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This study examined the relationship between secondary trauma experienced by social workers and commercially sexually exploited children in Georgia. The study was designed to examine the secondary trauma experienced by social workers who worked with commercially sexually exploited children in areas that included emotional, physical, and psychological stressors affecting the social worker. The target population for the research was composed of current and former social workers in Georgia who worked with commercially sexually exploited children. Seventy-four respondents working with this population completed a questionnaire survey, utilizing quantitative probability criterion sampling and snowball sampling. There are social workers who experience secondary trauma when working with commercially sexually exploited children in Georgia; however, the findings of this study indicate that there is no statistically significant relationship between social workers experiencing situations that remind them of commercially sexually exploited children and social workers' feelings of distress that interfere with work. In addition, the study results indicate that there is no statistically significant relationship between: social workers' gender and distress that interfere with work; social workers experiencing nightmares and situations that remind them of commercially sexually exploited children; nor social workers' experiences that remind them of commercially sexually exploited children and employment type. Nonetheless, the findings of this study indicate that there is a significant relationship between social workers' feelings of distress that interfere with their work and feelings of anger, as well as social workers' feelings of distress in their social life and their highest level of education.

This evaluation examines the effectiveness of the DeKalb Alternative School Program as it relates to increasing the personal growth of the students. The sample consists of 31 faculty of the DeKalb Alternative School who work directly with the students. For the purpose of this evaluation, the effectiveness of the program in advancing personal growth in students was measured by the perceptions of the teachers who work with them daily in the school environment. The evaluation measures faculty perceptions of student growth by using a questionnaire consisting of both open and close-ended questions. Descriptive statistical analysis is used to summarize the overall findings of the evaluation, which reports that the DeKalb Alternative School Program promotes the personal advancement of its students. Findings from this evaluation may be used to maintain or improve the effectiveness of the DeKalb Alternative School Program in addressing the personal advancement of its students.

<p> The purpose of this project was to write a grant to develop a psychoeducation and supportive program that aims to address the needs of Vietnamese caregivers of relatives with severe mental illnesses. A review of the literature indicated that caregivers are greatly affected by stress as they provide care to their loved ones on a daily basis. The goal of the program is to increase Vietnamese caregivers&rsquo; knowledge about mental illness, to improve caregivers&rsquo; coping skills due to stress that they endure daily, to provide therapeutic support in group among other caregivers, and to decrease the level of burden of caregivers. This proposed program will be linked with the Orange County Association for Vietnamese Mental Health Awareness &amp; Support, a nonprofit organization that currently supports Vietnamese caregivers of relatives with severe mental illnesses.</p>

Relatively few studies have examined the strengths of the African American family, while several have highlighted social issues that have affected the African American family such as divorce, single-parent households, and absentee fathers. This focus on deficit and dysfunction contributes to a research-based gap in understanding the African American marital dyad. Given that religion influences the lives of many African American couples, it is important to understand the impact that religious coping can have on marital stability in the African American community. The purpose of this study is to explore the underlying processes of religious coping for those African American couples that identify as highly religious and happily married. Specifically, this study seeks to answer the two following questions: 1) How do highly religious, happily married African American couples use religion as a coping resource for common stressors that impact the marriage?, and 2) How are the three approaches to religious coping, identified as self-directed, deferred, and collaborative, used to contribute to the marital stability of highly religious, happily married African American couples? In-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with 35 African American couples, married for at least 7-years and highly involved with an Abrahamic (Christian, Jewish, Mormon, and Muslim) faith. Grounded theory methods and a Numeric Content Analysis were used to analyze the narrative data. Three a priori themes related to the variations of religious coping were presented: 1) Often, We Can Manage Our Stress, 2) Ive Laid My Burdens Down, and 3) Dear God, Help Us to Help Us. Emergent subthemes related to each of these a priori topics were also presented. Implications, related to theory, policy, and practice, that consider the intersections of religion and marriage for African American families are also discussed.

This research examines gender differences in response to counseling for issues related to infertility. A couple seeking counseling for infertility-related issues was given a letter of introduction, a demographic survey along with a pretest at the onset of their first appointment and a post-test after two sessions with their counselor. Both the pre and post-tests were the same, the WALMYR Indices of Marital Satisfaction, Self-Esteem and Clinical Stress. The support group for infertile couples was led by a local infertility counselor who used an eclectic/experiential therapeutic approach. Therapists using this methodology function as an educator and a facilitator in addressing problems and issues with an orientation that combines behavioral, interpersonal, effectual and cognitive perspectives. The objective is to assist couples struggling with infertility in processing their feelings via mutual support from others experiencing similar difficulties. The comparison between the husband and wife’s scores on marital satisfaction, self-esteem, and level of stress revealed the wife’s scores on levels of stress and marital satisfaction did have a marked improvement after the counseling intervention, though her self-esteem score dropped markedly after the counseling. Her husband had little to no improvement in the three areas, with stress as the area with some improvement.

<p> In fulfillment of the requirements for a Master&rsquo;s of Social Work degree, a project was developed to increase the services being offered for those experiencing homelessness, substance use, severe mental illness, and co-occurring disorders. The harm reduction model was utilized as a means to assists those in reducing harms associated with substance use. This grant proposal identified homeless individuals in the Service Planning Area (SPA) 6 of South Los Angeles, more specifically the Courtyard of the Midnight Mission as the target group for the harm reduction services. Prevalence rates of harms associated with substance users were noted, as well as the increasing growth of the homeless population in California, specifically the influx of unsheltered individuals in SPA 6. Through participation in weekly group and individual therapy sessions, the group members are expected to benefit from motivation and brief interventions to deter from harms associated with substance use. This strengths-based program embraces the harm reduction principles as a means to educate, motivate, and empower group members to begin the practice of reducing harms associated with substance use. The actual submission or funding of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of the project. </p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to investigate the efficacy of a social enterprise intervention&rsquo;s ability to ameliorate anti-social behaviors amongst at-risk teenagers ages 15-19. An extensive literature review was performed to investigate effective intervention strategies for teenagers exhibiting risky behaviors. The findings from this review suggested that the integration of positive youth development, and social emotional learning into a social enterprise would be an effective model of intervention with at-risk youth. Upon a review of the literature it was found that there is a lack of research regarding the efficacy of social enterprise interventions, particularly with youth, and this study should serve as motivation for further investigation. The findings of this study have several implications for practice that include considerations for diversifying and improving the methods used to prevent and intervene with at-risk youth. Submission for funding was not required to successfully complete this project.</p>

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