Formal and informal support systems are essential to empowering rural families to meet basic needs of health, education, and employment. Formal resources (institutions, agencies, professionals) are often lacking in rural areas and families rely on informal resources (extended family, church, social clubs). Characteristics of informal social…

A survey was conducted of 193 directors of agencies providing home visits as part of early intervention programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities. The survey indicated that a major function of home visits was to assist families in coordinating and integrating additional services needed from other agencies and resources. (CR)

Mental health service needs of American Indians in the Flagstaff (Arizona) area were surveyed among 156 adults, 28 adolescents. and parents of 51 children, focusing on help-seeking behaviors, desired services, factors promoting service use, adults' emotional and other problems, youth problems, and acculturation levels. Problems fell within the…

While an adolescent sexual offender's response to treatment is thought to be impacted by both static and dynamic factors, there is no objective method of assessing the likelihood of success or failure in treatment. The assessment of amenability to treatment is generally a subjective process completed by clinicians in the field. Using descriptive…

This publication is intended to help ensure full and prompt implementation of the improvements in the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act for children being raised by grandparents and other relatives. It was prepared by 18 organizations, many of whom have been working individually and together for a number of years to…

Head Start, the nation's largest early childhood intervention, has enjoyed public and political support. The program has also been haunted by persistent questions about its role in communities, its sustainable impacts, and its quality. This book discusses the past, present, and future of Head Start in the hope of creating better partnerships…

This annotated bibliography focuses on principles of culturally competent systems of care for children and youth with serious emotional disabilities and their families. A primary concern is the application and comprehension of a cultural competence model developed by the Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP). The CASSP model requires…

Assessment is broader in scope than testing. Typically, assessment includes gathering and integrating information about a client in a manner that promotes effective treatment. This digest discusses how counselors can use assessment as a continuous process throughout treatment. It also reviews three common forms of assessment techniques which can…

This participant's manual covers "Systems and Policies," the third module of a four-module training program for all individuals employed in programs funded by Oklahoma's Developmental Disabilities Services Division. This includes van drivers, recreation workers, residential staff, administrators, case managers, secretarial/clerical…

Intended as a reference for students, faculty, and field placement supervisors at New Jersey's Hudson County Community College, this manual identifies explicit responsibilities and presents guidelines for field placements. After an introduction to the general principles of service learning, the following materials are provided: (1) descriptions of…

This guide provides information and guidelines to community college personnel who are administering and coordinating programs designed to prepare paraprofessionals to work with individuals with developmental disabilities in community settings. The guide is specifically for individuals managing the "Paraprofessional Curriculum for Community…

This booklet documents the ability of parents of children with special health needs and disabilities to achieve balance in their lives, by moving from crisis to control, from challenge to opportunity, from questions to answers. The booklet discusses concerns that confront parents of children with special needs, and answers the most common…

This report describes the mission and programs of Developmental Services of Strafford County, Incorporated, one of 12 area agencies serving people with developmental disabilities in New Hampshire. The report specifically examines the agency's activities in the area of supportive living. It highlights the lives of four people, describes the two…

This report describes results of an evaluation of respite care programs and crisis nursery programs for children with disabilities, based on survey forms received from 81 programs and site visits to selected programs across the United States. The survey of crisis nursery programs and the survey of respite care programs gathered data on amount of…

This guide, for Peace Corp workers and administrators, is designed to assist those in the field to identify urban development project opportunities and to suggest ways to develop urban development project plans. Following a brief statement by Jorge Hardoy and an illustration of the expected growing urban population, section I, a summary, describes…