PhD in Social Work

As of Spring 2024 The PhD in Social Work program will no longer be accepting applications. Please see the Doctor of Social Work Program (DSW) for information on our advanced practice doctoral degree (DSW).

Below is a listing of all degrees granted at Barry University School of Social Work PhD Program

• School of Social Work Alumni Dissertations

  1986

  • Gray, Susan G
    The Impact of State Licensure on The Structure, Content, And Context of Supervision in Social Work Practice
  • Hopkins, James A.
    Exploratory Research Studying the Correlation Between Adolescents’ Psychiatric Problems and the Parents’ Marital Satisfaction and the Structure of their Families
  • Ostrow, Geri D.
    Interviewing Skills: Application and Analysis of Verbal and Nonverbal Behavior on the Clinician in the Skill Training of Graduate Social Work Students
  • Romance, Joseph L.
    The Impact of Internalized Homophobia on The Satisfaction Levels in Gay Male Relationships
  • Shipley, Virginia F.
    A Psychological Perspective on the Development of The Self in Early Childhood: Child Care And Parental Emotional Factors Affecting Toddlers’ Self Recognition Abilities
  • Skow, John W.
    The Effectiveness of Panic Attack Control Training in The Reduction of Panic Attacks in Agoraphobia

  1987

  • Hollander, Susan L.
    The Relationship Between Social Workers’ Knowledge of Effective Disorders and The Timely Referral of Depressed Patients for Psychiatric Evaluation

  1988

  • Albert, Mary M.
    Physical And Psychological Separation of Late Adolescents from Their Parents as It Relates to Adjustment To College
  • Coats, Sylvia
    Social Characteristics, Parental Skills and Conduct Disorders in Children
  • Fried, Neil I.
    The Relationship of Death Anxiety and Life Satisfaction in Middle-Aged Males: A Test Of Levinson’s Theory
  • Friedman, Judith A.
    Retired Professional Social Workers as Volunteers: An Exploratory Study
  • Freedman, Penny M.
    Creativity And Empathy in Social Work Clinicians: An Exploratory Study
  • Lefkowitz, Stuart J.
    Attendance at Oncology Family Support Groups as Predicted by Specific Demographic And Interpersonal Behavioral Factors

  1989

  • Selz, Judith L. S.
    Excess Weight of Mothers And Their Young Children: An Exploratory Study of Mothers’ Self-Esteem; Family Dynamics; and Generational Antecedents Affecting Mother and Child
  • Wik, Rita
    Personal And Professional Careers and Death Knowledge, Attitudes And Anxiety

  1990

  • Kipp, William C.
    Factors Associated with Job Satisfaction Among Acute-Care Hospital Social Work Directors
  • Wiseman, Reva S.
    The Coparenting Relationship After Divorce: Psychosocial Factors Which Relate to Success or Failure
  • Zide, Marilyn, R.
    Social Bonds: Running To, Running From, Thrown Out, and Forsaken Youth

  1991

  • Beley, Thomas G.
    The Family and Chronic Mental Illness: Boundary Ambiguity as a Factor Influencing Burden
  • Gabriel, Marilyn G.
    Counseling Readiness and Orientation Toward Dreams: A Survey of Clients and Non-Clients
  • McPherson-Blake, Patricia C.
    Psycho-Social Factors Associated with The Immigration of Haitians And Jamaicans To South Florida And Changes In Their Parental Roles
  • Micheals, Donna G.
    Perceived Stress and Coping Resources Among Graduate Social Work Students and Medical Residents
  • Raju, Kariav A. M.
    The Psychological Adjustment of The Caregivers Of The Frail Elderly: Social Bond, Burden, And Desire To Institutionalize

  1992

  • Anderson, Craig J.
    The Relationship Between Type A Behavior Pattern (Tabp), Anger-In and Burnout Among Licensed Clinical Social Workers: A Test Of Theory In Practice
  • Bowie, Stanley L. - 1992
    African American Extended Families And Kin Help Networks In The 1990s: Factors Related To Perceptions Of Economic Stability And Perceptions Of Opportunity For Upward Mobility In South Florida
  • Clearfield, Lois
    Characteristics Of Euthanasia Proponents
  • Nix, Jeanine D.
    Developing The Ability of Crisis Unity Employees to Respond Empathically: A Comparison of Training Methods
  • Pierce Jr., Walter J.
    Power And Empowerment: An Exploratory Study of Social Workers’ Power, Empowerment Knowledge, and Empowerment Utilization
  • Fountain, Douglas E.
    Life Review Groups: An Experimental Study of Religiosity, Life Satisfaction and Concomitant Behavioral Changes in Residents Of Long Term Care Facilities
  • Miller, Roger A.
    A Descriptive Analysis of The Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Adult Psycho-Social Functioning Of Male Victims In Treatment Or Self-Help Programs
  • Rittner, Barbara
    Analysis Of Abuse, Neglect, and Abandonment Risk Factors in Active Children’s Protective Services Cases as They Relate to Decision Making Processes

