Bridging The Gaps

Today, most substance abuse treatment is administered by community-based organizations. If providers could readily incorporate the most recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of addiction and treatment, the treatment would be much more effective and efficient. The gap between research findings and everyday treatment practice represents an enormous missed opportunity at this exciting time in this field. Informed by real-life experiences in addiction treatment including workshops and site visits, Bridging the Gap Between Practice and Research examines why research remains remote from treatment and makes specific recommendations to community providers, federal and state agencies, and other decision-makers. The book outlines concrete strategies for building and disseminating knowledge about addiction; for linking research, policy development, and everyday treatment implementation; and for helping drug treatment consumers become more informed advocates. In candid language, the committee discusses the policy barriers and the human attitudesâ€"the stigma, suspicion, and skepticismâ€"that often hinder progress in addiction treatment. The book identifies the obstacles to effective collaboration among the research, treatment, and policy sectors; evaluates models to address these barriers; and looks in detail at the issue from the perspective of the community-based provider and the researcher.

Tap the psychology of human connection to drive meaningful workplace communication Human beings are born to connect—but in today’s increasingly polarized world, we’re losing sight of the importance of building and maintaining professional relationships. And that’s bad for business. In Bridge the Gap, two prominent Fortune 500 coaches explore how your biology and biography define and refine your behavior in relationships where you struggle to connect. Focusing on personal responsibility and awareness, meta-cognition, and curiosity, they provide a reliable and replicable framework to enhance open communication. And they illuminate the inner workings of the human brain and mind, and how they impact the way you connect, communicate, and collaborate. Inside, you’ll find eye-opening techniques to help you: Master your biological reactions when pressure, stress, and anxiety hijack your efforts to connect Understand how you and others can better learn from and listen to each other Lead with curiosity in all your communication strategies and learn how to give authentic feedback Feel more comfortable working on diverse team and embrace all cultural backgrounds What makes this book different from others is that it focuses on the how rather than just the why of fostering better communication. And, whether you’re entry level staff or a C-Suite executive, these techniques can be applied at all levels and all capacities. Filled with practical exercises, colorful stories, and illustrative case studies, Bridge the Gap reveals how to harness the real and raw power of your mind to build solid workplace relationships in any situation.

What is the use of research in public debates and policy-making on immigration and integration? Why are there such large gaps between migration debates and migration realities, and how can they be reduced? Bridging the Gaps: Linking Research to Public Debates and Policy Making on Migration and Integration provides a unique set of testimonies and analyses of these questions by researchers and policy experts who have been deeply involved in attempts to link social science research to public policies. Bridging the Gaps argues that we must go beyond the prevailing focus on the research-policy nexus by considering how the media, public opinion, and other dimensions of public debates can interact with research and policy-processes. The chapters provide theoretical analyses and personal assessments of the successes and failures of past efforts to link research to public debates and policy-making on migration and integration in six different countries - Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States - as well as in European and global governance debates. Contrary to common public perceptions and political demands, Bridging the Gaps argues that all actors contributing to research, public debates, and policy-making should recognize that migration, integration, and related decision-making are highly complex issues, and that there are no quick fixes to what are often enduring policy dilemmas. When the different actors understand and appreciate each other's primary aims and constraints, such common understandings can pave the way for improved policy-making processes and better public policies that deal more effectively with the real challenges of migration and integration. This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International licence. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations.

College-for-all has become the new American dream. Most high school students today express a desire to attend college, and 90% of on-time high school graduates enroll in higher education in the eight years following high school. Yet, degree completion rates remain low for non-traditional students—students who are older, low-income, or have poor academic achievement—even at community colleges that endeavor to serve them. What can colleges do to reduce dropouts? In Bridging the Gaps, education scholars James Rosenbaum, Caitlin Ahearn, and Janet Rosenbaum argue that when institutions focus only on bachelor’s degrees and traditional college procedures, they ignore other pathways to educational and career success. Using multiple longitudinal studies, the authors evaluate the shortcomings and successes of community colleges and investigate how these institutions can promote alternatives to BAs and traditional college procedures to increase graduation rates and improve job payoffs. The authors find that sub-baccalaureate credentials—associate degrees and college certificates—can improve employment outcomes. Young adults who complete these credentials have higher employment rates, earnings, autonomy, career opportunities, and job satisfaction than those who enroll but do not complete credentials. Sub-BA credentials can be completed at community college in less time than bachelor’s degrees, making them an affordable option for many low-income students. Bridging the Gaps shows that when community colleges overemphasize bachelor’s degrees, they tend to funnel resources into remedial programs, and try to get low-performing students on track for a BA. Yet, remedial programs have inconsistent success rates and can create unrealistic expectations, leading struggling students to drop out before completing any degree. The authors show that colleges can devise procedures that reduce remedial placements and help students discover unseen abilities, attain valued credentials, get good jobs, and progress on degree ladders to higher credentials. To turn college-for-all into a reality, community college students must be aware of their multiple credential and career options. Bridging the Gaps shows how colleges can create new pathways for non-traditional students to achieve success in their schooling and careers.

What happens when you die? How does one transcend mankind to heavenly being, the known to the eternal mystery? One spring day in 1971, Calvin Cassady, a southwest Missouri teenager, was a victim in an unexplained automobile accident on a curvy Ozark mountain roadway. The impact caused the car that Calvin was a passenger in to burst into flames, plunging him into a clouded existence that included a walk through the valley of the shadow of death, leaving him on the threshold of eternal life. Eternity surrounded him and filled him with an absolute certainty of heaven. Standing before the Master and all his creation Calvin became troubled with the vision of his judgment and the life that he brought with him. Consumed with feelings of emptiness, he needed fulfillment. Bridging the Gap is the story of that miraculous event and the life of fulfillment that followed. Experience that fulfillment through Calvins spouse, his children, his students, his friends, and through the lives of total strangers as they became players in the great spiritual adventures of his life. Observe as the Holy Spirit guides Calvin through natural disasters and serious health issues, and feel the love as he takes into the mission field. Bridging the Gap celebrates the ordinary and illustrates the extraordinary results that occur during a lifetime lived for Christ. While you continue your spiritual journey, remember that faith, hope, and love conquer all. May your journey be fruitful, and may Gods peace be with you.

Funeral rites help people to cope with their loss and express their religious needs. Even in a secularised society such as that in the Netherlands large groups of people still fall back on ecclesiastic rites when a loved one dies. But how does one explain that there are more people participating in church funerals than people who assign religion a focal place in their lives? How do present-day funeral-goers regard the rites in which they participate? Does the rite actually help them to bridge the gaps left by the deceased? This study considers such questions from the angle of ritual and liturgical studies by way of empirical research into perceptions of present-day church funerals in the Netherlands.

Relationships play an important role in human development, especially in the first years of life. Bridging the Relationship Gap provides caregivers tools and encouragement to be the strong, positive, and nurturing adult these children need in order to thrive. Learn more about the factors that contribute to the achievement and relationship gap, including ecological, biological, and cultural differences. Most importantly, find many tools and resources to help you more effectively deal with the tough situations and become each child's strongest ally. Sara Langworthy, PhD, currently serves as policy coordinator for Extension Children, Youth, and Family Consortium at the University of Minnesota.

By cutting across party and committee lines, legislative member organizations facilitate the flow of vital information