Thomas M Crea
Dados Biográficos
| ID | 212579 |
|---|---|
| NOME | Thomas M Crea |
| PRENOMES | Thomas M |
| SOBRENOME | Crea |
| ASSINATURA | CREA T M |
| AFILIAÇÕES | Boston College |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8092-7353 |
| VERIFICADO | Sim |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 53 |
| TOTAL DE CITAÇÕES | 214 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 53 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMEIRO ANO DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2005 |
| ANO MAIS RECENTE DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 10 |
Adolescents’ awareness of and attitudes towards alcohol and substance use in Kenya
Alcohol and substance use disorders (ASUD) are highly prevalent among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa and co-occur with mental health disorders. This study aimed to understand adolescents’ awareness of and attitudes toward ASUD and their mental health literacy, with the long-term goal of informing the development of a preventive intervention. An exploratory qualitative study included 144 adolescents (aged 15–19) in 12 focus group discussions (F…
Young people’s experiences of support, belonging, and freedom before and after leaving residential care institutions in Kenya
Development of a Child-Informed Measure of Subjective Well-Being for Research on Residential Care Institutions and Their Alternatives in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
10% of children worldwide live in households without a biological parent, and 5.4 million children live in residential care institutions. This study describes a participatory, child-informed process of developing a multidimensional measure of child subjective well-being tailored towards the priorities of children who have lived in residential care. Eight focus groups were held with n = 49 adolescents reunified with family after living in resident…
Unaccompanied Immigrant Children in ORR Foster Care
Ebola Virus Disease Sensitization
Threat and deprivation as distinct predictors of posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms in first and second generation Latinx youth
Recent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) scholarship emphasizes that differing ACEs affect the onset and course of psychopathology, and that sociopolitical context contributes to ACEs experienced by marginalized youth. Guided by the Immigration-Related Adverse Childhood Experiences Model, we explored the associations between different ACEs-immigration enforcement fear and perceived economic hardship-on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and …
Inclusive education for children with disabilities in a refugee camp
Children in refugee camps, and particularly those with disabilities, face unique challenges in accessing education and are at high risk of being marginalised. Best practices suggest that main-streaming is the optimal strategy for serving students with disabilities. This study examines the extent to which mainstreaming in a refugee camp helps to promote children's prosocial behaviours, taking into account their emotional and behavioural problems. …
A post-outbreak assessment of exposure proximity and Ebola virus disease-related stigma among community members in Kono District, Sierra Leone
Background: Based on findings from other contexts, informed by intergroup contact theory, that more contact is associated with less stigma, we hypothesized that community members with greater exposure to cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) were less likely to report EVD-related stigma towards EVD survivors. We assessed personal stigmatizing attitudes towards Ebola survivors, which reflects personal fear and judgement, as well as perceived stigma t…
Paths to Self-Sufficiency for Youth Served Through the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Foster Care Program in the United States
Inclusive education in a refugee camp for children with disabilities
Many refugee children face challenges accessing education, but refugee children with disabilities are especially vulnerable to exclusion from school environments as well as social settings. Mainstreaming is considered a best practice but may not always be feasible given the limited resources available in refugee camps. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which school setting (i.e., special needs vs. mainstream classrooms) is ass…
Parental care status and sexual risk behavior in five nationally-representative surveys of sub-Saharan African nations
This study extends prior research linking orphanhood and sexual risk behavior, lending credence to the idea that it is not parental death, but rather parental absence, that leads to sexual risk in youth. Public health programming in Sub-Saharan Africa should consider targeting not only "orphaned youth," but all children separated from their parents
Unaccompanied immigrant children in long‐term foster care
The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 was developed with the goal of increasing the safety, permanency, and well‐being of children involved in U.S. child welfare systems. A growing number of unaccompanied immigrant children (UC) are being served in long‐term foster care (LTFC) under the auspices of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). UC are placed in care because an appropriate sponsor is not available pending immigration hearings. Yet…
