Turning Over Turnover

Abstract

Human service programs often have major problems ensuring that all direct-care staff positions are filled and keeping staff members after they are hired. Work schedules may have an effect on maintaining the longevity of staff. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a revised direct-care staff-scheduling system in community homes serving adults with developmental disabilities. The revised direct-care staffing system, which used shift-style schedules, was compared on a variety of measures to existing staffing systems and to a staffing model using married couples and adaptations of the Teaching-Family Model (called Family-Teaching homes). The revised staff-scheduling system was evaluated before and after its implementation and then compared to the Family-Teaching homes using direct-care employee measures of: (1) turnover; (2) position vacancies; (3) number of different employees paid within a pay period; (4) average hourly wages; (5) number of hours worked; (6) average cost for employees per person served; and (7) employee satisfaction. The various staffing approaches were also compared on measures of parent/legal guardian satisfaction and overall program quality. The revised staff-scheduling system was superior when compared to the previous staff-scheduling system on measures of turnover (43% less), vacancies (57% fewer), number of direct-care employees involved in the care of the persons served (13% fewer), and hourly wages (8% more). All of this was achieved without affecting staff-to-client ratios. While these changes were positive, the Family-Teaching homes were associated with significantly better direct-care staff stability and lower costs.     

The Digital Practitioner:

No abstract available for this article.     

Financial Abuse of Elders and Dependent Adults: The FAST (Financial Abuse Specialist Team) Approach

ABSTRACT

The Financial Abuse Specialist Team, a partnership of professionals from diverse disciplines, volunteer their time to review cases of financial elder abuse and facilitate comprehensive service delivery. The team also advocates for legislative reform, educates the community about the problem, and trains professionals in how to recognize, prevent, and resolve financial elder abuse.     

当前领导干部执政意识的总体状况与若干特点——基于一项调查的分析

作为最重要的执政实践活动主体,党员领导干部的执政意识在整个党的执政意识格局中具有重要作用。研究发现,当前党员领导干部执政意识的主流、总体、趋势值得肯定,但部分领导干部的执政意识还存在比较严重的问题,如执政意识淡薄模糊、陈旧错误、矛盾或混乱等。更值得注意的是,不同年龄、行政级别和地区的领导干部,执政意识水平、特点等有明显的差异。因此,对当前党员领导干部执政意识所存在问题及发展趋势要有高度的警觉性,法定执政党领导干部执政意识的强化应增强主动性,应突出重点,增强针对性。     

Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain:

Two diseases, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, are responsible for a majority of the chronic musculoskeletal pain that older women experience. Osteoporosis is the metabolic bone disease most common in older women and is responsible for fractures, kyphosis, and chronic pain. Osteoarthritis, the most commonly diagnosed musculoskeletal problem in older women, causes degeneration of the weight-bearing joints in the body, resulting in limited function and chronic pain. In this paper, these and other common disorders are briefly described and typical coping strategies used by older women in pain are reviewed. In addition, potential multidisciplinary treatment regimens are discussed.     

Local Administrative Practice and AFDC Error in Maryland

Data from two Maryland AFDC quality control samples (n=2376) are joined with data from two surveys of local administrative practices to examine administrative correlates of error. Less error exists among cases processed by agencies that: 1) use checklists to simplify agency procedures, 2) use follow-up controls in conjunction with tickler files, 3) have in-house training to deal with earned income procedures, 4) provide training on reducing earned income errors, and 5) have less staff turnover. Surprisingly, the findings show client error to be more influenced by administrative practices than agency error, suggesting the distinction between the two may be misleading.     

The School Success Profile Online

SUMMARY

This article provides an overview of the purposes, development, and implementation of the School Success Profile Online (SSP)–a computerized, self-report survey for middle and high school students. The SSP takes advantage of World Wide Web technology and the increasing access of public schools to computers and the Internet to assess students' perceptions of their neighborhoods, schools, peers, and families, as well as their own psychological and physical health and school performance. The individual and group profiles generated by the SSP can help school social workers identify areas of concern, plan their interventions with students, and evaluate the impact of their efforts at the end of interventions.     

努力提高普通高校图书馆社会化信息服务能力

本文以教育部印发的《普通高等学校图书馆规程 (修订 )》为准绳 ,结合高校图书馆社会化信息服务的实际 ,建议从加强特色数据库建设、建立良好的机制和积极开拓市场等方面开展工作 ,以提高图书馆社会化信息服务的能力。     

高等学校要确保教学工作的中心地位

培养德、智、体等方面全面发展的社会主义事业的建设者和接班人是我国高等学校的根本任务。大连理工大学始终把人才培养作为学校的根本任务,确保教学工作在学校的中心地位,把人才培养质量作为学校的生命线,逐步形成了"领导重视教学、教师热爱教学、政策倾斜教学、经费优先教学、科研促进教学、管理服务教学、后勤保障教学、舆论导向教学、人人关心教学、一切为了育人"的良好局面。     

文化的多元与诗歌的式微--从刘克庄的观点看古代诗歌的衰微之因

刘克庄认为,宋代的多元文化("文治")异常发达,包括理学(以及哲学)、经学、赋、程文、古文等.由于这些多元文化的兴盛,导致诗歌走向衰微.通过文学史上诗歌与多元文化相互消长的历史证明,刘克庄的观点有一定的合理性,在一定程度上道中了诗歌盛衰的规律.