Notes that Sweden has been making continuing progress in its conquest of poverty. Examines the Swedish strategy and discusses its successes in the areas of poverty, slums and housing, health conditions, and unemployment and the labor force. (NB)

Notes that mediation as problem-solving intervention in social work became widely used in child custody and divorce cases, child-parent conflicts, and family disputes. Argues that mediator role is inherent in social work, and examines context for and assumptions underlying it. Discusses nature of conflicts, issue of neutrality within social work…

Explored cognitive-behavioral interventions with families in which child abuse had been committed or parents were at risk for such behavior, to alleviate parental anger in the face of perceived provocation by children. Used cognitive restructuring, relaxation training, problem solving, and composite of the three techniques. Anger measures were…

This article describes one technique useful to a consultant helping an institution come to grips with current administrative problems. Organizational theory is used as a springboard for planned change in the psychiatric unit of a large hospital. The consultant's role in promoting an analysis of problems is described. (Author)

Does a task-centered approach offer a way to make casework more effective? A controlled experiment suggests that a client carries out a specific, agreed-on task more effectively when casework interviews provide guidance for this task. (Author)

Describes successful effort of small women's social services agency to modify its way of operating by means of problem-solving process involving board and staff members. Notes that conflict between staff members actually involved fundamental issues facing organization in transition from informal, volunteer effort to established, service-giving…

The conflict and anguish that clients experience frequently result from the consequences of serious moral and ethical dilemmas and from the absence of dependable solutions. Social workers should give careful attention to the problems of clients as reflected in their stories, rather than attempt to categorize these problems in psychological terms…

Task-centered social work, like many other short-term treatment models, assumes that the degree of concentration on a problem is positively related to change. This study examines that assumption. (Author)

Describes the application of conflict-resolution strategies to managed-care disputes. The premises and processes for conflict resolution through negotiation are presented, the application of these principles to common disagreements between providers and payers is demonstrated. Strategies for overcoming difficulties resulting from differential…

Evaluates the comparative effectiveness of three methods for making decisions in task groups. Examines group members' satisfaction with each decision-making method and the extent to which each method builds consensus among members for decisions made by the groups. (Author/JAC)

The author presents these three ground rules for engaging in organizational conflict: (1) take the offensive; (2) take the cue for the second move from the opponent's defensive response; and (3) know when to execute a "strategic retreat." (HMV)

Describes a group counseling program that helps retarded inmates develop problem solving skills and learn to use existing resources in their own behalf. An outcome study of 46 inmates indicated combined group and individual counseling was more effective than individual counseling alone. (JAC)

Suggests that strategies and skills commonly used in political processes would help social workers balance the multiplicity of clients' problems. Reviews some deficiencies in current problem-solving theory and discusses a conceptual framework for a political approach. (Author/JAC)

There has been little research on the effectiveness of behavior modification with groups. This controlled study done in an agency setting found the behavioral model to be an effective method of treating groups of clients with a wide variety of problems. (Author)

By its very nature, writing encourages the active participation of the client in the problem-solving process. For individuals who have been unable to take full advantage of the more traditional "let's talk about it" type of counseling, it can prove to be a significant step in the right direction. (Author)