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Support Services (support + services)
Kinds of Support Services Selected AbstractsProvision of information for cancer patients: an appraisal and reviewEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 3 2005C. SMITH ba, mba This article is based on an appraisal of Cancer Information and Support Services in Britain supported by the UK-based charity Macmillan Cancer Relief. Commissioned in 2002, the appraisal formed part of a wider review aimed at extending knowledge about Cancer Information and Support Services. It was also designed to ensure that the Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service Model continues to reflect the needs of people whose lives are affected by cancer. The individual services reviewed for the appraisal vary widely in terms of resources, staffing and organizational structure, but many common themes emerge. The importance of outreach and networking are highlighted, along with the problem of isolation. Many post-holders saw a need to include a hospital base, while the role played by volunteers is widely acknowledged. A key aim of the review was to start to identify the factors that contribute to the success of a service, and a number of these emerge from the study. The creation of a culture that enables such a service to thrive appears to be as important as securing financial and other resources. The contribution made by Macmillan is explored, and ways in which the organization can support the dissemination of knowledge are put forward. [source] A model for facilitating curriculum development in higher education: A faculty-driven, data-informed, and educational developer,supported approachNEW DIRECTIONS FOR TEACHING & LEARNING, Issue 112 2007Peter Wolf This chapter explores the processes that have been developed and refined by educational developers in Teaching Support Services at the University of Guelph to support faculty-driven curriculum assessment and development initiatives. [source] The Mental Health of Expatriate and Kosovar Albanian Humanitarian Aid WorkersDISASTERS, Issue 2 2005Barbara Lopes Cardozo The mental health consequences of exposure to traumatic events and the risk factors for psychological morbidity among expatriate and Kosovar Albanian humanitarian aid workers have not been well studied. In June 2000, we used standardised screening tools to survey 285 (69.5%) of 410 expatriate aid workers and 325 (75.8%) of 429 Kosovar Albanian aid workers from 22 humanitarian organizations that were implementing health programmes in Kosovo. The mean number of trauma events experienced by expatriates was 2.8 (standard deviation: 2.7) and by Kosovar staff 3.2 (standard deviation: 2.8). Although only 1.1% of expatriate and 6.2% of Kosovar aid workers reported symptoms consistent with the diagnosis for post-traumatic stress disorder, 17.2% and 16.9%, respectively, reported symptoms satisfying the definition of depression. Regression analysis demonstrated that the number of trauma events experienced was significantly associated with depression for the two sets of workers. Organisational support services may be an important mediating factor and should be targeted at both groups. [source] The academic environment: the students' perspectiveEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 2008K. Divaris (nci) Abstract Dental education is regarded as a complex, demanding and often stressful pedagogical procedure. Undergraduates, while enrolled in programmes of 4,6 years duration, are required to attain a unique and diverse collection of competences. Despite the major differences in educational systems, philosophies, methods and resources available worldwide, dental students' views regarding their education appear to be relatively convergent. This paper summarizes dental students' standpoint of their studies, showcases their experiences in different educational settings and discusses the characteristics of a positive academic environment. It is a consensus opinion that the ,students' perspective' should be taken into consideration in all discussions and decisions regarding dental education. Moreover, it is suggested that the set of recommendations proposed can improve students' quality of life and well-being, enhance their total educational experience and positively influence their future careers as oral health physicians. The ,ideal' academic environment may be defined as one that best prepares students for their future professional life and contributes towards their personal development, psychosomatic and social well-being. A number of diverse factors significantly influence the way students perceive and experience their education. These range from ,class size', ,leisure time' and ,assessment procedures' to ,relations with peers and faculty', ,ethical climate' and ,extra-curricular opportunities'. Research has revealed that stress symptoms, including psychological and psychosomatic manifestations, are prevalent among dental students. Apparently some stressors are inherent in dental studies. Nevertheless, suggested strategies and preventive interventions can reduce or eliminate many sources of stress and appropriate support services should be readily available. A key point for the Working Group has been the discrimination between ,teaching' and ,learning'. It is suggested that the educational content should be made available to students through a variety of methods, because individual learning styles and preferences vary considerably. Regardless of the educational philosophy adopted, students should be placed at the centre of the process. Moreover, it is critical that they are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning. Other improvements suggested include increased formative assessment and self-assessment opportunities, reflective portfolios, collaborative learning, familiarization with and increased implementation of information and communication technology applications, early clinical exposure, greater emphasis on qualitative criteria in clinical education, community placements, and other extracurricular