Gharbi, V. & Baffour, T. D. (in press). Advancing culturally disruptive pedagogies to dismantle anti-Black racism in the generalist social work curriculum. In L. S. Abrams, S. Edmonds Crewe, A. J. Dettlaff, & J. H. Williams (Eds.), Social work, white supremacy, and racial justice: Reckoning with our history, interrogating our present, re-imagining our future. Oxford University Press.

• The social work curriculum must prepare students to disrupt anti-Black racism that is embedded within systems. Strategies and content that effectively prepare faculty to engage in conversations about anti-racist practice and advocate for the human rights of Black clients is critical to the training of social workers. There is a dearth of literature focused on using culturally disruptive pedagogies to dismantle racism in the generalist curriculum. This praxis model contends that the experiences and worldviews of people of color should be centered and normalized. This contribution provides actionable strategies and resources in developing anti-racist curriculum and faculty development strategies that cut across program size and resource level. A synthesis of theories offers a novel way to conceptualize teaching, learning, supervision, and field education to foster environments rich with transformative, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist pathways to learning.

Morzenti, H., Baffour, T. D., Koelling, E., & Gringeri, C. (in press). Exploring employer perceptions of hiring ex-offenders. CrimRxiv.

• Procuring stable, long-term employment post-conviction remains a significant way to reduce recidivism. Despite the presence of federal incentives and on-the-job training programs, system impacted persons (SIP) continue to face numerous barriers when seeking employment. What remains unclear is why the stigma surrounding SIP is so persistent. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of employers and employment counselors who frequently engage with SIP as job applicants. Building upon current research, findings inform the possibilities for practice for probation and parole officers, case managers, social workers, and other advocates working with this population.

Baffour, T. D., Henderson, D. X., Nation, D., & Hernandez, P. M. (2022). A qualitative exploration of justice system stakeholders' perceptions of disproportionate minority contact and behavioral health access among system-involved youth of color. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 49(2), 5-27. Go to article

• Previous research demonstrates that system-involved youth of color experience procedural and structural biases within the U.S. juvenile justice system. These biases and disparities are evident in behavioral health access and treatment. This study examined justice stakeholders' (social workers, therapists, court counselors, judges, and school resource officers) perceptions of barriers and facilitators to behavioral health treatment among youth of color in the juvenile justice system. This qualitative exploratory study examined data from six focus groups comprising statewide stakeholders (n = 55) from a southeastern state. Results showed the stigma associated with behavioral health treatment and the incapability of juvenile justice system policies to address mental health were significant themes.

Bettmann, J. E., Cambron, C., & Long, E. (in press). Improvement in veterans’ openness to seeking professional psychological help after participating in therapeutic adventure trips. Ecopsychology.

• Despite high rates of mental illness among veterans, many do not receive sufficient mental health treatment. Thus, mental health interventions that do not look like treatment, but look more like outdoor recreation, may be helpful in addressing veterans' resistance to mental treatment and help-seeking. This study sought to answer the question: Does participation in a therapeutic adventure program correlate with veterans' help-seeking for mental health concerns? If such correlations exist, which demographic or military service-related factors might help explain those patterns of change? Participants in this study attended a peer-led therapeutic adventure trip that lasted at least three days and two nights. The 67 participants completed study measurements pre-trip, immediately post-trip, and at three post-trip intervals. The findings suggest that veterans show variability in their openness to seeking professional psychological help after therapeutic adventure participation and may vary significantly in how open they become over time. This study provides evidence that veterans' participation in therapeutic adventure trips correlates with increased openness to seeking professional help, suggesting the intervention's possible role in improving veterans' help-seeking behaviors.

Bettmann, J. E., Anderson, I., Makouske, J., & Hanley, A. W. (2022). Mental health outcomes of peer-led therapeutic adventure for military veterans. Journal of Experiential Education, 45(3). Go to article

• Skepticism of therapy and stigma are significant barriers for veterans with mental health issues. Therapeutic adventure shows promise in addressing veterans’ mental health needs while circumventing the stigma many veterans face in initiating treatment. Given the small group model of therapeutic adventure programs, such programs may be ideal to provide social support for veterans and reduce mental health symptomology. This study investigated: can a brief peer-led therapeutic adventure program modify veterans’ mental health symptoms? Results indicated significant reduction in mental health symptomology from pre-trip to post-trip, but showed few longer-term changes in mental health symptomology. The study's findings are consistent with research suggesting improvements in overall psychological well-being immediately following a nature-based intervention, and suggest the need for ongoing, community-based interventions to optimally support military veterans’ mental health.

Sanyer, M., Bettmann, J. E., Anstadt, G., Ganesh, K. A., & Hanley, A. W. (in press). Decenter to re-enter nature: Relationships between nature connectedness, self-transcendence, and decentering. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice.

• The tendency to decenter from internal experiences, such as thoughts, emotions, and sensations, can alter the sense of self. In some instances, decentering can occasion self-transcendent experiences, during which a profound sense of oneness with others and the natural world is realized. Thus, a theoretical thread links decentering, self-transcendence (ST), and a sense of nature connectedness (NC), but whether ST mediates the relationship between decentering and NC has not been empirically examined. This study investigated the relationships between these three constructs in two separate samples, totaling 657 participants. Results indicated significant, positive relationships between decentering, ST, and NC. Furthermore, in separate path analyses, ST either partially or fully mediated the relationship between decentering and NC. This study provides the first empirical evidence that decentering from internal experiences can alter the sense of self to a degree that a sense of connection with nature emerges. Future experimental research is needed to investigate the dynamic unfolding of decentering, ST, and NC over time and whether the regular cultivation of these transient mental states, potentially through mindfulness practice, has measurable effects on environmental behavior.

Hermann, T. S., Bettmann, J. E., Sweeney, C., Marchand, W. R., Carlson, J., & Hanley, A. W. (in press). Military veterans’ motivations and barriers to outdoor recreation participation. Journal of Leisure Studies.

• Outdoor activity benefits veterans’ sense of well-being, coping skills, and affective experience while improving physical and mental health. Understanding military veterans’ motivation for and barriers to outdoor recreation allows healthcare providers to design interventions that help veterans achieve their healthcare objectives through outdoor activity, which may enhance treatment engagement and clinical outcomes. Veterans were surveyed about their reasons for and barriers to participation in outdoor recreational activities. Veterans’ motivations for engaging in their preferred outdoor activities were: 1. keep fit and healthy; 2. meet new people; 3. learn something new; 4. feel in harmony with nature; and 5. achieve spiritual fulfilment. Veterans with mobility challenges more frequently pursued outdoor activities when it was important for them to keep fit and healthy. Veterans without mobility challenges more frequently pursued outdoor activities when it was important for them to: 1. experience challenge and excitement; 2. meet new people; 3. learn something new; 4. feel harmony with nature; and 5. achieve spiritual fulfilment. The most common barriers to outdoor recreation were health problems, crowded facilities, family time, and feeling too tired. Veterans’ motivations for outdoor recreation were stronger drivers of their actual outdoor recreation participation than barriers to that activity.

Cambron, C. (2022). E-cigarette use is associated with increased psychological distress among youth: A pooled cross-sectional analysis of state-level data from 2019 and 2021. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(18), 11726. Go to article

• A crisis of worsening youth mental health in recent years across the United States has created alarm among health professionals. As a result, health professionals have sought to improve methods of identifying youth in need of treatment services. Cigarette, cannabis, and alcohol use each consistently serve as behavioral markers of risk for youth mental health problems. Despite the recent growth of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among youth, few studies have examined whether e-cigarettes follow the same associational pattern with mental health problems in the context of other substance use. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic may have altered the associations between youth substance use and mental health problems, due to both reduced overall use and increased mental health problems after the onset of the pandemic. This study examined associations between youth substance use and psychological distress before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic using two state-representative samples of youth in grades 8, 10, and 12 from 2019 (N = 58,689) and 2021 (N = 46,823) from Utah. Pooled cross-sectional linear and negative binomial regression models clustered by grade, stratified by school district, and weighted to represent population characteristics estimated associations between recent e-cigarette, combustible cigarette, cannabis, and heavy alcohol use and two measures of psychological distress—depressive symptoms and mental health treatment needs. After controlling for sociodemographic factors and recent uses of other substances, results indicated that psychological distress increased from 2019 to 2021 and that recent e-cigarette, combustible cigarette, cannabis, and heavy alcohol use were each significantly associated with increased levels on both measures of psychological distress. Compared to other substances, e-cigarette use showed the strongest standardized associations. The association of e-cigarette use with depressive symptoms strengthened significantly from 2019 to 2021. Given the youth mental health crisis, paired with the widespread adoption of e-cigarettes, health professionals should consider recent e-cigarette use an increasingly important behavioral marker for risks of mental health problems among youth. Results suggest that future research studies examining the temporal ordering of substance use and mental health among youth should include e-cigarettes.

Cambron, C. & Thackeray, K. J. (2022). Socioeconomic differences in lifetime and past 30-day e-cigarette, cigarette, and dual use: A state-level analysis of Utah youth. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13), 7557. Go to article

• Socioeconomic disparities in combustible cigarette use are well established among youth in the United States and lead to substantial health effects. Given the noteworthy rise in electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among youth in recent years, health professionals have expressed concern that e-cigarette use will follow similar socioeconomic patterns. This study examined this question using a 2019 state-representative sample of youth in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 from Utah (N = 78,740). Logistic regression models estimated associations between neighborhood- and individual-level factors with lifetime and past 30-day e-cigarette, combustible cigarette, and dual use across 267 neighborhoods. After controlling for individual-level sociodemographic factors, results indicated that youth living in higher-poverty neighborhoods were at a significantly increased risk of lifetime e-cigarette, combustible cigarette, and dual use. Additionally, youth living in households with higher levels of education were at a significantly lower risk of lifetime and past 30-day e-cigarette, cigarette, and dual use. Results suggest that e-cigarettes may follow a similar pattern of socioeconomic disparities among youth as combustible cigarettes. Additionally, most youth using combustible cigarettes also used e-cigarettes, suggesting that any potential harms from e-cigarettes may exacerbate existing socioeconomic disparities in health effects from combustible cigarette use. Research should continue to examine individual- and neighborhood-level socioeconomic disparities in youth e-cigarette, combustible cigarette, and dual use.

Hopkins, P. D., Spears, C. A., Hoover, D. S., Li, L., Cambron, C., Potter, L. N., Cinciripini, P.M., Lam, C. Y. & Wetter, D. W. (2022). Trajectories of motivation and self-efficacy during a smoking quit attempt: An ecological momentary assessment study. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 36(1), 78-89. Go to article

• Conceptual models of addiction highlight self-efficacy and motivation as key variables important during a smoking quit attempt; however, recent research has primarily focused on self-efficacy. Given the importance of motivation in these models, a clearer understanding of the effects of motivation during a smoking quit attempt is needed. Pre-quit results showed that parameters of motivation and self-efficacy were not associated with smoking on quit day. Post-quit analyses revealed that participants with lower mean levels of motivation and self-efficacy were more likely to smoke at the end of week one. Moreover, individuals with decreasing levels of motivation over the first week of their quit attempt were more likely to be smoking at the end of week four. These findings highlight the need to incorporate dynamic measures of motivation in smoking research. Furthermore, the results underscore the value of utilizing ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods and trajectory parameters to gain a more nuanced understanding of the dynamic effects that key mechanisms have on smoking during a quit attempt.

Canham, S. L., Humphries, J., Moore, P., Burns, V., & Mahmood, A. (2022). Shelter/housing options, supports, and interventions for older people experiencing homelessness. Ageing & Society, 42(11), 2615-2641. Go to article

• While experiences of later-life homelessness are known to vary, classification of shelter, housing, and service models that meet the diverse needs of older people with experiences of homelessness (OPEH) are limited. To address this gap, a scoping review was conducted of shelter/housing options, supports, and interventions for OPEH. Fourteen databases were searched for English-language peer-reviewed and/or empirical literature published between 1999 and 2019, resulting in the inclusion of 22 sources. Through a collaborative, iterative process of reading, discussing, and coding, data extracted from the studies were organized into six models: 1. long-term care; 2. permanent supportive housing (PSH), including PSH delivered through Housing First; 3. supported housing; 4. transitional housing; 5. emergency shelter settings with health and social supports; and 6. case management and outreach. Program descriptions and OPEH outcomes are described and contribute to our understanding that multiple shelter/housing options are needed to support diverse OPEH. The categorized models are considered alongside existing “ageing in place” research, which largely focuses on older adults who are housed. Through extending discussions of ageing in the “right” place to diverse OPEH, additional considerations are offered. Future research should explore distinct sub-populations of OPEH and how individual-level supports for ageing in place must attend to mezzo- and macro-level systems and policies.

Canham, S. L., Humphries, J., Seetharaman, K., Custodio, K., Mauboules, C., Good, C., Lupick, D., & Bosma, H. (2022). Hospital-to-shelter/housing interventions for persons experiencing homelessness. International Journal on Homelessness, 2(1), 136-151. Go to the article

• Persons with lived and living experiences of homelessness (PWLEs) commonly use hospitals and emergency departments to access healthcare, yet support for transitions from hospital to shelter/housing can be challenging to access. To improve the continuity of care and health outcomes for PWLEs who are being discharged from hospitals, a more complete understanding of two hospital-to-shelter/housing programs in metro Vancouver, Canada was sought. Using a community-based participatory research approach, the researchers conducted in-depth interviews in-person or by phone. Participants included eight healthcare and shelter/housing decision-makers and providers, and a convenience sample of 10 program participants (two females and eight males who ranged in age from 31 to 74 years old; average = 50 years old). Data were analyzed in NVivo 12 to identify successes including: 1. achieving health stability and recovery following hospital discharge; 2. having privacy and freedom while in the program; 3. building relationships with providers; 4. having formal support to find housing; and 5. cross-sector relationships between providers. Challenges included: 1. limited availability of affordable and appropriate housing; 2. other guests’ ways of life; 3. complex needs versus limited after-care resources; and 4. inequities in program access. While hospital-to-shelter/housing programs can serve as intervention opportunities to connect PWLEs to permanent housing, discharge plans need to acknowledge the local limitations on housing availability and offer short-term options for patients who require sub-acute rest and convalescence.

