Human Services Community Research Articles

Building Research for Academic and Community Equity (BRACE): A Toolkit for Community Research Partnerships.

Health and human service community organizations and researchers have important insights and resources to share with each other, yet often have very little information about how to interact in meaningful and equitable ways. Conceptualized by and for community organization professionals wanting to equitably interact with academic researchers, BRACE (Building Research for Academic and Community Equity) is a toolkit easily accessible to community members which explains research information and jargon in clear terms. BRACE uses community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles to guide both community organizations and academics seeking to partner on research. The BRACE toolkit's two main sections focus on identifying ideal aspects of community-academic research partnerships and writing grant proposals. Tools such as BRACE have the potential to increase the impact of community-engaged research by providing concrete guides for building partnerships and potentially sustaining them through grant funding.

Talk, Safety Science and Culture Change in Human Services in Two States: Some Insights from an Anthropological Study

For human services professionals, safety is a practical and professional commitment. However, so far the human service community has made little use of the safety science literature. Using qualitative methods this paper tracks how the introduction of a safety science model to the human service organizations in two states resulted in shifts in talk about accidents and work. This in turn led to insight and positive change in these human service organizations and for their clients.

Prevalence of Axis I Psychopathology in an Intellectually Disabled Population: Type of Pathology and Residential Supports

The prevalence of mental illness among the mentally retarded is higher than that observed in the nondisabled in the majority of studies on the subject. With the trend towards closing large state-run care facilities for this population, functioning of mentally retarded individuals in community homes has been of interest to the scientific and human services community. While there is an extensive body of literature on the prevalence of mental illness in various in-patient settings, relatively little attention has been given to prevalence of mental illness in community settings that provide varying levels of support. Given the movement of many mentally retarded individuals from large intensive care homes to community supports, more information is needed on the numbers of those diagnosed with mental illness who are receiving support from various providers. This study examined prevalence of mental illness among 179 clients served in several community settings in Marion County Oregon. Diagnoses were determined using retrospective case file review. A relatively high rate of Axis I psychopathology (31%) was found. Rates for specific types of disability, and Axis I pathology by level of disability and residential setting are reported. Implications for these findings are presented and recommendations for state and local care organizations are offered.

Intergenerational Literacy Programs as Potential Sites for Social Change

Based on findings from research with intergenerational literacy program participants, the author explores the consequences of participation in these programs for adult learners, namely: (1) increased self-confidence, (2) social-efficacy, and, to a lesser degree, (3) critical social involvement. Using a Freirean framework, she argues that these sort of impacts point toward the potential for positive social change from program participation. Policy makers, who drive federal and state funding for adult literacy programs, view education for adults from a deficit perspective, with the learners perceived as lacking in skills or abilities that would help them to contribute more fully to the economy. Many publicly funded adult education programs consequently find themselves driven more by workforce development and employability goals, than by social change or personal empowerment agendas. The intergenerational programs studied here aim not so much at merely conforming to policy-driven employability agenda, but primarily at empowering marginalized adults and their families. In this discussion, the author presents findings from surveys and interviews with adult learners from six intergenerational literacy programs in northern New England, with a focus on effects of participation for adults and key components of programming that supports these effects. The article concludes with implications for practitioners in the human service community and recommendations for further study.

Alcohol and Other Drug Problems in Older Adults

SUMMARY While there is considerable awareness and knowledge on the part of the health and human service community on the problems of the misuse and abuse of alcohol and other drugs in the general population, this unfortunately often does not extend to older adults, those who are 60+. Problems with alcohol and other drugs in older persons is in itself not a sudden crisis or new problem. However, as with any health problem affecting a specific demographic group, when the problem is not recognized and appropriately dealt with the repercussions pose greater risks for the individuals with the problem as well as for the larger community. This is particularly true in regard to older adults where natural physical changes and increased age related health risks can only be exacerbated by the misuse and abuse of substances.

