Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Psychology, Social|GLBT Studies|Psychology, Counseling'

The effects of homonegativity for same-sex attracted individuals in the United States can lead to serious physical and/or mental health problems, affecting more than 9 million lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. While research into LGBT issues has been undertaken in earnest since the 1970s, there has been little examination on the role of homonegativity for gay men, nor the types of support that would be helpful to combat the effects of homonegativity. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of homonegativity among gay White men in the San Francisco Bay Area. Participants were recruited through the use of convenience sampling, snowball sampling, and strategically placed posters in locations frequented by gay men. The 12 participants were between the ages of 29 and 81 and identified as gay men who had experienced at least one significant gay relationship. The research questions explored these men's perceptions and experiences of homonegativity and its impact upon various aspects of their lives. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis utilized to identify relevant themes and interpretations. Participants acquired new knowledge and meaning through the exposure and discussion of in-depth concepts of homonegativity. They also identified experiences that included internalized, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural homonegativity. Ten prominent themes emerged from this study. Among them were: prescriptive gender role compliance; a general unease with being gay; experiences of bullying, verbal and physical attacks; workplace discrimination; religious exclusion and discrimination; the effect of negative media portrayals of homosexuality; and experiences of governmental discrimination. Seven themes emerged from an exploration of homonegativity, prominent ones were: lack of family support, safety concerns, experiences of homonegativity from their partners, and an acknowledgement that homonegativity impacts their relationships. Participants reported that the process of being exposed to new and expanded concepts of homonegativity created insight into how homonegativity operates in their lives and relationships. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

The purpose of this project was to develop a potential psycho-education group for trans gender and gender variant (TGV) adolescents in need of services based on the most recent literature. A search for a funder was conducted using the Long Beach Nonprofit Partnership Library and the local LGBTQ Center of Long Beach. The grant-funded support group will target TGV adolesents age 13 to 17 in need of resources including, but not limited to a safer environment, social and medial transition support, legal aid, and mental health support. The goals of the project include increased support, increased mental health, and increased community outreach. The actual submission and funding of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of the thesis project.

Despite some indications that treatment experiences have been improving (Liddle, 1999), LGB clients still receive discriminatory treatment (Bieschke, Paul, & Blasko, 2007). Even clinicians who wish to offer affirmative therapy hold unconscious negative biases due to growing up within a heterosexist culture (Bieschke et al., 2007). Utilizing Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, Flowers & Larkin, 2009), this qualitative study explored the therapeutic experiences of seven LGB individuals in order to inform competent treatment with this population. Participants provided accounts through semi-structured interviews, which were validated using participant review. Specifically, the research focused on cross-orientation dyads, although experiences in therapy with shared-orientation dyads were also examined.

The results of this study are presented within five domains. Self-Categorization contextualizes participant accounts by discussing chosen identity terminology, variations of visibility, and the impact of categorical conceptions of identity. Identifying Others, Identifying Allies notes ways in which participants identified the cultural competence of practitioners. Navigating Heterosexism discusses the pervasive influence of heterosexism on individual's expectations of therapeutic experiences. Additionally, participants reviewed situations wherein clinicians expressed judgment or lack of knowledge, which highlight how therapists can more effectively respond to cultural ruptures. Preferring Therapist Identities explores participants' therapeutic preferences and discusses benefits and challenges embedded within shared-orientation and cross-orientation therapeutic dyads. Finally, Understanding Therapeutic Practices identifies practices that support affirmative therapeutic work regardless of the clinician's sexual orientation. Underlying principles of competent cross-cultural therapy with LGB clients were proposed, which emphasize the importance of clinician self-reflection in order to provide nonjudgmental acceptance, discuss sexuality with ease, value different ways of approaching relationship, and decrease therapist defensiveness.

While this study found that several participants preferred sexual minority therapists, the results also suggest that there are significant benefits to working with culturally competent heterosexual clinicians. Participants described benefiting from the experience of acceptance from a member of the dominant culture, which provided a corrective experience to internalized heterosexism. These accounts indicate that, with training and self-reflection, heterosexual clinicians can provide uniquely supportive therapeutic experiences to LGB individuals. Recommendations are provided concerning cultural competent practice and ways to approach cultural misunderstanding.

