NGO Hybridisation as an Outcome of HIV Services Delivery in Global Fund-Supported Programmes in Ukraine

Ukraine has one of the world’s fastest growing HIV rates and was one of the largest recipients of funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GF). Doctoral research recently completed by the author investigates the conduct and practice of international and national nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) as Principal Recipients of GF grants in Ukraine from 2004 to 2012. The study aimed to understand how NGO-based services were implemented in the context of a state-owned health care system. An ethnographic enquiry including 50 participant interviews was conducted in three oblasts in Ukraine, and in its capital, Kyiv, between 2011 and 2013. The paper is based on a doctoral research and presents some of the findings that emerged from the analysis. The author argues that the accent on NGO-run services promoted by GF has rendered the original grass roots, community-based NGOs, to be undermined or replaced by ‘quasi’, hybrid NGOs created by health officials and AIDS centres head doctors. The outcome of such hybridization is a weakened civil society that is dependent on external funding and is unable to genuinely represent their communities.     

Critical Asset and Portfolio Risk Analysis: An All-Hazards Framework

This article develops a quantitative all-hazards framework for critical asset and portfolio risk analysis (CAPRA) that considers both natural and human-caused hazards. Following a discussion on the nature of security threats, the need for actionable risk assessments, and the distinction between asset and portfolio-level analysis, a general formula for all-hazards risk analysis is obtained that resembles the traditional model based on the notional product of consequence, vulnerability, and threat, though with clear meanings assigned to each parameter. Furthermore, a simple portfolio consequence model is presented that yields first-order estimates of interdependency effects following a successful attack on an asset. Moreover, depending on the needs of the decisions being made and available analytical resources, values for the parameters in this model can be obtained at a high level or through detailed systems analysis. Several illustrative examples of the CAPRA methodology are provided.     

“Family Matters”: A Systematic Review of the Evidence For Family Psychoeducation For Major Depressive Disorder

The first aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence for family psychoeducation (FPE) interventions for major depressive disorder (MDD). A second aim was to compare the efficacy of different modes of delivering face‐to‐face FPE interventions. Ten studies (based on nine distinct samples) were identified comprising four single‐family studies, four multifamily studies, one single versus multifamily comparative study, and one peer‐led, mixed‐diagnosis study. Seven studies measured patient functioning and six reported positive outcomes. Six studies measured carer's well‐being and four reported positive outcomes. Results provide preliminary evidence that FPE leads to improved outcomes for patient functioning and family–carer's well‐being for persons with depression. The implications for future development and delivery of FPE interventions for MDD are discussed.     

Self-management of gestational diabetes among Chinese migrants: A qualitative study

Background

Gestational diabetes mellitus is one of the most common complications of pregnancy. Women with Gestational diabetes are at increased risk of serious health outcomes, such as pre-eclampsia, obstructed labor, and the development of Type 2 diabetes later in life. Chinese migrants, the third largest cultural group in Australia, are more likely to develop Gestational diabetes than Australian-born women. However, to date, Gestational diabetes self-management has not been investigated in this population.

New Jersey Children's Behavioral Healthcare System: cross service delivery planning for transitional population of youth (ages 16 and 18+ years)

The continued need for improvement within a 'system of care' is essential as the need for mental health services by those 'youth' within the child welfare system continually grows. This article outlines the statewide reform of New Jersey's Children's Behavioral Healthcare System, which began in 2000, as well as including the recommendations of the University of South Florida as part of their 'Final Report: Independent Assessment of New Jersey's Child Behavioral Health Services' on continued changes within the system of care. Successful outcomes have resulted from this welfare reform initiative, which include most notably the significant caseload decrease of the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) and the creation of a new cabinet entity, the Department of Children and Families (DCF). This article specifically outlines systemic recommendations to best serve the target population of 'transitional' youth between the ages of 16 to 18+ years utilizing interagency cooperation based upon 'theory of change' and Total Clinical Outcomes Management (TCOM) strategies.     

Strategic Consumer Cooperation in a Name‐Your‐Own‐Price Channel

Supplier reluctance to openly advertise highly discounted products on the Internet has stimulated development of “opaque” name‐Your‐Own‐Price sales channels. Unfortunately (for suppliers), there is significant potential for online consumers to exploit these channels through collaboration in social networks. In this paper, we study three possible forms of consumer collaboration: exchange of bid result information, coordinated bidding, and coordinated bidding with risk pooling. We propose an egalitarian total utility maximizing mechanism for coordination and risk pooling in a bidding club and describe characteristics of consumers for whom participation in the club makes sense. We show that, in the absence of risk pooling, a plausible bidding club strategy using just information exchange gives almost the same benefits to consumers as coordinated bidding. In contrast, coordinated bidding with risk pooling can lead to significantly increased benefits for consumers. The benefits of risk pooling are highest for consumers with a low tolerance to risk. We also demonstrate that suppliers that actively adjust for such strategic consumer behavior can reduce the impact on their businesses and, under some circumstances, even increase revenues.     

Parents Whose Children with Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviour Attend 52-week Residential Schools: Their Perceptions of Services Received and Expectations of the Future

This paper reports the findings of a survey of parents whosechildren attended 52-week residential schools. Seventy-threeparents completed a postal questionnaire which asked questionsabout three main areas: support and services received priorto their child’s entry into residential education; perceptionsof the quality of care and education provided by residentialschools; and concerns for their child’s future care andwelfare. Telephone interviews were conducted with 14 parents,to obtain additional information on the topics addressed bythe questionnaire. Parents were critical of services and supportreceived prior to their child’s entry into residentialeducation and reported high rates of exclusion from local services.Residential schools were generally perceived as providing agood quality of service, though considerable concern was expressedabout their geographical distance from the family home, andthis had a significant impact on the frequency of visits. Parentsexpressed high levels of concern about the future care and supportneeds of their children. Further research is required to understandthe relationship between the availability and quality of localservices and the need for 52-week residential schools. The impactof distant residential education on parent–child relationshipsand on future demand for residential care is considered.     

SUGAR AND SPICE, TOADS AND MICE: GENDER ISSUES IN FAMILY THERAPY TRAINING

Whereas family therapists have become increasingly aware of gender as a central organizing principle in how we think about families, few methods have been presented to help trainees and clinicians articulate how to adress gender. Four experiential exercises (including gender survival messages, gender framed circular questions, and process observation sheets) that can be used in training and adapted for use with clients are described. What we have learned about gender from our families of origin, the larger culture, and in the construction of family therapy models can be examined with these activities.