Social Work/Psychology

Katrina Dunakin, kdunakin23fl@ollusa.edu
Our Lady of the Lake University, with Dr. Jessie Andre

The Importance of Incorporating Self-Care Education in the Social Work Curriculum 
This research is about whether Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) programs are preparing Social Work students to practice self-care and prevent burnout before getting to practicum. The study will be mixed methods, with the quantitative survey being the existing Student Maslach Burnout Inventory, with 50 participants analyzed for consistency using Qualtrics. Participation in the quantitative survey will take 10-15 minutes. The qualitative interview will consist of semi-structured questions that have been screened for readability and comprehension. The responses will be thematically analyzed using Atlasti with 12-15 participants. Participation in the qualitative interview will take 30-45 minutes. Requirements for participation is that they must be BSW students within the United States who have completed at least one semester of field practicum either in the Fall/Summer 2024 semesters or Spring 2025 semester. If research shows that students feel burnt out after one semester of practicum, this could indicate why they may not pursue their Master's of Social Work or end up leaving the profession altogether. This research could lead to better self-care practices for students and improve the retention rate for the profession. 
 

Natasha Gutierrez, natasha.gutierrez@csupueblo.com
Colorado State University Pueblo, with Dr. Pamela Richmond 

Recovery, Resilience and RISE: Reclaiming the Right to Choose
This personal narrative explores identity formation and healing following experiences of trauma, including sexual abuse, homelessness, addiction, and systemic neglect. Written from the perspective of a social work student in long-term recovery, the narrative bridges lived experience with professional growth. Central to the reflection is the RISE framework - Resilience, Integrity, Support, and Empowerment; which illustrates how helping professionals can create meaningful change for individuals facing profound adversity. By weaving personal testimony with professional insight, this piece advocates for trauma-informed, person-centered approaches that honor dignity, restore agency, and create pathways towards sustained recovery and empowerment. The study concludes that social work practice benefits from integrating narrative and relational ethics to promote healing and social justice. This work advances understanding of recovery as a collaborative process between individuals and helping professionals. 
 

Victoria Gomez, vgomez@harding.edu
Harding University, with Dr. Jeremiah Sullins

The Role of Adverse Experiences in Emotional Responses: A Focus on Shame-Proneness and Self-Compassion
Previous research has established that trauma    characterized by both single traumatic events and repeated adverse experiences                   can create enduring vulnerabilities in self-concept and coping.  However, the impact of trauma on malleable emotional and cognitive factors, such as shame- proneness and self-compassion, remains under-explored. It is hypothesized that adults who report a history of trauma exposure will report significantly higher levels of shame-proneness compared to those without such a history. Additionally, it is expected that trauma-exposed participants will demonstrate significantly lower levels of self-compassion. Lastly, a significant negative association is anticipated between shame-proneness and self-compassion, such that greater shame-proneness would be correlated with low self-compassion. This study further explores the relationships between trauma exposure and these adaptable traits to better understand how trauma may influence emotional processing and psychological well-being. Data was collected from 85 adult participants recruited through social media platforms. Three instruments were used to assess degrees of each construct: Adverse Childhood Experience questionnaire (ACEs), Test of Self-Conscious Affect-3 (TOSCA-3), and Self Compassion Scale (SCS). The participant responses will be analyzed in SPSS.