The state and federal governments, along with private industry, play an important role in the development of a health profession. State governments establish training standards through licensure laws, and state programs dictate employment and payment opportunities. The federal government unifies a profession through recognition in national health…

Saturating the Canadian landscape are media and health industry discourses representing childhood physical "(in)activity" and "obesity" as being at "epidemic" proportion. Increasingly identified as a focus of concern within such representations is the school setting, simultaneously positioned both as a cause of…

This document comprises a collection of conference papers that provide a broad understanding of the problem of homelessness, highlight innovative local and state responses, and uncover key intergovernmental issues that must be addressed in order to improve public and private action. The conference was attended by more than 100 federal, state, and…

This report reviews, recounts, and assesses the accomplishments and progress made to date by many public health professionals engaged collectively in a nationwide health education-risk reduction program. Papers are presented outlining progress by health agencies, working alone or in collaboration, whose basic goals were: (1) inventory of statewide…

National health priorities have moved toward promotion of health and disease prevention over care and disease treatment. Key sociopolitical influences and scientific concepts underlying this shift are analyzed. Strategies of the national program for health promotion and disease prevention include a discussion of uses and misuses of health…

Prisons are increasingly being filled with inmates who suffer from mental illness. This paper examines the prevalence of mental illness in American jails and prisons, the duty government and society has to provide appropriate mental health treatment, and the implications for inmate safety, costs, recidivism, and community reintegration if…

This annual report from the Michigan Council on Physical Fitness and Health describes a project initiated by the Council in l977. "Project Fitness" serves to evaluate the physical fitness levels of all students in the public schools from grades kindergarten through twelve. Emphasis is placed upon early education of children in the importance of…

This article is concerned with the aged and looks briefly at the history of federal involvement in mental health care, discusses current trends, and examines the future of mental health care in the United States. (CMG)

Summarizes and discusses the implications of a recent national study of public policies affecting the delivery of mental health services to disturbed children and adolescents. Discusses fiscal, administrative, and service inadequacies as well as innovative programming and policy efforts. Addresses implications for the policymaking and…

Recent developments, such as passage of the Children Act 2004, subsequent implementation of "Every Child Matters: Change for Children" and increase in funding to councils for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), the Local Government Association (LGA) asked the NFER to examine the funding mechanisms and priorities in…

A survey was made of provincial ministries and voluntary associations in nine Canadian provinces and two territories, to assess service provision to mentally retarded citizens with emotional problems. The survey focused on government agencies' involvement in service delivery, settings for short- and long-term care, quality of services available,…

Described are educational services, residential programs, and financial support for individuals with mental retardation in Belgium. The services are available from several government agencies and cover the entire life cycle of the individual. The situation of the mentally handicapped person with psychiatric problems is also briefly reviewed. (JDD)

Recent research suggests that approximately one-third of homeless single adults suffer from severe mental illnesses. Discusses federal initiatives undertaken by the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) to encourage research and improve services for this subgroup. Describes the target population, NIMH research findings, and current mental…

Claims that the United States' inadequate response to the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) crisis was more related to structural problems in the country's health system than with politics and social mores. (TW)

At least two-thirds of the 3,000,000 seriously disturbed children and adolescents in the United States do not get the mental health services they need; countless others receive inappropriate care. This volume examines why the needs of troubled children and adolescents are not met and indicates what responsible officials, concerned advocates, and…