The purpose of this article is to report on the system-level findings of a longitudinal study of four mental health consumer-run self-help organizations. Quantitative and qualitative data revealed that staff and members of the four Consumer/Survivor Initiatives (CSIs) participated actively in system-level activities, including community planning,…

The need to develop "family capital" (the attributes and skills that enable families to carry out their economic, social, and nurturing functions) in inner-city neighborhoods is the focus of this background briefing report. Part I of the report describes the characteristics and causes of distressed communities and their impact on families, and…

Servol (Service Volunteered for All) is a voluntary organization in Trinidad and Tobago with a staff of some 90 people engaged in a wide range of activities grouped in seven Life Centers and a periphery of 13 nursery schools, as well as family farm units in a rural area. From a modest start in late 1970, Servol has grown steadily during its first…

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION IS PRESENTED TO SOCIAL WORKERS SO THAT THEY MAY PROVIDE BETTER SERVICES TO MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. INCLUDED ARE (1) A LOOK AT THE PAST, CURRENT DEFINITION, AND DISCUSSION OF CAUSATION, (2) FACTORS IN DEVELOPMENT, GROWTH AND BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS FOR THREE LEVELS OF RETARDATION, AND (3) SEVERAL…

The relationship between an individual's or community's awareness of natural hazards and subsequent behavior change is examined in this review of research. The document is presented in seven sections. Following Section I, the introduction, Section II discusses the role of experience in behavior change. Section III examines the role of education…

This is a selective, descriptive, annotated bibliography of 22 books, a few basic ones and the rest the most recent available. The emphasis is on good books. It is of projects in the United States. The publications are in the English language. The time span covered begins with Ebenezer Howard's work on the garden city and goes up to 1975 with a…

To develop a set of guidelines for planning media facilities for Maryland schools, a 10 member state-appointed committee studied media-center design from the vantage points of local agencies, state media organizations, the State Department of Education, public libraries, and construction planners. A set of flexible guidelines for new or renovated…

When a college is located in a rural area, its input to that community includes social, economic, political, psychological, and physical factors. The prime purpose of this study was to describe the socioeconomic impact of the college on rural communities of New York State, particularly the New York State University College at Alfred (small…

Describes a simulation game whose objective is to help students understand the part played by water in the environment from both the physical and the social viewpoint. Journal availability: see SO 507 285. (Author/CK)

Gaming-simulation in professional practice, education, and research is discussed. Simulation assists in exploring and resolving incongruent values and interests of clients, users, and architects; conveys complex interactive systems students are trying to understand; and elicits responses to alternative actions and contributes to theory development…

Discusses personal and societal effects of automobile-centered landscapes and development. Recommends fundamental reexamination of community development and beliefs regarding desirable human settlement. Suggests greenways and trails as a multifunctional means for revitalizing communities in a more ecological fashion. Presents the Niagara region of…

Presents 12 articles that are abbreviated versions of presentations at the Wilson Symposium on the Future of Public Libraries. Highlights include rural library needs; community needs; librarians' role in planning for community change; cooperating to meet specialized needs; future staffing requirements; distance education; library technology; the…

The Community Mobilization Project was a 3-year, grassroots strategic planning process by American Indians in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a result of Bureau of Indian Affairs policies that relocated reservation Indians to the Bay Area in the 1950s-70s, over 40,000 American Indians now live in the 10-county area. However, the Indian population…

Defining public services as the basic community/regional services which are provided to residents through tax receipts and service charges, this publication identifies variables for each service group and presents them in the form of questions that communities should find useful when analyzing impacts of growth. After listing questions dealing…

This manual provides information on factors particularly relevant to focal point service delivery such as cooperative planning, interagency linkages, shared service delivery, accountability, and community relationships. An introduction describes what community focal points for service delivery are and how they are intended to fit into community…