Rapid assessment of existing HIV prevention programming in a community mental health center

In preparation for implementation of a comprehensive HIV prevention program in a Community Mental Health Center for persons with mental illness who are also abusing substances, a rapid assessment procedure (RAP) of existing prevention services that may have developed in the setting over time was undertaken at baseline. In addition to an ecological assessment of the availability of HIV-related information that was available on-site, in-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted with Center administrators, direct-care staff, and mental health consumers. Results indicated that responses regarding available services differed depending upon type of respondent, with administration reporting greater availability of preventive programs and educational materials than did direct-care staff or mental health consumers themselves. But overall, formalized training on HIV prevention by case managers is extremely rare. Case managers felt that other providers, such as doctors or nurses, were more appropriate to deliver an HIV prevention intervention.     

HIV service provision for people with severe mental illness in outpatient mental health care settings in New York

People with severe mental illness evidence significantly higher rates of HIV infection than the general population in the United States. Frequently, the only access to health care for this population is through their outpatient mental health care providers. In order to determine how these providers were dealing with the increased risk of HIV infection among this group, a survey of all licensed and certified outpatient mental health care centers in New York State was conducted. The data were compared to a similar previous survey conducted in 1997.     

Psychology in the community: a community psychologist looks at 30 years in community mental health

I review my 30 years in the community mental health field, emphasizing the personal and historical context that shaped this career. I especially highlight the origins of the values that guided significant career decisions, including family, neighborhood, religious and educational influences. The core guiding value was the belief that public service is both a privilege and an obligation, and that righting social injustice through such service is a noble calling. I trace the evolution of my thoughts and actions reflecting this value, from an early desire to "help children," through preparation to become a child psychologist, and ultimately to practice in a public community mental health setting and a career dedicated first to primary prevention and then to broader safety net services for those in need. I highlight a corresponding intellectual evolution as well, a progressive change in identity from "clinical psychologist in the community" to community psychologist.     

NGO在公共卫生服务中的角色分析

公共卫生服务是公共服务的内容之一。虽然公共卫生服务主要是政府的职责,但也是可以通过多种组织形态来提供的。本文分析了国家级NGO参与公共卫生项目的数量、比例和领域,提出了公共卫生服务中NGO的补充角色及其具体体现,包括在人力资源、资金、特殊领域和内容、特殊地区和人群以及服务模式探索等方面的补充作用,并从筹资和服务两个方面总结了NGO参与的方式。基于此,作者提出NGO和政府在公共卫生领域良性互动的模式。     

Preventing Homelessness: An Examination of the Transition Resource Action Center

Each year in the United States, as adolescents age out or are emancipated from the foster care system, they are at risk of experiencing homelessness. It is essential that services and programs focus on encouraging and supporting youth in transition from foster care to a life of independence, and The Transition Resource Action Center (TRAC) strives to provide these services. The researchers sought to determine if TRAC's residential program provides their clients with a chance of a stable life (e.g., housing, employment, health care). Findings suggest that fewer clients of TRAC became homeless and more acquired transitional or temporary housing from screening 1 to screening 2, demonstrating promise that these services have fostered change in the lives of their clients.     

Mental Health Treatment Experiences and Expectations in Foster Care: A Qualitative Investigation

This study explores perspectives on mental health treatment experiences and expectations for youth in foster care and their foster parents. In-depth interviews were conducted and identified for major themes: (1) the dual stigma of foster care and mental health care; (2) the lack of engagement in mental health therapy; (3) trust issues with the therapist and other individuals; and (4) the desire to integrate mental health services with primary care services. These results have implications for mental health service delivery and suggest opportunities to improve mental health treatment through an integrated care approach.     

The 2012 sandy hook elementary school shooting: Connecticut’s department of mental health crisis response

This article reports on the role, activities, and lessons learned of a state mental health authority—the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services—in responding to the mental health needs of families and community members following the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Following the introduction, we provide a brief case study of Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services’ role in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting. This role included use of the Incident Command System (ICS) to deploy a standing statewide network of clinicians who provided direct care for surviving children and school personnel, victims’ family members, and others, and coordination of its mental health response with the activities of other state, private, and individual players. We then discuss key themes and lessons learned and offer recommendations to mental health authorities for planning and implementing their own responses to possible like incidents in the future.     

