The Matilda Garcia Initiative: Latin American Research Scholars Exchange invites you to take part in a scholarship competition for papers accepted for presentation in the 17th annual conference on children's mental health service system research sponsored by the Department of Child & Family Studies at FMHI. The national conference, a System of Care for Children's Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base, will be held February 29-March 3, 2004 at the Tampa Marriott Waterside in Tampa, Florida. The Matilda Garcia Initiative is offering six scholarships to Latin American and Caribbean researchers and/or practitioners who submit a paper for presentation within the Latin American track of the conference. The scholarships cover travel costs, conference registration, and lodging.

• Research on service/mental health collaborative models and partnerships
• Research projects representing strong partnerships with family members
• Studies on the impact of financial policies on children with emotional/behavioral disabilities and their families
• Implementation evaluation and treatment fidelity
• Research on effectiveness of systems and services

In addition to the subject areas addressed as part of the conference focus, the Matilda Garcia Initiative hopes to encourage scholarship recipients to focus on subject areas addressing the social and cultural realities found in their respective countries. We therefore welcome papers focusing on the following subject areas:

• Conditions and problems associated with street children
• Children and labor conditions
• Family and school relationships
• Involuntary displacement and related issues of mental health
• Mental health effects of political violence in children, adolescents, and their families
• The effects of substance abuse on children and adolescents
• Cultural competence in social and mental health service provision

Papers submitted for presentation should demonstrate a clear research or evaluation agenda, focus on recent research findings, provide clear descriptions of methodology, and succinctly discuss the work's contributions to the well-being of children, families, and communities.

If you are interested in presenting a paper within the Latin American track of the conference, please send an abstract (in English or Spanish) of 100 words or less, outlining a summary of the main research topic, methodology, and brief summary of findings. The abstract should also identify the research author(s) and whether you would like to be considered for the Matilda Garcia Scholarship. The abstract should be submitted via email, fax or mail by October 30, 2003 to The Inter-American Consortium for Applied Research with Children and Communities, 13301 Bruce B Downs Blvd., Tampa, Florida 33612, USA; Fax: 813-974-7563; Email: ciincco-iac@fmhi.usf.edu.

For more information on the conference, please visit the main conference website at http://rtckids.fmhi.usf.edu/rtcconference/rtcconf.htm. For more information on the Matilda Garcia Initiative, please visit the following website: http://ciinco-iac.fmhi.usf.edu. For more information on the Department of Child & Family Studies at FMHI, please visit their website at http://cfs.fmhi.usf.edu.

For additional information on the Matilda Garcia Initiative or the annual research conference, please contact Linda M. Callejas, at (813) 974-6328 or via email at callejas@fmhi.usf.edu.