The critical success of online instructors is their ability to engage students in the learning process. With this expertise, the online experience is extremely effective. The goal of this book is to help faculty understand the processes of teaching online and learning to be student-centered, which are the first steps toward becoming a successful…

Since publication of the U.S. Surgeon General's report "Mental Health: Culture, Race and Ethnicity--A Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General" (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001), several federal initiatives signal a sustained focus on addressing African American-White American disparities in mental health…

The Optimal Treatment approach to needs assessment consists of comparing the most desirable set of services for a client with the services actually received. Discrepancies due to unavailable resources are noted and aggregated across clients. Advantages and disadvantages of this and other needs assessment procedures are considered. (Author/RL)

It is argued that the role of the evaluator is fluid and subject to unpredictable change over time. Two key principles from systems theory support the above: (1) the definition of an organization as an open system, and (2) the self-regulatory or cybernetic nature of systems. Actual experiences are drawn upon to describe that interrupted the…

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) was created as an umbrella agency, to bring together state human service programs, so that people could get comprehensive assistance with many, often interrelated needs. Efforts were made to co-locate various service program offices to make access to various services easier.…

This report provides descriptive data for understanding the status of human services in Greater Phoenix, describes provocative issues that certain populations and providers face, and offers a starting point for determining Maricopa Valley's aspirations for tomorrow's human-services infrastructure. This report describes an array of populations that…

Government documents, brochures and annual reports of private agencies, and a taped narrative were reviewed to examine the educational and training needs of handicapped children and adults in India. The investigation centered around five questions: Who are the handicapped and how are they defined? What methods are used to identify them and assess…

Describes an ongoing research project designed to develop a computer model capable of simulating the service delivery activities of community mental health care centers and human service agencies. The goal and methodology of the project are described. (NB)

An innovative new evaluation unit in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is detailed. This unit, the Office of Service Delivery Assessment (SDA), regularly briefs the Secretary on the services delivered to clients at the local level. The process of the SDA is described and conclusions are offered. (Author/GK)

Designed program using variety of engagement techniques and service components for homeless and marginally housed elderly. Clients (n=132) averaged three favorable outcomes. Service delivery was conceptualized as three-stage process based on differential effects of variables at each stage. Strongest predictors of outcome were number of service…

This report focuses on repeat users of multiple community services who, because of their tendency to move in and out of mental health clinics, jails, and hospitals, are referred to as "revolving door clients." It notes that the costs of providing services to these individuals are staggering and that this population consumes a vast amount of the…

This document presents the New Jersey statewide plan for combating the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic. Ten recommendations of the New Jersey State Commissioner of Health focus on such issues as public/private partnerships, protecting confidentiality, and fighting discrimination. The introduction notes that the plan is driven…

This document begins by dispelling several misperceptions about American Indians that are especially pernicious to older American Indians living in cities, and then goes on to discuss what is known about urban American Indian elders and the implications for planning and service delivery for Area Agencies on Aging and contractor agencies. It notes…

Describes how rural human service agencies of Clarendon County (South Carolina) cooperate, coordinate, and use creativity in providing services for their mutual client populations. Discusses use of interagency teams and shared resources and training, problems regarding confidentiality, and response to client needs. (NEC)

Flexible service dollars can help in tailoring services to meet the unique needs of rural children with serious emotional disturbance and their families. This paper discusses terminology, programmatic components, and uses of flexible service dollars in North Idaho and upstate New York, to highlight such family needs as economic supports,…