Discusses high rate of violence and health problems within Cherokee culture. Alcohol plays a major role in Indian health and social problems. As a response to prevalence of alcohol-related problems, a cultural therapy program was developed. Reinforcement of cultural pride was a primary step in solving problems. (CC)

Examines mental health issues, especially alcoholism, suicide, and social depression, related to the counseling of Black women. Recommends improved mental health services, counselor/clinical training programs, and additional research focusing on the causes of stress among Black women. (Author/MW)

A study determined the levels of treatment satisfaction among community mental health services recipients and if perceptions of treatment satisfaction were the same for both the recipients and the providers. The recipients, mothers of children treated at the unit, were satisfied with the treatment, but the providers perceived their satisfaction as…

Discussed the State of Colorado's introduction of performance contracting into its relationships with community mental health centers. Describes the nature of the contract and its implementation. Particular emphasis is placed on the implications of the contract for program evaluation. (Author)

The establishment of a Board of Certified Professional Counselors increases the professionalism of counselors. It assures the public of the counselor's competence, protects the profession and the counselor, and determines qualification for entrance into the profession. (JAC)

Results of this study indicate that running away occurred more frequently among children referred for mental health services. Behavioral problems identified in this study suggest that running away is symptomatic of psychopathology and maladaption. (Author/NRB)

Reports on the development and implementation of a network of trainer-change agents to improve the quality of services delivered by a state mental health system. The conceptual framework and the central change effort, a training-of-trainers strategy, are described in detail. (SK)

On the basis of information obtained from a study of former mental patients (which was conducted under a research grant from the state of Florida), the authors point out the critical need for more comprehensive management information systems. Twelve specific steps for designing such a system are outlined. (Author/JH)

The author discusses the emotional issues that confront stepparents and stepchildren and describes a program to help stepparents deal with these issues and other conflicts. She also explores the myths of instant adjustment and recreated nuclear families and the realities of the stepparent-stepchild relationship. (Author/BEF)

Because of changes in mental health and rehabilitation services to mentally disabled persons, the primacy of vocational placement has come under scrutiny. Residential placement plays an important role in the client's coping. A new view of the prominence of vocational placement in the context of community adjustment is provided. (Author)

Questionnaires designed to assess subjects' feelings toward treatment in a university mental health program substantiate the assumption that college students can be treated effectively with brief psychotherapy. (MB)

Author concludes that hospital conditions are more humane than in the U.S., staff is more responsive and dedicated, drug therapy is not as prevalent. Furthermore, mental illness is not regarded as stigmatic, but instead emphasis is placed on patients regaining ability to play socially responsible and productive roles. (RW)

This article represents an overview of the various types of evaluation research conducted in the fields of crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and mental health in general. An attempt is made to classify it according to its content and purpose, and to assess the relative merit of each. (Author)

Crisis centers (N=2) had statistics of callers identified by race. Findings indicate differences between the white and black callers with regard to age, marital status, and type of problem. This kind of information suggests a need for expanded services within the crisis enter center framework, possibly for a more preventive approach. (Author)

Worker and caller behaviors are studied and compared in sample of 100 suicide calls to three crisis intervention centers. Verbal behaviors of workers and callers are substantially different, leading to the conclusion that crisis intervention is dissimilarly practiced between centers but similar within them. (Author)