Service Delivery Issues Research Articles

Evaluation of Occupational Therapy School-Based Consultation Service for Students with Fine Motor Difficulties

This paper describes a 2-year study that addressed the perceived occupational performance changes among students with fine motor difficulties receiving occupational therapy school-based consultation (OTSBC) services. The sample included 52 stakeholders of students with fine motor difficulties who received occupational therapy services. Six exploratory focus groups and one participatory and action-based focus group were conducted with parents, teachers, occupational therapists, and Community Care Access Centre case managers. Results supported the benefits of OTSBC. Key concerns identified were the wait for service, confusion about service expectations, inadequate communication among stakeholders, school board issues, and constraints in the health care system. Recommendations identified were to train teachers, provide early intervention, address service delivery issues related to health and education systems, and promote awareness of occupational therapy service and its effectiveness. Occupational therapists working with students with fine motor difficulties could consider providing formal education programs for teachers, promoting early intervention of fine motor problems, and communicating to stakeholders regarding the expectations and effectiveness of OTSBC.

Water service delivery in Pietermaritzburg: A community perspective

South African service delivery paradigms are undergoing a period of decentralisation. Local government/local municipalities are the preferred vehicles, selected by national government, to implement national policy, manage and deliver water services to local populations. Municipalities face a significant challenge of reducing apartheid backlogs, raising the level of service delivery and maintaining working systems whilst concurrently undergoing a period of painful re-demarcation and facing financial and capacity crises. Municipalities, forced to recover costs, transfer pressures of payment to households in an environment of massive job losses, decreased employment opportunities, HIV/AIDS and rising household service debts. South Africa's democratic system lends itself to a heightened awareness of community voices and participation, it is this environment, encouraging community involvement, where community perspectives are sought to identify challenges and provide recommendations for the transformation of water service delivery systems. This article highlights the perspective of low-income urban households to the following (community-identified) major water service delivery issues: free basic water, affordability mechanisms and tariff structures, water meters, leakages and water demand management, political platforms for community engagement and municipal administration. Grass-roots perspectives are critical as they provide insight into how implementation strategies are working on the ground. This paper aims to provide a platform for the perspectives of low-income households to water service delivery in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal and provides community-suggested recommendations for the transformation of water service delivery systems. Keywords: municipal water service delivery, free basic water, water tariffs, community Water SA Vol. 31(4) 2005: 435-448

Accident and emergency psychiatry

Up to 5% of patients attending accident and emergency (A&E) departments present with primary psychiatric problems, whilst another 20–30% have psychiatric symptoms in addition to physical disorders. This article discusses the commonest psychiatric presentations to A&E, including self-harm, acute psychosis, and alcohol and substance misuse. It also describes common clinical problems in A&E, including frequent attenders, patients who do not wait to be seen, violence and aggression, and psychological responses to trauma. Issues of service delivery and safety are also discussed. The key to a successful A&E psychiatric service is a good working relationship between A&E and mental health staff.

Symptoms Versus Impairment

Diagnosing ADHD based primarily on symptom reports assumes that the number/frequency of symptoms is tied closely to the impairment imposed on an individual’s functioning. That presumed linkage encourages diagnosis more by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) style symptom lists than well-defined, psychometrically sound assessments of impairment. The current study correlated measures reflecting each construct in four separate, large-scale ADHD research samples. Average correlation between symptoms and impairment accounted for less than 10% of variance. Symptoms never predicted more than 25% of the variance in impairment. When an ADHD group was formed according to a measure of current symptoms, the sample size shrunk by 77% when a criterion-based measure of impairment was added. The partial unlinking of symptoms and impairment has implications for decisions about the diagnostic process, research criteria for participant inclusion, prevalence estimates, gender ratios, evaluation of treatment effects, service delivery, and many other issues.

