Virginia is urged by the Rural Affairs Study Commission to improve the quality of education and health services and to support programs which will encourage population growth in rural areas. (SW)

Perspectives concerning William Rhodes' philosophy and his 1975 predictions about the mental health system are offered. Rhodes characterized the traditional mental health system as one that suppresses individuality in the interests of social control. On the other hand, in innovative progressional institutions, power is shared by providers with…

Because of certain characteristics of the field of aging, projections specific to gerontology related professions are extremely difficult to make. Suggests a different approach based on rates of utilization of services by elders and corresponding opportunities for job development by professionals specialized in aging. (Author/RC)

Victor Palmieri, United States Coordinator for Refugee Affairs, responding to Amitai Etzioni's charge that he ignores voluntary organizations by "federalizing" the refugee resettlement process, maintains that timing, legislation, and previous commitment of voluntary resources demand that resettlement remain a government responsibility.…

Discusses the stress and frustrations that human service professionals face in dealing, within bureaucratic constraints, with people in trouble. (GC)

A treatment design plan and its outcome in the case of an individual living in a state which has mandated services to handicapped children from birth through age 20 is offered. The plan's success is related to unique factors showing that young, handicapped children can be serviced adequately in the schools. (CE)

Describes a statewide training needs assessment based on joint state agency and university planning. Sample findings are presented for both the statewide population and various job function groupings. Differences in expressed training needs across job function groups are examined, and strategies for providing effective and efficient training are…

A program that combines management skill development and applied gerontology is described. It includes five components: core courses, management courses, electives, gerontology courses, and fieldwork. A survey of graduates shows that job opportunities exist and that training has proven successful. (MSE)

Presents a nonbureaucratic model of mental health service delivery: the Family Life Center in Columbia, Maryland. Describes services through three programs: a counseling service, community services, and an information and referral service. Professional volunteers work with clients referred by counseling coordinators. Discusses implications for…

The PERFORM acronym is a model designed to help clinical managers by highlighting key concepts of program management. The concepts covered in this model are planning, evaluation, rules and regulations, funding and financing, organizing, relationships, and maintenance. (Author)

Argues that general education within career-oriented curricula at two-year colleges is most effective if the student is exposed to liberal arts courses after s/he has completed in-depth vocational study. Describes this alternative approach in a human services curriculum, enumerating the vocational and general education competencies to be achieved.…

Describes outreach services to isolated elderly residents in several rural areas of Colorado through the Senior Aide Program, funded by Comprehensive Employment and Training Act and other federal aid. What began as a project for seniors has in some areas become a general social services program. (MF)

An account is given of a highly successful sports, health, and recreation exhibit run by Rutgers University (New Jersey) in a public shopping mall. Organization and entertainment were the keynotes of the success. (LH)

Articles in this special issue suggest improvements in longitudinal program evaluation to meet the challenges of evaluation of human services programs. Contributions describe innovations in design, methods, data analysis, utilization, and interpretation of the findings of longitudinal studies. (SLD)

Describes the use of collaborative empiricism in cognitive-behavioral counseling. Presents a case study to illustrate the importance of counselor-client collaboration in promoting the selection of appropriate interventions. Claims that for counselors to understand the client's status quo, they must examine cognitive, affective, and behavioral…