This introductory article analyzes the challenges facing researchers as they respond to the ideas that guide family-centered services and incorporate these themes into research focused on improving services for children with emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders. The fit between traditional mental health research and family centered services…

Three brief papers review the literature and report on a study concerning the concept of functional impairment in light of regulations requiring both a psychiatric diagnosis and functional impairment for access to mental health care by children and adolescents with emotional disturbances. The first, very brief summary is: "The Origin, Meaning and…

This proceedings document includes papers presented at a conference on children's mental health, systems of care, and research. Papers are grouped into 11 chapters which address the following topics: (1) program and system evaluations (nine papers); (2) managed care in children's mental health (six papers); (3) accountability and information…

This paper describes each of eight current interrelated federally funded research projects conducted by the Research and Training Center for Children's Mental Health at the University of South Florida. For each project, information is provided on the project's background, purpose, methodology, and anticipated results. Project titles and principal…