This study explored the supervision process within community mental health agencies. This process was conceptualized as consisting of three categories of supervisor intervention, Theory/Information (TH), Technique (TQ), and Personal Self-Knowledge (PSK), which were used in working with psychotherapists; a fourth category (OT) captured other types of interventions which emerged. Using a descriptive case study approach, this researcher sought to identify areas of intervention emphasis which supervisors exhibited and the relative role of PSK interventions. Twelve clinical supervisors, holding advanced degrees, were interviewed and asked to recall their supervision approach to two client-therapist impasses, one recalled as positive and one as negative. The criteria for these choices included supervisors' perceptions of success at renewing therapeutic movement within the treatment relationship. Transcripts of interviews were systematically examined to determine patterns of intervention activity and differences between positive and negative recalls. Representative portions of transcripts were illustrated in detail. A pattern emerged which revealed that supervisors most often intervened in TH-related ways and most often thought about intervention is PSK-related ways. This was discussed as a decision-making process in which supervisors assumed dual responsibilities for overseeing clients' treatment planning and supervisees' clinical learning. It was revealed that the more successful recalls were characterized by blended TH and PSK intervention approaches which addressed clients' treatment needs and supported clinicians' learning needs; these recalls included specific types of PSK interventions, labelled first- and second-level facilitators, which were discussed as effective strategies for promoting therapeutic movement. Less successful recalls were characterized by the absence of second-level facilitators and more blended intervention approaches. These were discussed in terms of a reduced supervisory commitment to resolution of the impasse which resulted from supervisors' responses to problems within the supervisory relationship. This researcher concluded that problems at the supervisory level interfered with effective impasse resolution and affected supervisors' clinical objectivity; recommendations for research and practice were offered and changes were advocated in the institutional support and training of supervisors.

This study focuses on the relationship between high school students' level of satisfaction, students' academic achievement, and their level to remain in school. Many studies and researchers have been blaming the school system for its failure to recognize that variables or factors outside the school environment are taking place and affecting students' level of satisfaction, academic achievement, and their interest to remain in school and complete a high school diploma. This study focuses on the base of students' perceptions or expectations regarding their school environment and an examination of significant correlations among variables that might distinguish particular factors. A Likert Rating Scale was used to measure students' level of satisfaction and their interest to remain in school. It was administered to 282 students. Student achievement was measured by their grades upon entering high school and the grades they received at the end of the marking period. The statistical analyses included frequencies for all variables, Chi-Squares, t-Test and Analyses of Variance, and multiple correlations. Four specific research questions guided the study. The analysis of the open-ended section of the survey instrument provided evidence that the students feel responsible for their success or failure in school. They acknowledge other sources that are interfering with their school work: lack of time to complete homework and personal/family problems, as well as peer pressure. Students' responses showed evidence of satisfaction with the school environment. The more favorable the school environment is, the more likely students are to remain in school and move ahead. Students perceive their parents' interest in their education is a main element in their satisfaction and motivation to remain in school. Students' part-time and full-time jobs could contribute to both students' level of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. It provides some valuable skills to the students, but in some cases it creates obstacles that make students fall behind in school. Students' level of satisfaction was indeed related to students' academic achievement and their interest to remain in school. They do want to finish high school.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which support service programs are available for Black and Hispanic students attending the nation's twenty-eight Jesuit colleges and universities. Where programs existed the objective was to describe their makeup. A subsidiary goal of the study was to introduce the Donald Brown Retention Model which is a series of elements that are essential to recruiting and retaining Black and Hispanic students on predominantly White campuses. The researcher hypothesized that as a result of cutbacks in federal and state funding during the latter part of the 1960's and continuing into the 1970's, Jesuit institutions, like other institutions of higher education, cut back, if not completely eliminated support service programs. Since the subjects of the study were scattered throughout the country, the data gathering technique deemed most appropriate was a questionnaire. Rather than select a statistical random sampling from the population, it was determined that all twenty-eight Jesuit colleges and universities would be included in the study. Among the major findings of the study was the eighteen (69.2 percent) of the twenty-six (92.8 percent) respondents indicated that a support service program had been established for Black and Hispanic students on their campus. The major services provided by these programs are academic advisement, tutorial assistance, personal, group and career counseling. Contrary to the hypothesis alluded to earlier, which suggested that support service programs fell to their demise during the late 1960's and early 1970's due to diminished funding, it was determined that virtually half of such programs did not begin until the 1970's. A further revelation was that funding for these programs, for the most part, came from the institution's themselves. It appears that Black and Hispanic students are succeeding at Jesuit colleges and universities. Yet, there are areas that can be improved. It is hoped that the Donald Brown Retention Model will prove useful in recruiting and retaining Black and Hispanic students at Jesuit, and indeed, all institutions of higher education.

