Realist evaluation (RE) is increasingly adopted to assess the effectiveness of social programs. RE goes beyond measurement of outcomes, providing insight into how and why programs work by focusing on how participants experience and respond to programs within certain contexts. A RE was conducted on Healthy Start-Départ Santé (HSDS), an early…

This article provides readers with information regarding the impact of disasters on children. It introduces basic relief efforts and mental health services that are common to most disaster-related situations. Classroom- and community-based interventions are also included along with conclusions and key points for educators.

ExpandED Schools (formerly TASC) has spent the past 17 years helping schools and community organizations find the right partners. This resource guide offers a guide to the strategic questions school teams might ask themselves and their potential partners to have the best outcomes for young people. The following attachment is included: School…

This paper provides an overview of screening, identification, and assessment tools and processes that can be used by practitioners and researchers who care for immigrant and refugee youth. The authors focus particularly on those tools useful in school-based settings. First, the authors review mental health needs of immigrant and refugee youth and…

A cookbook approach is taken to health education programs. The ingredients for an effective health and safety fair include a slice of color, one barrel of laughs, a bunch of hard work, and a measure of knowledge. (JN)

Several of the American Heart Association's education programs are described. The newest program is Heart Health Education in the Young, designed to stress the importance of early risk factor education. (JMF)

People with alcohol or other drug disease face public and private policies that restrict their access to appropriate health care, employment, and public benefits, discouraging them from seeking treatment, robbing them of hope for recovery, and costing society millions of dollars. Join Together, a project of Boston University School of Public…

A description is given of an exercise program designed to improve the physical condition and health of older adults. (JD)

Describes Bellevue (Washington) School District's employee wellness program's successful efforts to (1) save lives by promoting healthy lifestyles, (2) boost morale by taking health services to the workplace, (3) improve on-the-job performance by providing inexpensive, convenient opportunities for exercise and weight loss, and (4) reduce staff…

Employee health promotion through wellness programs can be set up at schools using existing facilities. Describes how Greenwood Area Schools in Millertown, Pennsylvania, set up a program and lists who does what in the program. (MLF)

Describes current trends in drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs, including decreased emphasis on the school's role in prevention, increased interest in forestalling rather than treating health problems, greater involvement of celebrities in antidrug programs, and improved peer support mechanisms. Noteworthy national programs are cited. (PGD)

As states confront budget shortfalls, investment in mental health services faces the chopping block. Almost every state has instituted cost containment strategies in its Medicaid programs and state policymakers have begun to cut services for people with mental health treatment needs. The first part of this report presents research on state cuts to…

Descriptions are given of model programs for the prevention of drug abuse. (JD)

Providing mental health services to children and youth has long been a tremendous challenge for communities. Numerous reports and studies demonstrate that children in Minnesota and across the nation struggle with a variety of unmet mental health needs. As a result, children are placed at great risk for failure in education, in the work force, and…

The Door is a youth center in New York, New York, that has the capacity to respond to a myriad of adolescent needs and problems. Over the past 15 years it has serviced over 100,000 teenagers, 53.4 percent of whom were Black, 23.1 percent Hispanic, 20 percent White, 3.5 percent Asian and other; they come from all over the New York City area.…