Motivational interviewing (MI) is a clinical method for helping people to resolve ambivalence about change by evoking intrinsic motivation and commitment. Based on our research and experience in providing training on MI, practitioners acquire expertise in this method through a sequence of eight stages: (1) openness to collaboration with clients'…

Four videocassettes provide the presentations and discussion of four panels from a 1994 summit on the nation's responsibility in relation to individuals with learning disabilities. Each panel examined issues of research, public policy and legislation, good practices, and consumer interest within its area of concentration. The first panel was on…

This training model is a guide for developing statewide training for a continuing education certificate in gerontology in religion and aging. It is designed for use by gerontology educators, state office of aging executives, and leaders of religious judicatories. Section I begins with a description of the training model and covers where and how to…

In order to provide specialists and families with regular feedback on client change, to enhance the clinical decision-making skills of family specialists, and to provide target groups with information related to program effectiveness, a 12-week plan to improve outcome measures and evaluation protocol in a preservation and reunification program was…

The need to develop "family capital" (the attributes and skills that enable families to carry out their economic, social, and nurturing functions) in inner-city neighborhoods is the focus of this background briefing report. Part I of the report describes the characteristics and causes of distressed communities and their impact on families, and…

The relationship between housing and family well-being and self-sufficiency are explored in this paper's three major sections. The first section provides background information on the relationship between housing and the physical and social well-being of individuals and families and describes the major federal housing initiatives that have been…

This paper synthesizes research, theories, and practical knowledge from developmental psychology and sociology to provide a basis for understanding, planning, and implementing effective and supportive partnerships between human-services providers and families. A family-centered approach is a process for delivering services to families, a…

A study explored the role of work experience in addressing problems of homeless people in Saint Paul (Minnesota) during the 1989-91 grant cycles of the McKinney Job Training for the Homeless Demonstration Program. The program included a number of elements: outreach, intake, assessment and enrollment, orientation, work experience, basic…

Discussing major policy, management, and program issues facing Congress and the Clinton administration in the area of health and human services, this pamphlet provides recommendations for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the social security system, the welfare system, preventing child abuse, and safeguarding the nation's…

A three-strand study examined the availability, provision, and effectiveness of educational guidance to adults in Scotland. A literature review, results of a 1988 study, and a commissioned update of that study were used to develop an overview of available educational guidance services. Case studies were conducted of six programs selected as…

The underlying causes of black urban poverty are examined, and means are recommended to escape the cycle of violence it creates. Black activists and scholars analyze theoretical and practical problems facing the black community in the United States in the following papers: (1) "Towards a Theory and Strategy for Black Economic…

The "At-Risk Youth in Crisis Handbook" series has been designed to promote inter-agency agreement on procedures for schools to follow in managing crisis situations with at-risk students. Volume 1 explains the rationale for the Handbook, tells how it was developed, and guides school districts in adapting the Handbook to meet their own…

This paper, developed from the discussions of the Executive Session on Making the System Work for Poor Children, describes why the current human service system is failing to help many poor children, and maps out the dimensions of a system that could greatly improve these children's prospects. The argument is made that the current system's problems…

The following presentations are included in this document: "A Nation of Students" (Lamar Alexander); "Businesses Are Clamoring for Skilled Workers" (Betsy Brand); "We Need to Be Partners in Reality" (Roberts Jones); "The Value of a Working Parent as a Role Model" (JoAnne Barnhart); "Human Capital Is…

Designed to promote the creation of programs and policies that meet the needs of young adolescents, this report considers trends and forces affecting children between the ages of 10 and 15 and offers recommendations for drawing out adolescents' positive possibilities. Section 1 acknowledges trends that point to an increasing number of at-risk…