Describes social work case illustrations as teaching tools and information-sharing techniques. Presents suggestions for writing case illustrations, discussing information to be included (order of presentation, pseudonyms, efforts of other professionals, and practitioner orientation) or excluded (exclusively masculine pronouns, theory exposition,…

Describes a survey which assessed the impact of the Pennsylvania State Child Protective Services Law (Act 124) on the caseworker's ability to carry out procedural guidelines. (CM)

A compilation of paradoxical interpretations and prescriptions is presented after a short review of similar efforts. Includes the following dimensions: individual v systematic; prescriptive v descriptive; reframing v relabeling; and specific v general. Theoretical, empirical, and clinical implications of this typology are considered, with an…

United Methodist Family Services of Virginia placed 41 developmentally disabled children in adoptive homes between August 1985 and June 1988. Efforts of the program's caseworkers to find potential adoptive families and obstacles to the placement of the children, are discussed. (BG)

The use of polarity analysis in child abuse case management provides a way to identify interdependent polar opposites, their positive and negative consequences, and actions to manage them over time, rather than compete for one right solution. An example of polarity analysis is presented with the two poles being parental autonomy and the agency as…

Discusses criteria for identification of six types of physical maltreatment of children. The typology represents a broad framework which is used to differentiate between milder and more severe forms of physical child abuse. (NH)

Objective: This study examined health service access among children of different racial/ethnic groups in the child welfare system in an attempt to identify and explain disparities. Methods: Data were from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW). N for descriptive statistics = 2,505. N for multiple regression model = 537.…

The nation's child protection system (CPS) has historically focused on preventing maltreatment in high-risk families, whose children have already been maltreated. But, as Jane Waldfogel explains, it has also begun developing prevention procedures for children at lower risk--those who are referred to CPS but whose cases do not meet the criteria for…

Over the past 20 years, much has been learned about the elements of effective correctional interventions through a body of literature known as "what works." The primary foci within this literature are assessment, treatment models, and treatment setting. Relatively little is said about the specific knowledge, attitudes and skill sets that…

This document illustrates the development and presentation of a workshop given to the King County Alcohol Training Consortium in King County, Washington as a 4-hour training session. It is divided into five sections and a bibliography. The first section explains the purpose of the booklet. Section II concerns the Alcohol/Elderly Network and…

The lack of a firmly established pattern for managing cases in social services seems to be widespread. This creates a need for a unified and standardized procedure at the individual case level of service delivery. This manual represents a basic variation of the general case management model. It is meant to be used as a rationale and motivation for…

Previous reviews of social work research on the outcome of casework and group work services have concluded that these direct practice methods are ineffective. This "study of studies" analyzes the body of research again, but from the standpoint of practice and the practitioner, and discusses the implications. (Author)

Used computerized case simulation program to evaluate clinical problem-solving skills of undergraduate rehabilitation students. Through the use of a microcomputer, students completed a case simulation involving a hypothetical client of a state vocational rehabilitation agency. Results indicated that case management performance of undergraduate…

The authors outline a community organization course that develops a casework approach to social change. The course features a community organizing project. (CH)

Findings from a study of more than 200 families with adopted children yield valuable insights into the reasons why adoptive relationships collapse and what factors agencies should consider in matching children and families to avoid disruption. (Author/BB)