Discusses issues of concern for severely mentally ill people (homelessness, family burden, quality of life, deinstitutionalization, community-based services). Considers how response to severe mental illness has overrelied on pathology-based models of helping. Offers strengths perspective as alternative that sees mentally challenged individuals…

Examines orientation toward social work practice that places consumers at center of decision making/control. Examines trends in consumer movement, including advances among aging, disabled, and mental health client populations. Compares medical-rehabilitation and independent living models to demonstrate fundamental philosophical differences.…

National studies indicate that alcohol and drug involvement increases during transition from adolescence to young adulthood. The present study evaluated change in alcohol and drug use as youth move from living with their family of origin to independent living environments. Two samples of youth, those who had previously been treated for alcohol and…

After receiving word that a former client had recently passed away, the author reflects on the special time she had spent with her. The client's name was "Beckie"--the author's first set of contacts with her were quite ordinary. As the rehabilitation teacher (RT) serving that territory for the Maine Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the…

Major strides have been made in the field of youth development. However, youth transitioning into adulthood have not received similar attention. These older youth have frequently been overlooked by policymakers and practitioners who have been more focused on designing programs and services for adolescents and young children. Because older youth…

A practicum was developed to implement a career awareness program for pregnant and parenting teenagers as a part of a continuum of services provided to adolescents by a nonprofit agency. The overall goals of the program were to help participants become aware of their identity and ambitions, to assist them in setting educational and career goals,…

Undergraduates (n=226), graduate students (n=44) and independent-living older adults (n=59) rated factors contributing to successful aging. Social/familial relationships, intrinsic values, financial concerns, accomplishments, and cognitive functioning rated highest. The only age differences were older adults' higher ratings of financial concerns…

An individual with a disability complains that under the blanket term "disabled" individual needs and rights are not respected, privacy is invaded, people are always being evaluated but never asked to evaluate services they receive, and everything must be part of a "program" rather than just part of daily life. (JDD)

Reviews the independent living movement from its inception after World War II. Discusses current issues pertinent to rural independent living, funding sources, the role of research and training centers, and the outlook on crucial independent living issues for the 1990s. Emphasizes the concept of "consumer control" (participative decision…

Reviews literature concerning effective outpatient psychotherapy alternatives for adults with mental retardation. Focuses on psychodynamic, behavioral, and group psychotherapy approaches for those with dual diagnosis of mental retardation and psychological difficulties. Offers research agenda for future directions and includes model of clinical…

Social Security program has over the period become unsustainable from tax finance and imply reforms that would cut down on benefits of the elderly. The implications are that elderly may have to increase their post-retirement working, reduce consumption and opt for shared living rather than independent living conditions. The last of the three…

It has been well documented by researchers that the incidence of visual impairment (both blindness and low vision) increases as people age (see, for example, Congdon et al., 2004; Crews, 1994; Lighthouse International, 2001; Rubin, 2000) and that these physical declines can adversely affect an individual's ability to perform activities that…

Background: Inclusion is one of four policies for people with disabilities in the UK. Criticisms of its three key attributes--mainstreaming, independent living and employment--are reviewed. Methods: This study of 28 young people, most with severe intellectual disabilities, investigated engagement with inclusion at their transition to adult…

Background: Aspects of daily life have been considered in a population of people with Down syndrome, followed repeatedly from infancy to 21-years old, and again at 30-, 35- and 40-years old. A control sample of non-disabled babies were seen at the same ages. Method: Parents (usually the mothers) and/or carers were interviewed about the people's…

In September 2005, the Toronto-based Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults (MISWAA) examined Canada's income security system and presented proposals to improve the economic security of low-income, working-age adults. Former youth in care, with their poor outcomes and limited prospects for self-sufficiency as they…