County Service Research Articles

The organization and effectiveness of community mental health systems

This article explores five hypotheses on why some county mental health systems are more effective than others. The five hypotheses are: leadership succession, powerful agency, integrated system, service barriers, and resource dependency. The five explanations are tested through multiple regression on eight county service delivery systems in the northwest United States. The results of the study support the first three hypotheses, but not the latter two.

Urban-System Evolution in Frontier Settings

Urban-System Evolution in Frontier Settings

Tax Liability Not an Operation Expense

Organized as a subchapter S corporation, South Haven, Indiana, Water Works (SHWW) did not pay or incur income taxes as a taxable entity. Its income flowed through to the shareholders, who had to report it on their individual tax returns. SHWW petitioned for an increase in its water service and sewage disposal rates for its rural Porter County service area. The utility regulatory commission concluded that SHWW could not recover through increased rates the individual income tax attributable to the shareholders.

Traumatic child death and documented maltreatment history, Los Angeles.

Child abuse is a presumed but largely untested risk factor for child homicide. This research investigated the social and child protective service history of child homicide victims. A pairwise matched case-control design was used to assess documented child maltreatment as a risk factor for homicide vs unintentional injury death. Homicide victims aged 0 to 14 years were identified through Los Angeles Police Department case summaries. Control subjects (children who died of an unintentional injury) were matched to case subjects (children who died from homicide) by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and date of death. Case and control subjects were linked with county service records to determine any known history of maltreatment. A total of 220 children were homicide victims during 1978 through 1987 in the city of Los Angeles. Only one in six children who died (of homicide or unintentional injury) or his/her family was known to county social or child protective services prior to the death. Recorded history of child protective services was associated with homicide victimization (adjusted odds ratio = 3.40, 95% confidence interval = 1.25, 9.27). Current service systems need assistance in identifying and protecting children at high risk of homicide.

Close Encounters of a Psychological Kind A Personal Reflection on Induction

Summary I was one of the fortunate newly‐appointed psychologists who received a month long induction into my new job, my work place and a county service. As a product of a well planned and prepared induction, I undertook to evaluate the experience, examine its benefits and discuss some of the implications for the induction of others into the profession.

Social Workers and Burnout

This study explored different types of job stressors suggested by cognitive approaches to stress. The social work staff of several county social service agencies completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Work Environment Scale, the Jenkins Activity Survey and the Hassles Scale. The data were assessed for correlational trends using a modified hierarchical multiple regression model. Results of the study indicate that stress is related to the minor irritating events which characterize daily living. Additionally it was found that people who demonstrate Type A behavior patterns experience greater feelings of personal accomplishment.

Interpretation of Subsurface Structure Using Gravity Data from Region of Appalachian Ultradeep Hole: ABSTRACT

More than 5000 new gravity measurements have been made over an area of 7500 km/sup 2/ in the region of the proposed ultradeep core hole in the southern Appalachians (ADCOH). Data were obtained mostly at surveyed elevations at approximately 0.5-km intervals along highways, and county and US Forest Service roads in the study area. The data have been reduced to simple Bouguer anomaly values using a standard crustal density of 2.67 g/cc and the International Gravity Formula of 1967. Simple Bouguer anomaly values range from about -10 to -80 mgal within the study area. Profiles crossing the outcrop of the Brevard fault zone (BFZ) at different locations reveal a characteristic gravity signature, with a decrease in gravity of more than 1.5 mgal. A profile along the route of ADCOH seismic line 3, located along US Highway 64 west of Hayesville, North Carolina, crosses a gravity high with an amplitude of more than 50 mgal. A contour map of simple Bouguer anomaly values reveals a linear gravity high of about 4 mgal, trending about N10/sup 0/E, that crosses ADCOH seismic line 1 northwest of Westminster, South Carolina, and seismic line 3 at its intersection with the BFZ. This anomaly correlates withmore » a family of basement faults having more than 0.5 km of throw, seen on both seismic lines 1 and 3, and is evidence that these faults are oblique to both the trend of surface structure and the direction of the seismic profiles. Low gravity values are observed near the Shooting Creek window and Tallulah Falls dome, indicating that these structures may be cored by low-density, possibly sedimentary rocks.« less

Patterns of Metropolitan Service Dominance

This study found that large central city service roles were dependent on state laws providing for greater functional responsibility, easy annexation procedures, and less restrictive property tax limitations and receipt of substantial state aid. When such factors were not present, a large central city service role was more likely where its population was socially and racially similar to its suburb(s) and the city contained an adequate supply of managerial and professional talent. On the other hand, large central county service roles were associated with substantial state and federal aid, less restrictive property tax limitations, greater county functional responsibility, and large urban populations.

