The author suggests that the emerging fields of social practice (such as recreation, social work, and adult education) must all go through a sequential pattern of research needs, first superficially, and then in ever deeper cycles. The six phases of these research needs are: definition of the field (survey and descriptive studies, census studies,…

Describes a successful model for offering counselor training to paraprofessionals. Shows this external degree program with a competency base to be a viable educational alternative for training human service workers without removing them from their work, their families, and their communities. (Author/BP)

The elderly can be contributing members of the community through a senior volunteer program. (JD)

Despite the substantial growth of interest in ethical issues in social work, consultation is generally unavailable to practitioners who encounter ethical dilemmas. The recent introduction of ethics committees in human service agencies to educate staff, formulate policies, and review cases that contain complex ethical issues is discussed. (Author)

Describes variations in case management approaches based on a national evaluation of Medicaid 1115 and Medicare 222 community-based care demonstrations. Presents the costs of producing case management services for selected programs. Less professionalization and less specialization of case management functions are associated with lower service…

Examined client records to compare 50 subjects admitted to a drinking-driver program and 50 subjects admitted to an outpatient alcohol treatment clinic. Highly significant differences were found between groups on 10 of 12 drinking indices, suggesting that clients referred for alcohol-related traffic offenses represent a population different from…

Examines the role of communicative responsiveness, empathic concern, and emotional contagion as precursors to burnout among human service workers. Concludes that empathic concern leads to communicative responsiveness, emotional contagion decreases responsiveness, and responsiveness predicts three dimensions of burnout and occupational commitment.…

Examined relationship between job satisfaction and burnout for human service professionals, using Job Descriptive Index and Maslach Burnout Inventory. Professionals scored in moderate and low ranges of the burnout measure, with job satisfaction inversely related to experienced burnout. Opportunity for professional development consistently…

Discusses a method of teaching human development through the use of writing journals and reading the novels of May Sarton. Uses excerpts from students' journals to highlight the process by which human service workers begin to overcome the distance between their worlds and the worlds of the elderly with whom they will work. (Author)

Differences in presenting problems and counselor age were perceived as intended. Subjects' marital status was unrelated to any measures. Counselors were judged as most expert, attractive, and trustworthy when dealing with presenting problems that were least intimate. Subjects anticipated greater satisfaction with younger rather than older…

Clients in a smoking cessation program rated their confidence in their ability to resist smoking at the end of treatment and throughout a 6-month follow-up period. Posttreatment scores significantly predicted subsequent smoking status. Results suggest that efficacy ratings can be useful predictors of relapse, particularly when assessed during the…

Describes an ongoing research project designed to develop a computer model capable of simulating the service delivery activities of community mental health care centers and human service agencies. The goal and methodology of the project are described. (NB)

Surveyed employees of a comprehensive human services department during a period of budgetary retrenchment to determine whether there were gender-related differences in reported job satisfaction levels or in underlying factors. Human service employees become much more androgynous during times of fiscal hardship. (Author/MCF)

Used staff observations of a sample of a clinics' total clientele (N=125) and mental health services clients (N=147) to examine chemical use patterns and related family and social problems. Thirty percent of the clinical services families had at least one member using drugs at the circumstantial-situtational level. (BH)

Examined data from a questionnaire concerning people with chronic health, emotional, mental, physical, and sensory impairments, and four respondent demographic and experiential characteristics to determine if 150 human service providers endorsed the premise that components of society disable people who are impaired. Results confirmed that…