In partnership with the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR), the National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk (NDTAC) has developed a series of practice guides that provide concrete strategies for adopting the principles and practices discussed in the…

The results of the Program Evaluation show the OJJ Statewide Sex Offender Treatment program is exceptionally productive in meeting over 90% of its established performance markers. These markers included successful screening and assessment of risk and psychosocial needs, completion of initial and master treatment plans, establishment of sex…

Structured interviews with staff compared the extent to which mentally retarded persons participate in society when services are provided through the institutional or integrated organization. Significant differences were found in community participation, with higher levels noted for integrated Ss. (CL)

The senator from Massachusetts introduces this special issue by reviewing his family's interest in persons with mental retardation, the potential of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded (ICF/MR) program, and the importance of improving care for residents of ICFs. (DB)

This paper reviews 27 studies of parental attitudes on the deinstitutionalization of a family member with disabilities. Studies of existing institutional placements found high levels of satisfaction and opposition to deinstitutionalization, whereas studies of community placements found high levels of satisfaction with community placements and…

The volunteer shelter bed program development guidelines in this booklet are offered as a community-based alternative to the institutionalization of status offenders. The volunteer shelter bed program is described as a nonsecure residential alternative for status offenders, which can be implemented without the creation of new facilities or the…

Presented are guidelines on planning and establishing a small, residential halfway house for the male adolescent/adult retardate in which mental health and use of the halfway house to replace institutionalization of selected retardates are emphasized. The halfway house is explained to be planned on premises of community participation and program…

This commentary on Erb's (1995) article on institutionalization of individuals with severe impairments identifies several points of disagreement, including the appropriateness of placement of such individuals in large institutions, the financial cost of community supportive living, and whether individual needs can best be served in institutions or…

This commentary on Erb's (1995) article on institutionalization argues that living in one's home community is better than being forced to leave it to obtain needed services. The commentary also criticizes the assertion that supported living programs funded through Medicaid waiver are not cost-effective compared to traditional institutional or…

Robert Erb responds to commentaries to his paper on institutional placement for individuals with severe disabilities and the costs of community and institutional placements. Risk-and-benefit issues, in addition to cost-and-benefit ones, are addressed. (SW)

This newsletter theme issue focuses on the need to accelerate the closing of institutions for people with mental retardation. Articles are by both current and former residents of institutions and by professionals, and include: "The Realities of Institutions" (Tia Nelis); "I Cry Out So That I Won't Go Insane" (Mary F. Hayden); "Trends in…

The article briefly reviews the history of deinstitutionalization and supports the development and use of a comprehensive evaluation process to evaluate the human and environmental factors that affect the potential for successful placement of handicapped persons in community-based residential facilities. (JW)

The study compared effects on the behavioral functioning of 12 severely retarded adults of either large hospitals or small community-based houses. Use of an observational measure of purposeful activity as well as of staff behavior indicated increased client functioning in the small homes, particularly in domestic activity and interaction with…

Reported in the fourth of six documents, are the community experiences of 440 deinstitutionalized mentally retarded persons. Information is said to be drawn from questionnaires and family interviews. Data is reported in tables and text for the following 10 topic areas (subtopics in parentheses): client characteristics (demographic and functioning…

The document presents an analysis of recent literature on the deinstitutionalization of emotionally disturbed persons. Discussed are opposing views with emphasis on the idea of reliance on community resources and the present trend toward the provision of a continuum of treatment alternatives. Brief sections cover issues related to such problems as…