Canham, S. L., Mahmood, A., Walsh, C. A., Sussman, T., Bourgeois Guérin, V., Chaudhury, H., Colgan, S., Dunn, J. R., Henwood, B., Nixon, L., Somers, J. M., & Yan, A. (2022). Aging in the right place: Building capacity for promising practices that support older people experiencing homelessness in Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver. Social Science Protocols, 1-13. Go to article

• This project builds upon a pilot study that documented innovative shelter/housing solutions that have not undergone rigorous evaluation but hold the promise of supporting “aging in the right place” for older persons (50+) with experiences of homelessness (OPEH) in Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver, Canada. “Aging in the right place” means older adults remain in their homes and communities supported by housing, health, and social services responsive to their unique lifestyles and needs. While the pilot study identified innovative shelter/housing solutions that support OPEH to establish and maintain a home and work toward aging in the right place, there remains a knowledge gap regarding what works, why it works, and for whom it works. Program evaluations will offer practice-based evidence of ways in which promising practices of shelter/housing might serve as best practices for supporting OPEH to establish and maintain a home and work toward aging in the right place. Project findings will inform housing, homelessness, health, and social service providers’ design and delivery of programs for OPEH to improve the sustainability of community housing, build provider capacity, and ensure supports that promote aging in the right place are sustained.

Canham, S. L., Moore, P., Custodio, K., & Bosma, H. (2022). Homeism: Naming the stigmatization and discrimination of persons experiencing homelessness. Housing, Theory and Society,39(5), 507-523. Go to article

• The researchers examined stigmatization and discrimination experienced during the process of hospital discharge by people with lived experience of homelessness (PWLEs). They propose the term “homeism” as the discrimination (behavior) toward an individual who is homeless; this form of discrimination is the result of negative stereotypes (stigmas) toward individuals who are experiencing homelessness. Based on a qualitative secondary data analysis of interviews with 20 shelter/housing and healthcare providers and 20 PWLEs, the researchers identified four categories related to homeism: 1. who stigmatizes PWLEs and where stigmatization and discrimination occur; 2. reasons why PWLEs experience stigmatization and discrimination; 3. outcomes of stigmatization and discrimination; and 4. recommendations to reduce or eliminate stigma and discrimination. They propose a conceptual model that depicts the processes of homeism, including precursors, experiences, and outcomes. By naming homeism, they aim to instigate housing activism and future scholarship on this phenomenon to be pursued alongside interventions aimed at eliminating homeism.

Canham, S. L., Rose, J., Jones, S., Clay, A., & Garcia, I. (2022). Community perspectives on how decentralizing an emergency shelter influences transportation needs and use for persons experiencing homelessness. Health and Social Care in the Community,30(6), e6645-e665. Go to article

• Despite steady increases in homelessness in the U.S., only recently has research on transportation needs and use for persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) been the focus of research endeavors. Moreover, limited research has identified how the geographic relocation of homeless community services and resources impacts the transportation needs of PEH and how this process affects access to health and social services. To fill this gap in the literature, using a community-engaged research approach, the researchers conducted a qualitative research study in which 24 professionals working in planning, transportation, local government, and the homelessness services sector were engaged in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. They examined participant perspectives on how PEH transportation needs and use changed after three new emergency shelters replaced a centralized one, and how access to health and social services was impacted. Data were organized into three overarching categories: 1. changes in transportation need and use following decentralization; 2. impact of transportation changes on PEH access to services; and 3. recommendations for improving transportation access. Findings suggest the need to offer PEH transportation on demand, provide education on transportation and system navigation, and increase transportation-related funding for homeless service providers and PEH to ensure transportation costs are not a barrier to healthcare and social services.

Canham, S. L., Rose, J., Weldrick, R., Siantz, E., Cassuci, T., & McFarland, M. (2022). Understanding discrimination towards people experiencing homelessness: A scoping review protocol. BMJ Open, 12(12), e066522. Go to article

• Given the increasing rates of homelessness in recent years, there is an urgent need to address the ongoing discrimination and societal disinterest in preventing, reducing, and ending homelessness. There is no systematic review of experiences of stigma and discrimination among persons experiencing homelessness or interventions to combat this discrimination. The objective for this study is to identify ways in which persons experiencing homelessness have been stigmatized and discriminated against, the results of these experiences, and interventions to reduce stigma and discrimination towards persons experiencing homelessness.

Canham, S. L., Walsh, C. A., Sussman, T., Humphries, J., Nixon, L., & Burns, V. F. (2022). Identifying shelter and housing models for older people experiencing homelessness. Journal of Aging and Environment, 36(2), 204-255. Go to article

• Limited research has identified the types of shelter/housing and supports for the growing population of older people experiencing homelessness (OPEH) and the extent to which existing models align with their needs. To redress this gap, the researchers conducted an environmental scan and three World Café workshops to identify and characterize shelter/housing models for OPEH in Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver, Canada. Fifty-two models were identified and categorized into six shelter/housing types based on the program length of stay and level of health and social supports provided onsite: 1. emergency, transitional, or temporary shelter/housing with supports; 2. independent housing with offsite community-based supports; 3. supported independent housing with onsite, non-medical supports; 4. permanent supportive housing with onsite medical support and/or specialized services; 5. long-term care for individuals with complex health needs; and 6. palliative care/hospice, offering end-of-life services. Models that met the unique needs of OPEH had coordinated supports, social and recreational programming, assistance with daily tasks, and had a person-centered, harm-reduction approach to care. This typology of shelter/housing models offers a basis from which local and regional governments can audit their existing shelter/housing options and determine where there may be gaps in supporting OPEH.

Canham, S. L., Weldrick, R., Sussman, T., Walsh, C. A., & Mahmood, A. (2022). Aging in the right place: A conceptual framework of indicators for older persons experiencing homelessness. The Gerontologist, 62(9), 1251-1257. Go to article

• Aging in place may not be a universally optimal goal, nor accessible to all. Research has highlighted the significance of aging in the right place (AIRP) by recognizing that secure housing for older adults should support one’s unique vulnerabilities and lifestyles. Despite the evolving conceptualization of AIRP for general populations of older adults, considerations of AIRP relevant for older people with previous or current experiences of homelessness are absent from the existing literature. Given this conceptual gap, the researchers developed a framework of indicators relevant for older persons experiencing homelessness. They engaged community partners in the development of this framework and examined what had been described in prior research on aging in place and person-environment fit for older adults. The resulting conceptual framework is comprised of six subcategories of indicators: 1. built environment of the housing unit and surrounding neighborhood; 2. offsite and onsite health and social services and resources; 3. social integration; 4. stability and affordability of place; 5. emotional place attachment; and 6. broader political and economic contexts. This framework provides a practical and meaningful contribution to the literature, which can be used to promote AIRP for individuals whose experiences are often not reflected in existing models.

Marshall, G., Canham, S. L., Kahana, E. & Larson, E. (2022). Mortgage delinquency, foreclosure, and cognition in later life. Housing and Society, 49(2), 113-127. Go to article

• The rapid growth in housing insecurity among older adults is a major public health concern. While there is evidence that stress contributes to poor health, the relationship between housing-related financial stressors and cognitive functioning is relatively unknown. The researchers investigated the association between the personal experiences of mortgage delinquency/foreclosure and cognition, and its sub-components of episodic memory and mental status, among Americans age 65 years and older. The findings suggest there is a negative association between mortgage delinquency/foreclosure and cognitive scores. Further, they found a negative association between mortgage delinquency and mental status among women, specifically. These results highlight the importance of financial well-being vis-à-vis housing stability and its significance to mental well-being and cognition of adults in later life. Future research is needed to identify macro-level stressors such as mortgage delinquency and/or foreclosure. Such information would improve strategies for prevention and intervention particularly for older adults living on fixed incomes who have little opportunity to earn pre-retirement levels of income.

Weldrick, R., Canham, S. L., Sussman, T., Walsh, C. A., Mahmood, A., Nixon, L., & Burns, V. F. (2022). “A right place for everybody”: Supporting aging in the right place for older people experiencing homelessness. Health and Social Care in Community,30(6), e4652-e4661. Go to article

• While policies and practices that promote aging in place have risen in prominence over the last two decades, marginalized older adults have largely been overlooked. “Aging in the right place” is a concept that recognizes the importance of adequate and appropriate age-related health and psychosocial supports in shelter/housing settings, and their impact on the ability of older people to age optimally. To understand the unique shelter/housing challenges and solutions that affect aging in the right place for older people experiencing homelessness (OPEH), the researchers conducted three World Café workshops in three Canadian cities—Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver. In total, 89 service providers and OPEH engaged in the workshops, which involved guided, small-table discussions with the goal of stimulating creative ideas and fostering a productive atmosphere. Findings revealed two overarching themes: 1. discrepancies between the need and availability of housing options and community supports for OPEH, such as affordable transportation, case management, access to healthcare, and system navigation; and 2. desires for more peer support, participatory planning, service-enriched housing, social programming, and policies that promote agency, independence, and choice for OPEH. These findings provide evidence to inform the development or modification of housing and supports for OPEH that promote aging in the right place.

Fang, M. L., Sixsmith, J., Canham, S. L., & Woolrych, R. (2022). Aging in the right place: Participatory and community mapping for collaborative working and knowledge co-creation. In P. Liamputtong (Ed.), Handbook of social inclusion (pp. 1255-1275). Springer: Singapore. Go to chapter

• Tenets of aging in the right place emphasize the importance of creating accessible and inclusive environments that enable older people to maintain their health and well-being through developing a sense of belonging, autonomy, independence, safety, and security. Creating functional and “meaningful” environments for aging extends beyond altering physical surroundings and requires consideration of the psychosocial and cultural aspects of places and spaces. This chapter examines the role of place in the lives of older people through the use of participatory and community mapping as an innovative visual and participatory technique for including the voices of older people in the research process. There is a need for research methods to permit older adults’ expression of their sense of aging-in-place and for researchers to understand what aging in the right place means to older people. This chapter draws on three “place-making with older people” projects in Canada and the UK to demonstrate application of this method in practice to: 1. better understand older people’s sense-of-place needs; and 2. articulate place within the context of their immediate environments and the wider community. Data from three community-based participatory research (CBPR) projects highlight how inclusive methods, such as community mapping, can foster inclusive spaces where older adults have the opportunity to collaborate with a range of community stakeholders in a co-created planning process that uncovers nuanced and deeper meanings of older adults’ sense-of-place.

Mahmood, A., Patille, R., Lam, E., Mora, D. J., Gurung, S., Weldrick, R., Chaudhury, H., & Canham, S. L. (2022). Aging in the right place for older adults experiencing housing insecurity: An environmental assessment of temporary housing program. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,19(22), 14857. Go to article

• Research on programs offering senior-specific housing supports and enabling “aging in the right place” (AIRP) for “older persons with experiences of homelessness” (OPEH) is limited. This paper presents an environmental assessment of a “transitional housing program” (THP) in metro Vancouver, Canada, for OPEH to AIRP. Data were collected using Aging in the Right Place Environmental (AIRP-ENV) and Secondary Observation (AIRP-ENV-SO) audit tools designed to evaluate multi-unit housing for OPEH. The 241-item AIRP-ENV tool was used to assess the built environmental features of four multi-unit buildings of the THP. The AIRP-ENV-SO tool was used to collect contextual data on the function, safety, and land use of the surrounding neighborhood. Findings identified built environment and urban design features that support THP residents’ safety, security, accessibility, functionality, social activity, autonomy, and identity. The THP buildings were rated “good” for accessibility, functionality, autonomy and identity, while “satisfactory”’ or “poor” for safety, security, and social activity. Findings point to the built environmental features (e.g., size and layout of spaces) required in the THP to create opportunities for increased social engagement among residents and enhanced safety and security. The AIRP-ENV and AIRP-ENV-SO audit tools can help inform programs across the housing continuum to develop supportive built environments that promote AIRP for OPEH.

Castillo, J., Hull Jr., G. (accepted). Generalist and advanced generalist practice in macro social work practice. Encyclopedia of Macro Social Work.

• With a growing emphasis on improving human rights and alleviating social inequalities and human suffering in a world that is enduring massive environmental, demographic, technological, and geopolitical shifts, social work educators, scholars, and practitioners must determine how to prepare generalist and advanced generalist social work practitioners to engage in macro social work practice within their respective levels of competency. Steeped in ecological systems, person-in-environment, strengths, and empowerment perspectives, macro social work practice among general and advanced generalist practitioners has focused primarily on the communication, interaction, and transactional processes occurring between and among organizations, communities, and other systems. While beneficial, these perspectives do not account for differences in power, values, attitudes, beliefs, behavior, status, or roles between and among powerful and privileged entities in the system. By operating according to a humanistic perspective that accounts for differences in power, status, and roles of diverse entities in the system, generalist and advanced generalist practitioners engaged in macro social work practice may begin to alleviate social inequalities and human suffering occurring in the United States and abroad.

