Showing papers in "Journal of Community Practice in 2004"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors contextualize the contemporary phenomenon of university-community partnership initiatives and present challenges to both universities and communi-ties embodied in the current initiatives, as well as challenges posed by these initiatives.
Abstract: This article contextualizes the contemporary phenomenon of university-community partnership initiatives. Because changes in the university must always be understood in context, recent efforts to build and strengthen relationships between institutions of higher education and communities must be situated in the broader social sites that produce them. To that end the article surveys the university-community intersect through an historical lens which emphasizes the relationship between the larger political-economy and civic engagement efforts. Subsequently, types of contemporary initiatives are broadly and selectively discussed. Lastly, challenges to both universities and communi-ties embodied in the current initiatives are posed.
88 citations
TL;DR: The University Community Partnerships (UCP) Office as mentioned in this paper provides a bridge between UCSF and San Francisco communities, emphasizing partnerships that value and respect the assets and diversity of both communities, promoting civic engagement, fostering community health and well-being, and enhancing the environment for education, patient care, research, and employment at UCSF.
Abstract: partnerships.ucsf.edu University Community Partnerships Our mission is to build collaborative relationships between UCSF and the community, promoting civic engagement, fostering community health and well-being, and enhancing the environment for education, patient care, research, and employment at UCSF. The Office services as a bridge between UCSF and San Francisco communities, emphasizing partnerships that value and respect the assets and diversity of both.
80 citations
TL;DR: The authors discusses the history of COPC as social policy and reviews an evaluation report of successful community-university partnerships, and suggests community organizing methods that address structural obstacles to collaborative work.
Abstract: University-community partnerships, and COPC programs in particular, offer important opportunities for traditionally segregated groups to work together in collaborative relationships. The challenge of bringing people who possess distinct differences in background and social power together is a long-standing issue. Class, status, and organizational differences may impede collaboration. This article discusses the history of COPC as social policy and reviews an evaluation report of successful community-university partnerships. Drawing from the community organizing literature in sociology and social work, this article suggests community organizing methods that address structural obstacles to collaborative work. Especially in COPC programs characterized by multiple interactions, it is the community based organization (CBO) which has greatest facility to equalize the playing field between disparate groups. The role of community organizers in CBOs is to acknowledge and disrupt the structural inequalities...
53 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe a research course that was a collaborative endeavor between a school of social work and a community organization, guided by learning, service and scholarship goals, where participants in this course provided a pro-bono evaluation for a community benefits district.
Abstract: This article describes a research course that was a collaborative endeavor between a school of social work and a community organization. This project was guided by learning, service and scholarship goals. Specifically, the participants in this course provided a pro-bono evaluation for a community benefits district. The benefits district solicited assistance from the authors, with the caveat that district members not be involved in the data collection and analysis. The authors situate this project on a continuum of traditional versus participatory research, and propose a “mixed” model for collaborative university-community efforts. The authors suggest ways of engaging students in “real world” research that benefits the community and facilitates their own training as macro social work practitioners. Factors that facilitate and hinder such a project are also discussed.
45 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compare and contrast two case studies of large research universities involved in civic engagement projects with urban nonprofit community-based organizations and neighborhood associations using a community building framework in which organizational, interorganizational and community-level features are examined.
Abstract: This article compares and contrasts two case studies of large research universities involved in civic engagement projects with urban nonprofit community-based organizations and neighborhood associations. The article uses a community building framework in which organizational, interorganizational, and community-level features are examined. The study found that each university used a different approach through which to achieve a university-community partnership. A dispersed model favored an entrepreneurial approach for individual faculty and student involvement, while the coordinated model requested faculty and students from different departments to work together toward a community-driven goal. The extent to which these different models of civic engagement delivered what community organizations wanted was based on five factors: (1) the university's geographic proximity to a tar get low-income neighborhood, (2) leadership for institutional social commitment, (3) use of community-based research, (4) ...
39 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss an example of how community organizers incorporated the promotora concept among a group of women to bring about social and political change in their colonia in the United States' southwest.
Abstract: Promotores are leaders in traditional Mexican communities whose role in agrarian life dates back to the land reform movement following the revolution. Recently, there have been efforts at developing these roles in the colonias in the United States' southwest as a means of providing health education and civic information in these hard-to-reach communities. This paper discusses an example of how community organizers incorporated the promotora concept among a group of women to bring about social and political change in their colonia.
36 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a fluid concept of community is proposed in response to the fragmentation and diversity caused by globalization in the local community, and it is argued that to bridge different interests in the community, settlement houses, as a third sector organization, is an effective community-building mechanism.
