The prevailing model of care for psychiatric patients in the emergency room (ER) is evaluation and disposition, with little or no treatment provided. This article describes the results of a pilot study of a family-based crisis intervention (FBCI) for suicidal adolescents and their families in a large, urban pediatric ER. FBCI is an intervention…

This two-page fact sheet summarizes typical approaches, programs, and resources in the area of family support and respite programs for families with special needs. Principles of family support programs are listed, stressing the common goal of increasing the ability of families to successfully nurture children. Typical components of such programs…

HOMEBUILDERS, a home-based crisis intervention model, is described. The core beliefs of the program are listed; therapists' availability and caseloads are discussed; and reasons for limiting intervention to a four-week period are indicated. (BC)

Describes the Residential Services for Parents program, which provides residential service for single mothers and their families. The program provides a variety of services including help with income, housing, abuse and other family dysfunctions, and prevention of separation. The program is effective in keeping families together. (GH)

The role of psychologists in helping families of the one in five Americans suffering from mental illness is described. The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill has been active in bridge building between psychologists and families through enhanced communication and improvements in support systems. An agenda of 15 recommendations for further…

Describes attempts by agencies to integrate services. Programs that integrate services are innovative and effective, and provide continued support to families and children in crisis. Families and children benefit from accessible and comprehensive programs. Government benefits from elimination of duplication of services and reduction of costly…

Individual effectiveness studies and reviews of studies are described for eight mental health service components for children and adolescents with severe emotional disturbances and their families. Components discussed include residential services, outpatient services, day treatment services, crisis and emergency management services, case…

The causes and consequences of homelessness have been the subject of considerable social science research. This report details recovery from homelessness, or "exits from homelessness," through analysis of descriptive demographic data and correlation of success rates with participant behavior and intervention context. The 2-year…

This monograph describes Families First, a family-designed system of mental health care for children in Essex County, New York. Philosophical principles of family-driven service delivery are outlined and illustrated with comments from participants. The planning that went into developing the Families First program is described, including initial…

Family preservation programs have long been used to prevent foster placement of children by providing services to the entire family. This manual presents the model for the Boys Town Family Preservation Program and discusses the foundations of in-home treatment, including cultural and family differences, community resources and networking, family…

This proceedings document includes papers presented at a conference on children's mental health, systems of care, and research. Papers are grouped into 11 chapters which address the following topics: (1) program and system evaluations (nine papers); (2) managed care in children's mental health (six papers); (3) accountability and information…