bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overview of Road Management in Russia
Authors: Bousquet Franck , Queiroz Cesar
Published: July 2018

The current scarcity of road budgets compared with the significantly higher needs of the Russian road network requires that road administrations improve their management efficiency and effectiveness. Administration effectiveness in general and cost savings in particular are two key issues addressed. Since 1993 the Russian Federal Highway Department (FHD) has embarked on a reform program aimed at separating the functions of road authorities (owner) from those of execution of road works (contractor). What were previously road construction units are being transformed into contractors with management independent from the road authorities. FHD has launched, with the assistance of the World Bank, a large program of road rehabilitation and has opened this field of activity to new contractors working alone or in joint operation with foreign contractors. Many changes have recently occurred in the Russian road management organization. Russian road management at both the federal and regional levels is reviewed, some current problems are explored, and possible improvements are suggested. The main focus is on three aspects of road management: adequate organization of state road-sector functions, which consist of putting in place the systems and procedures for planning, budgeting, designing, and supervising road works; development of an efficient road and bridge construction industry; and establishment of an efficient competitive environment.
Challenges of Upgrading Strategic Capability in Public Sector
Authors: Nelson Barbara L. , Johns Robert C. , Benke Robert J.
Published: July 2018

Noting significant shifts in public expectations of government transportation policy, management at the Minnesota Department of Transportation concluded that its approach to internal operations and external affairs required adjustment. After thoughtful discussion of the options, management decided to import and adapt advanced management techniques from the private sector in ways that were consistent with public sector values and introduce them by means that would support healthy development of a learning organization. This innovative approach produced benefits for the organization. It also demonstrated the unique challenges public sector organizations have in upgrading strategic capability: creating a framework of outcomes that are clear and congruent; adapting strategic techniques to agree with public sector organizational values and introducing them in ways that garner public acceptance; being accountable for shaping a future according to shared public aspiration; creating systems to provide the grist for strategic analysis in forms compatible with the methodologies; creating clarity in the organization's conceptual and strategy framework so that strategic techniques achieve their promise; producing an aspiration for the future that is shared by the general public; and setting a longer-term goal that inspires commitment. A conceptual framework is offered. Analysis of the challenges—challenges anticipated and challenges apparent only in after-the-fact reflection—highlights complex issues faced by public-sector management executing a strategic upgrade.
Safety-Belt Law in Kuwait: Observed and Reported Compliance and Impacts on Road Safety
Authors: Koushki P. A. , Ali S. Yaseen , Al-Saleh O. I.
Published: July 2018

The use of safety belts became compulsory in Kuwait in January 1994 following a comprehensive media campaign. Seat-belt use increased dramatically from a 2.8 percent pre-January rate to nearly 100 percent during the first week of the law's implementation. The level of compliance, however, has declined with time because of relaxation in enforcement. A recent research project examined reported and observed seat-belt use and evaluated the impact of belt use on road safety in Kuwait. To obtain reported belt use data, a random sample of 2,000 heads of household were interviewed over a 4 month period. More than 21,000 drivers and car occupants were monitored for observed belt use at 38 locations during peak and off-peak periods as well as during the daytime and after dark. Road accident files for 1993 and 1994 were also obtained from traffic safety officials to evaluate the impact of the belt law. The actual belt use rate in Kuwait was approximately 55 percent. The rate was lowest for Kuwaiti men and highest for non-Kuwaiti women. Higher belt use rates were positively correlated with gender, age, and education levels. In spite of the growth in population, vehicle registration, and vehicle kilometers traveled, a marked reduction in severe road accidents occurred during the year that followed enactment of the seat-belt law.
Hispanic Involvement in Motor Vehicle Accidents
Authors: Sainz Sandra , Saito Mitsuru
Published: July 2018

Many traffic safety-related programs developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have helped raise the awareness of traffic safety in the United States. So far, the majority of the programs have been geared to English-speaking, average, middle-class Americans. However, because of the surge of immigrants from non-English-speaking countries and an increase in their involvement in motor vehicle accidents, the need for reaching culturally diverse groups has increased. The involvement of Hispanics, the nation's third-largest ethnic group, in motor vehicle accidents is becoming an important agenda. Nationwide, motor vehicle accidents are the third leading cause of death for Hispanics after heart disease and cancer. In spite of this trend, no comprehensive summary of traffic accidents involving Hispanics and their attitude toward traffic safety has been compiled. A study showed a lack of traffic injury and fatality data for Hispanics and a lack of uniformity in reporting such data. Deaths due to motor vehicle accidents were high among Hispanics in their most productive period. Considering the pyramid demographic pattern of Hispanics, traffic safety will be a serious issue in the Hispanic community in the near future.
Shortest Path of Emergency Vehicles under Uncertain Urban Traffic Conditions
Authors: Hadas Y. , Ceder A.
Published: July 2018

