Discusses the framework and service components of seven major community services which make up a model system of care for severely emotionally disturbed children and their families. (RJC)

Proposes a framework for the evaluation of health and human services programs in community settings. Applies this framework to the discussions in this special issue to see how well the chapters advance community-based program evaluation. Concludes that the chapters are valuable for those interested in improving the evaluation of community-based…

The rapid expansion of community mental health programs calls for exploring the primary task, the nature of inputs and outputs, environmental conditions, and subsystem interactions as they affect a community mental health program. The differences between programs organized according to a medical practice model and a human services model are also…

While mental health services can be delivered through either traditional or community paradigms, most behaviorally oriented clinicians have implicitly or explicitly opted for the more traditional approach. This paper examines research which delineates conceptual limitations in subscribing to a traditional orientation. The community model…

This paper draws on the emerging literature on consultation and education (C and E) information systems as well as on experiences from an in-progress research project on consultation and education in four comprehensive community mental health centers. It (1) provides a brief review of the literature and state of the art of information systems for…

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)

Notes the evolving definition of mental health "primary prevention," the future of which is currently jeopardized. Describes a study of the effectiveness of primary prevention in relieving some of the signs and symptoms of teacher burnout. Includes the format of a teacher inservice program which addresses teacher burnout. (SB)

This article provides estimates of emotional and behavioral problems in children and their service utilization patterns. A model for the study of children's help-seeking pathways is offered and used to review the empirical support for variables associated with help-seeking, primarily help-seeking of formal mental health services. (DB)

Over the past decade, the care of children with serious emotional challenges has evolved toward a system of care encompassing a coordinated spectrum of services and supports responsive to child and family needs. This book is a collection of papers based on work at East Carolina University that examines elements of the system of care in relation to…

This paper describes an ongoing effort by an interdisciplinary team from a large urban university to extend and improve the mental health services in a 23-county rural area. The model is presented as the collaboration of professionals from different geographic and working environments with different professional expectations and goals. Aspects of…

Five papers cover recent developments in rural mental health nursing. "Rural Mental Health Care: A Survey of the Research" (Karen Babich) chronicles recent interest in understanding the rural population's character and the nature of mental health services needed by and provided to rural America. Lauren Aaronson ("Using Health…