This is a request for a Scientist Development Award for Clinicians. The purpose of the award is to support the didactic training and supervised research experience necessary to develop the skills necessary to become an independent investigator in the area of child mental health services research. The career development plan is comprised of three components: 1) didactic training in biostatistics and survey design; 2) advanced seminars in child mental health services research; and 3) in-depth supervision centered upon the data analysis of a cross-sectional foster care child data base (LAC-CAMP) and pilot data for longitudinal follow-up and changes in service integration. The LA County Case Assessment and Management Project (LAC-CAMP) is an evaluation of the mental health needs and service utilization patterns of 300 foster care children, age 6-12 years, from the three catchment areas with the highest rates of out-of-home placements. The data will be collected January-June 1995.
The aims of the research are to: 1) identify the mental health needs and service utilization patterns among school age foster care children; 2) examine the relationship between perception of need for referral to child mental health problems and use of services; 3) pilot techniques for one year longitudinal follow-up of children in foster care; 4) pilot techniques to assess changes in service integration; 5) compare identification of """"""""caseness"""""""" by scale scores, DISC- derived diagnoses, and clinical interview; and 6) investigate whether placement in culturally specific foster care settings is associated with fewer mental health problems among Latino children. The importance of this award is that it will enable me to build a strong foundation of research skills and take advantage of the unique learning opportunity to be directly involved in the study of mental health problems and use of services among foster care children in a large, ethnically diverse metropolitan county that is transitioning towards an integrated system of care.
| Stein, B D; Zima, B T; Elliott, M N et al. (2001) Violence exposure among school-age children in foster care: relationship to distress symptoms. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 40:588-94 |
| Zima, B T; Bussing, R; Yang, X et al. (2000) Help-seeking steps and service use for children in foster care. J Behav Health Serv Res 27:271-85 |
| Zima, B T; Bussing, R; Crecelius, G M et al. (1999) Psychotropic medication use among children in foster care: relationship to severe psychiatric disorders. Am J Public Health 89:1732-5 |
| Zima, B T; Bussing, R; Crecelius, G M et al. (1999) Psychotropic medication treatment patterns among school-aged children in foster care. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 9:135-47 |
