This issue of "Residential Group Care Quarterly" contains the following articles: (1) "Achieving Better Outcomes for Children and Families: Reducing the Use of Restraint and Seclusion" (Katherine Johnson); (2) "STAR Project Outcomes" (Nancy Campbell); (3) "The Devereux Glenholme School" (Mary Guilfoile); (4) "Lessons Learned in the Reduction of…

Increasingly, kindergarten has become a full day of school, and nearly the whole day is devoted to academic instruction. Early childhood education is being pushed strongly toward the cognitive approach, with strong emphasis on early academic achievement, including the testing of young children to measure their accomplishments. What is lost or…

In the fall of 2003, PACER Center's Parent Partnership Project for Children's Mental Health conducted a survey to better understand what parents and families need from the children's mental health system in Minnesota. The research team developed a survey questionnaire, a telephone interview, and a focus group session directed at learning what was…

This introductory packet is designed as an aid in conceptualizing financing efforts, identifying sources, and understanding strategies related to needed reforms that address barriers to learning. The packet contains an introductory overview of financing strategies to support innovative approaches to assisting children and families. Also presented…

Americans have been exposed to increased levels of mass violence during the past decade. School violence, shootings in the workplace, and terrorist acts both here and abroad--all have affected individuals, families, communities, and our country. This report addresses the urgent need to evaluate the various psychological interventions that are…

This issue of the quarterly newsletter of the Center for Mental Health in Schools is devoted to matters related to advancing the field. Features and regular segments include: (1) Sustaining and Scale-up: It's About Systemic Change; (2) Mental Health in Schools: Where is the Field Going?; (3) Advancing the Field: Everyone Can Play A Role; (4) The…

This directory is intended to provide information on HIV/AIDS interventions funded by the World Bank that include a component for young children. Data were collected from 1986-2001 fiscal year reports from both freestanding HIV/AIDS projects and those projects with HIV/AIDS components. Countries are listed alphabetically and projects are organized…

This study examined the utilization rate of behavioral health services by children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) over a 6-year period and compared this rate to the expected number of children with ASD in TennCare, Tennessee's managed care Medicaid program. Analysis of TennCare patient data found the rate at which children with ASD received…

During a symposium, three presentations described initiatives that exemplify the principles and components of the Ecology of Outcomes. Emphasis is on accountability for achieving measurable outcomes and use of outcome information in program planning and development. Summaries of individual papers are: (1) "The Ecology of Outcomes: System…

This paper critiques current models for evaluation of mental health services provided to children and adolescents with emotional disturbances and offers an alternative model. The most popular model, Donabedian's tripartite model, is described. This model separately evaluates three domains: (1) structure (characteristics of the care providers,…

This conference paper discusses the results of a study that investigated the validity of the Family-Centered Behavior Scale (FCBS) and its companion tool, the FCBS-Importance. On the FCBS, parents of children with special needs rate how often a professional with whom they work performs certain family-centered behaviors. On the FCBS-Importance,…

This report reviews work by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG), which evaluated the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), including whether children are being enrolled inappropriately in SCHIP rather than in Medicaid, and states' progress in reducing the number of uninsured children. This…

This document details the strategic plan of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to address disparities in health and developmental outcomes among Americans, particularly between and among racial and ethnic groups. Following a description of the plan's development, scientific areas of interest, and important themes, the…

To reach academic goals such as reducing the achievement gap and leaving no child behind, schools must include a focus on addressing barriers to student learning to ensure all children have an equal opportunity to succeed at school. Such a focus requires a high-level policy commitment to establishing an "enabling component." Operationalizing an…

To function well, every system has to fully understand and manage its resources. Mapping is a first step toward enhancing essential understanding, and done properly, it is a major intervention in the process of moving forward with enhancing systemic effectiveness. In schools and community agencies, there is redundancy stemming from ill-conceived…