For the past eight years, Midwest Educational Research Consortium (MERC), located at Western Michigan University, received two multi-million dollar grants through a U.S. Department of Education program entitled Gaining Early Awareness and Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). GEAR UP is a school/university partnership using a cohort model with the…

In home visiting programs for children younger than age three, home visitors work with parents to enhance the child's environment. This study examined how the home visitor-parent relationship, amount of contact, and level of need affected the intensity of case management interventions received. Researchers interviewed 90 mothers to measure the…

School social work functions within a framework of limited casework involvement. Direct assistance is restricted to an individual's experiencing temporary disruption of function related to the learning process and whose coping resources and ego strengths can be mobilized in the limited time available for social work intervention. (Author)

Describes an effective, cost-efficient method of intervention with families of failure-to-thrive infants which employs supervised social work students to model nurturing and provide support services to mothers. (Author)

Describes and evaluates a child protection team in rural Vermont. The author draws on the team's experience to develop a model designed to utilize the strengths of a small community. (Author/DB)

Discusses a study on how Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) approached intervening with criminal youth to halt or reduce their criminal activities before these activities become entrenched. This approach emphasizes quick case turnaround and harsh sanctions for youths who are serious habitual offenders. (GLR)

Counselors working with adults in transition can integrate the principles of character development with talk therapy, creating a framework for dialogue about the relationship between clients' character identity and their personal struggles and successes. Intervention strategies are proposed focusing on developing character identity for more…

Objective: Case formulation has been recognized to be a useful conceptual and clinical tool in psychotherapy as diagnosis itself does not focus on the underlying causes of a patient's problems. Case formulation can fill the gap between diagnosis and treatment, with the potential to provide insights into the integrative, explanatory, prescriptive,…

Describes the Treatment Alternatives Project (TAP) which provides caseworker aid and supportive services that allow problem children to undergo treatment while remaining in their own homes or foster homes. (SDH)

This review of research reported in the 1970's illustrates the contributions of social casework to the better understanding and treatment of adolescents. Thirteen studies, including experiments, case studies, theoretical expositions and program evaluations, are assessed and codified according to methodological (design and method of determining…

Provides impressionistic reflection of how human service agencies in San Jose, California have helped refugee families from war-torn Cambodia and Bosnia. Summarizes some of the lessons learned from working with refugee families. Notes that the experiences have influenced the capacity- building, empowering, and mentoring aspects of a new…

We report the impact of case management services and youth psychopathy on Juvenile Diversion program completion for youths involved in a clinical trial, and evaluation of an innovative intervention service providing 16 weeks of intensive case management services to youths and their families. The present study examines baseline interview data for…

We report the impact of case management services and youth psychopathic features on twelve-month recidivism rates for youths involved in a Center for Substance Abuse Treatment funded clinical trial conducted in a juvenile diversion program. The project is evaluating an innovative intervention service providing 16 weeks of intensive case management…

Enhancing practitioner competence in the delivery of direct services continues to be a prime concern of social work practitioners and educators alike. This document contains 11 articles that pertain to teaching direct intervention theories and skills. Joseph D. Anderson writes on games social work educators' play in teaching practice theories;…

The purpose of this article is to review substantive and methodological advances in interventive research. Three substantive advances are discussed: (a) the growing use of a risk factor perspective, (b) the emergence of practice-relevant micro social theories, and (c) the increased acceptance of structured treatment protocols and manual. In…