Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Hispanic American social workers'

This project served to locate a potential funding source and write a grant to secure funding for a program that provides mental health and psychological treatments, resources and information, and ultimately empowers Latina domestic workers who have survived trauma within and outside their scope of work. The program will be implemented by an MSW with Promotora community leadership. The program consists of a trauma focused intervention group with culturally sensitive and empirically supported curriculum as well as crisis mobilization services for female Latina domestic workers in the city of Los Angeles. If funded, this program will enable social workers and others to be able to advocate successfully and be informed about Latina domestic workers who face specific challenges in their work, including physical and mental health concerns, safety issues, a lack of labor protections, and overall health. Submitting this proposal for funding was not required to successfully complete this project.

Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Current Population Survey, this work will examine under-reporting of nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in construction for Hispanics from 1976-2008 at the national level. Previous research implemented different methods and techniques to examine the reasons behind under-reporting of workplace injuries and illnesses, concluding that the current surveillance system suffers from a problem of chronic under-reporting. By focusing on Hispanics working in construction, and by using different methods to examine to what degree the presence of Hispanics at the worksite contributes to the under-reporting of nonfatal occupational injuries and illness, our findings suggest that the presence of Hispanic construction workers significantly reduces the number of reported injuries.

A lagged fixed effect model will be used to investigate the under-reporting issue in construction with regard to Hispanics. Usage of this model constituted the first departure from previous research that studied under-reporting in which capture-recapture and face-to-face interviews were used. The second departure was implementing this method in the construction industry. This is the first time a lagged fixed effect model has been used to study this phenomenon (under-reporting in construction), while most literature about under-reporting has been restricted to manufacturing with some covering the overall economy. Lastly, this work is different in its duration and scope: It covers the years from 1976 up to 2008 and includes all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

From a base model (without inclusion of Hispanics) we can see that the real workers’ compensation rate negatively impacted all types of injury reporting except light-duty, while union rates, unemployment, wages, and firm size correlate negatively with all types of injuries. When Hispanics and their interactions with union rate and workers’ compensation rates were included and summed as independent variables, we see that the presence of Hispanics leads to a decrease in the incident rate for all types of injuries except for light-duty. In other words, the presence of Hispanics leads to lower reporting and, therefore, the appearance of lower rates of all types of injury rates except for light duty which indicates that Hispanics are under-reported.

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine the experiences of Latino/a university students who grew up interpreting and translating for their parents or still did. The sample consisted of 14 self-identified language brokers. The study focused on the stressors associated with language brokering, the parent child relationship, perceptions on how public facilities can help with the process of language brokering and the gifts or positive attributes gained due to their experiences. Participants shared various settings in which they language brokered. Stressors included challenges with terminology, having many demands, pressure and expectations from their parents, and having adult responsibilities. Language brokering was not perceived to negatively affect the parent-child relationship, and participants shared their views on how systems can help in providing efficient services for their limited English proficient parents. Participants mentioned various gifts/benefits gained, including fluency and ethnic identity. Implications for research and social work practice are discussed.

The purpose of this project was to design a mentoring program, identify potential funding sources, and write a grant to fund a culturally sensitive mentoring program. This mentoring program targets Latino youth receiving child welfare services from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. This mentoring program aims at assisting foster youth avoid potential maladaptive outcomes by increasing their self-esteem, academic achievement and life skills. An extensive literature review increased awareness about the benefits of a mentoring program for at-risk youth. The Stuart Foundation was selected as the best funding sources to support this project. A grant proposal was then written to support a culturally sensitive mentoring program targeting Latino foster youth.

This grant proposal was developed to address the unique psychological needs of the undocumented Latino youth student population in California. This project involved the grant writer to partner with a nonprofit organization, and find a feasible funding source to implement a pilot project entitled the Wellness Project. A literature review was conducted in order to evaluate the mental health needs, reasons for the lack of mental health services and strategies to effectively address the issues of the target population. The Wellness Project will be held at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California to establish a psychological wellness program for undocumented young students interested in pursuing higher education in California. The goal of the program is to increase the psychological well-being of California's undocumented youth student population. The actual submission and or funding of the grant were not a requirement for the successful completion of this project.

