Sex offender risk assessment and management in Ireland

This research examined sex offender risk assessment and management in Ireland. It focused on the statutory agencies with primary responsibility (Garda Síochána and the Probation Service). The goal was to document the historical, contextual and current systems, in addition to identifying areas of concern/improvements. The research was a mixed-methods approach. Eight studies were conducted. This incorporated documentary reviews of four Commission to Inquire Reports, qualitative interviews/focus groups with Garda staff, Probation Service staff, statutory agencies, community stakeholders, various Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and sex offenders. Quantitative questionnaires were also administered to Garda staff. In all over 70 interviews were conducted and questionnaires were forwarded to 270 Garda members. The overall findings are: •Sex offender management in Ireland has become formal only since 2001. Knowledge, skills and expertise is in its infancy and is still evolving. •Mixed reviews and questions regarding fitness for purpose of currently used risk assessments tools were noted. •The Sex Offender Act 2001 requires additional elements to ensure safe sex offender monitoring and public protection. A judicial review of the Sex Offender Act 2001 was recommended by many respondents. •Interagency working under SORAM was hugely welcomed. The sharing of information has been welcomed by managing agencies as the key benefit to improving sex offender management. •Respondents reported that in practice, sex offender management in Ireland is fragmented and unevenly implemented. The research concluded that an independent National Sex Offender Authority should be established as an oversight and regulatory body for policy, strategy and direction in sex offender management. Further areas of research were also highlighted: ongoing evaluation and audits of the joint agency process and systems in place; recidivism studies tracking the risk assessment ratings and subsequent offending; and an evaluation of the current status of sex offender housing in Ireland.

Perceived constraints and social support for active leisure among mothers with young children

Evidence suggests that women who are mothers of young children have lower levels of physical activity than women of similar age who do not have children (Brown, Lee, Mishra, & Bauman, 2000). The purposes of this study were to explore the factors that constrain mothers of young children from being more physically active, and the relationship between physical activity and levels of social support available to the women. The empirical basis for this examination was provided through a study of activity levels and barriers to physical activity experienced by a sample of 543 mothers of young children from differing socioeconomic backgrounds. The data indicate that: (a) more than two-thirds of the mothers were inadequately active in their leisure time for health benefit; (b) while the vast majority of mothers expressed a desire to be more active, they were inhibited in their ability to act out their leisure preferences by a combination of structural (e.g., lack of time, money, energy) and ideological influences (e.g., sense of commitment to others); (c) access to social support (from partners, family, and friends) was seen to place some women in a better position than others to negotiate constraints that inhibit leisure participation; and (d) within groups of varying socioeconomic status (SES) there was wide variation in the amount of time spent each week in active leisure.

Factors of poor prognosis of visceral leishmaniasis among children under 12 years of age. A retrospective monocentric study in Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 2001-2005

INTRODUTION: A major concern with the visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is its high lethality rate, even with proper treatment. Low age, prior malnutrition, disease duration prior to diagnosis, severe anemia, fever for more than 60 days, diarrhea and jaundice are known poor prognostic factors. The goals of this study are to describe the clinical and laboratory characteristics of VL among children under 12 years of age and to identify the factors associated with VL poor outcome. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty children under 12 years of age with confirmed VL admitted to Hospital João Paulo II (FHEMIG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil, between January 2001 and December 2005 were evaluated retrospectively. The primary outcome was the poor clinical evolution: sepsis, and/or pneumonia, and/or urinary tract infection, and/or of bleeding (expect epistaxis), and/or severe neutropenia (neutrophil < 500 cells/mm3). Odds ratio (crude and adjusted) and its 95% confidence interval for each variable were calculated. Values less than 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Average age was 3.3 years (3.6 months-11.6 years), 71.2% were younger than 5 years and 47.2% lived in Metropolitan Area of Belo Horizonte. The mean fatality rate was 3.6%. Sixty-six (26.4%) patients presented poor evolution. After a multivariate analysis, age <18 months, abnormal respiratory physical examination on hospital admission, and platelets <85,000/mm3 remained associated with increased chance of poor evolution. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that patients aged between 12 and 18 months, with platelet counts bellow 85,000/mm3, and respiratory abnormalities at admission should be considered potentially severe.