experiences such as international exchanges and awareness of minority and global health issues. The establishment of a global network in dental education is firmly supported but to be effective it will need active student representation and involvement. [source] Relationship Quality and Changes in Depressive Symptoms Among Urban, Married African Americans, Hispanics, and WhitesFAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 3 2009Jay Fagan Bivariate analyses showed that continuously married urban African American, non-Hispanic White, and Hispanic fathers and mothers reporting greater marital support and less relational control experienced a decrease in depressive symptoms. Multiple regression showed a stronger association between concurrent marital support and decreased depressive symptoms for mothers than fathers. African American and Hispanic fathers reporting higher levels of spousal relationship support when children were infants reported a larger decrease in depressive symptoms when children were age 3 compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Relationship control at age 3 was positively related to increased depressive symptoms among all groups except African American fathers and White mothers. African American and Hispanic fathers with marital problems may need additional support services. [source] From retirement village to residential aged care: what older people and their families sayHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 1 2007Julianne Cheek PhD BEd DipT Abstract The majority of older Australians, some of whom live in retirement villages, wish to remain living in their own home, receiving care in the community when their health and/or other circumstances change. Current statistics show that 3.7% of people aged 65 years and over live in a retirement village in Australia. However, residential aged care will still be required for some highly dependent members of the older population. This qualitative Australian study examined the transition into residential care from one form of community housing, the retirement village. In-depth interviews with 33 older people and 48 family members were conducted to illuminate the key issues and factors which influence the move of older people from retirement villages to residential aged care. Analysis of the data revealed the move to be influenced by: health-related crises; the creation of doubt as to ability to cope in the retirement village; the need for more or different care or support services; the desire for independence; assumptions about being able to move into the residential aged care facility co-located with the retirement village; availability of a place; navigating the system; and desirable aspects of a residential aged care facility. The findings of the study provide a description of the transition process from the perspectives of those directly affected, and contribute to the development of best practice in the provision of support to residents living in retirement villages and the community in general. [source] Accessibility and equity of health and social care services: exploring the views and experiences of Bangladeshi carers in South Wales, UKHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 3 2006HV Tut Cert, Joy Merrell BSc (Hons) Abstract There is a paucity of information regarding the extent and nature of caring provided by minority ethnic communities. The proportion of older people from these communities will dramatically increase in the next 20 years, which will be accompanied by increasing health and social care needs and an increased demand for carers. A qualitative, exploratory study was conducted to identify the health and social care needs of informal carers, who were caring for a dependent adult from a Bangladeshi community in South Wales, UK. This paper focuses on Bangladeshi carers' access to formal support services provided by the statutory, private and voluntary sectors to assist them with their caring responsibilities. The findings are based on data collected using face-to-face, focused interviews with 20 Bangladeshi carers. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit the sample. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The dimensions of accessibility and equity of quality of care were drawn upon to aid understanding of the findings. Bangladeshi carers faced a number of barriers in accessing health and social service provision, which impeded uptake of these services. Additionally, there was evidence of inequity in service provision. Recommendations for improving the accessibility of health and social care services are proposed, which may assist in promoting more equitable services for carers from the Bangladeshi community. [source] Role of volume outcome data in assuring quality in HPB surgeryHPB, Issue 5 2007BERNARD LANGER Abstract Many studies have shown an association between both surgeon and hospital operative procedure volumes and outcomes, particularly operative mortality. It is also recognized that volume is only one of a number of factors, including 1) surgeon training and experience, and 2) hospital resources, organization, and processes of care, which can also influence outcomes. The Surgical Oncology Program at Cancer Care Ontario has included hospital volumes in a set of standards for the conduct of major pancreatic cancer surgery, along with recommendations for surgeon training and hospital resources, organization, support services, and processes of care to encourage regionalization of major HPB surgery. Cooperation with these recommendations was encouraged by the public reporting of mortality data and by an educational program directed at both surgeons and senior administrators in Ontario hospitals with the support of the provincial health ministry. The provincial mortality rate from major pancreatic cancer surgery has decreased by more than 50% since the introduction of this program. [source] Pathways to prevention: A training and technical assistance initiative to increase program capacity to address infant mental health issues in Early Head StartINFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 2 2007Tammy L. Mann This article provides an overview of a training and consultation program aimed at enhancing the capacity of Early Head Start (EHS) and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs to address infant mental health issues from a promotion, prevention, and treatment perspective. This program was implemented by the Early Head Start National Resource Center (EHS NRC), operated by ZERO TO THREE. The EHS NRC is funded by the Head Start Bureau to provide a diverse array of training and technical assistance support services to Early Head Start programs throughout the country. In the fall of 2001, ZERO TO THREE was funded to design and implement the Pathways Initiative. While ZERO TO THREE was not funded to test the efficacy of the Pathways Initiative as a research intervention similar to other papers described in this special issue, we worked creatively to identify resources that allowed us to engage an external evaluator to look at both process and outcome measures. This paper describes the consultation program, evaluation activities, and key lessons learned. [source] The role of training and technical assistance in supporting the delivery of high quality services in Early Head StartINFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 1-2 2002Tammy L. Mann Training and technical assistance services have been an integral part of the fabric of support that Early Head Start (EHS) programs have utilized as they have worked to implement quality programs. In the same way that EHS has continued to evolve with increased program expansion, so too have the training and technical assistance support services. This article examines that nature of the early system of support and notes challenges that EHS programs faced during their first year of funding and the impact of these challenges on training and technical assistance support. The present day system is composed of a network of national and regional providers and federal staff working in partnership to support EHS programs. The nature of this network is described and recommendations for future areas of emphasis for training and technical assistance support are offered. ©2002 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health. [source] Utilization of parenting groups and consultation services as parenting support services by Japanese mothers of 18 month old childrenJAPAN JOURNAL OF NURSING SCIENCE, Issue 2 2008Azusa ARIMOTO Abstract Aim:, To clarify the factors related to the utilization of parenting groups and consultation services by mothers with children aged 18 months. Methods:, This was a cross-sectional study using a self-report questionnaire survey at health examinations in five health centers of an urban city in Tokyo, Japan, from July to September 2003. The final study population was comprised of the 371 mothers who provided information on both demographics and the utilization of services. Results:, Of these 371 mothers, 166 participated in parenting groups since the birth of their 18 month old child. Logistic regression analyses indicated the following factors related to such participation: past experience in the use of services provided by the local government, trust in the specific group, and worries about their children. Participation in the parenting groups was not related to child-rearing anxiety or mental health status. The participants indicated that the groups provided friends and child-rearing information and alleviated stress. Worries about children and past experience in the use of public services would enhance the utilization of services. Conclusion:, It is essential for service-providers to offer services specific to the situation or desires of mothers. Mothers might need both consultation services and support groups to reinforce the mother,child relationship, for social support, and to freely discuss worries with both professionals and peers. [source] Activity-Based Pricing in a MonopolyJOURNAL OF ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 3 2003V. G. Narayanan abstract In this article, I study the interaction between cost accounting systems and pricing decisions in a setting where a monopolist sells a base product and related support services to customers whose preference for support services is known only to them. I consider two pricing mechanisms,activity-based pricing (ABP) and traditional pricing,and two cost-accounting systems,activity-based costing (ABC) and traditional costing, for support services. Under traditional pricing, only the base product is priced, whereas support services are provided free because detailed cost-driver volume information on the consumption of support services by each customer is unavailable. Under ABP, customers pay based on the quantities consumed of both the base product and the support services because detailed cost-driver volume information is available for each customer. Likewise, under traditional costing for support services the firm makes pricing decisions on cost signals that are noisier than they are under ABC. I compare the equilibrium quantities of the base product and support services sold, the information rent paid to the customers, and the expected profits of the monopolist under all four combinations of cost-driver volume and cost-driver rate information. I show that ABP helps reduce control problems, such as moral hazard and adverse selection problems, for the supplier and increases the supplier's ability to engage in price discrimination. I show that firms are more likely to adopt ABP when their customer base is more diverse, their customer support costs are more uncertain, their costing system has lower measurement error, and the variable costs of providing customer support are higher. Firms adopt ABC when their cost-driver rates for support services under traditional costing are noisier measures of actual costs relative to their cost-driver rates under ABC and when the actual costs of support services are inherently uncertain. I also show that cost-driver rate information and cost-driver volume information