Prepare Your Team to Manage Part D

Prepare Your Team to Manage Part D

Compromised Communities and Re-emerging Civic Engagement in Mpumalanga Township, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal

This article is concerned with organisational responses of residents in Mpumalanga Township, located in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The central argument of the article is that there is a slow and fragile process of consolidating democracy emerging in the township. It is argued that the potential of democratic consolidation is being undermined by the social, economic and historical realities of the township. Four themes are discussed in the article: the crisis of representation and decline of old organisations; the fragile stability of families and kinship networks; the process of facing up to faultlines and the new face of community organisations; and consolidating democracy out of conflict. Firstly, this article explores the tenuous process of rebuilding community-level trust and collective action in the wake of political transition. The general lack of trust in politicians and popular representatives in the contemporary period has meant that people are retreating into families and kinship networks, a response reinforced by poverty. Second, the family is seen as a site of stability, but this is only realisable if the institution is supported by government policy. State transfers, such as pensions and child maintenance grants, are critical to relieving the enormous pressures and demands made upon the household. However, with the enormous burden placed on family networks and unequal power relations within households, the stability of family networks is seriously undermined. A crisis of reproduction surfaces as incidences of alcohol and drug abuse and domestic violence become a common feature of most households. Third, the link between household survival and urban services has also given rise to popular responses through newly formed community organisations. Finally, the consolidation of democracy is emerging out of conflicts between community residents and the local government around issues of service delivery and political accountability.

Connecting Culture and Community: Washington State University Builds Partnerships With Northwest Tribes

Connecting Culture and Community: Washington State University Builds Partnerships With Northwest Tribes

The American Counseling Association Practice Research Network (ACA-PRN): A New Research Tool

Although there are more than 79,000 licensed professional currently practicing in the United States, this figure is small when one considers there are 5 times this number of practicing in the United States. Despite the large number of practicing counselors, it is currently unclear as to the following: * Who are professional counselors? * How have professional been trained? * Where do professional work? * Who are the clients that professional serve? * What services do professional provide? * What are the effects/outcomes of the services? At first glance, the above questions seem simple; however, in reality, they are complex questions that are not easy to answer. One of the problems in characterizing professional is that work in a wide variety of settings in unique and profound ways (Engels & Bradley, 2001). For example, professional occurs in such settings as agencies, clinics, hospitals, private practice offices, K-12 schools, business and industrial settings, and college campuses. The problem of characterizing the professional counselor is made even more difficult because of variations in specializations, theoretical orientations, and postdegree professional development. Despite the complexity in answering the aforementioned six questions, they must be answered. In an era of increased accountability, researchers have pointed out that and clients have an interest in knowing what works (Lambert, 2001; Lambert, Hansen, & Finch, 2001; Lambert et al., 2002; Lueger et al., 2001; Sexton, 2001; Whipple et al., 2003). Stated slightly differently, the question of the efficacy of must be answered on the basis of research. Beyond that, have a moral and ethical responsibility to know whether is promoting the welfare of clients or harming clients (Heppner, Kivlighan, & Wampold, 1999; Lambert & Cattani-Thompson, 1996). Similarly, Gall, Borg, and Gall (1996) concluded that research (e.g., research) must be able to describe the phenomenon and predict its consequences. Hood and Johnson (1997) provided credence for evidence-based research when they posited, counselors need to evaluate the effectiveness of their endeavors (p. 7). Research that can answer the six questions listed earlier is vital to the American Counseling Association (ACA) in its quest to inform the general public and legislators not only about who are and what do but also why this research is vital in substantiating the claim that counseling works. Without additional current and ongoing research data, ACA and the profession are seriously hampered when they discuss outcomes. Without a sound, dynamic research base that better articulates the characteristics of practicing counselors, their respective practices, and outcomes, professional is unlikely to be competitive in the contemporary environment of increased accountability, managed care, and research-based practices (Sexton, Whiston, Bleuer, & Walz, 1997). Given the need for information about professional counseling, the American Counseling Association Practice Research Network (ACA-PRN) was established. The purpose of this article is to describe the ACA-PRN. Specifically in this article, we not only describe the makeup of the ACA-PRN, but, more important, we describe how the ACA-PRN offers a new research model designed to provide a better link between practice and research among professionals. * What Is a PRN? According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA; 1994), a Practice Research Network (PRN) is a group of practicing clinicians who cooperate to collect data and conduct research studies on a variety of service delivery issues (Zarin, Pincus, West, & McIntyre, 1997). …

