Providing Mental Health Services to Older People Living in Rural Communities

Summary

Rural dwelling elders who experience mental health problems often have difficulty finding help since rural communities often lack adequate mental health service providers. This paper reports on the initial phase of a 5-year, interdisciplinary clinical research study that is testing the effectiveness of providing a home delivered, therapeutic psychosocial intervention, aimed at improving the emotional well-being and the quality of life of medically frail elders who live in rural communities. In the early phases of this study, the clinical research team encountered a number of interesting and often unanticipated challenges as it attempted to recruit study participants and provide services to them. In this article, we examine these challenges and share what we have learned so far about providing mental health services to elderly persons living in rural environments.     

The Making of COBRS 2.0

Abstract

Recently introduced advances in microcomputer technology offer opportunities for improving child welfare agencies' access to powerful case assessment and program evaluation tools. This paper discusses the process of fitting a child behavior outcome measurement system to a menu driven microcomputer program. Traditional strategies for measuring outcome effectiveness, managerial priorities and operational constraints are examined in terms of their bearing on the introduction of new microcomputer technology. The developmental process is traced to show how these factors influenced the addition of a number of user options to the basic program to enhance its adaptability to specific agency needs. Initial user feedback indicated general satisfaction with the basic program and the applicability of its output, little or no experimentation, as yet, in adapting the system, and, a minor need to adjust the sequencing of operator activities to better fit the realities of agency work rhythms.     

'The more things change…': Barriers to community services utilisation in Queensland

Community services are central to the lives of many elderly Australians or Australians with disabilities if they are to remain in the community. Over the past two decades, significant advances have been made in policy and associated programs, significantly improving the standards of service delivery. This research reports on the perceptions of service providers in community services for people with disabilities in six communities in Queensland. It illustrates that significant barriers to service utilisation remain, despite reform. It suggests that continuous efforts to promote service access need to be built in at the program level.     

Usability Study of a Distance Continuing Education Website for Human Service Professionals

ABSTRACT

A usability test of a distance continuing education website for human service professionals is discussed. The website's purpose was to help meet the continuing education needs of human service professionals in a largely rural Midwestern state. The purpose of the usability evaluation was to assess the website's ease of use, efficiency, and user satisfaction in a representative sample of human service professionals. Users completed eleven basic search tasks with the site and report their impressions of the information presented. In addition, performance data including success, time on task, and efficiency were gathered. Implications of user satisfaction and performance data highlight the importance of stakeholder's involvement in the early stages of website design.     

北京外国人社区生活调查研究

改革开放以来,中国经济和社会取得了长足发展,来京的外国人逐年增多。调查显示,外国人对所在社区评价总体比较高,但他们的评价也因年龄、性别、来源地、滞留时间等不同而略有差异,他们参与社区活动的意愿与选择也并不相同。居住在北京城市社区的外国人对所在社区的审视为我们展现了一个由外向内的独特评价视角,这对于我们构建和谐社区、提升社区服务有着重要的现实意义。     

电子证据概念与审查认定规则的构建研究

电子证据在中国被确立为一种独立证据类型,具有在范畴以及审查认定标准与规则等方面加以特殊研究的必要性。电子证据就其范畴而言,应定义为“以电子形式存储或传输的、用于证明案件事实的数据或信息”,包含“数据、电子、证据”三个要素;就其独立性及其范围而言,区别于书证和物证,但是与证明案件事实的视听资料证据存在交叉,现有立法将交叉部分纳入到电子证据的规制框架之下,这意味着其取证、保存、出示、审查及认定都将适用电子证据的相关规定。电子证据在物理形式与采集技术上的独特性,导致对传统证据相关规则的极大挑战,在真实性审查和认定规则特殊构建方面要求尤为突出。目前国际上对于电子证据真实性审查的规则呈现出两种发展态势：形式审查的门槛在不断降低;这种降低依赖于证据调查活动规范程度的不断提升,即实质审查层面真实性的提升。中国可以借鉴国际经验,确立和完善关于电子证据实质审查和形式审查两个方面的规则。     

贝叶斯决策理论视域下的经济逻辑及其研究范式转向--兼析习近平经济思想

经济逻辑学是经济学和逻辑学的交叉学科,它的产生有其必然性,我们可以从经济学的基本假设、经济学的研究方法、经济学研究的确定性以及逻辑学的发展等几个角度给予论证。从贝叶斯决策理论的视角看,它是研究经济活动中理性决策和策略推理的科学。在理论驱动力和现实驱动力的双重作用下,经济逻辑的研究已开始了由形式逻辑范式向科学逻辑范式的转向。     

论民事立案登记制审查中的“形式”与“实质”

在近一年实践过程中,我国的立案登记制已略显成效,但也仍然存在不少问题。在立案登记制度是否需要审查,其为形式审查还是实质审查,如何明确立案登记中形式审查的审查标准和范围,如何保持好立案登记形式审查程序与后续的审判与调解程序之间的零缝隙衔接等方面还需要不断完善。只有这样,立案登记制度才能真正实现理论来源于实践并积极作用于实践的良性诉讼循环。     

海德格尔的“实用主义”和本原思想——对奥克伦特的海德格尔解读之实用主义视角的反思

对海德格尔的实用主义解读构成了美国海德格尔学者们的一个重要研究进路,但是实用主义视角下的海德格尔在欧陆学者看来是对海德格尔的曲解,因为这一视角抹去了海德格尔现象学的先验维度或者说本原思想。本文以奥克伦特对海德格尔时间性概念的实用主义解读为例,阐明海德格尔时间性概念的本原意义如何在实用主义视角下被消解,并指出海德格尔的本原思想在这一视角中“隐身”的根源。     

法治理想及其要求

法治是当今世界公认的一种重要政治价值。法治理想的要义是通过法律规范的途径来限制任意专断权力的运作。为达到这一目标,法律规范在形式上必须满足富勒提出的八项要求,并且必须确立法律的正当程序来保障法律规范得到适当的运用。我们可以把这两方面称作法治理想形式与程序方面的要求。法治理想的要义还有助于我们理解人们围绕法治的一些重要争论,如关于实质性法治观念的争论,关于立法性法律的争论等。