for support services are complements. Although the prior literature views ABC and activity-based management (ABM) as facilitating better decision making, I show that ABC and ABP (a form of ABM) are useful tools for addressing control problems in supply chains. [source] Domestic Violence Research: Methodological Issues Related to a Community-Based Intervention With a Vulnerable Population,JOURNAL OF APPLIED BIOBEHAVIORAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2005Clarissa A. Shavers Presently, in our society, thousands of children, adolescents, and adults are physically, mentally, and emotionally traumatized from exposure to domestic violence (DV). Exposure to DV, defined here as male violence against their female partners, occurs among all ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, geographical, and racial groups. DV can lead to depression, negative self-esteem, and general psychological distress in women. Children exposed to DV have an increased risk of behavioral, emotional, and social problems. DV shelters often provide group counseling and support services for battered women, children, and adolescents residing there, but the programs do not reach the majority of women living in the broader community. Furthermore, few studies have examined the effectiveness and efficacy of support group treatment intervention programs for battered women and children. This is due, in part, to the methodological difficulties inherent in this design. As a way to meet the needs of families that have experienced DV, academic researchers from a Midwestern university and a director of counseling services from a local domestic violence agency have partnered to offer a psycho-educational intervention designed to [source] Do Satisfied Employees Satisfy Customers?JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 8 2001Parents, Satisfaction Among Public School Administrators, Students, Support-Services Staff Morale Data were obtained from school staff (N= 1,567) who provided support services to schools in a major metropolitan school district. These data were analyzed in relation to data obtained from 3 customer groups (school administrators, students, and parents) who provided ratings of their satisfaction with services. Several aspects of employee morale (e. g., quality of supervision, teamwork, and goal clarity, along with workgroup service climate) were significantly and positively related to administrator and parent satisfaction, but not to student satisfaction. Relations of employee morale and workgroup service climate to administrator satisfaction and parent satisfaction were moderated by customer contact with employees. Results are discussed in relation to expectations of customers and employees that affect the nature of the service-exchange interaction. [source] The components of resilience,Perceptions of an Australian rural community,JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 8 2010Elizabeth Buikstra Resilience, of individuals, is a well-established concept in the psychology/mental health literatures, but has been little explored in relation to communities. Related theory in the community development and social impact assessment literature provides insight into qualities and assets of communities that enable them to develop effectively or to adapt to major changes. This article reports the components of community and individual resilience identified through a participatory action research study within a rural Australian community. These are social networks and support; positive outlook; learning; early experiences; environment and lifestyle; infrastructure and support services; sense of purpose; diverse and innovative economy; embracing differences; beliefs; and leadership. These components entail interactions between individuals, the community, infrastructure, the environment and the economy in the process of building resilience. The findings extend from previous research by recognizing environmental and economic factors, infrastructure and support services, as enhancing resilience, and expand the limited evidence base for those wishing to promote resilience at the community scale. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Anticipating Future Vulnerability: Defining Characteristics of Increasingly Critical Infrastructure-like SystemsJOURNAL OF CONTINGENCIES AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2007Matthew Jude Egan The world's ,Critical Infrastructure' (CI) has increased in size during the three decades between 1975,2006. CIs are those systems that provide critical support services to a country, geographic area for a corporate entity; when they fail, there is potentially a large cost in human life, the environment or economic markets. This article examines the characteristics of new technologies or services that are becoming a part of the CI, but are not yet. The article attempts to systematically define the characteristics of ,criticality' in order to better anticipate the types of vulnerabilities these new technologies or services create. [source] Autism in the criminal justice detention system: A review of the literatureJOURNAL OF FORENSIC NURSING, Issue 2 2009Andrew Cashin RN, Cert PTT, Dip App Sci, FACMHN Abstract Little is known about the experience of people with autism in custody. A review of the literature that explored the relationship between autism and criminality and the criminal justice detention system was conducted. Literature suggests that people with autism are potentially overrepresented within the criminal justice system. There is little research that has examined the experiences of people with autism spectrum disorders in custody. There is very little to guide service design to develop autism support services for people in prison. [source] Smallholders, institutional services, and commercial transformation in EthiopiaAGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2009Berhanu Gebremedhin Smallholders; Institutions; Commercial transformation Abstract This article examines the role of institutional services of credit, input supply, and