The purpose of this study is (1) to determine the need for a creative program of interaction among the various community agencies, and (2) to determine the sound processes to be used in bringing about desirable social change through interaction among the agencies. Improving social conditions that affect the welfare of youth in the community is the primary concern of this study.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Many academicians, business people, and government officials are calling for college students to not only earn a degree but to leave college ready to be active and engaged citizens in their communities. One of the fastest-growing responses to this call within higher education has been the introduction of service-learning courses across disciplines. This study was designed to attempt to bring some focus to community agency needs and desires in service-learning relationships, both in domestic and international programs. Factors and criteria frequently cited in the literature as important to community agencies and when creating partnerships were compiled into a list of 10 criteria. Community agencies and faculty/staff involved in service-learning at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) were then asked to respond to each factor, indicating how important each was to them and how satisfied they were with how each factor was carried out in their current relationship(s). Overall, the 62 respondents found having interaction based on mutual respect and relationships built on trust as most important and the factors with which they are most satisfied. Faculty/staff respondents tended rate each factor as more important than community agency respondents, though there were no significant differences between the two groups’ satisfaction ratings. International respondents, including both faculty/staff and community agency respondents, in general, rated each item more important and reported greater satisfaction than domestic respondents. Aspects of the relationships under study, including frequency of interaction, type of interaction, and frequency of supervising service-learning students, were also related to respondents’ ratings of each factor. Even with limitations, the study helps move toward a greater understanding of working with community agencies, establishing criteria to aid in evaluating and implementing service-learning relationships, and providing a base for future studies.

The family support movement in the United States has its roots in the early years of the 20th century when progressives like Jane Addams worked to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and their families. Family support today is provided by multiple public and private agencies. How families experience these services is not well known. Such information could help service providers give meaningful support to those in need.This is a case study of how one family experienced the receipt of multiple community services. The family lived in Virginia, and four family members participated in the study. The family consisted of Elizabeth, the matriarch, age 39; Allen, third husband of Elizabeth, age 30; Bradley, middle son of Elizabeth, age 16; and Benjamin, youngest son of Elizabeth, age 14. Elizabeth's eldest son C. C., age 18, did not participate in the study.The services received by the family were focused on Elizabeth, a childhood victim of parental abuse and a cancer survivor, and Bradley, who was identified with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Bradley was a resident in a wilderness program for at-risk boys. The wilderness program was partially funded by the Virginia Comprehensive Services Act.The study had four purposes: (1) to inform policy makers about how families are affected by policy decisions on issues pertaining to families, (2) to influence the decisions of policy makers, (3) to add to the definition of quality family support, and (4) to provide information useful to educators and service providers in developing programs for at-risk children and families.Data sources were observations of, and interviews with, family members. Data were analyzed with the constant comparative method as described by Maykut and Morehouse (1994). The analysis and findings are presented in a narrative report. / Ph. D.

In 1989, a large suburban school district and a cluster of public service agencies initiated a pilot program to provide a multi-agency staffing to develop action plans for identified students. The purpose of this study was to describe the process that was involved in the establishment of this school-linked, integrated program. The research questions that guided data collection in this study were: (1) what was the impetus for initiating this interagency innovation and what resources were required? (2) who were the key players, how were they determined, and in what ways did they plan together to establish and implement this school-linked program? (3) in what ways was the initiation of the pilot program supported or impeded? (4) what is the status of the pilot program today? The case study approach, using qualitative methods of data collection, was used in order to answer these questions of process and understanding. Before data collection began, permission was obtained from the study school district to proceed. Interviews were conducted with selected individuals who participated in the planning or implementation of the program. Documents generated at the time of its establishment were also reviewed. Analysis involved the organization of data into coded categories followed by a search for themes and patterns to provide a detailed and rich description of the process. The findings of the study are presented chronologically within two phases, planning and implementation, with themes that emerged discussed within this framework. The results of this study add additional information to the body of research that describes the linking process, from vision to implementation, that occurs when a school district and community agencies work together to address children's needs. Conclusions from the study are presented as well as implications for future endeavors and recommendations for further research. / Ed. D.