The shifts in human services re-organization in Canada, and in particular the strategc shifts outlined by the Ministry of Children and Family Development in British Columbia have underscored the importance of the inclusion of communities, service users and parents in service planning. This qualitative case study explores the involvement and participation of parents as clients in multidisciplinary collaborative practice within the family resource program model of service delivery. Data was collected using semi - structured individual interviews and a document review at two sites. A thematic analysis generated major findings in two areas, 1) the framing of multidisciplinary collaborative practice and parent inclusion by the organizational milieu; 'LA and 2) the influence of service contracts, organizational policies and procedures, and work-place relationships on the service approaches. The study includes recommendations for policy and practice, suggested for funding bodies, multi-service community-based agencies, and family resource programs, and recommendations for additional research.

This study examined how Korean co-ethnic churches serve as connections between Korean seniors and the agencies that offer social and health care services. The study developed from a pilot outreach program funded by the North Central Texas Council of Governments’ Area Agency on Aging (NCTAAA) to inform Korean seniors about Medicare-related programs between February and May of 2011. The results of the pilot program suggested that the Korean-American church can be an effective place for program outreach. The dissertation project, working in partnership with the NCTAAA and 2-1-1 services, further explored the use of Korean churches as a vehicle to connect Korean seniors to Extra Help (EH) and Medicare Saving Programs (MSP) and 2-1-1 services, a toll-free number for information about non-emergency health and social services. Fifty-three pastors were contacted to participate in a telephone survey and a face-to-face, in-depth semi-structured interview. Thirty telephone surveys and 11 face-to-face interviews were conducted. Five of the 30 pastors agreed to host program outreach presentations for the EH, MSP, and 2-1-1 services in their churches. Host churches tended to be more likely highly structured, regularly scheduled programs (e.g., Senior College) for seniors already in place. A total of 405 Korean seniors participated in the program outreach sessions. Five seniors received the EH application information, and 17 MSP application forms were distributed. Additionally, 28 seniors were assisted by phone, not only with the targeted programs, but also with other benefits information. Together, these outcomes indicate that the co-ethnic church can be a vehicle to connect Korean seniors to services offered by outside agencies.

M.A. (Social Work) / The primary aim of this study is to explore the use of music as an aid in the Social Work profession in South Africa with reference to other disciplines. In order to achieve this aim the following objectives were used: (i) To compare a literature study on the historic development of the use of music as an aid in rendering help; (ii) To investigate the nature and extent of training in the use of music therapy; (iii) To investigate the extent to which music as a tool is utilized by music therapists; and (iv) To suggest ways in which music as a therapeutic tool can be utilized in Social Work.

