The psychometric properties and utility of the Helpgiving Practices Scale are described. The scale includes 25 items which measure different kinds of helpgiving practices that have previously been found associated with positive recipient outcomes, including psychosocial functioning and self-efficacy appraisals. Item analysis, internal consistency reliability, factor analysis, criterion-related validity, and known-groups validity found the scale to have excellent psychometric properties. The scale was especially useful for differentiating the helpgiving practices of professionals from different kinds of programs and agencies that varied on a continuum from professionally-centered to family-centered. Implications for research and practice are described.
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