Educational Services for Unaccompanied Immigrant Children in the United States
Some unaccompanied children (UC) who migrate to the United States (US) receive post-release services (PRS) to help them adjust to the US and access community-based supports. Upon their arrival to the US, UC discuss their need(s) with their PRS caseworker in order to identify their primary needs. This study examines factors associated with UC who reported education services as a primary PRS need. The sample is based on administrative data shared b…
Using a community-based system dynamics approach for understanding inclusion and wellbeing
Findings indicate participants have a broad conceptualization of inclusion, highlighting the value of community interaction and importance of meeting basic needs, and also demonstrate that including children in mainstream educational settings in a complex humanitarian context requires a more nuanced approach given the lack of existing resources to support Western models of educational inclusion fully
The McGovern-Dole food for education and Child nutrition program (MGD)
Child maltreatment and substance abuse
Unaccompanied children have arrived in increasing numbers to the United States since 2014, with 69,488 referrals to the Office of Refugee Resettlement in 2019. Little is known about the health and well‐being of unaccompanied children placed in long‐term foster care. This study includes a secondary analysis of administrative data from a national non‐profit that provides services and advocacy for unaccompanied children in long‐term foster care. The…
Clocking in
A Human Rights Approach to Macro Social Work Field Education with Unaccompanied Immigrant Children
Higher Education for Refugees
Refugees pursuing higher education in the context of host countries face numerous challenges, but the literature is sparse on relevant university supports. This article evaluates the existing transnational literature using quantitative textual analysis to point toward the need for scholarship on intersectional programs serving refugee students. We then move to outline examples of such university structures, probing how intersectional programs und…
Job Retention Among Resettled Refugees in The US
The primary objective of the US refugee resettlement program is for beneficiaries to achieve economic self-sufficiency. Yet, little research has examined the extent to which this objective has been achieved, nor the programmatic and contextual variables that influence this outcome. This study examines how beneficiaries’ individual and job characteristics are associated with the likelihood of job retention after 90 days of employment. Data were ob…
Food for Education in Guatemala
This study examined how dietary diversity and key demographics are linked to greater Spanish reading comprehension for child beneficiaries of a USDA-funded Food for Education programme in Guatemala. All students in 3rd and 6th grade were surveyed across 118 schools, 3519 children in total. Generalised linear mixed models examined the influence of dietary diversity, and K’iche’ language ability, on children’s Spanish reading comprehension. Dietary…
Integration of unaccompanied migrant youth in the United States
Between October 2013 and July 2016, over 156,000 children traveling without their guardians were apprehended at the US-Mexico border and transferred to the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). During that same period, ORR placed over 123,000 unaccompanied migrant youth-predominantly from Central America-with a parent or other adult sponsor residing in the US. Following placement, local communities are tasked with integrating migrant …
Patchwork of promises
In 2014, the United States saw a greater than 50% increase in the number of unaccompanied children from Mexico and Central America arriving at the U.S./Mexico border, and unaccompanied children continue to migrate to the United States in consistent numbers. The dramatic increase of 2014 exposed gaps in policies aimed at supporting unaccompanied children as they await legal adjudication. This paper begins with a historic review of immigration poli…
Unaccompanied immigrant children in long term foster care
Unaccompanied immigrant children
Beyond attachment theory and therapy
Elements of attachment theory have been embraced by practitioners endeavouring to assist foster and adopted children and their parents. Attachment theory articulates the potential risks of experiencing multiple caregivers; emphasizes the importance of close social relationships to development; and recognizes that substitute parents may not always have close relationships with children who have experienced adversities before joining them. Attachme…
Unaccompanied migrant children in the United States
Refugee higher education
Family Involvement in Child Welfare Decision-Making
Child welfare practice has undergone significant shifts in the relationship between state agencies and families, with families increasingly being considered as partners in decision-making. An emerging body of research shows high family satisfaction with these approaches, but little outcome research currently exists. This article synthesizes practice and research literature on three predominant approaches to family involvement, Family Group Decisi…
