Harold W. Demone

Alcohol and Other Drug Content in Core Courses: Encouraging Substance Abuse Assessment.

This article measures the efficacy of two approaches to teaching students to assess clients for substance abuse: an alcohol and other drug (AOD) minor program and integration of AOD content into core courses. A quasi-experimental design involved nonrandom assignment to an AOD minors program or to a nonminors curriculum. Both groups reported on their usual AOD assessment and on AOD assessment in their first interview with their most recent client. Self-report outcomes, examined in relation to the number of courses with integrated AOD content taken, suggest that these courses lead to significantly more self-reported assessment for substance abuse.

The Commercialization of Health and Human Services: Neutral Phenomenon or Cause for Concern?

SLOWLY AT FIRST, and more rapidly in recent years, for-profit organizations have been entering the health and human services market, particularly in such industries as nursing homes, home health, residential treatment, group homes, adult and child day care, adoption, habilitation, mental health, and substance abuse. Indeed, one of the hallmarks of the last decade has been the proliferation of for-profit companies offering services previously provided primarily by nonprofit and government agencies.

Initial Macro-Level Job Responsibilities Among MSW Graduates

This article reports the results of a study of the initial macro-level job responsibilities of over 2,000 MSW graduates who obtained their degrees from 1989 through 2007. It examines macro-level job duties performed in their employment within the first two years after graduation and investigates differences among those who graduated with concentrations in direct practice versus administrative and management practice. The research offers information on macro-level employment roles and expectations in early career stages, and builds an empirical base that can inform curriculum planning and development.

Public Intoxication: The Arrest Records and Alcohol Levels of Emergency Service Patients *

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between two indicators of public behavior related to alcohol use: (1) alcohol-related arrests, and (2) alcohol level at the time of admission to a general hospital emergency service. Breathalyzer readings were obtained from 607 males at the time of hospital admission, and comparisons were made of the arrest rates among those admitted with negative Breathalyzer readings (.00% alcohol), low positive readings (.01-.04%), and higher positive readings (.05% and over). It was found that the proportion who had been arrested for public drunkenness during the five-year period prior to emergency service admission was approximately four times greater among men admitted with Breathalyzer readings of .05% or above than among those admitted with negative or very low alcohol levels. These results were maintained when controls were introduced for age, social class, and reason for admission (injury or non-injury).