Discusses a strategy for organizing mental health programs for American Indian families. Suggests four principles for clinical service: (1) spirituality; (2) immersion with families and the community; (3) "picturing," or the articulation of unconscious family behaviors; and (4) "joining," or the reconstitution of the American Indian family system.…

A cookbook approach is taken to health education programs. The ingredients for an effective health and safety fair include a slice of color, one barrel of laughs, a bunch of hard work, and a measure of knowledge. (JN)

The therapeutic community and traditional mental health services have not been demonstrated to be effective for the drug user, the mental health patient, or the alcoholic. A variety of behavior modification techniques look promising. However, their applicability for drug users has yet to be determined. The means for adequate assessment are…

A university health service working cooperatively with a private medical group established a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) for the entire community. (JD)

The problems of integrating the physically handicapped child are discussed including descriptions of major handicapping conditions, a discussion of the development of mainstreaming programs, suggestions for successful programs, and comments on the financial implications of mainstreaming. (MM)

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a key part of emergency cardiac care. It is a basic life support procedure that can be taught in the schools with the assistance of the American Heart Association. (JMF)

An interview with Harriet Oyler, the first woman to be employed by Nabisco, Inc., as a sanitarian is detailed. Topics discussed include facility monitoring and inspection, industrial sanitation, and the role of the industrial sanitarian. (BT)

Uses diffusion of innovations theory to contrast three different preventive health interventions (undertaken by the contractual network of the Cancer Information Service) by their innovation attributes. Shows that innovation attributes were rated differentially by organizational members, depending on the nature of the specific intervention,…

Profiles characteristics of adolescent suicide attempters (N=27) and the treatment they received in a pediatric emergency room. Results demonstrated that the evaluation of suicidal adolescents cared for in a pediatric facility may be episodic. Suggests need for comprehensive program to approach the problem. (Author/ABL)

After efforts to improve mental health services for older adults, services to older adult minorities were compared with services to non-minority counterparts by questioning aging specialists (N=72). Found although aging specialists perceived substantial growth in services, mental health services for ethnic minority adults showed a lower rate of…

This report gives an update on the status of planning and delivery of mental health services for people with intellectual disability who have psychiatric disorders in Australia and New Zealand. A number of innovative approaches in policy and planning, legislative support, education, consultation, and coordination among services are discussed.…

Describes mental health service needs in rural America and barriers to improving its quality and availability. Federal programs, especially the Office of Rural Health Policy, are described and policy recommendations for improving rural mental health care are presented. (DM)

Describes outreach program to deliver mental health services to mentally ill older adults in Baltimore County, Maryland. Incorporating prevention and early intervention strategies, program targets older adults with late-onset or previously undiagnosed psychiatric histories. Explains how services are provided through one-third/one-third/one-third…

Explores the hypothesis that spouses involved in couples counseling will present similar intimacy complaints. Couples (N=100) described their expectations and perceptions of current marital intimacy. Results show that husbands and wives came to counseling with different intimacy complaints. Discusses implications of these results for case…

Recounts how one community's response to tragedy illustrates that a community-based system of care can meet the needs of individuals, families, and organizations in culturally competent ways. Examines how the implemented program successfully meets the community's needs for coordinated children's mental health services on the community's terms.…