Emergency vehicle characteristics amplify the stochastic nature of transportation networks. The emergency vehicle operator who aims at reaching his destination in the fastest time possible cannot rely on “average” data alone. Each emergency event has its own implications (accident, fire, injury, security event, etc.) and must be dealt with as an individual incident. The need to deal with each event separately led, first, to the development of a stochastic shortest-path algorithm that refers to the dynamic traffic flow and then to a presentation method of the results so as to incorporate the operator's accumulated knowledge. The whole algorithm is based on a K shortest-path model incorporated with a simulation element in order to consider stochastic characteristics. The stochastic model uses a new definition, namely, the probability that a given path is the shortest. In contrast to a deterministic model, which yields a single shortest path, the stochastic model yields a set of paths, each having a different probability. This set of paths, along with relevant information for the emergency vehicle, is presented in a particular way to the operator. In addition, it was found that the arrangement of information is vital to the selection of the most promising path.
Anatomy of Steel Bridge Heat-Straightening Project
Authors: Avent R. Richard , Brakke Bruce L.
Published: July 2018

Heat-straightening repair of damaged steel girders has been conducted on a number of bridges over the years. However, little documentation is available on repair methodology and response to such repairs. Such documentation for the field repair of a bridge in Iowa is provided. The Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) decided to train its maintenance personnel to perform heat-straightening repairs. The training program consisted of 2 days of classroom and laboratory tutorial training and a field heat-straightening project. The field project was a bridge spanning I-80 near Davenport. The repair was successfully completed and demonstrated the practicality of implementing recent advances in heat-straightening research. The response of the damaged girder to the heat-straightening process was also measured and compared with theoretical models.
Analysis of Optimal Bridge Programming Policies
Authors: Vitale Jeffrey D. , Sinha Kumares C. , Woods R. E.
Published: July 2018

Many facilities on the nation's bridge network are either in need of structural repair or are of inadequate design to service a modern fleet of vehicles in a safe and efficient manner. These needs have arisen at a time when available funding for bridge capital outlays is limited. To rectify this situation, ISTEA legislation of 1991 mandated the development of bridge management systems. A primary role of these systems is to provide a systematic analysis of optimal policies in the programming of bridge rehabilitation and replacement activities. A procedure that can be used to evaluate a set of possible optimal policies using output from the Indiana Bridge Management System is presented. The types of uses for a bridge management system are emphasized.
Improvements to Airport Ground Access and Behavior of Multiple Airport System: BART Extension to San Francisco International Airport
Authors: Monteiro Ana Beatriz Figueiredo , Hansen Mark
Published: July 2018

Metropolitan regions with more than one major airport—multiple airport systems (MASs)—are important to the U.S. air transport system because of the large number of passengers they serve. Airport ground access factors strongly influence the allocation of traffic in MASs. The effects of improvements to airport ground access (by nonautomobile modes) on airport use in a MAS are analyzed. A case study of an extension of a Bay Area Rapid Transit rail link into the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is presented. Two airport choice models were developed. One is a nested logit model in which the airport choice decision occurs at the higher level and the mode choice decision at the lower level, and the other is a multinomial logit model. The results indicated that improvements to SFO ground access would modestly strengthen SFO as the dominant airport in the San Francisco Bay Area and that most of the diversion of passengers would be from Oakland Airport.
Computer Simulation Model for Airplane Landing-Performance Prediction
Authors: Kim Byung J. , Trani Antonio A. , Gu Xiaoling , Zhong Caoyuan
Published: July 2018

A simple computer simulation model that predicts airplane landing performance on runways to locate high-speed exits is presented. A Monte Carlo simulation algorithm and empirical heuristics derived from field observations were used to estimate landing-roll trajectories that can be programmed quickly in a personal computer. The modeling process demonstrates statistically the validity of treating landing-roll profiles of various airplane models individually to locate high-speed exits. The model developed can be applied to a variety of airports and airplane types and is offered as an alternative to conventional methods for locating high-speed exits as well as a complement to more rigorous optimization methods.
Bicycle Transportation in Shanghai: Status and Prospects
Authors: Xin Cai Jin
Published: July 2018

