<p>The purpose of this project was to locate a potential funding source and write a grant to create a training program for foster parents who care for and supervise foster children at-risk of becoming Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC). The program?s objectives were to bring awareness to foster parents about the risks and challenges surrounding CSEC, prepare foster parents in identifying foster children at-risk of becoming CSEC, and provide foster parents with the resources and support to address the needs of foster children at-risk of becoming CSEC. The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation was selected due to its focus on social impact. The proposed program matched the foundation?s focus on providing services to an underserved and disadvantaged population by preparing foster parents in identifying and addressing the needs of foster children at-risk of becoming CSEC. Actual submission of this grant was not a requirement for this project.

Individuals with Alzheimers disease (AD) and dementia commonly referred to as persons with dementia (PWD), often experience behavioral and psychological symptoms as a result of the disease process. With no cure for AD and no way to prevent the onset of this disease, studies are analyzing methods to manage the symptoms of this disease. Previous literature on the effect of social adult day models is limited, especially pertaining to particular symptoms linked to this disease. This study explored three presenting symptoms associated with AD: anxiety, problem behaviors, and social engagement. Using a secondary data analysis, a sample of 30 participants from Charlies Place were observed and analyzed to determine if this adult day center would have an impact on the PWDs levels of anxiety, problem behaviors, and social engagement.

The purpose of this study was to re-evaluate the psychometric properties of the Memory for Names (Mem4Names) test among a sample of older adults without cognitive impairment. Mem4Names is a test of famous face recognition that was shown to be a reliable and valid measure of semantic memory in older adults both with and without cognitive impairment (Brouillette et al., 2011). The current study re-examined the psychometric properties of the Mem4Names test among 133 volunteers at Pennington Biomedical Research Centers Institute for Dementia Research and Prevention. The study confirmed previously reported calculations of the tests reliability by calculating Cronbachs alpha and Guttmans split-half coefficient. Convergent validity for the Mem4Names test was established through its correlation with a theoretically similar measure of memory, the Wechsler Memory Scale Logical Memory Delayed subtest. Confirmatory factor analysis identified a one-factor solution for the Mem4Names test. The results concluded that the Mem4Names test is a reliable and valid measure of semantic memory for cognitively intact older adults.

<p> In the United States, an estimated 24.6 million people aged 12 or older use illicit drugs. In 2013, 4.1 million people were treated for alcohol and other substance use disorders yet there continues to be gaps in the research on the factors that sustain recovery from chronic substance use disorders. This research aimed to explore the characteristics of individuals who sustained their recovery from mind or mood altering substances and understand the common experiences and events that initiated and facilitated their recovery process. An online survey was completed by 80 participants who self-reported a minimum of 24 months in recovery. Findings from this mixed method design suggested that spirituality,12-Step fellowships and accepting help were the main factors which caused them to get in to recovery. The most common factor for maintaining long-term recovery was found to be fellowship and being connected with others. Implications for practice and further research are discussed. </p>

The overall objective of this study was to examine burnout and job satisfaction from the perspective of the social workers at Grady Memorial Hospital. To obtain this objective, the following areas on burnout and job satisfaction were addressed by the researcher: (a) characteristics of burnout and job satisfaction, (b) how burnout occurs, and (c) strategies for reduction of burnout and improving job satisfaction. This study was an attempt to provide a clear understanding of what burnout is, how it affects the social workers, and suggest ways to reduce burnout and increase job satisfaction among the social workers. The results showed that burnout was not prevalent among the social workers and they were satisfied with their jobs.

This exploratory study seeks to inform the social work profession about contributing factors influencing retention of public child welfare staff, and relates the research to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need. The dependent variable, retention of child welfare staff, will be correlated to the independent variable, employee turnover rate. This study examines whether or not salary and caseload plays a significant role in a high turnover rate of social service staff who are an important part of the agency. This study did not seek to examine public child welfare staff who are employed in other states. This study was conducted with Georgia public child welfare staff. The setting for data collection was any public child welfare agency that was willing to participate in the research. The participants were self-selected. The identified site is selected due to the large number and variety of public child welfare staff. In addition, several surveys will be given out during case staffing, consultations and team meetings. These sites were selected by the willingness of the participants. The data collection took place November 1-30, 2006.

Intraracial discrimination (the color complex), is a process by which members of a race discriminate against one another. This study examined whether perceived views about skin tone impacted body image satisfaction among African-American college students. A descriptive research design was used in the study. Forty African-American students, from a historically Black university in the southeast United States completed self administered questionnaires to assess various perceptual dimensions of skin color- their own as well as opposite sex preferences, and body image self relations. The results of the study indicated that there was a statistically significant relationship between skin color and body image of the sample population as it related to their overall body image; r.=.04, p.<.05. There were also significant relationships found among skin color in reference to specific body areas, and dieting habits. Finally, females tended to prefer mates who are lighter than they, while males preferred mates who are their same complexion or darker.

The effectiveness of an integrated treatment program utilizing group-administered cognitive-behavioral therapies for panic disorder was examined. Treatment was based upon the cognitive model of panic disorder. Subjects meeting the DSM-III-R criteria for panic disorder received six 1.5 hour sessions of outpatient group therapy over an 8-week period. Subjects were given an extensive rationale of the deve1opment and maintenance of panic disorder, breathing retraining, progressive relaxation training, cognitive therapy to identify and modify maladaptive beliefs and dysfunctional cognitive schemas, as well as training in imagery desensitization. An assessment battery which included measures of panic, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and self-efficacy was given at pre-and post-treatment and at 1-and 2-month follow-up. All subjects were free of spontaneous panic attacks at post-treatment, and 50 percent of subjects showed improvement in the areas of anxiety, depression, and self-efficacy.

<p> Approximately 10% of adults living in the United States meet criteria for a Substance Use Disorder. Although 12-step groups are considered evidence-based practices for substance use problems, an understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which they facilitate recovery practices remains in its infancy. The purpose of the current study was to explore whether attachment could be considered a possible mediator of the effects of recovery practices on positive psychosocial outcomes. Participants (N = 112) were self-identified NA members from 26 U.S. states who completed an online survey assessing attachment style, psychosocial sense of community, psychological well-being, and various other recovery and psychosocial constructs. Results indicated a number of recovery-related practices emerged as significant predictors of secure attachment, over and above covariates. For example, higher levels of home group comfort were associated with increased probability of secure attachment classification (by self-report). In general, psychological sense of community did not significantly predict secure attachment, over and above covariates. Although attachment predicted psychological well-being in univariate models, it generally failed to predict psychological well-being in models that included covariates and recovery-related predictors. Theoretically, these data suggest that functional social support variables are primary recovery-related predictors implicated in NA-involvement, above and beyond other structural social support variables. This further suggests that attachment-related dimensions of 12-step interventions may be integral to recovery outcomes. </p>

This study examines the influence of parenting practices on the behavior of African-American adolescents. The study was based on the belief that an increased level of parental involvement enhances the positive behavior of African-American adolescents. Availability and purposive sampling was used to identify fifty African-American high school students to respond to a twenty-five item questionnaire regarding parent-child interaction. The fifty students consisted of thirty-two females and eighteen males. They ranged from fourteen to seventeen years of age. Survey research was used to examine the influence of parental involvement on their behavior. The participants were questioned about three categories; 1.) the limits set for them by their parents, 2.) how their parents monitored their behavior and activities, and 3.) peer influence. The research found that the aforementioned parenting practices did not have as much influence on the behavior of the respondents as hypothesized. The findings of this study did not prove a strong nor weak relationship between the behavior of African-American adolescents and the influence of parental involvement. Therefore, the hypothesis was null.