Symptoms versus Impairment: The Case for Respecting DSM-IV's Criterion D

Diagnosing ADHD based primarily on symptom reports assumes that the number/frequency of symptoms is tied closely to the impairment imposed on an individual's functioning. That presumed linkage encourages diagnosis more by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) style symptom lists than well-defined, psychometrically sound assessments of impairment. The current study correlated measures reflecting each construct in four separate, large-scale ADHD research samples. Average correlation between symptoms and impairment accounted for less than 10% of variance. Symptoms never predicted more than 25% of the variance in impairment. When an ADHD group was formed according to a measure of current symptoms, the sample size shrunk by 77% when a criterion-based measure of impairment was added. The partial unlinking of symptoms and impairment has implications for decisions about the diagnostic process, research criteria for participant inclusion, prevalence estimates, gender ratios, evaluation of treatment effects, service delivery, and many other issues.

Searching for the Grand Unifying Theory: Reflections on the Field of LD

A recent overview of the field of learning disabilities (Torgesen, 2004) laid out several issues that will likely consume the field for the foreseeable future, including problems of definition and etiology, differentiation of learning disabilities from other disabilities, and issues in identification and service delivery. There is little to disagree about here. My views on the future of the field are further informed and colored by my own research focus on social and cultural aspects of learning and motivation for individuals with disabilities and students in at-risk circumstances. Before describing this view of the future, it is useful to step back for a moment and briefly (and, admittedly, incompletely) characterize where the field has been. It has been approximately half a century since learning disabilities were first recognized in the United States. Throughout that time ubiquitous paradigm wars have been a prominent feature of the discourse surrounding the field (Andrews et al., 2000; Brantlinger, 1997). The early focus on remediation of visual/perceptual and visual/motor processing difficulties slowly gave way to the behaviorally rooted direct instruction approach targeting discrete, observable behaviors. In turn, the field was transformed with the advent of the revolution. The focus on observable behavior gave way to trying to understand the internal cognitive processes underlying specific tasks from an information-processing framework. Later, affective factors were recognized as critical since it became evident that just because students were strategic and knowledgeable about how to successfully perform a task, it did not mean that they would do so. Psychometrics and psychological science formed the disciplinary foundation for much of this work. Much later in the development of the field, attention came to be paid to the observation that additional factors were necessary to gain a fuller understanding of learning disabilities. Loosely termed here sociocultural factors, they include student-related features such as language, culture, and socioeconomic status, and also non-student contextual factors such as the social organization of classrooms and the correspondence, or lack thereof, between classrooms and communities (Kalyanpur & Harry, 1999; Torres-Velasquez, 1999). The unique constellation of information structures and processes, motivational beliefs about oneself as a learner and knower, strategies and understandings of problems, and even the meaning of academics and schooling, has increasingly come to be understood as being mediated at least in part by sociocultural factors (Okagaki, 2001; Pintrich, 1999; Spencer, 1999). The focus on these factors has been driven at least in part by the astounding increase in population diversity in the country as well as by continuing concern over equity in service delivery, educational outcomes, and overrepresentation (Losen & Orfield, 2002; National Research Council, 2002). A Personal Perspective My own focus on social and cultural factors was not spurred by my doctoral training in special education (primarily from a cognitive orientation), but by newly uncovered (at the time, in the late 1970s) issues of overrepresentation of African American and Latino students due to prevailing assessment and classification practices (Mercer, 1973). At the beginning of the 1980s, investigations into assessment and classification procedures were considered to be of primary importance (Mercer, Rueda, & Cardoza, 1986; Rueda & Mercer, 1985). In my case, it soon became apparent that coming up with more accurate sorting measures and procedures to figure out a more correct or accurate box was not the most critical issue. Not only did this focus not provide guidance on how to address the initial problem (low achievement), it became evident that early reading and literacy seemed to be the root of most early achievement problems and referrals (Lyon, 1985), especially for students from specific ethnic/racial groups (African American and Latino), SES groups (low), and language backgrounds (nonnative speakers of English). …

The clinical psychiatry of late life in Britain from 1950 to 1970: an overview

The psychiatry of old age in Britain can be traced back to the 1940s. Provision of services for mentally ill older people, however, did not become widespread until the 1970s. Survey of archive sources, published work, and oral history interviews relating to the development of services for mentally ill older people in Britain between 1950 and 1970. Despite considerable progress in research leading to a firm academic foundation for the specialty of old age psychiatry, there was relatively little progress made in the coordinated development of services from 1950 to 1970. A new generation of old age psychiatrists began to take service delivery issues forward at the very end of the 1960s and into the 1970s.

