This is the backend repository documentation for the Master of Social Work research project and workshop hub. It contains the technical configuration, directory structure, policy roadmap, and institutional review details.
This repository functions as an integrated deployment environment for a public, mobile-responsive Live Workshop Hub. The interactive elements, research context, and CSWE matrix are located directly on index.md to optimize participant flow during sessions.
Institutional Review Board Compliance This project was granted expedited review status by the Grand View University Institutional Review Board (IRB Project #405-26) on April 3, 2026. The study presented minimal risk to participants and adhered to standard qualitative data protection measures. To protect participant privacy in small department environments, all public-facing workshop materials use aggregated themes and randomized pseudonyms.
- Principal Investigator: Dr. Cathy Beck-Cross, Department of Social Work
- Student Researcher: Matthew Monfils (mmonfils12@gmail.com)
.
├── _config.yml # Jekyll configuration and base path overrides
├── index.md # Public Live Workshop Hub (Attendee Landing Page)
├── references.md # Public bibliography of APA citations
├── README.md # This developer documentation file
├── assets/
│ └── css/
│ └── style.scss # Custom CSS overrides for mobile device layout
└── facilitator/
└── index.md # Publicly built Facilitator Materials Portal
This repository maps the academic research findings into a multi-level social work practice framework:
- Integrate scheduled, developmental mentorship checks directly into first-year MSW course requirements.
- Shift the burden of initiation away from students to lower the entry barrier for non-traditional students balancing multiple responsibilities.
- Build informal networks into formal, institutional peer matching structures.
- Utilize advanced MSW students to share technical survival tools and systemic coping mechanisms.
- Promote accountability by introducing explicit mentorship accessibility metrics into CSWE accreditation standards.
- Standardize institutional support structures to ensure equitable access across all remote and in-person programs.
This repository strictly complies with IRB guidelines (Project #405-26) to protect participant privacy in small department environments. Developers must adhere to the following data-sharing rules:
Because the study utilizes a purposive sample of five participants in a small, local master's department, standard anonymization is insufficient. We must actively avoid the following traps:
- The 1-to-1 Matching Trap: Never pair a pseudonym with a specific demographic combination (such as stating a pseudonym represents a mother of two in a second career).
- High-Risk Local Identifiers: Completely omit specific department structures, course codes, or local geographic details that could trace back to an individual.
- Traceable Life Events: Do not mention specific personal crises, sudden employment changes, or unique family emergencies in any public presentation or workshop anchor.
To maintain a constructive and respectful academic partnership with Grand View University:
- Asset-Based Framing: Present administrative and systemic struggles as opportunities for proactive program growth or universal challenges of non-traditional higher education.
- No Deficit Language: Ensure that workshop materials do not frame the host university's support as deficient. Contrast the supportive, small-university family environment positively against rigid, traditional corporate hierarchies.
Licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for full permissions.