Robert L. Schalock, Ph.D., and Miguel Angel Verdugo- Alonso, Ph.D.

Understanding and applying the concept of quality of life has become a critical factor for human service practitioners. People want a life of quality; providers want to deliver quality products; and evaluators, including policymakers, funders, and consumers, want quality outcomes. The Handbook helps all three reach their goal.

Here’s what makes The Handbook unique:

1. The Handbook proposes a revolutionary "generic" model of quality of life (QOL) to measure, apply, and evaluate the concept of QOL in six areas of human service-education, physical health, mental and behavioral health, mental retardation and intellectual disabilities, aging, and families. This QOL model is based on 12 years of research and can help all human service professionals including educators, practitioners, advocates, program administrators, policy makers, researchers, and consumers evaluate existing programs and services, and devise new ones.
   
   
2. The Handbook is based on a review of international literature on quality of life from 1985-2000, making it the most comprehensive and up-to-date volume on the subject. There are nearly 21,000 published articles and book chapters to date on quality of life. The authors of The Handbook have sifted through 9,749 abstracts and 2,455 full-text articles and book chapters to finally zoom in on 900 titles most relevant to education, health care, social services, and families-the focus areas of The Handbook.
   
   
3. The Handbook teaches you how to conceptualize, measure, and apply the idea of quality of life in the six subject areas listed above. Conceptualization includes a discussion on the meaning and significance of quality of life, the principles upon which QOL is based, and an analysis of core domains and indicators of quality of life. In measurement, the authors propose a step-by-step "Systems Approach" of measuring quality of life based on a critique of current and historical methods of measurement used in each of the six focus areas of the book. Finally, in application, the authors talk about how individuals, organizations, and the society at large can apply research done in conceptualization and measurement to enhance quality of life. Thus, with The Handbook, you get both the theoretical knowledge and practical tools to integrate best practices in quality of life into your existing or new programs and services.
   
   
4. The Handbook is co-authored by Bob Schalock, a name associated with quality of life studies. With 5 books and numerous articles and book chapters on quality of life in areas ranging from aging, mental retardation, and organizational culture to adolescent studies, exceptionality, and special education, Schalock is a leading figure in QOL research. Joining Bob Schalock is Dr. Verdugo, a scholar from the University of Salamanca in Spain. With advanced degrees in special education, general education, psychology, and speech pathology and experience in directing health care and employment programs in Spain, Dr. Verdugo brings a valuable international perspective to The Handbook.
   
   
5. The authors approach the concept of quality of life from a cross-cultural perspective and this is yet another factor that makes The Handbook unique. In the words of the authors, "…we feel confident that we can approach our task in this text generally from a universal and cross-cultural perspective, but with considerable respect for cultural uniqueness and variability." This makes The Handbook international in its appeal.
   
   
6. Apart from these distinct features, The Handbook also highlights surprising findings in quality of life research-little reference to rights of service recipients, minimal emphasis on quality of life in education, and lack of QOL research on family-centered issues. Additionally, the authors identify future challenges and opportunities in quality of life and give pointers on how different constituencies in human services can use quality of life as a tool for change.

No. 234
ISBN 0-940898-77-2
PAPER; 2002; 350 pp.
$49.95 ($44.45 members)

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