Professional social workers and other mental health providers have for many years been involved in delivering treatment and support services focused on the needs of adults with severe mental illnesses living in the community. While some models have evolved largely through practice experience, others have developed through research paradigms in…

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,…

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…

Reviews aftercare for schizophrenic individuals who have been discharged as a result of deinstitutionalization. Focuses on the nature of the problems caused by deinstitutionalization, the professional response, various aftercare milieus, family treatment modalities, and the clinical process. (Author/ABB)

Reviews literature on alternatives to hospitalization for mentally ill. Describes mutual-help organizations which, if successful, involve individually tailored, assertive, and long-term support. Presents one mutual-help organization which has been observed for five years as an example. (Author/ABL)

The community, state mental hospitals, and a community mental health center work together to provide an environment conducive to the continued well being of chronic mental patients in an area of West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The authors describe a program that involves day care centers and the patients' everyday living. (Author)

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 critical review of the 1961 report of the Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health concludes that the report and its adherents promised more than could be delivered and its claims regarding community mental health could not be supported by the available data. (Author)

Proposes a model for planning activities that will help human service practitioners to prevent emotional problems in a targeted group or community. Provides practitioners with a framework for identifying variables affecting a population, a means for assessing which variables to address, and a structured approach to planning preventive…

Unique challenges surface when providing services in community mental health centers for persons with mental retardation and mental illness. Before any type of mental health treatment for a client with this dual diagnosis can begin, proper assessment is critical. Clinicians working with this population have to adapt their treatment strategies and…

This report from a study group on long-term mental illness (LTMI) examines three components of the vocational rehabilitation process (the client, the counselor, and the programs) and the systems through which the three components interact. The first chapter discusses the history and evolution of the vocational rehabilitation (VR) and mental health…

This study examined specific behavioral characteristics of children in four different treatment environments by an Ohio child mental health agency, in order to shed light on placement decisions in relation to levels of care and severity of symptoms. Data were collected from approximately 300 total program admissions above age 5, each quarter, for…

Describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a training program in the primary prevention of childhood mental disorders for caregivers, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Cites the program's positive impact, as measured by increases in participants' knowledge and skills. (Author/MJL)

This document presents the state of Maine's rules of general applicability and specific rights of children who are receiving services from the Maine Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. The first section presents general rules concerning: statement of intent, definitions, basic rights, least restrictive appropriate treatment,…

This special journal "Theme" issue presents a collection of papers reflecting the psychiatric practices and community treatment for persons with severe psychiatric disabilities in Asia, Africa, Australia, and India. Some of the papers were presented at the 1988 meeting of the World Association of Psychosocial Rehabilitation (WAPR) in…