3 minute read
Social Work
Utilizing Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Pain Management: An Integrative Review
Grace Olechnowicz Linda Myler, faculty mentor
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Complementary and alternative therapies (CATs) are an option for the treatment of acute or chronic pain and help to decrease levels of opioid use in the United States. To understand the baseline knowledge nurses have on CATs, a survey was conducted at the St. Joseph Mercy Pain Clinics. The results of this survey indicated that the desire to learn more about these therapies is present, even if overall knowledge and use is low. This review discussed five specific types of pain and the pharmacologic approach to treating each type. An analysis of the literature comparing CATs to pharmacological treatments provided evidence that CATs were effective in managing pain.
Oral / Q&A Session A
John M. Garcez Charles Graham, faculty mentor
Mental health stigma is one of the most prevalent issues in our society today, especially amongst adolescents. Given that mental health issues are widespread, especially during a pandemic, it is imperative to study current barriers to mental health treatment, such as stigma. As Nearchou et al. explains, stigmatization leads to individuals not seeking treatment due to concerns of judgement from others, thus leading to a further decline in mental health (Nearchou et al., 2018). This presentation aims to examine mental health stigma amongst adolescents, including how it manifests as well as its potential causes and solutions.
Oral / Live Session A / 9:20 a.m.
Jonathan Jaber Jillian Graves, faculty mentor
An understudied area of social work practice is understanding how clinicians manage subjective and emotional responses in reflective practice. Reflective practice is hearing what clients are saying and reflecting on what was heard to confirm that both parties comprehend what was said. However, what is heard is often not the entirety of what practitioners must respond to and interpret. What must also be considered, among other things, are the client’s body language and other non-verbal interpretations of the practitioner, including how they emotionally experience their client. This study will seek to further understand the effective management of such responses to what a client is saying.
Oral / Q&A Session B
Preventing Secondary Traumatic Stress in Social Workers: How to Protect Helping Professionals
Carmen Ortega Yvette Colón, faculty mentor
Social workers are often asked to put the needs of others above their own. This, coupled with a propensity for social workers to engage with clients’ trauma, can lead to secondary traumatic stress (STS) disorder. Based on an extensive literature review, this presentation will explore risk factors, and the need to support social workers at individual, environmental, and organizational levels to predict and prevent STS. It will also explore recommendations including the need to address STS with social work students and continue through an individual’s career. Finally, this presentation will identify recommendations to change social work policies related to practice and the need for additional research to inform the implementation of specific protective factors against STS.
Oral / Q&A Session C
The Role of Cultural Assimilation When Working with Adult Immigrants in Social Work
Jennifer Reyes Christina Marsack-Topolewski, faculty mentor
The proposed presentation will draw from an in-depth literature review of cultural assimilation and its role in social work practice when working with adult immigrants. Cultural assimilation is defined as immigrants’ adjustment of their attitude to the dominant culture. This consists of several factors, such as language acquisition, traditions, family, and community. Additionally, this presentation will explore what cultural assimilation means in the U.S., a racially and ethnically diverse country. This presentation will tie these factors together to gain a holistic view of immigrants’ experience and identity through a social work lens.
Poster / Q&A Session 3
Isolation In Older Adults During Covid 19
Ashley N. Soles Yvette Colón, faculty mentor
Human beings need to have social interaction in order to be able to survive. This presentation will examine what older adults are experiencing in long-term facilities during the Coronavirus pandemic and how it is affecting them. Social and emotional isolation affects not only mental health as one would think but physical health as well. This presentation will discuss how people of color are affected differently by the pandemic and possible solutions for long term care facilities should do in order to improve the quality of life for all residents and staff.