  1993

  • Alencherry, Joseph P.
    A Study of Life Satisfaction and Distress Among Middle Class Families in India: A Comparison Between Dual- And Single – Employed Couples
  • Guarriello, Sister Patricia A.
    A Comparative Study of Women in Three Cultures Who Have Been Raped
  • Rhodes, Cynthia S.
    A Comparative Analysis of The Effects of Airline Related Emergency Stress Among Flight Attendant Personnel
  • Silbert, Ian S.
    A Study of Stress, Coping, And Resources of Mothers and Fathers of Children with Cognitive Impairments

  1994

  • Demar, James
    A Study of a School-Based Preventive Group Intervention with Latency Age Children at Risk
  • Dodds, Sally E.
    Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills, And Experiences as Determinants of Social Work Students’ Likelihood of Applying For A Job In HIV/AIDS
  • Gerstman, Kathryn L.
    Factors Affecting Extent of Computerization in Human Service Agencies
  • Santhiveeran, Janaki
    Factors Influencing the Utilization of Evaluation Findings In Mental Health Centers: A National Survey
  • Shafer, Kathryn C.
    A Study of The Effectiveness of Alcohol And Drug Abuse Training For Professionals In Russia And The Ukraine
  • Turner, Allan D.
    Attitudinal, Structural, And Background Factors That Affect Mental Health Case Management Performance
  • Waltz, Catherine L.
    Group Work with Male Batterers: Fostering Continuance in Treatment And Reducing Recurrence Of Violence

  1995

  • Baba, Ismail
    Social Work Students’ Readiness to Work with Persons With HIV/Aids And Their Families In Malaysia, Singapore, And Thailand
  • Macgowan, Mark J.
    A Measure of Engagement for Social Group Work
  • McCullough Yvonne P.
    Motivators For Success: Personal and Familial Drives Among Adolescent Black Males

  1996

  • Goyos, Jose M.
    Identifying Resiliency Factors in Adult “Pedro Pan” Children: A Retrospective Study
  • Scott, Phyllis F.
    An Analysis of Empowerment Between African American, Hispanic-American, and White-American Social Workers Employed by a County Human Services Department
  • Thabes, Virginia
    A Survey Analysis of Women’s Long-Term, Post-divorce Adjustment

  1997

  • Brady, Daniel T.
    Organizational Commitment of Professional Staff in Health And Human Service Organizations
  • Feldman, Janis B.
    The Effect of Support Expectations and Other Significant Factors On Prenatal Attachment: Implications For Intervention In An Adolescent Population
  • Johnson, Kathleen F.
    Love At the Launching Stage: Predicting Expectations of Marital Endurance
  • Henderson, Lorrie
    Utilization Of Alternative/Holistic Helping Strategies by Clinical/Direct Service Social Work Practitioners 
  • Puig, Maria E.
    Perceived Social Support, Subjective Well-Being, And the Practice of Santeria Among Four Immigrant Waves: A Comparative Study Of Cuban-Americans In Dade County, Florida
  • Rubin, Susan
    Sources Of Role Conflict for Men in Step-families
  • Stenno, Julie A.
    Lesbian Mothers and Their Children: An Exploration of Lesbian Family Function
  • Bethel Thornton, Joyous C.
    The Hospice Widow and Grief Resolution: Perceived Marital Satisfaction and Social Support As Factors Influencing Bereavement
  • Warren, Mary
    Resiliency And At-Risk Children: An Analysis of Factors Impacting on The Development Of Resiliency

  1998

  • Porterfield, Sandra K.
    Feminist Social Work: An Analysis of Practice

  1999

  • Brennen, Shane O.
    Social Work Students’ Levels of Afrocentric Awareness, Ethnic Sensitivity and Perceived Self-Efficacy for Practice with African Americans
  • Bronstein, Laura R.
    Interdisciplinary Collaboration Between Social Workers and Other Professionals: The Design and Development of An Assessment Instrument
  • Croskey, Luvernice
    An Analysis of Personal Psychosocial and Cognitive Factors Between Pregnant And/Or Parenting and Never Pregnant Black Adolescent Females 
  • Hammons, Kim H.
    An Analysis of Social Factors Which Mitigate Burnout in Hospital Social Workers Who Work With Terminally Ill Inpatient Populations
  • Muniz, Angel M.
    Factors Associated with Misdiagnoses Among Social Workers in Mental Health
  • Roseman, Fay
    Adoption Knowledge Among Professional Social Workers
  • Shapiro, Sidney
    Predicting Interpersonal Violence

