Each year in the United States, 250,000 infants are born too soon, weighing too little. For these low birth weight, premature infants, the future is uncertain, since they are at risk for a variety of serious medical and developmental problems—including behavioral and learning disorders that may have damaging effects for the rest of their lives. The extent to which a comprehensive early intervention program could improve or prevent these adverse outcomes was examined in the Infant Health and Development Program, a randomized controlled trial involving almost 1,000 infants in eight cities in the United States. This book describes in detail the program, its research methodology, the progress of the program, and the results of the clinical trial. The program was administered by an interdisciplinary team composed of physicians, biostatisticians, child development specialists, and researchers from several disciplines. It was instituted upon the discharge of the infants from the neonatal nursery and was maintained for three years. One-third of the infants were randomly assigned to an intervention group, the remainder to a follow-up group. Infants in both groups received pediatric care and community referral services, but only those in the intervention group participated in a program that included extensive home visits, attendance at a child development center, and group meetings for parents. The results of the program proved to be clinically important; at age three, the children in the intervention group had significantly higher IQ scores, greater cognitive development, and fewer behavioral problems. The implications of the findings for public policy are equally important, for there is increasing interest in the prevention, early detection, and management of developmental disabilities in children, as evidenced by such legislation as the Education for All Children Act. Strategies to minimize the problems of low birth weight children, with their potential for long-term savings through the prevention of disabilities and their attendant costs, could have significant repercussions in such governmental areas as medical care, education, and social welfare.

Index of U.S. government literature on health statistics and research information and health care delivery and education material for the lay public.

Campus counseling services today must face the challenges of greater diversity and complexity on campus while making do with fewer resources. In order to be maximally effective, they must be willing to engage with other services within and beyond the campus itself. This comprehensive manual for campus mental health and student affairs professionals is specifically designed to provide the most current information available regarding critical issues impacting the mental health and educational experiences of today's college students. It is unique in its focus on outreach beyond the walls of the counseling center and how counseling services can coordinate their efforts with other on and off-campus institutions to expand their reach and provide optimal services. Written for both mental health counselors and administrators, the text addresses ethical and legal issues, campus outreach, crisis and trauma services, substance abuse, sexual minorities, spiritual and religious issues, bullying and aggression, web-based counseling, and psychoeducational services. The authors of this text distill their expertise from more than 30 years of combined experience working and teaching in a variety of college and university counseling centers throughout the United States. The book serves as both a comprehensive text for courses in college counseling and college student affairs and services, as well as an all-inclusive manual for all college and university mental health and student affairs professionals. Key Features: Offers comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of college counseling center practices and programming Provides a unique focus on integration and coordination with other student services within and beyond the campus Covers a wide range of counseling services including academic and residential Discusses critical contemporary issues such as substance abuse, response to violent and traumatic events, internet bullying, and diversity concerns Written by authors with a wide range of experience in counseling services and other student affairs

This volume is part of a series of publications which contain practical guidance to assist policy-makers and planners in member countries with policy development to address public mental health needs and service provision. It focuses on human resource management and training, issues which are particularly important as its workforce is the most valuable asset of an effective mental health service and often accounts for the largest portion of the annual budget.