In this thesis based on survey methodology, a questionnaire was distributed to 36 parents who were raising a child with a developmental disability. Parents were asked about their views on social sexual skills development during the formative years, their satisfaction with available social sexual services and the importance they attached to these services. A parent group interview was conducted to enhance understanding of this area. Findings indicated that parents do support social sexual skill development for their children and teens. Parents also indicated that it was important for parents to have access to relevant social sexual services.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of violence exhibited by clients towards Youth Protection workers. The sample consisted of 59 Youth Protection employees of Batshaw Youth and Family Centres who were given a questionnaire related to their experience with client initiated violence. The study attempted to identify several factors such as whether violence was an important issue for workers; whether there was a relationship between gender, job status or work experience and violence; whether training and policy adequately meet the needs of workers. The thesis concludes with recommendations to the agency on how to better deal with the violence issue and suggestions for future exploration in research, policy development, training and education.

Child welfare agencies are currently being challenged to develop and implement educational and prevention programs that address sex education, STDs and HIV/AIDS. Based on two staff interviews, six adolescent and seven staff focus group discussions at Batshaw Youth and Family Centres, three main themes are addressed: first, that along with Batshaw Youth and Family Centres' mandate and initiatives, additional measures must be taken to translate policy into social work practice. Initiatives to educate staff and youth about sexuality, STDs and HIV/AIDS lacked consistency and continuity consequently, staffs and youth's experience and attitudes toward sex education, STDs and HIV/AIDS are affected. Implications for social work are also discussed.

International social movement coalitions are a promising instrument to address systemic problems in a globalizing world. This thesis explores the issue of maintenance of these coalitions by examining the factors that have facilitated or inhibited the maintenance of the Hemispheric Social Alliance as an example. This thesis is based on a qualitative case study; data includes some content analysis but mostly consists of direct interviews. The main finding is that factors such as resources, internal relationships, external conditions and management all affect the maintenance of an international social movement coalition. The thesis argues for increased links between social work and social movement coalitions, and offers insights for social work policy, research and practice.

This research evaluates Quebec's health care policy by analyzing how the partnership metaphor is implemented in policy and practice. The partnership construction is identified in 4 interpretive communities within long-term community services to the elderly population. This analysis focuses on the placement decision for cognitively impaired clients in home care. Interpretive policy analysis is employed to examine 3 policy documents and 3 client files, while grounded theory serves to analyze 13 semi-structured interviews with 2 administrators and 3 open triads of client, caregiver, and case manager. The findings show partnership to be an egalitarian, collaborative ideal widely adopted but with little consensus on the pertinent objects and actors. Important differences emerge in how partnership is applied to the placement decision, indicating a too flexible application. Specific restrictions are recommended on the application of the partnership metaphor in order to improve community services and organizational structures in health care.

Sixty teachers from the Ottawa-Carleton region of Canada were surveyed to measure their knowledge of child maltreatment risk indicators, knowledge of reporting procedures, and the frequency of reporting sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect. Correlations did not support the hypothesis of a significant relationship between knowledge and actual reporting frequency. Multiple Regression analyses demonstrated that the knowledge of child maltreatment risk factors and the knowledge of reporting procedures were not predictive of reporting. It was found that the teachers sampled were very knowledgeable of the basic risk indicators of child maltreatment and reporting procedures and policy. However, the findings did not support the hypotheses of a significant relationship between knowledge of child maltreatment risk factors and of reporting procedures and actual reporting frequency. These findings are discussed in consideration of the limitations of the current study, the implications for practice and the possibilities for further research.

This study was created with the hope of empowering Naskapi elders and community members to share their reflections and experiences with current and past social welfare policies and practices within the community of Kawawachikamach. Community members participated actively in consultation group sharing sessions where they voiced their personal distresses incurred through encounters with the child welfare system over the years. The original purpose of the study was to explore how family group conferencing and related strength based techniques could be adapted to create a culturally appropriate case planning and decision making model in the First Nations community of Kawawachikamach. However, community members' needs were overwhelming and their search for personal and community healing led to more discussion and sharing for a community vision for health instead of a reflection on the adaptation of models. Community members enjoyed being provided with this information and were hopeful for their community after seeing some adaptations which had been made in other communities. Naskapis believe that one solution is to engage families as much as possible in child welfare practices and that whenever possible solutions would be first looked at within the family and extended family and by services being fully supportive of these entities. This solution is one of several included in a set of recommendations created for the community. The study participants are eager to present these recommendations to their community as well as focus on change by following a detailed action plan created to re-evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the current child and family development services. / Cette étude a été créé pour donner l`opportunité aux membres de la communauté Naskapi de partager leurs réflexions et leurs expériences actuels avec les pratiques de la protection de l'enfance au sein de la communauté de Kawawachikamach. Des membres de la communauté ont participé activement aux séances de consultation du groupe de partage où ils ont exprimé leurs angoisses personnelles engagées par des rencontres avec le système de protection de l'enfance au fil des ans. Le but initial de l'étude était d'explorer comment les conférences du groupe familial et des techniques de base de résistance connexes pourraient être adaptés pour créer un modèle culturel de dans la communauté de Kawawachikamach. Toutefois, les besoins des membres collectifs ont été écrasante et leur recherche pour la guérison personnelle conduit à davantage de discussions et le partage d'une vision communautaire pour la santé au lieu d'une réflexion sur l'adaptation des modèles.

The work of balancing the role of child welfare worker and mother is often a challenging one, particularly during times of high stress. In this study six women with young children employed in children welfare settings were interviewed about their experience of burnout. The interviews explored their understanding and personal experience of combining both motherhood with their employment as child welfare workers. The centrality of supportive supervision in modifying the experience of burnout is addressed. The unpredictability, responsibility and risk women face in front line child welfare produces extreme stress, which often becomes extremely difficult to manage, in particular when coupled with the task of raising young children.

Purpose. To explore the experiences of healthcare managers at a reformed CSSS (Centres de sante et de services sociaux) in Montreal, Quebec and to document the provincial reforms. The objective is to understand the managers' experiences during a period of transition. / Method. This study consists of two methods: a document review of relevant policies and reforms of Quebec's health and social services. Secondly, qualitative interview methods were used to explore the experiences of seven managers within a CSSS and their attitudes towards the reform. / Results. Managers described the following: a new window of opportunity, importance of leadership in the reform process, distorted communication, environment of trust, and culture of the organisation. / Conclusion. Quebec's health and social services is an ongoing discourse. Distorted communication creates an atmosphere of uncertainty which hinders the reform process. Implications include the need for further research in understanding healthcare professionals and other actors in the reform process.

A mail survey was conducted with 49 suicide survivors from 13 different suicide support groups across Canada. Participants were asked about their experiences of grieving a suicide and if the suicide was part of a cluster. Quantitative and qualitative research methodology was used in the coding and analysis of the data. A theory diagram was devised to test four hypotheses. Results of the regression analyses contradicted one hypothesis: showing that an increase in coping mechanisms may heighten levels of grief for a suicide survivor. The number of possible suicide linkages was highly significant with 5 of the 49 participants answering positively when asked if the suicide they were grieving was part of a cluster. Suicide bereavement groups were consistently rated as beneficial or very beneficial by participants. Lastly, content analysis of the open-ended questions showed a common experience of stigma associated with a suicidal death for survivors.