Research News

Our faculty and students are engaged in important research seeking to solve the world’s most pressing problems. Each year, faculty and students make important contributions to the field which result in them participating in a wide-range of research projects, publishing peer-reviewed articles, and presenting important findings at conferences.

Research Brief: Career Implications of Doctoral Social Work Student Debt Load

Although research has been conducted in other professional disciplines, social work has yet to explore how doctoral student debt load influences career development. This exploratory mixed methods study surveyed 281 social work doctoral students and recent graduates, 75 BSW and MSW program leaders, and 24 doctoral program leaders about student debt load, career choices, financial anxiety, and programmatic responses. The companion paper—“Career Implications of Doctoral Social Work Student Debt Load”— was chosen as the JSWE Best Empirical Article of Volume 53, highlighting the importance of this research for the social work profession.

Click here to view a PDF with full details.

Research Brief: Mapping Nepali Diaspora Engagement in the Post-Earthquake Era

There is a limited understanding of how diaspora—the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland—leads to change in home and host societies. The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of the Nepali diaspora at the intersection of migration, immigration policy, and disaster response engagement in the post-earthquake (2015) and the US post-election (2016) context.

Click here to view a PDF with full details.

Take the survey at: Nepali Diaspora Engagement Survey

Intergenerational Center Highlighted Throughout National Report

A report recently released in Washington, D.C., by Generations United and The Eisner Foundation recognized the significant and impressive work of the Champion Intergenerational Enrichment and Education Center (IGC). IGC students, staff and participants are represented in the report, All in Together: Creating Places Where Young and Old Thrive, as well as those from Ohio State, Columbus Early Learning Center, National Church Residences and other intergenerational programs across the nation.
The IGC, established in 2015, is a project supported in part by the College of Social Work. It provides a safe place for older adults to socialize and get medical care and a developmentally rich environment for young children to prepare for school.

The report also highlights findings from a national survey conducted by the College of Social Work’s Dr. Shannon Jarrott and Dr. Holly Dabelko-Schoeny to identify those, like Champion, that operate as intergenerational shared sites where youth and elders receive services and share programming at one location. Across the United States, 105 programs responded, indicating goals of improving attitudes towards youth, elders and other groups, such as disabled persons and immigrants. Programs are challenged to document and communicate their impact, but they pursue intergenerational shared site services to support participants’ development, utilization of local talent, money savings, improvement in workplace climate, and easing of caregiver stress.

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Infographic
Event recap/social media

How do children react when they see a loved one overdose? New Toolkit Offers Answers

Congratulations to Ashley Bennett (MSW 18) and PhD student Karla Shockley McCarthy (MSW 18) who have developed an Opioid Overdose Family Support Toolkit to help families recognize the signs of trauma in children and how to help them.

This toolkit was developed to address a gap from many practitioners about the lack of resources for families, especially children, who have witnessed or were aware of an overdose by a family member. In support of the toolkit, the students conducted a needs assessment, analyzed the results, and used that information to provide tools to help families who have experienced an opioid overdose.

Two brochures mark the end of this project: The Trauma of Witnessing an Opioid Overdose: How to Help Children, developed by Bennett and Shockley McCarthy, a Narcan Q & A, developed in conjunction with colleagues from the College of Pharmacy, as well as a website with helpful information and resources.

The College of Social Work’s Dr. Bridget Freisthler, professor and associate dean of research, supervised the project.

For more information, contact Frankie Jones-Harris at jones-harris.1@osu.edu or 614-330-2206.

Findings from the New Americans Project: Assessing the Human Service Landscape in Central Ohio

The City of Columbus has always strived to be an open, inclusive, and welcoming city to many New American populations from all over the globe. The New Americans Project was commissioned by the Columbus City Council. The Ohio State University College of Social Work was tasked to conduct an in-depth assessment of needs and capacity of the human service landscape—formal, informal, and volunteer services—available in central Ohio for New Americans to bolster the New Americans Initiative led by the City of Columbus.

In January 2018, the research team released their findings from their assessment and are pleased to share these resources:

Addressing Infant Mortality through Positive Youth Development Opportunities for Adolescent Girls

Preventing infant mortality is a priority in Ohio. Comprehensive positive youth development strategies that address maternal risk factors are needed, not only to promote better outcomes for adolescent girls but also to impact infant mortality. To continue reading, please click on the image or contact Dawn Anderson-Butcher (anderson-butcher.1@osu.edu).

Research Brief: Food for a Long Life, Year 1 Achievements

Food for a Long Life promotes healthy food knowledge, access, and consumption among preschoolers and their families in food deserts in Columbus, OH and Lynchburg, VA. More information can be found on their website at u.osu.edu/foodforlife/home and a PDF outlining Year 1 achievements can be found by clicking here.

Research Brief: EPIC Program

Enhancing Permanency in Children and Families (EPIC) is a program that uses evidence-based and evidence-informed practices to reduce child abuse and neglect among families involved with the child welfare system who have substance use problems. This program is being developed through a collaboration of The Ohio State University College of Social Work, Fairfield County Job and Family Services, and Pickaway County Job and Family Services.

Click here to view a PDF with full details.

Research Brief: Age-Friendly Columbus

Central Ohio’s 65+ population is expected to double in the next 30 years. This poses a great opportunity for the region to provide easy access to services, amenities, and opportunities to ensure we can all thrive as we age. Age-Friendly Columbus is a project to strengthen the quality of life for people of all ages across Franklin County and Central Ohio. After a year-long research and assessment phase and a year-long strategic planning phase, Age-Friendly Columbus is now in the implementation phase to make changes happen in our community. The Ohio State University College of Social Work will act as the administrative arm and collaborative partner for the Age-Friendly Columbus initiative during the 2018-2020 implementation period.

Click here to view a PDF with full details.

Dr. Michelle Kaiser’s Research Featured on CBS 10-TV, Columbus Dispatch Shows a Third of Families Struggle to Get Enough Food

Congratulations to Dr. Michelle Kaiser whose research was featured by CBS 10-TV, Sunny 95 radio, and other media and websites recently. Kaiser’s research finds that a third of households – double previous estimates – struggle to get enough food in a Columbus area. Check out the video and other story links.

CBS/WBNS 10-TV

The Columbus Dispatch Story

Sunny 95 radio

Ohio State Research Story

In 2016, Kaiser was honored with The Ohio State University’s highest teaching award, the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching. She was chosen out of more than 3,000 Ohio State faculty members. Ohio State’s Alumni Magazine also featured Kaiser’s research in a special report on food insecurity. Click here to check out her story. For more information about Kaiser, click here.