The purpose of this study was to delineate the role of race in the prediction of at-risk status for pregnancy among Black and White high school females from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Research findings relative to adolescent pregnancy were assimilated into a proposed three factor model of pregnancy risk which included: Knowledge and Attitude toward Sexuality and Childbearing, Current Life Situation, and Opportunity for Sex. A questionnaire was developed to assess risk factors within the structure of the three model factors. The questionnaire examined the social, familial, and personal variables that influence a teen's sexual activity. The questionnaire was administered to 152 high school females aged 14-19. It was hypothesized that: (1) at-risk status for pregnancy was associated with high risk scores on the model variables and factors; (2) Black subjects would receive higher risk scores on the Knowledge and Attitude toward Pregnancy and Childbearing factor than White students and that Current Life Situation and Opportunity for Sex would predict pregnancy status but show no racial differentiation; (3) if the second hypothesis was correct, a differential pattern of pregnancy risk by race would result that could be incorporated into a model that discriminates risk status by race. The scores on the variables were analyzed through the use of: multivariate tests of significance (MANOVA), univariate $F$-tests, and discriminant function analyses. Additionally, factor analysis was used to assess the proposed model and develop new models for specific application. Not all hypotheses were accepted. Pregnancy status was predicted by the first hypothesis with findings reaching significance. On hypothesis 2, White pregnant subjects were more at-risk than other groups followed by Black pregnant subjects, Black never-pregnant subjects and, finally, White never pregnant-subjects. The questionnaire identified differential patterns for each racial group which validated the use of a stepwise discriminant analysis to help discriminate pregnancy risk status by race. The use of discriminant analysis derived variables increased prediction of pregnancy accuracy to 98.48% for Black subjects and 94.52% for White subjects. The need for replication studies and investigations of other racial and ethnic groups is discussed.

The present study was designed to examine the issues which surround young people who are apprehended on or around Boston Public School property carrying weapons or dangerous objects. The records of 40 students were randomly selected, according to specific criteria, from the files at the Barron Assessment and Counseling Center. The BACC was designed to be a disciplinary measure. The main goal of the program is to help the youngsters understand the ramifications of their actions. Specifically, the hypotheses which guided the study were designed to determine: (1) if the students apprehended were conduct-disordered; (2) if the students were responding to cultural and environmental norms; (3) their socio-economic status; (4) if the students were substance abusers; (5) their academic status; (6) the precipitating actions which caused apprehension; (7) if the students were involved in the criminal justice system; and (8) the recidivism rate of this population. A summary of the research findings indicated that this cross section of youngsters were more behavior-disordered than was hypothesized. In fact, 37% of the youngsters in the sample exhibited moderate to severe conduct disorders and one-third had been adjudicated or were waiting judgement in some aspect of the criminal justice system. A majority of the sample resided in neighborhoods with high-crime rates and were products of single-parent homes with multiple siblings. Most of their families were subsidized by Public Assistance. Eighty percent of the sample were black males and the median age was 15.4, while the median grade level was 8.8. It could not be concluded from self-report data what percent of the youngsters abused drugs. Only 8% of the sample were caught using a weapon in a fight. The intelligence classification of the sample cluster was in the average range (80%); however, the sample as a whole was underachieving by approximately two years below grade level. The students were judged to be deficient in critical thinking skills based on other findings which were not anticipated.