Castillo, J., Hendrix, L., & Tobar, K. (accepted). Examining the inclusion of substance use content in the curriculum of undergraduate social work educational programs in the United States. Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work.

• The Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) specialized practice curricular guide for substance use social work states that, while substance use practice can be a specialized area, “the prevalence of problematic substance use and substance use disorders, as well as the secondary effects (e.g., health, parenting, relational, economic) associated with substance use on individuals and communities, necessitate that all social workers have a minimum competency and knowledge of substance use across the continuum from use to disorder” (CSWE, 2020, p. xvii). In the U.S., close to three-quarters of BSW respondents indicated working in a direct service role, case management, or service coordination role in substance use or addiction services. Despite these findings, there is a dearth of information examining the education and training that undergraduate social work students receive in their undergraduate social work educational curriculum. Based on the findings of this content analysis study (n = 530), very few BSW programs offer required or elective coursework on substance use or addictions. To this end, social work administrators and educators in BSW programs in the U.S. have an opportunity to: 1. expand upon the number of substance use courses in the generalist social work educational curriculum; 2. expand upon the number of substance use courses that emphasize knowledge- and skills-based learning; 3. expand upon the number of required and elective substance use courses in the generalist social work educational curriculum; and 4. adopt non-stigmatizing language in the titling of substance use courses in the generalist social work educational curriculum.

Becerra, D., Lechuga-Pena, S., Castillo, J.,Gonzalez, R. P., Ciriello, N., Cervantes, F., & Porchas, F. (2022). “Esto no se lo deseo a nadie”: The impact of immigration detention on Latina/o immigrants. Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 7, 361-372. Go to article

• Anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies in the USA have increased in recent decades. Immigration detention has more than tripled since the 1990s, and recently there has been an increase in women and children being held in immigration detention. The length of detention and treatment immigrant detainees face often violates international human rights laws. In this study, the researchers use Latina/o Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) to examine the impact of immigration detention on Latina/o immigrants. A focus group was conducted in Arizona after the implementation of several anti-immigrant bills, including SB1070, as well as the increase of anti-immigrant rhetoric prior to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The focus group was conducted in Spanish with 11 adult Latina/o immigrants (females = 7, males = 4). After completing a thematic analysis of the transcribed data, four major themes emerged: 1. abuse of power by ICE officials, Border Patrol, detention center officers, and medical personnel; 2. mistreatment, including humiliation, discrimination, and dehumanization; 3. trauma; and 4. finding strength through their religiosity and children, despite being held in immigration detention. These findings, along with a review of the relevant literature, highlight the harmful impacts of immigration detention on Latina/o immigrants, and suggest the need for immigration reform.

Elzinga, D., Gren, L. H., Frost, C. J., Hobbins, D., Ord, L. M., & Stanford, J. B. (2022). Exploring the dimensions of adolescent pregnancy intendedness, wantedness, and planning. Utah Women's Health Review. Go to article

• The objective of this study is to clarify how pregnant adolescent women relate to terms and concepts used by the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) regarding unintended pregnancies, specifically the classification terms of “planned,” “wanted,” and “intended” pregnancies. NSFG is a tool designed to measure pregnancy intendedness in order to inform health and social service programs. Most pregnant adolescent women designated their pregnancy as unintended and unplanned. While most women had a clear ideal for a planned and wanted pregnancy and did not currently experience these ideals, many still considered their pregnancy to be wanted. Partner and family support were associated with the wantedness of a pregnancy by the woman. Women experienced confusion about the term “intended” and offered varying interpretations thereof. Findings support the continued development of tools that more accurately define and reflect the complexity of adolescents’ pregnancy experiences and provide more relevant classifications, such as pregnancy acceptability, for public health and clinical practice.

Pfledderer, C. D., Gren, L.H., Frost, C. J., Andrulis, I. L., Chung, W. K., Genkinger, J., Glendon, G., Hopper, J. L., John, E. M., Southey, M., Terry, M. B., & Daly, M. B. (2022). Women’s thoughts on receiving and sharing genetic information: Considerations for genetic counseling. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 31(6), 1249-1260. Go to article

• Indications for genetic testing for inherited cancer syndromes are expanding both in the academic and the community setting. However, only a fraction of individuals who are candidates for testing pursue this option. Therefore, it is important to understand those factors that impact the uptake of genetic testing in individuals affected and unaffected with cancer. A successful translation of genomic risk stratification into clinical care will require that providers of this information are aware of the attitudes, perceived risks and benefits, and concerns of individuals who will be considering testing. The purpose of this study was to assess beliefs, attitudes, and preferences for genetic risk information by personal characteristics of women affected and unaffected by breast cancer enrolled in the Breast Cancer Family Registry Cohort. Data for this analysis came from eight survey questions, which asked participants (N = 9,048, 100% female) about their opinions regarding genetic information. Women reported that conveying the accuracy of the test was important and were interested in information related to personal level of risk, finding out about diseases that could be treated, and information that could be helpful to their families. Young women were most interested in how their own health needs might be impacted by genetic test results, while older women were more interested in how genetic information would benefit other members of the family. Interest in how the genetic test was performed was highest among Asian and Hispanic women. Women affected with breast cancer were more likely to report feeling sad about possibly passing down a breast cancer gene, while unaffected women were more uncertain about their future risk of cancer. The variety of informational needs identified has implications for how genetic counselors can tailor communication to individuals considering genetic testing.

Powell, D. K., Younce, B., Gren, L. H., Hoy-Ellis, C. P., & Frost, C. J. (2022). Gender-based violence as structural violence among sexual & gender minority populations: Pilot data from the University of Utah. Utah Women's Health Review, 6(7). Go to article

• The objective of this paper is to examine gender-based violence (GBV) against sexual and gender minority (SGM) women at the University of Utah as structural violence. A better understanding of GBV within SGM populations can improve prevention efforts and intervention, and advance further research. SGM women are at greater risk of experiencing GBV, as they are subject to additional factors characteristic of their marginalization. These factors interact at individual, interpersonal, and structural levels, influencing key health outcomes among SGM women. Approaching GBV against SGM women as an issue of structural violence can facilitate a more comprehensive understanding and enhance efforts to address gaps in existing services and resources. In doing so, the emotional, physical, and social well-being of these marginalized populations can be improved.

Goldberg, M., McDonald, J. A., Houghton, L. C., Andrulis, I. L., Knight, J. A., Bradbury, A. R., Schwartz, L. A., Buys, S. S., Frost, C. J., Daly, M. B., John, E. M., Keegan, T. H. M., Chung, W. K., Wei, Y., & Terry, M. B. (in press). Maternal and prenatal factors and age at thelarche in the LEGACY Girls Study cohort: implications for breast cancer risk. International Journal of Epidemiology.

• Earlier onset of breast development (thelarche) is associated with increased breast cancer risk. Identifying modifiable factors associated with earlier thelarche may provide an opportunity for breast cancer risk reduction starting early in life, which could especially benefit girls with a greater absolute risk of breast cancer due to family history. Earlier thelarche, a breast cancer risk factor, was associated with three potentially modifiable maternal risk factors—pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, and physical inactivity—in a cohort of girls enriched for breast cancer family history (BCFH).

Houghton, L. C., Wei, Y., Wang, T., Goldberg, M., Paniagua-Avila, A., Sweeden, R. L., Bradbury, A., Daly, M. B., Schwartz, K. A., Keegan, T., John, E. M., Knight, J. A., Andrulis, I. L., Buys, S. S., Frost, C. J., O'Toole, K., White, M., Chung, W. K., & Terry, M. B. (2022). Body mass index rebound and pubertal timing in girls with and without a family history of breast cancer: The LEGACY girls study. International Journal of Epidemiology, 51(5), 1546-1555. Go to article

• Heavier body mass index (BMI) is the most established predictor of earlier age at puberty. However, it is unknown whether the timing of the childhood switch to heavier BMI (age at BMI rebound) also matters for puberty. Earlier BMI rebound is associated with earlier pubertal timing. The researchers’ observation that BMI rebound may be a driver of pubertal timing in girls with and without a family history of breast cancer provides insight into how growth and pubertal timing are associated with breast cancer risk.

Li, W., & Garland, E. L. (in press). Treatment and interventions for addictive behaviors in cyberspace. In Z. Yan (Ed.), Cambridge handbook of cyber behavior. Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 9781316691625.

• This chapter summarizes the literature on interventions for internet gaming disorder.

Garland, E. L. & Parisi, A. (accepted). Mindfulness-based treatments for addictive disorders. In S. C. Miller, D. A. Fiellin, & R. N. Rosenthal (Eds.), Principles of addiction medicine (7th ed.). American Society for Addiction Medicine (ASAM).

• This chapter provides an overview of the construct of mindfulness and how it may be applied to the treatment of addiction. A rapidly expanding body of evidence has shown that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) reduce substance use and improve clinical outcomes. Paralleling these advancements, neurocognitive discoveries have shed light on the mechanisms underlying the effects of MBIs in the context of addiction recovery. Increasingly, this research suggests that MBIs remediate cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes that become dysregulated during the process of addiction to produce significant therapeutic benefits. For these benefits to be realized, research is now needed to promote the dissemination and implementation of MBIs into community-based addiction treatment.

Garland, E. L., Hanley, A. W., Hudak, J., Nakamura, Y., & Froeliger, B. (2022). Mindfulness-induced endogenous theta stimulation occasions self-transcendence and inhibits addictive behavior. Science Advances,8(41): eabo4455. Go to article

• Self-regulation is instantiated by theta oscillations (4 to 8 Hz) in neurons of frontal midline brain regions. Frontal midline theta (FMΘ) is inversely associated with default mode network (DMN) activation, which subserves self-referential processing. Addiction involves impaired self-regulation and DMN dysfunction. Mindfulness is an efficacious self-regulatory practice for treating addiction, but little is known about the mechanisms by which mindfulness reduces addictive behavior. In this mechanistic study of long-term opioid users (N = 165), the researchers assessed meditation-induced FMΘ as a mediator of changes in opioid misuse. Relative to a supportive psychotherapy control, participants treated with Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) exhibited increased FMΘ during a laboratory-based meditation session. FMΘ during meditation was associated with self-transcendent experiences characterized by ego dissolution, nondual awareness, and bliss. MORE’s effects on decreasing opioid misuse were mediated by increased FMΘ. Given the role of aberrant self-referential processing in addiction, mindfulness-induced endogenous theta stimulation might “reset” DMN dysfunction to inhibit addictive behavior.

Garland, E. L., Hanley, A. W., Nakamura, Y., Barrett, J. W., Baker, A. K., Reese, S. E., Riquino, M. R., Froeliger, B., & Donaldson, G. W. (2022). Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement versus supportive group therapy for co-occurring opioid misuse and chronic pain in primary care: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Internal Medicine, 182(4), 407-417. Go to article

• Successful treatment of opioid misuse among people with chronic pain has proven elusive. Guidelines recommend nonopioid therapies, but the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions for opioid misuse is uncertain. In this randomized clinical trial, among adult participants in a primary care setting, the Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) intervention led to sustained improvements in opioid misuse and chronic pain symptoms and reductions in opioid dosing, emotional distress, and opioid craving compared with supportive group psychotherapy. Despite attrition caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the vulnerability of the sample, MORE appeared to be efficacious for reducing opioid misuse among adults with chronic pain.

Garland, E. L., Hudak, J., & Froeliger, B. (2022). Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement restructures reward processing in opioid misuse. Biological Psychiatry, 91(9), S88. Go to article

• Hedonic dysregulation evidenced by the downward shift in salience of natural reward, relative to drug reward, may represent a crucial tipping point leading to the loss of control over drug use that is characteristic of addiction. Novel behavioral therapies that restructure reward responsiveness from valuation of drug reward to valuation of natural reward may be an effective means of restoring hedonic regulatory processes gone awry in persons exhibiting addictive behaviors. Restructuring reward processing through Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) may reverse the downward shift in salience of natural reward relative to drug reward, and thereby disrupt the downward spiral to opioid misuse and addiction.

Garland, E. L., Roberts, L. R., Hanley, A. W., Zeidan, F., & Keefe, F. J. (2022). The Mindful Reappraisal of Pain Scale (MRPS): Validation of a new measure of psychological mechanisms of mindfulness-based analgesia. Mindfulness, 14, 192-204. Go to article

• Mindfulness is theorized to decrease the affective amplification of chronic pain by facilitating a shift from emotionally-laden, catastrophic pain appraisals of nociceptive input to reappraising chronic pain as an innocuous sensory signal that does not signify harm. Understanding of these hypothetical psychological mechanisms of mindfulness-based analgesia has been limited by a lack of direct measures. The researchers conducted a series of psychometric and experimental studies to develop and validate the Mindful Reappraisal of Pain Sensations Scale (MPRS). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated the single-factor structure of the MRPS. The MRPS also evidenced convergent and divergent validity. Mindfulness training through Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) significantly increased MRPS scores relative to supportive psychotherapy (F4,425.03 = 16.15, p < .001). Changes in MRPS scores statistically mediated the effect of MORE on reducing chronic pain severity through nine-month follow-up. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that the MRPS is a psychometrically sound and valid measure of novel analgesic mechanisms of mindfulness including attentional disengagement from affective pain appraisals and interoceptive exposure to pain sensations.