Urban planning and mental health

Abstract

Both the product and the process of city planning have been shown to have an influence on mental health. This paper presents a model of the process through which community design characteristics influence mental health. The model emphasizes the importance of local social interaction and physical stimulation, as well as adjustment mechanisms used to dampen stress resulting from undesirable levels of interaction and stimulation. The research on the relationship between four community design characteristics and social interaction, stimulation and mental health is then reviewed. An argument for the importance of citizen participation is also presented, stressing the influence of participation on both sense of control and the development of social support. Commonly employed participation techniques, however, differ in their ability to affect support and control. Neighborhood council programs are identified as having the greatest potential for influencing sense of control and social support. Finally the obstacles to improving community design and specific recommendations for the prevention of environmentally induced mental health problems are presented.     

The mental health association and prevention

Summary

The history of the Mental Health Association's involvement in prevention is described. From its inception in 1909 the Association has played a key role in advocating for prevention. It contributed to the Child Guidance Center movement, the community mental health center movement, and helped focus the 1978 President's Commission on Mental Health on prevention. In recent years, it has served as the catalyst for the formation of a coalition of national organizations with an interest in prevention.     

基于收入差别的农村公共服务需求偏好与满意度研究

本文以收入差别为逻辑起点,对当前我国农村公共服务需求偏好进行研究发现:现阶段我国农村养老、子女教育和医疗保障服务的需求愿望较为强烈,且生活类公共服务需求愿望强于生产类公共服务需求;随着收入的增加,保障型公共服务需求递减,发展型公共服务需求递增;在农村公共服务满意度方面,高收入群体对公共服务的满意度总体上高于低收入群体。这一研究发现蕴涵三方面的公共政策取向:一是当前完善农村公共服务体系的重点是公众需求强烈的子女教育、医疗保障、养老等基本民生领域;二是在对农村公共服务供给结构组合中,优先保证公众生活类公共服务需求,同时尽力满足公众发展型公共服务需求;三是在农村公共服务供给项目选择上,优先保证低收入群体的公共服务需求。     

当前派出所民警心理状况研究

在目前复杂多变的治安形势下,越来越多的派出所民警承受了较大的心理压力,这不仅极易造成民警自身的心理健康问题,同时也可能给基层公安队伍带来一些不稳定因素。应在制度保障方面提供解决方案,有针对性地缓解派出所民警心理健康隐患。     

基于社会控制论的非常态时期犯罪预测模型的建立

重大公共卫生事件的突发使各类犯罪现象出现新特点和新趋势,不仅表现在犯罪类型结构的骤变,更体现在犯罪数量较以往的显著差异上。针对此次疫情,及时总结归纳并建立基于突发事件社会环境下的犯罪预测模型成为警务情报部门工作研究的重点。以犯罪预防学中的“犯罪三角”理论范式为基础,根据此次突发公共卫生事件中各类犯罪呈现出的特点,综合评估预测犯罪管理者、犯罪监管者、犯罪操训者三类犯罪防控主体在诸多疫情防控措施作用下的犯罪防控效能。建立基于突发事件的犯罪防控效能评估预测模型,可在一定程度上弥补传统犯罪预测中因突发事件等特定环境变化带来的预测盲区,还可通过预测结果,为各类疫情防控措施提供有力保障。     

Effectiveness of a Cancer Education Program for Women Attending Rural Public Health Departments in North Carolina

SUMMARY

The Western North Carolina Cancer Awareness Program (CAP) was a four-year program, funded by the National Cancer Institute, to increase education and support services for the prevention and early detection of breast, cervical, and skin cancer among women receiving care in six rural county public health departments. Three health departments were selected as intervention units, and the remaining three health departments served as comparison units. Women age 20 and older were randomly selected in each health department. Women in the intervention group received a comprehensive health education program that included easy-to-read printed materials and telephone counseling dealing with breast, cervical, and skin cancer. Theoretical guidelines for development of the intervention program included the PRECEDE Model and the Health Belief Model. Overall, the results indicated that personalized education, which includes the combination of readable printed materials and telephone contact, can be effective in increasing some early detection behaviors for breast and skin cancer among women who attend public health departments. The value of telephone counseling as a comparatively inexpensive approach to individualizing health education has significant implications for the development of similar cancer education programs for underserved populations.     

