Adult nursing degree. Two main factors account for this notable differences between the two degrees. These are: the duration of involvement being a regulatory requirement by the Professional Regulatory and Statutory Bodies as well as the duration of conducting involvement. Furthermore, this study revealed that involvement influences all three main stakeholders in Higher Education. Some beneficial outcomes of involvement were similar in the academic staff and students' participant groups. Academic staff and service users/carers raised similar concerns. Overall, the participants indicated that service users and carers' involvement is generally positive and makes an important and unique contribution to the education of nurses and Social Workers supporting the delivery of patient/client-centred care. This study contributed to new knowledge about involvement in Adult Nursing and Social Work pre-registration degrees by generating a holistic view of its impact. This was achieved by exploring these impacts from a tripartite perspective of the three main stakeholders in Higher Education. This study also developed a modified six rung model that helps to involvement is active and meaningful. A partnership framework was proposed to inform future involvement practices and research about ways of optimising the beneficial outcomes and limiting the inhibitory factors of service users and carers' involvement in students' education. Overall, this study provided insights into best practices and pitfalls to avoid, which may be of value to HE providers, education commissioners as well as Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies regarding the practices of service users and carers' involvement in Higher Education.