Mental Health Services: A Public Health Perspective, 2nd ed.

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Book Forum: Mental Health ServicesFull AccessMental Health Services: A Public Health Perspective, 2nd ed.HAROLD ALAN PINCUS, M.D., HAROLD ALAN PINCUSSearch for more papers by this author, M.D., Pittsburgh, Pa.Published Online:1 Apr 2005https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.4.830AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail As someone whose interests span clinical, research, and policy issues in behavioral health services, I am often called upon to meet with students and trainees who are interested in policy and administration. I also codirect a seminar series on social and community psychiatry for psychiatric residents and frequently present lectures to medical or public health students on the “mental health system” and related policy issues. As such, I was looking forward to identifying a single text that I could share with interested students and use as a backbone for the seminar. Mental Health Services: A Public Health Perspective has a number of positive attributes, but, overall, it does not have the coverage and focus to meet that need.The text has 20 chapters organized into four parts: Service Delivery Issues, Selected Populations at Risk (children and adolescents, adults, older adults, substance abuse), Special Issues, and Managing Mental Health Systems. The book’s greatest strengths are quality of the contributors (all are major leaders in each of the domains selected) and the broad range of disciplines represented. The greatest weaknesses are the lack of a cohesive vision and insufficient linkages among the chapters. As a result, a student would not really get the big picture. To try to remedy this often encountered problem in multiauthored texts, the editors had most authors include a section at the end of each chapter titled Implications for Mental Health Services. However, no consistent framework is discernible for how the authors determined the implications, and the sections often seem tacked on.Another problem that limits the applicability to non-mental-health disciplines is that there is very little on the nature of treatment for behavioral conditions and their effectiveness (especially for those who are not seriously mentally ill). Also, some clinical vignettes might help nonclinicians get a more concrete sense of how practices and policies affect individuals. The epidemiology chapters are all excellent reviews of the literature, but they provide very little connection to services and policy issues per se. As a text for nonepidemiologists, the book might have included a section on how these surveys are typically conducted, warts and all. There is a chapter titled “Co-Occurring Disorders,” but most other chapters ignore this phenomenon. For example, the chapter on criminal justice says almost nothing about substance abuse.There are some outstanding chapters that I would certainly offer to trainees with specific interest: “Mental Health Disability Law,” “Policy and Services Delivery,” “Child Mental Health Policy,” “Mental Health Policy and Aging,” and the chapter on evaluation are all comprehensive and superb.Finally, despite the subtitle, A Public Health Perspective, that perspective does not appear to be well represented in the text. For example, epidemiologic data strongly demonstrate that the largest proportion of mental health care is provided in the primary care sector, yet there is no chapter focused on that issue.By Bruce Lubotsky Levin, John Petrila, and Kevin D. Hennessy. New York, Oxford University Press, 2004, 474 pp., $65.00. FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited ByNone Volume 162Issue 4 April 2005Pages 830-830 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 April 2005 Published in print 1 April 2005

Beyond rituals and riots: ethnic pluralism and social cohesion in Singapore

Contents: The Political History of Interethnic Relations in Singapore The Legal and Institutional Framework and Issues of Multiculturalism in Singapore We, the Citizens of Singapore: Multi-ethnicity, its Evolution and its Aberrations A Study of Children's Social Interactions in Informal Primary School Settings Schools and Post-Secondary Aspirations among Female Chinese Malay and Indian Normal Stream Students How Now, NE? An Exploratory Study of Ethnic Relations in Three Singapore Schools Trainee Teachers' Stereotypes of Racial Groups in Singapore by Ethnicity Management and Language Education Policy: Towards an Alternative Model of Language Education in Our Schools Madrasah Education and National Integration Cross-Cultural Issues in Social Service Delivery by Family Service Centres 'Ethnic' and 'Citizen' Patterns of Provision in Social and Community Services Ethnic Representation on Local Film and Television.