Orientador: Célia Maria David / Banca: Gustavo José de Toledo Pedroso / Banca: Raquel Santos Sant'Ana / Banca: Sivia Beatriz Adoue / Banca: Kênia Augusta Figueiredo / Resumo: O objeto de estudo da presente Tese perpassou a análise do "Ethos da Mobilidade" do Serviço Social brasileiro ("EMSS") e suas aproximações com o pensamento de Antonio Gramsci. A tipologia da pesquisa utilizada se moveu pelo âmbito bibliográfico e documental. O método dialético alicerçado no pensamento marxiano proporcionou investigar as determinações contidas no objeto e, consequentemente, a exposição de suas apreensões. A metodologia partiu, portanto, da realidade concreta ainda desconhecida e chegou, após aproximações investigativas, ao real concreto produzido. Os objetivos foram apresentados nos próprios capítulos do trabalho perfazendo o aspecto social e histórico do "EMSS", a materialidade do referido "ethos" e suas relações com o pensamento gramsciano e, por fim, o mesmo "modo de ser" profissional e as aproximações com a categoria democracia, em Gramsci. No primeiro momento, expôs-se acerca das concepções de moral, de ética, de valor e de liberdade do "EMSS". Posteriormente, apresentou-se o surgimento deste "ethos" na categoria profissional, por meio do Método BH e de seu desenvolvimento ético-político presente no III Congresso Brasileiro de Assistentes Sociais (Congresso da Virada), perfazendo o início da constituição sócio histórica do presente "ethos" na profissão. A investigação adentrou na materialidade do Projeto Ético-Político Profissional, por meio do "EMSS", uma nova perspectiva profissional, respaldada na vertente de intenção de ruptura, segundo Paulo Netto em... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The object of the study from the current thesis accomplished the analysis of "Ethos in the Mobility" in the Brazilian Social Work ("EMSS") and its approaches to Antonio Gramsci thoughts. The typology research resulted from a bibliography and a documentary. The dialectic method in the Marxist thoughts afforded to investigate the determinations in the object and, consequently, the exposition of its seizures. The methodology began from the concrete reality still unknown and resulted after investigative approaches, taking everything into consideration accomplished. The aims were presented on their chapters and they go through the social and historical aspect from the "EMSS", the existence of the "ethos", and its relation to Gramsci's thoughts and, finally, the same "way of being" professional and the approaches to democracy category, in Gramsci. First of all it was shown the conception of moral, ethic, value, and liberty in "EMSS". Secondly, it was placed the "ethos" in the professional category, through the BH Method and its ethical political development presented in the III Brazilian Convention of Social Workers (Congresso da Virada), making the beginning of the social historic constitution in the current "ethos" in the profession. The investigation accomplished in the Ethical and Political Professional Project through the "EMSS" a new professional perspective, supported in the rupture intention, according Paulo Netto in " Social Work and Dictatorship: An analysis of a Social work in Brazil after 1964". Additionally it was presented the approaches among the constitutive category of the project: theoretical and methodological dimension, ethical and political, technical and operational and its approaches to Gramscians categories of the philosophy of praxis, political and intellectual sciences. The outcome made the presentation of the hegemony category in Gramsci... / Astratto: L'oggetto dello studio della presente Tesi perpassa l'analisi dell' "Ethos della Mobilità" del Servizio Sociale brasiliano" ("EMSS") e la sua vicinanza con il pensiero di Antonio Gramsci. La tipologia della ricerca utilizzata si è spiegata nell'ambito bibliografico e documentale. Il metodo dialettico imbasato nel pensiero di Marx ha proporzionato investigare le determinazioni contenute nell'oggetto e conseguentemente l'esposizione delle sue appreenssioni. La metodologia, è partita, pertanto, dalla realtà concreta ancora sconosciuta e ha raggiunto, dopo alcune approssimazione investigative, il reale concreto prodotto. Gli oggettivi sono stati presentati sui propri capitoli del lavoro, suddivisi fra l'aspetto sociale e storico del EMSS, la materialità del riferito ethos e le sue relazioni con il pensiero Gramsciano e, per fine, lo stesso "modo d'essere" professionale e le sue vicinanze con la categoria democrazia, in Gramsci. In un primo momento, si è esposta sui concetti della morale, dell'etica, del valore e della libertà del EMSS. Di seguito, si è presentato il sorgimento di questo ethos per la categoria professionale attraverso il metodo BH e del suo sviluppo eticopolitico presente nel III Congresso Brasiliano degli Assistenti Sociali, raggiungendosi così l'inizio della costituzione socio-storica dell presente "ethos" di questa professione. L'investigazione si è riversata sulla materialità del proggetto eticopolitico e profissionale, per mezzo del EMSS, sviluppandosi una nuova prospettiva professionale appoggiata nella vertente intenzionanle di rottura, secondo Paulo Netto nel sul libro (Ditadura e Serviço social: uma análise do serviço social pós-64). Poi, si sono presentate le valutazioni delle categorie costitutive già riferite nel proggetto, ovverossia: dimensione teorica metodologica, etico-politica e tecnico-operativo confrontandole con le categorie... / Doutor

