Examines the nature and extent of threat of physical violence to child welfare workers in the course of carrying out their responsibilities. Discusses nine measures devised by the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services to enhance the health and safety of their field staff. Strives to stimulate further thinking and discussion among social…

Unless more resources are devoted to the development of social programs, summative evaluation will increasingly become a waste of time. Formative evaluation and tactical research will become more important to the extent that they actively assist in creation of social programs, increasing challenges to the integrity and validity of their work. (SLD)

Collaboration is growing among schools and community services for youth, their families, and now, university graduate programs. Proposes a structural model for collaboration which implements the concept of empowerment and designs sustainable working relationships over time. (DR)

Examines agencies in Massachusetts to determine social worker and client impressions of the effects of cutbacks on agency policy and service delivery. Results indicate increased demands on social workers for higher productivity levels, a deterioration of collaborative work environments, an inability to meet treatment goals, and demands for…

Client (n=24) and staff (n=21) satisfaction with the workings of a multidisciplinary child protection agency in Australia was investigated using interviews and standard questionnaires. Clients expressed a great deal of satisfaction with the staff and services. Agency staff expressed relative satisfaction with their jobs and showed little evidence…

To realize future continuous learning, thinking, and complex problem-solving goals and standards, educators must exchange content acquisition and knowledge retention as ends in themselves for more adventuresome, experiential learning strategies. Teachers will assume new roles as knowledge managers, team planners, collegial coaches, and…

A study of two rural independent living demonstration projects contrasts successful approaches: an independent living center and the integration of independent living philosophy and practices into an existing service network. Presents demographic information; community resources; and interview results from disabled persons, religious leaders, and…

Demographic changes, migration, and industrialization are having drastic effects on older adults in developing nations. Local programs such as Pro Vida in Colombia, supported by Help Age International, rely on the support of volunteers to improve the quality of life for elderly people. (SK)

Describes the general characteristics of family support programs in North America. Summarizes the rationale for such programs. Describes an example of a support program, the family resource centers in Canada. Outlines such key planning considerations as the diversity of today's families, needs assessment, program variety, and cultural relevance.…

Trends that will affect nursing in the near future include (1) increased multiculturalism; (2) the decline of the biomedical paradigm of dominance and control; and (3) deconstruction of mediating systems such as education and health care. (JOW)

Because schools are staggering under responsibilities abdicated by family, community, church, and industry, they are failing to educate. Two schools are necessary: the academic school, with instruction devoted exclusively to the arts and sciences; and an afterhours parallel school providing sports and extracurricular activities, social services,…

Rural disability and rehabilitation services suffer from problems of equity and efficacy. The most relevant approach to rural human-services planning is one in which available resources are organized and managed to produce the best results. Barriers to rural rehabilitation include too few rehabilitation personnel, inadequate transportation, and…

Describes the Family Advocacy Program's social services, including its focus on clients' strengths. Lists the program's guiding principles, which stress the caregivers' role. Establishes the framework of values in which the program operates and discusses practice implications of the services for social service practice. (BC)

Offers ideas for helping at-risk students that take into account the everyday life circumstances that inadequately prepare children for academic or social opportunities. Proposes programs that engage the community and school in collaborative efforts. Describes a model program, Communities in Schools, that serves students through business, agency,…

Funded by the Stewart B. McKinney Act, California's educational programs for homeless persons have the following key elements: a stable living environment, individual instruction, trained volunteers, instruction in practical tasks, materials targeted for adults, individual education plans, self-esteem building activities, and a network of local…