Quality improvement centers were created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Children's Bureau beginning in 2001 to promote knowledge development through an innovative approach to applied collaborative research in child welfare. The National Quality Improvement Center on the Privatization of Child Welfare Services was funded to…

Examines "historical hostility" (a pattern of responses that many African Americans exhibit) and how it may stem from prolonged subjection to inferior treatment in American society. Explores the impact of historical hostility on the counseling relationship, offers suggestions for diagnosing it, and presents some intervention strategies.…

Surveys of 170 disabled American Indian clients of 3 tribal vocational rehabilitation programs examined frequency of disability type, severity and duration of disability, other health problems, service needs, barriers to specific rehabilitation services, attitudes toward disability, perceptions of others' attitudes, and impact of acculturation.…

Conducted interviews with six clients of a child welfare agency providing prevention and support services to the Native population of metropolitan Toronto, Ontario. Found that clients' comments about the agency's programs could contribute significantly to the agency's aim to secure a mandate for child protection. Explored the question of…

This study surveyed National Organization of Human Service Education (NOHSE) members' rates of attendance in counseling. It solicited members' opinions about characteristics deemed important in choosing a therapist. It also examined attitudes toward counseling; types and duration of counseling attended; reasons for seeking or not seeking…

This article discusses a solution-oriented and incremental approach to solving major social problems. If we are to solve important social problems such as child abuse, delinquency, and illiteracy, researchers need to generate effective programs that can be replicated and social service providers need to implement those programs with fidelity. The…

Human services educators and scholars maintain that they are teaching social change theory and skills that will allow students to engage in large-scale social change. A review of the literature, from a critical theory perspective, offered little evidence that social change is being taught in human services programs. In this collective case study,…

This report summarizes the findings from a study on the impacts of Head Start on children and families during the children's preschool, kindergarten, and 1st grade years. Its study goals were to: (1) Determine the impact of Head Start on children's school readiness, and on parental practices that support children's development; and to (2)…

In this study, we examine how broad heteronormative discourses circulate, become embodied within, negotiated by, and potentially resisted within a university, a college of education, and educators themselves. We pay special attention to how heteronormative discourses at Southwestern University (SWU) impact the various roles this college of…

The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 was designed to address the wide variation in local authority provision for care leavers and to promote a more multi-dimensional approach to the process of leaving care. Care leavers are likely to be at greater risk of mental health difficulties than other young people and the transitional period from leaving…

This article discusses some advantages for a close relationship between the arts and recreation. (PD)

Describes the concepts and histories of ombudsmen and of case management. Discusses the advocacy role in social work which includes the dimensions of role specificity, client orientation, problem-solving mode, and resources and constraints. Concludes ombudsmen and case managers augment the advocacy function in the human service system. (ABL)

Millions of welfare recipients have entered the labor force in the past decade, but surveys show that many remain in unstable, low-paying jobs that offer few opportunities for advancement. This report presents early evidence on the effectiveness of four diverse programs designed to help current or former welfare recipients work more steadily and…

Representatives from 45 midwestern community-junior colleges met to discuss para-professional human service career programs. After listening to the observations of students and educators involved in some of the programs, the representatives recommended that field experience should be a fundamental part of the curriculum, and concluded that each…