In response to the need to accurately define group home types, this dissertation focused on providing a clear and distinct definition of the types of group home care, an articulated understanding of the role of group home staff, and an awareness of the impact individuals working in group homes have on the lives of the youth they serve and their influence on the group home environment. Using the qualitative research method Grounded Theory, ten in-depth interviews were conducted with staff who both currently work in group homes, and staff who have left the group home environment. The research question was “What is the influence of group home staff on the ecological environment of the group home?” Ecological framework was the overarching theory, and participants were asked questions regarding their relationships with youth and their impressions of staff impact within the group home. Data analysis influenced by Grounded Theory produced 5 themes: Walking into the unknown, in loco parentis with two sub- themes consanguinity and group home as a home, engagement with two sub- themes of staff/staff engagement and staff/youth engagement, staff impact on youth, with three sub-themes, managing transitions, loss and boundaries, and the final theme of supervisor support. The results indicate that staff do have an impact on the group home, both positive and negative. Also, the group home operates as an intricate ecological environment containing relationships and interactions that influence multiple internal systems. Currently there is a gap in the literature as it relates to clarity within definition of care settings. This dissertation provided a clear definition for the chosen research environment, non-locked, non-therapeutic group home. The results of this dissertation have implications for group home agencies and more broadly child welfare agencies and child welfare social workers in regard to hiring practices, training and supervision. This dissertation provides a springboard for a future research on the ecological group home environment and the people who work there and are responsible for the care of vulnerable children.

Home visitation programs are growing in popularity for a variety of social concerns including early childhood abuse and neglect. Healthy Families Arizona (HFAz) uses the home visitation format to deliver early-childhood development and parenting skills for at-risk parents with the goal of decreasing incidents of child abuse and neglect (Daro & Harding, 1999). Some research demonstrates that the strength of the worker’s alliance with parents can be significantly predictive of home visitation program completion and decreases in depression for participating mothers, but these findings have little replication (Girvin, DePanfilis, & Daining, 2007). It is important to have a clear understanding of worker-client alliance and how it affects maternal outcomes including program retention and completion so that those working with home visitation interventions can implement programs from an evidence-based perspective, thus increasing efficiency and efficacy of programs.

This study hypothesizes a significant relationship exists between Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) scores and Healthy Families Parenting Inventory scores, and that WAI scores predict maternal outcomes from the HFPI. Bivariate correlation analysis determined a significant positive relationship exists between WAI scores and home visitation completion rates (r=0.320, p= .042), and found no other significant relationships. Regression analysis found WAI scores are predictive home visitation completion.

International adoption in the U.S. remains a viable option for families who wish to build or expand their families; however, it has not been without controversy. Past research has sought to understand the initial and long-term psychological adjustment and racial/ethnic identity development of international and transracial adoptees. Research shows that pre-adoption adversity may be linked to the development of behavior and emotional problems, and opponents assert that international adoption strips children of their culture. Emerging research has focused on cultural socialization practices and how international and transracial adoptive families acknowledge or reject ethnic and racial differences within the family. An area less understood is how international and transracial adoptees cope with racism, prejudice, racial discrimination, and stereotyping. This study explores, using qualitative methods, the ways in which international and transracial adoptees experience and cope with racism, prejudice, racial discrimination and/or stereotyping. The personal stories of ten adult Korean adoptees are highlighted with particular attention to how interactions with adoptive family members and peers influence adoptees’ identity development, how adoptees resolve conflicts in terms of “fitting in,” and how parental/familial influence mitigates the effects of racism and racial discrimination. The study concludes with a discussion on implications for social work practice.

The Arizona legislature has enacted a number of anti-immigrant policies which negatively impact Latino immigrant families. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of Latino parents on how anti-immigration policies emotionally impact their children and how they believe they can protect their children from the harmful effects of such policies. Secondary data analysis was conducted based on in-depth semi structured interviews completed with a sample of 54 Latino immigrant parents residing in the state of Arizona. Grounded theory methods informed the analysis process. A constant comparative approach was used to complete initial and focused coding. Findings indicate that Latino immigrant parents observed a range of behavioral changes in their children following the passage of anti-immigrant legislature. Parents reported that the emotional impact they observed stemmed from children's social interactions in their home, school, and community environments as well as through their exposure to the media. Latino youth experienced emotional impact is summarized in the following themes, concern and sense of responsibility; fear and hypervigilance; sadness and crying; and depression. Findings further demonstrated that parents protected Latino youth from anti-immigration policies directly and indirect ways by focusing on children's safety and well-being (let children live their childhood, be prepared, send messages), building parents capacity (pursue education, obtain papers), and engaging in change efforts at the community level (be proactive). Parents indicated that by engaging in these efforts they could protect their children, and counter the negative effects of anti-immigrant policies. Implications for social work practice to better advocate and serve Latino youth at the individual, family, and community level are discussed.

