Three hundred and forty individuals, employed at 32 randomly selected human service agencies, completed a questionnaire to determine the educational needs of an estimated 3,000 employees of 159 human service agencies in the four county Capital District of New York State. Analysis of the data indicated that human service agency personnel in the…

Professors and staff members of the University of Portland took the "urban plunge" when they visited the state's Adult and Family Services offices, shelters for the homeless and for battered women, an alcohol- and drug-rehabilitation center, and served lunch at two soup kitchens. A project at Notre Dame is also described. (MLW)

While Latinos make up approximately 9 percent of the total population of the United States, they comprise over 25 percent of California's population. Although over half of Latino American women have entered the workforce, a severe family and child poverty rate persists. Since 1990, through a project called "El Comienzo" ("The…

Federal funding for children's health insurance may significantly reduce the problem of uninsured children in New York and subsequently improve child outcomes. This study evaluated the effectiveness of two program models in educating parents about available sources of health insurance and in increasing enrollment of uninsured children into…

Notes that youth agencies and their administrators and practitioners face obstacles in addressing needs of gay and lesbian youths. Explores the experiences of two youth-serving agencies to offer recommendations on agency philosophies concerning the social realities of sexual minority youths and on several ways of creating a safe, welcoming, and…

Compared outcomes of child welfare investigative decisions enhanced by the use of brief, intensive, family preservation services with those of unenhanced decisions. Found differences between the number of cases opened, length of time a case was open, length of time the child was at home, and the families' satisfaction with the agency. (Author/SD)

Found the book a thoughtful, articulate, well-written, and informative work that powerfully challenges traditional thinking about the suitability of gays and lesbians to raise children. Successfully completes the goal of writing a book for and about both lesbian mothers and gay fathers, as well as serving as a valuable resource to child welfare…

Reports data from a study assessing the comparative availability of services to teenage mothers and teenage fathers in agency settings in a midwestern state. A survey of 149 agencies indicates that teenage fathers are underserved relative to teenage mothers. Implications for social service policy are discussed. (SLD)

Background: Few large sample studies have examined psychiatric morbidity among former child welfare/protection clients. In this study, risks for suicide attempts and severe psychiatric morbidity in younger years were assessed for former child welfare clients in ten national birth cohorts, comparing them with general population peers and…

This document is intended to assist agencies in formulating and initiating a financially realistic public relations plan specifically designed for their community-based vocational rehabilitation organizations. The document consists of 6 chapters, a 43-item bibliography, a glossary, and information about the author. Chapter 1 defines public…

This issue of "Focal Point" addresses the delivery of services to children who are ethnic minorities of color and who have severe emotional disabilities. The cover article offers five keys to the provision of professionally competent services with such children: awareness and acceptance of cultural differences, awareness of the professional's own…

Addressed to those individuals who have responsibility for development of volunteer programs for a variety of agencies and organizations, this guide provides positive examples and practical suggestions to increase accessibility to community organizations for handicapped individuals. Its intent is to increase services to the handicapped population…

The study examined relationships among factors influencing utilization of social services by Hispanic elderly, particularly factors categorized as: (1) informal, such as support groups of family, kin, neighbors, friends, and (2) quasi-formal, such as church groups. Thirty-seven variables and data selected from a 1979-80 15-state survey of 1,805…

This study of black families examined the degree of congruence between family structure, family interaction, and attitudinal constellations in the home and the utilization of selected health, educational and social service agencies. Data were collected from parents of 150 children attending the Howard University Child Development Center and from 4…

This volume, the first in a series of seven reporting the design, methodology and findings of the 4-year National Day Care Home Study (NDCHS), the first national study of family day care, provides a synopsis of the study's findings. Volume One consists of 10 chapters. Chapter I provides background information and an overview of the NDCHS. Design…