State TANF Policy and Services to People With Disabilities

The intent of this study is to identify state policies and procedures that are designed to ensurethat people with disabilities and/or parents with children with disabilities are provided theopportunity to participate in state TANF programs. The intent is not to present "best practices," with quantifiable and measurable outcomes. Many state TANF programs are still in their early stages, with new programs being developed and outcomes still uncertain. The intent is to present an in-depth "snapshot" of what is occurring right now at the state level in terms of services and programs designed to assist TANF recipients with disabilities. Are states developing programs and policies specifically targeted toward people with disabilities? Are people with disabilities being served on an individual basis as part of the overall TANF population? Are states developing innovative strategies that particularly benefit TANF recipients with disabilities and, if so, what are they? By identifying these strategies, this report may assist other states in their policy development process in support of people with disabilities and parents with children of disabilities

Exchanging expertise and constructing boundaries: the development of a transnational knowledge network around heroin-assisted treatment

Over the last twenty years, supervised injectable and inhalable heroin prescribing has been developed, tested and in some cases introduced as a second line treatment for limited groups of entrenched heroin users in a number of European countries and Canada. Based on documentary analyses and eleven key informant interviews, this paper investigates the growth of ‘expertise’ and the sharing of knowledge between scientific stakeholders from different countries involved in researching and developing this area of treatment. Drawing on Stone’s concept of the ‘knowledge network’ (Stone, 2013) and Gieryn’s theory of ‘boundary-work’ (Gieryn, 1983), the analysis demonstrates the collective power of this group of scientists in producing a particular form of knowledge and expertise which has accrued and been exchanged over time. It also illustrates the ways in which this type of science has gained credibility and authority and become legitimised, reinforced and reproduced by those who employ it in both scientific and political debates. Boundaries were constructed by the knowledge network between different types of professions/disciplines, different forms of science and between the production of science and its consumption by non-scientists. The uniformity of the knowledge network in terms of their professional and disciplinary backgrounds, methodological expertise and ideological perspectives has meant that alternative forms of knowledge and perspectives have been neglected. This limits the nature and scope of the scientific evidence on which to base policy and practice decisions impacting on the work of policy makers and practitioners as well as the experiences of those in treatment who are most affected by this research and policy development

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998: A Primer for People with Disabilities

The primer outlines the various componenets of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). It also suggests ways that people with disabilities can fully access WIA systems and services.The report was prepared for the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment Policy for Persons with Disabilities and funded by the United States Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

Producing the 'problem' of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in English prisons

Background: There has been a significant change in the types of substances consumed within English prison settings in the last eight years. There have been particular concerns regarding the acceleration in the use and availability of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), mainly synthetic cannabinoids. Although NPS were identified as a ‘problem’ in prisons in 2011, government responses emerged only in 2015. As yet, there is no overarching policy document or strategy for dealing with NPS. This paper analyses the various strands of the response to NPS in prisons published from January 2015 to December 2016. Methods: Drawing on Bacchi’s ‘What’s the problem represented to be’ framework, the ways in which the NPS ‘problem’ in prisons has been represented is analysed through a number of related policy texts including press releases, new legislative and regulatory measures, government documents and training package. Results: From the various measures introduced to deal with the ‘problem’, NPS use is produced primarily as a law, order and control ‘problem’ requiring regulation, penalties and control, rather than a ‘demand problem’ calling for prevention, education, treatment and harm reduction or a ‘regime problem’ demanding greater emphasis and resources for purposeful activities such as education, training and work opportunities. This problematisation of drug use in prisons has a history dating back to the 1995 prison drug strategy and has become entrenched and reproduced within policy development over time. Conclusion: The law, order, and control problematization blames the volatility of the substances and the individual prisoners who use them as key factors contributing to the current prison crisis, rather than as consequences of the wider practices, cultures, contexts, and conditions. Multiple representations of the problem of NPS in prisons are needed in order to address the regime and structural issues which lead those imprisoned to use substances

Containing contradictions: the development of prison drugs policy in England since 1980