Review of Learning About Learning Disabilities, Third Edition.

BERNICEWONG (Ed.) Learning About Learning Disabilities, Third Edition San Diego, CA: Elsevier Academic Press, 2004, 664 pages (ISBN 0-12-762533-X, US$79.95 Hardcover) The book, Learning about Learning Disabilities, Third Edition, edited by Bernice Wong, comprises a selection of chapters authored by well-known authors in the field of learning disabilities. The book was developed for use with advanced undergraduate and graduate students with the intent to provide current information soundly based in research in the field. The chapters in the book are organized into three thematic sections. The first section deals with conceptual, historical, and research aspects of learning disabilities. Within this section there are chapters on history, memory, language processes in reading, peer relationships, self-regulation, and the reading brain. Chapter 1 focuses on the status of the field of learning disabilities, provides a historical perspective of the events in the field, discusses the role of psychological processes in the disorder, and presents current and future issues in the field. This chapter provides an excellent review of the literature in this area and provides more detail on this topic than a book designed for undergraduate students. The research presented would provide many pivotal points on which to build classroom discussion. However, this chapter is decidedly American in tone. If the book was to be used as a text in a Canadian context, there would be a need to supplement this chapter with Canadian readings. The focus of Chapter 2 is memory and learning disabilities. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of memory development, information processing, memory research, and implications from memory research for instruction. However, the chapter often reads like a summary of one of the author's research in the field with 35 references to his publications. A more balanced review might be more appropriate. Chapter 3 examines language processes and reading. The theoretical approaches to language acquisition are reviewed and a good synopsis of the research on language and reading provided. Peer relationships are the topic for Chapter 4. This chapter provides a description of what is known about the nature of peer relationships and provides information on the factors linked to the quality of children's social lives. This is a particularly important chapter for a text of this nature and this chapter provides a reasonably in-depth discussion of the issues in this area. Chapter 5 focuses on self-regulation. This is a very important topic for anyone studying learning disabilities and one that is often neglected. This chapter provides an overview of the theoretical basis of self-regulation, and provides information on self-regulation strategies, the effects of self-regulation interventions, and factors that influence the use and effectiveness of self-regulation. This chapter provides many practice ideas for implementation as well as providing a synopsis of the research. The final chapter in the first section of the book looks at the reading brain. This is a very timely inclusion into a book of this nature as the topic of brain and its implications for teaching is currently receiving a great deal of attention. This chapter provides a model of the processes in the brain's functional reading system, examines imaging studies that compare readers with and without difficulties, and discusses the importance of the research for designing treatment interventions. Most students will find this particular chapter of great interest. The second section is entitled Instructional Aspects of Learning Disabilities. This section comprises chapters on reading comprehension, writing, math, social competence, strategy instruction, working with adolescents, issues in service delivery, and developing communities of practice. The first chapters in this section are very similar to chapters that would be found in undergraduate level textbooks on learning disabilities. …

Community Based Rural Health Care in India

SUMMARY India is a large country, geographically as well as popula-tionwise. The majority of its population lives in rural areas, i.e., villages. Again, most of the villages are in remote areas. The State has been making sincere efforts to make the basic social services accessible to all in the rural area. Health being one of the vital services, it has been a challenging task before the State to extend it to the remote rural areas, many of which are not yet connected by motorable roads. As a result of various experiments carried out over the last five decades, the State has developed a fairly well-designed primary health care service, and it is in operation in rural areas. However, there appears to be a striking gap between the delivery of health services in rural areas and utilization of the services by the people. Attempts have been made in this article to apprise the readers of the health service system in India, and it discusses the issue of health service delivery at the village level. The discussion is based on a small study carried out in a rural area in the State of West Bengal (India) where students of social work of the University to which the author belongs are placed for field work. Following the inputs received through supervision of the students' work, the study was initiated and conducted. This article based on the study seeks to focus on peoples' perception of the health services as provided by the State in rural areas, which in turn gets reflected in the extent to which they utilize the services. Social workers being an integral part of the health set up, their role bears special significance. Discussion, therefore, centres on scope for social work intervention at the community level as well as in institutional level of the health service delivery system to make the services meaningful and effective in rural areas. In fact, it has to take the leadership role in reforming the service delivery system when required.

