Community based programmes for adolescents receiving mental health services have been previously linked with the effective acquisition of knowledge, change in perceptions and attitudes, as well as change in behaviours. This article will detail how the new Teen Life Skills Programme was able to address some of the barriers and equip the…

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.

Currently one in 50 American school-age children is diagnosed with Autism. Although Asperger Syndrome is no longer acknowledged as a separate diagnosis, this article refers to high-functioning individuals with Autism as having Asperger Syndrome, since it is a culturally relevant term. One of the most challenging times for individuals with Asperger…

There is increasing empirical evidence demonstrating the negative impact of racism and other social injustices on individuals' mental and emotional health. Those findings challenge counselor educators and practitioners to address social injustices in professional training programs and communities across the country. This article illustrates a…

Suicide is a serious public health problem that causes immeasurable pain, suffering, and loss to individuals, families, and communities nationwide. Many people may be surprised to learn that suicide was one of the top 10 causes of death in the United States in 2009. And death is only the tip of the iceberg. For every person who dies by suicide,…

This article tracks the trajectory and impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the communities of Houston/Harris County, Texas, USA, the schools, children, and families; along with the community partnerships that addressed the trauma and upheaval. Following the influx of individuals and families who were displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita…

Recounts how one community's response to tragedy illustrates that a community-based system of care can meet the needs of individuals, families, and organizations in culturally competent ways. Examines how the implemented program successfully meets the community's needs for coordinated children's mental health services on the community's terms.…

Describes experiences in developing a multi-program economic evaluation and costing study of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), a widely studied community mental health treatment model. The project description shows how the worlds of research and service delivery can collaborate to come to symbiotic resolutions. (Author/SLD)

In the wake of a U.S. Justice Department investigation that found widespread use of excessive force by staff at upstate psychiatric care facilities for mentally ill children, this new edition of Child Welfare Watch identifies shortcomings in mental health services and explores possible solutions, including the expansion of alternatives to…

Describes how a university-based continuing education program for mental health professionals helped to change the organization of community mental health services in Los Angeles, California. (Author/GC)

Presents the case study of a community mental health agency which was provided consultation, technical assistance, and increased funding to facilitate implementing an assertive community treatment program for the long-term mentally disabled as an alternative to hospitalization. Lists barriers encountered and reports an analysis of the community…

This report describes lessons learned over the initial 3 years of the implementation of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's SafeFutures Program To Reduce Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Violence, a 5-year demonstration initiative designed to prevent and control juvenile delinquency through a continuum of care in communities.…

With the purpose of contributing to the research and discussion about youth work as a contextual, interpersonal process of human interaction, it is suggested that youth work is like a modern dance that works best when youth workers are present, in sync with youth development rhythms for trusting and growing and making meaning in an atmosphere that…

Following a brief introduction, this paper focuses on how the Texas Project for Elders, one of ten sites in the country participatng in the National Long-Term Care Channeling Demonstration Project (Channeling), has taken into account the mental health needs of clients and caregivers both in the development and delivery of services. The clients…

This paper describes the efforts of the rural Pioneer Mental Health Center (PMHC), Seward, Nebraska, in the development of a community-based alcohol/drug prevention program. Part I focuses on the history and development of the prevention model, which emphasizes process-oriented activities to promote community identification and ownership of the…