Monday, July 14, 2003

The Unsolved Challenge of System Reform: The Condition of the Frontline Human Service Workforce
A report by the Casey Foundation (in Adobe Acrobat format) at the Open Minds web site - "Frontline social services workers are the heart and soul of our nation’s publicly funded human services system. Conservatively estimated at about 3 million, these workers have a tremendous impact on the life chances of vulnerable children and families. This vital role prompted Casey Foundation staff to conduct an in-depth exploration of job conditions on the frontlines for workers in the following sectors: child welfare, child care, juvenile justice, youth services, and employment and training. Our research led us to define eight key factors that—by general agreement—pose the greatest challenge to this workforce..."  
  

Public nursing home budgets squeezed by the costs of care (Wisconsin)
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel story - "The past few years have been tough for local government-run nursing homes. But things are about to get tougher, operators say, as state and federal revenue streams reduce to a trickle, expenses continue to increase and marketplace pressures pose challenges. ... It's a dilemma faced by long-term care facilities everywhere, but acutely felt by government-run homes. They are under a legal mandate to care for the indigent, elderly and seriously ill, who often cannot afford care in private facilities."