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.     

西方国家廉政经验在我国的检讨与适应性分析

当前学术界在我国廉政建设中主张广泛借鉴欧美各国的廉政建设经验。客观来说，西方发达国家的廉政建设体制相对更加完善和卓有成效；不过，这些经验在我国是否适用，不能仅仅依据经验本身，更多的则取决于中国是否存在国外经验生长的土壤。由于这些国家的近现代发展历程、廉政建设面对的国情与我国有较大的相似性，因而其廉政经验比较符合我国的廉政建设需要。     

'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.     

我国政府采购投诉制度探析

政府采购投诉制度作为一种必要的行政救济措施在政府采购过程中占有重要地位。我国目前的政府采购投诉制度存在投诉救济范围过于狭窄、投诉处理主体独立性和专业性不足、采购暂停制度失灵、投诉信息公开欠缺等一些列亟待解决的问题。针对这一现状，应借鉴域外政府采购投诉制度的经验，进一步完善有关政府采购投诉制度。     

“三合一”型政府管理模式:现实与理论的全景式展示

建设法治型政府、责任型政府和服务型政府是我国政府进行政府改革的有益尝试,是用新的价值取向和路径选择对传统政府管理模式进行根本性或方向性的调整.本文将对这三种政府管理模式作一番现实考量和理论分析,以求正确处理好它们之间的关系,努力彰显出它们在目前我国市场经济发展水平和社会整体发展水平中的本色和个性,并使其相辅相成、相互促进,塑造"三合一"型政府管理模式,可以实现社会理想的崇高意蕴,契合"和谐社会"的构建,这对促进我国经济社会协调发展和全面进步,具有重大的理论和实践意义.     

由表及里:地方服务型政府建构向度研究

服务型政府效能化与人本化建构是公共管理发展的基本向度,也是我国政府体制改革的目标.多年来,我国地方政府体制改革林林总总,风生水起.但是,由于受转型背景的复杂性、体制体系的惯性以及传统社会结构的粘性等因素制约,总体仍处于表象层面.为此,需要相应支点结构性的循序移位,由表及里,实现地方政府体制改革的路径创新,从而把技术性、手段性改革转变为真正为人民服务的体制性改革.     

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。     

政府采购与经济增长的实证研究——基于ARMA最优模型

本文采用基于ARMA模型适用于小样本的最优预测的建模方法,来分析政府采购和经济增长之间的因果关系。研究结果表明政府采购和经济增长之间存在非对称、单向因果关系,即政府采购对经济增长的影响不显著,而经济增长对政府采购具有促进作用。因此,从政府采购影响路径的角度分析认为,在后金融危机时代应该采取一些可行的措施扭转政府采购对经济增长的不显著状况。