Applied Bronfenbrenner's social ecology model to families that include a member with a developmental disability and who are making the transition from institution to community. Presents an overview of the model as well as a discussion of counselors' use of it in providing services to families in this situation. (RJM)

This article reviews the literature on children prenatally exposed to drugs and alcohol, the potential impact on the educational and social services systems, and implications for programing for children identified as behaviorally disordered. (Author/JDD)

Highlights a Beacon Colleges Grant-funded project conducted by six Oregon community colleges to foster interagency cooperation among social and welfare services, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Offers such guidelines for collaborative projects as focus on individual needs, foster independence from agency services, and…

This qualitative and interpretive study of the normalization effort for individuals with mental retardation in Sweden analyzes the cultural context; legislation, jurisdictional considerations, and societal attitudes; potential barriers to integration; and the economics of service provision. Sweden's system of comprehensive service and support…

Independent living centers serve a cross-disability population; involve persons with disabilities in policymaking, goal setting, and service delivery; provide comprehensive services for independent living; and provide both consumer and systemwide advocacy. Barriers to rural independent living and approaches to overcoming them are described. (SV)

Schools and community agencies are working together to find new ways to meet the needs of students and their families. Given the increasing complexity of children's and adolescents' lives, collaboration to address their needs makes sense. Key elements of successful school-community agency collaborations are goals; roles; balance; equality; trust;…

A nationwide survey of 84 child protection workers found that 92 percent of the counties represented had a problem meeting their medical needs and would be willing to hire a physician assistant as medical consultant. Needs most commonly identified were providing parent education, interviewing, and interpreting medical information to a…

This study evaluated child sexual abuse statistics since introduction of a child sexual abuse program in 1985 in Shelby County, Tennessee. Findings suggest a highly fluctuating validation rate, higher validation rates for girls than boys, possible underreporting of male victims, and 78 percent of the perpetrators being known to their victims.…

Community programs developed as part of the Healthy Children Program demonstrate that cost-effective models for accessible health care exist. A communications strategy to disseminate knowledge about improving health care is recommended. (SLD)

Describes the "rurban" community of Freeport, Maine, and community changes that occurred during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The coordinator of Freeport Community Services facilitated the identification of community problems (including concerns about the quality of public education), analysis of the dynamics of the social situation,…

Parents, social service workers, and medical personnel did not generally differ in their judgments of supervision required for children of 11 ages in 5 supervision domains. For most domains, constant supervision of preschool children was recommended. For elementary school children, nearly constant supervision in typical situations, close…

Discusses the need for access to and inclusion in community leisure services for individuals with disabilities. The article presents three case studies and looks at inclusive community leisure services, the programing process, extrinsic strategies for inclusive programing, and the benefits of inclusive services for individuals with and without…

A multivariate, criterion-referenced approach was used to assess prevalence of serious emotional disturbance among children on protective service case loads. Of 140 recipients of protective services, 72% were statistically indistinguishable from children in Washington State's most intensive mental health treatment programs. School problems,…

Discusses the development of public schools as centers for social and health services. Identifies the at-risk population and describes a variety of intervention programs. Envisions a comprehensive, centralized scheme at the city or county level to serve the needs of disadvantaged students and their families. (DM)

Analyzes a coordinated children's service project in Chicago's decentralizing the school system from an organizational change perspective. Identifies issues, problems, and lessons concerning school-site administration that emerge from combining policy initiatives designed to open schools to community influence while extending schools' service…