Community child psychiatry: Evolution and direction.

Abstract

Sociocultural influences are seen as pre‐eminent in the development of community child psychiatry, with special emphasis given to issues of social reform, race and poverty. Current status of the field is discussed within the framework of a typology that identifies programs as being clinically‐adapted, socially‐adapted, or community‐adapted.

Judging the effectiveness of a consultation program to a community agency

“…Hetznecker & Forman (1971) note that programs that do attempt (as does the one described) to relate to poor children and their families, often fail to include adequate measurement and evaluative procedures in their design. But evaluation of the effectiveness of a consultation program appears akin to and even more complicated than the nebulous and vexing business of psychotherapy outcome studies (Eysenck, 1965).…”

The child guidance clinic in a community mental health center: A five-year report

“…Since a community-based child guidance clinic system had already been in existence approximately four decades prior to the passage of PL 88-164 (Hetznecker & Forman, 1971), there was an ingrained reluctance on the part of established organizations to share the community-focused work arena with a zealous upstart (Switzer, 1969). Although child guidance adherents criticized themselves for not reaching larger numbers of disturbed and at-risk children, little effort was given to a revamping of traditional service structures once the opportunity arose to do so.…”

Public child psychiatry training

“…Child psychiatry's early development was nourished both by closely associating with these service systems in the community and by partaking generously of the new knowledge generated by other disciplines. However, as child psychiatry matured, its ties to this public arena became more attenuated (Hetznecker and Forman, 1971). Mental health services also became more isolated from the other service organizations, proving that insularity can grow as well in the community as it can in the ethereal reaches of academic medical centers.…”