Health care leaders are challenged with addressing addiction and the treatment of addiction. Many studies have been conducted around addiction treatment; however, no studies have been conducted on Christian-based recovery programs that use the same approach regardless of the addiction. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of participants in a Christian-based recovery program that uses the same approach for all addictions. The social learning theory provided the framework for this study. Data were collected by interviewing participants of the Christian-based recovery program Free Grace Recovery (FGR). Eight participants selected had a variety of reasons for program participation from substance abuse, codependency issues, anger management problems, control issues, and sex addiction. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA software, coded by topic, and arranged into broader categories. Through that process, five central themes emerged from the data: spiritual religious experiences, program experiences, positive experiences with people, skills, acquisition experiences, and acts and services experiences. The implications for social change are that programs like FGR can be beneficial for many addictions, habits, and vices, and the need for program specialization may not be necessary because participants reported similar experiences despite having different addictions or other issues they were addressing. This would make recovery possible for a larger group of people.

Adults with intellectual disability (ID) experience twice the rate of mental health disorders when compared to the general population. Despite increased prevalence of mental health disorders, caregivers supporting adults with ID rarely seek mental health counseling supports, but instead are referred to psychiatric services. There is limited understanding among researchers about the lack of counseling services for adults with ID. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of mental health counselors who have worked with adults with ID in a counseling relationship. Hermeneutic phenomenology was used to develop thick and rick experiential detail about counselor experiences providing services for adults with ID. The conceptual framework involved the social constructivist and hermeneutic phenomenological lenses. The 8 participants were recruited using a purposive snowball sampling method and provided data through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis involved coding for themes with the help of NVivo software. Findings indicated counselor perceptions of adults with ID as being stigmatized and marginalized within their communities, which aligned with literature. Adults with ID must be prepared for counseling and there must be appropriate adaptations to support meaningful participation and benefit from counseling interventions. Exposure to adults with ID was a factor in counselors being willing to engage with this population, and questions about counselor education and preparedness were a consistent theme. The social implications of exploring this gap will lead to a better understanding of counselor experiences and can inform the professional body about how to increase access to counseling services for adults with ID.

Using Bandura's social learning theory as a frame, this quantitative survey study examined the relationship between attitudes and beliefs of counselor educators and the importance they placed on taking social justice as well as advocacy action in their personal and professional lives. Two survey instruments, the Social Issues Advocacy Scale and the Social Justice Scale, were given to faculty members of graduate counselor education programs to examine the question of whether a statistically significant relationship exists between faculty attitudes and beliefs regarding the value of social justice and advocacy, and faculty taking action in social justice and advocacy initiatives in their personal and professional lives. The research design was a quantitative survey study using a nonrandom convenience sample. The number of the convenience sample was (N = 78). Thirty-one percent (n = 24) of the respondents identified themselves as male, and 69% (n = 54) identified themselves as female. A Pearson correlation analysis yielded a moderate correlation (r = 0.401, p = 0.00) between faculty attitudes and beliefs regarding the value of social justice and advocacy and faculty taking action in social justice and advocacy initiatives in their personal and professional lives. Thus, counselor educators who expressed stronger attitudes and beliefs about social justice and advocacy tended to be more active in including social justice and advocacy in their personal and professional lives. Results suggest that institutions and faculty must be social justice thought leaders and take action for social justice and advocacy.

There is a high turnover rate among court-appointed special advocates (CASA) in the United States. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perception of the retention of CASA volunteers. Maslach'€™s burnout theory and Greene'€™s theory of resilience provided the framework for the study. A sample of9 active and 5 inactive CASA volunteers, one CASA volunteer recruiter, 3 program supervisors, and one administrator were interviewed. The data was organized and coded manually to facilitate auto-coding using qualitative data software. All responses to each question were compiled in one place allowing for thematic analysis based on the frequency of terms and concepts occurring during the interviews. According to study findings, lengthy and complicated processes, restrictive laws and regulations, limited outcomes impact for the children, and unrealistic expectations of the CASA volunteers were the main reasons for the high turnover rate. Support and preparedness were crucial in the CASA volunteers'€™ decision to serve longer. The study findings would be available for decision makers to review and revise policies in order to improve the experience and adjust expectations imposed on CASA volunteers via recruitment and training messaging. Increasing CASA volunteers'€™ retention rate would change the trajectory of more children in foster care by improving their chances for achieving positive outcomes.

