<p> The purpose of this project was to design a program, identify a funding source, and write a grant to fund a prevention and intervention program for youth and parents in impoverished neighborhoods who are facing educational losses and barriers due to their socioeconomic class. An extensive literature review increased the writer's knowledge about the relationship between poverty and education. Information about evidence-based prevention programs was gathered and used by the grant writer to design a best practices program for impoverished neighborhoods in Los Angeles County, particularly the South Central area. A search for potential funding sources via Internet, library, and grant funding search engines resulted in the selection of the Weingart Foundation as the best funding source for this project.</p><p> The funds will be used to open "Pearl of Hope" in the South Central area of Los Angeles. The objectives of the program are to: (a) increase student's academic performance; (b) facilitate home environments that are conducive to their child's education; and (c) educate teachers of effective ways of working with children that come from poor backgrounds.</p>

<p> Children who live in foster care are more likely than their peers in the general population to have academic delays, special education needs, and social-emotional and behavior problems. Research suggests that a plethora of educational accommodations and interventions may help address these needs; however, it is uncertain to what extent these accommodations and interventions are routinely used in school districts and how prepared schools are to deal with the needs of children in foster care. One hundred and two school districts across the country were surveyed using the School Rating Scale for Children in Foster Care to examine policies and procedures routinely used to address the needs of children in foster care. Results suggest that school districts engage in several interventions and accommodations recommended by research for topics regarding policies and procedures, social-emotional and behavioral interventions, special education, homework, and collaboration. The results indicated a significant positive correlation between districts' average policy adherence and the presence of a written policy; however, many participants were unaware of their school district's policies suggesting a need for professional development.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to design a career development program for individuals with serious mental illness to explore career interests and further develop their vocational identities. This program will act as an enhancement to MHA's The Village Integrated Services' existing supported employment program. MHA's The Village Integrated Services, the hosting agency of this project, is located in Los Angeles County, California.</p><p> After conducting a review of the literature, the grant writer designed a focused career development service enhancement, the Career Development Project. After researching funding sources, the Weingart Foundation was determined to be the most applicable match for the funding of the project based upon an alignment of the goals of the funder with the purpose of the project and the mission of The Village Integrated Services.</p><p> Actual submission and funding of the grant were not required for the successful completion of this project.</p>

<p> The purpose of this grant project is to educate and train leaders within the Orthodox Jewish community to act as culturally sensitive first responders to mental health crises within the Orthodox Jewish community. Mental illness is highly stigmatized among this population. Having trained, trusted, and culturally sensitive community leaders capable of identifying individuals and families in need of mental health services increases the chances that they may use these supports. The proposed leadership training program consists of a series of psycho-educational training groups. The educational emphasis will be on understanding and identifying mental illness, educating leaders about stigma, and approaching community members in need of referrals. The Walter and Elise Hass Foundation is the identified potential funding source. A line-item budget and an evaluation tool are included in the proposed program. The actual submission or funding of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of the project.</p>

<p> Stigma toward adults with serious mental illness involves labeling, stereotyping, separation, status loss and discrimination. Stigma has been linked to lowered self-esteem, social isolation and withdrawal, and lowered quality of life. As providers of treatment and services, it is fundamental that social work professionals have knowledge regarding serious mental illness and stigma. This quantitative study evaluated the attitudes of 87 Master of Social Work students attending California State University, Long Beach. Respondents completed the Attribution Questionnaire (AQ-27) which evaluated attitudes toward a schizophrenic man presented in a case vignette. Measurements of the nine subscales measuring stigma had a total possible range of 3-27. Results showed correlation between age and pity, differences between ethnicity and stigma subscales, and between stigma subscales and gender. This study contributes to the understanding of stigma toward adults with serious mental illness and shows the need for curriculum that addresses mental health, cultural diversity, and stigma.</p>

