June 1994 — Features

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CARAS: A School-Based, Case Management System for At-Risk Students

Future plans for CARAS include an Expert System component to allow case managers (and other school personnel) to draw upon data already in the database to assist them with decision making. Such an "advisory" component can only be developed after a pool of expertise is accessible, built upon data and information gathered, processed and evaluated through CARAS. As districts face budget cuts, they continually search for ways of doing more with less. Implementation of a program like CARAS can greatly augment their efforts in managing the cases of at-risk students and their families. CARAS meets the needs of school districts who conduct their own service delivery programs. By utilizing all of its aspects, the process used by such districts can be greatly enhanced. The University of Washington thanks the case managers, teachers and other school personnel participating in the piloting of this application. In addition, the university appreciates the cooperation and assistance provided by the following: The Migrant Child Institute, Grandview, Wash; Franklin Pierce School District, Tacoma, Wash.; Oakville School District, Oakland, Wash.; Pasco School District, Pasco, Wash.; Peninsula School District, Gig Harbor, Wash.; and West Valley School District, Spokane, Wash.
For more information on CARAS, contact: C-STARS College of Education, University of Washington 4725 30th Ave. NE, GG-12 Seattle, WA 98195 Attn: Eduardo Armijo The authors of this paper are education faculty and professional staff at the Center for the Study and Teaching of At-Risk Students (C-STARS), located in the College of Education at the University of Washington in Seattle. C-STARS has developed several programs addressing issues pertaining to at-risk students and their families, including dropout prevention and substance abuse prevention/intervention. Many of the center's activities utilize school-based, interprofessional case management as a means of addressing these issues.