Clackamas County Department of Human Services Community Health Mapping Engine (CHiME) Geographic Information Systems Project

Clackamas County Department of Human Services Community Health Mapping Engine (CHiME) Geographic Information Systems Project

Clackamas County Department of Human Services Community Health Mapping Engine (CHiME) Geographic Information Systems Project

Clackamas County Department of Human Services Community Health Mapping Engine (CHiME) Geographic Information Systems Project: PDF Only

Communicating with the Public

The op-ed (short for opposite editorial, the traditional location of such articles in newspapers) is a much-neglected vehicle for social workers to communicate with the public. (As used here, the op-ed is not to be confused with the letter to the editor. The op-ed is a short essay intending to inform the public about an issue and to indicate some means for its resolution.) Formal communication within the human services community consists largely of articles in the social work literature, a form primarily for a professional audience (Williams & Hopps, 1987, 1988). However, the dissemination of information to the public in many communities has been left with the agency's annual report or the occasional newspaper article or media interview prompted by an inquiring reporter. Social workers can be more proactive in setting the community decision-making agenda by writing op-ed pieces for the local newspaper. Developments in social welfare policy and programs of the past two decades make it imperative for social workers to exploit means for establishing a dialogue with the public. The devolution of program responsibility from the federal to state government and subsequently from state to local government means that important resource allocation decisions are made increasingly at the local level. Reductions in social program expenditures at the federal and state levels have left localities with greater problems--homelessness, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, poverty, gang violence--that must be addressed locally. Having relied on federal and state officials for direction in alleviating these problems, many public officials are now looking to local human services professionals for ways to enhance community welfare. Under these circumstances, an op-ed piece can communicate to the public relevant, effective, and just methods for remediating problems. The op-ed has several advantages. First, it provides almost immediate response to a community problem, because the time between submission and publication is typically one week. Second, coverage is as extensive as the circulation of the newspaper. Third, because the op-ed section of the newspaper provides elected officials with an opportunity to check the pulse of the community on local issues, an op-ed offers access to important decision makers. Fourth, photocopies of op-ed pieces are useful addenda for grant applications, an indication that the personnel of an agency are concerned about community problems. Finally, newspapers usually pay about $100 per op-ed, a modest source of revenue. What is a successful op-ed? The typical length is three to four double-spaced pages. A catchy title should grace the top of the first page (although editors sometimes replace your title with their own), and a brief biography of the authors should appear at the bottom. Unlike articles for the professional literature, an op-ed should be written in a provocative, punchy style without footnotes. Because a public audience is unlikely to appreciate program or policy nuances, these should be avoided, nor should the piece include elliptical references to bureaucratic procedures. Numerical data are useful but should be limited; they should illustrate the point, not confuse the reader. …

OLD NEEDS AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES: EDUCATING ISRAELI FAMILY CAREGIVERS THROUGH THE VIDEO MEDIUM

Until recently, spouses and adult children caring for their frail aged remained the “hidden patients,” largely overlooked by the human services community, often experiencing feelings of alienation, helplessness, and frustration while shouldering their caregiving burdens. The development of a video outreach Family Training and Guidance Program in Israel is described in this paper. The objective of the Project was to create informational and supportive materials which could be used in conjunction with caregivers groups throughout the country.

The Role of the Federal Government in Social Service Systems Development

The article traces the past, present and future role of the Federal Government and other actors in the human service systems community in the development of social service systems. It presents the roles of the Federal government, business, professional organizations, State and local governments and the information entrepeneur in advancing the state-of-the-art in social service systems applications. Although the Federal government will continue to act as a catalyst for systems development, the information entrepeneur and other actors in the human service community will play greater roles.

A needs assessment of human service agencies in an urban community.

Research and interventions aimed at maximizing the impact and organizational effectiveness of human service agencies, as well as the system of agencies in a community, could have far reaching effects on the large number of individuals served by these agencies. But prior to any type of active intervention it is imperative to document the needs and resources of these agencies. The present study was conducted to better understand (1) the functioning of individual agencies, (2) their role in the human service community, (3) the general workings of the urban human service community prior to any type of intervention, and (4) to provide a baseline to monitor changes in the human service community. Ninety-two nonprofit human service agencies were surveyed in an urban setting. The results indicated that agency administrators were deeply concerned about funding problems, issues of accountability, and personnel concerns while reporting staff expertise, public relations, and efficient use of resources as agency stren...