Showing papers in "Social Service Review in 1995"
496Â citations
356Â citations
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of selected child, family, and foster care system factors on reentry of children to foster care after they have been discharged to their families were explored.
Abstract: Reentry of children to foster care after they have been discharged to their families has been a concern of child welfare policy makers, practitioners, and researchers for many years. In this study, I use administrative data on a large cohort of children who were returned to their families to explore the effects of selected child, family, and foster care system factors on reentry. Child's age at discharge from care, race, health problems, and family's eligibility for an Aid to Families with Dependent Children grant were found to be associated with the hazard of reentry. The child's experience while in care, including placement setting at time of discharge, length of time in care, and placement stability, is also related to reentry. These findings are examined in light of research on family reunification. Difficulties in conducting research on foster care reentry are also discussed.
184Â citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors sketch three successive conceptions of social work as a profession: functionalist, ecological, and functionalist approaches, and conclude that social work arises out of a set of social "boundary groups" capable of assembly into a defensible turf.
Abstract: In this article, I sketch three successive conceptions of social work as a profession. The first takes a functionalist approach-social work as the profession of interstitiality. Difficulties in this view lead to a second, ecological approach. Here social work is a complex defended turf in the system of professions. Explaining the origins of this turf requires a network-constitutive approach, in which social work arises out of a set of social "boundary groups" capable of assembly into such a defensible turf. These three views capture different aspects of the profession, as well as different times in its development. I close with some speculations about the future of the profession.
139Â citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors tested an ecological model hypothesizing that family context influences parenting, which in turn influences adolescent behavior, and found that the family's disadvantaged neighborhood, life distress, social isolation, and lack of partner support were associated with dysfunctional parenting that increases delinquency.
Abstract: We tested an ecological model hypothesizing that family context influences parenting, which in turn influences adolescent behavior. Results for 864 adolescents and their parents showed that the family's disadvantaged neighborhood, life distress, social isolation, and lack of partner support were associated with dysfunctional parenting that increases delinquency. However, economic hardship per se was not associated with dysfunctional parenting. Because parenting and delinquency are affected by the family's macroenvironment, interventions must be directed toward the context in which parenting occurs, as well as toward family microprocesses.
87Â citations
TL;DR: The relationship between alcohol and violence is complex, with disinhibition, disavowal, or interaction interpretations of the alcohol-violence association as discussed by the authors, and evidence from both the alcohol abuse and the wife assault fields suggests that "power theory" offers a viable alternative interpretation.
Abstract: The high association between alcohol and violence suggests that alcohol instigates violence. The relationship, however, is complex, with disinhibition, disavowal, or interaction interpretations of the alcohol-violence association. Evidence from both the alcohol abuse and the wife assault fields suggests that "power theory" offers a viable alternative interpretation. Power theory suggests that alcohol abuse and wife assault are manifestations of an underlying need for power and control related to gender-based distortions and insecurities. Alcohol treatment and wife assault programs often conflict in terms of assumptions and approaches. Power theory implies that alcohol abuse and wife assault be treated conjointly as weapons of power assertion and control, and, in the process, treatment effectiveness will be enhanced.
66Â citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a conceptual model linking risk factors to family homelessness, including substance abuse, childhood victimization, adult victimization of the mother, and pregnancy or recent birth.
Abstract: This article reviews empirical research on urban homeless families. Eight risk factors for family homelessness are identified. A conceptual model linking risk factors to family homelessness is presented. Three risk factors-single-female-headed family, minority family, or young age of family head-are known to increase the likelihood of family poverty. Four risk factors-substance abuse, childhood victimization of the mother, adult victimization of the mother, and pregnancy or recent birth-are hypothesized to be associated with a higher likelihood of leaving permanent housing. Social support is hypothesized to be a buffering factor. Implications of these findings for social policy and program design are presented.
57Â citations
43Â citations
TL;DR: This paper examined general characteristics, services offered, and common practices of 646 family shelters and found that the system of family shelters is not a coordinated system but rather a diverse group of loosely connected programs, organized primarily by private sponsors.