Moving forward
Unprecedented numbers of unaccompanied children have migrated to the Southern border of the United States in recent years. Yet, little is known about how these children fare after arrival, including the few who are placed in the federally sponsored Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) foster care programme. Existing research suggests that unaccompanied refugee children, unaccompanied migrant children and foster children each face significant barrie…
A Mixed-Methods Case Study of Parent Involvement in an Urban High School Serving Minority Students
Parental involvement in education has been associated with a number of positive outcomes for students. Using a mixed-methods approach, the authors examine how role construction and self-efficacy (psychological motivators), invitations (contextual motivators), and life contexts influence a parent’s decision to become involved within the context of an urban high school serving primarily Latino, African American, and immigrant children. Data collect…
Variability in the implementation of Team Decisionmaking (TDM)
Integration of unaccompanied migrant youth in the United States
Between October 2013 and July 2016, over 156,000 children traveling without their guardians were apprehended at the US-Mexico border and transferred to the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). During that same period, ORR placed over 123,000 unaccompanied migrant youth-predominantly from Central America-with a parent or other adult sponsor residing in the US. Following placement, local communities are tasked with integrating migrant …
Higher education for refugees
Implementation fidelity of Team Decisionmaking
Unaccompanied immigrant children in long term foster care
Environmental risk
Urban South Africa is a major destination for refugees across sub-Saharan Africa. Based on interviews with urban refugees, this study identified significant barriers to achieving livelihood security for this population, including community violence, crowding, fear of xenophobia, exploitation from officials and oversaturated markets for small businesses. Nevertheless, refugees identified several aspects of service provision from a non-governmental…
Refugee Health and Wellbeing
Refugees are increasingly migrating to urban areas, but little research has been conducted to compare health and wellbeing outcomes of urban refugees with those based in camps. This analytic cross-sectional study investigated differences in health-related quality of life (QoL) for urban and camp-based refugees in sub-Saharan Africa, and assessed the influences of both the environment and the perceived environment on refugees’ health-related QoL u…
Household stress and adolescent behaviours in urban families
Using exploratory data analysis techniques, we propose a model of parent psychosocial well‐being that links financial strains and household stressors to adolescents' pro‐social behaviours and vulnerability through parent mental health and social supports. Parents of urban youth ( n = 781) who planned to attend a summer camp for at‐risk youth responded to questions surveying household, parent and child factors related to early adolescent developme…
The Association of Team Composition and Meeting Characteristics With Foster Care Placement Recommendations
Research shows that changing foster care placements is associated with negative outcomes for children. This study examines the extent to which Team Decision Making (TDM) can influence placement recommendations for children currently in foster care. Using administrative data from three sites, logistic regression models are fitted to estimate the association of team and meeting characteristics with placement recommendations. Controlling for demogra…
The Integration of Immigrant Youth in Schools and Friendship Networks
From Rhetoric to Reality
International collaboration in social work research, particularly research in the global south, presents unique opportunities for the personal and professional development of researchers and students alike. Yet data to help direct the process are limited. Using a research project recently carried out in Ghana as background, the authors present some guidelines for planning and conducting international research collaborations and underline challeng…
Household-based cash transfer targeting strategies in Zimbabwe
Inclusive education for children with disabilities in a refugee camp
Children in refugee camps, and particularly those with disabilities, face unique challenges in accessing education and are at high risk of being marginalised. Best practices suggest that main-streaming is the optimal strategy for serving students with disabilities. This study examines the extent to which mainstreaming in a refugee camp helps to promote children's prosocial behaviours, taking into account their emotional and behavioural problems. …
Social service systems for vulnerable children and families in low‐ and middle‐income countries
Systems strengthening in low‐ and middle‐income countries has long been a topic of concern in global health. By comparison, until very recently, little attention has been paid to the importance of strengthening social service systems to provide a holistic perspective of children's and families' multifaceted strengths and vulnerabilities. This study has reviewed existing literature on the definitions and components of social service systems and pr…