  2000

  • Lyons Duffy, Denise K. A.
    Education, Burnout, And Other Variables Affecting the Work of Case Managers
  • Pianko, Dale
    An Inquiry into How Practitioners Self-Disclosure Is Taught in The Initial Foundation Practice Class
  • Schiller, Darcy
    A Typology of The Incarcerated Female Juvenile Delinquent 
  • Straughan, Hope H.
    Acquiring Practice Knowledge, Skills, And Values About HIV/Aids: A Comparison of Two Types of MSW Curricula
  • Toolsie, Annette Y.
    Social And Personal Factors Influencing Infant-Feeding Choices Among Low-Income Women in South Florida

  2001

  • Gomberg, Leslie E.
    Barriers In Screening Women for Domestic Violence: A Survey of Social Workers, Family Practitioners, And Obstetrician-Gynecologists
  • Smith, Yolanda E.
    The Impact of Termination in Individual Psychotherapy On The Social Work Practitioner

  2002

  • Mullaney, Donald K.
    Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) And Substance Abuse Treatment Outcomes in A Post-Prison Population

  2003

  • Bird, Daniel F.
    Prediction Of Outcomes for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers In A Federal Workforce Development Job Training Program
  • Brazer Durante, Joan M.
    Interest Of MSW Students and Field Instructors in Working With Elders, Substance Abusers, And Elder Drinking Problem
  • Williams, Lynda K.
    The Effect of Psychosocial Rehabilitation On the Subjective Quality Of Life And Social Skills Of Older Persons With Mental Illness
  • Mansfield, John
    Exploring Differences Between Early and Late-Stage College Students’ Social Bonds, Social Supports, Stressors, And Coping Styles

  2004

  • Muller, Keith D.
    A Comparison of Parental Expectations of Deaf Children With Cochlear Implants Or Hearing Aids
  • Thompson, Laurel E.
    Teenage Pregnancy: The Missing Male Factor

  2005

  • Bennette-Anyikwa, Victoria A.
    Help-Seeking for Intimate Partner Violence and Psychological Distress Among Black Women: An Exploratory Study Using An Intersectionality Approach
  • White, Kenneth R.
    The Relationship Between Social Work Practitioners’ Attitudes, Beliefs, Skills, And Knowledge and Culturally Competent Direct Practice with African Descent Clients

  2006

  • Courtney, Janet A.
    Assessing Practitioner Experience of Developmental Play Therapy
  • Hudson, Rhonda E.
    Adult Romantic Attachment, Perceived HIV Stigma, Shame-Proneness, Psychological Functioning and Disclosure Responses Among HIV-Seropositive Urban-Dwelling African American Women
  • Smith, Mark S.
    The Development and Psychometric Evaluation of A Rapid Assessment Instrument Measuring Hardiness In Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Persons
  • Dean-Borenstein, Michelle T.
    The Long-Term Psychosocial Effects of Trauma on Survivors Of Human-Caused Extreme Stress Situations
  • Martinez, Paulina
    Assessing Modern Sexual Prejudice: Social Workers’ Attitudes Towards Gay Men and Lesbians
  • Méndez, John
    Readiness To Work with Abusers of Alcohol And Other Drugs In Three Helping-Profession Graduate Programs
  • Nicolini, Catherine
    Older Workers’ Perception of And Experiences with Ageism In The Workplace: An Exploratory Study
  • Nowakowski, Eva
    An Analysis of Family Violence, Dating Violence Perpetration and Social Learning Theory

  2007

  • Foels, Leonora E.
    The Discovery of Transition Success: A Study of The Perception of Young Adults With Emotional And Behavioral Difficulties (EBD)
  • Jacinto, George A.
    Caregivers Negotiating Self-Forgiveness After the Death of Caregivers Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Olson, Mark D.
    Assessing Attitudes Toward Older Adults and Interests in Gerontology Among Social Work Students
  • Quintana-Jefferson, Marlinda
    Adherence to Antiretroviral Medications Among HIV-Infected Pregnant Women

  2008

  • Perez Gonzalez, Vivian R.
    An Exploration of The Relationship of Perceived Stress, Coping, And Substance Use Among Social Workers

  2009

  • Garcia, Ana
    Personal Resilience: The Impact on Health Outcomes Of Adolescents With Perinatally-Acquired HIV/AIDS
  • Robinson, Carlene
    The Relational Theory of Substance Abuse and African American Women Who Are HIV +
  • Romero, Sylvia
    Utilization of Interventions by Parentally Bereaved Children: The Impact on Symptoms Of Psychopathology
  • Terrazas, Samuel R.
    An Exploratory Descriptive Study of Farmworker Human Service Providers: Stigma, Empathy, And Immigration Attitudes