The purpose of this project was to write a grant proposal to obtain funding for educational workshops. The workshops are about how to access community-based resources, navigate the service delivery systems and training on advocacy skills needed to access appropriate services. Targeted population will include 192 Latino parents and families of children with autism spectrum disorder or suspected developmental delays. The proposed program would be offered in the Family Resource Center at the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic.

The educational workshops aim to increase the utilization of services of Latino parents who are economically disadvantaged and underserved, through the distribution of information of community resources available for the specific needs of their children. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant were not a requirement for the successful completion of this project.

Teen dating violence greatly differs from Adult interpersonal violence and as such should be viewed from a biopsychosocial lens. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between substance use and teen dating violence among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino youth. A quantitative study was conducted with 24 youth attending an alternative charter high school in an urban city. The majority of the participants engaged in substance use with more than half using two or more substances within the past 30 days. Psychological teen dating violence was the most reported type of victimization and perpetration. Implications for social work and future research are discussed.

A Secondary Analysis was conducting with data from the SAMSHA's 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The model of behavioral health for vulnerable populations was utilized to select key variables in order to examine the alcohol use, health, mental health and alcohol use treatment of older adult Latinos. Data from 395 Latinos over the age of 50 who reported drinking alcohol in their lifetime were used. The results showed that Latino men over the ages of 50 tend to use alcohol above the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA) low risk guidelines. Additionally, older adults who were in poverty, reported depression and anxiety over the past year, and reported alcohol dependence were more likely to seek mental health treatment instead of specialty alcohol treatment. The findings underscore the importance of social workers in mental health settings to not only assess older adults for depression and anxiety but also for alcohol use disorders.

This study uses data from 16 semi-structured interviews to assess the stressors facing immigrants from Mexico and Central America’s Northern Triangle. Specifically, I examine the experience of unauthorized migration and the stress associated with the process of migration and life in the US. I rely on theories of Stress Proliferation, the Mestiza Double Consciousness, and the notion of Familismo to provide explanations for why immigrants have stressful lived experiences, starting with their experiences in their home countries and ending with difficult experiences in the US. The goal of this study is to offer insight into the Hispanic Paradox in mental health—the lower rates of illness for Hispanic Americans despite the hardships they face. My data show that immigrants face stressors before, during and after migration, and often describe living in a state of distress, but they do not necessarily conceptualize their distress the same way as the American medical model or even their children (who are American citizens) do. Being undocumented or having an undocumented parent causes a proliferation of stress that, which suggests a need for future research on whether Hispanics truly have lower rates of distress, or whether cultural differences in terms of how particularly first-generation immigrants define and describe distress are affecting the ways mental illness is perceived.

On September 26, 2014, forty-three teacher students from Ayotzinapa, an indigenous rural area in Guerrero, Mexico, disappeared at the hands of the government in an attempt to silence a civic protest. This crime, representing a legacy of political corruption and impunity, “crossed the border” and became present in the interest of Chicana activists in the United States who displayed their outrage through protests, community organizing, and information shared. The purpose of this thesis is to explore Chicana participation in the Ayotzinapa case to examine how activism directed towards social injustices across borders affects Chicana’s construction of racial/ethnic identity and political consciousness. I argue that Chicanas who engage in activism on behalf of the Ayotzinapa victims represent what Anzaldúa (2015) refers to as “Nepantleras,” using their subjective positions as oppressed women of color to communicate across differences of gender, ethnicity, and geopolitical territories to create social change. To support my claim, I describe responses and interpretations of the case using qualitative data from interviews with three self-identified Chicanas. In my analysis, I draw from Gloria Anzaldúa’s (2015) epistemological theory of “spiritual activism” and Chela Sandoval’s (2000) “differential consciousness” as frameworks to investigate transnational activism between the U.S. and Mexico. The women in this study challenged borderlands across and within geographical territories. First, Chicanas transcended geopolitical territories by engaging in activism in the U.S. that called for a change in Mexico. Second, they unraveled limitations of the self by developing a Chicana consciousness that is more inclusive to the struggles of all oppressed people. Third, they crossed gendered borderlands by responding to a case centered around forty-three male victims. And, lastly, they reshaped intra-ethnic relationships by nurturing national and transnational alliances that fight for all social injustices. This study is an invitation for the reconceptualization of borderlands, where the U.S.-Mexico border territories are understood as transnational, alive, and dynamic spaces with an ample room for reexamining identities through solidarities.