Abstract: A significant increase in homelessness among families during the past decade has led to the establishment of an extensive family shelter system. Because the number of shelters has grown so quickly, there is little systematic information that describes them. In this study, we examine general characteristics, services offered, and common practices of 646 family shelters. Data are drawn from a mail survey of family shelters in the database of a nonprofit organization devoted to research and action on homeless families. Analysis revealed that the system of family shelters is not a coordinated system but rather a diverse group of loosely connected programs, organized primarily by private sponsors, and that shelter practices often exclude the neediest families.
43Â citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that adopting the notion of empowerment as a framework for practice requires not only that we think differently about professional practice but also that we consider different forms of knowledge as applicable in practice settings.
Abstract: Within recent social work literature, the concept of empowerment as a practice perspective has received wide endorsement. In this article, I argue that adopting the notion of empowerment as a framework for practice requires not only that we think differently about professional practice but, more fundamentally, that we think differently about professional knowledge. Using the work of philosopher Jurgen Habermas, particularly the distinction he makes among three arenas of human activity-work, interaction, and power-I outline ways in which the functional and cognitive interests associated with these arenas dictate differing orientations to practice, alternate commitments to various forms of knowledge as applicable in practice settings, and different accounts of practitioner error. Implications for professional education are addressed.
40Â citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify the shared stresses and support needs of affected families and introduce a program, Operation READY, designed to teach active and reserve component families to cope with the stress of military life, especially separations.
Abstract: Changes in the American military have made new demands on social work and social services. The military is no longer dominated by active military personnel and their families. The reserve components, with a militia tradition and history predating the regular military establishment by more than 150 years, are now a full partner in the total force, with recent combat experience in Grenada, Panama, Somalia, and the Persian Gulf. The challenges and problems of military life are well documented among active-duty personnel, especially the effects of separations. Today, reservists and their families experience increasing stresses associated with separations and deployments. The military establishment has not systematically addressed the effects of separation for either group. This article identifies the shared stresses and support needs of affected families and introduces a program, Operation READY, designed to teach active and reserve component families to cope with the stress of military life, especially separ...
TL;DR: This paper reviewed the current state of empirical research on graduate social work education, focusing on the major curriculum content areas of research, practice skills, human behavior and social environment, policy, values, and field instruction.
Abstract: In this article we review the current state of empirical research on graduate social work education, focusing on the major curriculum content areas of research, practice skills, human behavior and social environment, policy, values, and field instruction. We address what has been accomplished to date and which areas are especially in need of quality research investigations.
TL;DR: Information is presented on the economic, social, and health situation of the elderly and the development of institutional and home care for the elderly in Sweden to place Sweden in an international perspective.
Abstract: The "graying of populations" in the advanced industrial countries has created increasing concerns among policy makers. In Sweden, the proportion of the aged has increased very fast. Because Sweden is known as an advanced welfare state, it is of interest to look at its efforts to deal with the problems of the aged. This article presents information on the economic, social, and health situation of the elderly and discusses the development of institutional and home care for the elderly in Sweden. Where available, comparative data are used to place Sweden in an international perspective.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors integrate theoretical and empirical studies about the underclass and the ecological context of social problems, and demonstrate the applicability of this framework for understanding trends in urban poverty and for identifying patterns of internal resources in different types of neighborhoods, and propose how this information establishes a rationale for complementary interventions on the part of community organizers committed to social integration of marginalized communities.
Abstract: This article has three objectives: to integrate theoretical and empirical studies about the underclass and the ecological context of social problems, to demonstrate the applicability of this framework for understanding trends in urban poverty and for identifying patterns of internal resources in different types of neighborhoods, and to propose how this information establishes a rationale for complementary interventions on the part of community organizers committed to the social integration of marginalized communities.
TL;DR: The article by Bath and Haapala presents one approach to the reconciliation of apparent contradictions between theory and research on the effects of FPS, which cites studies that employed much weaker designs as support for their hypothesis that FPS prevent out-of-home placements.
Abstract: challenge the widely held notion that family preservation services (FPS) are effective in preventing the out-of-home placement of children. Careful examination of the studies' methods, thoughtful interpretations of findings, and efforts to integrate this information into existing knowledge about the effects of FPS are clearly warranted. When faced with empirical evidence that contradicts theory, one can dismiss the new evidence, attempt to modify the theory, or ignore the discrepancy. The article by Bath and Haapala presents one approach to the reconciliation of apparent contradictions between theory and research on the effects of FPS.2 After an attempt to dismiss the null findings of several randomized experiments on methodological grounds, the authors cite studies that employed much weaker designs as support for their hypothesis that FPS prevent out-of-home placements. The authors' criticisms of the randomized experiments are incomplete and often inaccurate. They use assertions rather than evidence to dismiss the findings of these studies. Their failure to take into account issues of validity in studies that appear to support their own beliefs constitutes a serious lapse, one that results in misrepresentation of the weight of the evidence in this field. Their review also misses important lessons that can be drawn from the research in this area.
