An Evaluation of a Unified Sports Football Pilot Project

A preliminary report on the evaluation of the Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia Unified Football Pilot Project.There is growing support in European societies for the total inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in all aspects of the community. Sport provides a means for supporting this integration process.Unified Sports is one mechanism for promoting social inclusion through sport. Unified Sports is a Special Olympics initiative that provides opportunities for sportsmen with and without intellectual disabilities to play on integrated sport teams. This experience allows athletes and partners to develop sport skills, have meaningful competition experiences, and create long lasting friendships.In 2005, Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia developed a school-based pilot project that merged the Special Olympics school curriculum SO Get Into It with Special Olympics Unified Football. The goals of this pilot project were to improve the sport skills, social skills, and self-esteem of students with and without intellectual disabilities. In addition, the project aimed to improve the understanding and acceptance of students without disabilities towards people with intellectual disabilities.Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia and Special Olympics, Inc., commissioned the Special Olympics Global Collaborating Center (GCC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston to implement a comprehensive evaluation of this pilot project.The findings of this evaluation suggest that this model of Unified football has been successful in promoting social inclusion. Though separated by their educational settings, these students with and without intellectual disabilities have come together on the playing field to learn about sport and one another

A Consideration of the Performance Management Debate and its Effect on Business Results

This research explored the ways that performance management influences employee engagement and work performance with the objective of exposing a link to their effect on business results. My hypothesis is that effective performance management can positively influence employee engagement which in turn favorably impacts business results. Many of us are exposed to some type of performance management in the workplace, usually in the form of an annual performance appraisal, and there is a lively debate amongst business leaders and academics about the future of performance management. A review of previously peer-reviewed research supports the supposition that there is a positive correlation between employee engagement driven by performance management and positive business results. Failure to engage employees through intrinsic and extrinsic benefits will result in a dissatisfied workforce

Current Recommendations For The Perioperative Management Of Patients On Buprenorphine: A Case Study

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, more than 2 million Americans suffer from opioid use disorder (DHHS, 2020). Opioid maintenance therapy (OMT) for OUD has been shown to reduce the rates of inpatient hospitalization and overall opioid-related mortality (Quaye & Zhang, 2019). Buprenorphine is a partial mu receptor agonist and kappa receptor antagonist that is used frequently by patients on OMT. Beginning in 2010 annual prescriptions for buprenorphine products have increased dramatically (Lembke, Ottestad, & Schmiesing, 2019). With the rising level of chronic pain and opioid use nationally, more and more patients taking buprenorphine are presenting to the perioperative setting. The pharmacology of buprenorphine presents a unique challenge to the anesthesia provider particularly with regards to achieving adequate pain control during and after surgery. A review of the literature indicates that there are no unified guidelines on the perioperative management of buprenorphine. The focus of this paper is to discuss the unique pharmacology of buprenorphine and review the current literature on the best perioperative management strategies for patients on buprenorphine. The case study included provides an example of one patient’s perioperative experience while on buprenorphine