Sunday, February 1, 2009

Innovative Approaches for Difficult to Treat Populations or Getting the Most from Online Learning

Innovative Approaches for Difficult-to-Treat Populations

Author: Scott Henggeler

Innovative Approaches for Difficult-to-Treat Populations makes recommendations for developing and disseminating innovative mental health services. It is geared toward clinicians, administrators, and policy-makers struggling to develop both clinically effective and cost-effective mental health and substance abuse services, and it focuses on services for individuals who use the highest proportion of mental health resources and for whom traditional services have not been effective. These target populations include youth with serious behavioral and emotional disturbances and adults with severe and persistent mental illnesses.

The innovative approaches reviewed include diverse treatment methods for differing clinical populations. These varied approaches have several common elements:


• Social-ecological theory frameworks
• An emphasis on delivering flexible, comprehensive, pragmatic, and goal-oriented interventions in persons& rsquo; natural environments
• Increased accountability on the part of service providers
• The transition from centralized to community-based care is discussed, and normalizing a patient& rsquo;s daily routine as an important factor in the success of state-of-the-art community support programs is emphasized

Innovative Approaches for Difficult-to-Treat Populations offers mental health professionals and students a firsthand look at the future direction of clinical services. Policy issues necessary to developing and disseminating progressive treatments are addressed, including the downsizing of state psychiatric hospitals, strategies for reforming state mental hospital systems, and ethical issues inresearch on child and adolescent mental disorders.

Giridhar G. Reddy

This book deals with innovative approaches for difficult-to-treat populations. The contributors are prominent clinical researchers from various universities in United States. The purpose is to suggest directions for development and dissemination of innovative mental health services, especially for difficult patients like youths with serious behavioral and emotional problems and adults with severe and persistent mental illness. The target audience includes clinicians such as psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and mental health planners. There are appropriate tables and a summary at the end of each chapter highlighting some of the salient points. The references are adequate and up-to-date. This book gives information on ways to more effectively treat difficult populations, such as children, adolescents, and adults with chronic mental disorders. These individuals consume mental health resources disproportionately, and traditional services have had little established effectiveness. There are two sections, the first dealing with mental health services for children, adolescents and their families and the second dealing with adults with severe and persistent mental illness. The emphasis is on a social-ecological model wherein interventions are delivered in the patient's natural environment. The interventions are highly individualized to each patient and comprehensive, with specific goals in mind and clinicians held accountable for these therapeutic goals. This book is essential reading for all mental health professionals.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer: Giridhar G. Reddy, MD (Rush University Medical Center)
Description: This book deals with innovative approaches for difficult-to-treat populations. The contributors are prominent clinical researchers from various universities in United States.
Purpose: The purpose is to suggest directions for development and dissemination of innovative mental health services, especially for difficult patients like youths with serious behavioral and emotional problems and adults with severe and persistent mental illness.
Audience: The target audience includes clinicians such as psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and mental health planners.
Features: There are appropriate tables and a summary at the end of each chapter highlighting some of the salient points. The references are adequate and up-to-date.
Assessment: This book gives information on ways to more effectively treat difficult populations, such as children, adolescents, and adults with chronic mental disorders. These individuals consume mental health resources disproportionately, and traditional services have had little established effectiveness. There are two sections, the first dealing with mental health services for children, adolescents and their families and the second dealing with adults with severe and persistent mental illness. The emphasis is on a social-ecological model wherein interventions are delivered in the patient's natural environment. The interventions are highly individualized to each patient and comprehensive, with specific goals in mind and clinicians held accountable for these therapeutic goals. This book is essential reading for all mental health professionals.

What People Are Saying

Journal
It is an excellent text that should provide assistance for almost anybody attempting to develop an effective mental health program (The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease).


John R. Weisz
The interventions described here take place in the real-world settings where the clients live their lives and confront their stressors-at home with their families, in shopping malls, and sometimes on the street, in police cars, and even in jail...The book offers both inspiration and instruction to mental health professionals seeking new approaches to old problems (John R. Weisz, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles).


Leonard I. Stein
This excellent book, edited by Henggeler and Santos, brings together, in one volume, chapters written by leading clinical researchers working with difficult-to-treat problems and presents cutting-edge information needed to provide appropriate clinical services (Leonard I. Stein, M.D., Director of Research and Education, Mental Health Center of Dane County, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin).


Readings
If out of all of the confusion and disorder there may still emerge a system of care that is human and efficient, Innovative Approaches for Difficult-to-Treat Populations can serve as a marker in mapping the direction such a system will take (Readings: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health).


Mary Jane England
This book presents a timely colloquium among leaders in mental health service delivery systems...it will serve as a benchmark for best practice throughout this decade of reform of American health care (Mary Jane England, M.D., Past President, American Psychiatric Association, President, Washington Business Group on Health, Washington, D.C.).


David A. Brent
This book is a comprehensive compendium of innovations in system change and service delivery. It should be useful to those involved in service evaluation, program development, system change, and training of the next generation of clinicians...(David A. Brent, M.D., Chief, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania).


Rating

4 Stars! from Doody




Book about: U S vs Them or Open Society and Its Enemies Volume 1

Getting the Most from Online Learning: A Learner's Guide

Author: George M Piskurich

Getting the Most from Online Learning is a must-have resource that helps people, become better e-learners by showing them how to prepare for, participate in, and apply e-learning in all its variations. Written by the leaders in e-learning, this book is filled with practical ideas, suggestions, and information about a wide variety of topics including how to:


• Participate effectively in on-line learning experiences
• Contribute to and learn from discussion groups and chat rooms
• Handle e-learning peer evaluations
• Participate in online group projects

In addition, the expert authors share their personal e-learning experiences and show how they have mastered the discipline of e-learning for themselves.



Table of Contents:
Introduction
About the Editor
1Voices from the Edge of e-Learning1
2e-Learning: An Introduction7
3Becoming a More Self-Directed Learner: Why and How25
4How to Prepare to Attend a Synchronous e-Learning Course39
5How to Attend a Synchronous e-Learning Course59
6Succeeding in an Asynchronous Learning Environment73
7Chat Rooms and Discussion Boards85
8Online Readings: Gaining the Most from What You Read93
9How to Handle e-Learning Peer Evaluation111
10Building Successful Online Relationships131
11Participating in Group Projects Online145
12Managing Distractions for e-Learners153
Glossary161
Index167

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