An undergraduate social work program at Gallaudet College, initiated to increase professional opportunities for deaf students and to provide deaf people with social services, is described. The needs of both student and client groups are discussed, with emphasis on teaching techniques and skills required to serve the deaf population. (Author/MLW)

Examines the findings of a study evaluating the practice of an adoption reunion registry in British Columbia. Suggests that active searches often result in reunions that are experienced positively by the vast majority of both adoptees and birth parents. Highlights some of the key issues that are important for consideration in the development of…

A Peace Corps evaluator describes ways of improving utilization of evaluation results. Focus is on structural/organizational changes to facilitate knowledge and researcher use. Methods for use within and outside agencies; agency decision makers as end users; and the importance of context, as opposed to philosophy or methodology, are discussed.…

Profiles the parenting seminars and counseling services for divorcing parents offered by the Children of Separation and Divorce Center, a community service agency in Maryland. The seminars are designed to help parents adjust to divorce and understand the needs of their children during and after the divorce process. (MDM)

Describes the development and testing of a telephone support group project for persons with HIV. Examined five outcomes: self-efficacy, social isolation, social support, coping with HIV, and evaluation of the group experience. Found significant positive changes only in some aspects of self-efficacy and in social isolation. Participants rated the…

Reviews data on the skill level and readiness for independence of adolescents who are placed in the substitute care system in Washington State. Findings suggest that many of these youth do well in terms of skill learning and performance, and are prepared for independence upon emancipation. Nevertheless, remedial training is suggested to better…

Responsibility, self-care, supportive environment, and employment were analyzed as significant indicators of readiness for independent living for adolescents in foster care. Results indicated that school performance, mental health problems, hours worked per week, total number of placements, contact with father, ethnicity, and caretaker perceptions…

Examines important issues facing the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. Provides a historical overview of the policy and programmatic and research issues that surround the Older Americans Act. Explains ombudsmen's activities in their local communities and explores social workers' roles under the auspices of long-term care ombudsman programs. (RJM)

Discusses policies and procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse and neglect in foster care. Presents recommendations and policy examples for constructive approaches to situations of alleged abuse to minimize trauma to foster children and the foster family, while protecting the foster parents' own children. (HTH)

Explores interview excerpts of African-American adults adopted either transracially or interracially to discuss implications of color for special-needs adoptions. Finds that the issue of color extends beyond racial differences to include skin tone and that children are aware of and internalize color at an early age. Suggests that adoption agencies…

In 1986, the Ounce of Prevention Fund undertook an ambitious project: creating and operating a family support program for young families with infants and toddlers in the Robert Taylor Homes public housing development in Chicago. The program was the outreach function of the Center for Successful Child Development (CSCD). The CSCD, a comprehensive,…

Research and experience from throughout the child welfare system have established that maintaining a strong connection between children and their families is critical to ensure positive outcomes for children in out-of-home care. Ways in which administrators and managers in out-of-home care agencies bring a family focus to their policy,…

This paper reports on a practicum designed to teach foster-care caseworkers how to improve the specificity and clarity of item definition on Individual Service Plans (ISPs) for children in foster care. Most agencies require that within 30 days of accepting a child for foster care, agency caseworkers must complete an ISP which establishes goals for…

Recommendations for starting a process of collaboration between public schools and social service agencies are offered in this digest. The first step, information gathering, is discussed, as well as strategies for carrying out other stages in the process--selecting, approaching, and meeting with participants; problem solving; and maintaining the…

This report describes family support through the experiences and testimony of eight families. The eight families, who had children with very difficult health and behavioral problems, were participants in the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center's Family Support Program, near Detroit, Michigan. Interviews were conducted to give voice to the families who…