Shanghai is China's largest city and has a dense concentration of population served by limited transportation infrastructure. Traditionally, bicycles and public transportation have been the dominant modes used by residents, but recent social and economic changes have resulted in a dramatic growth in motor vehicle use and overall traffic volumes. The use of bicycles as a mode of transportation in China and in Shanghai will continue for a long time to come. However, the role of bicycles within Shanghai is changing and will continue to evolve in the future as efforts to enhance basic transportation infrastructure are undertaken and economic and social conditions improve. The complexity of transportation patterns generated by high population densities, coupled with a shortage in basic infrastructure for an urban region of its nature, size, and importance, has created increasingly serious conflicts between motorized and nonmotorized vehicles throughout central Shanghai. These conflicts decrease overall safety and the functional capability of the existing transportation system to meet rapidly increasing travel demands in the municipality. Major improvements are being implemented that will upgrade Shanghai's urban transportation system significantly. They will, however, require a substantial commitment of time and financial resources to complete. In the interim, a comprehensive traffic management effort will be followed that recognizes the importance of bicycles and supports their continued use within the municipality in an appropriate balance with public transportation and other modes consistent with actual conditions and changing demands.
Use of Scenario-Building Transportation Model for Developing Countries
Authors: Khisty C. J. , Sriraj P. S.
Published: July 2018

Scenario building is a technique used to evaluate a set of alternatives and give policy makers a quick tool for identifying which are politically viable. The transportation system hierarchy prevailing in a large metropolitan area in a developing country is examined using a scenario-building model. The model is bidimensional with two parameters: distance traveled and the value of time of persons using the transportation system. It is applied to metropolitan Madras (population 6 million) in India. Two scenarios are developed: first, using the perceived costs of various modes available in Madras, and second, using costs reflecting the changes that could arise as a result of policy changes. Results suggest that policy needs to be oriented toward promoting the use of non-motorized modes, motorized two-wheelers, and public transit instead of emulating that of developed countries. This model and its results will be useful to decision makers in examining scenarios of their choice.
Transportation Development in Indochina
Authors: Motomura Yuichiro
Published: July 2018

For the first time in history the three countries in Indochina—Cambodia, Laos, and Viet Nam—have started a massive effort to upgrade their transportation systems, particularly those linking each one to the others. Despite the fact that the great Mekong River runs through all three countries, natural barriers formed by the massive Annamite Mountains, which extend from the Himalayas, effectively divide the peninsula, preventing both the Chinese civilization from the east and the Indian civilization from the west from crossing the barrier. Such seclusion suited the region's socialist regimes well in the 1970s and 1980s. Since the 1990s, however, circumstances have induced these three countries to adopt more market-oriented and outward-looking policies, which created interest in expanding and strengthening the region's transportation network. In addition to the drawing up of plans for domestic transportation networks, frequent international conferences have been convened to seek cooperation among the Indochinese countries and from abroad. Many projects have been identified, and some are being implemented. The extreme neglect under which the transportation network has operated during the past two decades has made such efforts daunting. The task of upgrading transportation infrastructure in Indochina will be a priority for some time to come.
Road Safety Model: Some Fundamental Ideas
Authors: Navin Francis P. D. , Bergan Arthur , Zhang Guanyu
Published: July 2018

A fundamental relationship has been developed that explains road accident statistics in developed and developing countries. The model uses two variables, traffic hazard measured as deaths per vehicle and motorization measured as vehicles per person, to estimate personal hazard as deaths per person. Special cases of the model are those by Smeed, Trinca et al., and Koornstra. The model of fatalities has two extremes. Early motorization has high traffic hazard and personal safety is low and increasing. Full motorization is characterized by a moderate and falling traffic hazard and a low and decreasing personal safety. Between these extremes, there is a maximum number of fatalities per population. Models for personal injury and total road accidents in developed countries appear to follow a similar trend. Available world data fit the proposed relationships well. The models allow planners and engineers to estimate the future maximum road fatalities for developing countries. The model has been extended to incorporate an automobile ownership model that explains some of the growth in motorization. A traffic hazard model is also outlined, in part on the basis of the ideas developed by Koornstra. The extended models should allow a more detailed analysis of some of the social and engineering factors that contribute to road safety.
Measuring and Estimating Congestion Using Travel Time–Based Procedures
Authors: Turner Shawn M. , Lomax Timothy J. , Levinson Herbert S.
Published: July 2018

Procedures are presented for measuring and estimating roadway congestion levels. An assessment of users, uses, and audiences indicates a need for congestion measures that are understood by nontechnical audiences, yet are rigorous enough for technical analyses. Travel time–based measurements are deemed most useful for this wide range of needs. Data collected for an NCHRP project were used to identify the number of travel time observations and roadway segments required for reliable estimates of congestion through direct data collection. The data and previous congestion studies were used to develop surrogate procedures that can estimate congestion statistics with readily available traffic count and roadway inventory data. The surrogate estimation procedures were developed to assist agencies when direct data collection is not practical or feasible. Both of these processes—direct measurement and estimation of travel time–related quantities—are important for quantifying congestion.
Evaluation of Speed Measurement and Prediction Techniques for Signalized Arterials
Authors: Dowling Richard G. , Cheng Willis W. K.
Published: July 2018

