Catherine E. Born

Life Stressors, Social Support, and Depressive Symptoms Among First-Time Welfare Recipients

This paper examines the associations among stressful life events, social support, and depressive symptoms in a sample of 580 first-time welfare recipients. Self-reported number of depressive symptoms was greater than in corresponding community samples. Stressors and social supports made independent main effect contributions to depressive symptoms in a multiple regression analysis. Women with transportation barriers to employment, those experiencing greater numbers of stressful life events, and those who were less satisfied with their housing situation reported greater numbers of depressive symptoms. In contrast, women who were more satisfied with their social support and those with higher attendance at religious services reported fewer depressive symptoms. Implications for welfare reform policy and programs are discussed.

Ethics in Admissions

Abstract This paper reviews graduate applications/admissions data for 1975–84, and shows that as applications have decreased, the acceptance rate has increased. Referring to the NASW Code of Ethics, the paper suggests this trend raises a number of ethical issues with which the field should be concerned. Traditional alternatives to liberalized admissions are also reviewed and their perceived efficacy is examined. It is suggested that hold-harmless strategies are insufficient to counteract the societal trends which adversely affect graduate social work education and, further, that the field must begin to proactively plan for fewer, or at least smaller, graduate programs.

Microcomputers and Field Instruction

The microcomputer revolution presents educators with a new set of curricular challenges. This paper describes how one graduate school of social work has successfully incorporated microcomputing into its foundation curriculum. Through their yearlong work with a custom program, over 400 students have been introduced to database management at the direct service level. So far the project has been unilaterally successful for reasons that have more to do with educational philosophy than with computer technology. The key factors identified include integrating the project into existing curricular offerings, making the assignment part of a required, first-year course, and using a computer application designed specifically for novice social work users.

Returns to Welfare Under Welfare Reform: Early Patterns and Their Implications

Abstract The federally-imposed lifetime limit on cash assistance receipt compels program administrators to examine returns to welfare after an exit. We explore recidivism among a random sample of 2,665 Maryland families who left welfare between October 1996 and December 1997. Using administrative data, we compare the demographic characteristics, welfare histories, and work histories of recidivists and non-recidivists. Results indicate that most families do not return to welfare within a year. However, almost one-third do return, often within the first 30 days. This rarely investigated “administrative churning” phenomenon is important because of the federal time limit, the valuable agency resources which are consumed in handling churning cases and the possible negative consequences of churning on family well-being.

Examining the Impact of the Family Violence Option on Women's Efforts to Leave Welfare

Objective: The establishment of the Family Violence Option (FVO) in 1997 was met with some controversy, as critics believed waivers from time limit and work requirements would hinder womens ability to leave welfare and find employment. Method: Using administrative and interview data from Maryland, multivariate equations analyze if domestic violence disclosure, administrative documentation, or waiver use had a statistically significant affect on one year employment and welfare use outcomes of individuals. Results: Waiver holders did not differ fromnonvictims, but victims who are not documented received fewer months of welfare and earned less income. Conclusions: Findings do not indicate that FVOwaivers encourage women to stay on welfare longer. However, the poor outcomes of undocumented victims indicate that some individuals may be slipping through the cracks of a well-intentioned policy.

Barriers to Independence Among TANF Recipients: Comparing Caseworker Records and Client Surveys

ABSTRACT Survey-based studies reveal the prevalence of employment barriers among Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients. However, the extent to which welfare caseworkers are aware of, and therefore able to address, particular barriers is unknown. This study compares survey data with electronic case records to measure the rate of agreement in barrier identification, and finds that although agreement rates are high, barriers were more likely to have been documented by caseworkers for certain subgroups of recipients. It is suggested that welfare agencies consider using validated scales and measures to assess some barriers in order to increase the likelihood of identifying and removing barriers to work for more recipients, particularly in light of new, more stringent work participation requirements.

Specialists in Welfare Offices -- Do Family Violence Experts Matter?

ABSTRACT In many welfare offices, a key component of the Family Violence Option (FVO) of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act was the establishment of experts trained in domestic violence and the new policy. This study analyzes the effect an FVO expert has on three outcomes: domestic violence disclosures; administrative documentation of disclosures; and FVO waiver use. Findings show that the presence of an expert is not related to disclosures or documentation, but does have a statistically significant, negative effect on the likelihood of waiver use. These mixed results indicate that the presence or absence of an expert is not necessarily indicative of an agencys commitment to the FVO.

Do Welfare Avoidance Grants Prevent Cash Assistance

Cash diversion strategies, a 1996 U.S. welfare reform innovation, are intended to alleviate short‐term crises and prevent the need for ongoing cash assistance among certain welfare applicants. Using administrative data, this work compares the welfare outcomes of Maryland Welfare Avoidance Grant recipients from October 1998 to September 2000 \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape

100 Billion Problem?

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