The experience of social protection in Palestine
Families in the Occupied Palestinian Territories face political and social problems that reinforce poverty and undermine well-being. Since the limited self-governance era, Palestinian National Authority implemented anti-poverty reforms, including national cash transfers; yet, little is known about how social assistance is perceived by beneficiaries. This exploratory study analyzed transcripts from interviews with Palestinian heads of households. …
Involving Communities in the Targeting of Cash Transfer Programs for Vulnerable Children
We used baseline data, collected in July-September 2009, from a randomized controlled trial of a cash transfer program for vulnerable children in eastern Zimbabwe to investigate the effectiveness, coverage, and efficiency of census- and community-based targeting methods for reaching vulnerable children. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with beneficiaries and other stakeholders were used to explore community perspectives on targetin…
A Human Rights Approach to Macro Social Work Field Education with Unaccompanied Immigrant Children
Structured Home Study Evaluations
Structured decision-making methods are gaining ascendance in child welfare services, in which professionals combine standardized methods of data collection and analysis with clinical judgments. This study measures professionals’ perception of a new approach to home study assessments, the Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE). Findings indicate that workers favor the use of SAFE overall. Less experienced workers are especially positive abou…
Unaccompanied immigrant children in long‐term foster care
The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 was developed with the goal of increasing the safety, permanency, and well‐being of children involved in U.S. child welfare systems. A growing number of unaccompanied immigrant children (UC) are being served in long‐term foster care (LTFC) under the auspices of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). UC are placed in care because an appropriate sponsor is not available pending immigration hearings. Yet…
Beyond attachment theory and therapy
Elements of attachment theory have been embraced by practitioners endeavouring to assist foster and adopted children and their parents. Attachment theory articulates the potential risks of experiencing multiple caregivers; emphasizes the importance of close social relationships to development; and recognizes that substitute parents may not always have close relationships with children who have experienced adversities before joining them. Attachme…
Variability in the implementation of Team Decisionmaking (TDM)
Behavioral outcomes for substance-exposed adopted children
From a life course perspective, studies of cumulative disadvantage often identify early risk factors as predictors of poor outcomes. This study examined the influence of prenatal substance exposure on children's externalizing behaviors at 14 years postadoption. Using Wave 4 data from the California Long-Range Adoption Study, the authors employed growth curve modeling to examine behavioral trajectories of 275 children as influenced by foster care …
Family Involvement in Child Welfare Decision-Making
Child welfare practice has undergone significant shifts in the relationship between state agencies and families, with families increasingly being considered as partners in decision-making. An emerging body of research shows high family satisfaction with these approaches, but little outcome research currently exists. This article synthesizes practice and research literature on three predominant approaches to family involvement, Family Group Decisi…
Structured Home Study Evaluations
Structured decision-making methods are gaining ascendance in child welfare services, in which professionals combine standardized methods of data collection and analysis with clinical judgments. This study measures professionals’ perception of a new approach to home study assessments, the Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE). Findings indicate that workers favor the use of SAFE overall. Less experienced workers are especially positive abou…
The implementation and expansion of Safe
Implementation fidelity of Team Decisionmaking
The Association of Team Composition and Meeting Characteristics With Foster Care Placement Recommendations
Research shows that changing foster care placements is associated with negative outcomes for children. This study examines the extent to which Team Decision Making (TDM) can influence placement recommendations for children currently in foster care. Using administrative data from three sites, logistic regression models are fitted to estimate the association of team and meeting characteristics with placement recommendations. Controlling for demogra…
Brief Note
The context of program implementation and evaluation
The intersection of home study assessments and child specific recruitment
From Rhetoric to Reality
