Evaluating the fidelity of service practices to system-of-care principles (SOC) represents a challenge in the human service field. The inadequate infusion of SOC principles into direct services could limit the usefulness of this approach. In this study we compare practice-level variables between well-developed SOC and traditional service systems and test the hypothesis that the adoption of SOC principles at the organizational level was associated with greater implementation of SOC at the practice level. Sites implementing SOC for at least 5 years are compared to sites providing mental health services using a traditional service delivery model. The study administered the SOC Practice Review (SOCPR) protocol. The SOCPR represents a case study approach that employs interviews and document reviews to arrive at ratings of SOC principles.This methodology proved to be an effective tool in interpreting the meaning of child and family experiences that emerged from the SOC.The findings were generally significant and support the hypothesis. Overall, SOC sites scored significantly higher (p < .05) than non-SOC sites in the child-centered and family-focused, community-based, and cultural competence domains.The implication is that SOC principles can be tested at the level of practice.
The Federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) in 1996 set in motion changes to the welfare system which represent a tremendous challenge not only for the states as implementers of this reform, but also for the children and families who are directly affected by the new law. The National Center for Children in Poverty has called our attention to the fact that while two-thirds of the recipients of the former welfare program were children, these new ‘reform’ programs tend to concentrate on adult jobs, adult work, and adult self-sufficiency.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.