Surveyed Child Welfare League of America member agencies about the impact of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) on child welfare services delivery. Agencies reported that AOD adversely affected the system by compounding problems, such as personnel shortages and shortages in available foster homes, which existed before AOD was identified as a major…

Describes the Health Passport Project, a program that uses a centralized computer database for maintaining and distributing health and education records for children in foster care in San Diego, California. Includes a content analysis of the health information stored in the first 431 "passports." (MM)

Addresses the need for reference librarians to reassess their service priorities and service delivery methods to operate efficiently and compete effectively with commercial information services. Highlights include inappropriate use of librarians' time; inefficient service delivery methods; cost effectiveness; and a consultation model of service…

Educational services provided to 14 children (ages 8 to 14) with head injuries in the United Kingdom before and after their return to school were analyzed. The organization of services and the provision of accurate information, training, and communication among different agencies are all found to be inadequate. (Author)

To obtain information about costs, University of Maryland researchers interviewed special education directors, principals, and other administrators in 14 schools or districts committed to including all students with disabilities. Respondents identified five affected areas: teachers and instructional assistants, transportation, facilities,…

This article reviews recent changes in the mental health system's response to children and adolescents with serious emotional disabilities, emphasizing developments in service delivery and service demonstration research and evaluation efforts. The role of research is examined in terms of its critical importance in improving the system of care for…

A survey of doctors (51 responses) working with people with developmental disabilities in New South Wales (Australia) found a high attrition rate and flagging morale for health care professionals, which were attributed to implementation of the "Guardianship Act" and transfer of services from the Department of Health to the Department of…

It is argued that productive change in Veterans Administration (VA) dental services will require planned change, new models of dental care and education that respond to different needs and circumstances, creative partnerships between the VA and institutions, and perhaps a new conceptualization of dental care as a medical subspecialty. (MSE)

This article focuses on integration of children with and without disabilities during the early childhood years, with specific attention devoted to the notion of how predictors of high-quality programs become integrated into service delivery systems. Indicators of program quality from general education, early childhood education, and early…

Reviews applications of counseling psychology to problems of physical health. Describes how counseling and psychoeducational models of direct service, counseling skills training, and consultation can be used to affect problems of physical health. Considers issues of psychological practice in health care settings with emphasis on ethics and service…

This paper addresses the processes by which state agencies regulate services for individuals with developmental disabilities and explores whether the regulatory process can be directed to issues affecting the quality of life of people receiving developmental services. Limitations of regulations include the unpredictability of long-term effects,…

Client satisfaction with outpatient psychotherapy in New Zealand was studied for 93 adult subjects who completed the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. Clients reported a high degree of satisfaction, and there were positive correlations between satisfaction and symptom change on both client-related and therapist-related outcome measures. (SLD)

Confusion in educational planning stems from having no clear objectives and no clear knowledge of the real clients. The new educational model involves contributing to socially useful results, not simply teaching subjects and conveying content information. Instead of relying on self-defeating techniques and mind-sets, educators can benefit from…

The effects of various gifted programs on the self-concepts and depressive symptoms of 82 gifted and talented fifth- and sixth-grade students were evaluated. Sixth-grade gifted groups (pull-out and self-contained) scored higher on self-concept than did nongifted groups. No effects on depressive symptoms were found. (DB)

This article reviews the history of traditional service delivery systems for students with visual handicaps, demonstrates the need for change, and defines and describes the structure of the consultative/collaborative teacher model. The model stresses shared communication and joint problem solving between teachers and vision specialists. (DB)