Department of Health and Children Business Plan 2001

Department of Health and Children Business Plan 2001 Download the Report here

Report of the Inspector of Mental Hospitals for 2001

] The Mental Treatment Act 1945 requires the inspection of every public psychiatric hospital and unit at least once a year, and of every private hospital and the Central Mental Hospital twice a year. These inspections were carried out on both announced and unannounced visits. In recent years, the number of un-announced visits has increased. The general format of an announced visit is that the Inspectorate, before beginning the inspection, meets with senior members of the service being inspected, bringing with it the statistical returns made by that service to the Department of Health and Children at the end of the preceding year and a copy of the health boardâ?Ts service plan in respect of the service.   Download document here

Disability Act 2005: Sectoral Plan for the Department of Health and Children and the Health Services

Department of Health and Children Sectoral Plan in respect of health and personal social services provision for people with disabilities, as provided for in the Disability Act 2005. Read the Report (PDF, 448kb)

Report of the Department of Health and Children to the Oireachtas Under Section 2 (5) of the European Union (Scrutiny) Act, 2002 & Jan to June 2008

Report of the Department of Health and Children to the Oireachtas Under Section 2 (5) of the European Union (Scrutiny) Act, 2002 – Jan to June 2008 Under the terms of the European Union (Scrutiny Act) 2002, Ministers submit reports to the Oireachtas every six months on developments at European Union level in their area of responsibility. This report summarises the key legislative and policy developments during the first six months of 2008. Slovenia held the Presidency of the European Union during this period. Information on the Slovenian Presidency can be accessed at: Click here to download PDF

Respiratory viruses in children younger than five years old with acute respiratory disease from 2001 to 2004 in Uberlândia, MG, Brazil

The main viruses involved in acute respiratory diseases among children are: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenzavirus (FLU), parainfluenzavirus (PIV), adenovirus (AdV), human rhinovirus (HRV), and the human metapneumovirus (hMPV). The purpose of the present study was to identify respiratory viruses that affected children younger than five years old in Uberlândia, Midwestern Brazil. Nasopharyngeal aspirates from 379 children attended at Hospital de Clínicas (HC/UFU), from 2001 to 2004, with acute respiratory disease, were collected and tested by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) to detect RSV, FLU A and B, PIV 1, 2, and 3 and AdV, and RT-PCR to detect HRV. RSV was detected in 26.4% (100/379) of samples, FLU A and B in 9.5% (36/379), PIV 1, 2 and 3 in 6.3% (24/379) and AdV in 3.7% (14/379). HRV were detected in 29.6% (112/379) of the negative and indeterminate samples tested by IFI. RSV, particularly among children less than six months of life, and HRV cases showed highest incidence. Negative samples by both IFA and RT-PCR might reflect the presence of other pathogens, such as hMPV, coronavirus, and bacteria. Laboratorial diagnosis constituted an essential instrument to determine the incidence of the most common viruses in respiratory infections among children in this region.

Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines, 2001

Disabilities accessiblity guidelines for Americans produced by Department of Human Rights

The Americans with Disabilities Act Employer/Employee Rights & Responsibilities, May 2001

This publication was designed with the belief that the ADA addresses both employers and employees to achieve a viable workforce and productive society. The law was intended to reflect the balance between the employer and the employee with a disability. This booklet contains information on Title I of the ADA but should not be considered legal advice. Title I is directly related to the employment provisions of the law. Both employers and employees have responsibilities and rights under the ADA and this booklet addresses the balance of rights and responsibilities under the law. This law was designed to remove the barriers that prevent qualified persons from enjoying equal employment opportunities solely because of a disability. It demonstrates America recognizing the vitality and abilities of all people to contribute in our society, particularly in the area of employment. This is civil rights law. It prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities and encourages the recognition of citizens with disabilities as full participants in American life. It recognizes that these members of the American work force are an excellent resource for employers.

