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This article presents preliminary outcomes associated with an experimental, longitudinal study of a Multiple Family Group (MFG) service delivery approach set within 13 urban outpatient clinics serving children and their families living in inner-city, primarily African American and Latino communities. Specifically, this article focuses on parent reports of child oppositional behavior and parenting stress over time. The MFG is a flexible, protocol-driven approach designed to address the most common reason for referral to outpatient child mental health clinics, childhood behavioral difficulties. The MFG also aims to enhance family-level engagement and retention in ongoing care. Further, the service delivery model was collaboratively developed with intensive input from parents rearing children with conduct difficulties, parent advocates, community-based child mental health providers, and services research staff in order to ultimately expand the number of effective service models that can be situated within "real world," urban child mental health settings. (Contains 5 tables and 3 figures.)

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to highlight the benefits of collaboration in child focused mental health services research. Method: Three unique research projects are described. These projects address the mental health needs of vulnerable, urban, minority children and their families. In each one, service delivery was codesigned, interventions were co-delivered and a team of stakeholders collaboratively tested the impact of each one. Results: The results indicate that the three interventions designed, delivered, and tested are associated with reductions in youth mental health symptoms. Conclusion: These interventions are feasible alternatives to traditional individualized outpatient treatment. (Contains 3 figures and 4 tables.)

A multiple family group intervention is discussed as an alternative to individual or family therapy for treatment of disruptive behavioral problems of low-income minority children. Topics include outcome measures, data analyses, involvement in mental health services, reductions in child behavioral difficulties, parental descriptions of impact of services, and applications to social work practice.

Purpose: As implementation and evaluation of research supported treatment (RST) expands across diverse mental health settings, it is essential to understand the facilitators and inhibitors of uptake. The current study examined the relationships between organizational readiness for change, attitudes toward RST, and use of RST among a sample primarily of social workers. Methods: Participants included 158 providers from public child mental health outpatient clinics in the New York metropolitan area. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: Use of RST was greater among providers who were younger and had fewer years of professional experience. Both organizational need for change and climate directly and indirectly related to use of RST through attitudes toward RST (partial mediator). Discussion: The organizational context is an important factor that relates to attitudes toward and use of RST in practice. Future research is needed to continue examining factors of RST uptake and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This article describes Phase 1 of a pilot that aims to develop, implement, and test an intervention to educate and simultaneously engage highly stressed Latino parents in child mental health services. A team of Spanish-speaking academic and community co-investigators developed the intervention using a community-based participatory research approach and qualitative methods. Method: Through focus groups, the team identified parents’ knowledge gaps and their health communication preferences. Results: Latino parents from urban communities need and welcome child mental health literacy interventions that integrate printed materials with videos, preferably in their native language, combined with guidance from professionals. Conclusion: A 3-minute video in Spanish that integrates education entertainment strategies and a culturally relevant format was produced as part of the intervention to educate and simultaneously engage highly stressed Latino parents in child mental health care. It is anticipated that the intervention will positively impact service use among this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]