School of Social Work: Recent submissions
Now showing items 1-20 of 2315
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Maryland's TANF Program: A Comprehensive ReviewThis report is the culmination of a two-year study of Maryland's version of the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program administered by the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS). This study, initiated by a 2022 state bill, provides a roadmap for enhancing the program's effectiveness in supporting Maryland families. Researchers employed a mixed methods design that included administrative data, surveys, interviews, focus groups, and document reviews. This strategy allowed researchers to answer questions about program design, trauma-informed and anti-racist properties of assessment tools, equity in policy implementation and processes, use of evidence-based practices, and disaggregated outcomes. The final report includes 14 actionable recommendations for DHS, focusing on areas such as improving staffing, enhancing program equity, and weaving trauma-informed care into the program's design.
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: 2023 Jurisdictional SnapshotsThese state- and jurisdictional-level profiles complement the report on Maryland SNAP Households in 2023. Each jurisdiction has a one-page profile that examines all households in a jurisdiction that received SNAP during SFY 2023. It includes characteristics of households as well as demographics and employment information for adult recipients.
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Suicide in Healthcare: Awareness and Prevention"I cry and no one cares" INTRODUCTION It is important for healthcare organizations to prioritize suicide prevention and provide support for their staff to address this critical issue. However, even when that support exists, medical professionals are in a unique position to not seek out or accept mental health help. Stigma for seeking help is real, and getting confidential care is a valid concern.
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The Business case for Mental Health Initiatives in the WorkplaceThe impact of poor mental health at work Mental health is not a problem that is unique to the U.S. Globally, nearly 4 in 10 adults aged 15 or over either endure significant depression and anxiety themselves or have a close friend or family member who suffers from it. The serious increase of global unhappiness, in turn, reveals a steadily rising percentage of people over the last 10 years who report significant amounts of anger, stress, worry, sadness and physical pain the day before, reaching a new high in 2021
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The Role of Relationships for Adults Who Served Long Prison Sentences that Began in Childhood: A Mixed Methods ApproachThe US is the only country in the world to sentence children to die in prison. As of 2016, there were over 12,000 people in US prisons who had, starting between the ages of 12 and 17, been sentenced to spend the rest of their lives behind bars. Several Supreme Court rulings have opened the door for reconsideration of some of these sentences, resulting in the release of more than 980 “juvenile lifers.” Trauma histories, depleted social networks, diminished well-being and complex barriers to reentry are well-documented realities for people leaving prison after long sentences that began in adulthood. However, the post-release lives of those who served life and long sentences that began during childhood remain almost completely unexplored. This dissertation study, believed to be the first national study of returned juvenile lifers, used mixed methods with a social network component to explore the post-release lives of this population. Findings are reported from a quantitative sample of 78 juvenile lifers from 24 US states and Washington, DC, with social network analytic tools considering the type, quality, and social support of the sample’s 555 social network members. Data from in-depth semi-structured interviews with 46 of the 78 participants were compared and integrated into the quantitative data. Quantitative analyses included multivariate regression and multi-level modeling, while qualitative analyses used thematic analysis. Respondents report high quality of life, overall positive relationships, high amounts of social support, and very little undermining. In a multiple regression model, attending religious services, spending more than 20 years in prison, and having fewer unmet reentry needs were all associated with higher well-being. Themes were developed regarding how respondents navigated different types of relationships (with family members, romantic partners, friends), life in prison, barriers to reentry, and parole, as well as their well-being. Positive relationship assessments, supportive relationships, number of types of support, and proportion of friends in a network were all associated with higher quality of life scores in social networks. Social network age, race, employment, and incarceration history were also associated with altered levels of well-being. Research, policy, and practice implications are discussed.
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Reimagining Cis-Stems of Care: Exploring Health and Well-Being Among Transgender and Gender Diverse Young Adults Through an Intersectional Strengths-Based LensIndividuals who identify as transgender and gender diverse (TGD) are among the most vulnerable and stigmatized groups in society. As of this writing, there are approximately 1.6 million transgender individuals aged 13 years and older in the United States. Addressing challenges related to healthcare is often complicated due to an overall lack of understanding regarding the health needs of TGD populations and traditional deficit-based healthcare approaches to TGD health. There is greater need to understand the lived experiences of TGD folx, specifically as it relates to the nuances associated with how TGD young adults conceptualize health and overall well-being beyond deficit-based models of care. To date, there are no known studies that have adopted an explicitly intersectional strengths-based perspective on examining health and well-being among TGD young adults. This study explored what is working well across multiple domains of TGD young adults’ experiences of health and well-being employing qualitative research methodologies. The following research questions were explored: (1) How do transgender and gender diverse young adults define and understand health and well-being? and (2) What protective factors (e.g., strengths, assets, resources) have contributed to the health and well-being of transgender and gender diverse young adults? This was an exploratory qualitative study that employed semi-structured interviews among TGD young adults (N=14) aged 19-25 years (M=23, SD=1.8). This study also recruited and paid a Community Advisory Board (CAB), comprised of healthcare professionals and TGD folx, to guide the research process. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Thematic Analysis. Analysis revealed that TGD young adults conceptualize health and well-being through three key themes: (1) Separate, but Connected: Perceptions of Health and Well-Being; (2) Navigating Gender Pathways Through Health and Well-Being; and (3) Gender-Affirming Care is Lifesaving Care. This study provides a rich, detailed analysis of TGD young adults’ healthcare experiences through a strengths-based and intersectional lens. Addressing TGD young adults’ needs related to health and well-being requires understanding how they experience health and well-being within systems. Systems that are affirming, compassionate, and focused on providing comprehensive trans and gender diverse care are well-positioned to enhance TGD young adults’ overall well-being and improve health outcomes.
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Maryland SNAP Households, 2023This report examines the 492,679 unduplicated households that received SNAP for at least one month during state fiscal year (SFY) 2023.
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Journal of Employee Assistance 2011Arlington, VA: Employee Assistance Professionals Association, 2011
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SAMHSA Overdose Prevention and Response ToolkitThe primary purpose of this Toolkit is to educate a broad audience on overdose causes, risks, and signs, as well as the steps to take when witnessing and responding to an overdose. It provides clear, accessible information on opioid overdose reversal medications, such as naloxone. This Toolkit serves to complement, not replace, training on overdose prevention and response. It is also intended to augment the use of other overdose prevention tools for community engagement and planning, as well as enhance provider education across multiple practice areas. Overdose education and response tools have the greatest impact when focused on people who use drugs because they are most likely to witness and respond to an overdose. However, it is important to recognize that anyone could witness an overdose—whether on the street, at work, at home, in a clinical setting, or in a school. This Toolkit is therefore available for everyone to provide basic knowledge on how to recognize and respond to an overdose.
