Social work and child welfare practitioners have long confronted the reality that child maltreatment and domestic violence often coexist within families. However, services for the victims of these types of family violence have been fragmented, forcing victims to go to multiple agencies for assistance. The purpose of this paper is to describe the…

The catalytic potential of community-based organizations to promote health, prevent disease, and address racial, ethnic, and socio-economic disparities in local communities is well recognized. However, many CBOs, particularly, small- to medium-size organizations, lack the capacity to plan, implement, and evaluate their successes. Moreover, little…

Conflict of interest refers to a set of conditions in which professional judgment concerning the validity of research might be influenced by a secondary competing interest. The competing interest that has received most attention in the literature addressing the prevalence and effects of such conflicts on the practice of empirical research has been…

Conducted a formative research study designed to elicit preferences for sexually transmitted disease (STD)/HIV prevention programs from clients at a midwestern STD clinic. Responses of 126 participants show preferences for mixed group or individual meetings with counselors, with extensive intervention less favored than single sessions. Discusses…

Research on vocational services for methadone clients is reviewed, and preliminary results of an evaluation of a training and employment program for 249 methadone treatment clients in 3 community-based programs are presented. Results suggest the usefulness of vocational services in increasing training access and use. (SLD)

Selected executive directors of local and national Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) service organizations were asked about their need and desire for a national organization. Replies of 12 local and 8 national directors confirmed the desire for such an organization and suggested various models for its organization. (SLD)

Parent attitudes and effects of parent participation were studied for workshops for professionals trying to become more family-focused in early intervention programs for children with disabilities. Thirty professionals and six mothers participated. Parent presence influenced the extent to which professionals perceived a need for change in program…

Effects of question length and explicitness of directions (format) were examined for 97 university students answering open-ended consumer satisfaction questions at 9 health promotion workshops. Question format, but not length, was related to the usefulness of answers. Implications for use and construction of open-ended questions are discussed.…

Concept mapping is a structured conceptualization that can be used by groups to develop a conceptual framework that guides evaluation or planning. Twelve papers discuss concept mapping in evaluation/planning in terms of theory development; measurement, construct validity, and pattern matching; outcome assessment and internal validity;…

The mental health needs of children and youth with learning disabilities and their families were studied in a survey of 79 human services directors in the Toronto (Canada) area. The study illustrates the importance of involving relevant communities in planning for community needs assessment and program implementation. (SLD)