Author ORCID Identifier
Date Available
5-17-2024
Year of Publication
2022
Degree Name
Doctor of Social Work (DSW)
Abstract
It is no secret that access to quality healthcare is difficult for citizens to achieve in the United States. Racism, discrimination, and oppression further exist at the root of compounding social problems, including limits in minority access to mental health services. The COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated mental health problems for young children, especially those who are already underserved and at risk. For these reasons, it is imperative that the social work profession emphasizes innovative approaches to equitable treatment access, including a focus on early intervention and the use of technology. Product one of this capstone engages a systematic review of a how distance technology is used with a particular evidence-based intervention, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. The purpose of this review was to analyze how this therapy has been used over telehealth and to compare treatment outcomes for various populations. Using the information gathered on telehealth-based PCIT, a critical approach to understanding mental health access for minority populations was next explored. The second product focuses on the application of critical theories to the accessibility of the internet and other technologies and how this impacts diverse and underserved individuals. An anti-oppressive lens provided groundwork for discussion around the role of social workers in advocating for vulnerable communities to achieve equity in treatment access using web-based options. The social work profession has an ethical obligation to engage technology, and this recognition paved the way for the practical application in this project. Product three takes into account the findings of the literature reviewed in the first i product and the application of critical theory in the second product. A practical application of evidence-based practices in the pediatric primary care setting is proposed, using frequent family touchpoints and technology. Using pre-existing pathways for well child health, the program discussed is a way to ensure that children and their caregivers are receiving early intervention. This is especially important at a time when adverse childhood experiences and pediatric mental health concerns are at an all-time high. The overall purpose of this capstone project was to identify an area of clinical social work that demonstrated a gap in research, provide an application of theory, and propose a solution. The products herein will demonstrate that a solution to the problem of minority mental health access and increased mental health concerns is innovation using web-based treatment practice and other available technologies. The goal is for young children and their caregivers to receive adaptive, evidence-based behavioral health intervention through various accessible pathways.
Recommended Citation
Bennett, Kate Corinne, "A PATHWAY FOR INCLUSIVE INNOVATION IN PEDIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH: PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION USING TECHNOLOGY" (2022). DSW Capstone Projects. 10.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/csw_grad_reports/10
Included in
Behavioral Medicine Commons, Child Psychology Commons, Clinical and Medical Social Work Commons, Clinical Psychology Commons, Pediatrics Commons, Primary Care Commons, Social Justice Commons, Social Work Commons, Telemedicine Commons