Abstract: In the global era, with the retrenchment of welfare states, people have to turn to their community, a major component of civil society, for support. In this paper, a fluid concept of community is proposed in response to the fragmentation and diversity caused by globalization in the local community. It is argued that to bridge different interests in the community, settlement houses, as a third sector organization in the community, is an effective community-building mechanism. This paper provides a brief history of the success of the settlement house in building solidarity and generating social capital in the local community. The author identifies implications for the role of the social work profession in revitalizing the settlement house as a community-building approach.
35 citations
TL;DR: A case study of the formation of a community-uni that worked collaboratively to define the social and public health concerns of a rural North Carolina community and to create changes in disaster-recovery policy and practice.
Abstract: Marginalized groups that are traditionally excluded from policy and decision-making are often also disproportionately affected by the hardships of natural disasters. By including community residents in research and planning, public health practitioners and researchers can create programs that have immediate relevance and policy implications. This article describes a case study of the formation of a community-uniStephanie Farquhar is Assistant Professor, Portland State University, School of Community Health, 450F Urban Center, 506 Mill Street, Portland, OR 97207-0751. At the time of the study, Dr. Farquhar was a W.K. Kellogg Postdoctoral Fellow, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Noelle Dobson is Program Manager, Active Living by Design, American Heart Association, Pacific Mountain Affiliate, Portland, OR. Address correspondence to: Stephanie Farquhar, PhD (E-mail: farquhar@pdx.edu). Portions of this article were adapted with permission from a book chapter written by Farquhar, S.A., and ...
33 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe successful collaborations through a university-based Community Partnership Center with members of community-based organizations in low-income inner-city neighborhoods, social work students, and faculty.
Abstract: In academic settings, community research, and the service that goes along with it, is often not valued as much as other methods of research. The more qualitative and labor intensive nature of applied research often raises concerns about whether pre-tenured faculty can publish the sufficient quantity and quality of work necessary to achieve tenure. This paper describes successful collaborations through a university-based Community Partnership Center with members of community-based organizations in low-income inner-city neighborhoods, social work students, and faculty. Two case examples illustrate the co-authors' involvement with the Center as pre-tenured faculty. The article outlines the challenges and benefits of involvement with an established center for university-community partnerships. With careful planning and coordination, such centers can be excellent vehicles through which to achieve important mutual benefits for community-based organizations, student learning, and faculty responsibilitie...
31 citations
TL;DR: Ben-Gurion University as mentioned in this paper described a project aimed at promoting major change in government policy toward the growing problem of food insecurity in Israel, which led to a dramatic change of government activity.
Abstract: This paper describes a project aimed at promoting major change in government policy toward the growing problem of food insecurity in Israel. The project was initiated by Ben-Gurion University in collaboration with community service and social advocacy organizations. This joint action led to a dramatic change in government activity. The problem of food insecurity moved from a state of obfuscation to the establishment of a special ministerial committee mandated to develop policy guidelines for a national school lunch program. For higher education to contribute to the community, necessary preconditions must exist: Is the faculty committed to promotion of social change? Do the organizational and community environments legitimize university-sponsored activity for such purposes? Is the faculty competent to act effectively in the community and adopt strategies for political influence? Are there organizational mechanisms, action frameworks, and community contacts that enable collaboration for the purpose...
28 citations
TL;DR: The Emmett J. and Mary Martha Doerr Center for Social Justice Education and Research (Doerr Center) as discussed by the authors is an endowed nonprofit organization located within the School of Social Service at Saint Louis University.
Abstract: This article discusses the founding and operation of the Emmett J. and Mary Martha Doerr Center for Social Justice Education and Research, an endowed nonprofit organization located within the School of Social Service at Saint Louis University. The nonprofit Center provides a creative mechanism for facilitating university-community agency research. The Research Education Partnership (REP) model creates a partnership among students, community agency personnel, and faculty in funded practice research and program evaluation. Four collaborations, their benefits and challenges, are described. Students are prepared to integrate research into practice. The Center promotes and supports faculty-community partnerships for social justice.
TL;DR: Wertheimer as mentioned in this paper explores how a new MSW program evolved through dialog with community leaders and resulted in a curriculum with a sole concentra-tion of community partnerships, which requires practitio-ners to have skills not found in mainstream social work curricula.
Abstract: SUMMARY. Community challenges force human service agencies tocollaborate in providing services. Such collaborations require practitio-ners to have skills not found in mainstream social work curricula. Thispaper explores how a new MSW program evolved through dialog withcommunity leaders and resulted in a curriculum with a sole concentra-tion of community partnerships. [Article copies available for a fee from TheHaworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: © 2004 byThe Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.] Mindy R. Wertheimer is Director of Field Education, Elizabeth L. Beck is Associ-ate Professor, Fred Brooks is Assistant Professor, and James L. Wolk is Professor andDirector, School of Social Work, Georgia State University.Address correspondence to: Mindy R. Wertheimer, PhD, School of Social Work,Georgia State University, MSC 8L0381, 33 Gilmer Street, SE Unit 8, Atlanta, GA30303-3088 (E-mail: mwertheimer@gsu.edu).
