Mind Matters

Treating the homeless.

Many people struggle alone with mental illness; this may be especially true of the homeless in New York State. However, thanks to efforts by Columbia University and the Presbyterian Hospital Critical Time Intervention (CTI) Mental Health Program, homeless individuals who are mentally ill are making the transition from shelter to community living. One of the first programs to offer mental health care on site, CTI treats clients with symptoms of mental illness and substance abuse, enabling them to successfully transition to more independent quarters. It also offers critical follow up for nine months as individuals face the challenges of living on their own.

Raising awareness of Hispanic mental health issues.

Truly effective mental health services are tailored to the individual, taking into account ethnicity and culture as well as personal circumstances. Fordham University’s Center for Hispanic Mental Health conducts applied research with a focus on Hispanic populations. The goal is to generate knowledge to improve services and outcomes. The center’s current studies include the “Impact of Foster Home Placement on the Mental Health Functioning of Hispanic Children;” the “Interpretation of Psychiatric Symptoms and Help-Seeking Preferences of Hispanic Elders;” and “Understanding Suicide Attempts by Adolescent Hispanic Females.”

Educating families and caring for kids.

New York University’s Child Study Center has created an Internet-based mental health parenting resource (www.aboutourkids.org) to guide families through many common — and some less familiar — issues that affect children as they move from childhood through adolescence. This user-friendly site contains advice and information on many topics, from helping kids cope with homesickness, to understanding depression in youngsters with a chronic disease, to teen sexual behavior. The informative Web site (see above) is just one service of the center, which conducts research and initiates programs that address mental health concerns in young people.

Focusing on real-life problems.

Since 1957 the University of Rochester has worked collaboratively with the community on the mental health needs of young children. The Children’s Institute focuses on prevention and intervention and over the years has developed award-winning programs for children and families. Continuous evaluation ensures that programs are effective, up-to-date, affordable, and easily implemented by schools, early childhood centers and human service agencies. This assessment creates healthy environments and supports the caregivers who help to shape a child’s mental health.


 

At a glance: research, programs, and direct care in mental health.

 

The Lea Powell Institute for Children and Families at Alfred University provides psychological and educational services to the community, while its Center for Rural School Psychology offers advanced training to educational and mental health professionals. The Institute’s Child and Family Services Center offers consultation, assessment, and family, cognitive, behavior and play therapies.

 

The Psychological Services Center of the C. W. Post Campus of Long Island University provides income blind direct care to the community. The full-service center helps families with parent-child conflicts, school-related problems, socialization difficulties, hyperactivity and low attention span, anger management, and aggressive behavior, and provides therapy for depression, eating disorders and compulsive behavior.

 

Nazareth College provides speech/language, art, music, and physical therapy to underserved populations including children and individuals with aphasia and their family caregivers. Clients in therapy have created a range of artworks, including paintings, pottery, photography and computer-generated imagery.

 

Niagara University faculty recently conducted studies of the psychological predictors of high school students’ disciplinary problems and criminal and violent behavior and the links between middle school students’ personality traits and behavior problems. Findings will be used in programs designed to reduce violence and delinquency.

 

The Center for Health and Behavior at Syracuse University facilitates research on the behavioral aspects of health and provides clinical and educational services to the community.

 

Researchers at Teacher’s College, Columbia University are learning more about the mental health of preschoolers in Head Start programs to foster students’ emotional development.

 

The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Yeshiva Universty’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine funds many mental-health related projects, including “Reducing Perinatal Depression and Enhancing Parenting,” and “Evaluation of Integrated Mental Health Services.”