The author describes the development of a pet therapy program at a rehabilitation unit of a hospital. She discusses documentation of the success of pet therapy programs, picking out the right pets, responsibilities of caring for the pet, training the pet, patient response, and program policies. (CT)

The five papers in this symposium address several key issues included in evaluation research. In "Designing State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Evaluation Research", Stanford E. Rubin discusses the importance of practitioner involvement in the development of research questions and plans and introduces three basic models of evaluative research.…

A study asked 100 individuals with hearing impairments to complete alcohol and drug program pretreatment and posttreatment surveys. Following treatment, improvements were found in participants' attitudes, vocabulary related to substance abuse, and knowledge of issues relating to treatment. Ten recommendations for future treatment programs are…

The use of adventure based education is a new and relatively unresearched but apparently successful practice in the rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents. Courses offered by schools, state social service systems, juvenile courts, youth service bureaus, and other agencies are generally patterned after the standard Outward Bound course and involve…

Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States, and cardiac rehabilitation, a form of post-MI (myocardial infarction) education, accounts for at most 20% of improved lifestyle behavior that can effectively manage symptoms, delay or prevent subsequent attacks, and lower mortality and morbidity rates. In an attempt to improve…