The ability to accurately measure and predict the average speed of traffic for different facilities and conditions has become increasingly important with the implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency's Transportation Conformity Rule. Average speed is a vital input into motor vehicle emission rate models. Three speed measurement techniques (floating cars, loop detectors, and aerial photographs) and two average travel speed prediction techniques (the Highway Capacity Manual method for arterials and TRANSYT-7F for signalized arterials) are evaluated. These techniques are compared and evaluated against 4 hr of field data gathered for an 8-mi (13-km) section of Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. The mean speeds measured by floating cars and aerial photographs were in close agreement (within 6 percent of each other). Loop detectors generally produced mean speeds 22 percent higher than the floating car measurements, even after correcting for the differences between the space mean speeds measured by floating cars and the time mean speeds measured by the loops. TRANSYT-7F was able to predict the average travel speeds on the arterial within 3 percent of the floating car measurements and 5 percent of the aerial photograph measurements. The Highway Capacity Manual estimates were uniformly 18 percent lower than the measured floating car speeds. A correction to the method improved the estimates but tended to slightly over-compensate. The adjusted estimated speeds were 9 percent higher than the floating car speeds.
Estimating the Effect of Operational Improvements in the Houston Area
Authors: Schrank David L. , Lomax Timothy J.
Published: July 2018

Measuring the effects of transportation system improvements has long been a challenge. Two estimates—the congestion index method and the travel delay method—are used to produce a range of possible benefits resulting from the implementation of transportation projects and programs. The congestion index method uses the roadway congestion index (RCI), and its relationship with congestion cost per capita, to estimate the benefit derived from operational improvements. The RCI provides an areawide assessment of congestion based on freeway and principal arterial street system daily vehicle kilometers of travel per lane kilometer data. The travel delay method calculates congestion cost by associating the value of time, cost of fuel, and cost of operating commercial vehicles with travel delay estimates. These two methods are used to estimate the effects of three types of transportation system improvement projects/programs—freeway traffic management system, high-occupancy vehicle lanes, and regional computerized traffic signal system— implemented on the freeway and principal arterial street system in Houston, Texas. Although only three operational projects/programs are discussed, it is possible to effectively evaluate the implementation of many other improvements using this methodology.
Optimization Model for Parking in the Campus Environment
Authors: Brown-West Orikaye G.
Published: July 2018

Parking has long been recognized as a major land use problem in campus planning. Anyone who drives an automobile appreciates the difficulties of finding a parking space in areas of intense academic, administrative, student residential, and recreational activities. This shortage of parking spaces near activity centers has worsened as automobile ownership and registration on campus have increased. The problem is more pronounced and the solution more critical on large urban campuses located in or at the periphery of the central business district. An approach to solving the chronic and prevalent parking problem in the campus environment is addressed. An institution-based and evaluative model is introduced as a tool to determine how best to use existing land in the competitive and oftentimes policy-driven university campus environment. Practical solutions that will assist in the proper planning and design of campus parking spaces and facilities are also developed. The optimization model design takes into account the major operational and site characteristics, as well as parameters that traffic engineers and planners consider conducive to optimal parking. The model will help traffic engineers, campus planners, and university administrators maximize land on the university campus. It will also answer the question of what principles should be adopted in the proper planning of facilities for the vehicle at rest within the context of a diminishing campus environment in general and inadequate funding for facilities renewal and maintenance in particular.
Prospects for Progressing Research through Partnership: Comment on Trends in the United Kingdom and the Technology Foresight Program
Authors: Kirby Howard R.
Published: July 2018

The mechanisms that have been developed in recent years in the United Kingdom to encourage partnerships in research among government, industry, and the research community in universities and elsewhere are reviewed. The influence of the 1993 White Paper on Science, Engineering, and Technology, the development of the recent technology foresight exercise, and the processes and outcomes of that exercise are reviewed. The implications for the transport sector and the treatment of issues generic to several sectors are summarized. Some anomalies are noted in the development of the partnership theme, and questions are raised as to whether and how the cultural change desired by government is to be progressed further.
Method for the quasi-static analysis of beam axle suspension systems used for road vehicles
Authors: Alexandru Cătălin
Published: July 2018

