Mary Elizabeth Collins

Higher education and psychiatric disabilities: national survey of campus disability services.

Students with psychiatric disabilities are an increasing presence on college and university campuses. However, there is little factual information about the services available to these students in campus disability services offices or the extent to which they use these services. This article reports the results of a survey of disability services offices at colleges and universities in 10 states. Data from 275 schools revealed the number of students with psychiatric disabilities seeking assistance from disability services offices, characteristics of these offices, and the types of services they provide. Survey data also identified barriers to full participation of these students in academic settings. Implications of the study are discussed to inform policy and postsecondary institutional practices with the goal of better serving psychiatrically disabled students to maximize their talents and potential.

Consumers as mental health providers: First-person accounts of benefits and limitations

Community support programs are increasingly establishing paid service positions designated exclusively for consumers. Project WINS (Work Incentives and Needs Study), a hybrid case management-vocational program for individuals with severe mental illness, used consumers as peer support specialists (PSSs) to supplement professional roles. Semistructured interviews were conducted with PSSs about 12 months after their employment ended. They identified substantial personal benefits specific to consumer-designated roles (e.g., a “safe” employment setting with accommodations) and general benefits from employment. Problems described were just as numerous, encompassing attitudes toward assigned peers and costs to their own well-being. Critical commentary addressed program operations (structure, supervision, and training needs) and problems in the mental health system. The authors discuss the changed sense of self that service provider roles can create for consumers and suggest that mental health administrators provide anticipatory socialization for this service innovation throughout their agencies and ongoing supports for consumers in their new roles.

The permanence of family ties: implications for youth transitioning from foster care.

Research on the experiences of youth leaving foster care as they enter adulthood has noted that they often reconnect, and sometimes live with, members of their family of origin. This is often thought to be a curious finding because at some earlier point, the families were deemed unsafe, requiring removal of the child to foster care. Although this finding has been consistent, it has not been the central focus of a research study and, therefore, its implications have been largely unexamined. In this article, the authors review what is known about the extent to which young adults reunite with their families after they leave foster care. To provide guidance in thinking further about former foster youth reuniting with their families, the authors also examine research and theoretical literature on family development and family transition. Implications for research, policy, and practice are identified.

Factors Influencing Sexual Victimization and Revictimization in a Sample of Adolescent Mothers

This study involved secondary analysis of an existing longitudinal data set of a survey of adolescent mothers (N = 315). Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, data from Time 1 were used to predict victimization reported in the year between Time 1 and Time 2. Three factors—any sexual victimization reported at Time 1, previous victimization involving rape using force, and ever having been hit by a partner—increased the likelihood of reported sexual victimization at Time 2. Three other factors were found to reduce the risk of victimization: having been victimized more than 1 year prior to the first survey; being pregnant at Time 1; and reporting satisfaction with social relationships. Additional analyses were used to investigate risk factors for revictimization.

Using a Positive Youth Development Approach in Addressing Problem-Oriented Youth Behavior

Interest has grown in the positive youth development (PYD) approach and its application to youth in a variety of settings. When using the PYD approach, workers focus on youth assets rather than deficits, collaborate with youth in planning the youths future, build youth competencies rather than doing tasks for the youth, adopt a holistic perspective of healthy personal growth, and engage in long-range planning rather than short-term solutions. This approach has not typically been applied to youth who demonstrate problem behavior such as substance abuse or psychiatric symptoms. Building on three theories–-strengths, coping, and stages of change–- we offer practice guidelines for applying the PYD approach to problem-oriented youth behavior, with substance abuse as an example.

Understanding the policy context for supporting students with psychiatric disabilities in higher education.

Interest in postsecondary education for persons with psychiatric disabilities is high among consumers and advocates. However, the existence of program supports for higher educational goals is very uneven across U.S. states. This study was designed to examine the policy context in which states and educational institutions address needs of individuals with psychiatric disabilities to attend and succeed in postsecondary education. In 10 selected states, telephone interviews were conducted with key informants in state agencies of mental health, vocational rehabilitation, and higher education, as well as representatives of state-level advocacy organizations. Additionally, a search of websites relevant to state policy was conducted. The findings identify factors that facilitate and inhibit the development of policy and programs supportive of students with psychiatric disabilities. Facilitating factors include a strong community college system, progressive philosophy of the state mental health agency, and interest of consumers and the advocacy community. Inhibiting factors include political and budgetary uncertainty, competing priorities in the mental health system, emphasis on a medical rather than rehabilitative model, regulations of the VR system, and lukewarm enthusiasm of the advocacy community. Implications for community mental health services are included, particularly related to further policy development in support of students with psychiatric disabilities.

Establishing Individualized Goals in a Supported Education Intervention: Program Influences on Goal-Setting and Attainment

Objectives: Support for goal-setting and attainment is a frequent component of social work interventions aimed at fostering client growth. This study investigated goal-setting and attainment in the Michigan Supported Education Research Project, an intervention that provides support for adults with psychiatric disabilities to engage in postsecondary education. Method: An experimental design with three conditions was used and data was collected at five time points. The sample included 397 adults. Results: Results indicate increased complexity of goal statements over time. Goals became more specific for those in the treatment conditions and for those who were high participants. Multivariate models found that selecting school as the most important goal was a significant factor in predicting later enrollment. Conclusions: Interventions can influence the goals that are set by individuals. Because of its importance to social work practice, researchers and practitioners should pay more explicit attention to goal-setting.

Macro impacts on caseworker decision-making in child welfare: a cross-national comparison

This paper focuses on the factors impacting on decision-making in child and family social work through a cross-national comparison. In doing so, the larger arena of the political and social contexts of both the United States and Northern Ireland are examined. For each of the countries we describe the historical and political context of child welfare, particularly the tension between child safety and family support, and how childrens rights are attended to and interpreted in each country. This discussion also examines the extent to which decision-making in each jurisdiction is influenced by constitutional imperatives, with particular reference to the US Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. From this general comparison we conclude with observations about child welfare decision-making within the national context and offer suggestions for further theoretical development in this area whilst also examining where the practices in each jurisdiction may benefit from review.

Responding to Plagiarism in Schools of Social Work: Considerations and Recommendations

Recognizing the challenges of addressing plagiarism within schools of social work and diverse faculty opinion on the issue, our school of social work engaged in several efforts to clarify issues and establish consensus among the faculty. Issues that required clarification included: definitions of plagiarism, steps to take when confronted with suspected plagiarism, the role of the administrative disciplinary committee, and the range of consequences. At a minimum, consensus was needed regarding faculty steps in confronting suspected plagiarism to ensure equitable treatment of students and to fulfill the schools role as a gatekeeper to the profession. This article describes the concerns, steps, and outcomes of the work that was conducted. We offer recommendations and invite further professional discussion about this educational issue.

Infusing Youth Development Principles in Child Welfare Practice: Use of a Delphi Survey to Inform Training

To explore ways to integrate a youth development approach into child welfare work, a Delphi survey of experts was conducted. In particular, the Delphi survey technique was used to generate suggestions regarding: 1) the training needs of child welfare workers dealing with youth transitioning out of care, and 2) potential policy approaches to change in the child welfare system for these youth. A first round survey elicited suggestions of panel respondents and a second round survey requested the rating of these suggestions. Findings illustrate the importance of a holistic approach in working with these youth, as well as the importance of connection and relationship. Training approaches also were perceived as a feasible policy response to helping youth transition from care to independent living.