<p> The purpose of this research is to gain an understanding of the mental health needs of Latino university students particularly those who are participants of the AB 540 program by assessing their level of psychological distress. Comparing Latino college students who are AB 540 program participants to non-program participants will add to the social work knowledge base by providing information regarding the mental health service needs of AB 540 program participants. A survey was administered to determine if there was a difference in psychological distress, anxiety, and stress among documented Latino college students and Latino college students enrolled in the AB 540 program. According to the data that was collected and analyzed Latino AB 540 students reported experiencing more symptoms of depression and anxiety than Latinos who are not enrolled in the AB 540 program.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to write a grant and obtain funding for a program on education and awareness of teen dating violence. A half-day workshop will be repeated weekly for 5 months for caregivers of high school students in Sun Valley, California. The workshops will provide caregivers with education and parenting strategies about teen dating violence. The program will also include a community resource fair, which will be open to Sun Valley and surrounding areas. Local agencies will be invited to attend and participate in the fair. Program outcomes will be assessed using pre- and post-surveys of knowledge of dating violence. The actual submission and funding of the grant was not a requirement for completion of this thesis project.</p>

<p> The purpose ofthis project was to establish a system of structured parental involvement utilizing parent liaisons in Verde Elementary and Peres Elementary Schools within the West Contra Costa Unified School District in Northern California. This system would facilitate parental engagement in the educational process of the students.</p><p> The target population, urban students of poverty and color, has been shown to have lower levels of academic achievement and high school graduation rates than other students. Parental involvement has been shown to enhance academic achievement and to benefit families, schools, and communities. The primary goal of the program is to increase the level of engagement of all parents within the school by actively reaching out to them, with the assumption that increased parental involvement will increase student performance, attendance, retention, and graduation rates. The concept of cultural humility will serve as the central theoretical framework which guides the establishment and operation of all aspects of this project. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant were not required for successful completion of this project. </p>

<p><b>Background</b>: Participation in college athletics comes with inherent risks. Many of these risks relate to the psychosocial safety and well-being of college athletes. These risks include depression, suicide, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, and the development of an eating disorder. This study specifically examined the current state of psychosocial needs amongst college athletes, the availability of services that address psychosocial needs, the comfort level college athletes have with seeking services, and the identification of barriers that influence whether or not a college athlete seeks necessary help. </p><p> <b>Methods</b>: This study used a web-based survey to gather information from a proportionate stratified random sample of both college athletic directors (<i>N</i> = 132) and college athletes (<i>N</i> = 349) across all NCAA division levels. Descriptive statistics, parametric tests, and multivariate tests were used to analyze the research questions. This study used NCAA division level and the profile of a college athlete&rsquo;s sport as independent variables. The researcher created composite scores for athletic, academic, and psychosocial services to serve as dependent variables. The researcher also created a composite score for perceived barriers. </p><p> <b>Results</b>: There were multiple significant findings for this research study. One key finding was that Division I and Division II college athletes had significantly higher psychosocial needs than Division III college athletes. Another key finding was that Division I college athletes experienced significantly lower levels of comfort in seeking psychosocial services than Division II and Division III college athletes. Furthermore, Division I college athletes reported significantly higher levels of barriers to seeking necessary services than Division II and Division III college athletes. </p><p> <b>Implications</b>: These significant findings point clearly to the fact that more must be done to ensure the psychosocial safety and well-being of college athletes. This includes athletic departments more clearly understanding the needs of their college athletes, having services more readily available, finding ways to promote a college athlete&rsquo;s disclosure of a psychosocial risk, and working to address current barriers that prevent college athletes from seeking help. One idea for improving the current state of services explored in this research is the interprofessional collaboration of social workers with college athletic departments. </p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to develop a program, explore potential funding sources, and complete a grant application to secure funding for an expressive arts showcase for clients at Homeboy Industries who have a criminal and gang-affiliated past, and are now attempting to re-integrate in their communities. Narrative therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, art therapy, and mindfulness may significantly ameliorate the conditions faced by this population, as well as the overall well-being of the community through a showcase of expressive arts composed and performed by the clients of Homeboy Industries. A search for potential funding sources led to The Goldhirsh Foundation as the most appropriate source for this grant. A grant proposal was written describing an expressive arts program for Homeboy Industries that will ultimately result in a showcase for community consumption. Actual submission and/or funding of the grant were not required for the successful completion of this project. </p>