Findings of a study that examined the potential problems faced by beginning school principals are examined in this paper, with a focus on the obstacles that hinder the practice of interagency collaboration. The study was based on the belief that principals who act as instructional leaders place the needs of learners at the center of all school…

This qualitative case study details the Down East Partnership for Children (DEPC), one of the local Smart Start partnerships providing child care programs and direct services to children and families in 43 of North Carolina's 100 counties. The DEPC is an interagency partnership designed to model and support the delivery of integrated health,…

This report describes results of six focus groups of people with disabilities convened by the Maine Bureau of Health to determine the feelings, attitudes, and experiences of this population. Four groups were comprised of adults ranging in age from the early twenties to the late seventies; two groups were comprised of adolescents and young adults.…

This document comprises an analysis of the needs of immigrants of African descent to New York State in the following areas: (1) economic planning; (2) culture and the arts; (3) immigration reform and amnesty; and (4) health care. Immigrants from the Caribbean and Africa comprise rapidly growing segments of the State's population. These immigrants…

After approximately 20 years of developing collaborative delivery systems for children with disabilities, educational researchers have developed an extensive knowledge base. In an effort to identify potential strategies for developing and institutionalizing school-linked coordinated service delivery systems for at-risk youth, this paper examines…

This document is the second in a 5-year series of reports presented to the Prichard Committee, which monitors the progress of school reform in Kentucky. Three sections examine different aspects of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA)--primary school programs, school-based decision making (SBDM), and family-resource and youth-services centers.…

Utah's Department of Human Services' Family Reunification Project was initiated to demonstrate that intensive, time-limited, home-based services would enable children in foster care to return to their natural families more rapidly than regular foster care management permits. The following steps were taken in project development: (1) sites were…

This guide reviews resources local officials can use to improve institutional services for children and families, and offers procedural advice. Chapter 1 examines the role of municipal government in providing human services and identifies two roles local government has in delivering these services: broker and administrator. Chapter 2 examines…

This report promotes one-stop shopping for health and social services as an effective strategy for accommodating the needs of pregnant women and their children. Roadblocks to receipt of care by pregnant women include ignorance of prenatal or preventive pediatric services, poverty, weak referral networks, and the fragmentation of programs and…

The mission of New York's Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) is to provide educational, vocational, and counseling services to people whose disabilities impose barriers to employment; to increase the access of all people with disabilities to the full range of services offered within the State…

This handbook was produced to help Maine families of children with disabilities to deal positively with their situations and children. It provides insights into services that have been developed, problems that may arise, and resources available. The handbook discusses types of developmental disabilities; the role of parents as advocates;…

This fact sheet summarizes information about the education-related services provided by federal/state-funded Vocational Rehabilitation Services and describes how to gain access to them. In a question/answer format, the guide discusses how to find the local vocational rehabilitation office, how to contact the office, procedures involved in…

Recruitment of Native Americans to be foster or adoptive parents for Native American children involves careful planning, preparation, and work. In addition to making standard administrative decisions and maintaining required records, social workers must be sensitive to the attitudes, lifestyle, and culture of Native Americans recruited as adoptive…

This manual is designed to educate human service agency management personnel involved in transportation about basic risk management principles and insurance issues. Chapter I illustrates the liability factors that create the insurance and risk management needs. Both legal and humanitarian obligations of human service agencies involved in…

Ninety-three clients were interviewed for their reactions to a community mental health outreach program. The results indicate that for the majority this typical program met their perceived needs. (Author)