Fritz, J. M., Rhon, D. I., Garland, E. L., Hanley, A. W., Greenlee, T., Fino, N., Martin, B., Highland, K. B., & Greene, T. (2022). The effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention integrated with physical therapy (MIND-PT) for post-surgical rehabilitation after lumbar surgery: A protocol for a randomized controlled trial as part of the back pain consortium (BACPAC) research program. Pain Medicine, pnac128. Go to article

• Improving pain management for persons with chronic low back pain (LBP) undergoing surgery is an important consideration to improve patient-centered outcomes and reduce the risk for persistent opioid use following surgery. Nonpharmacologic treatments, including physical therapy and mindfulness, are beneficial for non-surgical LBP through complementary biopsychosocial mechanisms; but their integration and application for persons undergoing surgery for LBP have not been examined. This study (MIND-PT) is a multi-site randomized trial that compares an enriched pain management (EPM) pathway integrating physical therapy and mindfulness to usual care pain management (UC) for persons undergoing surgery for LBP. This trial is part of the National Institutes of Health, Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative focused on providing scientific solutions to the opioid crisis. The MIND-PT study will examine an innovative program combining nonpharmacologic treatments designed to improve outcomes and reduce opioid overreliance in persons undergoing lumbar surgery.

Redwine, L. S., Schwartz, E. R., & Garland, E. L. (2022). Mindfulness promotes positive health behaviors by enhancing self-regulation, motivation, and learning: Perspectives from research and clinical care. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 28(11), 847-850. Go to article

• This article describes how mindfulness promotes health behaviors by enhancing self-regulation, motivation, and learning.

Sanyer, M., Odette M. M., & Garland, E. L. (2022). Trait mindfulness is associated with enhanced autonomic regulation of opioid cue-reactivity. Mindfulness, 13, 685-694. Go to article

• The primary objective of this study was to examine whether trait mindfulness could buffer opioid craving among people with chronic pain by enhancing autonomic regulation of opioid cue reactivity. This study provides evidence that trait mindfulness may serve as a protective factor against craving and opioid dose escalation among people with chronic pain via enhanced autonomic regulation of opioid cue reactivity.

Bedford, C., Nakamura, Y., Marchand, W. R., & Garland, E. L (2022). Heightened autonomic reactivity to negative affective stimuli among active duty soldiers with PTSD and opioid-treated chronic pain. Psychiatry Research, PMID: 35066311. Go to article

• Within military populations, chronic pain conditions and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequently co-occur, however, little research has examined the psychophysiological correlates of this comorbidity among active-duty soldiers. This study examined physiological reactivity to negative affective stimuli among 30 active-duty soldiers with chronic pain conditions treated with long-term opioid therapy. Participants completed a diagnostic interview and self-report measures. Then, their heart rate and skin temperature were recorded during an affective picture-viewing task. Soldiers with PTSD exhibited greater increases in the ratio of low-to-high frequency heart rate variability (LF/HF HRV) while viewing negative affective images than soldiers without PTSD. PTSD symptom severity was positively associated with LF/HF HRV reactivity and negatively associated with skin temperature reactivity. Additionally, opioid craving was associated with LF/HF HRV and skin temperature reactivity among soldiers with PTSD. Taken together, the results of this study provide evidence for heightened sympathetic nervous system reactivity among soldiers with comorbid chronic pain and PTSD, underscoring the importance of intervening on potential risk factors for these conditions.

Lazaridou, A., Paschali, M., Zgierska, A. E., Garland, E. L., & Edwards, R. R. (2022). Exploring the relationship between endogenous pain modulation, pain intensity, and depression in patients using opioids for chronic low back pain. Clinical Journal of Pain, 38(10), 595-600. Go to article

• Endogenous pain modulatory processes appear to play an important role in shaping pain-related outcomes, but the researchers know relatively little about the influence of psychosocial factors on those pain modulatory processes. The primary objective of this study was to explore associations between endogenous pain modulation (i.e., conditioned pain modulation [CPM]; temporal summation [TS]), chronic pain, and negative affective factors (i.e., depression, anxiety symptoms) in a sample of participants with chronic low back pain (CLBP) treated with long-term daily opioids. Study findings suggest that reduced pain-inhibitory capacity is associated with elevated self-reported pain intensity in adults with opioid-treated CLBP, particularly among those with higher severity of depression symptoms.

Agin-Liebes, G., Weiss, B., Zeifman, R., Luoma, J. B., Garland, E. L., & Campbell, W. K. (2022). Prospective examination of the therapeutic role of psychological flexibility and cognitive reappraisal in the ceremonial use of ayahuasca. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 36(3), 295-308. Go to article

• Evidence suggests that psychedelic-assisted therapy carries transdiagnostic efficacy in the treatment of mental health conditions characterized by low mood and the use of avoidance coping strategies. These results highlight the role of acute psychological processes, such as reappraisal, and post-acute increases in psychological flexibility as putative mechanisms underlying positive outcomes associated with psychedelics. These results also provide support for the integration of third-wave and mindfulness-based therapy approaches with psychedelic-assisted interventions.

Mao, J., Ismalia, N., Bao, T., Barton, D., Ben-Ayre, E., Garland, E. L., Greenlee, H., Leblanc, T., Lee, R. T., Lopez, A., Loprinzi, C., Lyman, G. H., Macleod, J., Master, V. A., Ramchandran, K., Wagner, L. I., Walker, E. M., Bruner, D., Witt, C. M., & Bruera, E. (2022). Integrative medicine for pain management in oncology: SIO-ASCO Guideline. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 40(34), 3998-4024. Go to article

• The aim of this joint guideline is to provide evidence-based recommendations to practicing physicians and other health care providers on integrative approaches to managing pain in patients with cancer. Among adult patients, acupuncture should be recommended for aromatase inhibitor–related joint pain. Acupuncture or reflexology or acupressure may be recommended for general cancer pain or musculoskeletal pain. Hypnosis may be recommended to patients who experience procedural pain. Massage may be recommended to patients experiencing pain during palliative or hospice care. These recommendations are based on an intermediate level of evidence, benefit outweighing risk, and with moderate strength of recommendation. The quality of evidence for other mind-body interventions or natural products for pain is either low or inconclusive. There is insufficient or inconclusive evidence to make recommendations for pediatric patients. More research is needed to better characterize the role of integrative medicine interventions in the care of patients with cancer.

Marchand, W. R., Zhang, C., Hamilton, C., Presson, A. P., Nelson, R., Yoo, M., Garland, E. L., Nazarenko, E., & Herrmann, T. (2022). Utilization and outcomes of a Whole Health model of care by veterans with psychiatric illness. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 71, 102884. Go to article

• The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is implementing a model of healthcare known as Whole Health (WH). The goal of WH is to shift from a disease-oriented system to one that emphasizes health promotion and disease prevention, as well as promotes the use of Complementary and Integrative Health. The aim of this project was to investigate utilization and outcomes of WH programming among veterans with psychiatric disorders. WH programming shows promise to reduce suicide risk and the need for mental health services among this population. Additionally, WH services were underutilized and there was a lack of treatment engagement.

Herrmann, T. S., Nazarenko, E., Marchand, W., Day, A., Merrill, J., Neil, M., Thatcher, J., Garland, E. L., & Bryan, C. (2022). Randomized controlled trial of a brief mindfulness-based intervention for suicidal ideation among Veterans. Military Medicine, usac291. Go to article

• This study was a preliminary evaluation of a manualized, brief mindfulness-based intervention (MB-SI) for veterans with suicidal ideation (SI), admitted into an inpatient psychiatric unit (IPU). Mindfulness-based intervention for suicidal ideation was feasible to implement on an IPU, and there were no associated adverse effects. Mindfulness-based intervention for suicidal ideation participants experienced a statistically significant increase in Toronto Mindfulness Scale curiosity scores one-month post-intervention compared to pre-intervention, and greater Toronto Mindfulness Scale decentering scores one-month post-intervention compared to treatment as usual (TAU). Emotion Regulation Questionnaire Reappraisal scores significantly increased for the MB-SI group and significantly decreased for TAU over time. IPU and emergency department admissions were not statistically different between groups or over time. Both TAU and MB-SI participants experienced a significant reduction in Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale-SI scores after the intervention. MB-SI participants experienced a higher increase in Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire scores postintervention compared to TAU. Mindfulness-based intervention for suicidal ideation is feasible and safe to implement among veterans during an inpatient psychiatric admission with SI, as it is not associated with increased SI or adverse effects. Preliminary evidence suggests that MB-SI increases veterans’ propensity to view experiences with curiosity while disengaging from experience without emotional overreaction. Further, more rigorous research is warranted to determine efficacy of MB-SI.

Verdejo-Garcia, A., Rezapour, T., Giddens, E., Zonoozi, A. K., Rafei, P., Berry, J., Caracuel, A., Copersino, M. L., Field, M., Garland, E. L., Lorenzetti, V., Malloy-Diniz, L., Manning, V., Marceau, E. M., Pennington, D. L., Strickland, J. C., Wiers, R., Fairhead, R., Anderson, A., … Ekthiari, H. (in press). Cognitive training and remediation interventions for substance use disorders: A Delphi consensus study. Addiction.

• Substance use disorders (SUD) are associated with cognitive deficits that are not always addressed in current treatments, and this hampers recovery. Cognitive training and remediation interventions are well suited to fill the gap for managing cognitive deficits in SUD. The researchers aimed to reach consensus on recommendations for developing and applying these interventions. Across two iterative rounds (98 percent retention rate), the experts reached a consensus on 50 items including: 1. implicit biases, positive affect, arousal, executive functions, and social processing as key targets of interventions; 2. cognitive bias modification, contingency management, emotion regulation training, and cognitive remediation as preferred approaches; 3. practice, feedback, difficulty-titration, bias modification, goal-setting, strategy learning, and meta-awareness as active ingredients; and 4. both addiction treatment work-force and specialized neuropsychologists facilitating delivery, together with novel digital-based delivery modalities. Expert recommendations on cognitive training and remediation for substance use disorders highlight the relevance of targeting implicit biases, reward, emotion regulation, and higher-order cognitive skills via well-validated intervention approaches qualified with mechanistic techniques and flexible delivery options.

Gezinski, L. B. (2022). “It's kind of hit and miss with them": A qualitative investigation of police response to intimate partner violence in a mandatory arrest state. Journal of Family Violence, 37(1), 99-111. Go to article

• Despite the high incidence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the United States, perpetrator accountability remains a problem. Research suggests this is partially attributable to underreporting linked to the perceived unhelpfulness of police. The purpose of this research study was to understand survivors and service providers’ lived experiences with police in a mandatory arrest state. Purposive sampling was utilized to conduct in-depth, semi-structured focus groups and interviews with 43 survivors and 59 service providers from March 2016 to February 2017. Data analysis consisted of line-by-line analysis, identifying themes, coding categories, and developing matrices to uncover relationships between themes and categories. Participants deliberated police failure to adequately respond to IPV-related calls. While survivors’ interactions with police were consistently negative, service providers’ experiences were more mixed. Police response was deemed worse in rural areas due to limited capacity and social relationships with perpetrators. Five major themes were identified, including: 1. inadequate police response; 2. amplified hurdles in rural communities; 3. predominant aggressor incongruity; 4. protective orders fail to protect; and 5. Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) working relationships. Mandatory arrest policy sometimes results in the criminalization of survivors. Police require trauma-informed training that will assist in their determination of the predominant aggressor. Findings indicate that the LAP has been effective in strengthening service provider/police relationships, and expansion should be considered. Quantitative and longitudinal research is needed to examine the fidelity of the LAP and its effectiveness in decreasing the incidence of IPV-related homicide.

Gezinski, L. B. & Gonzalez-Pons, K. M. (2022). Legal barriers and re-victimization for survivors of intimate partner violence navigating courts. Women & Criminal Justice, 32(5), 454-466. Go to article

• Even though the majority of intimate partner violence (IPV) incidents remain unreported and unprosecuted, survivors find themselves navigating the legal system. One hundred and two survivors and service providers participated in semi-structured focus groups or interviews related to their IPV-related court experiences. Data analysis consisted of identifying themes, coding categories, and developing matrices. Themes included: 1. insufficient legal representation; 2. protection order access and enforcement; 3. revictimization in court settings; and 4. disparities in accountability. Participants pointed to a failure to enforce protection orders, mandated child visitation with perpetrators, and lenient sentencing as evidence that the legal system favors perpetrators. Findings indicate the need for IPV education for court personnel, as well as the expansion of public assistance and pro bono legal services.

Gezinski, L. B. & Gonzalez-Pons, K.M. (in press). Sex trafficking and technology: A systematic review of recruitment and exploitation. Journal of Human Trafficking.

• With passage of the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Traffickers Act and Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (FOSTA-SESTA) in 2018, technology became inextricably linked to sex trafficking in the United States public policy arena. FOSTA-SESTA aimed to combat sex trafficking by legislating digital spaces; however, largely missing from legislative debate was the inclusion of prevalence data to inform this policy making. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize the existing empirical evidence on online-facilitated sex trafficking. Twenty-one articles were included in this systematic review, of which the vast majority focused on the U.S. and domestically trafficked youth. Findings indicate very few empirically documented cases of online-facilitated recruitment of victims for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Greater empirical evidence exists for trafficked persons advertised online for sexual exploitation; however, the person posting these advertisements (e.g., self, friend, trafficker) varies. Overall, the actual prevalence of online-facilitated trafficking remains unknown, suggesting the need for rigorous and large-scale representative studies. Opportunities for leveraging technology to support survivors and service organizations are discussed. In contrast to sweeping legislation that targets web platform providers, policy is needed that reduces structural risk factors to prevent exploitation and trafficking.

