Evaluation of Assertive Community Treatment Mental Health Treatment Court1. This article investigated the effect of assertive community treatment (ACT) versus treatment as usual (TAU) on ratings of life satisfaction, psychological distress, level of functioning, substance use problems, and criminal activity of the mentally ill residents of the Santa Barbara County Jail. The study administered four instruments to measure these variables. They used the Behavioral and Symptom Identification Scale, the Lehman Quality of Life Scale, the Addiction Severity Index, and the Global Assessment of Functioning to measure treatment effects. They also reviewed arrest records to gain information about criminal activity.2. A true experimental design was used. Participants who met the criteria for the study were randomly assigned to a control group, which received treatment as usual, and a treatment group that was provided assertive community treatment. Evaluations were provided at the beginning of the program, at six-month intervals, and then at the end of the program. This indicates a time trial type method, but a pre-test and a post-test were conducted.3. Repeat offenders in the county jail who were diagnosed with mental illnesses in which the population studied.4. The study indicated that inmates who received ACT and TAU both showed improvements in all areas studied. They found, however, that participants in the ACT group reported higher levels of success in reducing drug problems and gaining independent living skills. This would help me in my profession, as I might be able to work in a prison and help repeat offenders become more independent and have fewer drug problems by providing them with assertive community treatment. Effectiveness of brief counseling in reducing HIV risk behavior in drug injection Users…1. This article investigated the effect of brief counseling on the risk behavior of injecting drug users entering heroin detoxification treatment. Participants were recruited based on counselor availability, received a pre-test, and were randomly assigned to receive either a 50-minute consultation or a packet of educational booklets. A post-test was then administered after three months to see if the subjects had taken part in less HIV-risk behaviors. HIV risk behavior was measured using a questionnaire before testing and again in subsequent follow-up interviews.2. This study was a true experimental design and used the pre-test/post-test format. Subjects were randomly assigned to two groups, given one treatment, and then subjected to subsequent testing. As previously mentioned, the study population consisted of heroin users who entered a detox clinic in San Francisco.4. The study found no significant differences between those assigned to counseling or those who received educational booklets in reducing risky behaviors.