Millions of school children are currently at risk of academic failure; the potential costs to society are staggering. If the central factors causing a child's poor social adjustment can be addressed, both the rate of school failure and social service costs can be reduced. Attempting to control the school failure issue, the Wisconsin State…

This report provides descriptions of strategies for dropout prevention at the secondary level and presents examples of programs that successfully utilize these strategies. The information is based on data from a review of nearly 200 programs at secondary schools across the four-state Western region that includes Arizona, California, Nevada, and…

Rural America has been experiencing dramatic changes and is becoming an increasingly diverse society. To explore the process by which rural schools define and work towards change, case studies were conducted on two rural schools that have established unusually strong links with their communities. Information was collected by personal interviews…

Runaways are rapidly becoming one of the highest at risk populations for contracting and spreading the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) virus. This practicum was therefore designed to provide an AIDS policy and awareness training for the employees of a state-licensed and federally recognized center for troubled and runaway youth. Its…

As a result of budget cuts and policy changes, health, nutrition, and social welfare programs have been rendered less able to help children and families, particularly those families hard hit by the recession. It is argued that there is no excuse for these cuts and that if the economy were growing and employment levels were high, the budget cuts…

The master of arts (M.A.) program in community psychology at Russell Sage College's two campuses in New York State is discussed. The program evolved from three interrelated developments: the growth and expansion of community psychology as a discipline, the increasing acceptance within the field of psychology of the M.A. as a terminal degree, and…

This document describes the early childhood services program in Alberta, Canada and its goals for accomplishment with children, within families, and in the community. Early Childhood Services (ECS), Alberta Education, is concerned with the provision of a coordinated system of local, regional, and provincial programs and services to meet the…

This publication is an edited record of a series of public seminars held between June and October of 1983. The seminars, entitled "Community Based Services for Children and Families," were based on two policy background papers commissioned by the Institute of Family Studies (ISF) on the topics of family support and children's services.…

Montgomery County Children's Services, which provides public child welfare services in Dayton, Ohio, has instituted a family resource system to better serve and reduce the number of black children placed in foster care. The agency is mandated to receive and investigate child abuse and neglect complaints and to provide support services. The system…

This instructional module on social aspects of aging is one in a block of 10 modules designed to provide the human services worker who works with older adults with basic information regarding the aging process. An introduction provides an overview of the module content. A listing of general objectives follows. Four sections present informative…

This issue discusses the problems that frequently accompany involuntary job loss. The types of problems experienced by dislocated workers are discussed under these categories: emotional, family, financial, physical health, job skill obsolescence, and lack of basic academic skills. The report also presents approaches that were taken by four…

The curriculum provides consumer information on five topics to increase independence and effectiveness of physically disabled (PD) persons in the marketplace. Noted is development of the curriculum as part of a 3 stage county educational program in San Diego, California, including incorporation of findings from a needs assessment survey of PD and…

Family support services are systematic efforts to support natural, adoptive, or foster families who have a family member with a disability. Programs vary in the types of services offered, goals, and number of families served. The most promising approaches to family support provide services that are flexible and individualized, build on informal…

The three issue papers in this document contain the recommendations made by a Working Group on Youth Service America (YSA) regarding pending and proposed youth service legislation. "Recommendations to the President about the Youth Entering Service to America Foundation" discusses youth service and its mission. Operating tenets for the…

Summaries are presented of more than 60 key federal laws pertaining to the legal rights and benefits available to persons with disabilities. The laws are organized into general subject areas, including: education, employment, health, housing, income maintenance, nutrition, rights, social services, transportation, and vocational rehabilitation. The…