Publications

Below are abstracts from Dr. Sparkman-Key's most recent published research articles:

The Holland Code of Members of the National Organization for Human Services: A Preliminary Study of Human Services Professionals

Ed Neukrug, Narketta Sparkman, Jeffry Moe

This study determined the Holland code of members of the National Organization for Human Services. The authors used the O*NET Interest Profiler–Short Form to find that a sample of 355 human services professionals had a Holland code of Social Artistic, with Investigative, Enterprising, and Conventional codes significantly lower than Artisitc. Demographic differences were not found based on gender, whether participants identified human services as their primary field, or whether they had formal education in human services. Slight differences based on age were noted. Results will be used to advocate for inclusion of “human services professional” in the Standard Occupational Classification system.

Human Service Students' and Professionals' Knowledge and Experiences of Interprofessionalism: Implications for Education

Johnson, Kaprea F.; Sparkman-Key, Narketta; Kalkbrenner, Michael T.

Interprofessionalism is an approach to delivering optimal client care in which providers from multiple professions work collaboratively on care teams. Human Service Professionals (HSPs) are generalists who frequently work together with professionals in related fields. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which HSPs and helping professionals in related fields have engaged in interprofessional experiences. Researchers also investigated the impact that having previous interprofessional experiences had on participants' perceptions of interprofessionalism. Results revealed that professionals and students who had previous interprofessional experiences were significantly more likely to have positive perceptions about interprofessional cooperation. However, results also indicated that only a small proportion of HSPs and mental health professionals in related fields reported engaging in interprofessional experiences. Suggestions for how educators can infuse interprofessionalism into the curriculum for human services and related programs are provided.

Interprofessional collaboration among helping professions: Experiences with holistic client care

Chaniece Winfield, Narketta M. Sparkman-Key, Anthony Vajda

This study explores interprofessional collaboration for holistic client care within the helping disciplines. Specifically, the experiences of behavioral health, nursing, dental hygiene, social work, psychology, medicine, and human services professionals were examined using an exploratory design. Their attitudes and experiences are presented to help shape the definition, understanding, and parameters of interprofessionalism among helping professions. Challenges to the interprofessional relationship are also identified which lend insight toward enhancing service delivery. The role of the community in interprofessional collaborations was examined and supported the need for interprofessional collaboration in holistic client care.

For more information on Dr. Sparkman-Key's published research articles follow the link below:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ecAJ0G8AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao