The librarian in a mental health hospital has a unique opportunity to serve patients. The nonclinical setting is a significant factor in establishing the library as a bridge between the hospital and the outside world. The librarian-bibliotherapist, especially when working as a team member with the psychotherapist, brings professionalism and…

Rational Recovery (RR) and the Addictive Voice Recognition Technique (AVRT) are described. Rational recovery is a young organization which views alcohol and drug dependency differently from the traditional field which sees addiction as a symptom of something, of a disease, of spiritual bankruptcy, of irrational thinking, of unhappiness, of…

This paper reviews issues in the provision of services to individuals who are mentally ill chemical abusers and addicted (MICAA). Introductory material defines this population and notes that these people are frequently ineligible for services aimed at either mental illness or chemical abuse alone. Service provisions within the psychiatric/mental…

This study compared infants born to narcotic addicted mothers with infants born to nonaddicted mothers and described the potential of an intervention program. Infants of five addicted women were matched with infants of five nonaddicted women on the basis of age and socioeconomic class of the mothers and on the basis of gestational ages, birth…

Homeless people with alcohol and other drug problems present the traditional substance abuse services delivery provider with special challenges. This paper discusses the optimal designs of comprehensive treatment services for homeless persons with alcohol and other drug problems. Most importantly, the homeless must have immediate access to a safe…

The American Institute for Learning (AIL) has developed two interactive multimedia drug-awareness programs for secondary students who have used substances experimentally or are being challenged by others to experiment with drugs. The first, "Addiction and Its Processes," is an awareness program with video and computer capabilities and an…

While scholars are not in accord on the basic causes of contemporary drug abuse among minority Americans, most do agree that the social milieu of the drug abuser is fundamental. It has been urged that racism, poverty, police brutality and harrassment, the economics of addiction, the hopelessness of ghetto life, peer pressure, educational…

This paper is part of a collection of 54 papers from the 48th annual conference of the Education Law Association held in November 2002. It addresses the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Specifically, the paper examines unilateral placements for drug-abusing and delinquent students. Following the introduction, the next section of…

This study investigated the effects of cocaine addiction on mothers' ability to care for their children. The population interviewed included 25 cocaine-addicted mothers in a drug treatment center and a comparison group of 25 mothers of children in a Head Start program. Each mother was questioned about: (1) her pregnancy with a specific child…

The nature of some of the relationships and interactions between black youth and mental health professionals are explored by this paper. It is organized into the following four discussions: (1) a portrait of black youth, given as background information; (2) specific portions of deviance theory as it relates to black youth; (3) black youth as…

La Casita is a culturally relevant 6-month residential substance abuse treatment program in southeast Los Angeles County (California) for low income Latina women. Most participants are second and third generation Latinas who clearly identify themselves as being Hispanic but behave in a bicultural manner. The average La Casita resident is 30 years…

Researchers surveyed 78 clients in drug abuse treatment facilities to determine their perceptions regarding factors related to their use and abuse of drugs. About 40% of the sample began using drugs between 11 and 15 years of age. Males tended to begin using drugs at an earlier age than did females. Over 90% of participants reported using drugs…

This paper describes the consumer program, "Helpful People in Touch," a self-help treatment program for people with the multiple disorders of mental illness, drug addiction, and/or alcoholism. First, the terms, "Mentally Ill Chemical Abusers and Addicted" (MICAA) and "Chemical Abusing Mentally Ill" (CAMI) are defined…