Traces the history of self-help in the African American community, with emphasis on services and programs for children. Claims that the traditions of self-help are very much alive in the African American community, and are manifest in a range of activities. Illustrates contemporary models of self-help from the example of one adoption agency. (MOK)

Studied effects of professionally led and peer-led family caregiver groups (N=56) on psychological functioning, informal support networks, and positive personal changes in handling of caregiver role. Found professionally led groups produced greatest psychological functioning improvement and peer-led groups produced greatest increases in informal…

Described is an empowerment and self-advocacy training program for individuals with disabilities and parents of young children with disabilities, called Partners in Policymaking. Discussed are first-year activities, program evaluation data from participants, and both quantitative and qualitative short-term outcome data collected from first-year…

Describes a method used to help students clarify and resolve problems related to their study habits. The "Plan-Making" process involves reality therapy, identifying characteristics of a good plan (e.g., simple, specific, repetitious, independent, and immediate), selecting areas of need, and individual conferences. Reviews student responses to the…

Examined stressors (length of unemployment, financial concerns, social support), stress symptoms (self-esteem, depression, physical symptoms, psychological symptoms, locus of control), and job seeking behaviors of 35 members of self-help organization for unemployed professionals over age 40. Results indicated that financial concerns and social…

Evaluates the incremental effects of the use of a self-help booklet, computer-generated personalized feedback, and outreach telephone counseling in a population-based, nonvolunteer sample of smokers. Smoking status was ascertained 3, 12 and 21 months postrandomization. Overall, the telephone counseling significantly increased smoking cessation at…

The Child Protection Center in Lubeck (Germany) offers a nonpunitive, self-help approach to prevent child abuse by encouraging families to determine their own needs. Over half of families served over a two-year period were self-reported and almost one-fifth received help to prevent violence against children before the occurrence of child abuse or…

Describes individual, community, organizational, and college examples of efforts to promote sobriety and recovery from alcoholism among Native Americans. Discusses a sobriety movement tenet that alcoholism threatens the entire tribe and requires collective action. Highlights links with a broader movement for spiritual and cultural renewal. (DMM)

Describes the evaluation of various components of a self-help smokeless tobacco cessation manual that used relapse prevention, social contracting, and peer education to help high school seniors. Results suggest that use of the manual effectively helped reduce smokeless tobacco use. Recommendations for persons using the manual are included. (SM)

Discusses bibliotherapy and suggests supportive knowledge as a better term for use in school libraries. Describes experiments in two Israeli schools that developed a self-help section in the libraries and showed an increase in reading, open discussion among students and librarians, and collaboration between school administrators, teachers, and…

A survey of 118 rural, mostly female, Latino participants in Parents Helping Parents (PHP)--a Kansas network of parenting self-help groups--found high satisfaction with PHP. PHP provided support and information concerning child rearing and child development, improved family communication, and increased the use of alternative means of discipline.…

This document presents a discussion of how to set up an on-campus peer support system designed to help college students cope with stress. The possible functions of a peer support center are outlined and features of a proposal for such a center are listed, including a clear mandate of the center, a rationale for the services to be provided, a list…

This directory contains information about organizations in the United States that offer support, education, referral, advocacy, and other assistance to parents of children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. Organizations included are those identified as providing one or more of the following services: education and information;…

This paper describes an innovative program for teaching self-management to children in elementary and secondary schools. The background of techniques for teaching self-management is briefly reviewed, the application of self-management techniques is noted, deficits in self-management programs are considered, and Lazarus's multimodal model of…

Two Central Illinois farming communities (one Amish and one non-Amish) were selected for this study on the basis of preliminary interviews with individuals knowledgeable about communities in this geographic area in which residents generally assist one another in times of need, rather than seek outside help. Residents of Amish communities and some…