TL;DR: The authors discusses the effects of the EITC on the income status and work incentives of welfare families in New York City and Texas, assesses the distributive effect of the eITC, and investigates the extent to which the eitC helps welfare families escape poverty through work.
Abstract: Initially a program to relieve the burdens of the social security tax on low-income taxpayers, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is rapidly becoming a major income support program for the working poor and their families. This article discusses the effects of the EITC on the income status and work incentives of welfare families in New York City and Texas, assesses the distributive effect of the EITC, and investigates the extent to which the EITC helps welfare families escape poverty through work. It then places the EITC in a broader policy perspective, describing its ripple effects on this country's treatment of the working poor versus the nonworking poor, support of children, and attempts to cope with the increasing disparity in the incomes of high-wage and low-wage workers.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine patterns of privatization in the Illinois child welfare system using data from state payment records and a survey of organizational providers and show which providers are active in it and how important they are to the state agency involved.
Abstract: In this article, we examine patterns of privatization in the Illinois child welfare system using data from state payment records and a survey of organizational providers. We describe the state contract system and show which providers are active in it and how important they are to the state agency involved. We hypothesize (1) that market forces will favor those providers that match most closely the needs of the state agency for specific expertise and (2) that power and leverage will operate to favor those who can bring the most resources to bear on contract negotiations. Multiple regression analysis shows support for both hypotheses.
TL;DR: In this article, case studies of homeless students and their families in New Hampshire reveal that homelessness is a problem in rural, as well as urban, areas, and that two-parent families came in the wake of economic reverses, while for single parent families the precipitating event was family disruption.
Abstract: Twenty case studies of homeless students and their families in New Hampshire reveal that homelessness is a problem in rural, as well as urban, areas. Homelessness for two-parent families came in the wake of economic reverses, while for singleparent families the precipitating event was family disruption. Homeless schoolchildren were found to suffer serious setbacks both academically and socially, including exhaustion, lack of time and a place to do homework, coordinating school schedules with work schedules, instability, out-of-school periods, frequent changes of school, and stigmatization. These problems characterized not only the period of literal homelessness but also the entire residential crisis episode surrounding that period.
TL;DR: The article proposes a framework, in this case applied to home health care, that more rigorously incorporates social factors into outcomes research.
Abstract: A new field, known as "outcomes research" or "medical effectiveness research," has been embraced by policy makers and managers as the basis for controlling costs, improving quality, and establishing accountability. Research in this field has already migrated to health-care problems that are primarily social, not medical, in nature. This article describes the principles and approaches characteristic of medical effectiveness research and analyzes the treatment of social factors in the current generation of studies. The article proposes a framework, in this case applied to home health care, that more rigorously incorporates social factors into outcomes research.
TL;DR: This article conducted face-to-face interviews with participants in four communities and completed follow-up telephone interviews several months later, finding that participating in a welfare employment program can be a worthwhile experience for mothers on welfare and their preschool children.
Abstract: In this study, we sought to bring into view the perspective of welfare recipients regarding the nation's welfare employment program, the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training program. We conducted face-to-face interviews with participants in four communities and completed follow-up telephone interviews several months later. The findings indicate that participating in a welfare employment program can be a worthwhile experience for mothers on welfare and their preschool children. However, inadequate resources may limit the program's effectiveness, and employment findings suggest that the women will continue to need public assistance benefits, particularly Medicaid and food stamps, to support their families.
TL;DR: In this article, an analysis of longitudinal data from three welfare-to-work programs reveals wide variations in the reported adequacy of child care used by program participants and differences in program quality and convenience of care arrangements are found to vary by the mode of care and by children's ages.
