Clinical outcomes of case management in a tertiary psychiatric hospital

The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical outcomes of inpatients on an acute psychiatric ward in a large tertiary psychiatric hospital who received a broker model of case management. The clinical outcomes monitored were readmission rates and scores on the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale. The study found a significant reduction in readmission rates and hospital lengths of stay and improved CGI scores for patients who received case management.     

Use of Self in Relational Clinical Social Work

Since the inception of social work social workers have noted the importance of relationship in practice. More recently clinicians and other social workers have developed the term “use of self” to indicate important aspects of the professional relationship. How that term is defined rests on how one conceptualizes “self.” The authors suggest that from a relational perspective the concept of self changes from the notion of self as separate and constant to self as process in interaction. They demonstrate on a theoretical level as well as through a case example how defining self as process in interaction might affect clinical social work practice.

Activity-monitor accuracy in measuring step number and cadence in community-dwelling older adults

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of the activPAL physical activity monitor in measuring step number and cadence in older adults. Two pedometers (New-Lifestyles Digi-Walker SW-200 and New-Lifestyles NL2000) used in clinical practice to count steps were simultaneously evaluated. Observation was the criterion measure. Twenty-one participants (65-87 yr old) recruited from community-based exercise classes walked on a treadmill at 5 speeds (0.67, 0.90, 1.12, 1.33, and 1.56 m/s) and outdoors at 3 self-selected speeds (slow, normal, and fast). The absolute percentage error of the activPAL was <1% for all treadmill and outdoor conditions for measuring steps and cadence. With the exception of the slowest treadmill speed, the NL-2000 error was <2%. The SW-200 was the least accurate device, particularly at slower walking speeds. The activPAL monitor accurately recorded step number and cadence. Combined with its ability to identify primary postures, the activPAL might be a useful and versatile device for measuring activity in older adults.     

Education in the Responsible Conduct of Research in Psychology: Methods and Scope

In this mixed-method study of education in the responsible conduct of research (RCR) in psychology, phase one survey respondents (n?=?141) reported that faculty and students were familiar with RCR standards and procedures to educate them were believed to be adequate. However, educational methods varied widely. In phase two, seven survey respondents completed in-depth interviews assessing RCR training and education and research review procedures. Educational methods through which RCR content was presented included the following ones: traditional (lectures), technical (web-based), and experiential (internships), but RCR was often minimally considered in the formal curriculum. Our results suggest that psychology training programs might benefit from more formal consideration of RCR education and training in the curriculum.     

Market diversification and social benefits: Motivations of farmers participating in farm to school programs

Activists and academics are increasingly advocating for public procurement of locally grown food as a key market opportunity for farmers. In the United States, linking farmers directly with school cafeterias through farm to school programs are among the efforts that advocates say can provide a significant boost to rural economies. Through an empirical analysis of farmers' perspectives of farm to school programs, this paper explores why farmers participate in these efforts. The data presented are part of a larger study exploring the opportunities and challenges of farm to school programs located in the United States from the perspectives of farmers, food service professionals, and food distributors. Our findings suggest that farmers sold their products to schools for two primary reasons: to diversify their marketing strategies and to contribute to social benefits through direct action. The concepts of embeddedness, marketness, and economic instrumentalism provide a framework for understanding their participation in farm to school programs. Our findings also provide insight into the kind of support necessary to sustain long-term connections between farmers and school food service professionals. As advocates seek to institutionalize public procurement of locally grown foods, it is critical that farmers' needs and motivations are considered.     

The Nonprofit Sector and Gender Discrimination

This article reports the results of an exploratory study of a cross section of nonprofit human service organizations that examined whether and to what extent a glass ceiling exists for women in this sector. The findings substantiate the existence of the glass ceiling phenomenon among the agencies studied. Men are disproportionately represented in management, particularly upper‐level management, and they earn higher salaries than women at all hierarchical levels of the organization.     

Isolation as a Form of Marital Violence: The South Asian Immigrant Experience

Isolation is an important factor in marital abuse among South Asian immigrant families. It lends itself to the invisibility immigrant women experience based on their ethno-gender status in the United States. Drawn from unstructured interviews with abused South Asian immigrant women, three different levels of isolation are explained. The first level involves the quality of a woman's relationship with her spouse; the second is related to the frequency and quality of social interaction with friends, relatives, and coworkers; and the third is explained in terms of the level of access to and participation in the ethnic community and other formal institutions.