This report from a study group on long-term mental illness (LTMI) examines three components of the vocational rehabilitation process (the client, the counselor, and the programs) and the systems through which the three components interact. The first chapter discusses the history and evolution of the vocational rehabilitation (VR) and mental health…

This publication contains the reports of two major public advisory bodies which studied and conducted hearings on mental health needs of the elderly and developed recommendations for public policy to address these needs. The first report reviews current mental health needs and considers the projected needs for dealing with emotional stress during…

Several sources have suggested that the efficacy of existing mental health care delivery systems might be extended through appropriate collaboration between self-help groups and mental health professionals. There are, however, few published reports of successful collaboration between professionals and self-help groups. This paper presents a…

The mental health needs and services available in the United States were investigated by the President's Commission on Mental Health. Results indicated that: (1) mental health services are primarily located in urban areas; (2) the needs of racial and cultural minorities, children, adolescents, and older adults are not being met; (3) national…

There is evidence that informal caregiving systems, called natural helping networks, already carry much of the service load of community mental health services, and need to be strengthened to provide even more. Social network analysis is a useful tool for understanding how these informal mechanisms operate, as well as the way in which some…

The Governor's Task Force on the Mental Health of Juvenile Offenders in the state of Pennsylvania conducted a statewide survey of facilities for the care, treatment, and rehabilitation of adolescents between 12 and 18 years of age. The Task Force surveyed mental hospitals, community-based services, private psychiatric treatment centers, youth…

An invitational conference brought experts and concerned, active individuals together to review and identify research and program needs for rural Texas health care. The goals of the conference were to prioritize the top five program and research activities for rural health care in the 1980's, to develop a network of communication and cooperation…

A feasibility study was conducted to examine in detail, analyze, and describe the development and operation (system effectiveness and efficiency) of a patient learning center in a MEDDAC, and to provide such information to the Surgeon General for use in planning future health care delivery to military-care eligible beneficiaries. Study objectives…

The purpose of this paper is to specify the design for evaluating the second year Health Start Program. This design is used as the basis for the determination of the data to be collected and the comparisons that will be made using these data to provide information to answer the policy questions asked by the Office of Child Development (OCD). For…

The distribution of health professionals, particularly physicians and dentists, has been especially critical for rural America. An effective lasting solution will depend not only on economic incentives but on the development of a health care delivery system that links providers to hospitals, decreases professional isolation, and utilizes physician…

Block granting disburses mental health funds largely at the discretion of state mental health authorities, and state priorities typically focus on the most severely ill persons. Rural centers may suffer because multipurpose programs responding to a wide range of community needs are excluded from the mental health service delivery concept. (JHZ)

Discusses challenges to the mental health field as a result of severe economic change. The six articles deal with reindustrialization, the effect of the labor market on mental hospital and prison use, retrenchment strategies, mental health problems in energy boomtowns, and economic issues of public policy. (JAC)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Linkages to Learning (LTL) model of service delivery on the behavior of 119 students, 73 in a school receiving LTL services and the remainder attending a matched control school in Montgomery County, Maryland. LTL is a model for collaborative, school-based delivery of an array of mental health, social…

Summaries of four papers and a discussion presented at a symposium on expanding the research base of systems of care for children's mental health examine school-wide systems of positive behavioral support and provide data on a three-tiered Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) program for improving mental health functioning of…

This paper presents baseline data on students (mean age 10 years) with severe emotional disturbances at four public schools, two in Kentucky and two in Vermont, who will be followed in an evaluation of the application of a coordinated, community-based system of care operating in both states. Data are summarized concerning the service systems…