Harrell, S., Anderson-Nathe, B., Wahab, S., & Gringeri, C. (2022). Feminist research practice: Reorienting a politic for social work. In C. Cocker & T. Hafford-Letchfield (Eds.), Rethinking feminist theories for social work practice. Palgrave Publishing. ISBN 9783030942403 Go to chapter

• In recent decades, social work research, practice, and education have become increasingly constrained by the braided influences of neoliberalism, professionalization, and criminalization. Using concrete practice examples, this chapter proposes that principles of feminist research rooted in understandings of power as dynamic, historic, and structural offer a potential interruption to the influences of the braid on social work practice. Through their contributions to knowledge production, education, and practice, the authors hold that tenets of feminist research open a new politic for social work, in which social work scholars, practitioners, and educators might interrupt dominant paradigms in the field and open space for collaborative action and a new social work future.

Hanley, A. W., Bettmann, J. E., Baker, A. K. (in press). The self-extension dimensional assessment: An instrument development study. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice.

• The self is thought to be malleable, capable of being extended beyond the physical body and into a variety of things, such as friends, family, and even possessions. However, methods of measuring self-extension as a multidimensional construct are scarce. Using three separate samples (total N of all samples = 646), the authors developed and examined a new measure (the self-extension dimensional assessment [SEDA]) capable of assessing five primary self-extension dimensions (SEDs): 1. intrapersonal; 2. interpersonal; 3. collective; 4. spatial-material; and 5. transpersonal. To this end, principal component analysis (PCA) and bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) were used to determine whether data supported the proposed, five-part self-extension system. A secondary aim of this study was to assess the convergent validity of the SEDA, using bivariate correlations to explore the five SEDs in relation to extant instruments measuring related forms of self-representation, the Big Five personality factors, and two markers of psychological health (psychological well-being and emotional distress). Results indicated that the 14-item SEDA is a psychometrically sound instrument that captures five theoretically grounded dimensions of self-extension. The SEDA may be a valuable measurement tool for more comprehensively assessing individual differences in the experience of self-extension.

Hanley, A. W., Mai, T., & Garland, E. L. (accepted). Self-transcendent states during a modified mindfulness based stress reduction program predict improvements in mood. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice.

• Self-transcendence is theorized to be a therapeutic mechanism of mindfulness-based interventions. However, whether self-transcendence states occur during individual sessions of one of the most common mindfulness-based interventions, Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), has not been investigated. Furthermore, self-transcendent states occurring during individual MBSR sessions have not been examined in relation to in-session changes in more established therapeutic mechanisms of mindfulness (i.e., decentering) or affect. Results from this study offer the first tentative evidence that self-transcendent states occur during individual MBSR sessions, and that in-session self-transcendent states may be associated with immediate positive affective changes.

Hanley, A. W., Derringer, A., Sneed, J. C., Bettmann, J. E., & Gonzalez-Pons, K. M. (2022). The state of interdependence with nature scale: Development and initial validation. Ecopsychology, 14(1). Go to article

• The three studies reported in this article detail the development of the state of interdependence with nature scale (SINS), a new self-report measure specifically designed to assess momentary fluctuations in feelings of deep connection, or ‘‘oneness,’’ with nature. Using exploratory factor analysis, study one (N= 228) identified eight optimally performing items to be retained in the SINS. Using confirmatory factor analysis, study two (N= 126) supported the SINS’ unidimensional structure. Using bivariate correlation analysis and linear modeling, study three (N= 73) found the SINS demonstrated strong positive correlations with legacy measures capturing the dispositional tendency to feel connected with nature and was sensitive to behavioral intervention. Nature-based interventions increased SINS scores relative to a control condition. Together, these three studies provide preliminary evidence that the SINS is psychometrically sound.

Hanley, A. W. & Garland, E. L. (2022). Self-transcendence predicts better pre- and postoperative outcomes in two randomized clinical trials of brief mindfulness-based interventions. Mindfulness, 13,1532–1543. Go to article

• Self-transcendent experiences have been infrequently examined by modern psychological science, despite their purported healing potential. The two studies reported here were designed to test whether surgical patients could achieve self-transcendent states and whether those states predicted better clinical outcomes. These two studies suggest self-transcendence is a therapeutic mechanism of mindfulness that is accessible to a general sample of surgical patients and can improve clinical outcomes.

Hudak, J., Bernat, E. M., Fix, S. T., Prince, K. C., Froeliger, B., & Garland, E. L. (2022). Neurophysiological deficits during reappraisal of negative emotional stimuli in opioid misuse. Biological Psychiatry, 91(12), 1070-1078. Go to article

• Opioid misuse is hypothesized to compromise the ability to regulate negative emotions, as manifested through visceral and peripheral physiological signals. However, neurophysiological impairment of top-down cognitive emotion regulation in opioid misuse has not previously been shown. Opioid misuse may occasion top-down deficits in emotional regulation that begin as early as 400 ms after presentation of negative stimuli. It remains unknown whether emotion dysregulation is the cause, correlate, or consequence of opioid misuse. Nonetheless, targeting emotion dysregulation in opioid misuse with reappraisal-focused interventions may represent an important treatment approach.

Jaggers, J. W., Kondrat, D. C., Canada, K. E., & Miller, K. (2022). An ego-centric model of criminal arrest among mental health court participant network. Families in Society, 103(3), 345-357. Go to article

• People with serious mental illness are disproportionately represented among prison/jail populations. Mental health courts (MHC) serve as an alternative to incarceration. In this study, the researchers explore the extent to which MHC participants have members of their social network who were reported as having a history of arrests. Multilevel logistic regression demonstrated friends who used drugs, race, and network density were all predictive of MHC participants’ friends who have a history of arrest. Results demonstrate an association between MHC participation and arrest among individuals in their social network. Given the importance of social support in recovery from mental illness and in desisting from crime, such limitations can be problematic. MHC participants may be disinclined to engage with the very individuals who are able to provide social and emotional support.

Walsh, M., Jaggers, J. W., Satre, C., & Hall, J. (2022). Evaluation of interprofessional practicums for master of social work students. Advances in Social Work, 22(1), 233-250. Go to article

• As interprofessional education (IPE) continues to grow as part of social work programs, it is important to evaluate how best to engage students in understanding this material and explore possible barriers. With this in mind, researchers conducted qualitative interviews and focus groups to explore perceptions of three cohorts of social work students (n=29) participating in short-term interprofessional practicum experiences. Perceived benefits included improvements in communication and client care. The study also uncovered various barriers with implementing IPE-focused practicums such as time, scheduling, and role uncertainty. Students shared the impact their experience had on knowledge and perceptions of the social work role in interprofessional collaboration. Even so, students were able to observe important elements of interprofessional practice from these relatively short practicums, indicating they may be a viable option for programs looking to expose students to real world interprofessional experience.

Loomis, A. M., Freed, S., & Coffey, R. (in press). Inhibitory control, student-teacher relationships, and expulsion risk in preschools: An indirect effects path analysis. Early Childhood Education Journal.

• Identifying factors related to expulsion risk is of great need due to the high and disparate rates of young children routinely excluded from preschool classrooms. This study aimed to explore the pathways to expulsion risk among a sample of 88 preschool children from 22 Head Start classrooms. Data were collected on children’s inhibitory control using the child behavior questionnaire (CBQ), the closeness subscale of the student-teacher relationship scale (STRS-SF), and on children’s overall expulsion risk using the preschool expulsion risk measure (PERM). Direct pathways from children’s inhibitory control and student-teacher closeness to expulsion risk were significant. Results indicated that student-teacher closeness mediated the relationship between children’s inhibitory control and expulsion risk, indicating the importance of supporting positive relationships in preschool classrooms to disrupt pathways to expulsion.

Loomis, A. M. & Panlilio, C. (2022). Trauma-informed attitudes, teacher stress, and expulsion decision risk in preschool classrooms. Journal of School Mental Health, 14, 918-932. Go to article

• Despite the known relationship between trauma and academic outcomes, including expulsion risk, for preschoolers, little is known about the role that teachers may play in addressing the effects of childhood trauma within preschool settings. This study examined the relationship between a teacher’s overall stress, trauma-informed attitudes, and indicators of children’s expulsion decision risk using a sample of preschool lead and assistant teachers recruited from Head Start classrooms in the Mountain West. Multigroup models revealed significantly different pathways for children of color (Black, Latinx, and American Indian children) compared to white children; teacher stress predicted higher expulsion decision risk for children of color and trauma-informed attitudes predicted lower expulsion decision risk for white children. Implications for development and evaluation of trauma-informed approaches for early childhood settings are discussed.

Zulauf-McCurdy, C. & Loomis, A. M. (in press). Parent and teacher perceptions of the parent-teacher relationship and child self-regulation: Variations by race in preschool classrooms. Early Childhood Education Journal.

• Parent–teacher relationships are an important but understudied aspect of children’s preschool experience. One important gap is understanding how parent–teacher relationships influence aspects related to school readiness, such as child self-regulation. Understanding this relationship can help highlight areas of intervention that can improve educational experience for children and improve school readiness. Leveraging a sample of Latino and Black preschoolers, this study explores the relationship between parent–teacher relationships and self-regulation (as reported by both parents and teachers) through regression and moderation models that adjusted for clustering at the classroom-level. Results indicate that despite incongruence in teacher and parent reports of child self-regulation, both parents’ and teachers’ reports of the-student–teacher relationship predicted their perceptions of child self-regulation. Although cell sizes were small, race moderated the relationship between teacher-reported child self-regulation and teacher-reported parent–teacher relationship, where higher-quality parent–teacher relationships were related to lower perceived problems in self-regulation for Black children but not Latino children. The findings in this study highlight the differences in teacher and parent perceptions of the parent–teacher relationship and self-regulation for Black and Latino preschoolers. Each finding is described in detail with an eye toward implications, intervention, and replication with larger samples.

Silver, C. H., Davis Schoch, A., Loomis, A. M., Park, C., & Zinsser, K. M. (2022). Updating the evidence: A systematic review of a decade of Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) research. Infants & Young Children, 44(1), 5-26. Go to article

• Infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) is a preventative, capacity-building intervention in which mental health professionals partner with early childhood professionals to indirectly improve the environments and relationships that young children experience. Prior research has demonstrated that IECMHC is associated with positive outcomes for children, teachers, and classrooms. Over the past decade, IECMHC implementation and research have expanded, warranting an updated review. This paper provides an update of the IECMHC evidence base. Included studies (n = 16) were systematically gathered, screened, and coded for context, intervention characteristics, methods and measures, outcomes across ecological levels, and alignment with the IDEAS impact framework's guiding questions. The analysis replicates prior reviews, describing the positive impact of IECMHC on outcomes such as child externalizing behavior, teacher self-efficacy, and teacher-child interactions. Beyond updating prior reviews, this analysis describes emerging, nuanced findings regarding the mechanisms of change and the differential impact of IECMHC. The researchers augment this review with descriptions of evaluations that did not meet the inclusion criteria (e.g., IECMHC in the home visiting context, unpublished evaluation reports) to provide context for the findings. Finally, they provide policy and practice implications and articulate an agenda for future research.

Mogro-Wilson, C., Negi, N., Acquati, C., Bright, C., Chang, D. F., Clark Goings, T., Greenfield, J. C., Gurrola, M., Hicks, T., Loomis, A. M., Parekh, R., Strolin-Goltzman, J., Valdovinos, M., Walton, Q. L., & Windsor, L. (2022). Reflections from academic mothers of young children on social work research and education. Journal of Social Work Education, 58(1), 9-33. Go to article

• The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound societal impact with unprecedented impact on women’s labor force participation, including among academic mothers. Yet, persistent gendered and racialized inequities in academia remain structurally unaddressed, including in social work. The researchers believe that as social work educators, they are well-positioned to develop an academic culture that helps refocus on what matters most; redefine excellence in teaching, service, and research; and make academic practice more equitable. To this end, they convened a group of social work academic mothers, representing various identities at teaching and research-intensive institutions, to offer collective perspectives and recommendations for structural change within the social work academy to buffer the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and exacerbating racial and gendered disparities.

Howey, W., Lundahl, B., & Assadollahi, A. (2022). Effectiveness of residential treatment for juveniles with problematic sexual behavior: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,19(23), 15625. Go to article

• Juveniles with problematic sexual behaviors are often placed in residential treatment. However, little is known about the effectiveness of such treatments in terms of reducing recidivism or enhancing mental well-being. To better understand the impact of residential treatment for these juveniles, the researchers conducted a systematic review on studies that reported recidivism rates. PRISMA guidelines were followed. Of the 1,126 studies initially identified, only six met the final inclusion criteria. Sexual recidivism rates averaged 5.2% across the six studies, which is similar to rates of non-residential treatments. The results suggest that certain client factors predict recidivism. For example, youth labeled as obsessive offenders were more likely to recidivate compared to those labeled as opportunistic. Most studies also measured non-sexual crimes post treatment; recidivism rates for sexual misconduct tended to be lower than for other crimes. Despite the significant intrusion of residential treatment centers, remarkably few empirical studies exist to establish their effectiveness in reducing recidivism. The comparable recidivism rates to non-residential treatment programs begs the question of whether residential centers add value beyond outpatient care, and suggest that less restrictive interventions may be sufficient. Helping youth evidencing problematic sexual behaviors involves complex dynamics, however caution is recommended on relying on residential treatment.