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss key points about evaluation research relevant to both program professionals and researchers, including the contextual influences on a program, the "readiness" of a program for evaluation, and whether the evaluation research "works" for the program.
Abstract: At first glance, the worlds of program professionals and evaluators may seem quite separate However, there are common issues whose resolution will enhance both program development and research on programs Program professionals and evaluators have a great deal to learn from each other As that learning occurs, both program delivery and evaluation research will benefit Both are concerned about matters of validity, whether it pertains to the nature of the program intervention itself or to the nature of the assessment of the program intervention To reinforce the development of program evaluation in partnership, this paper discusses key points about evaluation research relevant to both program professionals and researchers These include the contextual influences on a program, the “readiness” of a program for evaluation, and whether the evaluation research “works” for the program Underlying our discussion is a call for the development of partnerships around research on programs In that light, th
TL;DR: The vast majority of Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) grantees are institutions with both undergraduate and graduate programs as discussed by the authors. Consequently, baccalaureate institutions are underrepresented in university-community partnerships.
Abstract: The vast majority of Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) grantees are institutions with both undergraduate and graduate programs. Consequently, baccalaureate institutions are underrepresented in university-community partnerships. Although the current emphasis on partnership and engagement arose out of an examination of the scholarly direction of higher education, this history should not preclude institutions with primary teaching-learning activities. Results from one baccalaureate institution show a range of activities appropriate for the involvement of undergraduate institutions in university-community partnerships. This article reviews recent thought and vision to demonstrate the potential advantages of partnership. Seven methods of engagement that can be used by baccalaureate institutions are described. Two important ways include service-learning courses and academically-based service-learning. This article provides examples of these approaches for helping baccalaureate educational in...
TL;DR: In this article, Engaged Research in Higher Education and Civic Responsibility Reconsidered is discussed, with a focus on the role of higher education in higher education and its role in community practice.
Abstract: (2004). Engaged Research in Higher Education and Civic Responsibility Reconsidered. Journal of Community Practice: Vol. 12, No. 3-4, pp. 235-242.
TL;DR: Open D.O.R.S. as discussed by the authors (Disability Organization for Opportunity, Resources, and Services) is a campus organization to address issues of people with disabilities in a university community.
Abstract: This paper describes and analyzes a community intervention class project in a university community that led to the establishment of an officially recognized campus organization, Open D.O.O.R.S. (Disability Organization for Opportunity, Resources, and Services), to address issues of people with disabilities. It emphasizes the need for providing students knowledge of community strategies at a time when the profession is facing increased social problems and fewer social resources.
TL;DR: The Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) as discussed by the authors is a program sponsored by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support the development of partnerships between universities and colleges and the communities in which they reside.
Abstract: The Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) program sponsored by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is designed to support the development of partnerships between universities and colleges and the communities in which they reside. This manuscript reports on the initial stages of the evaluation of a COPC initiative in an impoverished neighborhood surrounding Indiana University Northwest (IUN) in Gary, Indiana. Four distinct projects of the initiative are described, including education, neighborhood revitalization, community organizing, and economic development. The paper shows how logic models and baseline telephone surveys can be used to evaluate broad-scale capacity-building initiatives that are expected to evolve and change over time as a result of participation from community members.
TL;DR: This paper presented three phases of a university-community partnership between the Macedonia neighborhood in High Point, North Carolina, and the Center for the Study of Social Issues (CSSI) at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Abstract: The willingness on the part of university participants to listen attentively to community representatives is of great importance to successful collaborations. This article presents three phases of a university-community partnership between the Macedonia neighborhood in High Point, North Carolina, and the Center for the Study of Social Issues (CSSI) at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Although no professional network and neighborhood contacts were in place prior to this collaboration, the partnership addressed community needs by obtaining federal grant funding and by listening to the residents' concerns. Staff, students, and faculty overcame the challenges of inexperience and the difficulty of working with a neighborhood that was not located near the university. In various phases, the partnership moved away from a technical assistance approach to a self-help model. By actively engaging neighborhood residents through the Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC), a learning and adaptation process occurred that resulted in successful university-community collaboration.
TL;DR: A quickening involves a gathering of energy, achieving vitality, or acceleration as mentioned in this paper, and the idea of a quickening characterizes both the field of community practice and the Journal of Community Practice.