The dissertation was a hypothesis-generating study which investigated the scope and nature of learnings provided by an integrated model of training in cross-cultural transition. The model consisted of a conceptual tool, the Model For Cross-Cultural Synthesis and Growth, which describes cross-cultural transition as an on-going process of adaptation and growth experienced by human beings who significantly interact with one or more varying cultures. The model also consisted of an experiential learning tool, the Somis, Amicans, and Nirions exercise, which simulates critical interactional dynamics and dilemmas inherent in the process of cross-cultural transition. Two six-hour workshops were conducted on consecutive days, with participants with undergraduate or graduate training in the fields of education, human services, and management, using the same model and training staff. The participants were predominantly female, English speaking U.S.A. citizens, with European American cultural backgrounds. Journal and open-ended questionnaire data were gathered. They were analyzed by the constant comparative method of grounded theory. The findings revealed very strong support for the model as an effective tool in providing meaningful learning in the process of cross-cultural transition. They were equally as supportive of the conceptual tool, as accurately depicting the process of cross-cultural transition, and of the experiential learning tool, as a powerful simulation which effectively transmits meaningful knowledge of this process. Ethnocentrism, identity, and power dynamics were focal points in the learnings of the participants. Differences in individual interaction style and engagement mode were found. All participants reported significant learnings regardless of these differences.

This study will examine the concept of mentoring as a strategy for improving the academic success and the quality of life of black female and male undergraduates on predominantly white institutions in American society. More specifically, this study proposes the following: (a) That mentorship programs can provide a clearly defined, identifiable and monitored support mechanism through which faculty and staff members may have an impact, directly, on the growth potential of black undergraduates. (b) That through mentoring programs educational leaders on predominantly white college campuses can successfully meet the short-range goals of satisfying and improving the critical academic, social and personal needs of black undergraduates. (c) That mentorship programs will also meet a long-range need of our society by supplying the educational and professional markets with qualified and competent black undergraduates and professionals that will benefit American society. This study will be substantiated by findings from a survey of a selected group of minority mentorship programs on predominantly white college campuses and a survey of black female and male undergraduates' academic and personal needs on a predominantly white college campus. It is from this collection of data that six major recommendations for developing a comprehensive model for a Black Mentorship Program will be presented that embody the best of the prevailing theories, practices, principles and services for promoting the academic and professional success of black undergraduates.

Most research efforts have focused on the assessment of a limited number of dimensions of student growth across entire student bodies or representative samples of all students. One group that has not been sufficiently studied are the Resident Assistants who staff residence halls. The purpose of this study is to provide outcomes-related information on Resident Assistants. Three research questions have been formulated: (1) Will Resident Assistant alumni attribute their post-graduate choices to the R.A. role? (2) Will Resident Assistant alumni as a group demonstrate high involvement with activities similar to those with which they were engaged as R.A.s? (3) Will Resident Assistant alumni recall their R.A. experiences and be able to cite specific experiences which demonstrate how the role affects life choices? The literature for this study is divided into four parts. The first will trace the development of the Resident Assistant from proctor to peer helper. The second unit of the literature review focuses on the theories associated with student development. A third section outlines the literature available on outcomes assessment. The final part of the literature review consists of a brief discussion of survey research principles. The study findings are presented in six sections. The first section focuses on satisfaction with the R.A. experience. The following three sections address the three major variables of this study. The fifth section presents additional findings concerning influence on academic performance. The sixth section provides a discussion of research question 2. Several questionnaire items allowed for open-ended responses. This study shows that students appear to have migrated to the Residents Assistant role for various reasons. Many chose to pursue educationally-related careers and reported that they perceived this role as appropriate grounding to their future vocational interests. Another half sought this role for other reasons including financial, authoritarian and altruistic reasons. Further, the results reveal that a small subset of the R.As were influenced to alter their career interests as a result of the experience but that most were not. Regardless of influence on career decisions, most reported having been affected personally by the experience.

