Within the field of children's mental health, there is increasing emphasis on the idea that young people who experience mental health difficulties should be encouraged to take an active role in shaping not only their own treatment but also mental health services and systems. The terms "empowerment" and, to a lesser extent, "self-efficacy" have…

This study examines the use of family education and support (FES) services within community-based mental health systems. Using data from the national evaluation of the Children's Mental Health Initiative (CMHI), 2,853 caregivers and their children ages 6 to 18 years from 39 communities participated in this study. The findings indicated that during…

While research regarding the effectiveness of the wraparound process is steadily mounting, little is known about how this service delivery model works and for whom. Using data gathered on 176 youth who participated in the wraparound process, the authors examine client and service factors associated with outcomes. Bivariate logistic regression…

This article presents challenges facing child mental health services research and the contributions made by the series of papers in this journal issue. The series illustrates two major categories of services research: systems level research and clinical services level research. Methodological issues, particularly for randomized clinical trials in…

This article reviews recent changes in the mental health system's response to children and adolescents with serious emotional disabilities, emphasizing developments in service delivery and service demonstration research and evaluation efforts. The role of research is examined in terms of its critical importance in improving the system of care for…

This article presents a description of the Child and Adolescent Services Assessment, a self- and parent-report instrument designed to assess use of mental health services by children, ages 8 to 18. The article provides information on interviewer training, coding of data, and psychometric data on clinical samples, and presents a case study.…

An intervention designed to address barriers to access to children's mental health services for low-income families was implemented in three Oregon counties. Paraprofessionals provided families with information, emotional support, and tangible assistance. Families in the intervention group (n=96) were significantly more likely to initiate…

This article describes the history of New York's efforts to create partnerships with families with children with emotional disturbances, articulates the stages of parent involvement in policymaking, and summarizes lessons learned and recommendations for effective and enduring families as policy allies. A case study is presented. (Contains…

A study examined the long-term (3 year) treatment outcomes of all adolescents (n=2,481) who received services in Vermont's statewide systems of care. Recipients of services had substantially elevated rates of incarceration and hospitalization but maternity rates in the treatment groups were not different from other young women. (Contains…

This article examines how researchers can apply analytical and methodological tools traditionally used in health policy analysis to study the multiple levels of systems-of-care impacts for students with emotional and behavior disorders. Where possible, results from existing systems-of-care education studies illustrate how these analyses and…

Rethinking and expanding the theory of change underlying systems of care are recommended to support development of the knowledge base for understanding what systems of care can be expected to accomplish. Three domains of knowledge are presented as necessary to understanding the relationship between systems-level change and services. (Contains…

This article traces historical attempts to form a comprehensive child mental health policy in the United States and discusses the latest unsuccessful attempts at the creation of such a policy through the managed behavioral healthcare revolution and the Child and Adolescent Service System Program and Child Mental Health Services initiative.…

This article presents a framework to be used in studying public policy in children's mental health. It focuses the stages of policy development and implementation, the relationships among different governmental levels, the relationships among different service sectors, and variables affecting the likelihood a policy will achieve its intended…