Expired student visas can contribute to illegal residence in the U.S. and may also be a valuable source of information for Homeland Security. Although the reason for remaining in the U.S. might be for nonthreatening purposes, threatening actions could occur as an individual gets lost in the country. The purpose of this study was to determine how visas were issued, the reasons an individual may remain beyond the approved visa date, and the mechanisms intelligence and law enforcement agencies use to exchange information with each other. This research was based on the new war theory and the Lockwood Analytical Method for Prediction (LAMP) in order to predict results or intentions an individual may have with a student visa overstay. Quantitative nonimmigrant student visa data sets derived from the State Department were used to apply findings for a pair wise comparison. The pairwise comparison of issued visas involved completing a rank order comparison as determined by the LAMP Method. The benefit of this quantitative methods study was to demonstrate the need and reason to share information between the relevant enforcement agencies. The small detail of visas being attributed to terrorist events is minimal; however, there are known events involving visa overstays and terrorist events. The results noted major trends in the number of nonimmigrant student visas, organized by year, which could be directly linked to changes in U.S. international relations with other countries. This quasi-experimental research influences positive social change by utilizing information amongst law enforcement and intelligence agencies in accordance with location of individuals residing in the U.S. on expired student visas.

In studies, grief due to the loss of a child is recognized as a complex process, one whose trajectory is influenced by a variety of factors. One factor, the age of the child at the time of death, may be an important influence in the trajectory of grief. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of loss for 15 bereaved mothers and fathers whose children suddenly died between the ages of 2 and 12 years. This age range was selected to explore bereavement in parents of young and preteen children because they may feel a greater sense of daily care and responsibility for the safety of their children in comparison to bereaved mothers and fathers of older children or adults. The psychosocial transition theory was used to develop the research questions, which framed the exploration of the experiences and adaptive responses of the parent participants. There were 15 recorded semistructured interviews from which the data were collected. The transcribed data were validated with member checking. Data analysis was completed using open and hierarchical coding to identify meanings and recurrent themes in the participant narratives. Recurrent themes included that grieving was emotional and physical for these parents, and that grief made it difficult for them to do everyday tasks or care for surviving children. Mothers and fathers identified viewing their world as less safe and experienced a reevaluation or complete abandonment of their spiritual beliefs. Implications for positive social change include increasing social awareness in the general public about grief due to child death and challenging unrealistic expectations of grief trajectory. Furthermore, the findings of this study may be used by mental health professionals to create interventions specific to this type of loss.

Domestic violence impacts millions of Americans annually and, in spite of the use of rehabilitative programs, recidivism in domestic violence continues to be more likely than in any other offense. To date, batterer intervention programs (BIPs) have not proven to be consistently impactful in reducing recidivism in cases of domestic violence. The purpose of this quasi-experimental, quantitative study was to examine differences in recidivism for first-time male domestic violence offenders who have participated in a BIP and a more recently developed alternative: victim-offender mediation (VOM). The theories of restorative justice and reintegrative shaming frame this study to determine if offenders take accountability for their actions and face the victim in mediation, there can be a reduction in recidivism. Archival data from records of first-time male, domestic violence offenders, between the ages of 18 and 30, who participated in either a VOM or BIP in a county in the Midwest were examined for recidivism 24-months postintervention, and analyzed with an ANCOVA analysis while controlling for age. The findings revealed no significant difference in recidivism for first-time male offenders 24-months post participation in a BIP or a VOM intervention while controlling for age F (1,109) =.081, p = .777. The findings provide support for the notion that restorative justice interventions may be an additional intervention used in cases of domestic violence deemed appropriate for the intervention. The findings from this study can add to the body of research examining interventions to address the high recidivism in cases of domestic violence, which impacts victims, offenders, and communities.

