The Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 was reauthorized for another two years by the Omnibus McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1988. This report summarizes the nine titles of the McKinney Act, including changes brought about in the 1988 reauthorization. Title I covers general provisions of the Act. Title II establishes the…

The paper describes combined public education and community mental health in a preschool educational day treatment program for seriously emotionally disturbed children. The Developmental Therapy model on which the Tacoma, Washington, program is based is described as using five normal developmental stages to facilitate treatment which stresses the…

In this anthology, fourteen articles on mental health and the black community are collected. Topics considered include family life, childhood environment, adolescence, work and adulthood, the black aged, functions of the social network, ecological influences, mental health services, public policy, the black mental health network force, and…

"Data Trends" reports present summaries of research on mental health services for children and adolescents and their families. The article summarized in this "Data Trends" reports a qualitative investigation of the networking experiences of teachers, parents, human service professionals, and faith-based organizations involved in services for…

This document provides 2001-02 year service plan guidelines for fulfilling the requirements of the Student Health Partnership, a joint endeavor of the provincial government partners of Alberta Learning, Health and Wellness, Children's Services, and the Alberta Mental Health Board, to enhance the provision of a range of integrated health and…

Analyzes why the current complex of social institutions and systems does not effectively serve poor children, highlighting the lack of early or preventative help for families and inappropriate organizational structure. Offers a series of five principles for a new foundation based on prevention, comprehensiveness, continuity, and accountability.…

Describes the Decker Family Development Center (DFDC) in Barberton (Ohio), while relating the difference that the DFDC's services has made to one poor family. Recounts the DFDC's establishment, funding, and current services (adult education, counseling for parents and children, and several types of child care services). (JB)

As part of a commitment to eliminate child poverty, the British government has established Sure Start programs across the country. Sure Start programs are very similar to U.S. Early Head Start initiatives; their stated aim is to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged families and children before and from birth. The article describes…

A program of research related to school-based models for urban children's mental health is described, with a particular focus on improving access to services, promoting children's functioning, and providing for program sustainability. The first study in this series responded to the urgent need to engage more families in mental health services, and…

Objective: It is now well documented that satisfaction with mental health services is influenced by a variety of other factors (e.g., race, diagnosis, functioning level). Because of a generally brighter outlook, this study examined whether care satisfaction is also influenced by contentment in housing, social relations, or existence in general.…

Purpose: Drawing on literature and the evaluation of a UK community Arts in Health project, this article aims first to demonstrate that, in spite of the common association in mental health practice between art and the use of psychotherapeutic techniques, involvement in art creation can, in itself, have a sustained and positive impact on the mental…

This article describes one component of a comprehensive model of family-centered preventive mental health services that were delivered as part of a University-Head Start Partnership grant. Personal Best, a carefully designed role competence curriculum, was implemented through a group intervention to examine the personal and contextual factors that…

The present study documented and evaluated steps taken by public mental health administrators to recruit members of underrepresented ethnic minority populations into treatment. By surveying county-level ethnic program specialists in the decentralized California state system, the study identified strategies considered effective for reaching African…

To evaluate the impacts of participation in mental health Consumer/Survivor Initiatives (CSIs), we used a nonequivalent control group design to compare new, active participants in CSIs ( n = 61) with nonactive participants ( n = 57) at baseline, 9-month, and 18-month follow-up intervals. The two groups were comparable at baseline on a wide range…

Data from the first year of a developing plan to implement a bilingual/bicultural mental health service network within a large urban Latino metropolis were gathered from Manos de Esperanza, a Spanish speaking family outpatient/crisis clinic funded by the Van Nuys Community Mental Health Center. First year of planning evolved from a community…