Howey, W., Assadollahi, A., & Lundahl, B. (2022). Group homes and COVID-19: Perspectives of youth residents, staff, and caregivers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(15), 8978. Go to article

• This study explored the perspectives of being in a youth group home during the COVID-19 pandemic from youth residents, staff, and caregivers. Two overarching themes were identified among the youth residents—safety response to COVID-19, and socialization changes due to COVID—along with three subthemes: structure leading to separation, support and belonging amid a pandemic, and competency. Three overarching themes were identified among the group home staff: safety response to COVID-19, increased responsibility, and mental health changes because of the pandemic. Finally, three overarching themes were identified among the guardians of youth residents: safety response to COVID-19, belief in a mental health impact on the child, and communication during a pandemic. The findings provide the experiences among three group home stakeholders. Overall, they demonstrated resilience in a setting and time when resilience was essential. Finally, the findings offer insight on the basis of which group homes/organizations can prepare for crises of a great magnitude, including vital communication elements.

Bryan, M. A., Malik, D., Cochran, G., & Lundahl, B. (2022). Mindfulness and savoring: A commentary on savoring strategies and their implications for addiction treatment. Substance Use & Misuse, 57(5), 822-826. Go to article

• A central facet of the popular understanding of mindfulness practice is the non-judgmental observation of all thoughts and feelings. Savoring is a cognitive practice developed out of economics and positive psychology, which involves the conscious mental engagement with positively-valenced interoceptive and exteroceptive stimuli, which in turn amplifies the derived pleasure experience. When incorporated into mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), savoring holds promise in improving outcomes related to reward processing, such as positive affect and well-being. The growing body of mindfulness literature also suggests that the inclusion of savoring in MBIs may be key in treating disorders of reward dysregulation, such as addiction. If savoring does indeed reduce craving, this phenomenon offers a point of union for divergent neurobiological theories of addiction. In this commentary, the researchers explore the existing literature on savoring and mindfulness practices as it relates to addictive disorders, posit underlying neurocognitive mechanisms, and present future areas of research.

McDonald, C., West, K., Benson, C., & Brittain, C. (2022). A national review of child welfare competency models. Children and Youth Services Review, 142, 106631. Go to article

• Child welfare agencies across the United States aim to better the outcomes of children and families. As such, agencies often implement competency models outlining the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for a competent workforce, and that can guide their recruitment, hiring, training, and on-the-job performance. This article features a national review of available child welfare competency models, providing an overall state of the field, common shortcomings of competency models, and next steps to advance workforce development and evaluation. Researchers reviewed the competencies required to be a child welfare caseworker, the extent models covered core child welfare practice, and the differentiation of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Variability, confusion, and lack of clarity among competency models led researchers to conduct the study in two phases. Phase one serves to answer the original questions regarding the state of the field, while phase two asks questions derived from the knowledge gleaned from phase one. Phase two explores whether practice and competency models contain essential components identified as best practice, and if the competency models explicitly reflect the practice models. This article primarily reports on phase two of the quantitative findings based on an analysis of practice models, competency models, and their various components. A discussion follows, highlighting possible reasons for the lack of clarity, model variability, and disconnect between practice and competency models. Lastly, the article provides study limitations and the next steps in competency development in the child welfare workforce.

Min, M. O., Kim, J., Minnes, S., Kim, S., Rose D. M., & Singer L. T. (2022). Substance use and individual assets in urban adolescents: Subgroups and correlates in emerging adulthood. Journal of Adolescence, 94(4), 684–697. Go to article

• To investigate patterns of divergence in adolescent adjustment, this study examined the co-occurring patterns of adolescents’ individual assets (e.g., school engagement, values) and substance use, and whether the co-occurring patterns were associated with later functioning in emerging adulthood. The findings underscore the significance of substance use in adolescence in disrupting healthy transition to adulthood, especially among females in the context of low individual assets.

Min, M. O., Lewis, B. A., Minnes, S., Gonzalez-Pons, K. M., Kim, J., & Singer, L. T. (2022). Preschool blood lead levels, language competency, and substance use in adolescence. Environmental Research, 206, 112273. Go to article

• Elevated lead levels in children is a persistent public health problem, particularly in urban areas in the United States, yet few prospective studies have examined the association of childhood lead levels with substance use in adolescence. This study seeks to determine the association of early lead levels with adolescent substance use and whether childhood IQ, language skills, and externalizing (aggressive and disruptive) behavior mediate the association, controlling for confounding biological and environmental factors. Elevated blood lead levels (BLL) in preschool years is a risk factor for adolescent substance use and related problems. Early screening and intervention for language impairment may reduce substance use-related problems.

Min, M. O. & Minnes, S. (2022). Prenatal cocaine exposure and substance use disorder in emerging adulthood at age 21. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 242, 109736, PMID: 36516550. Go to article

• Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) has been associated with child and adolescent externalizing behaviors and early substance use, yet few studies investigated its association with substance use disorder (SUD) in emerging adults. This study examined the association of PCE with SUD in emerging adulthood, and whether childhood externalizing behaviors and adolescent substance use mediated the relationship. PCE may increase risk for SUD in emerging adulthood through childhood externalizing behaviors and adolescent substance use.

Kim, H., Min, M. O., & Han, D. (2022). Personal social networks and relapses in women with substance dependence: Application of the theory of planned behavior. Psychiatry Investigation, 19(10), 795-802. Go to article

• Establishing positive network resources and rebuilding drug free networks are key components of the recovery process for women with substance use disorders (SUDs). The theory of planned behavior (TPB) posits that behaviors are determined by behavioral intentions, which are determined by three factors: attitude toward the behavior, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms. This study applied TPB to examine whether women’s personal social network characteristics (as subjective norms) were related to intentions toward, and/or a substance use relapse using prospective research design. The findings support that personal social network characteristics can be considered as subjective norms in the TPB model. Personal social network interventions focusing on rebuilding consistent social norms against drug-using behaviors may decrease intention to use substances, which will lead to abstinence.

Kim, J., Minnes, S., Min, M. O., & Ridenour, T. (2022). Co-occurrence of psychopathology problems in at-risk adolescents. Journal of Psychopathology & Behavioral Assessment, 44, 1110-Go to article

• No known studies have investigated the co-occurrence of psychopathology problems in adolescents with biologic and/or environmental susceptibility, including prenatal drug exposure. This study identified comorbidity patterns of psychopathology problems by utilizing data from urban, primarily African American, youth, the majority of whom were at heightened risk for exposure to drugs in utero. Adolescent comorbidity patterns were differentially associated with problematic tobacco and marijuana use and clinically relevant mental health problems in emerging adulthood, and completion of high school education. Peri-pubertal identification of individual differences in irritability and social disinhibition may mitigate the emergence of adolescent psychopathology, which could influence emerging adulthood adjustment in this at-risk population.

 

Kim, J., Minnes, S., Min, M. O., Kim, S., Lang, A., Weishampel, P., Short, E. J., Powers, G., &Singer, L. T. (2022). Self-reported mental health outcomes in prenatally cocaine exposed adolescents at 17 years of age. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 94, 107132. Go to article

• Adverse developmental effects of prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) are hypothesized to extend into late adolescence, yet few studies have investigated the association between PCE and late adolescent mental health outcomes. The researchers examined the associations between PCE and self-reported mental health symptoms at age 17, controlling for biologic and environmental confounders. They further explored the potential moderating role of sex and the mediating role of earlier drug use by age 15. Continued studies into emerging adulthood will further elucidate the long-term mental health outcomes associated with PCE.

Kim, J., Minnes, S., Ridenour, T. A., Perzynski, A. T., Min, M. O., & Singer, L. T. (2022). Attitudinal tolerance of deviance in at-risk early adolescents. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 13(4), 691-714. Go to article

• Built on problem behavior theory, this study examined whether adolescent attitudinal tolerance of deviance (ATD) precedes health risk behaviors. The authors examined patterns of adolescent attitudinal tolerance of deviance (ATD) among early adolescents with prenatal drug exposure and associated the patterns with later risk behaviors. Latent class analysis identified three distinctive patterns of ATD: intolerance, tolerance-of-relational-deviance, and tolerance-of-all-deviance. These different ATD patterns differentiated subsequent alcohol use and sexual risk behaviors.

Osteen, P. J., King, E. A., Wilke, D. (2022). Development and validation of the supervision practice in human services scale. Social Policy & Administration, 56(7), 977-989. Go to article

• This paper reports on the development and validation of a scale to measure supervision practice in human service agencies. Supervision in human services is designed to provide management, mediation, professional development, and personal support to workers. The Supervision Practices in Human Services scale (SPHS) captures a range of supervisory practices from productive to abusive behaviors. The SPHS had strong psychometric properties. It includes 23 items with four subscales (leadership, inattention, unprofessional modelling, and unethical practice). The SPHS can be used to identify training needs for supervisors or identify where interventions are needed to stop harmful behavior.

Lecy, N. & Osteen, P. J. (2022). The effects of childhood trauma on college completion. Research in Higher Education, 63, 1058-1072. Go to article

• This study uses the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health to examine the effect of childhood trauma experiences on college graduation rates. A longitudinal mediation path analysis with a binary logistic regression was performed using trauma as a mediator between race, gender, first-generation status, and college completion. The analysis reveals that being female and a continuing-generation student are both associated with greater likelihood of graduating college, and that trauma mediates the relationship between race, gender, first-generation status, and college completion. The authors explore the implications for these findings for policy, practice, and future research.

Bellin, M. H., Margolis, R. M., Whitney, L., Osteen, P. J., & Butz, A. M. (2022). Violence exposure, child asthma morbidity, and maternal depressive symptoms: A longitudinal analysis of cumulative risk. Journal of Healthcare for the Poor and Underserved, 33(1), 47-66. Go to article

• Low-income mothers of children with uncontrolled asthma are an underserved population at risk for psychological distress. The researchers examined the impact of violence exposure and child asthma morbidity on depressive symptoms in mothers of youths with uncontrolled asthma. Asthma symptoms and health care utilization, socio-demographics, and standardized measures of depressive symptoms and violence exposure were ascertained by self-report. Latent growth curve modeling tested the associations of violence and asthma morbidity with depressive symptoms. Participating mothers (N=276) reported high baseline violence exposure (59.5%) and depressive symptoms (34.4%); nearly a quarter had clinically significant depressive symptoms at 12 months. Violence exposure was consistently associated with maternal depressive symptoms. Individual indicators of asthma morbidity were nonsignificant, but the cumulative effect of asthma morbidity was predictive of higher depressive symptoms. Findings suggest holistic risk assessment and interventions may be needed to ameliorate the chronic distress observed in mothers of youths with uncontrolled asthma.

Parisi, A., Hanley, A. W., & Garland, E. L. (accepted). Mindfulness-based practice. In C. Franklin & C. Jordan (Eds.), Social Work Treatment, 7^th Edition. Oxford University Press. 

• Although the origins of mindfulness date back over 2,500 years, it is only within the past few decades that mindfulness has gained traction in western healthcare. In this contemporary context, mindfulness practices have been integrated into secularized interventions for a wide range of psychosocial maladies. A rapidly expanding body of evidence has demonstrated the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for an array of therapeutic applications. This research has garnered increasing interest from social work practitioners, who are implementing MBIs across diverse domains of clinical practice. This chapter provides an overview of mindfulness, its application within the field of social work, and the strengths and limitations of its empirical base.

Parisi, A., Wilson, A. B., Villodas, M., & Phillips, J. (2022). A systematic review of interventions targeting criminogenic risks among people with serious mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 73(8) 897-909. Go to article

• Individuals with serious mental illness are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Research has found that interventions targeting risk factors for recidivism (i.e., criminogenic risks) reduce justice involvement in the general correctional population. However, more needs to be learned regarding use of these interventions among individuals with serious mental illness. To this end, this systematic review synthesized research on interventions that target criminogenic risk factors and are delivered to justice-involved individuals with serious mental illness. Twenty-one studies were identified that evaluated nine interventions delivered to justice-involved individuals with serious mental illness. All identified programs targeted criminogenic risk factors, were group based, and used cognitive-behavioral strategies. Study quality was moderate to high. Interventions were associated with improvements in recidivism, violence, and criminogenic risk factors. Given the overrepresentation of persons with serious mental illness in the criminal justice system, these findings provide an important step toward identifying services that curb justice involvement in this population.

Parisi, A., Roberts, R. L., Hanley, A. W., & Garland, E. L., (2022). Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement for addictive behavior, psychiatric distress, and chronic pain: A multilevel meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Mindfulness, 13, 2396–2412. Go to article

• Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) is an integrative intervention designed to ameliorate addiction, chronic pain, and psychiatric symptoms. Although multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have examined the clinical efficacy of MORE, no study has quantitatively synthesized this body of research. Thus, the researchers conducted a meta-analysis of RCTs examining the effects of MORE on addictive behaviors, craving, opioid dose, pain, and psychiatric symptoms. Study findings provide empirical evidence of MORE’s efficacy for a wide diversity of individuals, and as such, MORE should now be disseminated broadly throughout the healthcare system.

Parisi, A., Hanley, A. W., & Garland, E. L. (2022). Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement reduces opioid craving, pain, and negative affect among chronic pain patients on long-term opioid therapy: An analysis of within- and between-person state effects. Behaviour Research and Therapy, PMID: 35248875. Go to article

• Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) is an integrative treatment that simultaneously addresses chronic pain and opioid misuse. MORE has been found to produce sustained reductions in opioid craving, pain, and negative affect-key risk mechanisms precipitating opioid misuse for patients on long-term opioid therapy (LTOT). However, less is known about MORE's impact on state measures of acute symptoms. The researchers examined the impact of MORE versus a supportive psychotherapy group (SG) among chronic pain patients on LTOT. Mixed models examined session and momentary effects of MORE (n = 50) versus SG (n = 45) on state measures of craving, pain, and negative affect. Decentering, curiosity, and time spent engaging in daily mindfulness practice were examined as session effect predictors. For session effects, statistically significant medium-to-large effects of treatment group were observed in favor of MORE for craving, pain, and negative affect. Higher levels of curiosity predicted improvements in craving, whereas greater decentering and mindfulness practice were associated with improvements in negative affect. For momentary effects, a significant group by time interaction was observed for craving and pain. Findings suggest that MORE provides immediate symptom relief on therapeutic targets in daily life among chronic pain patients receiving LTOT.

