This article describes the ongoing impact of one Early Head Start grantee's participation in a statewide initiative to connect the state's network of residential substance abuse treatment programs for women and their children with their local Early Head Start program. The initiative was designed to enhance child development and parenting supports…

A national census of all state-licensed residential facilities for mentally retarded persons is summarized. Information on characteristics of facilities is presented along with demographic/functional characteristics of residents. The census verified the existence of an extensive variety of residential living alternatives available to mentally…

Results from 1977 and 1982 national surveys of all state-licensed, state-contracted, or state-operated facilities demonstrate a residential population of static total size but changing characteristics. Most notable were a decreasing number of children in out-of-home residential care and an increasing proportion of persons who are…

The article discusses the feasibility of developing small living alternatives with Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded funds. (Author/SB)

An investigation of smoking polices and smoking practices of residents and employees in 106 Massachusetts state-supported residential programs found that state-operated programs prohibited employees from smoking in residences and restricted residents who smoked to designated areas. One-third of vendor-operated agencies allowed residents and staff…

The article advocates extension of "permanency planning" in out-of-home placements to include children and youth with developmental disabilities. Though some states currently operate programs according to the principles of permanency planning, significant changes in existing federal policy are recommended to require permanency planning…

This article presents tables showing statistics on selected indicators of change between June 30, 1990, and June 30, 2000, in the areas of residential services (large public residential facilities populations, all residential service recipients, and persons in settings of 6 or fewer), Medicaid long-term care program participation, and service…

The Kentucky Governor's Scholars Program for gifted rising high school seniors is a five-week intensive living-learning experience that promotes flexible daily class schedules, active learning, student confidence, creative expression, intellectual discovery, and social responsibility. The program attempts to break down barriers between students…

This study reports on the extent to which pharmacological and behavioral consequences were applied to behavior problems within a population of 31,000 adults in New York's developmental services system. Findings indicated that these consequences were significantly related to variables of intellectual level, residential setting type, type and extent…

The study found that quality of life of 46 mentally retarded individuals was impacted by the funding source used to support their community-based residential programs. Clients in programs using Medicaid funds were less active and involved in life than were clients living in programs funded by non-Medicaid state sources. (Author/JDD)

A study examined the long-term (3 year) treatment outcomes of all adolescents (n=2,481) who received services in Vermont's statewide systems of care. Recipients of services had substantially elevated rates of incarceration and hospitalization but maternity rates in the treatment groups were not different from other young women. (Contains…

This Policy Research Brief summarizes longitudinal national statistics on the number and characteristics of persons with mental retardation and related conditions living in state institutions, their movement into and out of those institutions, the costs of state institutions, and the growing numbers of closures of these institutions. Findings are…

The Washington Governor's School for Citizen Leadership gathers a diverse group of high school students and presents a curriculum focusing on experiential, integrated learning. The school emphasizes expressive arts, interpersonal and team skills, and critical thinking; and seeks to ignite students' social responsibility and empower them to take…

This paper examines the recidivism data for juvenile offenders discharged from a Massachusetts residential treatment center between 1976 and 1995. The criminal histories, juvenile and adult, of 162 delinquent youth referred through the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services who left the program were reviewed. Recidivism was defined as any…

This article provides a legal update on the issue of residential placements for students with disabilities and discusses practice considerations in light of national trends toward greater integration and curbing of rising costs through providing incentives for community-based programs. Practices in Virginia are used as an example. (DB)