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 created programs to promote gainful employment across the United States. Extant studies on WIA's effectiveness have not examined youth workers, however, and youths are excluded from federal and Texas employment measures. This study was designed to address a research gap regarding postprogram employment outcomes for WIA youths and the types of services received: remedial or remedial plus job training. The study was guided by the theory of experiential learning and examined prior work experience as a variable, using a quasi-experimental design and secondary data. Data were obtained from the Texas Workforce Commission's database and the Unemployment Insurance wage database for a 4-year period after program completion, covering all youths in Texas who completed the WIA program between July 2007 and June 2009 who could be matched on relevant demographics across service groups. No significant difference was found in the mean number of postprogram employment quarters with respect to services received; however, youths with work experience prior to program exit had significantly more quarters of employment afterwards compared to those with no experience. The study findings do not support a return on investment from job training in terms of future employment; however, post hoc nonparametric analyses suggest such services might be helpful to youths without prior work experience. Reexamination of the job training services have resulted in positive social change by identifying more effective use of funds to promote employment among youths, especially those without work experience. Also, this study suggests efforts to help youths obtain early employment experiences and to help them remain employed.

Adolescent girls of color (GOC) experience significant changes in social expectations during puberty based on gender and racial inequity. This divergence usually changes the trajectory for GOC relative to leadership development and may affect their career choices, life decisions, and overall directions for growth. This qualitative study explored the experiences of women of color (WOC) who hold senior leadership positions in Fortune 500 companies. Critical theory grounded this study as its aim is to identify marginalization of any kind and determine ways to free those who are oppressed. Research questions focused on the perceived challenges the participants experienced during adolescence and the intervention strategies that aided them in overcoming those challenges. A qualitative case study used purpose-driven semi structured interviews of 4 WOC who hold senior leadership positions in Fortune 500 companies. Data were coded, categorized, and analyzed to uncover themes. The study results revealed four themes based on data analysis of the participants' responses: (a) lack of representation, (b) lack of direction, (c) racial and gender discrimination, and (d) lack of collaboration. Identifying strategies that aid GOC in overcoming gender and racial inequity relative to leadership development may support policy creation that helps provide funding for nonprofit leaders whose mission is to prepare adolescent GOC for leadership. This study may also initiate conversations about how the intersection of gender and race adds additional barriers for adolescent GOC as they are shaping their identities.

In the past decade, weather disasters have claimed thousands of lives and resulted in billions of dollars in damages. Awareness of a storm threats can occur hours or days in advance, but disaster assessments indicate many people do not heed storm warnings. This problem is old. Despite 50 years of research, and new technologies and training to improve responsiveness, the basic issue– understanding how people interpret and respond to weather warnings–persists. An exploratory study that incorporated human behavior theories and communication models not traditionally associated with severe weather analysis was conducted to learn how weather risks are perceived by nonscientists. Emergency management personnel, a group consisting of emergency managers, support staff and law enforcement telecommunicators from two Midwestern states, were asked to read tornado warnings issued for storms that occurred in 2013 and 2014. Individuals were then interviewed to learn (a) how they perceived the risk and (b) their response to information conveyed by the warnings. Data analyses software was used to examine perceptions of severity, susceptibility, and response efficacy. Findings indicated that perceptions of risk and response depend upon relationships: trust in the source of the message, job responsibly, knowledge of risk, personal experience, and the type of threat perceived. Benchmarks, that did not previously exist, were established for perceptions of severity, susceptibility, and response efficacy to severe weather warnings. This study is one step in the process of positive social change to improve the warning process and save lives. The tangible impact of positive social change will be demonstrated by warnings that increase public responsiveness and result in fewer weather related fatalities.