Law Consumers Association N.S.W.

Despite recent trends away from the traditional medical model of service delivery, there appears to be a continuing reluctance among some rehabilitation professionals to fully enable people with disabilities to co-manage their own rehabilitation programmes. These same professionals may remain unaware that their behaviour discourages their clients from taking greater responsibility for solving problems and achieving goals of living. Contradictions in the beliefs and behaviour of service providers is, at grass roots level, perhaps exemplified by their adherence to formal case-team meetings which exclude service recipients. The need to re-define and alter the format of these conferences is the focus of this paper.     

Order of selection in vocational rehabilitation: implications for the transition from school to adult outcomes for youths with learning disabilities

Interagency cooperation between special education and vocational rehabilitation (VR) is central to ensuring the continuity of services to young adults with disabilities who are in transition from school to adult living. However, the interface between special education and VR may be complicated by order of selection, an equally binding mandate in federal VR policy to provide priority services to individuals with the most severe disabilities. Because students with learning disabilities are typically perceived as having mild rather than severe disabilities, these youths are most at risk for falling through the cracks in the service landscape once they leave the school setting in states where the VR agency is implementing an order of selection procedure. This article identifies and discusses common impediments to collaborative transition planning for students with learning disabilities that may be intensified when the state VR agency is operating under an order of selection plan. Recommendations are provided to facilitate greater interagency cooperation among schools and VR agencies so that transition planning and implementation for students with learning disabilities is not subverted as a result of the order of selection mandate.     

Income characteristics and the use of microfinance services: evidence from economically active persons with disabilities

The purpose of this empirical research from Uganda is to provide initial insight into the ‘black box’ of understanding the economic behaviour of persons with disabilities and about their use of microfinance services. First, we analyse the income levels of persons with disabilities in relation to their sources of income. Second, we study the income sources and income levels for different types of disabilities. Finally, we analyse how income level and income source relate to the use of microfinance services for persons with disabilities. We present evidence that farmers with disabilities and persons with visual impairments have lower income levels than other persons with disabilities. We then document that those with the lowest income levels have the least access to microfinance services, in particular services from formal institutions. Moreover, respondents involved in farming and manufacturing have less access to formal microfinance services than those involved in retail/wholesale or service activities.     

Service user involvement in social work education: experiences from Germany and implications for a European perspective

ABSTRACT

Service user involvement (SUI) in social work education has gained widespread attention in Europe and other continents. Nevertheless, experiences on including service users in social work education have not been reported from Germany or other German-speaking countries to date. This paper reports preliminary experiences with implementing SUI in a bachelor’s programme of social work in a German University of Applied Sciences. The main goals of the current paper are (1) to provide a background for implementing service user approaches in Germany by introducing the structure of social work education in Germany; (2) to report experiences from a weekend seminar where service users worked together with students of social work in the framework of a curriculum of a German University of Applied Sciences and (3) to formulate some implications of these experiences for SUI across Europe. The main results were that introducing service user involvement into a German curriculum of social work is possible but needs careful reflection and planning. Experiences gathered in the weekend seminar with service users were encouraging for service users, students and teachers. We conclude that systematically implementing SUI into German curricula of social work is important.     

Receipt of independent living services among older youth in foster care: An analysis of national data from the U.S.

Fifteen years has passed since the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program was created under the Social Security Act, which marked an increased role of the U.S. federal government in supporting foster care youth to independence. It was not until the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) was launched in 2010 that all 50 states reported standard data on receipt of the 13 types of Chafee independent living services. This paper, which draws on the first two years of NYTD data, analyzes Chafee service receipt across the U.S. among youth in foster care (ages 16–21). About half of the 131,204 youth included in this analysis received at least one type of Chafee service, and considerable variation existed in the proportion of youth that received each of the 13 specific types of services. Females were more likely than males to receive all but one type of service, and African Americans were less likely to receive most of the services. An interaction effect indicated that Black youth were significantly less likely to receive services in large urban areas than other racial/ethnic groups. Young people with disabilities or medical/psychological conditions were generally more likely to receive services than youth without disabilities. Youth in large urban regions receive fewer services than youth residing in other areas, and substantial variation exists between states in proportions of service recipients. Recommendations are made for targeting services, future data collection, and research, including suggestions on ways to improve measurement of Chafee services.     