extension in the overall commercial transformation process of smallholder agriculture in Ethiopia. Survey data collected in 2006 from 309 sample households in three districts of Ethiopia are used for the analyses. Tobit regression models are used to measure the effect of access to services on the intensity of inputs use for fertilizer and agrochemicals. A probit model is used to measure these effects on the adoption of improved seeds. Intensity of use of seeds is analyzed using an ordinary least squares model. Logarithmic Cobb,Douglass functions are estimated to analyze the effect of access to services on crop productivity. Heckman's two-stage estimation is used to examine determinants of household market participation and the extents of participation. Results show that access to institutional support services plays a significant role in enhancing smallholder productivity and market orientation. Our results imply that expanding and strengthening the institutional services is critical for the intensification and market orientation of smallholder agriculture in Ethiopia. In particular, appropriate incentives and regulatory systems are urgently needed to encourage the involvement of the private sector in the provision of agricultural services. [source] Providing support to siblings of hospitalised childrenJOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 3 2010Amanda S Newton Abstract The purpose of this study was to describe child life services provided to siblings of hospitalised children and the resources associated with these services in major paediatric hospitals throughout the United States (U.S.) and Canada. Cross-sectional data on sibling support services and resources needed for capacity building were collected via a web-based survey from administrative and clinical practice leads in identified Child Life Departments. The 34-item survey targeted three domains: Facility Demography, Sibling Support Resources, and Capacity Building and Funding. Surveys were sent to 217 leads and 109 responded (50% response rate). Of the 109 respondents, 48% indicated their facilities provided sibling support including grief or palliative support (90% of facilities) and therapeutic play (94% of facilities). More than 50% indicated that these services were not evaluated for improved family or sibling outcomes. Twenty-six percent of the respondents indicated having monies earmarked for sibling support from the following sources: hospital budget (34%), private donation (25%), foundation (22%), other (14%) and government (4%). There was a significant relationship between respondents who indicated sibling support services and funding (,2= 0.0001). Resources identified included staff availability and funding as needed for sibling support capacity building. Given the limited sibling support available in major paediatric hospitals across the U.S. and Canada, hospitals with existing resources should act as exemplars and evaluate the impact of their services with clear dissemination to other facilities. In addition to defining service effectiveness, this evaluation can help to determine the most fiscally responsible ways to deliver sibling support in their established facilities and others. [source] A Pilot Study Analyzing Mortality of Adults With Developmental Disabilities Residing in Nursing Homes in ConnecticutJOURNAL OF POLICY AND PRACTICE IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, Issue 3 2010Gerard J. Kerins Abstract A review of mortality cases for persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) in the state of Connecticut (USA) revealed that the majority of deaths in residential settings occurred in nursing homes. However, it was not clear why individuals with ID were residing in nursing homes, or what brought them there. The authors conducted a preliminary study to elicit better understanding of the circumstances resulting in nursing home residency for people with ID. Charts for a small sample of deaths occurring in nursing homes were examined and select data extracted, including basic demographic data, the previous residential setting, the length of stay, medical conditions, case management intensity, and documented rationale for continued nursing home residency. The data revealed that many individuals were admitted to nursing homes at an earlier age than for the nondisabled general population. People with ID stayed in these residences longer, and died later than the general population of nondisabled individuals admitted to nursing homes. About half the sample received case management on at least an annual basis; a third had no documented case management. Lack of appropriate alternate residential settings, lack of support services for families, and lack of case management resources for adults with ID residing in nursing homes in Connecticut are all apparent from the findings. Failure to use existing resources such as group homes to their potential capacity, and other similar policies should be re-examined. [source] A Review of Outcome Measures in Early Childhood ProgramsJOURNAL OF POLICY AND PRACTICE IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, Issue 4 2006Hasheem Mannan Abstract, The authors undertook a review of measures available for assessing outcomes of early childhood services for children with disabilities and their families. With principles of family-centered practice mandating the inclusion of both family and child outcome measures in effective evaluation plans, the review examined measures with established psychometric properties for (a) documenting the effectiveness of partnerships with families, and (b) documenting the effectiveness of services and supports for families. Constructs and their associated measures related to partnerships include satisfaction with the overall program and empowerment. The constructs for outcomes of supports and services include social support, parenting, and family quality of life. The authors reviewed measures for each of the five constructs. They note that the selection of appropriate measures to assess the outcomes of family support and services