B-1 Monthly Report of Medical Services Provided under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, December 2001

B-1 Medicaid Reports -- The monthly Medicaid series of eight reports provide summaries of Medicaid eligibles, recipients served, and total payments by county, category of service, and aid category. These reports may also be known as the B-1 Reports. These reports are each available as a PDF for printing or as a CSV file for data analysis. Report Report name IAMM1800-R001--Medically Needy by County - No Spenddown and With Spenddown; IAMM1800-R002--Total Medically Needy, All Other Medicaid, and Grand Total by County; IAMM2200-R002--Monthly Expenditures by Category of Service; IAMM2200-R003--Fiscal YTD Expenditures by Category of Service; IAMM3800-R001--ICF & ICF-MR Vendor Payments by County; IAMM4400-R001--Monthly Expenditures by Eligibility Program; IAMM4400-R002--Monthly Expenditures by Category of Service by Program; IAMM4600-R002--Elderly Waiver Summary by County.

B-1 Monthly Report of Medical Services Provided under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, November 2001

B-1 Medicaid Reports -- The monthly Medicaid series of eight reports provide summaries of Medicaid eligibles, recipients served, and total payments by county, category of service, and aid category. These reports may also be known as the B-1 Reports. These reports are each available as a PDF for printing or as a CSV file for data analysis. Report Report name IAMM1800-R001--Medically Needy by County - No Spenddown and With Spenddown; IAMM1800-R002--Total Medically Needy, All Other Medicaid, and Grand Total by County; IAMM2200-R002--Monthly Expenditures by Category of Service; IAMM2200-R003--Fiscal YTD Expenditures by Category of Service; IAMM3800-R001--ICF & ICF-MR Vendor Payments by County; IAMM4400-R001--Monthly Expenditures by Eligibility Program; IAMM4400-R002--Monthly Expenditures by Category of Service by Program; IAMM4600-R002--Elderly Waiver Summary by County.

B-1 Monthly Report of Medical Services Provided under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, October 2001

B-1 Medicaid Reports -- The monthly Medicaid series of eight reports provide summaries of Medicaid eligibles, recipients served, and total payments by county, category of service, and aid category. These reports may also be known as the B-1 Reports. These reports are each available as a PDF for printing or as a CSV file for data analysis. Report Report name IAMM1800-R001--Medically Needy by County - No Spenddown and With Spenddown; IAMM1800-R002--Total Medically Needy, All Other Medicaid, and Grand Total by County; IAMM2200-R002--Monthly Expenditures by Category of Service; IAMM2200-R003--Fiscal YTD Expenditures by Category of Service; IAMM3800-R001--ICF & ICF-MR Vendor Payments by County; IAMM4400-R001--Monthly Expenditures by Eligibility Program; IAMM4400-R002--Monthly Expenditures by Category of Service by Program; IAMM4600-R002--Elderly Waiver Summary by County.

B-1 Monthly Report of Medical Services Provided under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, September 2001

B-1 Medicaid Reports -- The monthly Medicaid series of eight reports provide summaries of Medicaid eligibles, recipients served, and total payments by county, category of service, and aid category. These reports may also be known as the B-1 Reports. These reports are each available as a PDF for printing or as a CSV file for data analysis. Report Report name IAMM1800-R001--Medically Needy by County - No Spenddown and With Spenddown; IAMM1800-R002--Total Medically Needy, All Other Medicaid, and Grand Total by County; IAMM2200-R002--Monthly Expenditures by Category of Service; IAMM2200-R003--Fiscal YTD Expenditures by Category of Service; IAMM3800-R001--ICF & ICF-MR Vendor Payments by County; IAMM4400-R001--Monthly Expenditures by Eligibility Program; IAMM4400-R002--Monthly Expenditures by Category of Service by Program; IAMM4600-R002--Elderly Waiver Summary by County.