Safe Zone (or Safe Space) programs are common on college campuses to encourage support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, (LGBTQ) and other people who identify as sexual and gender minorities. However, research describing the efficacy of Safe Zone programs is infrequent and often methodologically problematic. A program evaluation was performed of the Safe Zone Network program at the University at Buffalo, SUNY (UB). Measures were chosen to assess homonegativity, LGBTQ knowledge, attitudes, self-reported behavior, and identification as an LGBTQ ally, as well as a demographic survey. These measures were administered via paper survey before and after participation in the Safe Zone Network workshop. The same measures were administered before and after a health education program for use as control measurements. The data were analyzed with correlations and repeated-measures ANOVA. At pretest more pro-LGBTQ knowledge, attitudes, self-reported behavior, and ally self-identification was associated with identifying as a sexual and/or gender minority, attending the workshop voluntarily, being younger, and having more LGBTQ social contact prior to the workshop. Participation in the Safe Zone workshop was associated with significant changes in decreased homonegativity and hate, as well as increased LGBTQ knowledge and self-identifying as an LGBTQ ally, when compared to the control group. Despite differences in pretest scores based on the reason for participating in the workshop, reason for participation did not significantly relate to the amount variables changed over the workshop time, indicating that the workshop may be beneficial for both mandated and voluntary participants. More pro-LGBTQ pretest scores may have indicated more likelihood to change during the program. Overall, these results suggested that the UB Safe Zone Network program is related to prosocial changes in knowledge, attitudes, behaviors (such as the proxy could estimate), and ally self-identification, particularly for participants who are primed to be more sensitive to these issues. Results were discussed in context of current research. Limitations and future directions for research were discussed.

Denhof et al. (2014) defined corrections fatigue as “a collection of negative an inter-related consequences upon the health and functioning of corrections professionals and the workplace culture as a whole due to exposure to traumatic, operational, and organizational stressors and their interacting consequences” (p. 5) resulting in socially dysfunctional ideology and negative changes in personality, health and functioning, resulting in an average age of mortality established at 59 years (Brower, 2013a, 2013b; Cheek, 1984). Group differences were examined utilizing multivariate statistical tests with archival data. Findings indicate that variables within the correctional environment (age, tenure, gender of staff, security level of the institution and perceptions of assaults and safety) influence the experience of corrections fatigue symptoms. Counselor, administration, and staff implications are discussed.

This research explores what happens to some men when, despite the best of intentions and heroic efforts on all sides, a marriage ends in divorce. Using a blend of alchemical hermeneutics and hermeneutic phenomenology, this qualitative study explores the lived experience of 5 heterosexual men who suffered psychologically in divorce. Divorce was examined from Freudian, Jungian, and archetypal perspectives using the depth psychological lenses of alchemy, mythology, and fairy tale. A hybrid method of qualitative analysis was created that incorporated the use of psychodrama to analyze the data. From the results of this study, the journey through divorce for suffering men can be seen as being comprised of 3 stages: a Coming Storm, a Tempest, and an Aftermath. The intrapsychic destruction experienced by many men in divorce was also viewed as an attempt at an undoing of the hieros gamos, or sacred marriage. From the results of this investigation, it is further postulated that such a divorce may be a psychological impossibility. The author’s experience as a divorced man informs his observations and conclusions.

Although media attention is increasing describing the effects military commander’s toxic leadership has on the organization and subordinate military members, few studies focus on an Army commander toxic leadership (ACTL) as experienced by an Army officer’s wife (AOW) whose spouse is subordinate to the ACTL. Researchers have focused on the unique stressors experienced by military members and their families in an attempt to gain insight and understanding into the unique culture from a stress theory perspective. Studies report the active duty member’s is challenged with negative interpersonal relationship problems, reduced coping skills, limited resources, and feelings of hopelessness resulting from the exposure to a commander’s toxic leadership. The stress theory is rooted in positive psychology focusing on individual perceptions and strengths to overcome stressors from a culturally competent lens. This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of 10 Army officer’s wives on their journey through an Army commander’s toxic leadership. The participants were recruited nationwide from the social media network, Facebook. Participants were interviewed using a modified, semi-structured interview guide to insure responses were related to the central research question. The results of the study confirmed the presence of non-normative stressors, coping skills, resources, and crises framed from a stress theory perspective. Themes were related to ACTL stressor description, ACTL hardships, stressor meeting resources, and outcome gains and costs. The study concluded that the experience of an ACTL is an institutional cancer with the high-propensity to metastasize, leaving a path of destruction, poison, and scars in its’ path.