depends on the specific configuration of support services provided by the program and that each program may have to be explicit about the outcomes it wants to impact and therefore measure. [source] Effects of an Urban High School-Based Child Care Center on Self-Selected Adolescent Parents and Their ChildrenJOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 2 2001Elizabeth Gillis Williams ABSTRACT: This study examined the effects of an urban high school-based child care center on parenting teens and their children enrolled during 1995-1998. Retrospective record review of 52 low-income, urban adolescent parents enrolled at the Celotto Child Care Center (CCCC) during the period of study was conducted from the CCCC and the high school records. Mean age of the student parents was 17 years (s.d. = 1.3) and mean grade level was 11.2 (s.d. = l). Most parents were female (98%) and African American (62%). Children enrolled at CCCC had a mean age of 10 months (s.d. = 10.8). Students using the services of CCCC showed improvement in overall grade point averages, and 100% were educationally successful as defined by promotion to the next grade or graduating from high school. None of the students experienced a repeat childbirth during the period of CCCC enrollment. Ninety percent of children were up-to-date with pediatric health visits and immunizations. These results lend strong support to the importance of extending child care and social support services to teen parents, and for the implementation of high school-based child care centers as alternative sites for these critically important services. (J Sch Health. 2001;71(2):47,52) [source] Emergent maintenance of ERP: new roles and relationshipsJOURNAL OF SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE AND EVOLUTION: RESEARCH AND PRACTICE, Issue 6 2001Sabine Gabriele Hirt Abstract How a firm supports its enterprise resource planning system after putting it into production, when its maintenance may be said to be emergent, is critical to the benefits it will eventually derive. Here we report a longitudinal case study of one firm's emergent maintenance of its SAP R/3 system. The study reveals that maintenance-related roles and relationships differ substantively from those typical of traditional maintenance. We view this firm's maintenance practices to be a harbinger of broader and longer-term change in maintaining application portfolios. We suggest that the roles and relationships involved are likely to be more complex and therefore more varied in organizational form. In particular, we anticipate: (1) greater sharing of the maintenance task among more participants, with the firm's users often assuming the lead, supported by vendors and third parties; (2) the IS department often playing a more limited, but still key role in providing a portfolio's ongoing support services; and (3) a contingency approach to maintenance, the best approach being a function of specific organizational and systems circumstances. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Ambivalence, Contradiction, and Symbiosis: Carers' and Mental Health Users' RightsLAW & POLICY, Issue 4 2007VICTORIA YEATES This article explores the emergence of separate rights for carers and psychiatric service users. Although political rhetoric and policy documents largely assume symbiosis between carer and cared-for person, increasingly the law reflects that their rights and interests may conflict and operate in opposition one to another. This article examines the social and policy factors that lie behind these developments and disentangles some of the ambivalences, contradictions, and symbioses that characterize this area of law. While service users' rights in relation to decisions about their care have emerged from the shadow of family rights, carers' rights to community support services have emerged as an adjunct to service users' rights. The article explores the development of the rights paradigm in promoting the welfare of mentally disordered people and their carer, and the current limits of separation between their respective entitlements. [source] How has a shortage of census and geological information impeded the regularization of artisanal and small-scale mining?NATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 1 2004Gavin Hilson Abstract There is growing consensus that a combination of laissez-faire policies, ad hoc regulation and debilitating support services has perpetuated socio-economic and environmental deterioration in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) industry. However, a lack of anthropological and geological information on ASM prevents many governments both from improving the policy environment of the industry, and from providing more robust extension services to its operators. This article aims to examine more precisely how a deficiency of baseline census and geological data has inhibited industry formalization and undermined many of the measures implemented to address pressing problems at ASM sites. Specifically, it is argued that insufficient knowledge of artisanal mining populations , including their demographic structure , and of areas suitable for ASM activities affects the ability of a government to regularize, as well as to improve, the organization of this largely informal sector of industry. Case studies of Ghana and Zimbabwe are used to illustrate how the undertaking of low-budget projects in areas of geological prospecting and population analysis could improve the efficiency of ASM assistance. [source] Increasing the value of traditional support servicesNEW DIRECTIONS FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES, Issue 131 2005Marguerite M. Culp Student affairs practitioners must reconceptualize traditional support services in order to use the resources allocated to them more effectively, meet the needs of today's students, and increase their value to community colleges. This chapter identifies student affairs programs that are vital to the community college's mission, describes best practices in community college student affairs, and demonstrates