Conceptualizing psychosocial nursing in the jail setting

1. The deinstitutionalization movement led to the release of thousands of mentally ill patients, many of whom were incarcerated as a way of dealing with their disturbed behavior. More restrictive civil commitment laws have also contributed to the number of mentally ill who are incarcerated. 2. Health care and security can be perceived as competing interests in the correctional institution. These competing interests may also be perceived as sources of conflict because each interest aims towards divergent goals that interfere with the other. 3. A problem central to the inadequate services for the mentally ill offender is that few people are aware of the poor conditions for this population. Correctional and mental health organizations must educate the public about the plight of the mentally ill offender.     

For those left behind. An educational inpatient rehabilitation program

1. An interdisciplinary program model was developed for the treatment of mentally ill individuals remaining in long-term state mental institutions that focused on self-maintenance, social functioning, and community living skills. 2. Patients were categorized according to their levels of functioning and diagnoses, and were assigned to programs that were developed to meet the needs of a specific group of patients. 3. The goals of the program were to enhance the quality of life for the patients; promote self-direction and capacity for self-care by increasing the patient's opportunities to make life decisions; and prepare the patients to live in a less restrictive environment.     

Preserving the Family: A Brief for Limited Commitment of Non-Dangerous Mentally Ill Persons

Society has the power—and the duty—to reach and treat certain non-dangerous mentally ill persons who are unwilling to commit themselves for treatment. This should occur within a system which offers procedural safeguards against unwarranted commitment, so that those who require active treatment receive it in the least restrictive setting and for a self-limiting period. Such a deprivation of liberty and instrusion upon personal lives can be justified under existing jurisprudential theory, is not proscribed by constitutional doctrine, and is required of a caring society. This parens patriae commitment would require a balancing of interests by a neutral law-trained officer who would consider, among other factors, the role of a caring family as a support system for the person and the impact of non-treatment upon that family.     

Social Sources of Community Solidarity in U.S. Congregations

Community solidarity, or a collective sense of belonging, plays a vital role in the health and survival of many organizations. Consequently, identifying the elements that contribute to a strong sense of solidarity within communities has long been a topic of inquiry for scholars. In this study, we draw upon prior theorizing to develop and test four hypotheses regarding the organizational characteristics associated with community solidarity in religious congregations. Multivariate models are estimated using national data on religious congregations from the 2001 U.S. Congregational Life Survey (n?=?357). Organizations with greater community solidarity tend to feature higher levels of social capital (operationalized with measures of friendship networks and participation in organizational activities), higher levels of official membership within the organization, and inspiring congregational leadership. Higher levels of commitment are associated with greater community solidarity, but the effect is wholly mediated by social capital. Congregations that engender higher levels of community solidarity share certain organizational features, including higher levels of social capital, higher rates of membership, and inspiring leaders.     

On public sector psychosocial nursing: a conceptual framework

1. Nursing practice is driven more by its environment than by knowledge provided by faculty or even strong relationships between faculty and staff. Because that environment is publicly supported, programs reflect changes in the ideological environment. 2. The psychosocial nursing specialty incorporates psychiatric/mental health nursing and social sciences to reduce the negative environmental influences while increasing the positive ones. 3. Public sector psychosocial nurses must be familiar with changing laws and regulations as well as the history of hospital and community programs for the mentally ill; understand the complexity of society and that the state hospital is only one component of a large system; and contribute to the development of their subspecialty.     

An organization-environment framework for assessing program implementation

Evaluations of health programs are typically conducted from a rational bureaucratic framework in which client change and client outcome are seen as logical outcomes of program activity. This paper proposes a theoretical framework for examining organizational consequences of program implementation. Factors in the internal environment (e.g., the hospital) and the external environment (e.g., the community) which contribute to the program's success or failure, are considered. Observational and structured interview data are used to compare two state funded perinatal projects, one an organizational "success" and the other a costly failure. Attributes of external environments which may be important to successful implementation include demand for services, provider competition, access to information, social beliefs, and professional commitment. Important features of the internal environment include host organization commitment and conflict, and structural attributes: complexity, formalization, centralization, and coordination. The paper concludes with theoretically-based questions which serve as guidelines for process evaluation.     

Social movement coalitions: Formation,longevity, and success

Social movements rely on coalitions to help mobilize the mass numbers of people necessary for success. In this article, we review the literature on social movement coalition formation, longevity, and success. We identify five factors critical to coalition formation: (a) social ties; (b) conducive organizational structures; (c) ideology, culture, and identity; (d) the institutional environment; and (e) resources. Next, we explore the extent to which coalition survival is influenced by these same factors and argue that emergent properties of the coalition, such as commitment and trust, also facilitate longevity. Our review of the literature reveals that two factors specific to coalitions influence their success: coalition form and the nature of institutional targets. Interaction, communication technology, and the availability of physical and virtual spaces that facilitate communication are themes that run throughout our discussion, as they undergird many of the elements that shape coalition formation and survival. We conclude by evaluating the state of the research area and suggesting directions for further research.     

Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System

This is the second essay in a two‐part series exploring the relationships between mental illness, criminal behavior, and the criminal justice system. The number of mentally ill persons in prisons and jails has increased substantially over the last several decades, and there are currently more people with mental illness behind bars than there are in mental hospitals. In this essay, we place these trends within a broader historical context of the social control of mental illness in the United States. We identify how and why mentally ill persons have come to be overrepresented in the criminal justice system and highlight the unique challenges this population poses for police, courts, and correctional facilities. Finally, we review several recent innovations in policy and practice that may help alleviate that burden of criminal justice involvement on mentally ill offenders, as well as the burden of mentally ill offenders on the criminal justice system.     

University Civic Engagement with Community-Based Organizations

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) funding as a social strategy, and (5) a flexible curriculum. Challenges faced by faculty, students, and practitioners are addressed, and directions for future research are suggested.     

Social and family responsibility or self-interest?

Mothers’ increasing labour market participation is posed as a key aspect of a growing trend towards individualization — both for ill and for good. In ‘for ill’ versions, mothers’ employment is regarded as undermining commitment to family relationships and leading to a loss of community. In ‘for good’ versions, family and community relationships become contingent upon values of equality and respect. ‘Preference theory’ modifies the individualization thesis, with a posited distinction between mothers in full-time employment with ‘work-centred’ identities and those with part-time work who want ‘adaptive’ or ‘home-centred’ identities. This paper examines such issues, drawing on qualitative case study research on mothers employed full and part time in a hospital and an accountancy firm in the UK. It considers how the variable work ethos of organizations, and the ways mothers engage with these, can interact with their engagement in family and community relationships. In particular, it suggests that employment can be as much about social obligation in a local community, and commitment and obligations to family, as about individualized self-provision and options.     

Characteristics of the Homeless Mentally III in Case Management: Differentiation Using Major Diagnostic Categories

The homeless mentally ill are more disabled than other homeless people and require more services, but important variations exist. This study examined relationships between broad Axis I diagnostic clusters and demographic and service variables for 328 clients receiving case management at a community program for the chronic mentally ill homeless. Demographic characteristics, medical history, educational, psychological, and marital history, and case management variables were examined for psychotic, affective, and miscellaneous other clients. Differences were found in such areas as suicide attempts and current suicide status, psychiatric treatment history, education, overall impairment of functioning, length of time homeless, and time in case management but not in status at termination or number of senlices required. Psychotics had lower adaptive functioning, spent less time in case management, but had as successful outcomes as affective clients. Psychiatric diagnosis provides information that might assist case management for the homeless mentally ill.     

“A Geography of Disparate Spirits”: Pathology as Oppression in “A Woman is Talking to Death” and “Mental”

This article foregrounds Judy Grahn's commitment to social justice and chiefly considers her nine-part poems: “A Woman is Talking to Death” and “Mental.” These poems illuminate the socially constructed nature of mental illness and challenge readers to consider how and why the characters within them are deemed mentally ill. Little, if any, scholarship has been devoted to using Grahn's poetry, and particularly “Mental,” as a framework for analyzing the pathologization of people, especially women, relative to the system of mental health. Her work remains relevant to critical conversations that illuminate contemporary issues of oppression that still haunt us today.     

An Interface Between Mental Health Systems and the Community: Italian Social Cooperatives

ABSTRACT

For more than two decades, Italian B-type social cooperatives have represented a sustainable social business model of working with disadvantaged people, especially the mentally disabled. The purpose of this article is to identify the major factors that make this business model successful. By drawing on his recent work of Italian social cooperatives, including a case study, the author explores organizational goals and repertoires as well as support structures and networks of those organizations. This study explores three major factors that account for the sustainability and growth of this model: good regulation; a supportive system of infrastructures; and democratic operational governance. These make the social cooperative an inspiring example of the outcomes that are possible when the mentally disabled are properly trained in a supportive environment. The social cooperative is a model that could well prove similarly successful if copied in other parts of the world.     

Community Care and Social Exclusion of the Chronically Mentally Ill

Everyday life for the mentally ill has been characterized typically by social exclusion. This study attempts to identify some of the elements of this exoerience bv focusine on the dimensions of residential scgregatio& ~ n e m ~ l ~ ~ m c n t , social isolation, and time. Psrtici~ant observa~ion and interview methods wcrc used to understand the problem of social exclusion for 60 former state hospital patients. The results suggest that social exclusion can be interpreted as part of a wider system of socio-cultural organization which fosters the separation of the mentally ill.     

