<p> The purpose of this project was to develop a grant proposal and identify a potential funding source for the purpose of expanding a cross-age mentoring program to increase school participation and decrease dropout rates of students in one high school and middle school in San Antonio, Texas. The program is designed to target and strengthen non-academic factors such as family connectedness, community involvement, and self-esteem which have been shown to contribute to school dropout rates. An extensive literature review increased knowledge about dropout rates among Hispanics and individuals who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and provided information about evidenced-based mentoring programs that the grant writer then used to design a best-practice program. A search for potential finding sources via the internet resulted in the selection of Kronkosky Charitable Foundation as the best funding source for this project. A grant was then written to support the expansion of a cross-age mentoring program at Harlandale High School and Harlandale Middle School in San Antonio, Texas.</p>

<p> The focus of this qualitative study was to explore the parental experience of raising an undocumented child, particularly during the transition from high school. The sample consisted of 11 parents. Parents reported several negative feelings, including <i>impotencia</i>, guilt, fear, worry, and frustration. Many stated that their undocumented children's challenges increased as they entered high school. These challenges included school trips, driving without a license, and planning for further education. Coping methods for parents included hope, faith and spirituality, and seeking information about educational and immigration options. Parents spoke of instilling in their children a drive to not give up despite the barriers ahead of them. Several mentioned that their undocumented children's experiences inspired their other children to succeed. The results suggest that social workers should provide information and counseling to these families and should advocate for policy changes to help this vulnerable population.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to locate a potential funding source and write a grant proposal for a program designed to prepare Latino immigrant youth for high school graduation and college readiness through education, mentoring, and parental involvement. The proposed program was designed to be implemented at Estancia High School located in Costa Mesa, California. The program will provide students and their families with an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills needed to navigate high school and postsecondary education. This will be accomplished through participation in educational workshops, mentoring sessions, college tours, and financial aid advising. If funded, the program will address many of the educational needs of Latino immigrant students who often encounter multiple barriers that may put them at greater risk for truancy, school dropout, low-wage jobs, and risky behaviors. Actual submission for funding was not required for successful completion of this project.</p>

<p> Citizenship/immigration status, high poverty rates and gender specific issues, present a significant problem, when addressing the mental health needs of Latino adolescents. This study utilized data from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). The independent variables for the study were citizenship/immigration status, socioeconomic status, and gender. The dependent variable was mental health. To examine the relationship between the independent and dependent variables, a frequency and regression analysis was performed. The results of the study indicate that citizenship/immigration status and gender are significant predictors of mental health among Latino adolescents. The results of the study suggest that social workers, community leaders, community members, and mental health providers, should explore selecting effective interventions with optimal outcomes for the mental health of this population.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project is to develop a school curriculum prevention program for elementary school students. The identifying school for implementation will be Garfield Elementary School. This prevention program aims to work with elementary school students by providing psycho-education on healthy behaviors and unhealthy behaviors. This project will consist of providing a social support group for students to feel safe when talking about any type of violence from home, school, and the community. The class will consist of providing different activities in order to provide the information to the students. Students will also be giving a pre-test and a post-test in order to evaluate their knowledge before and after treatment. The purpose of this prevention program is to decrease bullying, teen-dating violence, and school violence. As part of the goals and objectives to decrease maladaptive behaviors this program will focus teaching and increasing the level of healthy behaviors, which includes, asking for help, walking away, speaking up, and conflict resolution among others.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to write a grant to fund the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Empowerment Program, through Olive Crest, a mental health agency in Santa Ana, California. This program seeks to support adolescents with ADHD and their caregivers by educating them about this mental health disorder. The ADHD psycho-education support groups, offered in English and Spanish, will educate families on ADHD causes, symptoms, treatments, and behavioral interventions. Actual submission of this grant was not a requirement of this project.</p>

Doctor of Philosophy / There is a current debate in schools of social work in Taiwan about whether they should provide specific HIV/AIDS courses or integrate HIV/AIDS issues into the curriculum. However, an argument that draws on the understandings of curriculum development in social work has not emerged. This project not only explores why this is the case but also aims to resolve the debate. This research is based on two methodologies, the development of a genealogy and content analysis of data collected to build the genealogy. Foucaultian conceptualisation of using a genealogy to explain the relationship between power and knowledge has been utilised as a primary theoretical framework. The texts analysed included social work documents as well as social documents. The research objectives were an exploration of what discourses related to HIV/AIDS were constructed in broader Taiwanese society and within social work; and what forces and stakeholders outside and within social work formed HIV/AIDS curricula in social work in Taiwan. The first PLWHA case in Taiwan was reported in 1984, and four key discourses about HIV/AIDS were gradually constructed. They are individual pathological, programmatic, governmental, and socio-cultural discourses. The individual pathological discourse became dominant in Taiwan. Taiwanese social work did not consider HIV/AIDS as an issue until 1992, nearly ten years after it was recognised as a serious medical and social problem in the West. This genealogical research shows that, over time, four key discourses about HIV/AIDS were also represented in Taiwanese social work texts. The programmatic discourse emerged as more popular in social work documents. The genealogy also showed that four identified subgroups within social work in Taiwan were more able to express their views about HIV/AIDS issues. They were social work scholars, practitioners, students and translated social work documents. Reflecting dominant wider social prejudices the genealogy revealed that Taiwanese social work scholars were likely to adhere to the individual pathological discourse, the discourse that blamed those with HIV/AIDS for their own predicament. The other three groups were likely to express a programmatic discourse, which often reflected the changing governmental response over time. The genealogy also showed that influential forces outside social work included international responses on HIV/AIDS, the Taiwanese central governmental responses, social norms regarding sex, sexuality and homosexuality in Taiwan, and the status of social work in society. The key findings of this research lay in the revelation of the power of the four key discourses, the four visible subgroups within social work and the influential forces outside social work in Taiwan that emerged as dominant throughout the genealogical study. These forces formed and shaped the development of HIV/AIDS curricula in a complex way. What these findings provide is a pathway for the development of a responsive curriculum for the education of future social workers in Taiwan.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2005. / Title from title screen (viewed 23 March 2007). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Policy and Practice, Faculty of Education and Social Work. Degree awarded 2005; thesis submitted 2004. Includes bibliographical references. Also issued in print.

Thesis (PhD) -- University of Western Sydney, 2007. / A thesis submitted to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, School of Social Sciences, as a requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliography.

Thesis (doctoral)--Göteborgs universitet, 1990. / Extra t.p. with thesis statement inserted. Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references (p. 235-240).