Re: Client evaluation of services

[Julia Littell <jlittell@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 11:10 PM 6/30/98 -0700, you wrote:
>I'd say that Gary is a brave soul.  Hats off.  I believe if he succeeds in
>producing a study or some other written account of his research that he
>will have some difficulty in publishing it or having it cited.  It will be,
>in effect, buried.  Though there are many bona-fide researchers, my opinion
>is that this field is highly politicized and fraught with personal agendas
>unrelated to scientific work or public and child welfare.  

Although I agree with most of what Tino wrote, I take issue with the third
and fourth sentences (above). There are enough researchers and
practitioners who are truly interested in the reactions of CPS clients and
in developing service delivery systems designed to assist (not hurt) them
that Gary has a good chance of getting this work published. The sentiment
among those who have responded in this dialog is instructive: there seems
to be general agreement that this is an important area for further
research. Recent attempts in several states to bring child welfare system
under "managed care" schemes may also lead to greater interest in clients'
views of the system. I'm not so naive to think that research like Gary's
will have direct or immediate impacts on system design or service delivery,
but I'd encourage him and others to move full speed ahead in this direction.  


Julia H. Littell, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research
Bryn Mawr College
300 Airdale Rd.
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
610/520-2619
FAX 610/520-2655
jlittell@brynmawr.edu