Collaboration: a study of a children's initiative

In times of shrinking resources within the social services, collaboration is being promoted as a more efficient way of meeting the needs of children and families. A study of a children's initiative collaborative developed to address the problems of children is reported. The authors present and use an evaluation framework which incorporated the dimensions of context, process, and outcomes of collaboration. The findings, based on the initial two years of collaborative effort, suggested the membership of the group and the process and structure governing the group's operations impacted the process and outcomes of the collaboration.     

A Spate of Suicide by Jumping

Since 1980 eleven patients of a psychiatric hospital have committed suicide by jumping from high buildings. Possible contributing factors to this spate of suicides include the effect of suggestion, the continued attempt to de-institutionalise patients with chronic illness, and administrative difficulties with a shortage of trained psychiatrists. Comment is also made on the wisdom of making potential sites for such suicides less accessible, and the medico-legal responsibilities of psychiatric hospitals.     

‘Girls Need Jobs Too You Know!’: Unemployment,Sex Roles and Female Identity

While much has been written in Australia about unemployment there has been relatively little research or interest shown in the growing number of young girls seeking work. Using data derived from a survey of 100 unemployed young girls in an industrial town, some of the problems experienced are delineated and the importance to young females of a work based social identity is indicated. It is demonstrated that for the majority the future is defined, not in terms of the traditional female role of housewife and mother, but rather that work and its importance is a recurring theme. A general belief in equality of opportunity was found and it appears that attempts to ‘solve’ the present unemployment problem by persuading women to take up or return to their ‘rightful place’ in the home will meet with only limited success.     

The psychosocial needs of the Chinese elderly

Changing Chinese family patterns caused by immigration have contributed to the breakdown of traditional community and familial control in Chinese-American families. As a result, the Chinese-American elderly are faced with unique psychosocial problems that workers must consider when providing services to this population.     

Who Participates?

Reported membership of voluntary organizations is taken as an index of community participation. Data derived from a Mental Health Survey in Canberra in 1971 are analysed and participation behaviour compared with information from American participation studies. A high participation rate was expected because of Canberra's high ranking on socio-economic variables compared with Australia as a whole. However, nearly half of the adults sampled report belonging to no formal organizations. Sex, age and socio-economic status are found to be related to joining behaviour and conform to well-established findings in the United States.