This paper addresses an analytical method for determining the static equilibrium position of beam axle suspension systems used of motor vehicles. This method is applicable to most types of suspension systems and is based on the definition of the spatial positioning of the guiding mechanism as a result of the forces and torques acting in the suspension system. The static model is defined in analytical form, in terms of virtual work, considering the system of applied forces and reactions in the elastic suspension elements (springs, bumpers, anti-roll bar and bushings), whose deformations are determined by the spatial positioning of the guiding mechanism. The proposed method is based on an iterative algorithm by which, for a given set of contact forces on wheels, the equilibrium position is identified by scanning the entire vertical motion domain of the wheels and selecting the configuration that ensures minimal static function. The results obtained by the algorithmization of the method and computer programming allow an accurate assessment of the static behaviour of a beam axle suspension system (in terms of equilibrium configuration and reaction forces) in various regimes, without the need for costly experimental testing.
Copas-like selection model to correct publication bias in systematic review of diagnostic test studies
Authors: Piao Jin , Liu Yulun , Chen Yong , Ning Jing
Published: July 2018

The accuracy of a diagnostic test, which is often quantified by a pair of measures such as sensitivity and specificity, is critical for medical decision making. Separate studies of an investigational diagnostic test can be combined through meta-analysis; however, such an analysis can be threatened by publication bias. To the best of our knowledge, there is no existing method that accounts for publication bias in the meta-analysis of diagnostic tests involving bivariate outcomes. In this paper, we extend the Copas selection model from univariate outcomes to bivariate outcomes for the correction of publication bias when the probability of a study being published can depend on its sensitivity, specificity, and the associated standard errors. We develop an expectation-maximization algorithm for the maximum likelihood estimation under the proposed selection model. We investigate the finite sample performance of the proposed method through simulation studies and illustrate the method by assessing a meta-analysis of 17 published studies of a rapid diagnostic test for influenza.
Universality Reconsidered: Diversity in Making Meaning of Facial Expressions
Authors: Gendron Maria , Crivelli Carlos , Barrett Lisa Feldman
Published: July 2018

It has long been claimed that certain facial movements are universally perceived as emotional expressions. The critical tests of this universality thesis were conducted between 1969 and 1975 in small-scale societies in the Pacific using confirmation-based research methods. New studies conducted since 2008 have examined a wider sample of small-scale societies, including on the African and South American continents. They used more discovery-based research methods, providing an important opportunity for reevaluating the universality thesis. These new studies reveal diversity, rather than uniformity, in how perceivers make sense of facial movements, calling the universality thesis into doubt. Instead, they support a perceiver-constructed account of emotion perception that is consistent with the broader literature on perception.
Closed Tea Estates: A Case Study of the Dooars Region of West Bengal, India
Authors: Roy Nirmal Chandra , Biswas Debasish
Published: July 2018

Since the end of the nineteenth century, it has been found that there has been a steady trend of the closure of tea estates in the sub-Himalayan region of Bengal. Besides that, a number of tea estates in the same region have not been operating properly. All these have made workers vulnerable. But this tea-producing region is monadic, and it produced during 2016–2017 358.53 million kg of tea; whereas the total production of India was 1,250.49 million kg. Evidence shows that 16 tea estates of the Duncan Group alone had been virtually closed in 2015 in the Dooars region. As a consequence, nearly 20,000 workers became jobless and subsequently several workers of the closed tea estates died of starvation and malnutrition. Further, some records have mentioned that from 2000 to 2015, 1,400 people had died in 17 closed tea estates in West Bengal. A lion’s portion of deaths has occurred in the Dooars region.

In this case, an attempt has been made to unveil the root causes of the closure of tea estates located in the Dooars region in West Bengal.
Initial Impact of Plant Closings on Automobile Workers and Their Families
Authors: Hoffman William S. , Carpentier-Alting Patricia , Thomas Duane , Hamilton V. Lee , Broman Clifford L.
Published: July 2018

Unemployment caused fry plant closings continues to have a severe impact on automobile workers and their families. Specific findings from the first-year survey data of a longitudinal research project investigating this problem are discussed.
Family Structure and Stressors in a Child Guidance Clinic Population
Authors: Vosler Nancy R. , Proctor Enola K.
Published: July 2018

Differences and similarities in family and child functioning by family structure were studied in a child guidance clinic population. Single-parent families showed more social–environmental stress, and remarried families showed the highest number of within-family problems. Two-parent biological families reported the fewest problems and stressors. Although some similarities among families were found, the differences shown have important implications for practice.
Adults with Undiagnosed Learning Disabilities: Practice Considerations
Authors: Kaplan Carol P. , Shachter Emily
Published: July 2018

For various reasons, many persons reach adulthood with undiagnosed learning disabilities and/or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Virtually no research has dealt with adults with undiagnosed homing disabilities, whose problem often goes unrecognized by therapists. Yet such disabilities may represent a core issue in treatment, even when patients present with other difficulties. The authors offer some initial thoughts on this important problem, along with two clinical vignettes.
The Affordability of Child Care for the Working Poor
Authors: Marshall Nancy L. , Marx Fern
Published: July 2018

