ABSTRACT
The Catholic Welfare Agency chosen for study was a member agency of Catholic Charities, a large complex of health, recreation, educational, and welfare services of the type sponsored by many Roman Catholic dioceses. The agency was supported by Diocesan funds and money from churches and the United Council, and had an open, nonsectarian admission policy. Entrance to any one of the various services of Catholic Charities could be direct, or it could be through the Welfare Agency, which acted as a referral service for the remainder. Most of the clients applying to Catholic Welfare for either financial help or social services were self-referred, as the agency profiles show. The Catholic Welfare Agency offered four services to its clients: financial assistance, counseling, arrangements for service with other agencies, and referrals to other sources of care. The agency's services were given under conditions at once supportive and controlling, and the clients may therefore have felt themselves to be in a bind.
