The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1946-02-13


there has been-no Community CHEST
or Council OF social Agencies until
recent years, each agency has had .
tendency 10 develop more or lass as
q separate entity.
zach also was concerned With
maintaining itself financially, as
wen as developing It's own program.
ShaHang on q COMMUNICATIVE basis
came about with the advent Of the
Community Chest and Council. Easy
referral from one agency to another
and cooperative services have not
been the pattern. Recently this sit
uatioa has been improving but the
channels OF referral and agency re-
lationshlpS are not yet clear"
Need Agencies Mere
The community, which IL made ND
OF Industry, labor, churches, schools,
welfare agencies, individuals, needs
to use agencies more, the survey
pointed out. There are too few calls
for assistance from the churches.
from industry, the schools and from
one social agency 10 another, It was
added.
social agencies themselves seem
reluctant 10 use one another because
they themselves have not clarified
their own policies. There appears to
be lack OF clear definition OF fune-
ton.
IN very few Of the records read
was there recorded any clear and
concise statement Of the content OF
an inter-agency conference on a
case. For example. IN one case in.
volvlng treatment OF a child by a
childrens service and the treatment
OF the mother by family agency,
there was no statement OF the role
OF each. Unless this Is done careful-
". there is likely 10 be confusion and
usually It Is the client who suffers Is
q result"
Development OF q case work pro-
gram has been delayed in Waterbury
because Lincoln House, a private
non-sectarian family agency, MAIN
tained an extensive relief program
until ie4l. the survey revealed.
The agency has had difficulty in
changing the community attitude
from one OF thinking OF its work as
being chiefly relief. The agency does
still give relief. but Il is trying e
build a program focused on family
and personal adjustment and reha-
Utilization" the survey commented.
Serious Handicap
A serious handicap in the growth
OF this program has been the sloz
professional development Of the pub.
lie services, the survey experts as.
serted.
The agencies have kept families
which are eligible for public relieI
because 1t has been felt that the
public agency plan Of commissary
relief would be harmful TO the social
adjustment OF the family. In some
instances 1t would have been a ply
steal hardship for an individual "a
go to the commissaTy. Consequently
the private agencies have carried re-
lief cases which should have been q
public agency responsibility"
some rehef cases. it vas alxo
pointed out, need supportive case
work which a professional public
welfare staff glould give. While s,lcl,
families may never be completely
adequate. they can with the guidance
OF skilled case workers carry on
within the community In a socially
acceptable way, but without such
assistance they may break down Al
times, the report added.
These are longtime cases. re.
quently involving relief. and should
be the responsibility Of a public
agency, according 10 the survey
Development OF q treatment pro-
gram has been delayed and ham.
pered by this emphasis upon relief
within private agencies and also
by wartime personnel shortages
1t was reported.
Types Of Gases
Among records at the Mental
Hygiene clinic, the survey staff
found problems which were case
work rather than psychiatric. The
problems were not so deep-seatec
as TO require the highly -slxillec
and expensive clinic TO keep these
cases rather than to refer them
to q family agency. Services could
reach many more people IL closer
relationship were established OF
q referral and consultative basis
between the clinic and family
agencies. according to the finding
The survey emphasized the lack
Of a clearly defined program o'
child welfare services except ii
the Diocesan Bureau which carries
on its own services
Services Of the New Haven Chill.
drenis Center. which provides case.
work study and treatment, place
ment and adoption, are extremely
limited in number In Waterbury
the survey disclosed.
In family cases, little attention
is paid 70 children before thes
get 10 be problems snd after :
child is placed there Is too LITTLE
work done with the family In an.
ticipation OF the child's return. &C.
eording to the survey. Childreni