Objective: To investigate associations between different indices of family socioeconomic position (SEP) and the use of specialty mental health services (SMHS) and whether the associations exist after adjusting for severity of mental problems. Method: Using data from a large longitudinal study of adolescents (N = 2,149; mean age = 13.6 years [SD =…

The intensive case management service provided by a mental health consumer team of case managers was compared to services of nonconsumer case managers. Results from 91 clients with serious mental illness found significant differences in outcomes after a year only in the areas of patient satisfaction and contact with family. (SLD)

The known target population of severely mentally disabled in community mental health centers is defined. Criteria include intensive treatment contact and persistent, severe disability, but not diagnosis. Feasible and reliable screening procedures are demonstrated. (Author/BS)

A methodology was developed for conducting a benefit-cost analysis of an innovative supported employment intervention for the psychiatrically disabled. Results indicated that the program, which targeted 19 participants, approached cost efficiency of almost .90 of benefits to costs. The value of the methodology for program evaluation is discussed.…

This study investigated the effectiveness of the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) for assessing the functioning of youth with mental disorders. The CAFAS is a multidimensional tool used to record the extent to which a youth's mental health disorder is disruptive of functioning in each of five psycho-social areas: role…

Background: This study describes the development of the Brief Child and Family Phone Interview (BCFPI)--a computer-assisted telephone interview which adapts the revised Ontario Child Health Study's (OCHS-R) parent, teacher, and youth self-report scales for administration as intake screening and treatment outcome measures in children's mental…

A multi-method strategy was developed and applied to the assessment of mental health need in the catchment area of a small community mental health center. Social indicators including census data and health and welfare statistics were used to make an initial needs assessment. These findings were validated and supplemented through a survey of…

Background: This study examines the use of the Brief Child and Family Phone Interview (BCFPI) to screen for childhood psychiatric disorder based on Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV (DISC-IV) classifications of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD),…

Proposes a framework for assessing how human service delivery systems function. Identifies factors that influence the ability of agencies to operate as a unified system. Provides an accurate picture of how services are delivered to target populations, and why various systems function as they do. (Author/JAC)

This article reviews "ADHD with Comorbid Disorders: Clinical Assessment and Management" by Steven R. Pliszka, Caryn L. Carlson, and James M. Swanson, a book that provides information on children displaying both attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other comorbid psychiatric conditions, complex psychopharmacological interventions that may…

This introductory article provides an overview of the national evaluation conducted within the original 22 grantee communities funded from 1993 to 1999. The history and underlying foundations of the evaluation are presented. Specific evaluation questions and components are outlined, and issues that evolved out of the evaluation process are…

Analysis of an instrument for assessing workers' beliefs about parents of children receiving mental health-related services identified five factors: parent blame, giving information, parent validation, use of psychotropic medications, and parent instruction. Differences in beliefs were revealed among workers who endorsed psychodynamic, family…

A study compared practice-level variables between two sites that have been implementing system-of-care (SOC) principles for at least 5 years and two traditional service systems. Overall, SOC sites scored significantly higher than non-SOC sites in the child-centered and family-focused, community-based, and cultural competence domains. (Contains…

Three methods of designating everyday-dysfunction cases in the Colorado Social Health Survey are compared for a sample of 4,745 adults. The clinical judgment approach was chosen as the primary method of identification, with the statistical deviation criterion a backup. The patient criterion group approach was less useful. (SLD)

The monograph advances a conceptual framework for the evaluation of mental health services provided to chronically mentally ill persons by psychosocial rehabilitation programs. Evaluation mechanisms consistent with the philosophy and programmatic aims of psychosocial rehabilitation programs are identified. An introductory section provides a brief…