Using data from a random sample of 750 families with young children, the authors examine the need for affordable child care for the working poor and for moderate-income families. Options for addressing this problem are discussed.
Relational Contexts and Information Management among Gay Men
Authors: Cain Roy
Published: July 2018

Deciding whether to tell others about their sexual orientation is an important feature of gays' social interactions. Thirty-eight gay men were interviewed to see how they manage this personal information across four types of relationships: parental relationships, sibling relationships, friendships, and relationships with acquaintances and more distant others. Findings are discussed in light of current models of gay identity development. The implications of the study for our understanding of the social relationships of gays and nongays and for clinical practice with gay men are addressed.
The Black Elderly and Community-Based Social Services
Authors: Spence Susie A.
Published: July 2018

The author explores service awareness, service use, and reasons for nonuse of six community-based social services among a sample of older black persons living in Florida. Results indicated that service awareness and use were extremely low. Reasons for nonuse of services included a lack of need, dissatisfaction with services, uncertainty about eligibility requirements, and health problems. The author concludes that more effective means of disseminating information on services and consideration of appropriateness of services are needed.
A Service Program for Safe-Home Children
Authors: Gibson John W. , Gutierrez Lorraine
Published: July 2018

The authors describe an innovative program that provides services to women who have been battered and to their children. The program serves women and children in community-based safe homes for up to three months. Data are drawn from 49 families, including 81 children. The violence experienced by the families and the children's observation of and reaction to violence are described.
Studying Sensitive Family Issues: Problems and Possibilities for Practitioners
Authors: Kilpatrick Allie C. , Lockhart Lettie L.
Published: July 2018

Accompanying the current emphasis on dealing with the social concerns of child sexual abuse and spouse abuse is a heightened sensitivity to family issues. However, specific problem areas must be addressed when studying and evaluating such issues. The authors propose a researcher–practitioner model and identify five problem areas. Ways to deal with each problem area are discussed.
Social Work Challenges: The Boundaries of Ethics
Authors: Rhodes Margaret L.
Published: July 2018

The author discusses the boundaries we draw around ethics in social work and how we distinguish ethical from nonethical concerns. The author purports that sometimes we restrict our ethical vision by drawing ethical boundaries around our understanding of clients, our relationships with colleagues, and political issues.
The Fee-for-Service Schedule: A New Formula
Authors: Wernet Stephen P. , Hulseman Frances Spann , Merkel Lisa A. , McMahon Anthony , Clevenger Diana , Coletta Ann , heeds Virginia
Published: July 2018

The authors report on the development of theoretical rationales for calculating fees for service. Three formulas are presented as possible models for adoption by social service organizations. Each formula highlights the need to balance the competing demands of client equity, agency mission, and financial necessity.
Treatment Issues for Divorcing Women
Authors: Haffey Martha , Cohen Phyllis Malkin
Published: July 2018

The authors introduce a gender-focused perspective on divorce. They note that men and women are treated unequally in marital separation; identify and point out how three normative, gender-specific developmental patterns place women in vulnerable positions during marital breakup; and present treatment interventions that are growth producing and mobilizing to women during marital crisis.
Case Management in Alcohol and Drug Treatment: Improving Client Outcomes
Authors: Sullivan William Patrick , Wolk James L. , Hartmann David J.
Published: July 2018

Empirical research indicates that posttreatment factors, including employment, residential stability, and social and family support, influence the resiliency of treatment outcomes. The degree to which current treatment methods affect such outcomes is the subject of much research and debate. The authors argue that case management should be considered complementary to traditional treatment services. By focusing directly on community functioning and social rehabilitation, case management can positively affect factors associated with relapse and alcohol-related problems. A strengths-based, outreach model of case management is described.
Parental Perceptions of the Authority of Public Child Welfare Caseworkers
Authors: Diorio William D.
Published: July 2018

Few efforts have been made to understand the experiences of “involuntary clients” who become involved in child protective services. Qualitative research interviews were conducted with 13 parents receiving mandated protective services from a public child welfare agency. Parental perceptions of the authority and “power” of child welfare caseworkers and the agency are documented. Caseworkers must realize the consequences of any use or abuse of their authority, respect parental rights, and not undervalue or disregard legitimate client dissent if families are to be fairly treated and children effectively protected when left in, or returned to, their own homes.
Mediation of Children's Televiewing
Authors: Weaver Barry , Barbour Nancy
Published: July 2018

The authors review the literature on televiewing mediation from a family-systems perspective. Three types of mediation—restrictive, evaluative, and unfocused—are defined. Four prominent factors influencing mediation are identified and discussed: family structure variables, parent variables, child variables, and television accessibility. Factors that influence televiewing mediation are discussed. The question “Should parents mediate?” is addressed and two courses of action for mediation are presented.
Improving Service Delivery to High-Risk Families: Home-based Practice
Authors: Hodges Vanessa G. , Blythe Betty J.
Published: July 2018

