Quality improvement centers were created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Children's Bureau beginning in 2001 to promote knowledge development through an innovative approach to applied collaborative research in child welfare. The National Quality Improvement Center on the Privatization of Child Welfare Services was funded to…

Reviews paralysis of U.S. social policy. Notes that, although federal government has implemented new social programs, programs either are provided on condition of willingness to work or are modest in scope. Linking paralysis with literature on government ineffectuality, traces origins of ineffectuality of political/economic policies of past 20…

Argues that human service organizations need to unite, to adopt a proactive, rather than reactive, stance toward the political process that produces social policy, and to build advocacy coalitions that influence this process. Suggests ways to form coalitions and conduct lobbying efforts. (Author/ABB)

Despite the substantial growth of interest in ethical issues in social work, consultation is generally unavailable to practitioners who encounter ethical dilemmas. The recent introduction of ethics committees in human service agencies to educate staff, formulate policies, and review cases that contain complex ethical issues is discussed. (Author)

Describes how, through support of private philanthropy, welfare recipients have been involved in implementing welfare-to-work policy, including Job Opportunities in Business Sector provisions of Family Support Act, in Illinois since 1986. Describes client roles in problem formulation, model program development, policy development, and policy…

The instrumental utilization of evaluation findings to assist in the development of program policy is discussed, drawing examples from an innovative human service program/policy that involves multiple funding ministries and participating agencies. Evaluation practices that enhance utilization, including pre- and postevaluation activities, are…

There is currently movement internationally towards the integration of services for young children and their families, incorporating childcare, education, health and family support. Shifting service provision towards partnership between services, and between these services and families, has been the subject of policy formation at various levels.…

Outlines key social policy issues facing women and examines implications for social work practice. Argues that systematic analysis of interconnections between social policy issues and social work practice with women is critical foundation for social work practice. Uses framework built on concepts of role equity and role change to examine social…

Describes Building Ties Project, a program that provides comprehensive assistance to local interagency planning committees addressing mental health service needs of older adults, including training program development materials and consultation. Notes that in two years, project activities in 23 counties increased services, improved interagency…

Addresses problems, such as the relationship of needs to the availability of services, encountered by rural officials in conducting needs assessments of community services and notes their implications for policy makers. (SB)

This paper presents a summary of presentations and discussion from a World Health Organization meeting of experienced low vision practitioners. It outlines the magnitude of the problem; current status of low vision care; enhancement of the use of vision; and recommendations in definitions, identification, assessment, low vision centers, education,…

Because social policy making continues to devolve to the state level, social workers should understand how advocacy and policy making occur at that level. Interest groups active in the human services arena were surveyed and data were used to test a model of interest group effectiveness in four states. The independent variables were amount of…

Describes targeting policies of four Social Health Maintenance Organization sites which deliver integrated, prepaid, acute, and chronic care to Medicare beneficiaries. Analyzes complexities of operationalizing targeting systems in four different settings. Notes that selection criteria for targeting expanded benefits and their implementation affect…

Conducted study of rural homelessness in Ohio. Of 919 homeless adults interviewed, 247 were heading family units; 480 children were in these families. More than two-thirds of families were headed by single parents. Found differences in demographic characteristics of rural homeless population as compared to urban counterparts. Findings have…

Australian laws and regulations such as the Disability Services Act reflect the importance of ensuring that persons with disabilities receive appropriate services. A tension exists, however, between policy formulation and service provision, which is influenced by disagreements on government's role in service funding, lobby groups, and the tendency…