“Not in the Same Sandbox”: Cross-Systems Collaborations Between Early Intervention and Child Welfare Systems

Maltreatment and disability often coexist in the lives of young children, as children who are maltreated are at a higher risk for developing a disability, and, conversely, children with a disability are at a higher risk of being maltreated. Despite being supported by multiple service systems, young children with disabilities who have experienced maltreatment are often not optimally supported by these service systems. We utilized a mixed methods design to explore how early intervention and child welfare collaborate to support young children with disabilities who have experienced maltreatment. Implications and future directions for research, policy and practice are discussed.     

The South African Family in Transition: Training and Therapeutic Implications

A universal pattern of transition from the extended family to the nuclear family and beyond is proposed. Stages of transition concurrently found among South African families are detailed and examples of resultant pathology are presented. Emphasis is given to specific therapeutic dilemmas facing the South African family therapist. These include the feasibility of intervention in the extended family, the problems associated with intervention across cultural boundaries and the appropriateness of specific therapeutic goals. The current status of training is outlined and the prerequisites for effective service and training are highlighted.     

Self-determination within Australian school transition programmes for students with a disability

The concept of self-determination has gained prominence over recent years in parallel with the recognition of the rights of people with a disability. Services are being pressured to make radical changes to the restrictive philosophies and practices of the past. This paper reviews seven Australian transition programmes for young people with disabilities as they moved from school to adult options. It examines the extent to which self-determination principles are evident and whether they led to a wider range of opportunities and a reshaping of the service system. The studies showed that participation in decision-making by young people and their families resulted in increased service responsiveness and greater achievement of preferred outcomes. However, the restructuring of service systems to become more flexible and responsive has been slower than expected. One contributing factor appears to be that an increasing demand for resources creates pressures for more bureaucratic and less person-oriented approaches.     

Consumer participation in the employment rehabilitation process: contextual factors and implications for practice

Rehabilitation models of practice have emerged that offer persons' with disabilities opportunities to have an active role in the work entry or re(entry) process. Despite the growth and interest in empowering client involvement in practice, consumer views on the determinants of participation are not fully understood. Thus, consumer feedback on using a self-directed approach to employment rehabilitation was elicited to identify factors integral to their participation in the process. Focus groups were conducted with 35 adult consumers with developmental, mental health, physical and learning disabilities to gain insights into their involvement in a participatory approach to find employment. Content analysis of data revealed barriers and facilitators, which hindered or enabled consumer involvement in the vocational service process. This article discusses the importance of considering issues across the rehabilitation system, practice and lived contexts when implementing participatory approaches in vocational rehabilitation settings.     

A Multi-Method Evaluation of the Teen Pregnancy Hotline in Taiwan

The present study examines the outputs and qualities of the thirteen teen pregnancy service hotlines in Taiwan that were funded by the Children’s Bureau in 2004 and 2005. The evaluation was made through agency visits, focus groups, document reviews, call-in tests and the use of a management information system. The results show that the average number of calls was low, and one agency did not receive any calls during the time period examined. The quality of services varied, and the advice provided by the hotline staff was influenced by the value orientation of the agencies. Most callers were adult women, and the major services they received were information and emotional support. The service characteristics were heavily affected by the goals and routine tasks of the agencies as certain agencies applied their existing services to the program without assessing their fitness to the needs of the potential clients. Suggestions for service improvement are provided, including an islandwide hotline to be set up and operated by a single agency with high accountability. Implications for program monitoring and documentation, staff training and knowledge-sharing, and service advertisement and promotion are also discussed.     