Practitioners constantly seek innovative ways to improve service delivery to high-risk children and families who are isolated and unlikely to seek help at an agency. Home-based practice is rapidly becoming an alternative to practice in office settings. The authors describe the enhanced assessment and intervention opportunities afforded through home-based practice. Intervention and personal management skills needed to conduct effective home-based practice are described and illustrated.
Promoting Adaptive Development in Caregiver–Infant Dyads
Authors: Trad Paul V.
Published: July 2018

Therapeutic interventions with caregiver–infant dyads should seek to prevent the psychopathology associated with developmental events and promote the adaptive development of both members of the dyad. Although it is nearly impossible to remove the stress that accompanies developmental change, this stress may be used in the service of adaptive interpersonal exchange. As a preventive strategy, the promotion of developmental skills offers the possibility of inducing long-term change in the dyad's relationship. One developmental technique, previewing, addresses the needs of both caregiver and infant. Previewing refers to the interpersonal process by which the caregiver rehearses imminent developmental changes with the infant in order to facilitate mastery and competence. Professionals can incorporate previewing techniques into programs for promoting rapport in caregiver–infant dyads, thereby diminishing the potential for psychopathological outcomes.
Adultcentrism in Practice with Children
Authors: Petr Christopher G.
Published: July 2018

Adultcentrism is the tendency of adults to view children and their problems from a biased, adult perspective, thus creating barriers to effective practice with children. The author (1) examines the roots of social work's adultcentrism in history and developmental theory, (2) discusses how adultcentrism influences practice, and (3) considers ways in which practitioners can combat adultcentrism in practice.
Organizational Supports to Sustain Intensive Family Preservation Programs
Authors: Blythe Betty J. , Tracy Elizabeth M. , Kotovsky Avis , Gwatkin Selma
Published: July 2018

In response to increased funding for programs to avoid unnecessary out-of-home placements, family preservation programs are being implemented by private and public agencies. The authors identify the organizational supports that are required to sustain family preservation programs over time. These supports include ongoing training, a broad view of supervisory responsibilities, and careful attention to maintaining relationships with referring and other agencies. Future issues facing family preservation programs also are discussed.
Linking Task-Centered Intervention with Employee Assistance Programs
Authors: Ramakrishnan Kollengode R. , Balgopal Pallassana R.
Published: July 2018

Employee assistance programs (EAPs) in the American workplace are increasingly broad brush in nature. They are designed to identify and assist employees and their families, improve employee–employer relationships, develop effective supervision, and create a positive corporate culture. The task-centered model is a time-limited, goal-oriented method designed to help individuals, groups, and families with life problems. The model has been empirically tested for its value in a wide range of settings. Case examples illustrate the linkage between the task-centered model and EAPs.
Entrepreneurial Personality Traits and Clinical Social Work Practitioners
Authors: Seiz Robert C. , Schwab A. James
Published: July 2018

Six hundred forty-two of 1, 218 randomly sampled social workers certified in Texas as advanced clinical practitioners responded to a mailed questionnaire as part of a study of entrepreneurial personality traits, value systems, and choice of a practice setting. An ecological model for practice-setting choice is outlined. Three groups of practitioners—agency practitioners, combination practitioners, and those in private practice only—are compared on their scores on a 46-item, Likert-scaled personality inventory. One-way ANOVA and Tukey-B post-hoc tests yielded significant one-way differences between the private practitioner group compared with the agency practitioner group on three of the four entrepreneurial personality characteristics studied. Scores on locus of control/need for achievement were not significantly different. Ramifications for agencies and the profession are discussed and policy recommendations are advanced.
The Paternal Presence
Authors: Pruett Kyle D.
Published: July 2018

Although fathers cannot imitate a mother's nurturing care of her children, fathers have an essential nurturing function that is distinctly their own. This article discusses this distinct role fathers play in the life of their children and the impact that role has on the father, his children, and the family as a whole. Men and their children can affect each other as profoundly as any relationship they may ever have.
Racial Group Responses to Work and Parent Care
Authors: Lechner Viola M.
Published: July 2018

Utilizing stress theories, the author compared the experiences of 113 black and white employees who worked full time and cared for frail parents. Findings revealed that both racial groups had similar caregiving demands and similar levels of personal, social, work, mental, and physical strain. Their sources of environmental support varied. Black employed caregivers felt closer to their parents, whereas white employed caregivers received more assistance in the workplace. The parents of the black caregivers received more formal services. Black caregivers had less disposable income and were less likely to be married. Within-group comparisons indicated that work interferences (late arrivals, early departures, unscheduled days off, and excessive personal telephoning) significantly predicted more fragile mental health for whites and more fragile physical health for blacks. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Late-Life Marriages, Older Stepfamilies, and Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Kuhn Daniel R. , Morhardt Darby J. , Monbrod-Framburg Geraldine
Published: July 2018

