Hurricane Katrina resulted in a disaster of proportions not previously known in the United States. The traumatic experiences of children and families during Hurricane Katrina, the flooding that resulted from the breach of the levees, the evacuation, and the aftermath are unprecedented. In responding to the enormous mental health needs of children…

Objective: To examine symptomatology and mental health service use following students' contact with a large urban school district's suicide prevention program. Method: In 2001 school district staff conducted telephone interviews with 95 randomly selected parents approximately 5 months following their child's contact with the district's suicide…

This guide is intended to help Kentucky families of children with disabilities or other special needs to find services in their communities. Introductory information offers guidance in selecting services, applying for services, obtaining services, and organizing to obtain unavailable services. A question-and-answer format is used, with space…

This collection of essays provides an overview of runaways and runaway centers and describes specific short- and long-term services. The sections on direct services provide a basis for understanding the preventative services offered by runaway centers and the kinds of training necessary for center workers. The materials also consider the hazards…

Issues discussed in this conference report include: (1) desegregation as a mental health issue; (2) the responsibility of community mental health centers (CMHCs) for improving the quality of people's lives; (3) community role in crisis intervention; (4) the political responsibilities of CMHCs; (5) the role of the Solomon Carter Fuller CMHC in…

Suicide and attempted suicide are problems which continue to occupy the world-wide attention of both health service administrators and research workers. National statistics of completed suicides have shown an increase in rates among people aged 15-24 years and even among children below the age of 15. Conference discussions were based on working…

The history, rationale and methodology of the preretirement preparation program in the format of a group educational experience is traced from its origin 30 years ago by the gerontologist W. Hunter to the present. The program is described and discussed in detail, in terms of content and theoretical dynamics. As retirement is often a psycho-social…

The emotionally disturbed adolescent in residential placement is one of the most challenging situations for mental health professionals. The youth care worker with this population often demonstrates symptoms of "burnout." This study examined the effects of a specific training program, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Youth Care…

Following a description of the pattern of burnout symptoms, which include attitudinal, emotional, and physical components, measures are discussed for determining individuals' reactions to stress and their tendencies to "burnout." A discussion on strategies to cure or prevent burnout includes consideration of three basic methods: cognitive…

The myths maintaining the violence between men and women are woven deeply into the matrix of society's norms and values. Crisis intervention succeeds to the extent that it is supported by wider reaching interventions--interventions that challenge the myths. Such programs include day care for mothers wanting to work and flexible time schedules for…

This paper contains an outline of a workshop designed for the disaster mental health worker. The goal of the workshop is to describe how disaster services are different from other mental health services and to provide suggestions on how to make these services more effective. The types of disasters, the anatomy of a disaster, and time phases of a…

This paper, taken directly from the Accreditation Standards for University and College Counseling Centers published in the "Journal of Counseling and Development" (1994), delineates the standards that providers of psychological services in California community colleges must adhere to. Five pertinent areas are discussed: (1) the…

This comprehensive course from the Practical Nursing series of competency-based curricula is designed to prepare students for employment by systematically guiding the students' learning activities from the simple to the complex. These materials prepare health care practitioners to function effectively in the rapidly changing health care industry.…

In response to an open-ended question about the causes of New Zealand's high youth suicide rate, 384 young adults most commonly cited pressure to conform and perform, followed by financial worries, abuse and neglect, problems with alcohol or drugs, and boredom. Depression was cited by 5 percent and mental illness by only 1 percent. Recommended…

Noting that today's children face many dangers such as depression (in some cases leading to suicide), child abuse, eating disorders, accidents, alcohol and other drug abuse, and AIDS, this report, drawn from past issues of The Brown University Child Behavior and Development Letter, presents some of the most interesting and useful findings on these…