why traditional support services are essential to the success of the contemporary community college. [source] Identifying service needs of children with disruptive behavior problems using a Nominal Group TechniqueNURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 4 2000Diana R. Keatinge RN, M ADMIN Abstract A recent study used both qualitative and quantitative methods to examine families' perceptions of service needs for children with disruptive behavior problems. Focusing on the qualitative component of the study, the present paper discusses the modified Nominal Group Technique used in focus groups attended by carers living in rural, regional or metropolitan contexts. Three questions posed to each focus group sought to identify families' concerns about health facilities and/or related support services currently available to them, the benefits they perceived in these services and the changes needed to make these services more appropriate or accessible to them. Major themes in the responses relating to each of these questions included concerns about a lack of, or perceived need for, access to help/support, benefits in schools that accommodated the needs of the children, and support from the community. Families' recommendations for change included increased access to health care advice, information and/or support systems. [source] Meaning-making in the aftermath of sudden infant death syndromeNURSING INQUIRY, Issue 3 2006Guenther Krueger The reconstruction of meaning in the aftermath of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is part of the grieving process but has to date been poorly understood. Earlier theorists including Freud, Bowlby and Kübler-Ross provided a foundation for what occurs during this time using stage theories. More recent researchers, often using qualitative techniques, have provided a more complex and expanded view that enhances our knowledge of meaning reconstruction following infant loss. This overview of representative contemporary authors compares and contrasts them with the longstanding models that are being supplanted within the emerging field of thanatology. Understanding parental reactions within this new framework can help healthcare professionals in dealing with those affected by SIDS and provide a more empathic and sensitive approach to individual differences. Parents' own accounts of their post-SIDS experience are consistent with these newer theories. Comprehending how parents cope and reconstruct their lives is an important element in providing appropriate psychological support services. [source] Development of an educational programme for caregivers of people aging with multiple sclerosisOCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2008Marcia Finlayson Abstract This article describes a three-phase project to identify and develop an occupational therapy response to the challenges experienced by caregivers of middle-aged and older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). In Phase 1 302 caregivers of middle-aged and older adults with MS were interviewed by telephone to identify the care-giving challenges they experienced. A total of eight challenges were identified, with the four most prevalent ones including finding and using formal support services, managing the emotional aspects of caregiving, doing the physical aspects of care-giving and dealing with informal supports. In Phase 2 a comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify existing caregiver education programmes that could be used to address these challenges. None of the 21 programmes that were located addressed all of the challenges identified through the Phase 1 interviews. In response, a new five-session psycho-educational group programme entitled ,Meeting the Challenges of MS' was developed in Phase 3. The programme was empirically grounded in Phase 1 findings, and drew on theory to guide group process and sequencing. The findings from Phases 1 and 2 and the resulting programme cannot be generalized to caregivers of younger adults with MS, although the steps taken to develop this programme have the potential for replication with other populations served by occupational therapists. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Operations Risk Management: Overview of Paul Kleindorfer's ContributionsPRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2007Morris A. Cohen This paper reviews Paul Kleindorfer's contributions to Operations Management (OM), with a special focus on his research on risk management. An annotated bibliography of selected other contributions reviews the breadth of topics that have occupied Kleindorfer's research attention over his now 45 + years of research. These include optimal control theory, scheduling theory, decision sciences, investment planning and peak load pricing, plus a number of important applications in network industries and insurance. In the area of operations risk management, we review recent work that Kleindorfer and his colleagues in the Wharton Risk Center have undertaken on environmental management and operations, focusing on process safety and environmental risks in the chemical industry. This work is directly related to Kleindorfer's work in the broader area of "sustainable operations", which he, Kal Singhal and Luk Van Wassenhove recently surveyed as part of the new initiative at POMS to encompass sustainable management practices within the POMS community. Continuing in the area of supply chain risks, the paper reviews Kleindorfer's contributions to the development of an integrated framework for contracting and risk hedging for supply management. The emphasis on alignment of pricing, performance and risk management in this framework is presaged in the work undertaken by Kleindorfer and his co-authors in the 1980s on after-sales support services for high-technology products. This work on supply chain risk, and its successors, is reviewed here in light of its growing importance in managing the unbundled and global supply chains characteristic of the new economy. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||