May 2, 2025
Reception & Presentations 2pm to 5pm
Cal Poly Humboldt Library
Search Presenters & Abstracts
Presenters & Abstracts: Search
Eureka High School Advance Via Individual Determination Program
Stephanie
Master of Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
Asses Eureka Senior High School Advanced Via Individual Determination program by conducting a survey.
HSU VETS Outdoor Program
Keith Tanenbaum
Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
HSU VETS Outdoor program is a recreational based program designed to assist student veterans in their transition for military to civilian/student life. Recreation has long been shown to provide therapeutic benefits to those who engage in it. The HSU VETS Outdoor program is no exception and increases the overall wellbeing of veterans on campus by creating support networks and reestablishing bonds familiar to those who have served in the military furthermore assisting the veterans ability to be a successful student. The HSU VETS Outdoor Program runs year around and participates in a variety of recreational outings from skiing/snowboarding in the winter to rafting in the summer.
Integration and Supports for MSW Advance Standing Students
Sara Dianish
Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
The HSU Social Work Department is interested in better integrating the AS students into the existing two-year MSW program by considering instructor knowledge and awareness of the introduction of AS students, the importance and development of interpersonal relationships between the two cohorts, how AS students adjust to graduate-level work and how prepared AS students are for graduate-level work. The purpose of this project was to evaluate what changes have been made since the initial report by Assistant Professor César Abarca, MSW, Ph.D. conducted in 2014 and what recommendations could be made from the experience of the 2016-2017 on-campus advanced year cohort and existing instructors.
County Wide Assessment of Syringe Exchange Programs
Rachel Waldman
Department of Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
Intravenous drug usage can lead to multiple detrimental health related risks including the transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis C, abscesses and infections, and drug related overdose. One of the most crucial interventions proven to reduce rates of these health risks among injection drug users is the syringe exchange program. This project examines the active syringe exchange programs in Humboldt County in order to explore the various practices, policies, and services offered by each. The ultimate goal for this project is to strengthen agency relationships, promote sharing of information and best practices, and maximize our ability to reach people in need.
Recommendations of evidence-based curriculum for incarcerated youth mental health treatment program
Zack Chernin
Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
This project incorporates peer-reviewed research and academic literature in developing a report of evidence-based curriculum for appropriate use in mental health treatment for incarcerated youth.
North Coast AIDS Project Needs Assessment
Kristen Palmero
Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
I developed a needs assessment for DHHS, North Coast AIDS Project. This was used to evaluate the needs of our clients and evaluate the program services that we provide. This assessment also helps to acquire any future funding for these services offered to Humboldt County residents living with HIV/AIDS.
Cannabis Use and Mood on Creativity
Caitlin Clark
Psychology
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
This study examines the relationship between cannabis use (infrequent, moderate, and heavy use) and one’s mood (neutral, positive, and negative) on the Alternative Use Task (AUT). Although both mood and cannabis may influence creativity independently, not much is known about their interactive effects. Creativity was measured by the number of alternative uses for common objects produced by the participants. The AUT was followed by a survey that included cannabis use frequency and the Creative Achievement Questionnaire, which has been shown to represent an individual’s creative ability across multiple mediums.
Stress, Anxiety, Social Support and Hopelessness in Latino and White College Students
Irene Gonzalez-Herrera
Psychology
Graduate Student
William M. Reynolds Ph. D
Psychology
Faculty
Lily Syfers
Psychology
Graduate Student
Ivette Lopez
Psychology
Undergraduate Student
Gabriela Leon
Psychology
Undergraduate Student
College of Professional Studies
The current study examined the association of stress, anxiety, hopelessness and social support in undergraduate Latino and White students. The sample included 250 Latino (women = 76%) and 296 White (women = 66%) participants, with more women in the Latino group (chi2 = 5.74, p < .05). For the total sample, a hierarchical linear regression with stress as the dependent variable, age and sex entered in block one and anxiety, social support, and hopelessness in block two, resulted in an R = .772 with block two variables accounting for 57% of the variance. Separate regression analyses for Latino and White students produced similar results, R = .75 and R = .80, respectively.
Alcohol and Drug Resource List
Jeremy Muhleck
Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
Social Workers commonly share that there is a lack of resources related to alcohol and drug treatment programs to refer clients to. Based on a review of alcohol and drug services available in the Northern CA region, I created a resource list on how to refer clients to a variety of alcohol and drug services including substance testing, assessment, and treatment in the region for Child Welfare Services. This resource list was developed to improve service delivery, identify services in the region, and to assist social workers in referring people who have court mandated alcohol and drug service requirements.
Needs Assessment for Resource Compilation for Persons Experiencing Homelessness While Caring for a Companion Animal
Sophia Gang-Halvorson
Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
Individuals facing poverty and homelessness can be denied housing when care-taking for a companion animal. Sometimes a refusal of housing is caused by rules which prohibit companion animals in housing, so the preference is to remain homeless. My project provides a compilation of local, free, and low cost resources to help provide for the companion animal’s care. A needs assessment with persons facing long-term homelessness informed the list. The compilation will allow a person facing poverty to make informed choices among resources in the community that would facilitate a healthy human-companion animal relationship regardless of status of homelessness.