Describes a variable color-coding system which has been added to the standard family genogram in which characteristics or issues associated with a particular presenting problem or for a particular family are arbitrarily assigned a color. Presents advantages of color-coding, followed by clinical examples. (Author/ABL)

The article describes a strategy for evaluating alternatives in intervention in families having children with handicaps using the values framework proposed by Nicholas Hobbs. A practitioners' checklist is offered as a guide for assessing the consistency of proposed interventions with the values framework. (Author/DB)

Reviews Family Concept Assessment Method (FCAM), instrument designed to measure family concept, the sum of a person's values, attitudes, and feelings regarding his or her family. Discusses FCAM reliability, administration and scoring, and clinical utility. Concludes that at least two measures (family congruence and family satisfaction scores) may…

Interviewed 1,200 male Vietnam veterans and spouses or coresident partners of 376 of these veterans. Compared with families of male veterans without current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), families of male veterans with current PTSD showed markedly elevated levels of severe and diffuse problems in marital and family adjustment, in parenting…

Shelter staff from 8 states completed Client Information Records on 2,019 runaways. Found significant differences in problems reported by physically abused and sexually abused runaways when compared to nonabused runaway peers. Runaways who were both physically and sexually maltreated were significantly more vulnerable and much worse off than those…

Presents a model which blends the family and work spheres into an exchange-based model of family interaction in two-generation farm families. Specific recommendations are made to help rural family practitioners, educators, and Cooperative Extension agents better understand and work with two-generation farm families. (LLL)

Study found variation in 34 states' implementation of federal mandate to provide public social services to families to prevent unnecessary separation of children. Five state-level variables were statistically significantly associated with states' prevention effort: disposition of governor, key legislator, and child welfare director; citizen…

Surveyed 198 social workers to determine prevalence of alcohol and other drug problems among colleagues, family members, and friends. Forty-three percent of respondents reported knowing at least one social worker who had alcohol or drug problem; 60% had close friends or family with problems; 39% had nuclear family member with problem; and 11% were…

Conducted one-year follow-up study on families randomly assigned to settle custody disputes either in mediation or through adversary procedures. Consistent with Time 1 reports, at Time 2, fathers who mediated were substantially more satisfied than were fathers who litigated. Fathers who mediated also complied more with child support orders.…

Advocates that counseling professionals work together as team in helping families. Contends that quality of care provided is improved by coordinated network of helping professionals. Discusses advantages of community network, identifies obstacles to implementing networks, reviews related literature, lists assumptions upon which team approach is…

Research on the impact of cancer on the family is reviewed with regard to both the clinical course of cancer and the developmental stages of the family system. Combining these two dimensions provides insight into the current literature regarding cancer's impact on the family, intervention strategies, and future directions. (Author/EMK)

This paper explores why young people leave home and become homeless. Drawing on life history interviews conducted with 50 homeless youth in Los Angeles, explanations provided by participants for becoming homelessness and how they understand their experiences are presented. In professional discourses, homeless young people are often portrayed as…

Early intervention and early care providers reported frequently encountering families with multiple economic, social and mental health challenges. Providers endorsed needs for mentoring and training to understand specific problems, to gain knowledge of community resources, to be able to talk with families about challenges and to recognize and…

Managing work and family responsibilities is particularly difficult for military families with children. While military life has always been demanding, in recent years an increasing number of military personnel in both the Active Duty Force and Selected Reserves have had to confront the additional demands of parenthood. Providing resources to…

This synopsis of the outcome literature on marital and family treatment (MFT) drew three conclusions. First, intervening at the marital/family level with nonalcoholic family members can motivate an initial commitment to change in the alcoholic who is unwilling to seek help. Second, MFT alone, or with individual alcoholism treatment, produces…