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Collaboration is now is frequently required among representatives of myriad disciplines to intervene more effectively in complex community and public health problems. A fundamental tenet of collaboration across professions is that it is facilitated by socialization to one's own professional identity and to interprofessional collaboration with those in other professions. The purpose of this article is to explore how individuals representing six different professions (informants) understand the relationship between professional identity and interprofessional community collaboration (IPC). It examines whether professional identity changed at all over the course of their careers, and whether those changes affected their perspectives on IPC. Furthermore, this article explores how the informants portray their own profession's strengths and limitations in collaborating with other professions. Using professional networks, snowball sampling, and the reputational method, a cohort of 50 informants participated in an intensive structured dialogue event that included mono- and multi-professional group exercises. This article analyzes the data from a post-event self-administered survey of those experiences. Open-ended questions were coded using content analysis that utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methods. A large majority of the informants (80%) strongly identified with their professions while (20%) indicated a weak identification. At the same time 64% indicated their professional identities had changed in various ways. They described characteristics of their professions that both supported and deterred IPC. In summary, the results of the study suggest professional identity can remain strong even as it becomes more complex, nuanced, or expanded.

Social workers are actively engaging in the practice of interdisciplinary community collaboration (ICC) with the goal of bringing diverse groups together to improve the conditions of communities and enhance the quality of life of population groups. Yet, collaborations are challenging and require great skill and commitment. The pedagogy and the content of curricula have become a more prominent part of teaching to macro practice students and practitioners the art of effectively convening and moving collaborative efforts forward. This article adds to the literature on the content and methods of teaching students and novice practitioners the competencies embedded in ICC. It provides empirical data from six focus groups of experienced community practitioners (social workers and others) in New York City who identified components of a core curriculum for this work. Eight months later, these 33 community practitioners were asked to reprioritize the topics and concepts that they had collectively identified at the earlier time. Skills such as the ability to share power, manage differences, include the constituency and diplomacy are among those discussed. Core curriculum themes, the pedagogy and process, and the attributes and values necessary for training an ICC practitioner are presented. (Contains 1 table.)

This article presents the results of a series of structured dialogues on the topic of interdisciplinary community collaboration (ICC), the term used to convey the complexity of bringing diverse organizations [...]

Objectives. We sought to assess the effects of a school-based intervention program on cardiovascular disease risk factors in urban girls. Methods. We compared heart health knowledge, health behaviors, cardiovascular risk factors, and physical fitness among a group of 442 multiethnic teenaged girls (310 experimental participants vs 132 control participants). Testing was conducted before and after a 12-week program of vigorous exercises integrated with lectures and discussions on diet, exercise, stress, and smoking. Results. Significant differences in body fat, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart health knowledge, and whether breakfast was eaten were observed between experimental participants and control participants. Conclusions. An integrated program of exercise and heart health-related lectures and discussions had a beneficial effect on health knowledge, health behaviors, and onset of risk factors for coronary artery disease among urban girls.

Despite the existence of a Black middle class in the United States (U.S.) for at least 100 years, scant research has been conducted on the Black elderly that has not been concerned with the level of their poverty or the incidence of morbidity and mortality among them. This study examined the living conditions and analyzed the determinants of quality of life satisfaction among 59 Black women 75 years and older. The findings indicate that satisfaction with quality of life is significantly associated with belonging to a family and social support network that includes church, as well as maintaining physical health independence and personal safety. These findings hold implications for the design of social work services to the Black middle income elderly as well for future development of public policy that focuses on providing effective help for older Americans in all their diversity. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: Website: [C] 2000 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.] KEYWORDS. Elderly, Black, women, life quality satisfaction, public policy, family, church, physical independence, personal safety

This article presents the results of a series of structured dialogues on the topic of interdisciplinary community collaboration (ICC), the term used to convey the complexity of bringing diverse organizations and constituencies together to produce progressive community change. Commonalities and differences between two cohorts--academics and practitioners--on core concepts needed to both teach and practice ICC are presented. These include power and structured inequality; community; and multi-culturalism and diversity. Additional themes emerged including the complexity of professional identity and discipline for both cohorts. The article concludes with the recognition that knowledge, skills and values related to working collaboratively need to be articulated more in the classroom and infield. This can be done by bringing academics teaching ICC and community practitioners in closer connection in order to create synergy from their interaction and exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined infant mortality rates (IMR) in New York City (NYC) to identify those groups reporting higher IMR concentrations in recent years and to determine what factors and explanations are associated with this new trend. Analysis of data from NYC Department of Health (DOH) identified infant mortality patterns throughout the City by both maternal birthplace and NYC Health Districts. In addition, infant mortality rates for those NYC populations with the highest concentrations were compared to the most recently available IMR data from their countries of origin. Focus group sessions were conducted with women in the identified groups in New York City in an effort to obtain their perspectives on causality and other factors associated with the new trend. Strong patterns emerged from this study pointing to a concentration of the City's highest IMR among groups from the circum-Caribbean region. Results of focus group sessions with women in the identified population groups yielded a list of specific barriers faced by this population in the utilization of perinatal care services. In addition, the study resulted in some clearly delineated program and policy approaches that can help to address the disparities in IMR. Myriad causative factors contribute to the high rates of IMR among Caribbean immigrant groups. Expanding the availability of both successful program models and promising practices is critical to decreasing infant mortality in immigrant communities. Specific recommendations are for the development of a strategic set of interventions designed to eliminate this most serious challenge to the health of new immigrant groups in NYC. Any references to comparisons between data from NYC and data from the countries of origin were merely to serve as a reference point as it is not often possible to determine the level of scientific rigor applied to the collection and analysis of data external to the United States (U.S.). Implications for social work practice with immigrant populations include the need for delivery of culturally competent services in general and for cultural sensitivity to health beliefs surrounding maternal child health issues in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]