This thesis is a study of policy networks in the development of prison drugs policy in England during the late twentieth century. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with key actors in the policy process, including civil servants and representatives from drug agencies, penal reform groups and professional associations, and an analysis of documentary materials, it examines the role and influence of policy networks in policy development. The thesis is multi-disciplinary in its approach, drawing on concepts, theories and research from a variety of disciplines including criminology, social policy, sociology, political science and public administration. The analysis is based upon the construction of a series of four case studies which correspond to the key phases in prison drugs policy development since 1980: 1980-1986; 1986-1993; 1993-1997; and 1997-. It explores policy development around drug treatment and throughcare, HIV / AIDS and drug misuse, supply reduction activities and security and control measures. The development of policy has hinged upon complex patterns of conflict, contradiction and convergence between treatment and punishment. Throughout the phases, particular policy networks have evolved around drug-related issues within the penal system, expanding and becoming more complex in their structure and operation over time. They have attempted to contain, balance and negotiate the contradictions within policies. This 'balancing act' or 'containment' has taken many different forms and has been shaped by several processes or forces: the way in which the drug problem has been framed and defined; the role of research, evidence and knowledge; and the impact of wider social political policy and institutional contexts. The conclusions of the thesis are: first, as prison drugs policy became more explicit and defined, the contradiction between treatment and punishment became more acute; second, the shift towards a more explicit policy was shaped by the activities of the policy networks, which in turn were influenced by changes in the drug problem, the role of research, and changes within the wider social political policy and institutional contexts; third, the role and power of the policy networks has varied over the different phases of policy development; fourth, in the process of engaging in policy development and attempting to contain the contradictions between treatment and punishment, the policy network around drug issues in prisons has changed shape with key players becoming incorporated by the state

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998: Performance Management and People With Disabilities

The primer outlines the various components of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). It also suggests ways that people with disabilities can fully access WIA systems and services.The report was prepared for the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment Policy for Persons with Disabilities and funded by the United States Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

One-Stop Accessibility: A Nationwide Survey of One-Stop Centers on Services for People with Disabilities

The purpose of this study is to ascertain the accessibility status of One-Stop centers andthe ways that workforce development systems are serving people with disabilities. It is important to gauge how services to people with disabilities are being implemented around the country. While WIA requires that all services be fully accessible to people with disabilities , and that VR agencies be partners in the One-Stop system, the real success of the One-Stop system for people with disabilities depends on the commitment of local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) and One-Stop Operators to create a system that responds to their needs. Services and programs for people with disabilities should not only focus on accessibility and nondiscrimination

An assessment of base load concentrating solar thermal power generation for New Zealand

With increasing pressure being placed on traditional energy sources, both in terms of supply and also regulatory, there is an increasing need to explore alternative generation technologies. In global terms, solar energy has the potential to make a significant contribution to worldwide energy demands in the future. This study examines recent developments in the emerging field of concentrating solar thermal power generation and explores the potential for base load electricity generation using this technology in New Zealand

Performance of a building integrated solar combisystem

Solar combisystems providing both water and space heating to buildings are becoming commonplace in European and North American locations. However, the use of these systems in Australia and New Zealand is still in its infancy. While significant work has been undertaken to characterise the performance of these systems in northern hemisphere locations, this does not necessarily reflect their performance in Australia or New Zealand. This work examines the performance of solar combisystems utilising TRNSYS and F-chart simulations of an integrated solar thermal combisystem installed in a single storey detached dwelling under typical Australian and New Zealand climatic conditions. In doing this, it shows that there is significant scope for increased use of solar combisystems in the cooler climate regions of Australia and New Zealand

Performance of a building integrated collector for solar heating and radiant cooling

Due to their limited temperature range, unglazed solar collectors have long been relegated to providing low cost heating in applications such as swimming pool heating systems. This limited temperature range is due to heat loss: firstly by convection to the surrounding air and secondly by radiant heat transfer to the cold sky. During the day an unglazed collector can be operated as a standard solar absorber to heat water in a storage tank. However, it is possible to take advantage of radiant cooling of unglazed solar collectors by operating them at night. Under night conditions when there is no solar radiation and the sky temperature is low, the collector can radiate heat to the sky and cool a cold storage tank to provide cooling in the building the following day. This study theoretically and experimentally examines the performance of a building integrated collector for heating and cooling and explores the contribution it can make to heating and cooling loads in typical New Zealand and Australian buildings