Toward building a typology for the evaluation of services in family support programs

This article briefly reviews the history, philosophy, practice principles, and foci of family support programs, examines the typologies currently in use to classify these programs, and discusses the difficulties these classifications pose for program evaluators. The authors introduce a new typology that deconstructs family support programs into their component services and discuss the potential of this typology for evaluation of family support services.     

Online Peer Support Programs for Young People with a Parent Who has a Mental Illness: Service Providers’ Perspectives

Young people with a parent or parents who have mental illness are at a higher-than-average risk of experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties. Notwithstanding the difficulties experienced by these young people, opportunities to interact with and obtain support from peers living in similar families can be beneficial. While young people face several barriers to participating in face-to-face peer support programs, online approaches potentially provide a different way of obtaining peer support. This paper aims to explore service providers’ perspectives on current Victorian peer support programs, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of online approaches to peer support. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 17 mental health professionals who work with families affected by parental mental illness. Participants recognised that many young people miss out on face-to-face peer support programs, and were highly supportive of the idea of online programs. This study suggests that online peer support programs for young people could occupy an important position in the evolving suite of services for Australian families affected by mental illness.     

Equality for all? Support for equal opportunity among professors in Europe

Equal Opportunity programs (EO) continue to be at the center of the debate about promoting equality in higher education. While support for EO has been well-studied in American higher education, this research is the first to investigate the attitudes towards and support for a range of EO policies among professors in Europe. We specifically examine faculty support for seven different EO measures used in European universities that require varying levels of involvement and commitment. From a sample of 689 professors, findings show that women professors tend to show more support for all EO programs compared to men professors. We also see differences across disciplines. Professors from the humanities and social sciences are more likely to endorse such programs than their counterparts in STEM disciplines. Moreover, the differences across disciplines and gender decrease substantially when controlling for racial and gender attitudes. Finally, soft/differential programs, which prioritize merit but take group membership into account are preferred over hard/preferential programs which prioritize achieving equality by targeting members from marginalized groups. This research is innovative for its geographical location, sample of study, and range of included measures.     

The Development of a Physician Vitality Program: A Brief Report

We describe the development of an innovative program to support physician vitality. We provide the context and process of program delivery which includes a number of experimental support programs. We discuss a model for intervention and methods used to enhance physician resilience, support work‐life balance, and change the culture to one that explicitly addresses the physician's biopsychosocial‐spiritual needs. Recommendations are given for marriage and family therapists (MFTs) who wish to develop similar support programs for healthcare providers. Video Abstract     

Parenting adolescents from ethno-cultural backgrounds: A scan of community-based programs in Canada for the promotion of adolescent mental health

ObjectivesTo i) describe current community-based programs across Canada to support parents for the promotion of adolescent mental health, with special attention to ethno-cultural populations; and ii) identify needs, gaps, and opportunities for the development of a framework to support parents for the promotion of adolescent mental health.MethodsWe conducted an internet-based cross Canada scan of community-based parenting programs that promote adolescent mental health in ethno-culturally diverse populations, followed by structured phone interviews with program staff. Findings were categorized according to audience (ethnicity/culture and age group), geographical distribution and coverage, and program type. Barriers to access and outreach mentioned by interviewees were documented.ResultsWe found a total of 47 programs that met our search criteria. The greatest numbers were found in the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, particularly in the Greater Toronto and Vancouver Areas. Most programs consisted of psycho-educational, information-based workshops, support groups, or used innovative approaches (e.g., arts, alternative medicine, mentorship, and skillsdevelopment courses). Five programs (11%) had parent and youth components. From the perspective of service providers, cultural distrust, stigma, financial constraints and language barriers pose challenges to outreach. Program evaluations are limited and often not publicly available.ConclusionThere are gaps in geographic coverage and types of programs available to parents for the promotion of adolescent mental health in ethno-cultural communities. Inconsistent and insufficient funding [and other forms of institutional support] detract from the capacity of community-based organizations to adequately support families and conduct, publicize, and evaluate their programs.     

Data and the measurement of R&D program impacts

The purpose of this paper is to propose a research agenda for the measurement of economic impacts of Canadian government R&D support programs. Different methodologies and indicators used to assess benefits from government support programs/agencies for R&D are discussed first. Using available information on major business-related R&D federal programs, the paper will assess which indicators and methodologies can be implemented. The specific programs/agencies under investigation include: Technology Partnerships Canada sponsored by Industry Canada, Industrial Research Assistance Program sponsored by National Research Council, Atlantic Innovation Fund sponsored by Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Canadian Space Agency and National Defence.     

A preventive services program model for preserving and supporting families over time

Selected findings from a three-year study are reported regarding a prospective sample of 189 families served by the Center for Family Life's preventive services program and the nature and results of the services the families received. The program combines elements of both family preservation and family support services to provide a comprehensive, individualized response to families in need and prevent the unnecessary placement of children in care. Four program elements correspond with those typically identified as characterizing family preservation programs, and three key program elements differentiate the Center's approach from other family preservation programs. These latter characteristics are more typically found in family support programs and address limitations of current family preservation programs as identified in the literature.     

