Onyskiw J E, Harrison M J, Spady D, McConnan L
Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Child Abuse Negl. 1999 Nov;23(11):1069-81. doi: 10.1016/s0145-2134(99)00080-0.
Together for Kids is a child abuse prevention project that serves children and families in two neighboring communities in a mid-sized Canadian city. The project, a collaborative endeavor of various agencies in the health, social services, and law enforcement sectors, focuses on preventing child abuse and neglect through family support and programming. This article presents the results of a formative evaluation of the project focusing on client and team member views on project implementation.
The evaluation strategy was primarily qualitative. In-person interviews following a semi-structured format were conducted with 17 clients and 10 team members by an external evaluator. In addition a review of all client records was conducted.
The community-based approach, the multidisciplinary composition of the team, the ability to seek services when needed, the immediacy of the response time and the availability of support during stressful times were all aspects of the project that clients found beneficial. The most beneficial aspect of the project, however, was the informal support received from team members who were accepting, non-threatening, and non-judgmental. Team members found the collaborative approach made access to services easier for clients, particularly for those who were more socially isolated.
Multidisciplinary, community-based models of service delivery contribute to a more effective and compassionate response to vulnerable families. Attention to the variables identified as important aspects of the project from the clients' perspective in this evaluation may assist others in developing similar programs.
“携手为儿童”是一个预防虐待儿童的项目，服务于加拿大一个中型城市中两个相邻社区的儿童和家庭。该项目是卫生、社会服务和执法部门各机构的合作成果，专注于通过家庭支持和项目规划来预防儿童虐待和忽视。本文介绍了该项目形成性评估的结果，重点关注客户和团队成员对项目实施的看法。
评估策略主要是定性的。外部评估人员对17名客户和10名团队成员进行了半结构化的面对面访谈。此外，还对所有客户记录进行了审查。
基于社区的方法、团队的多学科构成、在需要时寻求服务的能力、响应时间的即时性以及在压力时期提供支持等，都是客户认为该项目有益的方面。然而，该项目最有益的方面是团队成员给予的非正式支持，他们接纳他人、不具威胁性且不评判他人。团队成员发现，协作方法使客户更容易获得服务，特别是对于那些社会隔离程度较高的客户。
多学科、基于社区的服务提供模式有助于对弱势家庭做出更有效、更具同情心的回应。在本次评估中关注从客户角度确定为项目重要方面的变量，可能有助于其他人开展类似项目。
