Master of Social Work, The Ohio State University, 1986, Social Work

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1961, Graduate School

Master of Social Work, The Ohio State University, 1978, Graduate School

Master of Social Work, The Ohio State University, 2005, Graduate School

Master of Social Work, The Ohio State University, 1963, Graduate School

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2021, Design

The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 was a transformative event that changed the way many of us work, with many people using online platforms to work remotely, often for the first time. The field of social work was no exception. The problem with this online shift lies in the nature of the social work profession—human connection, empathy, and face-to-face relationships are an integral part of how social workers perform their jobs. This study aimed to explore how social workers adapted to the online environment, what worked well for them, and what could be improved. The research used an approach that was a blend of traditional design, Co-Design, and Appreciative Inquiry to work with faculty, staff, current students, and alumni of The Ohio State University College of Social Work regarding their response to the pandemic. The study consisted of a survey, interviews, and interactive online workshops using Zoom, a videoconferencing platform, and Miro, a collaborative platform and online whiteboard. These activities were then summarized in an interactive presentation that provided an additional opportunity for collaboration with social work stakeholders. The output of this study includes the design of a prototype for a model that can assist social workers who are involved in micro clinical work when working with clients online. There is an associated matrix that includes the types of barriers social workers are likely to encounter when working with clients online, things such as a lack of internet or a chaotic home environment. The matrix also includes a sampling of means to address these barriers—both from real-world examples that were relayed to me by social workers and new ideas that were generated during an online workshop with social work stakeholders. It is my hope that social workers can use both the online treatment model and the barriers matrix as resources to assist with their online interactions, and to continue to develop and evolve both items through their pract (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Social Work, The Ohio State University, 2019, Social Work

Social workers often work with diverse populations and are held to a code of ethics that requires them to be knowledgeable about and comfortable providing services to all clients. There is a large body of research looking into how language shapes the human experience, especially with regards to emotions and narrative quality, which are important aspects to many models of therapy that social workers utilize in their practices. The primary aim of this study was to look at social work students' perceived knowledge of interpreter use with clients and interpreter-mediated sessions, along with students' perceived comfort level with utilizing interpreters in mental health care settings. The data were collected from 130 college students, using a paper-pencil survey. Independent samples T-tests and One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were conducted to examine the differences in the levels of perceived knowledge in and comfortable level with the use of interpreters in therapeutic sessions, by field placement experience, language ability, and cultural competence classes. The study found that language ability was a statistically significant predictor with multilingual students rating themselves higher on the perceived knowledge and perceived comfort subscales than monolingual students. The data also showed that overall students perceived themselves as higher on the comfort subscale than on the knowledge subscale, with the low responses on several questions indicating that students were discussing working with interpreters for clients with limited English proficiency (LEP) in their classes. Participant responses on the survey could be used to help social work programs address possible gaps in curriculum around education regarding the utilization of interpreters in therapeutic settings.

Master of Arts (M.A.), Xavier University, 2018, Psychology

This study examined the relationship between perceptions of group cohesion, collective efficacy, and social loafing. A mediational model was proposed, identifying collective efficacy as the mediator between perceptions of group cohesion and social loafing. A sample of 88 college students participated in this study. First, participants were asked to read a vignette asking them to imagine themselves working in a group setting. They were then asked to complete measures of perceived group cohesion, collective efficacy, and social loafing. Results indicated that perceived collective efficacy mediated the relationship between perceptions of group cohesion and perceived social loafing according to the Baron and Kenny (1986) methodology for determining a mediation model. By increasing the awareness of the importance of collective efficacy within work groups, organizations can enhance the likelihood their work groups' success. Future research should seek to replicate these findings within actual work groups as well as clarify the definition and measurement of group cohesion and collective efficacy.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1986, Graduate School

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1986, Graduate School

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1984, Graduate School

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1984, Graduate School

Master of Social Work, The Ohio State University, 2009, Social Work

This study examined factors associated with student perceptions of their social work field placement with using Adult Learning Theory concepts and the CSWE Core Competencies. Congruency between field instructor perception of student practice skills and the student self evaluations were also examined. The results of this study identified orientation to learn, more specifically, student enrollment status and rank, as being correlated with self perceived practice skills. It was found that there was a significant difference between ASAP and second year MSW, as well as with full-time and part-time students in how they rated their competencies in field. It was also discovered that on average field instructors rated their student's skills higher than the student scored themselves. Knowing what makes up a successful field placement, will not only help social work schools and colleges improve their field education program and overall curriculum, but will also help to better service the students, clients, community and ultimately, the social work profession.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2006, Social Work