Understanding views of disability in the Cote d’Ivoire

While there are several international initiatives advocating for rights of individuals with disabilities in their community, many African countries lag behind in taking any actions. This is an ethnographic study conducted in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire in West Africa, and examines the current programs and services for children with disabilities, and views of disability among the public. It utilizes individual and group interviews, field observations, surveys and examination of governmental documents. There are tremendous needs and shortcomings regarding disability programs. This might be due not only to a lack of resources but to the views of disabilities held by society.     

Mental Health Recovery

Abstract

Strengths-based approaches that emphasize culturally competent services and naturally occurring community support may be more appropriate than traditional mental health services for African American adults with psychiatric disabilities. An examination of the literature on service utilization and treatment needs for this population highlights the paucity of empirical studies in these areas, while an exploration of the literature related to psychiatric recovery, a prominent strengths-based framework, reveals insufficient application of the approach to the specific interests of African American service recipients. We suggest that recovery is in fact highly compatible with such culturally relevant approaches as the Afrocentric model, and argue that the concept of recovery may therefore provide a resonant and particularly useful framework for practice with this population. Implications for research, practice and policy are discussed.     

The Economic Assimilation of African Immigrants in the United States

This article examines the puzzle that the earnings of African immigrants do not match their high qualifications in terms of educational attainment. We apply cohort analysis to compare the economic assimilation patterns of black African immigrants with that of black non‐African immigrants. We find results that are consistent with the idea that the lower earnings of African immigrants are due to greater difficulty with skill transferability. Africans face substantially lower earnings at entry than black natives and black non‐African immigrants, although they close a substantial part of the initial earnings gap over time. Moreover, the earnings gap at entry has narrowed for recent cohorts; and Africans who migrate during childhood and those with no college education face no disadvantage. We also find similar patterns of assimilation in labour supply and participation in welfare programmes, which indicate that Africans face greater challenges at entry but assimilate at a faster rate.     

The Woodwork Effect in Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports

This paper examines annual real per capita Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS) expenditures (in 2010 $) over the period 1995 to 2010. Medicaid community LTSS expenditures increased substantially. If that trend constituted a woodwork effect, expenditures on institutional services should have declined more slowly than community expenditures increased, resulting in total expenditures increasing over time. Such a woodwork effect is observed for the population with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) but not for the non-IDD population, composed of persons with disabilities other than IDD, including older persons. During this time period, the goals for serving people with IDD changed; institutional and community cost-neutrality rules were relaxed (and with that concerns over a woodwork effect), and instead goals of community involvement and participation were emphasized for all eligible persons. For the non-IDD population, tighter adherence to cost-neutrality rules and controls over nursing home reimbursements may have helped avoid a woodwork effect as community expenditures increased. With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, goals have changed for people with disabilities of all ages, and the notion of a simple trade-off between institutional and community service costs that constitutes the woodwork effect must be complemented with a much broader idea of cost analysis that values independence and community participation for people with disabilities of all ages.     

Spirituality and social work practice at historically Black colleges and universities

ABSTRACT

In 2011 the Council on Social Work Education Religion and Spirituality Work Group was organized “to promote social workers’ knowledge, values, and skills for ethical and effective practice that takes into account the diverse expressions of religion and spirituality among clients and their communities.” In this article we discuss how the mission, charters, and goals of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) addressed the domains of religion and spirituality from their inception. More specifically, the focus of this discussion is the epistemology of spirituality and religion at HBCUs from historical and contemporary perspectives. Content on the exploration of the related themes, religion and spirituality, as manifested in the curriculum, cultural milieu, and social environment of HBCUs will be described. Additionally, we document the role and influence of the African American community, church, and political insurgency. These forces, coupled with the inability or unwillingness of established social service agencies and other social institutions to address issues of inequality and marginalization of African Americans, influenced the essence of the content offered in HBCU schools of social work. Spirituality, advocacy for material aid, and critical race theory are themes that were prevalent in HBCUs curriculum. Finally we show that this “unique HBCU curriculum” was brought about primarily by environmental factors such as racism, segregation, and financial uncertainty, leading to what Du Bois referred to as a double-consciousness.     