While studies have highlighted the role of gendered power in relationships, many assumptions have not been quantitatively tested due to a lack of measures for power. This study uses exploratory factor analysis to construct a dyadic assessment of relative power and equality in relationships. This assessment would be useful for research and for clinical work with couples to help raise awareness of the balance of power in their relationship. Equality is defined as a mutual process in which both partners demonstrate that they hold equal value in the relationship, whereas inequality is when there is a relative imbalance of value in the couple. Relative power is a dyadic outcome related to the recognition of one’s value to a relationship, and is therefore important in relationship satisfaction. A review of the literature on how power predicts satisfaction has shown a shift in focus away from monetary resources and decision-making towards examining relationship processes and the connection between gender and power. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop and test a new scale of equality for couples, the Relationship Balance Assessment (RBA). Exploratory factor analysis of individuals and couples identified 12 latent factors underlying relationship equality. While the study looked for significant correlations with their score averages, this study indicated that power is revealed more in the differences between partners’ responses. Contrary to expectations, couples’ differences in the perception of power, and especially the woman’s perspective, were highly correlated with their satisfaction. This is consistent with previous qualitative research that asserted that mutual attunement is a critical link between equality and satisfaction. Furthermore, gender shapes couples’ perceptions, which ultimately affect their level of attunement. For couples in this study, the balance of power was often predicted by gender, gender role orientation and gender ideology—beliefs about how one should perform their socially-defined roles in family. This study will help researchers and therapists who work with distressed couples to have a clearer understanding of the factors in equality and to assess them. It can also serve as a road-map to improving relationship satisfaction.

Risky sexual behavior (RSB; i.e., behavior that increases the risk of contracting an STI and/or unplanned pregnancy) is common on college campuses and poses serious health risks to students. Yet, little research has examined the factors impacting students’ engagement in RSB. The current study examined the role of gender and social media in college students’ peer norms of and intentions to engage in RSB. An experimental design was used in which participants were exposed to one of four conditions (i.e., neutral or RSB content, within and without a social media platform) and then asked to report on peer norms of RSB and their own intentions to engage in RSB. Results demonstrated that, contrary to hypotheses, there was no significant interaction between experimental condition and gender in predicting descriptive norms of risky sexual behavior and intentions to engage in risky sexual behavior. Result did, however, demonstrate a main effect of gender for peer norms of RSB; female participants reported significantly higher peer norms of RSB than male participants. No other statistically significant main effects were found.

Results emphasize the ubiquity of RSB among college students and the large discrepancy between students’ peer norms of RSB and actual behavior. The significant difference between female and male students’ perceptions of peers’ engagement in RSB is an important finding in the context of inconsistent previous research on gender differences in peer norms of RSB. Possible explanations for the non-significant findings in the current study are discussed as well as implications for prevention and intervention efforts aimed at reducing college students’ engagement in RSB.

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the knowledge base on anxiety symptomatology, marital satisfaction, and social support by examining the unique relationships among these 3 variables, as well as the role of social support communication as a moderator of the existing relationship between anxiety symptomatology and marital satisfaction, to inform clinical endeavors with couples who are navigating symptoms of anxiety. Gender differences between husbands and wives in these associations were also examined. Using previously collected pre-treatment data from a sub-sample of 96 chronically and seriously distressed heterosexual couples seeking couple therapy, simultaneous linear regressions were run between partners’ anxiety symptomatology, as measured by the anxiety subscale of the COMPASS, their own marital satisfaction, as measured by the DAS, and their own negative and positive social support communication, coded from observed social support interactions using the SSIRS. Partners’ social support behavior as a moderator of their anxiety symptomatology and marital satisfaction was examined using HLM. Partners’ marital satisfaction was found to be significantly negatively related to their negative social support behavior and significantly positively related to their positive social support behavior. However, contrary to predictions, marital satisfaction and anxiety were not significantly related, anxiety symptomatology and social support communication (either negative or positive) were not significantly related, and there was no support for social support communication (either negative or positive) moderating the effect of anxiety symptomatology on marital satisfaction. No significant gender differences were found. Limitations of the current study and clinical implications are discussed.

