An analysis of data on residential services for people with mental retardation between 1995-1999 found growth in recipients of Commonwealth/State Disability Agreement-funded residential services; a decline in the proportion of people housed in large residential settings; an increase in those served in group homes; and more rapid growth in…

A staff needs assessment found an overwhelming number of staff (n=55) felt the need for additional training in working with juvenile sexual offenders in their care. This practicum was designed to assist them in meeting the needs of children with sexual victimization and/or sexual offense issues in an effective and appropriate manner. Training…

In a replication of a study by Warren and Mondy (1971), staff responses to severely mentally retarded adults (N=90) in institutional units, large community units, and small community houses in the United Kingdom were observed. Staff in small community houses showed a greater level of encouragement of appropriate behavior. (Author/JW)

Statistical validation is reported for the Child Care Perceiver Interview instrument, used in employing residential child care workers. Results indicate that the interview is effective in predicting job performance in group care settings and is acceptable in meeting Equal Employment Opportunity requirements. (Author/BB)

Examines the historical processes which led to the institutionalization of residential care for children in Israel. The utopian "children's villages" of the 1920's were eventually taken over by a process of mass institutionalization and bureaucratic inflexibility, but the ideological commitment to collective group care has remained…

A 10-week training program in a private nonprofit residential treatment program for children and youth was designed to help a treatment team increase its team functioning skills as measured by a pre- and post-training survey of individual and team effectiveness. The treatment program was located in a rural community and served people from eight…

The characteristics of the current population of group care institutions, residential treatment centers, and group homes and the impact of these characteristics on the nature and degree of problematic behavior were the focus of this survey. In May 1978, an extensive questionnaire was sent to 168 agencies. The questionnaire sought information…

This guide seeks improvement in group home management, especially community-based residential facilities for juvenile offenders. Primary organizational considerations include structure, communication lines and decision making. The role of the Board of Directors is explored from initial selection through definition of the program directors role.…

The study surveyed 181 specialized foster care homes or small (with 6 or fewer residents) group homes providing residential care for persons (N=336) with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities. The study found that the community residential facility sample was generally much less well integrated into the life of the community…

Historically, in the field of developmental disabilities, the place of residence determines the level of support provided. This has led to a situation in which the more home-like the residence, the less public financial support it receives. The more disabled an individual is and the more difficulties that individual presents, the further he or she…

Attention is drawn to important themes thought likely to influence the continuing development of group care services for children and young people in the decade ahead. These include a poorly educated workforce, autonomous training, multi-disciplinary approaches, centres of excellence, diversified programs, new trends and issues shaping the future,…

This publication provides a course of instruction for training individuals to administer medications in a group home or residential care home. The competency-based curriculum and instructional materials presented in the document contain three instructional units: Administer Medications, Obtain Vital Signs, and Explore Legal Issues. This format…

The effects of functional grouping of 303 people with intellectual disabilities on care practices in English group homes were investigated. Residents who were non-ambulant were rated as receiving care with less interpersonal warmth and residents with severe challenging behavior were rated as receiving care with less interpersonal warmth and…

This report from the ongoing National Residential Information Systems Project provides statistics on persons with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities (MR/DD) receiving residential services in the United States for the year ending June 30, 1994, as well as comparative statistics from earlier years. An executive summary…

The 11 articles in this monograph, selected from more than 100 presentations made at the National Conference on Transitional Services for Troubled Youth, examine the history, current status, best practices, and future needs of troubled youth who are returning from residential to community settings. The papers are the following: "Transitional…