Evaluation of a mental health treatment court with assertive community treatment1. This article investigated the effect of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) versus Treatment as Usual (TAU) on rates of life satisfaction, psychological distress, level of functioning, substance use problems and criminal activity by 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, Lehman Quality of Life Scale, Addiction Severity Index, and Global Assessment of Functioning to measure treatment effects. They also looked at arrest records for information about criminal activity.2. A real experimental design was used. Participants who met study criteria were randomly assigned to a control group, which received treatment as usual, and a treatment group, which received assertive community treatment. Assessments were conducted at the start of the program, every six months, and then at the end of the program. This indicates a time trial type method, but a pre-test and post-test were carried out.3. Repeat offenders in the county jail who had been diagnosed with mental illness where the study population.4. The study indicated that inmates who received ACT and TAU both showed improvement in all areas studied. They did, however, find that participants in the ACT group reported higher levels of success in reducing drug problems and acquiring independent living skills. This would help me in my profession because I could possibly 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 to reduce HIV risk behaviors when injecting drugs Users…1. This article investigated the effect of brief counseling on the risk behavior of injection drug users entering heroin detoxification treatment. Participants were recruited based on counselor availability, underwent a pre-test, and were randomly assigned to receive either 50 minutes of counseling or a packet of educational brochures. A post-test was then administered after three months to see if individuals had participated in lower HIV risk behaviors. HIV risk behaviors were measured using a questionnaire at pre-test and again at subsequent follow-up interviews.2. This study was a true experimental design and used the pre-test/post-test format. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups, received treatment, and then post-tested.3. As mentioned above, the study population consisted of heroin addicts entering a drug treatment clinic in San Francisco.4. The study did not find significant differences between those assigned to counseling or those who received educational brochures on reducing risky behaviors..