An analysis was conducted to examine the prevalence and risk factors for depressive symptoms and the factors associated with accessing healthcare among 2 groups of immigrant postnatal Mexican women living in California less than 10 years. Using Andersen's Behavioral Model for Health Care Utilization, this study's findings are consistent with prior research. The demographic variables of the women who lived in the United States less than 5 years and women who lived in the United States less than 10 years did not differ. Recent immigrants were more likely to see the doctor more frequently or wait less time between visits. Over 90% of participants experienced limited English proficiency. The percentage of women experiencing depression symptoms was 12.6%. The fmdings underscore the need for social workers to assess the risk factors associated with postpartum depression and evaluate the predisposing, enabling and need factors of Mexican immigrant women associated with accessing care.

The purpose of this project was to write a proposal to fund an early dropout prevention and intervention program for Latino students. This program will be offered to all students 4-12 years of age who attend J.E. Van Wig Elementary School within the Bassett Unified School District. Attendance support services, academic support services, mental health, and counseling services will be provided in order to assists students to overcome social, emotional, attendance and academic challenges. After an extensive search for funding sources, The Annenberg Foundation, whose mission was suitable with the goals of the program, was selected. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant, was not a requirement for the successful completion of the project.

The purpose of this study was to examine psychological effects, including internalizing and externalizing behaviors, among Latino adolescents. Secondary data were utilized from the California Health Survey administered in 2011–2012. Internalizing behaviors include feelings of depression, hopelessness, nervousness, restlessness, worthlessness, and feeling that everything is an effort. Externalizing behaviors include drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Findings in the study suggested a significant relationship between U.S. citizenship and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Findings of this study also suggested significant relationships between external and internal behaviors. Additionally, the results showed significance in receiving psychological-emotional counseling.

The purpose of this project was to create a program, identify a funding source, and write a grant to fund a one-week father and gay son retreat. A detailed literature review was conducted to analyze the background and prevalence of the problem as well as past solutions attempted to resolve the problem.

Gay men continue to commit suicide, have substance use disorders, and suffer from bullying and hate crimes at rates that are disproportionate to the general population. This program seeks to help improve the relationships between gay men and their fathers. The goal of the proposed program is to improve the mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing of gay males ages 14-24 years old by providing a week-long retreat consisting of workshops, panels, outdoor activities, and support groups. The program will target cities throughout Los Angeles County. The potential funding source was the Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride (LBLGP), which has a history of supporting similar programs.

Actual submission and/or funding of this grant was not a requirement for successful completion of this project.

The purpose of this project was to write a grant proposal for a program to help increase higher education enrollment and college degree attainment for documented and undocumented Latino students. This writer has selected grant writing as a means to develop a program intervention that could be tailored for Latino students enrolled in high schools in Long Beach, California. The proposed program aims to provide Latino students with education, guidance, and services, while simultaneously challenging and decreasing societal barriers that restrain Latino students from achieving upward mobility. This initiative, under the auspices of the College Readiness Program of the Community Development YMCA of Greater Long Beach, could also be adapted for other ethnic minorities who also may experience challenges that impact their ability to enroll and achieve higher education and vocational training. The actual submission for funding was not a requirement for the completion of this project.

The purpose of this study was to explore the health affects caregiver stress has on caregivers in the Latino community of patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. The purpose of this project was to identify a potential funding source and write a grant to fund a Latino caregiver psycho-educational support group in the city of Maywood, California.

Researchers and clinical practitioners have grown concerned with the underutilization of support programs in the Latino community. The Latino community has unique needs and responds to culturally sensitive support groups. The Alzheimer’s Association identified caregiver intervention programs as an important area of study. Funded by the Archstone Foundation, this project examines research of the unique needs this large aging community has. VISTA Adult Day Health Care Center serves a large Latino community. This program is presented as a structured psycho-educational support group. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of this project.

This secondary data analysis utilized pre-existing data from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) to explore associations between knowledge, awareness and attitude of Hispanic women on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The study also analyzed the relationship between demographic factors (age, poverty level, and duration of stay in the United States) and their knowledge, awareness and attitude of HPV infection. The study sample consisted of 351 Hispanic women ages 18 to 26 years old. The findings revealed that women who administered the Pap smear test are more likely to decrease their risk of contracting HPV infection and cervical cancer. In addition, findings showed that knowledge, attitude and awareness on HPV encouraged women to administer the HPV vaccine.