Parisi, A., Landicho, H., Hudak, J., Leknes, S., Froeliger, B., & Garland, E. L. (2022). Emotional distress and pain catastrophizing predict cue-elicited opioid craving among chronic pain patients on long-term opioid therapy. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, PMID: 3578786. Go to article

• Individuals who use illicit substances exhibit cue-elicited craving and autonomic cue-reactivity when exposed to cues associated with past drug use. However, little is known about this phenomenon among chronic pain patients on long-term opioid therapy (LTOT). Negative cognitive-emotional reactivity in general (e.g., distress) and cognitive-emotional reactivity specific to pain (e.g., pain catastrophizing) might drive cue-reactivity independent of pain severity. Here the researchers examined emotional distress and pain catastrophizing as predictors of cue-reactivity among a sample of chronic pain patients receiving LTOT. They also tested whether associations between distress, catastrophizing, and cue-reactivity differed as a function of opioid misuse status. Findings suggest that although opioids are prescribed for analgesia, the exacerbating influence of negative cognitive-emotional reactivity, both in general and specific to pain, on cue-elicited opioid craving extends beyond the effects of pain severity alone.

Phillips, J., Blank Wilson, A., Villodas, M. L., Parisi, A., Dohler, E., & Givens, A. (2022). Feasibility of recruiting in prisons during a randomized controlled trial with people with serious mental illness. Clinical Trials, 20(1), 22-30. Go to article

• Successful participant recruitment is vital to the feasibly of intervention research. In the behavioral and social sciences, intervention researchers face a myriad of recruitment barriers, many of which stem from working in real-world settings and among hard-to-access populations. This article presents recruitment flowcharts to illustrate: 1. the multistep recruitment process; and 2. the points of potential participant attrition during recruitment from a two-phase, group-based intervention study conducted among individuals with serious mental illness incarcerated in a state prison system in the U.S. In addition, qualitative methods are used to examine strategies employed during the study to support recruitment efforts. Despite challenges, this study was able to achieve recruitment goals. Analyses found the majority of potential participant attrition occurred prior to informed consent, highlighting the need for studies to track recruitment efforts in more detail than is currently recommended by commonly used guidelines. Strategies to optimize recruitment efforts included maximizing recruiter availability, developing a responsive communication approach, demonstrating respect for facility procedures and operations, and ensuring peak preparedness. Careful documentation of recruitment efforts and the early deployment of recruitment strategies is vital to the feasibility of intervention studies conducted in real-world settings with hard-to-access populations. The publication of recruitment procedures and outcomes can help future researchers anticipate recruitment challenges and inform recruitment goals, timelines, and strategies.

Prince, K. C., Jaggers, J. W., Walker, A., Shade, J., & Worwood, E. B. (in press). Methodological challenges in retrospective evaluation of mental health court effectiveness. Journal of Applied Social Science.

• Mental health courts (MHCs) are problem-solving courts that have been implemented throughout the United States. One critical component of MHCs is determining their effectiveness and limitations. However, unique challenges are encountered when evaluating MHCs. One major challenge, and the focus of this paper, is identifying an adequate control group. Though a randomized controlled trial presents an ideal approach, it is not always possible given retrospective data, and both ethical and logistical issues arise. Propensity score matching (PSM) provides an alternative approach for comparing groups when randomization is not possible. PSM works by first identifying the characteristics that make a person likely to be in treatment. This paper describes attempts to use PSM in a MHC evaluation. Specific challenges with PSM are discussed and recommendations are made for use of PSM with MHCs.

Roberts, R. L., Hanley, A. W., & Garland, E. L. (2022). Mindfulness-based interventions for perioperative pain management and opioid risk reduction following surgery: A stepped care approach. The American Surgeon. Go to article

• Surgical procedures often improve health and function but can sometimes also result in iatrogenic effects, including chronic pain and opioid misuse. Due to the known risks of opioids and the physical, emotional, and financial suffering that often accompanies chronic pain, there has been a call for greater use of complementary non-pharmacological treatments like mindfulness-based interventions. Mindfulness can be broadly described as an attentional state involving moment-by-moment meta-awareness of thoughts, emotions, and body sensations. An expanding number of randomized clinical trials have found strong evidence for the value of mindfulness techniques in alleviating clinical symptomology relevant to surgical contexts. The purpose of this review is to examine the empirical evidence for the perioperative use of mindfulness interventions. The researchers present a mindfulness-based stepped care approach that first involves brief mindfulness to treat preoperative pain and anxiety and prevent development of postoperative chronic pain or opioid misuse. More extensive mindfulness-based interventions are then provided to patients who continue to experience high pain levels or prolonged opioid use after surgery. Finally, they review psychophysiological mechanisms of action that may be integral to the analgesic and opioid sparing effects of mindfulness.

Roberts, R. L. & Garland, E. L. (2022). Association between opioid use disorder and blunted heart rate variability among opioid-treated chronic pain patients. Addiction Biology, 27(6), e13230. Go to article

• Given the severity of the ongoing opioid epidemic, it is essential to understand the mechanisms of risk for development and maintenance of opioid use disorder (OUD). The aim of this large-scale psychophysiological investigation was to test whether patients with OUD had lower resting-state high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) than those without OUD, controlling for sociodemographic and clinical confounds. Additionally, the researchers tested whether HF-HRV was associated with opioid craving in this population. Overall, findings suggest that resting-state HF-HRV may serve as a valid biomarker of addiction among people on long-term opioid therapy.

Rosky, C., Roberts, R. L., Hanley, A. W., & Garland, E. L. (2022). Mindful lawyering: A pilot study on mindfulness training for law students. Mindfulness, 13, 2347-2356. Go to article

• Many U.S. law schools are now offering elective courses in mindfulness training to alleviate disproportionately high levels of anxiety, depression, stress, and disordered alcohol use among law students. To date, empirical evidence on the effectiveness of these courses has been lacking. The aim of this pilot study was to explore the feasibility and impact of a 13‐week mindfulness course, “Mindful Lawyering,” specifically tailored to law students. The primary hypothesis was that mindfulness training would be significantly correlated with improvements in well-being and mindfulness. Findings from this study suggest that mindfulness training may occasion improvements in the well-being of law students. More research is needed to replicate these findings in larger, randomized samples of law students.

Salisbury, E.J. & Parisi, A. (2022). Gender matters: Bringing gender-responsive strategies to women in drug courts. Drug Court Review, Fall 2022, 22-34. Go to article

• A substantial body of scholarship has demonstrated gender differences in the context and development of women’s substance use and criminal behavior. In response, the correctional field has increasingly recognized that a “one-size-fits-all” approach is insufficient to address women’s unique needs in treatment. At the same time, research evidence shows that women graduate from drug courts at rates far lower than men, highlighting an opportunity to adopt well-established, empirically supported gender-responsive principles among drug court settings. These guiding principles are designed to acknowledge the gendered context of women’s lives and how this context influences their pathways in and out of the criminal justice system. Although gender-responsive services have been shown to effectively reduce women’s rates of recidivism and future substance use across multiple criminal justice settings, most drug court treatment programs continue to provide the same treatment to men and women regardless of gender. Here, the researchers provide recommendations for how drug court programs can implement gender-responsive principles in order to improve treatment outcomes among system-impacted women.

Salisbury, E. J. & Van Voorhis, P. (2022). Correctional counseling and rehabilitation (10^th ed.). New York: Routledge. ISBN 9780367406455. Go to Book

• This book presents the foundations of correctional treatment and intervention, including overviews of the major therapeutic modalities that are effective when intervening with justice-involved individuals to reduce ongoing system involvement and improve well-being. The text also focuses on diagnosis of mental illness, correctional assessment and classification, case planning strategies, and the necessary counseling and human service skills for working alongside system-involved people.

Belisle, L., Salisbury, E. J., & Parker Keen, J. (2022). Did they move on? A quasi-experimental outcome evaluation of the gender-responsive program, Girls…Moving On. Feminist Criminology, 17(2), 223-251.Go to article

• Gender plays a considerable role concerning girls’ pathways into the system, highlighting the need for gender-responsive programs and interventions that address the specific needs of justice-involved girls. Unfortunately, very few gender-responsive programs for system-impacted girls have been empirically evaluated, and to the authors’ knowledge, no studies have directly examined the gender-responsive program, Girls…Moving On (GMO). This study utilized a quasi-experimental design to compare outcomes between 135 girls in the control group (i.e., supervision as usual) and 135 girls who participated in the GMO program while on community supervision. Overall, there were relatively similar outcomes between girls who participated in the GMO program and the control group. However, girls who completed the GMO program had significantly larger reductions in risk scores and increases in strengths scores than non-completers, but little to no differences in recidivism. Several implications and considerations regarding the outcomes are discussed, with the goal to help guide future gender-responsive programs for system-impacted girls.

Trejbalová, T. & Salisbury, E. J. (2022). Dying and misbehaving on death row: A theoretical explanation of death row misconduct. Corrections: Policy, Practice, and Research, 7(3), 196-209. Go to article

• Behavioral misconducts of prisoners have been widely investigated, including their timing in one’s sentence; however, the exploration of misconducts among prisoners sentenced to death is highly limited. The death row inhabitants’ experience is qualitatively distinct from other prisoners and is an area in need of deeper inquiry. The stay in prison for many capital prisoners is defined by the sentence’s ultimate outcome – their execution. This paper presents a new framework to understand whether the major stressor of execution leads to distinct arrays of misconduct. The proposed framework utilizes the five stages of grief model to explain when and why violent and nonviolent infractions occur. This exploration is discussed with regards to its policy implications, and its limitations are considered.

Siantz, E., Hiller, S., Ojeda, V., & Gilmer, T. (2022). Barriers to accessing mental health care

under the Mental Health Services Act: A qualitative case study in Orange County, California. Community Mental Health Journal, 59(2), 381-390. Go to article

• Despite progress made under California’s Mental Health Services Act, limited access to care for cultural and linguistic minority groups remains a serious issue in community mental health. In this qualitative study the researchers report findings from a large-scale community-level assessment that explored barriers to accessing care from the perspectives of multiple stakeholders, including county advisors, advocates, community members, and consumers representing a range of cultural and linguistic communities in Orange County, California. They conducted 14 focus groups with N = 112 participants. Qualitative analysis revealed that system fragmentation, limited availability of linguistically appropriate care, and stigma continue to undermine access to mental health care. Peer health navigation and culturally responsive peer support are potential ways to promote service engagement with persons from cultural and linguistic minority groups that encounter barriers when accessing mental health services.

Siantz, E., Lansing, A. E., Center, K., Sanghvi, N., & Gilmer, T. P. (in press). “We’re not a separate

entity, we're staff now”: The involvement of transition age youth peer providers in trauma-informed community partnerships. Children and Youth Services Review.

• Transition age youth (TAY) experiencing mental illness, homelessness, and trauma face challenges in navigating the transition to adulthood. Age appropriate, trauma-informed support from peer specialists (PS) can assist TAY who have experienced trauma in navigating their transition to adulthood. Whether and how TAY PS are involved in trauma-informed community-based partnerships is unclear. This study explores TAY PS experiences with and social network positions in trauma-informed “TAY-support networks.” To maximize TAY PS contributions to multidisciplinary partnerships, organizations should: 1. include TAY PS throughout program planning and implementation; and 2. provide age-appropriate professional supports to TAY PS.

Villamil Grest, C., Siantz, E., & Cederbaum, J. (2022). Behavioral health services use among racial and ethnic groups: Results from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 24(1), 118-124. Go to article

• Access and utilization of behavioral health services is a public health issue, yet disparities among racial/ethnic groups persist, resulting in fewer access points and lower utilization. Using pooled 2015 and 2016 California Health Interview Survey (N = 42,089) data of diverse adults, this study examines provider access points for behavioral health services use. Latinx (OR = 0.55, 95% CI, 0.38-0.80), Asian (OR = 0.32, 95% CI, 0.17-0.59), and first generation (OR = 0.56, 95& CI, .38-.83) individuals, reported lower odds of accessing specialty care behavioral health services, compared to no services. First generation adults reported lower odds of accessing a primary care physician (OR = 0.66, 95% CI, 0.44-0.98), compared to none. Results advance knowledge of behavioral health services access points among racial, ethnic, and immigrant groups, following passage of the California Mental Health Services Act. Findings suggest primary care may be an important entry point for behavioral health service use engagement among underserved populations.

Teasley, M. L., McCarter, S., Woo, B., Conner, L. R., Spencer, M. S., & Green, T. (2022). Eliminating Racism. In. P. B. Richard, J. T. Messin, T. R. Shanks, & J. Herbert Williams (Eds.). Grand Challenges for Social Work and Society: Milestones Achieved and Opportunities Ahead (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press: NY. Go to book

• Eliminating racism in order to achieve racial equity is certainly a grand challenge. America was built on racism, white supremacy, and colonization; so, understanding history and context are essential to moving forward. The Grand Challenge to Eliminate Racism calls for the social work profession to focus on the centrality of racism and white supremacy, both within society and within the profession. The researchers first reflect on the profession’s racist history, and then examine social work’s current positionality by reviewing the inclusion of race and racism across all of the grand challenges. Efforts to eliminate racism and white supremacy must focus on evidence and practice-based research that cultivates innovation to improve the conditions of daily life for all impacted by racism and white supremacy, and facilitates change at the individual, organizational, community, professional, and societal levels. The authors prioritize personal awareness and reflection, antiracism workforce development that advances community empowerment, professional revision of social work education, and policy agendas that eliminate racism and white supremacy from organizations and institutions and include continuous evaluation with accountability.