This study reveals the experience of 8 Albanian women living in communities in Kosovo as survivors of large-scale trauma. The researcher used the Cultural Formation Interview (Informant Version, DSM-V, 2013) to explore the cultural perception of cause, context, support, barriers, coping strategies and help-seeking behavior for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The interviews yield colloquial descriptions of symptoms such as depression, somatic disorders, disassociation, intrusive thoughts and anxiety. The women identified cultural coping behaviors of talking about it, going to the doctor, faith, working hard and making a change in routine. The importance of the role of the husband is highlighted. They describe barriers of stigma and poverty which limit resource access. It is recommended that research be done on a model of PTSD treatment in Kosovo using community-based intervention through meaning focused coping and culture-embedded methods with culture-unique descriptors for addressing trauma-related distress and enhancing post-trauma growth. The study includes other clinical implications, limitations and suggestions for future research.

Due to being at risk for a number of unfavorable environmental factors (Barcons, Abrines, Brun, Sartini, Fumadó, & Marre, 2014), adopted children have an increased likelihood of developing social, emotional, cognitive, and attachment issues (Rushton, 2010). Whether adopted domestically or internationally, adopted children are at risk for experiencing socio-emotional difficulties (Dalen & Theie, 2014; Vandivere, Malm, & Radel, 2009; Vandivere & McKlindon, 2010) that can stunt the child’s ability to effectively regulate their emotions and connect with others. Adoptive parents may find it difficult to emotionally connect with adopted children who are experiencing socio-emotional difficulties (Dalen & Theie, 2014).

Adoptive parents can aid their adopted children in learning how to connect emotionally and regulate difficult emotions through emotion coaching (Gottman, Katz, & Hooven, 1996). Emotion coaching is a construct based in a parent’s meta-emotion philosophy (PMEP), which is defined as parents’ thoughts and feelings about their own emotions as well as their child’s emotions. Emotion coaching is one of the four PMEPs and is considered the ideal PMEP. Emotion coaching parents accept and validate all of their children’s emotions, and views their children’s emotional expression as an opportunity to connect with them and teach them how to manage challenging emotions. Researchers (e.g., Ellis, Alisic, Reiss, Dishion, & Fisher, 2013) has shown that children of emotion coaching parents have higher levels of emotion regulation than children of parents with less ideal PMEPs. But how do parents develop their thoughts and feelings about their own emotions and their children’s emotions? Attachment Theory (Bowlby, 1969) may lend some answers to this question.

Attachment Theory emphasizes the importance of emotional attunement between the mother and infant when developing secure attachment: the ability to form intimate relationships with others (Bowlby, 1969; Gus, Rose, & Gilbert, 2015). According to Attachment Theory, an individual cannot respond to others with empathic attunement unless they have secure attachment (Bowlby, 1969). The very act of emotion coaching seems to require high levels of emotional attunement between mother and child. Bowlby (1969) emphasized the importance of the mother as a primary attachment figure, and so this study will be looking at the adoptive mother’s attachment and PMEP.

Although researchers (e.g., Cowen, 1996; Chen, Lin, & Li, 2012) have made connections between Attachment Theory and PMEP in biological families, they have not yet explored these constructs in adoptive families. Thus, the purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how adult attachment may or may not influence adoptive mothers’ PMEP and how adoptive adult attachment and PMEP may or may not influence adopted children’s ability to emotionally regulate and attach to their adoptive parent. Because the ideal PMEP is emotion coaching, the researcher measured this type of PMEP only. Adoptive mothers completed questionnaires assessing their attachment, level of emotion coaching, and their view of their child’s ability to emotionally regulate.

Utilizing Pearson’s pairwise correlations, the researcher analyzed the relationships between the adoptive mothers’ level of emotion coaching and her attachment; the relationship between the adoptive mothers’ level of emotion coaching and her child’s emotion regulation skills; and the relationship between the adopted mothers’ attachment and her child’s emotion regulation skills. The researcher discovered that there was a statistically significant negative relationship between emotion coaching and adult attachment; a statistically significant positive relationship between emotion coaching and emotion regulation; and statistically significant positive relationship between attachment and lability. Finally, the researcher utilized a regression analysis to discover that the adoptive mothers’ level of emotion coaching acted as a mediator between the adoptive mothers’ attachment and the adopted child’s level of emotion regulation. These findings indicated that emotion coaching is an effective method of aiding adopted children’s ability to emotionally regulate. Furthermore, the findings indicated that even if an adoptive mother is struggling with attachment, if she is able to learn emotion coaching, she may still have a positive effect on her adopted child’s emotion regulation development.