This study explored Disagreement in the parent-physician relationship in ideas about a child's asthma and its course of treatment as a potential cause of the difficulty for parents in maintaining control of the child's asthma at home. The study objectives were: (1) to measure 5 Types of Disagreement in 9 potential Areas of Disagreement, and (2) to determine whether Disagreement is related to control of the child's asthma. 12 physicians and 59 parents (one parent from each family), forming 59 parent-physician pairs, participated in the study. The 5 Types of Disagreement measured were Observed, Parent Perceived, Physician Perceived, Parent Inaccuracy, and Physician Inaccuracy. The 9 Areas of Disagreement studied were: (1) Causes of The Asthma, (2) Triggers to Asthmatic Symptoms, (3) Approaches to Treatment, (4) Qualitative Measure of Control, (5) Future Expectations, (6) Severity of The Asthma, (7) Quantitative Measure of Control, (8) Type of Parent-Physician Relationship, and (9) Satisfaction with The Parent-Physician Relationship. The Areas for each Type of Disagreement found to be more common in the parent-physician relationships than the others, are for Observed Disagreement: Areas 6, 7, and 8; for Parent Perceived Disagreement: Area 7; for Physician Perceived Disagreement: Area 9; for Parent Inaccuracy: Area 7; and for Physician Inaccuracy: Areas 4, 7, and 8. A comparison was made between the pairs whose children's asthma was "out of control" and those whose children's asthma was "in control". Types of Disagreement in the parent-physician relationship found to be significantly related to poor control of a child's asthma are, for Area 1: Observed, Parent Inaccuracy, and Physician Inaccuracy; for Area 2: Observed and Physician Inaccuracy; in Area 4: Observed and Parent Inaccuracy; in Area 6: Physician Perceived, Parent Inaccuracy, and Physician Inaccuracy; in Area 7: Parent Inaccuracy; in Area 8: Parent Perception and Physician Perception; and in Area 9: Observed and Parent Inaccuracy. This research suggests that clear communication of ideas about the child's asthma in the parent-physician relationship is an important influence on outcome of the asthma.

This dissertation presents the results of a study designed to explore the therapist's phenomenological awareness of spirituality in their work with their clients who are dealing with loss. The clinical literature reveals the individual's response to loss includes a spiritual dimension. As traditional psychology has not included spirituality in its study or practice, little is known of how psychotherapists are attending to and including this dimension in the therapy. The dissertation included a review of the literature on: bereavement studies, self renewal theory, adult development, creativity, and spiritual emergencies. All of which provide current information about spiritual experiences. Qualitative research was done with eight psychotherapists from four Out-Patient Mental Health Clinics. Data from in-depth interviews were coded. A thematic analysis offered 18 themes which were common to all participants and were organized under three sets: (1) Psychotherapy and Loss, (2) Loss and Spirituality, (3) Spirituality and Psychotherapy. Some examples of themes in set #1 are, "The Developmental Significance of Loss", "Variations in the Loss Response"; in set #2, "Faith as a Resource", "Variations in Spiritual Manifestations"; in set #3, "Spirituality as Part of Human Nature", "Evidence of Spirituality as a Dynamic in Psychotherapy". Four profiles were constructed to provide an added perspective of the interviews. The findings were unanimous in that all the psychotherapists could identify a spiritual dimension in the experience of loss, in their own personal and professional lives and in human nature. The findings were consonant with the literature and suggest the validity of the spiritual dimension in the loss experience and the need for more attention to the spiritual aspects of human experience in the training and practice of conventional therapists.