Advancing Evidence-Based Practices for Juvenile Justice Reform Through Community Development

There is a general agreement in the literature concerning what works and what does not work in reducing delinquent behavior with juvenile offenders in communities; however, this knowledge has had limited penetration into general public, political, and policymaking venues, as it is reported that less than 10% of juvenile offenders are afforded evidence-based community services. This article describes how Louisiana, through a combination of state, local, university, and national partnerships, adopted a community development model that has led to a 27% increase in juvenile-justice-involved youth having access to evidence-based services while the state witnessed a simultaneous 46% drop in juvenile arrests between 2006 and 2010.     

Client Anticipations About Computer‐Assisted Career Guidance System Outcomes

Although existing literature suggests that client anticipations affect career counseling, previous studies have not systematically assessed client anticipations prior to using computer‐assisted career guidance (CACG) systems in career counseling. This study describes how 55 clients from a career center at a large, southeastern university anticipated using CACG systems to help in their career decision making and problem solving. Using a Cognitive Information Processing framework, responses to a cued and a free response survey indicated that clients' most frequent anticipations included increased career options, enhanced self‐knowledge, and strengthened occupational knowledge.     

Family perspectives on the hospice experience in adult family homes

Growing numbers of terminally ill older adults receive hospice services in adult family homes (AFHs); however, little is known about the provision and receipt of end-of-life care in such environments. This article reports findings from a qualitative exploration of family members' perspectives of the hospice experience in AFHs. Analysis of data obtained during interviews of 15 residents' family members exposed significant challenges associated with transition to an AFH, highlighted the importance of AFH and hospice staff in family members' assessment of overall quality of care, and emphasized the critical nature of communication in AFH settings.     

“Feeling frumpy”: The relationships between body image and sexual response changes in midlife women

This study investigated the relationships between self‐rated attractiveness and self‐reported sexual response changes (over the past decade) and current sexual satisfaction in 307 heterosexual, midlife women. Results indicated that regardless of the woman's specific age, she was more likely to consider herself more attractive when she was 10 years younger, and her self‐perceived attractiveness did not significantly differ based on her menopausal status. The more a woman perceived herself as less attractive than before, the more likely she was to report a decline in sexual desire or frequency of sexual activity. The more she perceived herself as attractive, the more likely she was to experience an increase in sexual desire, orgasm, enjoyment, or frequency of sexual activity. There were no significant statistical relationships between a woman's perception of her own attractiveness as she aged and her current sexual satisfaction.     

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.     

Parental Conflict During Divorce as an Indicator of Adjustment and Future Relationships: A Retrospective Sibling Study

We assessed parental conflict during divorce and divorce stories, quality of relationship among siblings during divorce, and attitudes about romantic relationships later in life. Thirty-two undergraduate female participants (18–23 years old) whose parents divorced during the 7 to 13 year old age range completed the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire and an adapted version of the Adult Divorce and Sibling Relationship Interview. Older sibling participants endorsed higher levels of dominance toward younger siblings, more caretaking behavior, and higher levels of parental conflict than younger siblings. Analyses revealed overt conflict exposure related to less confidence in relationship sustainability as young adults. Content analysis demonstrated relationship formation problems and trust in partners.