Understanding Death and Dying in Select First Nations Communities in Northern Manitoba: Issues of Culture and Remote Service Delivery in Palliative Care

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to delineate and describe the local palliative care services available to residents of remote Aboriginal communities in northern Manitoba; to identify attitudes and beliefs ab0ut death, dying and palliative care in these communities; and to explore obstacles related to palliative care service delivery from the perspectives of culture and geographic isolation.Study Design. Forty-four in-depth semi-strn.ctured interviews were conducted with a reputational sample of key informants including Aboriginal people resident in remote communities, community elders and religious leaders, doctors, nurses and allied health care providers working in First Nations Communities, as well as specialist service providers in Winnipeg. Thematic qualitative analysis was done on the data collected. Data collected from interviews with northern physicians and nurses was coded and analyzed.Results. Currently, many Aboriginal people living in remote communities are transported to large urban centers to die, isolated from friends, family and their culture. However, the majority of Aboriginal people and health care providers interviewed reported that Aboriginal people living in remote communities would prefer to die at home. The issues surrounding palliative care provision in remote Aboriginal communities are cultural and geographic. Culturally sensitive care requires that patients have access to family supports and traditional services if requested. Geographic isolation requires that:1. patient-specific care plans be created for use in the remote community;2. effective lines of communication are established between remote health care providers and urban specialists;3. health care providers and family care-givers be properly trained to fill their respective roles; and4. appropriate guidelines and resources be available in the community to support this type of care.Conclusions. Providing the equipment, supports and education necessary for home-based palliative care in remote Aboriginal communities can be an effective way of addressing the medical, psycho-social, and spiritual needs of these patients. (Int J Circumpolar Health 2004; 63: 25–38)

Home chemotherapy for children with cancer: perspectives from health care professionals

The goal of this study was to determine the perspectives of healthcare professionals (HPs) from community and hospital settings involved in a paediatric home chemotherapy programme. Using a prospective descriptive study design, HPs including paediatricians, community nurses, hospital clinic nurses, administrators and pharmacists were interviewed using a moderately structured open-ended approach. Through inductive content analysis, data were categorised under three themes reflecting HPs' perspectives on the programme: (1) perceived family benefits, (2) human resources and service delivery considerations and (3) impact on the role of the HP. All HPs reported that home chemotherapy helped reduce both disruption to family life and psychological stress. Community-based HPs reported increased job satisfaction, increased workload and increased frustration related to scheduling challenges. Hospital-based HPs reported decreased patient interaction and discrepancies in workload changes. Both groups emphasised the need for consistency in care and for specific chemotherapy training. Service delivery issues included the need for more clarity in the programme process, improved eligibility criteria, a focus on community laboratory coordination and development of centralised communications.

Wellbeing and Competitive Employment for Adults With an Acquired Physical or Psychological Disability

The study utilised a quasi-experimental design and quota criteria sample of 38 adults with an acquired physical or psychological disability plus a history of long-term unemployment. At the end of the six months' rehabilitation intervention half of the participants of both disability groups were employed, which challenges the notion that adults with a psychological disability are less likely to achieve re-employment. It is important to note that similar numbers of males and females were employed, for women with a disability have historically been overrepresented in the unemployed numbers and underrepresented in rehabilitation programs. The study demonstrated that individuals with an acquired disability who reported higher self-confidence scores for gaining employment were 75% more likely to be later employed. There was a 29% improvement in General Health Questionnaire-28 scores at the end of the intervention. The program is reported and service delivery and wellbeing issues are discussed.

‘What Do I Have to Come Here for, I’m Not Mad?’ Children’s Perceptions of a Child Guidance Clinic

Children’s views as service users are being increasingly sought and valued. A pictorial critical incident technique was developed to gain insights into the perceptions and experiences of children and young people ( n= 30, ages 5–15 years) attending a child and adolescent outpatient mental health service for the first time. The methodology proved effective in eliciting children’s views, both positive and negative. Findings show age differences in clients’ anxieties about attending. The degree to which children and young people felt involved in the process of assessment also varied with age. In general, children and young people felt more positive when leaving the clinic compared with when they first arrived. Salient aspects of the initial visit emerged which may not have been tapped using a questionnaire or rating scale. Findings are discussed in the context of service delivery issues and the development of child-focused preparatory information.

