The focus of this study was to empirically investigate how virtual teams operate in an online MBA program. Building knowledge and skills required for a successful career is a central component of higher education, especially in business schools. Importantly, virtual teaming has been considered a useful method in meeting this educational demand.…

This practicum developed and implemented an organization development plan to improve agency and team effectiveness and staff satisfaction at a private agency that provides educational and treatment services to children with emotional, mental, or behavioral disorders. An extensive literature review on organizational development was conducted and…

This newsletter theme issue focuses on the need to accelerate the closing of institutions for people with mental retardation. Articles are by both current and former residents of institutions and by professionals, and include: "The Realities of Institutions" (Tia Nelis); "I Cry Out So That I Won't Go Insane" (Mary F. Hayden); "Trends in…

This guide is designed for adults who suspect or know they have a learning disability and for family and friends who wish to help. It is intended to provide a starting point for gaining information that can lead to obtaining services at the state or local level. It provides information on assessing the problem, a learning disabilities checklist,…

In this applied research project, the tendency for Youth Workers to treat admissions as a sudden procedural event was problematic at a treatment program. Literature from (brief) constructivist therapies, youth care work, and interviews with administrators, youth workers, and youths at a treatment program were used to solve the problem. The Context…

This evaluation, conducted in 1994, examines all of the West Virginia Commission on the Arts' Arts in Education programs and assesses the future direction of the programs. The evaluation was conducted with a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods so as to provide the Commission with the data it needs to help guide planning and further…

This policy research brief summarizes three studies on training direct service personnel serving people with developmental disabilities, conducted at the Research and Training Center on Residential Services and Community Living, University of Minnesota. The studies provide information on competency-based training, effective training strategies,…

In 1995, Project Adventure began a 12-bed, 10-month residential program called Legacy, which uses adventure-based counseling and treatment with juvenile sex offenders in Georgia. Clients must pass through a four-level system for successful completion of the program. Passing to a higher level is contingent on following the behavioral norms in the…

The Windana Society is a drug and alcohol agency in Victoria (Australia) that operates, among other things, a residential drug rehabilitation program in a rural setting. The program utilizes a holistic approach that addresses health and physical fitness; education; vocational and re-integration support; and psychological, emotional, spiritual, and…

This guide describes the outdoor education practicum required of student teachers at Northern Illinois University (NIU). This 5-day residential experience is held at the Lorado Taft Field Campus (branch of NIU), established in 1951 to train teachers in outdoor education. Course objectives include: (1) to help student teachers gain knowledge about…

Orthopedagogisch Centrum Michiel is a multifunctional institution in the eastern Netherlands for youth with emotional problems. The staff of the institution's residential treatment center has gradually become involved with outdoor experiential education through training programs, conferences, special projects, and supervised programs. Activities…

This report is based on a 1988 site visit to the Northeast Educational Services Cooperative (NESC) in South Dakota. The visit's purpose was to provide consultation and recommendations regarding residential options to support children with severe disabilities who typically have been placed in out-of-district residential placements. Background…

The paper describes a system used in Nebraska in which vocational rehabilitation specialists determine who is a high need client and develop programs via a social-ecological or "person-environment" perspective. A high need client is defined as an individual who will require considerable staff support, intervention, and time. A three-phase study…

This study investigates prevention and treatment programs that deal with rural child sexual abuse in the State of Washington. A survey of 61 rural service providers examined agencies, services provided, problems faced in service delivery, and innovative solutions to those problems. The study compares responses from three types of agencies (mental…

The brief paper summarizes the final report of a federally funded project titled, "Ramps Are Not Enough: The Movement of Children with Mental Retardation from Institutional to Community-Based Care." The follow-up study of former residents (N=178) of New Hampshire's Laconia State School included an examination of residential and…