International collaboration in social work research, particularly research in the global south, presents unique opportunities for the personal and professional development of researchers and students alike. Yet data to help direct the process are limited. Using a research project recently carried out in Ghana as background, the authors present some guidelines for planning and conducting international research collaborations and underline challeng…
Household-based cash transfer targeting strategies in Zimbabwe
Asset ownership among households caring for orphans and vulnerable children in rural Zimbabwe
The high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome in sub-Saharan Africa has resulted in a dramatic increase in orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) over the past decade. These children typically rely on extended family networks for support, but the magnitude of the crisis has resulted in traditional familial networks becoming overwhelmed and more economically and socially vulnerable. Previous research consis…
Involving Communities in the Targeting of Cash Transfer Programs for Vulnerable Children
We used baseline data, collected in July-September 2009, from a randomized controlled trial of a cash transfer program for vulnerable children in eastern Zimbabwe to investigate the effectiveness, coverage, and efficiency of census- and community-based targeting methods for reaching vulnerable children. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with beneficiaries and other stakeholders were used to explore community perspectives on targetin…
Household stress and adolescent behaviours in urban families
Using exploratory data analysis techniques, we propose a model of parent psychosocial well‐being that links financial strains and household stressors to adolescents' pro‐social behaviours and vulnerability through parent mental health and social supports. Parents of urban youth ( n = 781) who planned to attend a summer camp for at‐risk youth responded to questions surveying household, parent and child factors related to early adolescent developme…
Effects of cash transfers on Children’s health and social protection in Sub-Saharan Africa
Orphaned children are at higher risk for poor social protection outcomes even when cared for in family-based settings. UCT and CCT each produced direct effects on children's social protection which are not moderated by other child- and household-level risk factors, but orphans are less likely to attend school or obtain birth registration. The effects of UCT and CCT are not moderated by asset-holding, but greater household assets predict greater s…
Refugee Health and Wellbeing
Refugees are increasingly migrating to urban areas, but little research has been conducted to compare health and wellbeing outcomes of urban refugees with those based in camps. This analytic cross-sectional study investigated differences in health-related quality of life (QoL) for urban and camp-based refugees in sub-Saharan Africa, and assessed the influences of both the environment and the perceived environment on refugees’ health-related QoL u…
Refugee higher education
A Mixed-Methods Case Study of Parent Involvement in an Urban High School Serving Minority Students
Parental involvement in education has been associated with a number of positive outcomes for students. Using a mixed-methods approach, the authors examine how role construction and self-efficacy (psychological motivators), invitations (contextual motivators), and life contexts influence a parent’s decision to become involved within the context of an urban high school serving primarily Latino, African American, and immigrant children. Data collect…
Higher education for refugees
Environmental risk
Urban South Africa is a major destination for refugees across sub-Saharan Africa. Based on interviews with urban refugees, this study identified significant barriers to achieving livelihood security for this population, including community violence, crowding, fear of xenophobia, exploitation from officials and oversaturated markets for small businesses. Nevertheless, refugees identified several aspects of service provision from a non-governmental…
Social service systems for vulnerable children and families in low‐ and middle‐income countries
Systems strengthening in low‐ and middle‐income countries has long been a topic of concern in global health. By comparison, until very recently, little attention has been paid to the importance of strengthening social service systems to provide a holistic perspective of children's and families' multifaceted strengths and vulnerabilities. This study has reviewed existing literature on the definitions and components of social service systems and pr…
Moving forward
Unprecedented numbers of unaccompanied children have migrated to the Southern border of the United States in recent years. Yet, little is known about how these children fare after arrival, including the few who are placed in the federally sponsored Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) foster care programme. Existing research suggests that unaccompanied refugee children, unaccompanied migrant children and foster children each face significant barrie…
Unaccompanied migrant children in the United States
Political science (36 obras) · Psychology (32 obras) · Medicine (28 obras) · Sociology (28 obras) · Migration, Health and Trauma (21 obras) · Refugee (16 obras) · Child Welfare and Adoption (15 obras) · Economics (15 obras) · Geography (15 obras) · Immigration (15 obras)