Clinical Care, Service Issues Focus of Fall Institute

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article APA InstituteFull AccessClinical Care, Service Issues Focus of Fall InstituteRichard Balon, M.D.Richard BalonSearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:18 Jul 2003https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.38.14.0027While APA’s 2003 annual meeting in the glorious city of San Francisco is probably not far from your mind, it is time to look ahead and include the Institute on Psychiatric Services in another great city—Boston—in your fall CME plans. The institute will offer another excellent educational experience for all its participants.A trip to the cradle of higher education is not only just what you need but will also enjoy this fall. Make arrangements now to travel to Boston for the institute, which will be held October 29 to November 2 at the Marriott Boston Copley Place.The institute is a smaller, more intimate meeting that offers an opportunity to expand your clinical knowledge while you catch up with colleagues and make new friends. The institute’s manageable size and flexible schedule also allow you to reach your educational goals while enjoying sightseeing, cultural institutions, and culinary delights of the great city of Boston.This year’s theme is “Access to Integrated Mental Health Care.” Our rich program reflects the clinical and service delivery issues we face in diverse communities. I hope you will share my excitement about this meeting.Twenty-eight international, national, and local experts from various disciplines will offer interesting and stimulating lectures. Several prestigious APA awards will be given during the institute, followed by the awardees’ lectures: Frederick Sierles, M.D., the recipient of the APA/NIMH Vestermark Award, will present the lecture “Why Many More Women Must Become Chairs, Deans, and Chief Academic Officers in Medical Schools”; Marvin Herz, M.D., the recipient of APA’s Alexander Gralnick Award for Research in Schizophrenia, “Early Intervention in Different Phases of Schizophrenia”; Sir Michael Rutter, M.D., the recipient of APA’s Marmor Award, “Using Epidemiology to Test Causal Hypotheses”; C. Edward Coffey, M.D., the recipient of the APA/APAA Administrative Psychiatry Award, “Pursuing Perfection in Depression Care”; and Abraham Twerski, the recipient of APA’s Oskar Pfister Award, will try to answer the question, “Is There a Place for Spirituality in Therapy?”Other topics by expert lecturers include a wide variety of issues such as “Alcoholics Anonymous, Cult or Cure? A 60-Year Follow-Up of 200 Community Residents With Alcohol Dependency” by George Vaillant, M.D.; “Behavioral Complications of HIV Infection” by Francisco Fernandez, M.D.; “Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacology: Split Treatment Issues” by Michelle Riba, M.D.; “The Assessment and Treatment of Psychological Trauma” by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.; “The Psychodynamics of Medicating” by Harold Eist, M.D.; “The Limbic Lobe in Relation to Psychosis” by Francine Benes, M.D., Ph.D.; “Diagnosis and Treatment of Antisocial Personality Disorder” by Glen Gabbard, M.D.; “What’s New in Treating Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder?” by John Gunderson, M.D.; and many others.Lecturers also include the popular National Public Radio (“All Things Considered”) commentator Elissa Ely, M.D. The clinical consultations sessions will be led by such experts as Stephen Goldfinger, M.D., Joel Feiner, M.D., Kenneth Duckworth, M.D., and Ronald Diamond, M.D. There will be numerous workshops, innovative programs, industry-supported symposia, and poster sessions presenting the best work submitted by APA members and their colleagues.I believe that besides mental health professionals taking care of severely mentally ill people, this meeting is attractive and of special benefit for residents and medical students. They will be able to join with psychiatrists and mental health professionals in several discussion groups and the clinical consultations to discuss clinical issues and the challenges of service delivery. They can also participate in special programs and get-togethers just for residents and fellows.I hope that you will understand my pride in this meeting and my enthusiasm about the excellent program that the institute’s Scientific Program Committee prepared for you. Please join us and continue the tradition of supporting community work and education at this wonderful fall meeting. ▪Dr. Balon is chair of the Scientific Program Committee of the Institute on Psychiatric Services. ISSUES NewArchived