Abstract: The emphasis in state and federal welfare reform on moving parents with young children into the labor market has elevated child care from a peripheral to a central concern in welfare policy. This article examines issues of child-care adequacy, parental choice, and consumer education in welfare reform. An analysis of longitudinal data from three welfare-to-work programs reveals wide variations in the reported adequacy of child care used by program participants. Differences in program quality and convenience of care arrangements are found to vary by the mode of care and by children's ages. Characteristics and behaviors of participants as child-care consumers, including their use of voluntary resource and referral services, are also related to their success in obtaining adequate care. Implications of these findings for welfare and child-care policy, and for future research, are discussed.
TL;DR: During World War I, 85 African-American social service workers were sent to France as program directors for the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) as discussed by the authors, where they took up their work in the context of soaring race consciousness as they and the African American soldiers they served encountered "free France" on the one hand and the American command's determination to recreate Jim Crow on French soil on the other.
Abstract: During World War I, 85 African-American social service workers were sent to France as program directors for the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). They took up their work in the context of soaring race consciousness as they and the African-American soldiers they served encountered "free France" on the one hand and the American command's determination to recreate Jim Crow on French soil on the other. The African-American YMCA "secretaries," as they were called, worked with imagination, passion, and considerable skill to establish the right of the African-American soldiers to services long designated "for whites only." Their programs were suffused by habits of collective self-help and benefited enormously from the race pride, spirit of internationalism, and militancy of the times.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine the extent to which the Polish experience is consistent with controversial hypotheses concerning the impact of social welfare policies on individual initiative and family structure, and examine trends in divorce and out-ofwedlock childbearing for evidence of weakening family structure.
Abstract: Over the past several decades, Polish social welfare policy (broadly defined) has developed into a comprehensive system, creating the potential for unintended negative consequences as well as the intended benefits. This article examines the extent to which the Polish experience is consistent with controversial hypotheses concerning the impact of social welfare policies on individual initiative and family structure. The abrupt changes currently taking place in Poland during the transition to a market economy provide an opportunity for us to observe the extent to which previous state policies have reduced individual initiative. Trends in divorce and out-of-wedlock childbearing are examined for evidence of weakening family structure.
TL;DR: A critical overview of studies concerning the working poor and recent federal legislation that seeks to reduce their problems is provided in this article, where welfare reform proposals focus on moving recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) from economic dependency to self-sufficiency through employment.
Abstract: Major welfare reform proposals focus on moving recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) from economic dependency to self-sufficiency through employment. Success in reaching this goal depends on whether recipients can secure adequately paying, permanent employment. This seems unlikely for many in that, even if they find jobs, they may well join the ranks of the working poor. This article provides a critical overview of studies concerning the working poor and recent federal legislation that seeks to reduce their problems. Further legislation, research, and careful consideration of welfare reform self-sufficiency goals for AFDC recipients are proposed.
TL;DR: Concerns about Norplant's use are focused on accessibility, potential for coercive use, and use of Norplant as a social remedy.
Abstract: Norplant has been hailed as a vast improvement over other contraceptive devices since its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1990. Studies of Norplant's performance and acceptability demonstrate that it is very effective in preventing pregnancy, that its effects are rapidly reversible, and that women are willing to tolerate its common side effects to receive the benefits of the device. Despite its many positive features, a number of social and health policy concerns about Norplant's use must be addressed. This article focuses on three of those concerns: accessibility, potential for coercive use, and use of Norplant as a social remedy.
TL;DR: Schuerman, Rzepnicki, and Littell, Putting Families First (n. I above) as discussed by the authors showed that placement rates in the treatment group were higher than those in the comparison group.
Abstract: families referred from the same source. Although the study clearly lacked the statistical power to detect program effects of practical significance, it is important to note that placement rates in the treatment group were higher than those in the comparison group. 58. Schuerman, Rzepnicki, and Littell, Putting Families First (n. I above). 59. Feldman, "Assessing the Effectiveness of Family Preservation Services" (n. 1 above); Schuerman, Rzepnicki, and Littell, Putting Families First (n. 1 above). 60. Schuerman, Rzepnicki, and Littell, Putting Families First (n. 1 above). 61. In the states of Michigan and Washington, Homebuilders and others have undertaken special projects aimed at solving the targeting problems. 62. Several promising efforts to augment the research in this area are now underway. For example, Betty Blythe and her colleagues have mounted a randomized experiment in Detroit that includes efforts to improve the targeting of FPS. Further evidence of the effect of FPS will also be developed in a national evaluation funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services assistant secretary for planning and evaluation.