Jack M. Richman

Social Support Networks and School Outcomes: The Centrality of the Teacher

This investigation compares school outcomes for students who differ in the extent to which they perceive their parents, friends, and teachers—each alone and in combination—as important sources of social support. Findings indicate that middle and high school students who perceive high supportiveness from all three sources of support, as opposed to none, one, or two, have better attendance; spend more hours studying; avoid problem behavior more; have higher school satisfaction, engagement, and self-efficacy; and obtain better grades. Positive school outcomes are promoted when teacher support is perceived in combination with perceived support from parents and friends. Implications of the results for human service providers are presented.

The Social Support Survey: A Validation Study of a Clinical Measure of the Social Support Process

Social support is a complex process with far-reaching implications for social work practice. This article presents a practice model of the social supportprocess, detailing its four components (i. e., provider, recipient, interaction, and outcomes), and a measure of the social support process based on the practice model and developed for clinical use. The model and clinical assessment instrument should facilitate understanding the support process and developing client interven tion strategies.

Information adequacy, job satisfaction and organizational culture in a dispersed‐network organization

This investigation examined the relationship of information adequacy to job satisfaction and organizational culture in a healthcare organization with both office and field personnel. Information adequacy was assessed in four areas: personal performance, organizational policies, organizational performance, and organizational objectives. Comparisons of field and office personnel indicated that they did not differ on information adequacy or job satisfaction; they did, however, differ on several dimensions of organizational culture. Also, the relationship of information inadequacy to job satisfaction and organizational culture differed for employees depending on whether they worked primarily in the field or primarily in the office. Implications of the findings are drawn for organizations with a dispersed‐network structure.

Strategies for enhancing social support networks in sport: A brainstorming experience

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to explore strategies coaches and sport psychologists could implement to affect the type and level of social support provided student-athletes. A brainstorming activity with a group of coaches and sport psychologists was utilized to generate suggested methods. These strategies are summarized, consolidated and presented within the framework of a descriptive model of the social support network of student-athletes as suggested by Rosenfeld, Richman, and Hardy (1989).

Supportive communication and school outcomes for academically “at‐risk” and other low income middle school students

This study explores the relationship between supportive communication and school outcomes for lower socioeconomic middle school students identified as “at‐risk”; and students not identified as “at‐risk”; of poor school performance. Results indicate that parents are major sources of social support for both groups of students; however, while parents are the only source of support for at‐risk middle school students, the not‐identified‐at‐risk students also receive support from their teachers and friends. With respect to school outcomes, different types of social support are associated with different outcomes. Also, students not identified as at‐risk appear to benefit more from the social support they receive than students identified as at‐risk. Teachers and other school personnel can use the findings of this investigation to develop intervention strategies that utilize the social support process to affect specific school outcomes for academically at‐risk students as well as for other students.

Stress Reduction for Hospice Workers: A Support Group Model

SUMMARYSupport groups, effective for reducing several types of stress among hospice personnel, were characterized by their technical challenge, emotional challenge, and shared social reality support. They also were characterized as not having colleagues who engage in reflective, nonjudgmental listening support. A model of the archetypal support group, effective for responding to stress, and practical means for implementing the model are presented.

Supportive communication and school outcomes, Part II: Academically “at‐risk” low income high school students

This study explores the relationship between supportive communication and school outcomes for two groups of lower socioeconomic high school students: those identified as “at‐risk “ of poor school performance and those not identified as “at‐risk. “ Results indicate that parents are major sources of social support for both groups of students; however, at‐risk students also receive support from their friends. With respect to school outcomes, different types of social support are associated with different outcomes. Also, for students not identified at‐risk, grades and school satisfaction appear to be the primary functions of support; for students identified at‐risk, however, hours studying and attendance appear to be the primary functions. Teachers and other school personnel can use the findings of this investigation as part of a plan to develop intervention strategies that utilize the social support process to affect specific school outcomes for academically at‐risk students as well as for other students.

The willingness of spouses to seek marriage and family counseling services

Drawing upon a probability sample of 928 military couples (1,856 spouses), three clusters of variables were identified from a review of the help-seeking literature and examined for their contribution to explaining variation in the likelihood of husbands and wives seeking marriage and family counseling services given a marital or family problem: (a) demographic, (b) program-related, and (c) informal help-seeking orientation. Three of the six independent variables that were included in the analysis emerged as significant predictors of the potential use of counseling services by both husbands and wives: knowledge and prior use of services, years of formal education, and willingness to consult parents and other relatives given a major personal or family problem. Interpretations of the findings are offered for consideration, and recommendations are presented both for expanding clinical outreach efforts and for guiding further research.

A Primer for the Design of Practice Manuals: Four Stages of Development.

Treatment manuals are increasingly being used to guide interventions with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. However, little is known about best practices in designing manuals. We describe a process that provides for the development of manuals and specifies the means by which manuals can be adapted for practice conditions and constraints. Manual development is conceptualized as comprising four systematic and recursive stages: (a) formulation, (b) revision, (c) differentiation, and (d) translation. We discuss issues and challenges in developing manuals that are responsive to a range of factors that influence social work practice, including advances in knowledge, the influence of evidence-based practice, the needs of individual clients, and contingencies linked to organizational policies, procedures, and leadership.

A Framework for Teaching Family Development for the Changing Family

Abstract Family development is a critical concept in educating social worker practitioners. However, most existing models of family development are primarily based on a traditional and linear course of development that often is not applicable to the experiences of contemporary family systems. This paper describes an alternative framework for understanding family development and processes that recognizes that stages of development may be renegotiated as families grow, change, and redefine themselves. Also presented is a consideration of the implications of using such a framework for both the teaching and practice of social work.