Following the passage of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill in 2008, U.S. military service members and veterans have been enrolling at institutions of higher education at rapidly increasing rates (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2014). As a result, campus administrators and mental health professionals are seeking new and better ways to support this growing population (Coll & Weiss, 2015). The few existing studies on the mental health of military-affiliated students suggest they feel isolated on campus (DiRamio, Ackerman, & Mitchell, 2008) and are more likely than civilian peers to experience depression, posttraumatic stress (PTS), and suicidal ideation (Barry, Whiteman, McDermid Wadsworth, & Hitt, 2012; Rudd, Goulding, & Bryan, 2011). The current study explored the role of two different types of on-campus peer social support—military and civilian—in mediating the relationship between adult attachment orientation and posttraumatic stress, as well as its correlate, hazardous alcohol use. Data was collected via Web-based, self-report survey from 221 military and veteran students across the United States. Latent variable path analyses indicated that civilian peer social support mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety and PTS, but only partially, underscoring the enduring role of adult attachment orientation in the response to trauma. Psychometric issues limited the testing of models that included military peer social support. Results are discussed in the context of potential on-campus counseling interventions and resources.

Social networking websites can have a positive and negative, psychological impact on individuals who use them, especially if these individuals have previously experienced depressive symptoms. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) informs the curriculum in master's and doctoral level counseling graduate programs, yet the extent to which social networking websites and their psychological impacts is explored in these programs is unknown.

This is an exploratory, mixed methods study that explores the extent to which CACREP graduate programs address this topic and prepare mental health professionals to address this topic in their practice as well as exploring the extent to which, and how, mental health professionals are seeing social networking sites impact their clients. Thirty-two participants completed an online survey that consisted of open-ended and closed-ended questions. The data collected was analyzed through frequency distributions and by developing themes using in vivo coding. These themes were then used with the frequency distribution results to inform the findings in this study.

Conclusions were drawn from this study that CACREP programs are not formally addressing social networking websites psychological impacts on clients in their curriculum and mental health professionals shared that clients are being psychologically impacted by social networking websites. Mental health professionals are experiencing a need for education and/or training in this area in order to address this area with clients. Lastly, from this study there are several recommendations for additions to the CACREP curriculum in relation to social networking websites psychological impacts as well as suggestions for interventions to address these issues.

This study focused on the perceptions of K-12 school counselors on learned helplessness in children and families in rural areas. There has been research on learned helplessness, children in rural areas, and studies on school counselors; however, there is a lack of research on the counselor's perceptions of learned helplessness in children and families in rural areas. Therefore, this study was different than previous studies on learned helplessness, and it fills a gap in the literature. This study used the interpretive-constructivist approach. The experiences and perceptions of participants provided answers to the central research question, by providing their subjective observations of learned helplessness in the children and families in their rural areas. Data was collected for this study through face-to-face interviews with volunteer participants privately to ensure protection and confidentiality of participants. Bracketing was used to reduce the impact of research bias in this study, along with note-taking techniques and audio tapes, transcribed by the researcher using NVIVO software. Transcripts were reviewed, patterns were identified, and themes were categorized using codes as the researcher looked for connections among the themes. Themes that emerged included parental involvement, generational cycles and patterns, grandparents raising grandkids, poverty, helping agencies, cultural and community norms and lifestyles, beliefs and value systems, and drugs and substance abuse. The theme most discussed by the eight participants was in relation to parental involvement in the child's life, both positive and negative. Parental involvement was discussed by participants 70 times during the eight hours of face-to-face interviews. According to participants of this study, both the positive and the negative involvement by the parent is the number one influence of learned helplessness in the child's life.

Identifying adolescents at risk for re-offense, specifically among a predominately Hispanic population, is rarely empirically examined (Cintrón, 2006). The Hispanic population comprises the largest minority population in the United States, and accounts for over 60% of the population in Nueces County (US Census Bureau, 2011). The purpose of this study was to explore the boundaries and utility of the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument Version 2 (MAYSI-2) through its subscales, specifically in a predominately Hispanic population. A binary logistic regression was conducted to explore the extent to which MAYSI-2 subscale scores, demographic variables, and offense information predict re-offense.

A sample of 884 adolescent offenders from Nueces County was utilized to examine factors that are predictive of recidivism. The regression analysis included all offenders from the year 2010. A listwise deletion was conducted to remove offenders with multiple offenses, and missing MAYSI-2 scores, or missing data. Data were collected ex-post facto and analyzed using a hierarchical logistic regression.

