ABSTRACT
This chapter reflects the everyday comings and goings of clients in the regulative system. Interpreting out-referrals is hindered by the possibility that when an agency refers a client, the client may not act on that referral. In general, there is an important principle involved in the discrepancy between in- and out-referrals: whereas in-referrals are events, or consummated choices, out-referrals are un-consummated choices or potential events. As the majority of referrals from counseling agencies were made at the time of intake, these agencies were obviously performing an allocating function for some clients. The protective controlling agencies, except the Welfare Department, received almost all their clients by referral, and between one-quarter and one-half of their client groups were referred elsewhere. Clients came to these agencies from a wide variety of other sources and the target agencies were also scattered–except for the Children's Division of the Welfare Department, which referred only to foster homes and children's institutions.