The Common Denominator: Equivalent Residential Units

The Prince William County (Va.) Service Authority is basing both variable and fixed revenues for water and sewer services on a factor derived from the historical average daily water usage of single‐family residences. A schedule of equivalent water units relates types of commercial and public facilities to the average usage of a single‐family residence. The schedule is applied to initial fees for a proportionate share of capacity as well as ongoing monthly service charges. The concept appears to result in more equitable charges than those based on equivalent meters.

Occupant behavior in a six‐storey office building fallowing severe earthquake damage

In the Imperial County, California, earthquake of 15th October 1979, the Imperial County Services Building was seriously damaged — and has subsequently been demolished. At the time of the earthquake there were approximately 123 occupants in the six‐storey reinforced concrete building which housed a number of county service departments. This paper investigates occupant behavior in a building subjected to an earthquake, and describes, in detail, what people do during and immediately subsequent to the shock.

Coordinated networks—A method for community development

Abstract A Montgomery County Maryland Regional Health Center contacted the Cooperative Extension Service for assistance in developing a strategy and training for a community development program in their service area. A lack of information about local services emerged initially as the single biggest need when a need survey was conducted. The strategy used was to identify and connect needs and services through coordinated networks of organized citizens, businesses, frontline agency staff, and local government. This mechanism provided for program integration instead of a piece‐meal approach of addressing one isolated problem at a time. Programs were pilot tested without additional funding, and then turned over to the county government for funding and incorporation into existing county services. This strategy resulted in such programs as a county information service, a family life center, an interagency council, a community center, activities for senior citizens, youth employment, tutoring assistance for scho...

Legal Aspects of Water Utility Operation

This article begins by reviewing past legal aspects of municipal water supply throughout the state of Washington that fall under the categories of abrogation of immunity, exception to immunity, and proprietary functions. Recent developments that should be taken into account in the operation of water utilities are also considered, including: reading of water meters; negligence in maintenance; leaking of water; pipe deterioration; water for fire fighting; fluoridation; public notice; extraterritorial effect; establishment of a Local Improvement District; condemnation of property; buffer strip in watershed; effect of annexation; maintenance of records; State Board of Health; contracting authority; and, county service areas.

Measurement of the Incidence of Chronic Severe Social Breakdown Syndrome: Has the Dutchess County Service Been Associated with a Decline in Incidence?

Measurement of the Incidence of Chronic Severe Social Breakdown Syndrome: Has the Dutchess County Service Been Associated with a Decline in Incidence?

The Library World Volume 56 Issue 11

THE provisional programme of this year's L.A. Conference at Southport on September 20–23 is now in our hands. The theme, the library and the community, is the perennial one for our conferences and, in that, is blameless ; everything will depend on the handling of the subjects. No one who considers what is promised can accuse the Council of the L.A. of a partial view of the field, because whole areas are given representation in general sessions and if, as we expect from such writers as Messrs. R. O. MacKenna, W. S. Haigh, D. J. Foskett and F. C. Francis, the papers have the requisite range, the Proceedings will prove to be a comprehensive Statement of library practice today. All are well‐tried speakers and amongst them we anticipate, for example, a model paper from Mr. Haigh, who was frank in his view of the endurance required of the listeners at Hastings. The gifted Editor of The Assistant Librarian, Mr. A. C. Jones, who, unfortunately for us all, is relinquishing that office, is to occupy the A.A.L. with the assistant librarian in the community, and county libraries are to be represented by papers by Mr. B. Oliph Smith and Mr. H. Thompson at their own Section meetings. University libraries again come into the picture at theirs with a discussion opened by Dr. L. W. Sharp. Mystery is suggested by Mr. B. C. Vickery's “Tower of Babel: the language barrier in science” which seems to indicate some form of Interglossa or, possibly, since he is an enthusiast for Dr. Ranganathan, that teacher's Meta‐language. It certainly would be an achievement if whenever a scientist used a word it could be made to convey the same thing in every reader's mind. The Youth Section will listen to that practical teacher and thinker, Mr. J. F. Wolfenden; and the Annual Lecturer on Wednesday, September 21, will be by Mr. J. L. Longland, the chief education officer of Derbyshire, whose co‐operative sympathy and support was no doubt of great service to Mr. Edgar Osborne in the organizing of the most fully co‐ordinate county service in this country. Five British “internes” will render account of their experiences in America, under the chairmanship of Mr. J. C. Harrison, we hope to the encouragement of others of us “to go and do likewise.” Nothing better for the creation of fresh enthusiasms and for a high international level of library practice in all its variants can be imagined than this prolonged employment in the libraries of other countries ; every librarian should encourage it to the limit of his means and feel, as we do, gratitude to Messrs. Sydney and Harrison for acting as the selection committee so far as British candidate “internes” are concerned.

The Library Association Conference

The Library Association Conference

A personnel program for the county service

AbstractCentralization of authority in the county governemnt will make imperative the adoption of a better personnel system.