Out-of-school time (OST) programs offer a unique opportunity to provide educational supports to high-risk children and youths. The authors describe the utility of applying principles of risk and resilience to the development and evaluation of an OST program. Academic outcomes among participants at the Bridge Project, an OST program located in…

The authors present a set of guiding principles and strategies to facilitate the collaborative efforts of social work researchers and practitioners as they initiate, design, and implement outcome evaluations of human service interventions and programs. Beginning with an exploration of the interpersonal barriers to practice-research collaborations,…

The author used participant observation techniques to determine what the 1972 Congressional affirmative action mandate meant to Head Start personnel, and what happened as a result of the mandate. The author's findings variously contradict or explain the results of a survey conducted in 1973 by the Office of Child Development. (SJL)

Describes the El Portal Latino Alzheimer's Project--a dementia-specific outreach and services program targeting Latino caregivers in the Los Angeles area. Results of an evaluation of service utilization indicate a reduction in barriers to care and an increase in services utilization. Implications for social work practice are discussed. (Contains…

Accountability is an issue of high visibility, high priority, and great controversy in the social work profession today. The authors try to show what accountability is about, where the profession falls short, and what might be done. (Authors)

The effects of a community-based program designed to delay onset and reduce frequency of alcohol and drug use among high-risk youth are evaluated. Implemented in multiple church communities, program components include parent and youth training, early intervention services, and follow-up case management services. Implications for social work are…

Describes an evaluation of an innovative site-based service program, the Growth and Achievement Program (GAP). Results show that GAP clients had significantly higher gain scores than did the comparison group and were less likely to rely on public financial assistance as their primary source of income. (RJM)

For over a decade, a number of social work scholars have advocated for an Africentric paradigm shift in social work practice with African Americans; yet the paradigm shift has been slow in coming with respect to infusing Africentric theory and interventions into social work practice, education, and research. Interventions that infuse Africentric…

Ninety-three clients were interviewed for their reactions to a community mental health outreach program. The results indicate that for the majority this typical program met their perceived needs. (Author)

Two training programs in rural Iowa demonstrated community helpers can be trained to function effectively in rural mental health service delivery. Comparable training programs sponsored by the center are currently in progress. Training these natural helpers in interpersonal skills is an important service of community mental health centers. (Author)

A study conducted at a metropolitan community center found that program planning is a pertinent variable in controlling the behavior of antisocial children. Evaluation of different activities indicated those that tended to decrease antisocial and nonsocial behavior and those that tended to increase the incidence of prosocial behavior. (Author)

A successful demonstration project that used social work students as case managers for the chronically mentally ill is described. An exploratory design was used and the results were positive for clients, students, and the system. (Author/BL)

Notes that rural people with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) have difficulty obtaining support. Describes development, implementation, and evaluation of model to bring support groups into homes of rural residents through six telephone group sessions. Describes goals of psychoeducational group being to increase information and social…

Evaluating program outcome provides the verification that planners and policy-makers need to decide a program's future. Evaluating program process leads to the discovery of facts that explain outcomes, make goals specific, and improve delivery of services. (Author)

Multiple funding creates special management problems for the administrator of a human service agency. This article presents a useful analytic technique adapted from business practice that can help the administrator draw up and balance a unified budget. Such a budget also affords reliable overview of the agency's financial status. (Author)