Comparison of specialist and mainstream programs for older carers of adults with intellectual disability: Considerations for service development

Older carers of adults with intellectual disabilities experience unique challenges. Outreach initiatives identify a high number who are unknown to support services and a case is made to proactively engage them to assist in future planning for their adult children. An earlier study by the authors suggested that, in Victoria, specialist case management programs for older carers occupied a unique place within the service system. The present paper discusses a study that further explored the functions of specialist programs for this group through a comparsion with a mainstream disability case-management program. Few differences were found, although mainstream programs did not undertake outreach and community education functions. Models that build on the capacity of mainstream case management or carer support programs to work with older carers and target outreach more effectively are discussed.     

Critical feminist analysis of STEM mentoring programs: A meta-synthesis of the existing literature

We conducted a meta-synthesis review of existing literature on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) mentoring programs for women. Critical feminist theory (CFT) was used to understand how mentoring programs support retention and occupational advancement of women in traditionally male-dominated STEM fields. Four primary strands of CFT were explored: gender, oppression/patriarchy, social institutions, and systemic change. Traditional models of mentoring encompass varied approaches, including institutionally enforced programs, formal and informal programs, paired peer grouping, as well as face-to-face and online forums. However, low levels of retention and self-stated lack of professional satisfaction for women in STEM fields continue to plague those professions. This study reviews the literature on mentoring programs that have been implemented to support women in STEM, thus adding to the epistemology of mentoring women in STEM through feminist discourse.     

Helping Oneself by Helping Others: Evaluation of a Service Credit Banking Demonstration

Between 1987 and 1990, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded six service credit banking demonstration programs among the elderly in which participants delivered services in return for credits, entitling them to later service. This evaluation of the demonstrations found that these six sites successfully attracted elders for the delivery of household support services to a relatively old, frail population with potentially limited social networks. Evidence on the significance of the "credit" in attracting volunteers was mixed, but the programs have attracted new volunteers, and have not substituted for other volunteer activities. Program development has entailed considerable staff investment in volunteer support; programs are better understood as community membership organizations than as mechanical exchanges.     

Helping oneself by helping others: evaluation of a service credit banking demonstration

Between 1987 and 1990, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded six service credit banking demonstration programs among the elderly in which participants delivered services in return for credits, entitling them to later service. This evaluation of the demonstrations found that these six sites successfully attracted elders for the delivery of household support services to a relatively old, frail population with potentially limited social networks. Evidence on the significance of the "credit" in attracting volunteers was mixed, but the programs have attracted new volunteers, and have not substituted for other volunteer activities. Program development has entailed considerable staff investment in volunteer support; programs are better understood as community membership organizations than as mechanical exchanges.     

Evaluating Services for Kinship Care Families: A Systematic Review

Despite their needs, kinship care families receive less support and fewer resources than other foster care families. This study systematically reviews thirteen studies that evaluated services and programs for kinship caregivers and children. Studies evaluating the effectiveness of the Kinship Navigator Program, financial assistance, support services, and training/educational programs were identified and reviewed. The Levels of Evidence-Based Intervention Effectiveness (LEBIE) scale was used to evaluate the research designs. The findings indicate that although positive results are shown for enhanced well-being and permanency outcomes of children and kinship caregivers, the rigor of the research designs are low, making it difficult to draw any firm conclusions about the effectiveness of these programs. Recommendations for child welfare practice and future research include the need to develop services for informal caregivers and particular racial/ethnic groups. In addition, more rigorous research designs and qualitative research should be conducted to support the effectiveness or social validity of the services and to inform evidence-based practice.     

The impact of schools and school programs upon adolescent sexual behavior

Because most youth are enrolled in school for many years before they initiate sex and when they initiate sex, schools have the potential for reducing adolescent sexual risk-taking. This paper reviews studies which examine the impact upon sexual risk-taking of school involvement, school characteristics, specific programs in school that do not address sexual behavior, and specific programs that do address sexual risk-taking. Multiple studies support several conclusions. First, involvement in and attachment to school and plans to attend higher education are all related to less sexual risk-taking and lower pregnancy rates. Second, students in schools with manifestations of poverty and disorganization are more likely to become pregnant. Third, some school programs specifically designed to increase attachment to school or reduce school dropout effectively delayed sex or reduced pregnancy rate, even when they did not address sexuality. Fourth, sex and HIV education programs do not increase sexual behavior, and some programs decrease sexual activity and increase condom or contraceptive use. Fifth, school-based clinics and school condom-availability programs do not increase sexual activity, and either may or may not increase condom or contraceptive use. Other studies reveal that there is very broad support for comprehensive sex- and HIV-education programs, and accordingly, most youth receive some amount of sex or HIV education. However, important topics are not covered in many schools.     