Orientador: Gustavo José de Toledo Pedroso / Banca: José Fernando Siqueira da Silva / Banca: Lígia da Nóbrega Fernandes / Resumo: O presente estudo tem como proposição apreender a constituição do pensamento pós-moderno na produção teórica de Foucault, sendo este o objeto de estudo que nos permite identificar sua aproximação e tensionamento no âmbito do Serviço Social. Tal proposta de trabalho adota como referência uma perspectiva histórica e de totalidade alicerçada na ontologia do ser social. O intuito é a análise e a problematização do surgimento e a sedimentação do campo pós-moderno nos dias atuais, tendo em vista o seu alastramento nas ciências sociais. Com isso, pretendemos analisar os elementos pós-modernos presentes na obra foucaultiana, utilizando como recorte temporal a análise da fase genealógica do autor, tendo como categorias norteadoras: a constituição da ciência e o sujeito histórico na análise foucaultiana. A partir disso é possível analisar a relação dos preceitos pós-modernos, ou seja, o projeto teórico e político da pós-modernidade e sua oposição à teoria social marxiana da ontologia do ser social, sendo este o pilar teórico hegemônico que orienta o Serviço Social. O estudo foi realizado por meio de pesquisa bibliográfica, utilizando como objeto de análise as produções do Serviço Social nos anais do ENPESS de 2010 á 2016. / Abstract: The present study has the purpose of apprehending the constitution of postmodern thought in the theoretical production of Foucault, being this the object of study that allows us to identify its approximation and intention in the scope of Social Work. This proposal of work adopts as reference a historical perspective and of totality based on the ontology of the social being. The aim is the analysis and problematization of the emergence and the sedimentation of the postmodern field in the present day, in view of its spread in the social sciences. With this, we intend to analyze the postmodern elements present in the Foucaultian work, using as a temporal clipping the analysis of the genealogical phase of the author, having as guiding categories: the constitution of science and the historical subject in the Foucaultian analysis. From this it is possible to analyze the relation of the postmodern precepts, that is, the theoretical and political project of postmodernity and its opposition to the Marxian social theory of the social being's ontology, being this hegemonic theoretical pillar that guides the Social Service . The study was carried out by means of a bibliographical research, using as an object of analysis the productions of Social Service in the annals of ENPESS from 2010 to 2016. / Mestre

Increasingly the Internet has been used by men who have sex with men (MSM) to facilitate social and sexual relationships. Finding from studies investigating the relationship between sexual risk and MSM who meet sex partners on the Internet in either venue-based (offline) and Internet-based (online) settings have been mixed. In an effort to contribute to the knowledge base on this topic, this study analyzed data from two samples of MSM recruited in New York City: Web-based HIV Behavioral Surveillance (WHBS) and National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS). The relationship between sexual risk behaviors including unprotected anal intercourse (UAI), drug use, number of sexual partners, use of performance enhancing drugs (also known as erectile dysfunction drugs or PDE5 inhibitors), and group sex participation and mode of sex partner recruitment are examined. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis were used to examine the research questions and hypothesis.

Employment rates of Mexican women increased 26 percentage points in the last 23 years. The underlying factors driving this trend are the main motivation for this study. My two explanatory hypotheses are the following: there is a lower 'motherhood penalty,' and a higher preschool enrollment encouraged women's employment. In addition, I estimate the gender gap in weekly wages and wages plus employer-provided benefits. To test these two hypotheses, I decompose changes, over the last two decades, in payoffs and endowments of 'motherhood.' Second, I measure the effect of changes in preschool enrollment on mothers' employment. In addition, I also estimate the gender gaps in wages and wages plus employer-provided benefits, incorporating a more precise measure of job experience than previously used, and measures of cognitive ability and non-cognitive traits (formerly unaccounted for in Mexican studies). My goal is to provide an explanation of the mechanisms that encouraged women's employment in Mexico, and to estimate the possible gender differences in earnings that might prevent a potentially larger progress of women in the Mexican labor market.