Facilitators and barriers to employment: the perspectives of people with psychiatric disabilities and employment service providers

This study examined the perspectives of people with psychiatric disabilities and employment service providers regarding factors that most directly help or hinder consumer efforts to obtain and maintain employment. Forty-four adults with serious mental illness (SMI) (consumers) and 30 providers participated in 12 focus groups across Massachusetts. We began both consumer and provider groups by posing two broad questions: 1) what factors most help people with SMI get and keep jobs (facilitators), and 2) what factors most prevent people with SMI from getting and keeping jobs (barriers)? Data were analyzed qualitatively and both person and environmental factors were highlighted. Among facilitators, participants agreed that quality consumer-provider relationships and individualized employment services are most instrumental in helping consumers achieve employment goals. Participants identified a range of environmental barriers, including issues related to the service system, entitlement programs, non-human resources, and social stigma. Implications for services are discussed.     

The First Hit: a case study of the physical abuse of people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviours in a residential service

This paper describes the circumstances surrounding the physical abuse of persons with learning disabilities and challenging behaviours in a residential service and the general findings of a related inquiry. Evidence is interpreted in relation to wider policy and practice intelligence on the abuse of people with learning disabilities, with lessons for the recognition, reporting and management of abuse identified. The discussion is designed to help those charged with responsibility for the support and protection of people with learning disabilities understand the complex circumstances and conditions which may be associated with an abusive service culture, with the culture of abuse itself examined at four levels. Suggestions for reviewing the development and implementation of adult protection policies and procedures are offered, along with priorities for action and implementation for purchasers and providers.     

Youth with disabilities in the United States Child Welfare System

Existing literature suggests that youth with disabilities are known to be at increased risk of maltreatment in the form of abuse and/or neglect. Little is known, however, about the experiences of youth with disabilities who are living in foster care or who are supervised by child protection authorities. This study establishes a baseline estimate of the prevalence of youth with disabilities living in foster care, documents reasons for child protection system involvement, identifies placement types while youth are in care and explores case outcomes. This cross-sectional, exploratory study draws on data from the 2012 Adoption and Foster Care Reporting System (AFCARS) for foster youth in 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. A sample of youth with disabilities (N = 36.492) and a comparison group without disabilities (N = 601.539) were identified. Findings about demographics, reasons for child removal, foster care placements, permanency planning goals and case outcomes are presented. Findings have implications for the prevention the removal of youth from caregivers, the need for family supports to prevent foster care involvement, the promotion of community inclusion of foster youth while in foster care and the need for inter-system collaboration at the transitional age stage.     

An African-American woman with disabilities: the intersection of gender, race and disability

This qualitative study explores the educational experiences of an African‐American adult woman with disabilities. The intersections of gender, race and disability are theorized through the lenses of disability, feminist and critical theory. Specifically, I address the following three questions. What are the experiences of an African‐American woman with disabilities in schools? How might these experiences be theorized? Do these experiences offer new ways of understanding oppression that may contribute to empowering individuals labeled with multiple, intersecting identities?     

Refugee resettlement and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) created pathways for people who are refugees with disabilities to resettle and build new lives. Resettlement country Australia, in response to its CRPD obligations, created greater access to the waiver of visa health requirements for humanitarian entrants. This article chronicles key documents demonstrating that the CRPD has been an effective instrument for improving access to resettlement for people with disabilities. The article also describes new challenges to Australia’s compliance with the CRPD as it fails to address multiple discrimination of people from refugee backgrounds with disabilities, an area of concern to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for which it has issued guidance. This article proposes creating a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Resettlement Submission Category for disability to improve resettlement programmes’ compliance with the CRPD.