Families with intellectually disabled caregivers are more likely than families without intellectually disabled caregivers to experience poor child welfare outcomes, including high rates of substantiation. However, little research has examined child maltreatment re-reports among this population. The objectives of this study were to begin to address this gap by examining maltreatment re-report rates, and factors associated with maltreatment re-reports, among child welfare-involved families with intellectually disabled caregivers. Survival analysis was conducted using restricted release data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) to examine the hazard rate and survival rate of maltreatment re-reports for cases with, and without, intellectually disabled caregivers. Multivariate discrete-time hazard models were run using logistic regression to examine the relationship between various predictors and the hazard of maltreatment re-reports. Results revealed that child protection cases involving caregivers with intellectual disabilities were no more likely than cases without intellectually disabled caregivers to experience maltreatment re-reports. Predictors of maltreatment re-reports varied based on whether or not a case involved a caregiver with an intellectual disability. Child gender, child disability, and child race/ethnicity were significant predictors for cases involving caregivers with intellectual disabilities, whereas prior involvement with CPS, caretaker drug problems, and initial allegation substantiation were significant predictors for cases not involving caregivers with intellectual disabilities. These preliminary findings suggest that prevention, screening, and intervention strategies should consider variability of predictive factors based on caregiver intellectual disability status.

This study explores the ways in which LGBTQ young adults describe the aspects of their identities, and how those identities shape their service needs and experiences. A participatory action research component was explored as a research and service approach that is sensitive to LGBTQ young people living at the intersections of multiple identities. Although it is understood that LGBTQ young people come from a variety of backgrounds, research is limited in its understanding and exploration of how aspects of identity, such as race and class, influence the lives and service needs of this population. The data was collected through an initial set of interviews with fifteen LGBTQ-identified young adults ages 18 to 24. The interviewees were recruited from an LGBTQ youth-serving organization using a purposive sampling approach to reflect racial/ethnic and gender identity diversity. Following the interviews, eight of the participants engaged as co-researchers on a participatory action research (PAR) team for sixteen weeks. The process of this team's work was assessed through a reflective analysis to identify factors that impacted the participants' lives. Analysis of the interviews identified key themes related to identity among the LGBTQ young people. The interviewees experienced a multiplicity of identities that were both socially and individually constructed. These identities were impacted by their immediate and social environments. The young people also identified ways that they used their identities to influence their environments and enhance their own resilience. The service experiences and needs of the LGBTQ young people in this study were directly influenced by their multiple identities. Implications for intersectional approaches to serving this population are explored. Analysis of the PAR process identified four areas in which the young people were most impacted through their work and interactions with one another: relationships, communication, participation, and inclusion. Implications for research and service approaches with LGBTQ young people are discussed.

ABSTRACT Research suggests that there are benefits of early intervention and in focusing on mental health for infants and toddlers who have been maltreated. Court Teams for Infants and Toddlers is a model program designed to improve developmental outcomes using a systemic change approach. Multi-system collaboration between the courts, child welfare, health professionals, child advocates, and community partners are promoted to increase awareness and improve outcomes for infants and toddlers who have been removed from their parents. The Court Teams model in Arizona is known as Best for Babies. This study looks at implementation efforts of Best for Babies in two counties, Yavapai and Pima, and the unique perspectives of foster parents and attorneys representing the infants and toddlers while in the foster care system. It is important for purposes of effective program implementation to understand whether the Best for Babies program has impacted how these stakeholders address the unique needs of infants and toddlers. Findings reveal that most foster parents in this study were not familiar with the Best for Babies program; however, many of the comments shared are aligned with the values of the program. For example, all participants commented that collaboration among various stakeholders is necessary. Areas of opportunity were also illustrated in the findings regarding Best for Babies program implementation. For instance, the study found that even those foster parents familiar with the program could not attribute an impact on their care of infants and toddlers specifically to Best for Babies.

While the suicide rate in Mexico is relatively low when compared to countries throughout the world, it is increasing at an alarming pace. Unfortunately, the amount of suicide research focused on Mexican populations is relatively scarce. Using a sample of high school students living in Guanajuato, Mexico, this study explored the relationship between recent suicidal ideation and three factors that previous research in other countries has connected to suicide: Migration aspirations, religiosity, and sexual behavior. Using multiple and logistic regression, the results indicated the following: 1) Recent suicidal ideation predicted increased migration aspirations, 2) higher levels of external religiosity predicted lower odds of recent suicidal ideation, and 3) stronger parent-child relationships predicted lower odds of recent suicidal ideation. The findings are discussed in light of the Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, Bogenschneider's risk/protection model, and Stark's religious commitment theory.

Dating violence in ethnic minority populations is an understudied phenomenon and little attention has been paid to the experiences of Mexican American youth; less research has been done on how those experiences alter perceptions and acceptance of participation in prevention programs. This study advances knowledge on how Mexican American adolescents view dating violence prevention programs and how cultural beliefs and values may hinder or encourage effective participation. Focus groups (N = 9) were form with Mexican American youth aged 15-17 years separated by gender and acculturation status (Mexican Oriented/Bicultural/Anglo Oriented), as determined previously by acculturation scores measured by the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans (ARMSA; 0 or below = Mexican Oriented, 0-1 = Bicultural, 1 or above = Anglo Oriented). Several themes emerged throughout the focus group discussions that were derived from culturally-based needs. Mexican American adolescents made recommendations for program development (e.g., a broad curriculum beyond the topic of dating violence) and delivery (e.g., barriers to participation, the implications of peer involvement) within the context of their cultural values and needs. Low acculturated and bicultural teens identified specific cultural needs and their relevance within a dating violence prevention program. However, across all groups, adolescents felt that the needs of Mexican American youth were similar to other youth in regards to dating violence prevention programs. Implications for how social work can best design and implement prevention programs for Mexican American adolescents are discussed.