The Winterbourne View scandal in 2011 exposed the horrific abuse of people with learning difficulties and challenging behaviour in a private mental health hospital. Concerns were also raised about a number of other institutions. As a result, the Government committed to discharging those individuals for whom it was appropriate back into their homes and communities. However, since then, too many children and adults have continued to go into mental health hospitals, and to stay there unnecessarily, because of the lack of community alternatives. The number of people with learning disabilities remaining in hospital has not fallen, and has remained broadly the same at around 3,200. It was refreshing that NHS England took responsibility for this lack of progress and has now committed to develop a closure programme for large NHS mental health hospitals, along with a transition plan for the people with learning disabilities within these hospitals, from 2016-17. Discharges from hospital are being delayed because funding does not follow the individual when they are discharged into the community. This acts as a financial disincentive for local commissioners who have to bear the costs and responsibility for planning and commissioning community services. Delaying discharge has the effect of institutionalising people, making their reintegration into the community more difficult. Some local authorities' reluctance to accept and fund individuals in the community will be exacerbated by current financial constraints. The Department should set out its proposals for 'dowry-type' payments from NHS England to meet the costs of supporting people discharged from hospital.

An understanding of social policy is crucial for social workers as it underpins and shapes the legislative framework that they work within. From safeguarding service users and enabling them to improve their lives, to protecting the most vulnerable in society, social policy also has a vital role to play within social work education. It is important therefore for students to engage critically with social policy. This book introduces policy and shows how it has changed and evolved over time, how it reflects changes in society and how it is applied to everyday practice.

Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.

Motivation is key to substance use behavior change. Counselors can support clients' movement toward positive changes in their substance use by identifying and enhancing motivation that already exists. Motivational approaches are based on the principles of person-centered counseling. Counselors' use of empathy, not authority and power, is key to enhancing clients' motivation to change. Clients are experts in their own recovery from SUDs. Counselors should engage them in collaborative partnerships. Ambivalence about change is normal. Resistance to change is an expression of ambivalence about change, not a client trait or characteristic. Confrontational approaches increase client resistance and discord in the counseling relationship. Motivational approaches explore ambivalence in a nonjudgmental and compassionate way.

The term arthrogryposis describes a range of congenital contractures that lead to childhood deformities. It encompasses a number of syndromes and sporadic deformities that are rare individually but collectively are not uncommon. Yet, the existing medical literature on arthrogryposis is sparse and often confusing. The aim of this book is to provide individuals affected with arthrogryposis, their families, and health care professionals with a helpful guide to better understand the condition and its therapy. With this goal in mind, the editors have taken great care to ensure that the presentation of complex clinical information is at once scientifically accurate, patient oriented, and accessible to readers without a medical background. The book is authored primarily by members of the medical staff of the Arthrogryposis Clinic at Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, one of the leading teams in the management of the condition, and will be an invaluable resource for both health care professionals and families of affected individuals.

This book is an up-to-date collection, in AI and environmental research, related to the project ATLAS. AI is used for gaining an understanding of complex research phenomena in the environmental sciences, encompassing heterogeneous, noisy, inaccurate, uncertain, diverse spatio-temporal data and processes. The first part of the book covers new mathematics in the field of AI: aggregation functions with special classes such as triangular norms and copulas, pseudo-analysis, and the introduction to fuzzy systems and decision making. Generalizations of the Choquet integral with applications in decision making as CPT are presented. The second part of the book is devoted to AI in the geo-referenced air pollutants and meteorological data, image processing, machine learning, neural networks, swarm intelligence, robotics, mental well-being and data entry errors. The book is intended for researchers in AI and experts in environmental sciences as well as for Ph.D. students.

The Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Passbook(R) prepares you for your test by allowing you to take practice exams in the subjects you need to study. It provides hundreds of questions and answers in the areas that will likely be covered on your upcoming exam, including but not limited to; Acquiring and maintaining employment; Principles and practices of employment counseling; Case histories of employment clients; Interviewing; Preparing written material; and more.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have been increasingly diagnosed in recent years and carries with it far reaching social and financial implications. With this in mind, educators, physicians, and parents are searching for the best practices and most effective treatments. But because the symptoms of ASDs span multiple domains (e.g., communication and language, social, behavioral), successfully meeting the needs of a child with autism can be quite challenging. Evidence-Based Practices and Treatments for Children with Autism offers an insightful and balanced perspective on topics ranging from the historical underpinnings of autism treatment to the use of psychopharmacology and the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs). An evaluation methodology is also offered to reduce the risks and inconsistencies associated with the varying definitions of key autism terminology. This commitment to clearly addressing the complex issues associated with ASDs continues throughout the volume and provides opportunities for further research. Additional issues addressed include: Behavioral excesses and deficits treatment Communication treatment Social awareness and social skills treatment Dietary, complementary, and alternative treatments Implementation of EBPs in school settings Interventions for sensory dysfunction With its holistic and accessible approach, Evidence-Based Practices and Treatments for Children with Autism is a vital resource for school psychologists and special education professionals as well as allied mental health professionals, including clinical child and developmental psychologists, psychiatrist, pediatricians, primary care and community providers.