Special Roles of Mental Health Professionals in Self-Help Group Development

Provision of services to self-help/mutual aid groups is a natural outgrowth of the goals, objectives and activities of consultation and education (C & E) departments of community mental health centers. The C & E services of the Ravenswood Community Mental Health Center has, during the past several years, provided several forms of assistance to a variety of developing and established self-help groups in the Chicago area. Through this experience, the roles of mental health professionals in facilitating the development and maintenance of self-help groups have been explored. The provision of assistance at several stages of group development without challenging the autonomy and voluntary nature of self-help groups is a basic requirement for all professionals involved in group development. With careful recognition of the needs and nature of such groups, mutually satisfactory long-term relationships can be established between self-help groups and mental health professionals.     

Emotional distress in African American women with HIV

This study identified factors associated with emotional distress in 109 African American women with HIV. The relationship of personal factors (demographic, social conflict, social support, and spirituality), health-related factors (perception of health, physical and mental health problems, and years diagnosed), and cognitive/coping responses (stigma, worry, and emotion focused coping) on depressive symptoms and mood state was examined. Younger age, more social conflict, less social support, lower perception of health, and more HIV worry were associated with higher depressive symptom scores. Variables most often affecting various mood states included personal factors (public housing, unemployment, and social conflict) and worry about having HIV worry.     

当前我国警察心理健康问题研究

当前,新形势对公安民警的素质和身心健康提出了越来越高的要求,公安机关的领导以及警界的学者们共同意识到健康的心理素质是警察依法履行职责、完成各项任务的重要保证。警察职业环境中存在着比常人更多的负向刺激物,警察在工作实践中会面临多种多样的压力事件,压力事件及压力情境构成警察的心理压力源,工作压力源成为警察心理压力源的主要内容。针对我国警察心理保健的现状、警察心理压力源及其对警察产生的负面影响,在公安机关开展警察心理保健工作,不仅能使人们了解警察行为的发生机制,使社会更加透彻地了解警察这个群体最为真实的工作生活状态,还能有效提升警务工作的服务效益。     

Adolescent Parents and Their Children: A Multifaceted Approach to Prevention of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)

Childhood experiences can have long-term effects. Research shows that children who undergo adverse childhood experiences (ACE) often have negative health and mental health outcomes later in life. Children of adolescent parents with high ACE Scores are at greater risk of ACE. As such, an intergenerational approach to preventing ACE is proposed in this article, addressing the needs of both the adolescent parent and their children. A review of the literature indicates that a public health perspective can guide the development of a prevention model aimed at reducing the effects of ACE. The current article proposes a universal, multifaceted, and interdisciplinary prevention science model that has two targets: adolescent parents and their children. Schools and early childhood programs can be mobilized to offer community prevention strategies across realms to include the individual, community, provider, coalitions/networks, organizational practices, and policy/legislation.     

Community-level HIV prevention for persons with severe mental illness living in supportive housing programs: a pilot intervention study

Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) are at risk for HIV/AIDS. Despite the availability of supportive community programs for those with SMI, there have been no published evaluations of community-level HIV prevention trials among this population. A pilot intervention trial was conducted to determine the feasibility of such an intervention in supportive housing programs (SHPs). A multi-component community-level trial was implemented in two SHPs with a total of 28 residents. Participants completed assessments at three time points: prior to the intervention (baseline), following skills training (post-assessment), and following the 4-month community intervention (follow- up). Results demonstrated significant improvements in psychosocial risk factors at both post- and follow-up assessments, with indications of sexual behavior change at follow-up. The community-level intervention appeared to reduce the risk of HIV among persons with SMI living in SHPs, and supports the importance of conducting larger scale intervention trials.     

强县扩权背景下我国基层政府公共服务供给能力研究

近年来,试点实行强县扩权的地方政府在义务教育、医疗卫生、社会保障和公共就业服务等基本公共服务供给方面进行了有益的实践,取得了一定的成效,但在权力扩张的同时,地方政府的治理思路和理论也出现了一些困惑。本文对这些新的情况和问题进行分析,并提出一些解决措施,希望会对进一步提高基层政府的公共服务供给能力有所帮助。     

Racial Disparities in Service Referrals for Families in the Child Welfare System

Among families in the child welfare system, family reunification depends largely upon the services to which families are referred. This study examines whether race/ethnicity influences the number and types of services to which families are referred. Findings suggest that compared to African American families, Hispanic families were more often referred to psychosocial services (e.g., mental health) than basic needs (e.g., housing). These findings indicate a need to reduce service referral disparities between ethnic groups.