Describes Project HELP, an innovative community self-help program in Nashville, Tennessee which was developed in response to the inability of certain populations to pay their utility bills, and which is staffed primarily with volunteers and funded exclusively through contributions. Reports on the program's first five years of operation, and…

Results of a study of the elderly in one community show that they place a high value on self-reliance and independence. Social planners should make use of these values to motivate the elderly to become more receptive to programs designed to help them to help themselves. (CT)

Argues that small-group mutual aid organizations are successful voluntary associations that attract members even in our individualistic and commodity-driven culture because they provide valuable collective benefits that can only be enjoyed in common. Small groups as a source of social capital have implications for the study of helping…

Determined the extent to which social workers participate in self-help groups and examined their role in planning, developing, and supporting the groups continued existence. Results indicated that social workers perform important functions in supporting the growth and continued existence of self-help groups. (RC)

Describes self-help programs initiated by Black women between 1895 and 1925 in Tuskegee, Alabama; Hampton, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Baltimore, Maryland. Poor housing, health concerns, racial discrimination, inadequate schools, and the lack of economic opportunities were some of the barriers challenged by these programs. (Author/GC)

Summarizes data showing the detrimental effects to the health of the elderly that are associated with diminution of supportive interpersonal ties. Describes six programs that illustrate the range of diversity of tasks involved in the provision of supportive associations for the elderly. (Author/GC)

Traces the history of self-help in the African American community, with emphasis on services and programs for children. Claims that the traditions of self-help are very much alive in the African American community, and are manifest in a range of activities. Illustrates contemporary models of self-help from the example of one adoption agency. (MOK)

The Child Protection Center in Lubeck (Germany) offers a nonpunitive, self-help approach to prevent child abuse by encouraging families to determine their own needs. Over half of families served over a two-year period were self-reported and almost one-fifth received help to prevent violence against children before the occurrence of child abuse or…

A model of evaluation is presented that allows direct service agencies in mental health and substance abuse areas to evaluate their programs cost effectively and appropriately. The approach emphasizes research partnerships as potentially valuable ways for self-help group members to explore their own practices through communication and critical…