More than one in four children under age 6 in the United State are children of immigrants, and the majority of these children are Asian and Hispanic. Despite this, there have been few studies on the early development of young children of immigrants. In particular, although healthy development in the early years of life is important in helping children get ready for school, little is known about school readiness among children in immigrant families. Therefore, this study examines school readiness among children of Asian and Hispanic immigrant mothers, with particular attention to two important characteristics of immigrant families: maternal language use and use of preschool. This study is composed of five chapters, starting with Chapter 1 that introduces the background and purpose of this study. Chapter 2 reviews the theoretical backgrounds for the association between maternal language use and the development of young children in immigrant families, and then for the role of preschool in children's school readiness. Using a nationally representative sample of children of Asian and Hispanic immigrant mothers from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), Chapters 3 and 4 examine whether maternal language use is associated with school readiness and whether preschool plays a protective role in promoting school readiness, respectively. Finally, Chapter 5 concludes by summarizing the findings and providing implications for theory and methodology, future research, and social work and policy. In Chapter 3, this study finds generally advantages of maternal use of English and bilingualism for children's cognitive development at kindergarten entry in both Asian and Hispanic groups. It also finds, compared to children of home language Asian mothers, higher levels of pro-social behavior among those of English dominant and bilingual Asian mothers, but also higher levels of behavior problems among those of English dominant Asian mothers. Furthermore, in additional analyses, this study finds that longer residency in the U.S. is associated with higher levels of approaches to learning for children of bilingual Asian mothers and lower levels of behavior problems for children of bilingual Hispanic mothers. In Chapter 4, this study finds that attending preschool (mostly prekindergarten or other center-based care) is associated with better academic school readiness at kindergarten entry among children of Asian immigrant mothers, but not children of Hispanic immigrant mothers. This study also finds higher levels of behavior problems and lower levels of approaches to learning among children in Head Start compared to those in parental care in both Asian and Hispanic groups. In addition, this study finds beneficial associations between preschool and academic school readiness at the year of participation among children of both Asian and Hispanic immigrant mothers, but these beneficial associations do not hold up at kindergarten entry among children of Hispanic mothers, while such associations are still found at kindergarten entry among children of Asian mothers. This study also finds more pronounced beneficial influences of preschool on academic school readiness at the year of participation among children of mothers who speak their home language in both Asian and Hispanic groups, but such more pronounced benefits are gone at kindergarten entry in both groups.

A study to determine the effects of the new prospective reimbursement method on the role of discharge planners in the acute care hospitals and their impressions of its impact on elderly patients. A mail survey questionnaire examined the task responsibilities of personnel providing discharge planning services to the elderly. The components of successful discharge plans and the frequency of obstacles to optimal discharge plans were also assessed. Findings, based on a 75.3 percent response rate from hospitals (hospital N = 58, individual respondent N = 235), revealed that social work appeared to be the predominant discipline conducting discharge planning activities in New York City hospitals. The prospective payment system has changed discharge planning task frequency and the time allocation of tasks, perceptions of inpatient populations, the need for case management and readmission rates. Family support was the strongest predictor for successful discharge plans cited by discharge planners while lack of interdisciplinary communication was a prime reason why discharge plans go awry. Discharge planners do not generally view their role as responsible for advising patients of the appeals mechanism. Professional discipline and the prospective payment system were the single most important independent variables to explain the variance among the areas of inquiry. Hospital auspice and bed size, and respondent's years of experience and employment tenure at their hospital were not very useful to explain differences. The comparison of nurses and social workers on performing parallel discharge planning functions showed that nurses tend to be more collaborative than social workers. One-third of the nurse and social worker respondents reported that their professional preparation was inadequate for discharge planning responsibilities and have recommendations for the curriculum of their respective professional schools.

Two related program evaluations of the mental health system in Puerto Rico are conducted. Initially, research is carried out in two state psychiatric hospitals involving an organizational analysis of relevant systems variables as they impinge upon effective institutional functioning. In this scheme hospital effectiveness is predicted by success in achieving formally prescribed goals and in the adequacy of resource utilization. The basic assumption is that the psychiatric hospital reflects the patterning of reciprocal and interdependent behaviors of individuals which form a larger all-important pattern. The hospitals are studied by means of a questionnaire administered to staff to ascertain perceptions of the work environment, communication and coordination processes, overall hospital organization, and the treatment environment. The results of organizational functioning are presented in a profile analysis plotting institutional means over ten functional dimensions. Individual component variables are converted into standard scores and broken down by staff sub-groups. Each institution and staff sub-group differs uniquely across the dimensions. Overall the results point to excessive staff frustration and disillusionment with the organization's functions, and a treatment environment limited in patient autonomy, socio-emotional interaction, and therapeutic content. The complementary study of first releases from these hospitals examines background and performance characteristics of a sample of patients in an effort to distinguish those who complied with aftercare referrals from those who did not, and those who were readmitted from those still in the community one year after release. Bivariate analysis of the relationship between each of the two dependent variables and the several demographic and treatment variables at each hospital reveals that the strongest differentiation of compliers from non-compliers is having been active in pre-hospital outpatient care, while the extent of use of aftercare was the strongest predictor of remaining in the community. Implications for policy and for further research in mental health service delivery are discussed.