Why do drug treatment organizations use contingent staffing arrangements? An analysis of market and social influences

Contingent staffing arrangements are defined as conditional and transitory work arrangements. In the drug abuse treatment sector, contingent staffing arrangements have the potential to improve treatment if they are used to increase access to needed services. Alternatively, such arrangements could interfere with the development of consistent, long-term client-staff relationships. Unfortunately, little is known about the consequences of or influences on contingent staff arrangements in this sector. The goal of this study is to examine the conditions under which outpatient substance abuse treatment organizations are more likely to use contingent staffing arrangements. Building on previous research on the social organization of health care structures and practices, we develop a conceptual model based in market economics and institutional perspectives to suggest that treatment organizations choose contingent arrangements in response to market conditions and uncertainty, institutional demands, and client needs. Using data from a nationally representative study conducted in 1988, 1990, and 1995, we find limited evidence that drug treatment units use contingent staff in response to market pressures. Labor market and demand uncertainty, however, are systematically associated with greater use of contingent staff. Study results suggest that expectations and norms from the institutional environment, particularly the organizational context of the treatment unit are strong predictors of the use of contingent staff. By considering both market and social influences of contingent staffing, we contribute to a growing body of research on how markets and institutions interact to influence organizational structures and practices in the health care system.     

Deinstitutionalization: a public policy perspective

1. Deinstitutionalization was initiated in an era of social reform to protect the rights of the mentally ill; however, a strong research base was absent and led to major flaws in the policy's implementation. 2. The chronically mentally ill are frequently poor advocates for themselves and, without even the most simple needs fulfilled, end up homeless. 3. The homeless mentally ill require comprehensive support systems with assured continuity of care. An emerging concept to deal with this issue is that of case management. 4. The mental health professional can strive to influence future public policy as patient advocate and nonpartisan educator.     

Brief admission program. An alliance of inpatient care and outpatient case management

1. Brief planned and crisis admissions to an inpatient psychiatric unit are presented as a component supportive of outpatient care and case management for chronically mentally ill patients. 2. Typical patients admitted to this inpatient short-term program are those experiencing a life stress or temporary crisis; chronically mentally ill patients who cycle and experience exacerbations of their illness; and those who need to make the transition from an acute inpatient unit to community living. 3. The Brief Admission Program treats the individual's response to and the consequences of a lifelong illness and enables the patient to return to his previous level of functioning and continue necessary outpatient treatment.     

Predictors of Feminist Activism among Social Work Students in the United States

While social workers advocate against domestic violence, sexual harassment, and restrictive reproductive practices, there have been virtually no studies on the reasons behind their feminist activism. To address this oversight, this study documented the extent of feminist activism among American undergraduate social work students (n = 159). When moving to explanatory analysis, our data suggest that feminist activism was related to greater educational attainment, knowing activist peers, recognizing heterosexism, and internalizing a commitment to social justice. Moreover, electoral activism was tied to the rejection of traditional gender norms in the family and perceptions of social movement tactics were crucial to protesting for women's rights.     

Social Organization of an Industrial Work Group: Emergence and Adaptation to Environmental Change*

This is a participant observation study of a small work group on the night shift in a food processing plant. Although in the Human Relations tradition, this study focuses explicitly upon the interrelations between the group and salient aspects of the organizational and technical environment. The analysis is guided by the small group theory of George C. Homans. Attention is focused first upon the development of an informal social organization which was functional both in meeting formal organizational goals and group members' socioemotional needs. This informal organization was disrupted by supervisory style changes, however, after which both job commitment and group morale declined dramatically. This was followed by two technical changes; as the group informally and collectively adapted to these changes, a new informal social organization emerged. This new organization clearly reflected the group members' desire for autonomy. Clear support is claimed for the general proposition that commitment to formal organizational goals, group morale, and individual satisfaction is positively related to a lenient supervisory style and high autonomy.     

AN ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORK SATISFACTION AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT

This article investigates the interrelationship between individual characteristics, work rewards, work satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Data obtained from 1,385 workers representing a variety of occupational groups are analyzed. Generally, the data suggest that individual characteristics have very little impact on either satisfaction or commitment, while work rewards are found to be better predictors of satisfaction than commitment. More important, the data further indicate that satisfaction and commitment have reciprocal effects; however, it appears that satisfaction has a significantly greater effect on commitment than the reverse. The implications of these findings are discussed.