Assisted Living for Lower-Income and Frail Older Persons from the Housing and Built Environment Perspective

Abstract

This paper examines the linkages between housing and supportive services from the built environmental perspective. When it comes to linking supportive services, it is usually true that the wealthier an individual is the more private resources he or she has available to define a personal support system at every step in the aging process; the poorer the individual is, the fewer choices she or he has and the successful linkages of government subsidized housing, health and supportive services become more important to successful aging of that person. Low-income and aging individuals are the real testing ground for whether current policy allows holistic support linkages to occur and whether programs are available in both the quantity and quality to empower low-income older persons with options and support choices.

The discussion that follows is limited to supportive services and aging in place in conventional housing and affordable purpose built assisted living programs and facilities; it omits institutional living. For low-income older persons, institutional care provides few if any housing choices or individual power to control support delivery, and thus linkages between cooperating support professionals and programs becomes increasingly moot.     

Political Advocacy in the 1980s

Abstract

Government support for human services programs de creased considerably during the 1980s while defense spending rose dras tically. The shift in spending priorities is thought by some to be due to insufficiently active or incapable social welfare lobbyists. This paper ar gues that human services advocacy groups were as active as supporters of defense programs. Human services advocates were shut out of the de cision-making process primarily due to the lack of public support for their ideas. The implication, that social welfare advocates must build a solid base of public support for their proposals, can be applied to current issues.     

Emerging Trends: Holistic,Comprehensive Family Support Programs

ABSTRACT

The results of a qualitative study funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation indicate that a promising path to improving the lives of disadvantaged families is through more holistic, comprehensive approaches to family support. These approaches combine traditional family support activities with the development of human and economic capital. The effectiveness of comprehensive programs is based on the premise that adult and child well-being are interconnected with the physical, economic, and social aspects of their lives. Recommendations are provided for improving existing family support programs through the implementation of holistic strategies.     

Documenting effective coordination of medical education programs in response to medical underservice.

The Federal government has in the past initiated a variety of programs in an effort to address the issue of medical underservice throughout the United States. The results of two such programs sponsored by the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center are examined. Their federal and state support have been decreased at a time when encouraging progress was being made in reducing rural Coloradoans' inaccessibility to medical care, although much of the state remains designated a primary care health manpower shortage area. This paper challenges the Federal Government's policy of temporarily "seed" funding programs whose interventions require several years to complete, under the assumption that state legislatures will eagerly pick up financial support for all that document continuing need and effectiveness. It also describes the difficulties this policy and prevailing state legislative attitude pose for program evaluators in performing their professional function.     

Advancement in social work education: fostering a supportive environment for students of non-dominant racial and ethnic backgrounds

Doctoral students from non-dominant racial and ethnic backgrounds continue to be underrepresented in programs of social work despite efforts to increase student diversity. This paper highlights the unique challenges experienced by non-dominant racial and ethnic students and offers suggestions for addressing retention and attrition concerns among these students across systems within doctoral social work programs. The authors identify structural inequalities, marginalization, discrimination, minority stress, and lack of support as potential barriers to student success. Suggestions for increasing diversity and retention are rooted in critical multiculturalism and involvement theory, emphasizing institutional change, socialization, recruitment, and social support.     

The History of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention: A Practitioner's Perspective

ABSTRACT

This article examines the history and current condition of child sexual abuse prevention efforts in the United States, emphasizing the perspective of those engaged in developing and working in such programs. The author argues that child sexual abuse prevention programs had built-in challenges given the topical area as well as the rapid growth of such programs combined with a paucity of resources and, initially, research, to support and inform its growth. Common criticisms of child sexual abuse prevention programs are examined and alternative explanations are postulated to explain certain weaknesses of programs. Finally, the author challenges researchers to broaden their research of sexual abuse prevention efforts beyond single population, single variable (such as knowledge gain) designs to understand more fully what is currently being done nationally to prevent the sexual abuse of children. Additionally, clear broad-based support for prevention in the wider field of child abuse is encouraged to build on the successes of prevention efforts.     

Measuring conflict management,emotional self-efficacy,and problem solving confidence in an evaluation of outdoor programs for inner-city youth in Baltimore,Maryland

Substantial evidence supports the value of outdoor education programs for promoting healthy adolescent development, yet measurement of program outcomes often lacks rigor. Accurately assessing the impacts of programs that seek to promote positive youth development is critical for determining whether youth are benefitting as intended, identifying best practices and areas for improvement, and informing decisions about which programs to invest in.We generated brief, customized instruments for measuring three outcomes among youth participants in Baltimore City Outward Bound programs: conflict management, emotional self-efficacy, and problem solving confidence. Measures were validated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of pilot-testing data from two groups of program participants. We describe our process of identifying outcomes for measurement, developing and adapting measurement instruments, and validating these instruments.The finalized measures support evaluations of outdoor education programs serving urban adolescent youth. Such evaluations enhance accountability by determining if youth are benefiting from programs as intended, and strengthen the case for investment in programs with demonstrated success.