Richard Hoefer

Administrative Skills and Degrees: The “Best Place” Debate Rages On

Abstract What should human service administration students learn? Where is the best place for them to receive their education? Nonprofit administrators, government agency managers, social work professors and public administration educators exhibit considerable agreement regarding what should be taught but little agreement regarding which degree is best. Thus, the widespread debate concerning the best degree for non-profit administrators will rage on, with most practitioners preferring the MBA and MPA degrees at the top level and academics believing that “their” degree is best. Despite the disagreement, the MSW degree is perceived well at the entry and middle levels of management.

Highly Effective Human Services Interest Groups

ABSTRACT Based on information collected from Washington, D.C.-based interest groups active in influencing social welfare policy, I have identified seven tactics that highly effective groups use more than least effective groups. Highly effective groups work more often to develop consensus among experts, pursue issues in court, aid the election of particular candidates, participate in public hearings, bring current regulations to executive branch attention, take changes to proposed regulations to the issuing agency and offer drafts of regulations prior to publication in The Federal Register. These results, by themselves and in conjunction with other research efforts, indicate more effective lobbying efforts and more empirically grounded policy practice by all social workers.

Human Services Interest Groups in Four States

ABSTRACT The NASW Code of Ethics requires social workers to try to improve the system for clients as well as to help people empower themselves. One method to achieve these goals is to develop and use interest groups in the political process. Little empirical research exists in the social work literature about interest groups active in social welfare policy-making. This paper describes the demographic characteristics of groups active in social welfare policy-making in four states; discusses what they do to influence policy in the legislative and executive branches; and reviews the groups self-reported effectiveness. Several practice principles are then derived from the results.

Food Security and Social Protection in the United States

Americas vulnerable populations face increasing levels of food insecurity, hunger and poverty as social protection programs are attacked and delegitimized. This paper examines the changes in social protection policy as a whole but focuses on the extreme case of food security. We first look at the interrelated concepts and definitions of food security, hunger and poverty. Next, we describe governmental programs addressing food security issues. We end with a discussion of food security and social protection, and the state of vulnerability among low-income persons currently and in the near future.

An Evaluation of a Family Strengthening Program for Substance Abuse Offenders

Abstract Family strengthening programs have been shown to be effective in preventing many types of problems with children. This study expands on prior research by evaluating the effectiveness of a family strengthening program for substance abuse offenders. Results indicate that the program is associated with significant changes on the four main variables of concern to program staff and funders: family resilience, opportunities for pro-social involvement of the children, rewards for pro-social involvement by children, and family bonding. Because of the weak pretest/posttest design, we also include and provide a rationale for the use of measures of effect size. Effect sizes in this research are very large on the four main variables and provide a better measure of program impact than significance testing.

The impact of state policy on teen dating violence prevalence.

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a serious public health concern that is associated with many negative effects. Studies on TDV prevention most often focus on the evaluation of prevention programs in school and community settings. Much less is known about the effects of policy on TDV prevalence. This study tests a model to explain whether stronger laws regarding TDV, specifically civil protection orders, have an impact on TDV rates in states. Results show that stronger policy, Democratic party control of the governors office, and higher state median income are associated with lower rates of TDV. This study provides solid information regarding the role of civil protection orders as a means of TDV prevention and adds to our knowledge of the efficacy of state-level TDV policy. The information can lead to increased vigor on the part of advocates to strive for specific provisions in the law and to work for gubernatorial candidates who will support such laws.

International perspectives on welfare to work policy

* Introduction: Social Workers and Welfare to Work Programs: International Perspectives (Richard Hoefer and James Midgley) * Welfare and Welfare to Work in the United States: The Role of Social Work (James Midgley) * Working Together for Children and Families: Where TANF and Child Welfare Meet (Jill Duerr Berrick, Laura Frame, Jodie Langs, and Lisa Varchol) * A Rose by Any Other Name? Lump-Sum Diversion or Traditional Welfare Grant? (Andrea Hetling, Kirk Tracy, and Catherine E. Born) * Welfare to Work in the United Kingdom (Martin Evans and Jane Millar) * Social Inclusion as an Agenda for Mental Health Social Work: Getting a Whole Life? (Nick Gould) * Helping People with Learning Difficulties into Paid Employment: Will UK Social Workers Use the Available Welfare to Work System? (Mark Baldwin) * Workfare Oz-Style: Welfare Reform and Social Work in Australia (Catherine McDonald and Lesley Chenoweth) * Recent Developments in Welfare to Work in Hong Kong: Opportunities for Social Work (Kwong-leung Tang) * The Role of Social Workers in Welfare to Work Programs: International Perspectives on Policy and Practice (Jane Millar and Michael J. Austin) * Index * Reference Notes Included

Domestic Violence Shelters’ Efforts to Prevent Teen Dating Violence A National Survey

This research note reports data from a national survey of 213 domestic violence shelters regarding their teen dating violence (TDV) prevention efforts. More than half of the shelters reported that they provide TDV programing to at least 1/2 of the high schools in their communities; about 1/3 of shelters provide TDV programming to parents. Approximately 85% of shelters reported that they use or adapt a TDV curriculum. Shelters use information booths and Internet-based activities most often to increase public awareness, and they work through coalitions to advocate for TDV prevention efforts. This study is a first step toward documenting shelters’ TDV prevention work.

Poverty, Incomes and Social Protection: International Policy Perspectives

1. Introduction: Poverty, Incomes and Social Protection: International Policy Perspectives Richard Hoefer and James Midgley 2. Social Protection and Social Policy: Key Issues and Debates James Midgley 3. The Last Shall Be First: Political Dimensions of Conditional Cash Transfers in Brazil Anthony Hall 4. Social Protection in Rural China: Recent Developments and Prospects Yapeng Zhu 5. Food Security and Social Protection in the United States Richard Hoefer and Carolyn Curry 6. Reforming the Reform: Attempting Social Solidarity and Equity in Chiles Privatized Social Security System Silvia Borzutzky 7. Poverty and Social Protection in Britain: Policy Developments Since 1997 David Piachaud 8. Poverty, Gender and Social Protection: Child Support Grants in Soweto, South Africa Leila Patel 9. Microinsurance and Social Protection: The Social Welfare Insurance Program for Informal Sector Workers in Indonesia Sirojudin, and James Midgley