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Accountability in Social Services

The Culture of the Paper Program

By Jill Florence Lackey

Published May 22nd 2006 by Routledge – 134 pages

Series: Haworth Health and Social Policy Series

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    Description

    Accountability in Social Services examines how - and why - social and human services programs can function even though they are monitored by written communication instead of face-to-face interaction. Author Jill Florence Lackey draws on her experience as a consultant for more than 50 social programs and as director of two nonprofit organizations to demonstrate the strong need for accountability mechanisms and an ethics-based leadership when running social service programs. This unique book walks you through the process of how “paper programs” emerge and operate, the monitoring mechanisms that are - and aren’t - in place during program operations, and recommendations to increase accountability in the social service delivery system.

    The book examines programs focusing on:

    • youth aftercare

    • adolescent health

    • drug prevention

    • rural community development

    • crime prevention

    • violence intervention

    • services to the homeless

    • and more.
    Accountability in Social Services concludes with recommendations for organized action by consumer groups to increase responsibility in the social service delivery system. This book is invaluable as a resource for students, teachers, and practitioners working in social work and welfare, evaluation, organizational leadership, public policy, applied anthropology, and consumer science, including local organizations such as PIRGs (Public Interest Research Groups).

    Contents

    • Preface
    • Acknowledgments
    • Chapter 1. Introducing the Paper Program
    • Chapter 2. Varieties of Paper Programs
    • PAY: The Program in a Box
    • The Programs on the Plains Initiative: The Plans to Plan
    • The Stories Behind the Stories
    • And the Story Does Not End Here
    • Chapter 3. The Paper Coalitions
    • REDUCE: The Stratified Coalition
    • TeenHealth: The Coalition in the Dark
    • Project-United-Are-We: A Coalition United in Name Only
    • The Stories Behind the Stories
    • But the Story Does Not End Here
    • Chapter 4. The Paper Information Lines
    • TeenHealth: The Media in the Dark
    • REDUCE: The Media in the Artificial Light
    • The Immigrant Gardens: The Blind Eye
    • PC&C: The Stepford Staff
    • The Story Behind the Stories
    • But the Story Does Not End Here
    • Chapter 5. The Other Side of the Page
    • The Small Story: The Nondiscretionary Model
    • The Big Story: Ethics-Based Leadership
    • A Word About Good Leadership
    • The Story Does Not End Here
    • Chapter 6. The Role Evaluators Can Play, and Why We So Seldom Do
    • The Ideal Circumstances for Effective Evaluation Practice
    • Why Best Practices in Evaluation Rarely Occur
    • Evaluation Feedback and Why It Is So Seldom Used
    • And Yet…
    • Chapter 7. The Paper Program and the Future
    • A Venue for Change
    • Before Putting This Book Down
    • References
    • Index

    Name: Accountability in Social Services: The Culture of the Paper Program (Paperback) – Routledge 
    Description: By Jill Florence Lackey. Accountability in Social Services examines how - and why - social and human services programs can function even though they are monitored by written communication instead of face-to-face interaction. Author Jill Florence Lackey draws on her experience as...
    Categories: Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health, Social Work, Community Social Work, Mental Health/Clinical Social Work, Medical Social Work, Social Policy