Little attention has been focused on remarriage among older persons and on the effects of chronic illness on late-life marriages and kinship relations. The authors examine the developmental tasks of older stepfamilies and the impact of a dementing illness on family members. Case examples are provided and recommendations offered to enable older stepfamilies to cope with anticipated problems.
Community Response to Child Sexual Abuse in Day-Care Settings
Authors: Bybee Deborah , Mowbray Carol T.
Published: July 2018

Models of public response to child sexual abuse have been designed to handle “ordinary” abuse cases, that is, intrafamilial cases with one perpetrator and one victim. These models break down when day-care abuse occurs. In such instances, the scale is larger, the details less predictable, and the context more volatile and more public. The authors review the aspects of day-care-center abuse that complicate public response, based on the results of a national survey. Findings from an intensive case study of a multivictim day-care sexual-abuse case in a small Midwestern community are presented. Analyses suggest ways to improve public response in future cases.
Parent–Adolescent Communication about Premarital Pregnancy
Authors: Jaccard James , Dittus Patricia
Published: July 2018

The literature on parent–adolescent communication about premarital sex and pregnancy is reviewed. Current theoretical frameworks and research methodologies are evaluated, and issues that need to be addressed are discussed. Such issues include the need to develop better measures and theories of the communication process between parents and teenagers and the need to study the problem from the perspective of parents as well as teens.
Case Management: A Systems Perspective
Authors: Austin Carol D.
Published: July 2018

Case management is used within a broad range of human services programs. The author examines case-management practice from a systems perspective, exploring interorganizational issues and case managers' fiscal authority. Case managers' potential to produce systems change has been underdeveloped because most case managers cannot influence the distribution, type, and supply of resources within their local delivery systems. Strategies designed to enhance case managers' system-level effectiveness are discussed. Program examples in mental health, community-based long-term care, and health care are analyzed.
Profile and Strategies of Women who Have Ended Abuse
Authors: Horton Anne L. , Johnson Barry L.
Published: July 2018

In this study of survivors who have successfully ended abuse by a spouse, the authors present a profile of survivors' personal and abuse histories, describe strategies used to end abuse, and report satisfaction with clinicians. Clinical application emphasized that (1) under certain conditions, abuse can end and relationships can be sustained; (2) abusers must be proactive for relationships to survive; and (3) abusive partners need to receive treatment early.
Hispanic Families in Poverty: Diversity, Context, and Interpretation
Authors: Aponte Robert
Published: July 2018

The author presents an overview of the settlement patterns of the major Hispanic groups in poverty as well as selected indicators of their poverty-related problems. Key competing explanations for these poverty-related problems are examined and policy directions are offered.
Family Preservation, Poverty, and the Value of Diversity
Authors: Ronnau John P. , Marlow Christine R.
Published: July 2018

The role of family preservation services in preventing out-of-home placement of children is a hot topic in the social service arena. Family preservation has much to offer as an organizing framework for practice in that one of its core values is to emphasize strengths and diversity. The authors define family preservation and describe its application to at-risk families in poverty.
Family Preservation and Poor Families: When “Homebuilding” is not Enough
Authors: Dore Martha Morrison
Published: July 2018

Various studies suggest that family preservation intervention is less effective with maltreating families characterized by extreme poverty, single-parent status, low educational attainment, and mental health problems. Using a stress-and-coping model, the author explores the interactive effects of these factors in contributing to child maltreatment. Current research findings on the direct and indirect effects of poverty on parenting are cited. Ways of enhancing family preservation programs effectively to address the needs of poor, maltreating families are identified.
Adolescent Parenting: A Positive, Intergenerational Approach
Authors: Dellmann-Jenkins Mary , Sattler Susan Hagey , Richardson Rhonda A.
Published: July 2018

The authors studied adolescent parents' confidence in various parenting situations, support systems, and areas of assistance that would enhance their competence in handling the daily stresses of parenthood. Mothers of adolescent parents were also asked to share their views regarding these issues. Although the majority of adolescent parents reported feeling confident in their parenting roles, all were receptive to formal and informal assistance, including help with decision making, obtaining employment, budgeting, and emotional support from friends and family. Mothers of adolescent parents reported that they were confident in their child's parenting abilities but believed that further assistance would enhance their child's competence as a parent. The implications of these intergenerational findings are discussed.