A cooperative planning effort by six public service agencies in California's Imperial County, an agricultural region suffering from the nation's highest unemployment rate and lowest per capita income, was designed to link and integrate the agencies' employment and training programs. It was found that the proper perspective for planning is as…

This booklet is designed to encourage and assist parents in locating or starting a parent support group. It provides guidelines and suggestions for group formation and can serve as a resource guide for parent support groups. The eight sections of the booklet address the following topics: (1) the role of parent support groups; (2) definitions of a…

This manual, prepared by the Michigan Office of Services to the Aging, is intended to aid agencies concerned with aging in planning volunteer programs. This second of three volumes helps the volunteer coordinator design and implement a successful training program for the volunteer network. The training process described here begins with the…

Offers detailed guidelines that could be used as standard operating procedures for the merger of voluntary social service agencies. Discusses a survey of 32 agencies that merged during the years 1973 to 1986. Issues related to the roles of organization, staff, and service delivery in such mergers receive particular attention. (Author/BB)

This resource book was prepared for delegates to the White House Conference on Families (WHCF) for use in formulating family policy recommendations. "Issue Priority Forms," completed by more than 100 national organizations involved in the WHCF process, are presented. Each form includes a topic to be discussed, a high priority issue…

Based on the work of the National Council on Research in Child Welfare (NCRCW), this handbook is designed to help social service agency executives cope with changing times for child welfare agencies, strengthen traditional services to meet today's needs, and analyze and plan for the future. The manual aims to demystify quality improvement theory…

This report describes the formation of the Literacy Coalition of Harrisburg, which sought to allow for the pooling of resources, elimination of service duplication, and establishment of a referral system. Chapter I focuses on activities prior to submitting a grant proposal and includes correspondence. Chapter II covers writing and submitting the…

Discusses how computer technology is a prime way to enable college students to serve their communities. As part of service learning, they can help agencies create World Wide Web sites or can build university-based Internet resources. (EV)

This user's manual, designed to meet the needs of adoption exchange administrators and program managers for a formal tool to assist them in the overall management and operation of their program, presents the Model Adoption Exchange Payment System (MAEPS), which was developed to improve the delivery of adoption exchange services throughout the…

Recognition of alcoholism as a treatable illness is a result of public education based on scientific facts. This publication, a digest of a more detailed survey of research about drinking and alcoholism, presents information about alcohol and its effects on individuals and society. It provides facts about the short-term and long-term effects of…

This guide for administrators provides a model for linking adult basic education (ABE) programs--ABE, general educational development (GED), and English as a second language (ESL)--with a broad range of human service agencies. The linkage model depicts a process that is divided into three phases. Three chapters discuss in detail these phases.…

Intended for state administrators, district supervisors, and middle managers in vocational rehabilitation agencies, this document proposes a marketing approach to placement of the disabled. Chapter 1 outlines an approach to marketing the rehabilitation agency's "products" and services toward the end result of "selling" them to employers. Basic…

This guide enables teachers to address the issues associated with teaching about the world's nearly 15 million refugees. The guide is divided into two sections and intended for use in grades 6-12. The teacher's guide section provides extensive background for teachers seeking a comprehensive understanding of the world of refugees. Statistics,…

One of four volumes devoted to the CARE (Children's Agencies, Resources, Etc.) Linkages Project in Tennessee, this report describes the development of eight county CARE committees. The goal of the project was to foster collaboration leading to more effective linkages between publicly funded child care and development programs and other service…

Research and experience from throughout the child welfare system have established that maintaining a strong connection between children and their families is critical to ensure positive outcomes for children in out-of-home care. Ways in which administrators and managers in out-of-home care agencies bring a family focus to their policy,…