NCJ Number
129695
Date Published
1989
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Social services in high school are examined regarding the organization and delivery of services to students.
Abstract
Social services were evaluated in 8 of 15 public and private high schools involved in a national study of high schools. The 8 schools visited in the spring of 1984 varied in size from 1,200 students to over 3,000. An array of school specialists in areas of pregnancy, alcoholism, parental divorce, weight disorders, and suicide are available. The organization of the services is formal, but the delivery is characterized by informality. Signs of informal operations are found in the personal styles and preferences in treating student problems, matching students with services, autonomy and discretion in daily work, and infrequent interdepartmental cooperation. Contact between students and social service staff, effectiveness with teachers, variable workload, lack of coordination of different social services staff activities, and lack of systematic record keeping also demonstrate informal delivery. Not only does informality characterize the way social services staff deliver services within the high school, but it also characterizes their interaction with community service providers. 3 notes