Abstract: A quickening involves a gathering of energy, achieving vitality, or acceleration. The idea of a quickening, from our perspective, characterizes both the field of community practice and the Journal of Community Practice. Both community practice and the journal are gaining energy, achieving vitality, and accelerating their insights into what constitutes community life and how practitioners, students, scholars, and researchers from many different orientations and disciplines advance community life. While in past editorials we have considered diversity, interdisciplinarity, and new avenues of practice and method, these perspectives are increasingly becoming a reality within the Journal of Community Practice. The quickening–a gathering of the energy of our many different contributors, a vitality of multiple perspectives and voices, and an acceleration of knowledge–theoretical, empirical, and practice-oriented knowledge–is increasing as we move forward into Volume 12 of JCP.
TL;DR: In this paper, the role of consultants in planning, developing, and implementing high engagement techniques in the development of community partnerships is discussed and examples of partnerships with university-community links from both countries demonstrate the use of a range of consulting skills and creative techniques for facilitating effective collaborative action among community organizations and university partners.
Abstract: Government policy in both the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) has given increased importance to the concept and practice of partnership. Indeed, partnerships have become a key requirement of most community-based activities. This article explores the nature of partnerships and the need to see partnership as a process committed to engaging all participants. Some examples of partnerships with university-community links from both countries demonstrate the use of a range of consulting skills and creative techniques for facilitating effective collaborative action among community organizations and university partners. The article features the role of consultants in planning, developing, and implementing high engagement techniques in the development of community partnerships.
TL;DR: A two-tiered community intervention model in response to a call from the Center for Mental Health Services for the development of best-practice strategies for homeless mothers with mental health and/or substance use disorders and their children is described.
Abstract: This paper describes a two-tiered community intervention model in response to a call from the Center for Mental Health Services for the development of best-practice strategies for homeless mothers with mental health and/or substance use disorders and their children. This model incorporates best practice principles gained from previous research projects pitched at the system and client levels. The model has been conceptualized, presented, and funded by CMHS and is currently being implemented in a local community. This model is unique in that it develops an intervention that addresses both levels of service delivery (i.e., system and client) in a single project. Blending systems integration/wraparound service philosophy and consumer-driven/strength-based development approaches provides a model that encompasses interventions at the individual client level via supported case management, and improved coordination and collaboration at the service system level. While this model was developed for a speci...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a model for establishing and maintaining social change coalitions based on the authors' study of a successful coalition-based social change initiative, highlighting the potential contribution of a neutral, external support agency whose goal is to help a group of organizations collaborate in an effort to promote change in social policy in an area of shared concern.
Abstract: This paper presents a model for establishing and maintaining social change coalitions. The model, based on the authors' study of a successful coalition-based social change initiative, highlights the potential contribution of a neutral, external support agency whose goal is to help a group of organizations collaborate in an effort to promote change in social policy in an area of shared concern. The external agency brings knowledge and experience in working with coalitions, needs to be trusted by all the coalition partners, and should be perceived as not competing for recognition or resources, and as having only the common goal in mind. The components of the model and the methodology employed to develop it are presented, followed by assessment of its generalizability to other settings. Experts, from different disciplines, countries and ethnic backgrounds, advised that this model has great potential for solving social problems in many different areas.
TL;DR: Home of Your Own (HOYO) as mentioned in this paper offers strategies for community collaboration that benefit people with disabilities, which involve home buyers, financial institutions, realtors and organizations such as Centers for Independent Living in locating properties, training clients and publicizing the program.
Abstract: This description of Home of Your Own (HOYO) programs offers strategies for community collaboration that benefit people with disabilities. As more people with disabilities choose to live in the community rather than in institutions and as the population of the U.S. ages, community practitioners need to understand their needs as well as the resources available to assist them. HOYO programs involve home buyers, financial institutions, realtors and organizations such as Centers for Independent Living, in locating properties, training clients and publicizing the program. Practitioners and instructors can utilize HOYO programs to illustrate the positive results of cooperation between federal, state and local agencies.
TL;DR: Johnson as mentioned in this paper has been involved in international social work since the beginning of her career in 1990 as an assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University, where she adopted three Amerasian children from Korea.
Abstract: I have been involved in international social work since the beginning of my career in 1990 as an assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University. My entry into the “world” of international social work started rather serendipitously. Richard L. Edwards, the Dean at that time, was invited to select two faculty members to go to Romania to assess the situation of institutionalized children and recommend solutions to the problem. I was lucky. I was the Dean’s second choice. My area of expertise was homelessness, not child welfare, but the faculty person with expertise in this area did not want to be involved in international social work. (At least, the perception was that I knew about orphans because I had adopted three Amerasian children from Korea.) This initial trip to Romania led to a variety of activities over the next 10 years. I developed a course in International Social Work Practice (Johnson, 1997), organized overseas field placements for students, led travel and study tours to Romania, and went to Hungary as a visiting professor. Students, social work practitioners, and faculty members from the U.S. and Romania were involved in program development for institutionalized children, research on nongovernmental organizations