This study examined the efficacy of a Mental Health Treatment Court (MHTC) with diversion to treatment supported by an assertive community treatment (ACT) model of case management. A total of 235 participants were randomly assigned to either MHTC or treatment as usual (TAU) and assessed over a 2 year period. It was hypothesized that participants in the MHTC would decrease their criminal activity and improve their psychosocial functioning relative to participants receiving TAU. While there were offenders for whom neither treatment was effective, a majority in both groups decreased jail days and improved psychosocial functioning, with MHTC participants demonstrating greater gains in most areas. The impact of implementing the MHTC on community practices, and the value of integrating criminal justice and mental health systems, is discussed.

This article uses the concepts of risk and resiliency to frame our understanding of how having a learning disability affects nonacademic outcomes such as emotional adjustment, family functioning, adolescent problems of school dropout, substance abuse and juvenile delinquency, and adult adaptation. The presence of a learning disability is viewed as a risk factor that, in and of itself, does not predict positive or negative outcomes. Rather, other risk and protective factors, as highlighted in the literature, interact with the presence of a learning disability to facilitate or impede adjustment. These risk and protective factors may be internal characteristics of the individual or external characteristics of the family, school and community environments. Implications for the development of proactive interventions and areas for future research are discussed.

Without active engagement, many adults with serious mental illnesses remain untreated in the community and commit criminal offenses, resulting in their placement in the jails rather than mental health facilities. A mental health treatment court (MHTC) with an assertive community treatment (ACT) model of case management was developed through the cooperative efforts of the criminal justice and mental health systems. Participants were 235 adults with a serious mental illness who were booked into the county jail, and who volunteered for the study. An experimental design was used, with participants randomly assigned to MHTC or treatment as usual (TAU), consisting of adversarial criminal processing and less intensive mental health treatment. Results were reported for 6 and 12 month follow-up periods. Clients in both conditions improved in life satisfaction, distress, and independent living, while participants in the MHTC also showed reductions in substance abuse and new criminal activity. Outcomes are interpreted within the context of changes brought about in the community subsequent to implementation of the MHTC.

The purpose of this study was to explore how some children with learning disabilities maintain a positive self-concept despite academic difficulties. The study used Harter's model to investigate the relationship between global self-concept and perceived competence in general intellectual ability, specific academic subjects, athletics, behavior and appearance, and perceived social support. Data were collected on 72 elementary-school students with learning disabilities. Five hypotheses were tested: (a) children would vary in their global and academic self-concept; (b) children with high global self-concept would discount the importance of academics; (c) children with high global self-concept would perceive themselves as more intelligent; (d) children with high global self-concept would perceive themselves as more competent in other, nonacademic domains; and (e) children with high global self-concept would perceive higher levels of social support. Data supported all hypotheses except discounting. Implications for interventions with students with learning disabilities are discussed.

This study investigated the relationship between self-perception of a learning disability (SPLD) and self-concept and social support. Fifty-six third-through sixth-grade children with learning disabilities were administered Heyman's SPLD scale. This instrument measures the degree to which children view their disability as circumscribed, modifiable and nonstigmatizing rather than global, unchangeable and stigmatizing. Students were also administered two scales developed by Harter to measure general and domain-specific self-concept and social support. Results revealed that children with less negative perceptions of their learning disability had higher math achievement scores. Also, they perceived more positive global self-concept, more intellectual and behavorial competence, and more social acceptance. These children also felt more support from their parents and classmates. The relationship of SPLD to self-concept and social support was maintained after partialing out the influences of actual academic achievement. The importance of helping students more clearly understand the nature of their learning disability is discussed.