Isaac Karikari

University of North Dakota | UND · Department of Social Work

To address unmet behavioral health needs of children and youth, the system of care (SOC) philosophy was developed and evolved into a framework to support community-based coordinated networks that provide an array of effective services and supports. There is limited elaboration of the actual implementation processes and intricacies of SOC developmen...

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic though widespread is not monolithic. Therefore, a differentiated understanding of the pandemic’s impact on people is critical. Further, it is important to recognize that even within the same group people’s experiences may differ. The current study explored how the onset of COVID-19 and its mitigation measures imp...

Since bullying is an ecological and systemic phenomenon that occurs in multiple contexts with multiple actors, it makes sense to consider the perceptions of multiple stakeholders and their relationships with one another and in relation to bullying prevention in schools. Using a non-probability, purposive sample, this study examined the perspectives...

Drawing on research about the positive benefits of school bonding on youth mental health, academic and overall well-being, and the inequities African American youth face in education, this study examined the associations among teacher discrimination, parents’ and peer emotional support, and African American youth school bonding. Using data from the...

The system of care (SOC) philosophy evolved into a framework to support access to effective behavioral health services for children. This study explored the use of the System of Care Implementation Survey (SOCIS) to monitor SOC development during one Midwestern state’s federal planning and expansion grants. Utilizing a translational framework, resu...

School principals must rely on state statutes and district policies to navigate reports of school bullying. Investigating reports to determine the outcomes may vary depending upon the districts definition of bullying, the investigation process, and follow through to reporting the findings of the investigation to the involved children and youth’s pa...

Mental illness is multi-layered and it requires a team effort in order to be addressed. Commonly, there is uncertainty toward improving and maintaining the gains that are made by professionals in the child mental and behavioral health field. Based on lessons learned from a multi-year SOC expansion grant funded by SAMHSA, project members discuss rec...

This study examined the implementation of the System of Care (SOC) framework in a Midwestern state and efforts to assess the progress over time. The period in focus was 2014-2018.

Every school day millions of children board the bus from home and school oftentimes with 90 others including a bus driver. Perhaps not found in a bus drivers’ job description are the details to monitor and respond to all suspected bullying behaviors. Being bullied can have long-term negative consequences for both bullies and victims. The school bus...

Surveys were completed by local stakeholders who had been recruited from local communities and regions by the Indiana System of Care Planning Team. Periodic collection of System of Care Implementation Survey (SOCIS) information identified strengths and ongoing challenges.

Child labor is a complex global phenomenon. Though poverty is widely accepted as the primary cause of child labor, there are many dimensions of the phenomenon that still remain to be explored. Very little attention has been given to the policies that drive efforts to address child labor and how they are framed. Of particular interest is how we dete...

Although previous research has noted that extracurricular activities are significantly associated with students’ various outcomes, little research to date has explored their current conditions. This case study examined the status and quality of extracurricular activities in 11 public schools around Central Indiana. Two sets of data were combined a...

There is no shortage of definitions for truancy. One state may house many different definitions and there are a variety of challenges arising from this fact. One of the most important to researchers, policy-makers and educators alike, is that because of the lack of uniformity and consistency, it is difficult to compile and ascertain the totality of...

We believe the success of applying theory in practice is largely contingent on how students define social work theory, identify the role of theory in practice, and categorize benefits and challenges in applying theory to practice. It is on this premise that this article is presented. Two datasets were used to form the students' perspectives. The fi...

Out-of-home treatments for adolescents present a distinct challenge for attachment-based clinical work. How can treatment enhance the attachment bonds between family members when the treatment is residential, by definition keeping the adolescent and his parent apart? Further, in wilderness therapy programs, adolescents are far from their familiar f...