A case history of the development of a new Kansas state policy on juvenile delinquency illustrates the use of policy impact analysis and suggests four principles to follow in prescriptive policy analysis. A Kansas governor's task force on juvenile delinquency found evidence linking delinquency to undetected health problems (in sight, hearing,…

This discussion of an online, in-house computer system used in a group clinical psychology practice describes the development of a program designed to offer cost-effective testing services for patients of mental health professionals. The report provides detailed information on two psychological testing inventories rendered via computer. The first…

Florida's District 12 Veterans Administration (VA) wanted to deliver medical case-management services to veterans not receiving home-based services due to the geographic restrictions of the VA's Hospital-Based Home Care Program. The Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS) desired to demonstrate the effectiveness of nurse…

This document describes the TEACH (Train the Elderly And their Caregivers at Home) project, a demonstration project developed by Florida's District 12 Veterans Administration and the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services to reduce Medicaid nursing home expenditures by delaying or avoiding nursing home placement and to provide…

Community mental health centers have been faced with mandates to introduce new programs or improve old ones often without the necessary information or expertise to implement such changes. Community mental health centers (N=39) were studied to identify the nature and extent of information use and factors related to information use. Experts visited…

A study investigated the outcomes of the Acute Children's Extended Services (ACES) program, a Salt Lake City, Utah, program designed to help children with emotional and behavioral disabilities reintegrate into the community from inpatient or residential care. The study examined outcomes of the ACES program within four domains: access, clinical…

This conference paper discusses the results of a study that investigated the effects of a mentor service on 30 children with severe emotional disturbances and considered to be at extreme risk for out-of-home placement. The mentors provided regular, consistent, face-to-face and telephone contact with each child for five hours per week. The mentors…

The delivery of services in a health maintenance organization (HMO) provides many opportunities for innovation. There is a growing awareness that many outpatient medical visits are related to psychological or social needs. Because of the economic incentive for HMO's to reduce inappropriate utilization, psychologists and psychotherapists will play…

The involvement of behaviorists in primary prevention for mental health programs has been limited, to date. Using behavioral researchers offers several advantages, including the need to emphasize prediction and a priori control of maladaptive behavior, increased cost effectiveness, and increased monies for research. Common obstacles to the…