The results of the logistic regression indicated all three domains (MAYSI-2 subscale scores, demographic variables, and offense information) were statistically significant predictors of juvenile re-offense. Three of the MAYSI-2 subscales, Alcohol/Drug Use, Angry-Irritable, and Somatic Complaints, were significant predictors of re-offense. Additionally, six of the demographic variables were found to be predictive of recidivism: juvenile age, number of siblings, Hispanic adolescents, gang affiliation, type of school, and legal guardian. Significant variables identified as predictive of re-offense from the offense information included misdemeanors and prior violent offenses.

Overall, each of the three domains provides statistically significant contributions to the prediction of the dichotomous dependent variable, re-offense. The most powerful contribution for predicting juvenile recidivism is from the demographic variables, age and legal guardian (i.e., coming from a home with an absent biological parent). The results of this study imply that personal interactions with offender may be more helpful than psychometric measures at identifying adolescents at risk to reoffend. Although attempting to categorize adolescents merely based on demographic information can result in biases, and steoreotyping, the information can be used to identify risk factors that may impede an adolescent's success. Identifying adolescents that present with characteristics indicating higher risk for re-offense, can assist clinicians in developing treatments.

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.

The purpose of this project was to create program to identify funding sources, and write a grant to fund a support group for veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at the Department of Veterans Affairs of, Long Beach. The literature allowed this write to find the main causes of PTSD in this case being exposed to combat, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBO), and the consequences to PTSD (substance abuse, commit suicide, experience family conflicts). This writer also found Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PET), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to be effective intervention in treating veterans with PTSD. The proposed program is aimed at providing psychoeducation to veterans and to help improve the lives of our service men and women who suffer from PTSD. The program includes group counseling, and individual counseling for veterans, family counseling. Providing the proper training will help social worker better assess and serve our veterans who return from combat with PTSD. Actual submission and/or funding of the grant were not required for the completion of this project.

This qualitative study sought to examine the Holy Cross Immersion, a service-learning trip for senior boys at Holy Cross School, New Orleans, Louisiana. The specific focus of the study is whether the experience increased the participants’ awareness of social justice issues, leading to future civic involvement. Individual interviews were conducted with nine young men who participated in an Immersion service-learning experience as seniors in high school between the years of 2011 and 2014. A focus group followed with three of the participants. I kept a journal throughout the interviews to document observations. Data were collected from the journal and interviews and analyzed using qualitative phenomenological methods. Findings of this study suggest that the Holy Cross Immersion service-learning trip is effective in helping adolescent males understand the marginalized in society, increasing their awareness of social justice issues, and contributing to their desire to volunteer.

The purpose of the project was to design a program, identify potential funding source, and complete a grant to fund an educational and supportive program for foster parents who care for autistic foster youth. The services would be offered at SHIELDS a non-profit agency serving the Compton and Watts communities of South Los Angeles. The awareness supportive program will be design to provide educational workshops for foster parents and caregivers who provide care for County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services autistic children. The Weingart Foundation was chosen as the best applicant for submitting this grant proposal based on the population they serve and their interests to provide services to disadvantage communities. Research supports the high need for autistic awareness support services for foster parents and caregivers who care for the youth. The submission of a tangible grant application was not required for the completion of this project.

The purpose of this project was to write a grant for a mentoring program for HIV youth in foster care ages 12- 20 called "Positive Change." The mentorship program will provide guidance and emotional support to these youth who face the unique challenge of their diagnosis as well as being part of the child welfare system. Potential funding sources were reviewed and evaluated to determine which would best match the proposed project. An extensive literature review was performed to examine the topics of HIV related issues such as stigma, disclosure, health disparities, mental health problems, barriers faced by foster youth, and the efficacy of mentorship programs.

The program aims to enhance the lives of HIV youth in foster care by connecting them to mentors that can provide emotional support and help them achieve their dreams and hopes. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of the project.

The goal of this project was to create a grant proposal and identify a potential funding source to develop a holistic mentoring program for foster youth in one non-profit organization in Long Beach, California. A thorough literature review identified risk factors for foster youth and identified evidence-based mentoring programs that the grant writer used to design a holistic mentoring program for foster youth. The Foundation Directory's on-line database at the Long Beach Non-Profit Partnership identified the Dwight Stuart Youth Foundation as the best funding source for this project. A grant was then written to support a holistic mentoring program at Power 4 Youth in Long Beach, California. The actual submission of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of the project.