A quantitative descriptive survey of a national sample of social workers (N = 206) examined discrepancies between belief in the NASW "Code of Ethics" and behavior in implementing the code and social workers' disjunctive distress (disjuncture) when belief and behavior are discordant. Relationships between setting and disjuncture and ethics…

Social service agencies and practitioners are continually challenged to provide services that are effective for, and reflective of, cultural and religious diversity. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 50 social work practitioners in four Canadian cities to gain insight into methods of practice that are culturally sensitive for work with…

Children in foster care comprise a population of students at great risk for school failure. The child welfare agency, schools, and home must all work together to provide the services and supports required to achieve better results. The purpose of this study was to conduct focus groups with participants from each sector to discuss their views on…

In many instances, departments of social work in universities and community-based social services agencies have common interests in improving professional practice and advancing knowledge in the profession. Effective university-community research collaborations can help partners achieve these goals jointly, but to be effective these collaborative…

The aim of this study was to explore the extent to which the person-in-environment approach is part of the professional ideology of social workers in Israel and the degree to which they actualize it in their professional practice. The study examines the perceived importance of various goals of the social work profession and the perceived…

This article describes the experiences and perspectives of child welfare workers and maltreated children living in Japanese state care. Japanese adults emphasize supporting children's emotional well-being and empowerment through developmentally and ecologically focused socialization strategies. One developmental goal articulated by caregivers of…

How much will a social agency benefit from introducing a computer data system? That depends on the agency's ability to use the information derived and on the staff's wisdom in applying the capabilities of the computer system to the problems at hand. (Author)

Describes the fate of a cooperative effort by a welfare department and a mental health center in an Ohio city. (Author)

A model for treating delinquents is proposed in which traditional community agencies would integrate small numbers of delinquents into groups of prosocial children. This innovation would reduce the adverse effects of labeling and peer-group composition, among others, without interfering significantly with the agencies' operations. (Author)

The social work profession has paid little attention to the role of the income maintenance line worker in the past decade. This service is a necessary component for the social worker and the profession. (Author/LAB)

Discusses the historical and structural context in which the purchase and contracting of child welfare services has developed in Massachusetts. Concludes that the contracting process is a potentially dominant factor in specifying the roles of the voluntary and public sectors as well as the opportunities and constraints for collaboration between…

Evaluating a federal agency's success in stimulating and broadening the program efforts of community organizations present a challenge to social science researchers. The authors describe a methodology developed and used effectively in one metropolitan area to measure program change. They identify and utilize the findings to show how greater change…

Most clients throughout the history of social work have participated in brief treatment only. The authors suggest that this fact of clinical life be taken into account in administrative and therapeutic planning. (Author)

Voluntary funding organizations face increasing public demands for accountability in the use of funds. This article presents a model for evaluating the effectiveness of agency programs and discusses its applicability to the process of allocating funds. (Author)

Predicts the probably development of four different types of voluntary service organizations (VSO) that have emerged in the last decade, and describes their probable future organizational development, character, and role. (Author/NJ)