Knowledge derives from practice, or practice wisdom, is as important as formal knowledge in the clinical decision making process of social work practitioners. A number of theoretical studies of clinical decision making recognize the importance of this implicit way of knowing but there is a lack of empirical research that examines how implicit knowledge affects clinical decision making in social work treatment. The purpose of this study is to examine the existence of implicit knowledge from a cognitive science perspective and explore how it influences the clinical decision making process in social work practice. This study involves both deductive and inductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning derives a set of hypotheses from Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM) theory and uses experimental design to examine the relationships between implicit knowledge, experience and decision making. Inductive reasoning analyzes the participants' retention, diagnosis, reasoning, and clarification of the case scenarios as well as in-depth interview and utilizes content analysis to explore the nature of clinical decision making process by comparing the differences between experienced and inexperienced practitioners. Findings from deductive reasoning support the usage of implicit knowledge but do not support the assumption that experienced participants have a better understanding of the client's situation than inexperienced practitioners. Findings from inductive reasoning conclude that making diagnosis is a continuing and ongoing process of understanding clients' situation. Findings pertaining to the structure of information retained by research participants reflect how practitioners understand a case scenario and that practice knowledge can also be explained by a similar conceptual framework. It is not the content of the memory but the structure of practitioners' memory that affects how they perceive a client's situation. Implicit knowledge that helps practitioners to make a decision can b (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2011, Leadership Studies

This is an exploratory qualitative study whose focus was to ascertain social work field instructors' perceptions of the characteristics and attributes necessary in the provision of competent field instruction. It utilized case study as a framework of analysis. Moral reasoning and adult development provided a theoretical framework for the study. Nineteen field instructors working with an undergraduate program in social work participated in one of five focus groups, and responded to questions related to why they became and remain field instructors, their perceptions of the qualities and characteristics that comprise a competent field instructor, qualities and characteristics of excellent and unacceptable student interns, field instructors' roles in gatekeeping, and field instructors' perceptions of leadership as it relates to field instruction. Data analysis indicated that there are specific roles, personal attributes, practice skills, and environmental criteria perceived as necessary in order to perform competently as a field instructor. In addition, three themes permeated the discussion of characteristics, gatekeeping and leadership. These themes were role modeling, communication, and nurturing. Leadership skills and characteristics were explored and analyzed according to the models of leadership developed by Kouzes and Posner, and Hersey and Blanchard. Findings indicate that field instructors perceive themselves as learners, as well as teachers. They also do not recognize themselves as leaders, and are generally uncomfortable with the role and responsibility of gatekeeping. The study recognizes specific implications for practice, as well as future research. It provides social work field directors within the schools of social work with a list of criteria that may be used to select future field instructors, as well as evaluate current ones. The same criteria can be used by practitioners who wish to become field instructors to assess their readiness for that role and (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2025, Leadership and Change

This study focuses on the lived experiences of seasoned White facilitators of racial equity workshops to understand how they navigate the complexity of occupying a White racial identity while working to challenge the belief systems of white supremacy ingrained in themselves and others. Through applying Critical Race Theory as a framework to grounded theory methodology, this study examined whiteness as a sensitizing concept in micro, meso, and macro levels of analysis, situating this dissertation in the theoretical exploration of the multifaceted and pervasive nature of whiteness. Much of the research on racial equity work examines White participants in nascent stages of engagement, concentrating on the external behavior and impact of White race talk during conversations about race and racism. Applying dimensional analysis to 18 in-depth interviews of White facilitators, whose experience in racial equity work ranged from 7 to over 30 years, this study identified two co-core, interrelated dimensions of engaging on a learning journey to embrace the both/and. In addition to these co-core dimensions, four primary dimensions depicting the phenomenon of whiteness emerged from the findings: colluding with whiteness, stirring whiteness, unraveling whiteness, and interrupting whiteness. Through analysis of these findings, this study presents four theoretical propositions and a theoretical model representing variations of the social processes White facilitators move through to interrupt whiteness in themselves and others. The methodological exploration used in this study provides an opportunity to explore the fullness of what it means to be White and engage in racial equity efforts, potentially contributing to the literature on utilizing grounded theory as a process to explore social justice efforts. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Master of Social Work, The Ohio State University, 1966, Graduate School

Master of Social Work, The Ohio State University, 1966, Graduate School

Master of Social Work, The Ohio State University, 1961, Graduate School

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Social Work

Despite the attention and commitments made toward anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices within social work systems, there is a dearth of research examining student development of such competencies. Using ecological systems theory as an investigative framework, this study examined factors and processes involved in anti-oppressive skills development among White social work students. The psychosocial costs of racism to Whites (PCRW), racial identity development and intergroup contact theories were used to select potential predictive factors and generate hypotheses. An explanatory sequential mixed-methodology was used to address research questions by integrating quantitative and qualitative methodologies throughout data collection and analysis phases of the project. Participants were recruited from Master of Social Work (MSW) programs by targeting institutions within the midwestern United States. The study sample comprised of 186 White MSW students from programs across 18 states. Most participants were female (65%) full-time students (58%) between 18 to 29 years of age (64%). Cluster analysis was used to classify students into White racial affect orientation (PCRW) types characterizing their emotional reactions toward people of color using combinations of measures for White empathy, White guilt, and White fear. The majority of participants aligned with the Insensitive and afraid (30%) or the Fearful guilt (26%) types describing their reactions to people of color and racism with differences observed across gender, ethnicity, program year, and student academic status. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to evaluate associations between anti-oppressive competencies and predictive factors across levels of an ecological system. Reliable predictors of anti-oppressive competencies included White empathy (B = .348, t = 5.91, p = <.001), reflective processes (B = .274, t = 3.07, p =.002), White Fragility (B = -.200, t = -2.94, p = .004), White fear (B = -.1 (open full item for complete abstract)