Reviews the status and organization of the Cuban mental health system. Focuses on the deliberate and systematic interdependence of mental health, public health, and socio-political structures; inpatient treatment modes and rehabilitation programs; use of social networks to support discharged patients; community-based care; and primary to tertiary…

Examines Progressive Life Center's (PLC) Therapeutic Foster Care program and its incorporation of NTU psychotherapy into its program model. Describes how PLC strives to improve the delivery of mental health services through culturally competent therapeutic techniques for African Americans, including seriously emotionally disturbed children. (MOK)

Describes a program which draws on interagency collaboration, principles of care, needs assessment, and other components to create a community-based system of care. Presents the rationale for each of these components and how they were implemented, data on the children and families served by the program, and a case study. (RJM)

Psychologists and other mental health professionals can collaborate with persons suffering from mental disorders and their families to seek increased funding for the mental health movement. Partnerships between family members and psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers should be expanded in the following three areas: (1) research; (2)…

The Colorado Department of Health formed the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Prevention Coalition to address Colorado's problem with CVD. The article describes the work of the Coalition's Physical Activity Subcommittee, the Subcommittee's Exer-Deck tool to promote increased physical activity, and the training of professionals to work collaboratively…

Provides an overview of the programs and activities of Parent Child Incorporated (PCI), a human services agency in San Antonio, Texas. PCI oversees or administers various Head Start, nutrition, family day-care, child-care, health, parenting, and adult education programs. (MDM)

Addresses the issue of drug-exposed infants from the perspective of a reproductive rights attorney. States genuinely interested in promoting healthy children will stop ignoring women or treating them as potential child abusers and will change the current punitive legal focus to a focus on treatment. (SLD)

Reports on efforts to redesign medical geography courses taught to undergraduate and graduate students. Describes the author's participation in a curriculum development seminar that focused on current research on women and other underrepresented groups. (CFR)

Lung cancer is a serious health problem among blacks, with a mortality rate of 119 per 100,000 black males, compared to 81 per 100,000 for white males. Smoking cessation efforts are most successful when tailored to the black community, using black community networks and broadcast media for black audiences. (SLD)

The mental health resources available in American Indian communities fall far short of the demonstrated need, especially for Native American adolescents. The Indian Health Care Amendments of 1990 and 1992 are reviewed, and recommendations are made to facilitate community-based programs for American Indians. (SLD)

Over 150 years, public and professional awareness of child sexual abuse has emerged and been suppressed repeatedly. Research now indicates the prevalence of sexual abuse and its injurious impact on human development, but in the contemporary mental health professions, courts, and media, a backlash has emerged against the latest discovery of child…

A survey was conducted of 193 directors of agencies providing home visits as part of early intervention programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities. Findings indicated limited coordination with hospitals, medical specialists, and mental health services; insufficient compensation for service coordination efforts; and state support to…

This article examines two programs chosen by the Early Head Start National Resource Center (EHSNRC) Pathways to Prevention (PTP) initiative to participate in a study of their mental health services. Both Wyoming's The Learning Center and Colorado's Developmental Opportunities found that working with the PTP mental health consultant catalyzed…

The need for system reform for child and adolescent mental health services, long recognized as a vital issue, continues to challenge mental health professionals. While past legislation has not adequately addressed the issues, the 2003 President's New Freedom Commission may begin to reorient mental health systems toward recovery. Supported by this…

Most older adults diagnosed with a mental disorder receive treatment in primary care settings that lack personnel skilled in geropsychological diagnosis and treatment. The Ferkauf Older Adult Program of Yeshiva University endeavors to bridge this gap by providing training in geriatric psychology, through coursework and diverse clinical practica,…