The National University System Repository exists to increase public access to research and other materials created by students and faculty of the affiliate institutions of National University System. Most items in the repository are open access, freely available to everyone.
Recent Submissions
Item The Healing Capacity of Animal Assisted Counselling(2026-01)Amid rising and increasingly complex mental health challenges, there is a growing demand for innovative therapeutic approaches that address both physiological and relational aspects of client care. While animals have long been used in the treatment of humans, the formal implementation of animals with the clinical treatment plan is still a newer, growing modality that is not well understood. The goal of this capstone is to provide counsellors, current and future, with a comprehensive understanding of animal-assisted counselling and how it can enhance their therapeutic practice. The human-animal bond has intrinsic attributes that support individuals to feel more connected with others and within themselves using the foundations of Polyvagal theory and the therapeutic alliance. This capstone will propose a workshop to educate any counsellors interested in using animals within their clinical work, to expand their capacity in addressing the evolving landscape of mental health care.Item Emerging Drone Risks and Protective Measures: A Study on the Western Interconnection Electrical Grid(2025-10)The rapid growth of low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has introduced new risks for U.S. critical infrastructure. The problem to be addressed by this study will be the threat that current and emerging aerial drone technologies pose to the Western Interconnection electrical power grid, as perceived by subject matter experts (SME) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC). The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study is to analyze and identify the severity of risk posed by current and emerging commercial aerial drone technology to America’s Western Interconnection Electrical Grid Infrastructure. Data were gathered via an IRB-approved anonymous survey of 24 subject matter experts (SMEs) with follow-up interviews. Open-ended responses addressed (a) perceived UAV risk levels, (b) SME concern, and (c) adequacy of counter-UAS measures and interagency coordination. Thematic analysis revealed that SMEs view the grid as vulnerable due to gaps in detection, statutory authorities, and coordinated response protocols. Most rated current protections only slightly or moderately effective, with no SME identifying safeguards as highly effective; interagency coordination was assessed as minimal to moderate. Findings highlight the need for stronger policies and cross-agency collaboration. Recommendations include integrating counter-UAS scenarios into training, expanding statutory authorities, and investing in layered detection and mitigation systems. The study contributes stakeholder-driven insights at the unclassified level and offers guidance for regulators and practitioners seeking to strengthen energy infrastructure security against evolving aerial threats.Item Behind the Lens: Sharenting, Family Vlogging, and the Psychological Impact of Growing Up Online(2025-07)This capstone synthesizes research on the psychological, developmental, and systemic impacts of sharenting, the practice of parents sharing children's images and information online. This work explores how early and ongoing digital exposure influences autonomy, identity formation, and relational boundaries. Guided by Erikson's Psychosocial Development Theory, Bowen Family Systems Theory, and Goffman's Dramaturgical Approach, the literature review synthesizes research on the ways curated online portrayals shape self-concept, disrupt family dynamics, and create lasting digital legacies. The review also evaluates four intervention models, Circle of Security Parenting, Emotion-Focused Family Therapy, Mindful Parenting, and psychoeducation, as potential frameworks for guiding caregivers toward ethical, developmentally informed sharing practices. The capstone addresses implications for mental health professionals, caregivers, policymakers, technology platforms, and community organizations, recommending stronger legal safeguards for child influencers, integration of digital ethics into counselling practice, and platform-level measures to protect minors' privacy. These recommendations aim to support child-centred, ethically responsible approaches to online content creation involving children.Item From Corruption to Connection: An Integrated Perspective on Dialectical Behavioural Therapy and Recidivism in Forensic Settings(2025-12-15)This capstone, guided by a biosocial framework, examines the question: How effective is Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) in reducing recidivism factors in forensic settings? The review explored how DBT supports rehabilitation by addressing interconnected psychological, behavioural, and environmental factors associated with reoffending. A systematic search was conducted across major psychology, mental health, and criminology databases in accordance with PRISMA (2020) guidelines. Ten peer-reviewed studies published between 2018 and 2025 met inclusion criteria, spanning randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, mixed-methods, and qualitative designs. Four additional review articles published from 2017 onward were included to strengthen theoretical and contextual grounding. Reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021), guided by abductive reasoning, was used to synthesize patterns across the literature. Findings indicated that DBT consistently improves emotion regulation, impulse control, coping, and prosocial decision-making—factors strongly linked to reduced reoffending. Adaptations such as shortened modules, simplified materials, and trauma-informed delivery enhanced accessibility, particularly for individuals with intellectual disabilities or co-occurring substance-use and mental-health challenges. However, variability in program length, inconsistent follow-up, and limited attention to cultural diversity constrained generalizability. Overall, DBT shows strong potential as an ethically grounded and flexible intervention that promotes relational safety and rehabilitation in correctional settings, though evidence on long-term recidivism and culturally diverse outcomes remains limited.Item Sustaining School Leadership Through Principal Retention: A Longitudinal Descriptive Study of Maryland’s Promising Principals’ Academy(2025-12)Principal turnover and the lack of sustained school leadership remain national concerns, with nearly one in five principals leaving their schools each year. Sustained leadership is critical to student achievement, teacher development and retention, and school improvement; however, limited research has explored participation in a job-embedded professional learning and administrators’ longevity. Grounded in Lave and Wenger’s communities of practice theory, this longitudinal descriptive study examined retention among administrators who completed a cohort-based professional learning academy. A near-census sample of 249 academy completers across five cohorts (2014–2022) was analyzed using archival statewide staffing data. Retention in Maryland school-based administrative roles was documented at 3-, 5-, 8-, and 10-year intervals. At the 10-year interval, Cohort 1 retained approximately 39% of participants in Maryland schools—substantially higher than national mover-plus-stayer benchmarks of about ~22%, representing a 77% higher retention rate and indicating participants were 1.8 times more likely to continue serving in school-based leadership roles. Framed as a departure risk, principals nationally face an estimated 78% likelihood of leaving school-based leadership roles within 10 years, whereas the MDPPA Cohort 1 departure rate was 61%, reflecting a meaningful reduction in long-term attrition risk. Together, these findings suggest that structured professional learning models that build collegial networks may contribute to stronger long-term leadership continuity. Findings support continued investment in structured, mentoring-based professional development as a strategy to stabilize the school leadership pipeline. Implications include the need for policy and practice enhancements that strengthen leadership development systems, expand access to mentoring and coaching for principals, and sustaining leaders through collegial networks of practice. Recommendations for future research include longitudinal analyses examining the impact of professional learning on principal effectiveness and school outcomes.
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