Each Masters Project listed includes Student Name (last, first), Project Name, and a brief descriptioin.  The Project Name links to the paper on Digital Scholar.

• Barnes, Brian G.:  Transition age youth housing project 


*  This research was intended to describe characteristics of the local population of Transition Age Youth (TAY) who are legal adults.

• Bergstresser, Henryetta:  All the parts make the whole: using the relational worldview to develop holistic practice

*  Adapting Terry Cross’s Relational Worldview Model to the standardized required assessments used by Humboldt County Mental Health may serve not only as a means of deepening cultural appropriateness for American Indian clients, but widen the breadth of client-focused services for the local mentally ill population as well.

• Bohrer, Robert S.:  Alternatives to zero tolerance policies in Humboldt County high schools: educators’ perceptions of benefits and barriers

*  This project addressed the research question of: “Whether teachers and administrators believe that there are effective alternatives to a zero tolerance policy and what, if any, barriers are there to implementing alternative discipline in schools.”

• Griggs, Tobias:  Supported employment for our mental health community appreciative inquiry

*  Supported employment for our mental health community can provide sustainable opportunities for friendship, pride, self-efficacy, earned income, self-worth, wellness, education, prevention, and recovery.

• Hasan, Shadeed:  Will there be a direct support professional for me? Looking at what motivates DSPs

*  The goal of this research project is to find out what motivates DSPs to work with individuals with developmental disabilities. This research explores why DSPs are currently working with this particular population and what motivates DSPs to continue to work in this profession.

• Hill, Margaret A.:  Meaning between the words

*  A sample of sixteen homicides occurring in Humboldt County, California was used to compare the Times-Standard’s treatment of homicides in 1982, 1995, and 2009. The sample examined eight homicide cases involving a Native American victim or suspect and eight cases which did not involve a Native American victim or suspect.

• Hernandez, Kathryn:  Surveying domestic violence survivors on their experiences with medical providers

*  This project surveyed survivors at Humboldt Domestic Violence Services in order to understand how services were provided for survivors when they disclosed experiences of domestic violence.

• Johnson, Kim M.:  Alternatives to zero tolerance that better serve our youth  
 


*  This project explored whether any schools in Humboldt County were using disciplinary programs other than immediate suspension and expulsion for drugs and alcohol at school and perceptions on whether those programs are effective in reducing recidivism. This project evaluated three alternative programs that are being utilized in Humboldt County to zero tolerance policy in order to show that alternatives to suspension and expulsion are reducing recidivism.

• Kintz, Sarah Ann:  Animals in recovery: how to develop an animal therapy program at a residential treatment facility for people with a mental health diagnosis

*  A how to manual was developed with the steps necessary to start an animal therapy program. Based on the interviews Crestwood Behavioral Health Center would need to follow the Pet Partners guidelines in developing an animal therapy program and included what would be appropriate to the uniqueness of their facility.

• Krebs, Kory Anne:  Female depression and the adventure experience

*  This project investigated the effects of a combined support group and adventure experience on two depressed females between the ages of 18-30 yrs.

• Lewis, Melinda:  A study of parents and supervised visitation in a child welfare setting

*  This study attempted to administer a survey to parents in supervised visitation in Humboldt County but a viable sample was not obtained. This study also looked at four counties in California to compare their supervised visitation practices with Humboldt County.

• Lieb, Tess:  Teen Court project  


*  This project will administer a survey and collect results that will be presented to Teen Court for future research.

• Lowry, Melanie:  Historical trauma workshop and intervention strategies for schools working with indigenous youth  


*  This project is a workshop designed to increase the working knowledge of local mental health professionals, administrators, and educators in the area of historical trauma and its impact on early mental health.

• MacQueen, Debra:  Transportation for older adults in rural areas

*  This project focused on transportation for older adults in unincorporated areas with particular attention given to Ridgewood Heights in Humboldt County, CA, for older adults. The research looked at current transportation for older adults such as public transportation and paratransit services such as Dial-A-Ride.

• Maia, Ryan:  North Star Quest Camp for teen girls: needs assessment

*  The purpose of this project is to evaluate the present resources, and conduct a needs assessment via a secondary data analysis in order to create a curriculum for North Star Quest (NSQ) Spring Break Camp that will attempt to meet this unfulfilled need.

• Martin, Elizabeth Jane:  Communities coming together: a blueprint for lasting training partnerships between healthcare professionals and domestic violence agencies  


*  Domestic violence agencies and hospitals were interviewed for this project to examine what needs to happen to develop a training partnership the two. In order to form a sustainable training partnership between hospitals and domestic violence agencies there must be open communication, established curriculum, and buy-in from the health care providers.

• Moebus, Diamond Charlotte:  Safer Sex Humboldt needs assessment

*  This paper constitutes a report of a needs assessment for the developing nonprofit Safer Sex Humboldt on its service population.

• Olson, Chad Keith:  Yurok circles of care project community strengths and resources analysis  


*  For this project 15 semi-formal interviews were conducted with service providers in three identified service areas. Information was gathered on services provided, service system strengths, identified gaps in services, barriers to participation and traditional, informal and natural supports that are currently used.

• Parker, Greg:  Developing a strategy to combat the effects of social isolationism in adults with disabilities 


*  This project is a feasibility study of a possible human interaction intervention program. Working under a group theory it is anticipated that through a monthly support group, members of the disabled community can combat isolationism.

• Quinn, Nicole Lee:  Fundraising and grantwriting for youthability

*  This project in collaboration with board members seeks to diagnosis, prescribe, implement and evaluate YouthAbility funding needs and solutions.

• Scharff, John: The range and response to domestic violence in Del Norte County, California

*  This project sought to identify traits of offenders prone to recidivism from non-completion of a batterer intervention program and what services victims receive from the collaborative action of responding agencies. This study used a mixed methods research strategy to obtain stronger and more in depth answers.

• Talcott, Darin M.:  Client perceptions of effective substance abuse treatment interventions   


*  The purpose of this research examined the interventions and staff attributes perceived to be most helpful to clients enrolled in rural residential substance abuse treatment, to gain an understanding of the types of barriers that inhibit treatment success, and to determine whether there is a correlation between the ratings of these factors and clients who share the same drug preference.

• Whatford, Melinda:  Affordable housing in Humboldt County: Exploring barriers and recognizing opportunity

*  This is an exploratory journalism project which examined the shortage of affordable housing in Humboldt County. The aim was to evaluate the need for low income housing in this county and gather ideas for what can be done by housing developers and housing advocates to create more apartments and houses with rental costs that reflect the income level of the people who struggle to afford housing.