Oversight is defined in a broad manner, encompassing a wide variety of mechanisms within the mental health field. Implications for mental health practice brought out by these descriptions of mechanisms are discussed to illustrate the utility of them in better understanding oversight practices. (Author/LMO)

A successful demonstration project that used social work students as case managers for the chronically mentally ill is described. An exploratory design was used and the results were positive for clients, students, and the system. (Author/BL)

A survey regarding health education/health promotion evaluation activities was sent to American College Health Association member institutions. Results indicated that evaluations were used most often to modify or justify continuing programs. The implications of the survey results are discussed and recommendations made. (Author/MT)

Describes evaluations of two programs, one designed to improve mental health outcomes for children and adolescents referred for mental health treatment, and the other designed to provide comprehensive mental health services to children and adolescents. In both studies, the effects of systems of care are primarily limited to system level outcomes,…

Argues for maintaining a discovery capacity (both qualitative and quantitative) in evaluations of community-based health and human service programs. Discovery capacity is defined as a mechanism to detect new insights and developments in programs. Cites reasons this capacity is especially important in community-based programs. (SLD)

Describes experiences in developing a multi-program economic evaluation and costing study of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), a widely studied community mental health treatment model. The project description shows how the worlds of research and service delivery can collaborate to come to symbiotic resolutions. (Author/SLD)

An important final step in the life cycles of programs and their evaluation involves assessing new programs' or innovations' sustainability. This review and synthesis of 19 empirical studies of the sustainability of American and Canadian health-related programs examines the extent of sustainability achieved and summarizes factors contributing to…

We describe changes in adaptive functioning for children enrolled in the Intensive Mental Health Program (IMHP), an innovative model for serving children with the most severe forms of SED. Most children show marked improvements in multiple indicators of role performance and symptomatology. Although a high risk, high need group, most children…

Evaluating school-based mental health services for children and youth with emotional disturbance (ED) has been a challenge for researchers. One particular challenge is the study design of using the student as the statistical unit of analysis, which in certain cases may lead to a violation of the "independence of error" assumption.…

This study reports the results of a five-year follow-up survey of private-pay outdoor behavioral healthcare (OBH) programs operating in the United States and Canada. A total of 65 of 102 programs identified as meeting certain characteristics responded to the survey and identified themselves as an OBH program that utilizes a clinical treatment…

The clients were 123 clients referred for outpatient therapy over a one-year period. These clients of this particular mental health facility expected to receive advice and medicine quickly, from a male therapist who was younger than 50, and they expected that this advice and medicine would help them broaden their interests and gain new friends…

Investigation supported in part by Public Health Service Research Grant R-11-MH-0045(04) from the National Institute of Mental Health.

THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THE WESTERN CONFERENCE ON THE USES OF MENTAL HEALTH DATA ARE--(1) TO PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ADMINISTRATORS AND ANALYSTS ABOUT PROGRAMS WITHIN AND BETWEEN STATES, AND (2) TO IDENTIFY TRAINING NEEDS AND ENCOURAGE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES TO MEET THEM. THIS REPORT DESCRIBES IN DETAIL PROCEEDINGS…

The P.E.P. Report 1969-1973 focuses on the various findings and activities of the Program Evaluation Project. The establishment of validity is one of the major tasks of the developers of a measurement methodology. In this chapter, it is argued that the construct validity approach is essential to an understanding of the validity of Goal Attainment…

The exploratory visit to recent retirees, an outreach component of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union Friendly Visiting Program, was evaluated. A post-test only control group effect study revealed exploratory visits were effective in establishing a link between the program and the retiree. (Author)