  2010

  • Austin-Valerie, Christina
    Help-Seeking Behavior for Breast Cancer: The Impact of A Culturally-Sensitive Breast Cancer Education Program With African American Women
  • Perdomo, Dolores M.
    Differences In Caregiving Dynamics: A Comparative Analysis of Family Caregivers of Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease And Spinal Cord Injured Survivors

  2014

  • Rodriguez, Mabel M.
    Exploring Potential Variances Between Differing Dimensions of Religious Ideology and Orientation To Social Work Values Among Social Work Students

  2016

  • Finamore-Teahan, Maria Elena
    Searching For a Good Death: Exploring Ethnic Minorities' Access to End-Of-Life Services Within An Integrative, Anti-Oppressive Framework
  • Goodman, Revital
    Childhood Trauma and Emotional Intelligence Among Adults Diagnosed with Substance Use Disorders
  • Ingram-Herring, Sarah
    An Exploratory Study of Factors Influencing Social Work Students' Commitment to Community-Based Practice
  • Skinner-Osei, Precious
    Mass Incarceration: An Exploratory Study of The Lived Experiences of African American Fathers' Struggle With Reentry, Recidivism, And Reunification
  • Williams, Jennifer
    Complementary And Integrative Health Approaches: An Exploratory Study of Graduate Social Work Faculty Attitudes 

  2017

  • Malloy, Tammy
    Exploring The Relationship Between Parental Bonding, Engagement, Engagement in Sexually Explicit Internet Materials in Youth, And Hypersexual Behavior in Young Adult Women
  • Pacirski, Dunja
    Cultivating Tacit Knowledge Through Reflective Practice: Self-Monitoring Strategies as Lived and Shared by Clinical Social Work Practitioners
  • Rowlands, Gena
    Parental Alienation: A Measurement Tool
  • Scott, Cassandra
    Exploring The Characteristics of Individuals Who Are Homeless and Diagnosed with Severe Mental Illness Who Also Obtained Housing Stability

  2018

  • Ferrante, Stephen
    MSW Reflections on Their Educational Path to Executive Leadership in Human Service Organizations
  • Naranjo, Fabio
    A Study of The Impact of Student Debt On The Social Work Profession In Florida
  • Paredes, Tania
    The Latino Father and The Role of Egalitarianism, Coping Skills, And Depressive Symptoms In The Post-Natal Period
  • Schoolnik, Andrew
    The Journey to Social Justice Advocacy and Its Implications For Social Work Education
  • Stanton, Shawn
    Exploring Shared Affective Experiences as An Opportunity to Increase Affective Bond Within The Therapeutic Alliance: A Phenomenological Approach
  • Vicencio, Claudia
    The Relationship Between Childhood Adversity and Adult Attitudes Toward Professional Help-Seeking

  2019

  • Giarraffa, Philip
    Yes, We Can! A Phenomenological Study of College Presidents That Hold Advance Degrees in Social Work 
  • Golly, Carol
    Grandparents Who Are Cut Off from Grandchildren: An Exploratory Study

  2022

  • Baird, Jennifer
    A Cross-Sectional Study of Social Workers’ Perceptions of the Integration of Trauma-Informed Care Principles in Current Supervision Practices
  • Daniels, Carrie
    Social Workers as Key Informants: Identifying Disenfranchising Grief in Nursing Home Interdisciplinary Teams During COVID-19
  • Duncan, Lessep
    The Impact of Cultural Factors on the Lived Experiences of Caregivers from the Black Community
  • Ferguson-Dadas, Andrea
    A Qualitative Study to Evaluate the Factors Related to Protections for Children who are Wards of the State: A Social Work Perspective of the Institutional Review Board
  • Holmes, Marlene
    Acknowledging the Pivot: The Development and Impact of Losing Athletic Identity as a Black Female Collegiate Athlete
  • Navega, Nicole
    A Grounded Theory Approach to Exploring Stress Injuries in Police Workers’ Compensation Evaluations
  • Nicolas, Magalie
    Intergenerational Transmission of Resilience Across Three Generations of African American Women
  • Smith, Camille
    The Experiences of Anglophone Caribbean Women Seeking Domestic Violence Assistance in South Florida

  2023

  • Dr. Noemi Marquez
    The Experience of LGBTQ+ Individuals in Foster Care: A Phenomenological Inquiry
  • Dr. Janus Moncur
    First Responders, Therapy K9s, and Social Work:  What Are the Lived Experiences of First Responders Working with Therapy K9s and Their View of Social Work and Therapy?
  • Jutta Hofmann-Powell
    Use of Intentional Vulnerability among Social Work Groups' Leaders

  2024

  • Bernadin, Markyse
    Building a Predictive Model of Client Preferences for the Online Therapeutic Relationship  
  • Mattern, Karen
    A Feminist Grounded Theory Dissertation Proposal: The Impact of Spousal Loss on Identity Development in Late-Adulthood