Measurement feedback systems (MFSs) that routinely collect and report client progress to mental health therapists have demonstrated beneficial impact on outcomes in numerous studies, with evidence that there is a dose-response relationship related to the implementation of the MFS. The current study examined the impact of MFS implementation…

As the first major effort to use a behavioral economics lens to examine human services programs that serve poor and vulnerable families in the United States, the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) project demonstrated the value of applying behavioral insights to improve the efficacy of human services programs. The BIAS…

For the 2012-2013 biennium, legislative proposals would cut the state budget overall by more than 15 percent compared to 2010-11, and are at least 30 percent below the General Revenue levels needed to main critical services such as education, health and human services, and public safety. This brief analysis focuses on House Bill 1's proposed 12…

This report presents data on job opportunities and skill requirements through 2018 arranged by the 16 career clusters in the Carl D. Perkins Act of 2006. The data are arranged state-by-state and the District of Columbia, from 2008 through 2018. Skill requirements are reflected in the length and extent of educational preparation and training…

In this study, we examine how broad heteronormative discourses circulate, become embodied within, negotiated by, and potentially resisted within a university, a college of education, and educators themselves. We pay special attention to how heteronormative discourses at Southwestern University (SWU) impact the various roles this college of…

This document consists of two booklets, one in Spanish and one in English, both covering the same text: the characteristics of mentally retarded individuals, the prevalence of mentally retarded persons in Texas, causes of mental retardation, prevention possibilities, and services available to mentally retarded persons in Texas. A distinction is…

Lee College (Texas), in cooperation with the Texas Department of Corrections, has brought its junior college program to eight different units in the correctional system. Developed to encourage attitudinal changes among the inmates, the program offers courses leading to a junior college degree. (JO)

In August and September 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused devastating damage to states along the Gulf Coast. In the aftermath of the storms, many questions were raised about the status of the thousands of children living in the affected areas. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) prepared this preliminary information under the…

This handbook for attorneys represents part of an effort to improve legal representation for criminal defendants with mental illness. The handbook was developed and reviewed by both mental health professionals and attorneys experienced in criminal and mental health law. However, it is not a comprehensive guide on mental health law or on how to…

This handbook is an attempt to summarize the most important aspects of juvenile law for a new practitioner, and to offer some additional ideas and strategies to any juvenile defense attorney. The goal is to help improve representation of juveniles across the state of Texas. References to useful books, cases, and statutes are included. The handbook…

This study examines the characteristics of Texas youth designated as "most difficult to place" recipients of service under the "Exceptional Care Pilot Project" (N = 46). Findings include, among others, high levels of comorbid psychiatric disturbance (greater than 3 diagnostic groupings), physical (78.3%) and sexual (88%)…

This document reports the findings of a study conducted for the Texas legislature to use in evaluating alternatives for dealing with elder abuse. The described study analyzed experiences with elder abuse of 1,653 Texas professionals in the fields of health and medicine, the judiciary, financial services, law enforcement, and social services. The…

This report presents an assessment of the implementation and the two-year impacts of a program in Texas that aimed to promote job placement, employment retention, and advancement among applicants and recipients to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The program in Texas is part of the Employment Retention and Advancement…

This pamphlet describes a multi-purpose day-care center for the elderly in Abilene, Texas which is intended to fill the "extended family" role of offering companionship, medical attention, and other aspects of concern to older persons in the community. The goals of the program are as follows: (1) to keep individuals out of institutions…

This learning module is one of three training modules that were developed for members of the Texas Gerontological Consortium for Continuing Education to use in preparing case managers working in human service professions coordinating community-based programs for frail elderly Texans. Module I deals with the following topics: foundations of case…