Recent literature has usefully explored the application of complexity theory to evaluation. However, there is little discussion of the contextual conditions in applying complexity theory. Drawing upon a single complexity-consistent public health programme evaluation and subsequent policy decisions, this paper considers how programme framing and…

As states confront budget shortfalls, investment in mental health services faces the chopping block. Almost every state has instituted cost containment strategies in its Medicaid programs and state policymakers have begun to cut services for people with mental health treatment needs. The first part of this report presents research on state cuts to…

Current social policies for the elderly are intended to assure a better standard of living, promote adequate medical treatment, and assure safe and clean housing, but they have unintended consequences. It is argued that these social policies serve to keep older people in a state of dependency, poverty, and segregation. Some social policies may be…

Mental health services are often unavailable, inaccessible, or inappropriate for the children and families who need them. In order to implement a more effective system of mental health services to children and adolescents, an adequate system of care must be defined and described, and a policy mandate to implement such a system must be developed.…

This report describes the implementation and first 6 months of data collection of the required performance outcome measures for children receiving mental health services in Florida, as required under Florida's 1994 Government Performance and Accountability Act. This summary is of data received from August 1996 to January 1997 and includes data for…

Outcome evaluation assesses the results or benefits of mental health services received by clients or communities by comparing descriptive data on the mental health status of clients at different points in time. It aids clinicians and managers in planning programs and managing clinical services. A mental health center should establish goal-oriented…

Seven articles focus on child and adolescent mental health services, highlighting major evaluation issues, considering the contribution of evaluation to improvement of these services, and describing efforts to overcome distinctive problems in these areas. Policymakers and providers of services are optimistic about the use of evaluation of program…

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…

This book contains seven papers prepared for a 1975 conference which addressed the progress and setbacks experienced during the first decade of the War on Poverty. Included with each paper are two commentaries by conference discussants. The seven papers deal with issues such as the origins of the War on Poverty, its education, health, and…

This report assesses the impact of federal child health policy under Titles V and XIX of the Social Security Act upon the states of Connecticut and Vermont for the years 1935 to 1975, and analyzes the reasons for the discrepancy between policy intent and state execution. Two simultaneous approaches are used for data analysis: a cross sectional…

The seven articles of this special section explore evaluation in South Africa. Particular emphasis is placed on policy development in the areas of health, education, and housing and on efforts to alleviate the legacy of apartheid. Participative and quantitative efforts are described. (SLD)

Summaries of 89 studies on rural health care (underway or recently completed) in the United States as of December 1976 are reported. Information on each study includes: title; principal researchers' names, addresses, and professions; major objectives of the research; methodology; findings (on completed research); financing organization; current…

This report of a 1974 conference on child care and public policy provides an overview of an attempt to establish a rational dialogue between public policymakers interested in the problems of child care and researchers who study the problems of child development. In Part I, a description of the historical context of issues relating to public…

This report includes the background papers developed for an invitational workshop on mental health program development for minority youth and their families, and a summary of the recommendations made and actions to be taken. Section I presents an overall framework and an overview of the issues that were explored in greater depth at the workshop.…

The social programs of the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations which were designed to extend basic rights to all citizens and to develop new social rights for those in need are examined in this book of papers presented at a conference. The initiation and development of the various programs are described and analyzed by scholars and policy makers.…