The article presents an overview of the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities, the organizations it represents, its history, its mission statement, a listing of its position papers, and the process by which it operates and takes positions. (DB)

A vocational program in an Arkansas prison serves approximately 150 inmates with nine traditional low-tech programs geared to the needs of the prison population and the local job market. Only 7.5 percent of those who receive vocational training return to prison after release compared to 30.8 percent overall. (JOW)

Only 16 percent of the graduates of the Nonviolent Intermediate Offender program at Lexington Training Center (Oklahoma) return to prison after release compared to 55 percent overall. Judges may reduce sentences of participants and make further training a condition of release. (JOW)

Surveyed 71 mental health centers to explore types of actions used to cope with environmental changes in relation to perceived importance of external forces. Result showed insignificant increases in directors' contacts with state authorities, community groups, or local service agencies. Relations with state officials were described as improving.…

Looks at the way Pennsylvania Job Search was brought to the Boyce Campus of Community College of Allegheny County. Discusses student and community participants in the job placement program, its unique services, benefits to the campus, and use of the model by other schools. (AYC)

Surveyed state and local health planning agencies and Older Americans Act agencies. Found that coordination between aging and health planning agencies is directly associated with the level of attention given to long-term care priorities by the latter agencies. Findings suggest that coordination strategies may be important for policy change.…

To establish a productive program of collaboration, a continuing education agency must (1) identify resources it desires from the environment, (2) identify compatible partners that can supply these resources and that need what the continuing education program can offer, and (3) consummate the relationship. (SK)

Presents an exchange of correspondence discussing the development, nature, problems, and usefulness of the CHILDATA information sharing system worked out among agencies in Chicago. (DP)

Since training programs are costly and may be prohibitive for a small company, a consortium arrangement is suggested here to imitate the supervisory development training programs that have been effective in the large firms. (DM)

Meaningful program evaluation is essential to interagency collaboration for handicapped persons. A team approach to developing an evaluation strategy must take into account factors within four stages of the evaluation process: 1) focusing, 2) planning, 3) implementing the evaluation, and 4) disseminating results and assessing the evaluation…

An interorganizational network consisting of one United Way organization and 46 of its member agencies was studied to determine whether power relations within the network were modified by various linkages between the agencies and other elements in the community upon which the United Way organization depends for its survival. (Author)

Discusses the responsibility of the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee to provide information about careers through the development of an Occupational Information System and creation of a Career Information Delivery System. Includes a list of the State Occupational Coordinating Committee directors. (JOW)

Describes potential collaborations between child care and child support enforcement agencies (CSEA). Child care resource and referral agencies can distribute information about child support enforcement and paternity establishment. CSEAs can provide training to child care providers. Child care subsidies may be linked to cooperation with the CSEA.…

Shows that the organizations responsible for regulating safety at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) failed to identify flaws in management procedures and technical design that, if corrected, might have prevented the "Challenger" tragedy. Regulatory effectiveness was inhibited by the autonomy and interdependence of…