This phenomenological study sought to develop an understanding of school-based mental health programming through the shared experiences of elementary principals throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. More specifically, this study examined the programs, screenings, interventions, and personnel that support the mental health needs of…

Self-reported health status is an integral method to understand how adults on the autism spectrum perceive their healthcare and service needs. The objective of the study is to examine how self-reported health changes with use and need of physical health services. The Pennsylvania autism needs assessment included a survey of adults on the autism…

Background: The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is mandated kindergarten to 12th grade in Pennsylvania schools to address barriers to student academic success. Following student referral, SAP teams use a systematic process to inform recommendations for school or community-based services. To evaluate program outcomes, a review of student SAP…

Academic Health Centers and nonprofit hospitals are exploring strategies to meet Affordable Care Act mandates requiring tax-exempt institutions to address community health needs, which commonly include major chronic illnesses. We explore the implications of this regulatory landscape, describing methods that nonprofit health care institutions are…

This study investigated the low literacy and math achievement of 4th grade students with emotional disturbances (ED) in an urban school district in Pennsylvania. Researchers have speculated that teachers possess limited knowledge of the behavioral health needs of students with ED needed to support their behavior and achievement. Therefore, this…

The Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) 2021 Annual Report describes 153,233 unique college students, nationally and internationally, seeking mental health treatment; 4,043 clinicians; and more than 1,135,520 appointments from the 2020-2021 academic year. This is the 13th year the report has been produced. This year's report specifically…

This study explored the mental health needs and services of children and adolescents within Pennsylvania school communities; this included a focus upon evidence-based counseling approaches. Relationships were analyzed between population density, SES status, grade level and the type of mental health issues serviced. Survey data from 314 respondents…

Background: Recent changes to Medicaid policy may have unintended consequences in the education system. This study estimated the potential financial impact of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) on school districts by calculating Medicaid-reimbursed behavioral health care expenditures for school-aged children in general and children in special…

School nurses are the health professionals most consistently involved with the health needs of children, particularly in rural areas where primary care providers are less likely to be located. To understand the scope and effectiveness of nursing services for school districts throughout Pennsylvania, the researchers conducted a study in 2005 to:…

This article presents the fourth part in the 12 installment series that presents the experiences of a fictitious couple, Amita and Samir, as they learn to adapt to the reality of having a premature baby with special needs. It describes the services provided by various community resources to children and youth with special healthcare needs and…

Findings of a qualitative study of three health and human services agencies determined that strategies of survival inherent in the culture of homelessness are rarely considered by those agencies in providing services to homeless people. Programs should develop cultural sensitivity and use a cultural perspective in planning. (JOW)

This needs assessment study of mental health needs of the elderly in Pennsylvania used a three-part approach. These parts were a review of existing data sources, an extensive key informant study, and a review of service delivery models. A recent study found a prevalence rate for mental illness in the elderly of 12.8%, more than 5% lower than the…

This study has 3 primary goals: (1) The development of a manpower supply-demand model for medicine in Pennsylvania; (2) Utilization of the model to make projections of physician needs for Pennsylvania from 1971-1980; and (3) A general analysis of the data particularly with regard to the current dilemma in medical care for which Pennsylvania and…

In order to address problems related to the health care of children in foster care, policymakers need detailed information about health status, health care utilization, and Medicaid expenditures. This policy brief summarizes a study examining health care utilization and expenditures paid by Medicaid for children in foster care in California,…

In July and August 1975, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 347 adults living in Indiana County, Pennsylvania to gather information on the health services needed, physician extenders (i.e., nurse practitioners and physician's assistants), adequate health care for everyone, and regular health habits of the population. The sample included…