Teasley, M. L., Dettlaff, A. J., & Abrams, L., (2022). Some comments on the notion of social work as a human service cartel. Research on Social Work Practices,32(6), 710-713. Go to article

• As essential workers and those highly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a consistent demand for social work services, along with major cash transfer and public benefits expansion, to address a broad spectrum of human service needs. Positive publicity followed the many stories within multiple forms of media documenting a seemingly societal acknowledgment, finally understanding the value, meaning, and depth of social work professionals as more than so called “do-gooders,” child welfare workers, or as people who take children from homes—the classic stereotype. Unrehearsed, the period spotlighted the values, knowledge, skills, and elasticity of social worker services in areas such as hospice care, long-term care, tackling food insecurities, working with the homeless, seeking health insurance, policy formation, public health, and as part of interdisciplinary teams and crisis intervention. Probably the professions’ biggest boost was in the area of teletherapy, which has become a more viable option since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. While there were many challenges, the pandemic highlighted social workers as prepared for the challenge, dependable, valuable, and ready to answer the national outcry for human service.

Clayton, A. M. & Teasley, M. L. (2022). An examination of the context-lined influences on the achievement outcomes of African American male high school seniors. Children & Schools, 44(2), 79-88. Go to article

• Although students must successfully navigate transition years in school in pursuit of sustained academic success, not enough is known about the context-linked experiences of African American male adolescents as they seek to traverse their senior year, one of the most important pivotal points in time for all students. This study examined the relationship between perceptions of support from significant others, exposure to contextual risks, and two achievement outcomes in a representative sample of 139 African American male high school seniors. At this critical juncture in their education career, teacher support was predictive of higher grade point average (GPA), and a specific type of family support was associated with lower GPA. Qualitative analysis revealed similarities and differences in types of support reported to have had an impact on the participants’ success in school. Results from the study confirm one hypothesis that exposure to contextual risks predicts poorer achievement outcomes. Findings affirm the need for tailored interventions that target and strengthen the systems of support within the social environment of academically at-risk African American male students.

Briggs, H. E., Huggins-Hoyt, K. Y., Teasley, M. L., & Hopps, J. G. (2022). Poverty or racism?: Determinants of disproportionality and disparity for African American/Black children in child welfare. Research on Social Work Practice, 32(5), 533-538.  Go to article

• For decades, the incessantly tethered over-involvement of African American/Black (AA/BL) families with the U.S. Child Welfare System (CWS) has been uniquely troubling. Child welfare researchers have asserted “poverty” over “racism” as the root determinant of the historical disproportionate overrepresentation of AA/BL children in CWS. This commentary explores the extent this assertion holds once an apples-to-apples comparison of poor AA/BL and white (WH) children in the CWS is examined. Using 2018 and 2019 National Child Abuse and Neglect Data Systems (NCANDS) Child File data, rates of disproportionality and disparity for AA/BL and WH children receiving public assistance (PA) (2018: N = 333,640; 2019: N = 321,273) were computed at two CW decision points [disposition of maltreatment investigation and subsequent services administered]. Among these poor children, AA/BL were found to be disproportionately overrepresented and WH children underrepresented compared to their proportion of the U.S. child population at each decision point. AA/BL children were also found to be three times more likely to have their maltreatment substantiated and subsequently be placed in foster care, compared to their WH counterparts. The issues of racial disproportionality and disparities still exists when comparing poor AA/BL to poor WH children, which suggests “racism” is operational at decision points in the U.S. CWS and should not be minimized or omitted as a consequential determinant.

 

Other Publications

Bennett, T. R., Winward, R., Johnson, O., & Alegre, J. (2022). The availability of culturally and linguistically appropriate behavioral health services and practices in Glendale and Poplar Grove: An LBHS community needs assessment. Social Research Institute, University of Utah College of Social Work.

• To address health disparities amongst Hispanic and Latino populations, Latino Behavioral Health Services (LBHS) conducted a community needs assessment in partnership with the Social Research Institute (SRI) at the University of Utah College of Social Work. The purpose of the study was to assess the presence and availability of culturally and linguistically appropriate behavioral health services in the Salt Lake County communities of Glendale and Poplar Grove. The conceptual design of the study is based on the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS). Data were collected through stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and an online follow-up survey.  Results indicate: 1. there is a need for increased availability of culturally and linguistically appropriate behavioral health services, particularly in-person services that are geographically accessible to community residents; 2. there is a need to better understand how community residents talk about and communicate issues related to behavioral health; and 3. there is a need for improved education, outreach, and awareness of services that are available, as well as for the broader issue of mental health.  Suggestions and recommendations from service providers, practitioners, and community members are summarized and discussed.

Cambron, C., Castillo, J., & Frost, C. J. (accepted). Describing the effectiveness of brief in-person and virtual substance use disorder counselor trainings from 2019 to 2021. Public Health Reports.

• Paraprofessional substance use disorder counselors (SUDCs) are an important component of expanding access to substance use disorder treatment, but little research on SUDC training currently exists. The researchers evaluated knowledge and self-efficacy gained from brief in-person and virtual workshops for paraprofessional SUDC student-trainees. Results of this study add to the limited research base on training for paraprofessional SUDCs and suggest that both in-person and virtual learning are viable brief training tools for students.

Canham, S. L., Rose, J., Garcia Zambrana, I., & Jones, S. O. (2022). Understanding the impact of decentralizing homeless services on transportation and mobility in Salt Lake County. NITC-RR-1386. Portland, OR: Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC). View final report

• How can relocating services away from a downtown center change the transportation decisions and patterns for persons experiencing homelessness? And how do those changes affect access to the services they need? New research from the University of Utah examines the impacts of decentralizing homeless service locations through a case study in Salt Lake County, Utah.

Castillo, J., Lundahl, B., Moleni, K., & Blackman, L. (2022). Op-Ed: Failing to bend the arc of the moral universe? Dr. King, Newton, Piaget, and social work. Critical Social Work: An Interdisciplinary Journal Dedicated to Social Justice, 23(1). Go to article

• To achieve a more just universe, the momentum and historical forces of racism, sexism, heterosexism, privilege, etc. must be met with equal and opposite forces through policies, structures, and the courageous acts and voices of many. Dr. King’s claim that “the moral universe bends toward justice” is joined with Newton’s Laws of Motion where arcs only bend through external forces. Bending the arc necessitates a large membership, including social workers. Membership in a group confers advantages while simultaneously ushering in implicit biases against those outside of the group, ultimately disadvantaging both groups. Educating tomorrow’s social workers necessarily involves ingroup and outgroup membership, instructors and students. The researchers argue well-meaning social work educators often act against social work’s mission of producing a cadre of individuals who will pull the arc toward social and economic justice. Students in social work programs, eager to pull on the moral arc, are often criticized for being inexperienced and not further along in their “woke” development. Criticism may discourage students, thereby losing needed ingroup members. Students are canceled. Algebra, evolutionary theory, and cognitive development theories provide guidelines for unifying social work educators and students to promote Dr. King’s vision.

Gezinski, L. B., Caress, M., Christensen, M., & Madsen, S. R. (2022). Human trafficking among Utah girls and women: Utah women stats research snapshot. Utah Women & Leadership Project, 35. Go to report

• This research snapshot focuses on three main areas: 1. overview of human trafficking definitions, contributing factors, and significance; 2. direct and indirect costs and consequences of human trafficking; and 3. recommendations to eliminate human trafficking in the state of Utah.

Prince, K. C. (2022). Department of Public Safety violent crime in Utah dashboard. Utah Criminal Justice Center, University of Utah College of Social Work.

• Dashboards are particularly useful when questions are exploratory rather than theoretical, and they are a more practical tool when creating hundreds of models (compared to a static document). In the case of violent crime in Utah analyses, the effect on some outcomes was not always obvious in advance. In this case, a dashboard provides a quick, interactive method of examining the data. The dashboard was created to allow supervisors and staff to quickly visualize rates in violent crime across years and jurisdictions, with significance tests across years. Another tab provided predictive models; for example, supervisors and staff could model how certain criminal histories predicted violent crime. This project included a literature review of the community-level correlates of violent crime.

Prince, K. C. & Sarver, C. M. (2022). Housing Not Jail (HNJ): Final report. Utah Criminal Justice Center, University of Utah College of Social Work.

• Pay for Success (PFS) is an innovative approach that leverages taxpayer risk by funding social service programs with private capital, and ties payment for services to demonstrated outcomes through rigorous evaluation. Salt Lake County partnered with the Utah Criminal Justice Center (UCJC), The Road Home (TRH), Sorenson Impact Center, and a variety of community stakeholders to develop a PFS project to address homelessness within the community. The County decided to utilize a rapid rehousing (RRH) approach to serve persistently homeless individuals through the Housing Not Jail (HNJ) program. The HNJ program, developed by TRH, is based on the framework of the housing first (HF) model, and was designed to move persistently homeless individuals out of the emergency shelter and into a stable housing placement. Participants were randomized to either the PFS treatment group or treatment as usual. Final results indicated the treatment group had fewer months in shelter of jail, greater access to mental health services, more employment and earnings, and greater access to benefits.

Prince, K. C. & Sarver, C. M. (2022). Recovery, Engagement, Assessment, Career Development, and Housing (REACH): Year five outcome report. Utah Criminal Justice Center, University of Utah College of Social Work.

• Pay for Success (PFS) is an innovative approach that leverages taxpayer risk by funding social service programs with private capital, and ties payment for services to demonstrated outcomes through rigorous evaluation. Salt Lake County partnered with the Utah Criminal Justice Center (UCJC), First Step House (FSH), Sorenson Impact Center, and a variety of community stakeholders to develop a PFS project to address high recidivism rates among offender populations. The Recovery, Engagement, Assessment, Career Development, and Housing (REACH) program was designed by FSH to serve high-risk, high-need adult male probationers with moderate to severe substance abuse disorders. Participants were randomized to either the PFS treatment group or treatment as usual. Though the project had one year remaining at the time of publication, preliminary results show that the treatment group had fewer arrests and days incarcerated, marginally greater employment, greater improvement in mental health symptomology, lower criminal thinking scores, and lower scores on a drug use scale.

Sarver, C. M., Seawright, J., McDaniel, R., & Prince, K. C. (2022). Evaluation of the HSSP families program: A rapid rehousing & critical time intervention to support homeless families. Utah Criminal Justice Center, University of Utah College of Social Work.

• This project was part of a five-year SAMHSA grant that was awarded to The Road Home (TRH) to develop and evaluate the Family Assistance and Support Team (FAST) program (also known as the Housing Support and Stability Program (HSSP) Families Project). The FAST team will assist 150 homeless families with a substance use disorder or co-occurring disorder to stabilize in permanent housing with rapid re-housing (RRH) packages of financial assistance and multidisciplinary wrap-around supports. These will include: case management, behavioral health treatment for parents and children with an emphasis on access to developmentally appropriate services, and a focus on increasing mainstream benefits and employment. The FAST program incorporates rapid re-housing, trauma-informed care, Motivational Interviewing, harm reduction, and critical time intervention in a setting-flexible service delivery model. Objectives include: 1. helping families obtain and stabilize in permanent housing; 2. providing a coordinated approach to accessing mainstream benefits for all family members; 3. facilitating access to employment supports; 4. connecting children to developmentally appropriate supports; and 5. connecting all family members to behavioral health supports, as needed.

Seawright, J., Sarver, C. M., McDaniel, R., & Mercier, M. C. (2022). Semi-annual evaluation of the Utah – Promoting Integration of Primary and Behavioral Health Care (U-PIPBHC) program. Utah Criminal Justice Center, University of Utah College of Social Work.

• This study evaluates outcomes for a health intervention located in Utah’s Box Elder, Iron, Utah, and Washington counties that integrates primary and behavioral health care services using the Intermountain Healthcare Mental Health Integration care process model and Primary Care Behavioral Health Model to address the physical and behavioral health needs of low-income, uninsured residents residing in those counties.

Lee, M. Y., Cheung, M., Robinson, M. A., Roundtree, M., Spencer, M., & Teasley, M. L. (2022). Dual pandemics: Creating racially-just responses to a changing environment through research, practice, and education. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 31(3-5), 135-138. Go to article

• 2020 was plagued by two pandemics: COVID-19 and anti-racist uprisings as a result of the murders of Mr. George Floyd and many other African Americans and other people of color due to police violence. While these two pandemics appear to be different in nature, both pandemics attest to the fact that systemic racism continues to be a grand challenge in our society. It is appalling to see how COVID-19 differentially affects communities and people of color, as well as socially disadvantaged groups. Systemic racism and police brutality are related to the unacceptable violation of human rights of diverse groups in the U.S. and globally.

Vogel-Ferguson, M. B. & Bennett, T. R. (2022). Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) evaluation report. Social Research Institute, University of Utah College of Social Work.

• The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) evaluation report was produced in partnership with Utah’s Department of Workforce Services and used administrative data to explore and evaluate outcomes for the WIOA program between 2018 and 2021. This study evaluated overall completion rates as reported by a wide variety of training providers for an even larger variety of training programs. Successful training program participation was determined by comparing wages four quarters prior to WIOA enrollment and four quarters post-completion of the program. Overall, completing WIOA training programs improved wages at program exit, however, there were differences in success rates depending on program type and training provider.