Young people leaving care in Scotland

This paper presents the findings from the first national study of young people leaving care in Scotland. The research involved a policy study of all 32 social work departments and a survey of 107 young people from three authorities, 61 of whom were followed up over a six month period. In exploring the implications for policy and practice, it suggests that although the law and national policy context have been strengthened, improving outcomes for young people leaving care will require responses to more enduring problems, as well as the development of more comprehensive local policies.     

BEYOND LAW AND ETHICS: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSE IN FAMILY LAW AND FAMILY THERAPY

The professions of family therapy and law share many clients and areas of overlap. Law-related coursework in family therapy programs in typically limited to legal, ethical, and professional issues. However, students can also benefit from understanding other areas of overlap, such as divorce, child custody, and mediation. This article discusses the curriculum for an interdisciplinary course that educates both family therapy and law students. The course provides: (1) a substantive education about similarities and differences between the profession, how they operate as systems, and specific areas of overlap, (2) opportunities to learn clinical skills, and (3) opportunities for personal insight about skills, personality tyes, and negotiations, styles, and how these may differ between the professions.     

USE OF THE DSM IN MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY PROGRAMS: CURRENT PRACTICES AND ATTITUDES

The DSM has largely become the common language of behavioral health which its authors intended. Although family systems theory resulted in part from the study of major mental illness, it later became distanced from considerations of individual psychopathology. No studies have assessed current practices and views within the field of family therapy on teaching students the use of the DSM. Member training programs of the Education and Training Council of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy were surveyed regarding their practices in teaching the DSM. Seventy-nine of 177 surveys (45%) were returned. Ninety-one percent of these programs offered training in the DSM, and in 93% of those such training was mandatory. Written comments indicated that pragmatic concerns about students being able to speak a common language with other behavioral health providers were among the primary reasons for teaching the DSM.     

Small,minority‐based nonprofits in the information age

Pundits of information technology stress that the Internet opens new arenas for nonprofits through the ability to share information both locally and globally. New technology also changes funders' and other evaluators' expectations regarding proposals. Although new technology makes life easier for organizations with budgets, time, and familiarity with technology to buy and use these new tools, nonprofits that lack these resources fall even further behind in their quest to support and improve their programs. Based on ethnographic research in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this article explores the role of changing technology in the ability of small nonprofits to succeed in implementing their organizational mission. Using case studies, this article compares the experience of nonprofits and church mission projects based in the African American and Latino communities in this small city to that of two mainstream organizations in gaining funding and the general perception of those agencies in the local community. The article argues that expectations about the use of technology increase the gaps between a community's haves and have‐nots. Kenosha organizations based in communities of color are particularly at risk due to already low funding and lack of staff familiar with new technologies. The article demonstrates that the key is often not access to technology or technical assistance but the time to make the best use of available technology.     

USING PATIENT NARRATIVES TO TEACH PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

Psychopathology courses are usually taught using a biomedical perspective and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM IV) as the primary text. This can result in students developing little empathy for their patients and objectifying them as disorders rather than people with problems. Using narrative, music, and art in teaching psychopathology can balance the scientific, objective style of the DSM IV. Resources and suggestions for ways to humanize a psychopathology course are given.     

Dangerous People,Dangerous Places: The Nature and Location of Young People's Victimisation and Fear

Research focusing on the victimisation of young people outside the home has paid insufficient attention to less criminal forms of victimisation such as harassment and their relationship to fear expressed by children. Based on survey data of 2420 children aged 9–16 years from The Children and Young People's Safety Survey, this study focuses on the personal characteristics of offenders and victims, the types of victimisation experienced in specific locations, and the range of fears expressed by the children and young people. The study revealed a significant link between experiences of victimisation and higher levels of fear that appear to be gender‐specific and bear a strong relationship to age. The results of the study have important theoretical and practical implications for preventing victimisation and reducing fears and anxieties. Copyright © 2006 The Author(s).     

The Camouflaged Safety Net: The U.S. Armed Forces as Welfare State Institution

Observers of the U.S. welfare state often contrast its low levelsof social spending with its lavish defense spending. This articledemonstrates that U.S. military institutions in fact providea segment of the population with benefits that have characteristicsof formal welfare state programs and have similar social welfarepurposes. It thus conceives of social assistance benefits formilitary families as comprising a distinct welfare state institution,one that challenges assumptions that the U.S. strategy for achievingsocial welfare goals fundamentally depends on rewarding marketparticipation and financially supporting families only underconditions of extreme poverty.     

The use of performance measurement in South Carolina nonprofits

Performance measurement is touted by nonprofits as the newest method of ensuring accountability. Knowing the value of the process while having an appreciation for the downside with regard to volume of work can help organizations make more educated decisions about how deeply they want to get involved with performance or outcome measurement. This article provides background information on performance measurement and examples of how it is being used in nonprofit organizations. Next, it presents methods of an exploratory study conducted in South Carolina. Finally, a discussion of results focuses on the effect of outcome measurement on management and funding as well as the need for more in‐depth research.     

Working for a Better Life: Longitudinal Evidence on the Predictors of Employment Among Recently Arrived Refugee Migrant Men Living in Australia

Although a number of studies have investigated the predictors of employment among refugee migrants, there is a dearth of evidence from longitudinal data. This study investigated the cross‐sectional and longitudinal predictors of employment among 233 adult refugee men living in South‐East Queensland, Australia. Participants were interviewed four times at six‐month intervals between 2008 and 2010. Using a conceptual model developed from the literature, Generalized Estimating Equations were used to model the predictors of employment. Over time, the employment rate increased from 44 per cent to 56 per cent. Region of birth, length of time in Australia, seeking employment through job service providers and informal networks, and owning a car were significant predictors of employment. Contrary to previous research, English language proficiency was not a significant predictor when other variables were controlled for. Recognition of overseas skills and qualifications decreased the chances of finding employment. The policy and programme implications are discussed.

Policy Implications

• Recognition of refugee migrants' overseas‐gained skills and qualifications does not guarantee them securing employment.
• Recognition of overseas skills and qualifications should be accompanied by educating employers, especially those outside the traditional migrant employment ‘niches’, about the resources and capabilities of refugee migrants, and the value of their qualifications.
• Fostering programmes that target the needs of job seekers from refugee backgrounds could enhance their employment outcomes.
• Supporting refugee migrants getting their drivers' licence and establishing favourable loan programmes that enable refugee migrants to buy a car can have a positive impact on their workforce participation.