ABSTRACT
Diagnostic and assessment procedures are effective to the extent that they generate and motivate individuals and family members to seek recommended change, consultation, and treatment. There is always the potential that an excellent diagnostic process may end in failure, if the family cannot be motivated to take the information seriously and follow through with recommendations. Well-intentioned clinicians have experienced various difficulties conducting family conferences in order to relate diagnostic information. These difficulties seem related to "myths" that clinicians sometimes fall victim to. The purpose of this paper is to review some of those myths and to question their validity. In doing so, it is anticipated that family conferences will be regarded as a significant event, commensurate with their importance in the total diagnostic and evaluative process.
Subject(s)
Developmental Disabilities/therapy , Feedback , Professional-Family Relations , Adult , Child , Child Rearing , Counseling , Developmental Disabilities/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Mother-Child Relations , Patient Compliance , Patient Education as Topic/methodsABSTRACT
There are many reasons to assess family functioning. The family is the major social force that influences children, and what happens in the family may have more impact on the child's development than the handicap itself. It is essential to inform families of the rationale for a family assessment because they often expect the sole focus to be on the handicapped child. The assessment itself begins with this focus and gradually moves into other areas. If the pediatrician believes family psychotherapy or a support group is indicated, most communities have resources for such services in the public and private sectors.
Subject(s)
Developmental Disabilities , Family , Interview, Psychological/methods , Attitude to Health , Child , Family Therapy , Humans , Pediatrics/methods , Professional-Family Relations , Self-Help GroupsABSTRACT
It has become increasingly important, as an administrative aid in assessing the functioning of hospital social work departments and improving their services, to determine and evaluate their activities. This article reports on a study conducted by the social work department in a Canadian university psychiatric hospital to determine the work load of social workers, aspects of the process of referring persons for social work services, and differences between hospitalized persons who do or do not receive social work services.
Subject(s)
Hospital Departments/standards , Hospitals, Psychiatric , Social Work , Hospital Departments/organization & administration , Humans , Patient Care Planning , Referral and ConsultationABSTRACT
It is suggested that the concept "multi-problem family" is a myth when viewed in the context of our current service delivery system. That system, itself fragmented, may do more to promote than relieve family distintegration, conflict, and personal anxiety. Continued professional training and tendencies that lead to viewing problems presented by individuals only as individual problems may result in overlooking opportunities for total family approaches to treatment and prevention.
Subject(s)
Conflict, Psychological , Delivery of Health Care , Family , Community Mental Health Services , Family Therapy , Female , Humans , Male , Patient Care Planning , Patient Care TeamABSTRACT
Pressure on administrators, behavioral scientists, and others for program accountability is reflected in recent publication of a variety of theories, concepts, and methods of evaluation. This paper attempts to integrate pertinent literature, primarily from the behavioral sciences, into a comprehensive conceptual framework aimed at orienting administrators and others to the possibilities of evaluation, and suggesting variables appropriate to any organization or system.
Subject(s)
Delivery of Health Care , Public Health , Systems Analysis , Administrative Personnel , Attitude of Health Personnel , Continuity of Patient Care , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Goals , Leadership , Organization and Administration , Patient Care PlanningABSTRACT
Rational program planning and evaluation has been suggested as a necessary skill. First, a conceptual framework for planning and evaluation was presented and discussed, using the example of preventing alcoholism and providing services and rehabilitation for alcoholics. Second, a case study was presented, which is similar to that used by many professionals in their efforts to plan programs. Finally, some of the marked limitations of the case study were pointed out, when it was projected upon the conceptual framework.
