The Deaf in the World of Work

Deaf persons form a distinct minority in the world of work. Many deaf persons are underemployed and face bleak vocational futures. Many actions can be taken to change the status of deaf employees. Professionals working with the deaf should be aware of the current vocational functioning of their clients. Deaf clients need specific job information, their social and communication skills may need improvement, and they may need basic skills in applying for a job. Comprehensive vocational counseling for the deaf is an obvious need. Also, employees must be encouraged to reduce job discrimination against the deaf. Employer attitudes preclude the deaf for appropriate job trials. If the counselor, client, and the employer work closely together, the occupational picture of deaf workers can be greatly upgraded.     

A Psychoeducational Group for Adult Children of Alcoholics

The authors describe a campus-based psychoeducational support group for adult children of alcoholics. Group goals are outlined, recruitment procedures identified, and sessions described and evaluated. This successful group format could easily be adapted to other settings and age groups (e.g., high schools, community mental health centers).     

Marijuana: A Review of Medical Research With Implications for Adolescents

Recent medical evidence indicates that marijuana is more harmful than had previously been suspected. A review of recent research in the following areas is presented: tolerance and persistence, reproductive system, respiratory system, immune system, central nervous system, genetic and chromosomal effects, and behavioral effects. Implications for mental health professionals are discussed.     

Community-Based Guidance: A ‘Tupperware Party’ Approach to Mid-Life Decision Making

This article examines a community-based approach to assisting women in their mid-life decisions through networking, peer-counseling, and professional support.     

Special Feature: Research,training, and demonstration funds for guidance and counseling

The support programs of federal, state, and private agencies are reviewed so that educators may know some of the sources of financial aid for all levels of education. Federal legislation provides the most funds whether the programs are administered by federal or state agencies. Several basic sources of additional information on available programs are also presented.     

“Did You Bring the Yarmulke for the Cabbage Patch Kid?” The Idiomatic Communication of Young Lovers

The relationships of various aspects of idiomatic communication to the interpersonal sentiments of 100 romantically involved heterosexual couples were examined. After completing measures of love, liking, commitment, and closeness, the partners of each dyad were questioned about any words, phrases, or nonverbal signs they had created that had meaning unique to their relationship. The 647 idioms reported were coded for their form (i.e., verbal versus nonverbal), context of use (i.e., private idioms, which were used only when others were not present, versus public idioms, which could be used in the presence of others), and function (i.e., confrontations, expressions of affection, labels for outsiders, nicknames, requests, sexual invitations, sexual references/euphemisms, and teasing insults). For both sexes, loving, commitment, and closeness were correlated with number of reported idioms that expressed affection, initiated sexual encounters, and referred to sexual matters. The only significant relationship for liking was between females' liking scores and the frequency of idioms with sexual referents. A log-linear analysis revealed a significant association between the function of the idioms and their form; labels for outsiders, nicknames, sexual references/euphemisms, and teasing insults were almost always verbal. A significant association was also found between idiom function and context of use; labels for outsiders and teasing insults were most often used in situations involving other people, whereas sexual invitations and sexual references/euphemisms were usually used in private situations. Finally, males were the inventors of idioms much more often than females.