An exploratory study of the role of protection and advocacy agencies in investigations of abuse and neglect of institutionalized developmental disabled persons indicated that these agencies play a major role in abuse and neglect prevention in spite of the few staff members and resources allocated to such investigations. (Author/CB)

Campus Compact: The Project for Public and Community Service is described. It is a national, action-oriented effort to increase student community service by centralizing and increasing access to public service information, heightening awareness of public service, and reducing the disincentives now discouraging students from volunteer work. (MLW)

The purpose of this article is to describe one agency's effort to obtain feedback by devision a low-cost follow-up mail survey. The article also attempts to determine how the results of this survey could be translated into more effective treatment than is currently being provided. (Author)

There is no doubt that private practitioners make an important contribution to the profession of social work. It is questionable, however, whether private practice is a superior delivery system that should replace the agency-based service tradition of the profession. (Author)

This paper describes the development and use of a reporting system that provides ongoing information about the functioning of a child welfare agency. The format, by relating productivity to operating costs, provides a realistic and helpful picture of performance and resource allocation. (CS)

Predicts the probably development of four different types of voluntary service organizations (VSO) that have emerged in the last decade, and describes their probable future organizational development, character, and role. (Author/NJ)

Social agencies should discard their negative assumptions about the black male ghetto resident. Agencies can provide positive experiences that support the black man's rightful role as head of his family and responsible member of the community. To illustrate this potential, guidelines that proved effective in work with a black fathers' group in…

Examines the perspectives and practice orientations of professionals influential in local policy making and service delivery for the aged. Discusses how the negative attitudes of these individuals toward the elderly result in the implementation and perpetuation of inappropriate, and often detrimental, services. (GC)

The literature on interorganizational relations is reviewed. Four distinct research traditions are examined, and the prescriptive literature on coordination is reviewed. A comparison of models of coordination, five preconditions for successful coordination, and an action model for increasing coordination are reviewed. (Author/MLW)

Discusses the National Science Foundation's Urban Systemic Initiative. Argues that educational policies and recommendations for educational reform in the absence of restructuring our social commitments to address oppression and poverty will be of little benefit to the many children who live under such circumstances. (JRH)

Gives results of a survey on the nature of, and the services offered by, suicide survivor groups. Results indicate that most groups are sponsored by mental health or social service agencies, have operated eight to nine years on average, and have fewer than 10 people typically in attendance at meetings. Other findings are reported. (RJM)

Examines ways in which policy is constructed in a UK multi-agency partnership established to challenge the exclusion of children from primary schools. Considers current social-exclusion policies focusing on problems and dilemmas of multi-agency partnerships. Drawing on data from one study, examines partnership in one specific context, combining…

Describes a class activity in which students receive copies of requests for charitable contributions, research the charities and issues, write a persuasive appeal for the charities, and debate the merits of the various causes examined by the class. Argues that students learn to analyze persuasive appeals, separate emotional from factual arguments,…

Describes a multi-method approach for assessing worker training needs in child welfare services. The approach is illustrated by describing research findings from a study of training needs of public child welfare personnel in Alaska and Oregon. (Author/BB)

Summarizes this special issue, which aims to illustrate the importance of, and stimulate interest in, child welfare history; demonstrate links between historical and current child welfare practice and policy; and encourage inclusion of child welfare in research perspectives. Topics include rise of child welfare services, responses to the need for…