State implementation of TANF: where do we stand in 2001?

To provide a context for understanding the evaluations discussed in this volume, this paper gives an overview of the federal TANF legislation and describes features of state TANF programs that are particularly relevant for appreciating the need for evaluation and for interpreting evaluations. These features include the states’ policies regarding work by applicants and recipients, policies to divert applicants from welfare, and rules designed to change individuals’ behavior regarding childbearing, childrearing, and marriage. Because the implementation of state policies depends on practices at the front lines of the welfare system, some features of the ‘culture’ of local welfare offices are also examined.     

污名是阻碍青少年心理求助的主要因素

近20年来中国社会变迁加速，社会转型逐步深入。伴随这一社会进程，青少年心理问题日益凸显，引起了社会各方的广泛关注。可是，令人困惑的是寻求专业帮助的青少年患者很少。对此矛盾的现象，学者有不同的解释。本文认为，社会污名是导致青少年不去寻求专业帮助的主要原因。青少年害怕由于污名所带来的偏见、歧视和社会排斥，因而隐匿自己的心理问题。     

Gender differences in the effects of coping assistance on the reduction of burnout in academic staff

This study examined gender differences in the effectiveness of five sources of coping assistance to reduce dissatisfaction and emotional exhaustion among 403 female and 664 male academic staff of a Dutch university. It was hypothesized that support at work ((1) socio-emotional aid from the supervisor and colleagues, (2) a supportive climate in the department, and (3) practical assistance in the department) and support at home ((4) socio-emotional aid from the spouse, and (5) practical assistance from the spouse) would reduce dissatisfaction and burnout, and that women especially would benefit from these coping assistance measures. Using moderated regression analyses, the results showed that coping assistance from a supervisor and colleagues is an important measure to reduce both dissatisfaction and emotional exhaustion. Further, a supportive departmental climate and practical assistance in the department reduced emotional exhaustion and especially female academic staff benefited from these types of coping assistance at the aggregate level. However, contrary to expectations, such beneficial effects were not found for both socio-emotional aid and practical assistance from the spouse.     

Homeless Affiliation,Location, and Sender Address in Return of Lost Letters

A field study used 1008 “lost letters” to test the hypotheses that the differences in returned responses would be attributable to the addressee (i.e., ending homelessnesscontrol or preventing it among youth, veterans, and lesbians) and especially to a socially deviant addressee, that cultural differences between distribution locations might influence returned responses of lost letters, and that sender address (i.e., urban, rural, control) would also influence returned responses. Both addressees’ affiliations and distribution location were associated with returned responses, with the lowest rates being for the Prevent Lesbian Homelessness Program affiliate overall and for the city of Pensacola, respectively. Antigay prejudice toward a deviant group may still be strong even when a helping act can be performed without intimate contact involving members of a deviant group. Neither distribution location nor the sender or return address conditions were associated with different returned responses. Further testing of the lost letter technique, as a measure of public response, may be warranted.     

Recent Developments in Welfare to Work in Hong Kong

Summary

The Asian financial crisis (1997) has created a social care crisis resulting in rising unemployment, poverty, income inequalities and homelessness. Although faced with dwindling public finances, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government had been compelled to tackle these problems. However, it has been attracted to the neo-liberal recipe: changing the subvention system to a block grant, curbing social spending, and tightening eligibility for social assistance. Notably, the introduction of the Intensive Employment Assistance Projects (IEAPs), which are the first welfare to work programs in East Asia, has become a major policy tool. This paper reports on a study of the impact of the projects, one of the key pillars for welfare to work programs. The IEAPs were found to have brought about positive changes in welfare clients' motivation to work and sense of self-reliance. Social workers from both traditional and progressive NGOs have etched, in various ways, their place in the welfare to work programs and contributed to the debate on welfare reform in Hong Kong.     

Reaching Temporary Time Limits

Abstract

Concerns about long-term welfare dependency provided the primary reason for the nation's time-limited welfare benefits. This study compares the likelihood of reaching temporary time limits between families who repeatedly attempted to leave Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and those who remained on the rolls continuously. Using logit analysis, we find that relatively few families reach the 24 month time limits in Nevada because most families left on their own for employment, marriage or for other reasons. This finding raises the question of whether time limits are even necessary. Government needs to further explore the service needs of families who are about to reach their time limits.     

Grounds for Cautious Optimism

Humanitarian assistance organizations have made considerable strides in addressing gender issues. These efforts have fallen short, however, as organizations fail to adapt and apply a gender perspective consistently and to integrate local and international women into decision-making positions. This comment on Chris Corrin's report on humanitarian assistance in Kosova outlines the reasons for this partial failure, some of which are gender related and others of which are endemic to the humanitarian field. It concludes that the emergence of women activists in conflict areas provides grounds for cautious optimism for future transformative change.     

Self-Sufficiency and Sobriety

Abstract

Substance abuse presents formidable challenges to a welfare reform that has employment as its primary goal. This study reviews the literature on substance abuse and women and reports what substance-abusing women on welfare perceive as unmet needs and barriers to their recovery and ability to join the workforce.     

EAPs

No abstract available for this article.     

生活世界视域下高校贫困生帮扶工作创新

随着高等教育规模的迅速扩大,高校贫困生的数量和比例也在不断扩大,现行帮扶体系存在重物质帮扶轻精神关爱、缺乏差异化的个性心理关怀等问题。生活世界是人的生存真实场域,是与主体活动现实背景紧密相连的丰富多彩的相对于物质的世界。生活世界视域中的高校贫困生帮扶工作旨在走人贫困生的日常生活,贯彻精神帮扶为主物质帮扶为辅的帮杜原则,树立助人自助与育人相结合的帮扶目标,倡导全体总动员,构建强大的校园非正式的心理支持网络等策略,帮助其学会生存和生活。