News from the Field Archives - National Wraparound Initiative (NWI)
Beyond Psychotropics: Critical Strategies for Supporting Youth in Foster Care
March 22, 2025 | NWI
This article provides an overview of four clinical features that can be particularly burdensome for foster children and interfere with delivery of effective psychiatric care, as well as guidance on how the child psychiatrist can most appropriately respond to the foster youth’s needs in each scenario.
Strong Friendships Matter More Than Social Media Use
March 22, 2025 | NWI
Teens who report strong, high-quality friendships tend to have better mental health – an influence that appears nearly three times stronger than the link between social media use and mental health challenges, according to a new study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
New Study of Pediatric Mental Health Boarding
March 22, 2025 | NWI
A new study examines pre- and post-COVID trends in mental health (MH) boarding for pediatric patients seen at US children’s hospitals and to identify demographic and other features associated with prolonged boarding. MH boarding is when a child or youth comes to an emergency room in crisis and needs inpatient psychiatric care, but no beds are available. They may need to await care either in the ER itself or in a medical inpatient unit.
How to Find a Therapist for Your LGBTQ+ Child
March 22, 2025 | NWI
Being LGBTQ+ is not a mental disorder, but LGBTQ+ young people are at higher risk for anxiety, depression and suicide due to the stigma, shame and discrimination they often face. Working with an LGBTQ+ affirming therapist can help young people explore their identities. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of mental health professionals trained to understand the issues facing LGBTQ+ young people. This brief examines how to find an appropriate therapist.
Access to Medicaid and Healthcare Promotes Child Safety
March 22, 2025 | NWI
The central role of economic hardship as a driver of child welfare system involvement underscores the importance of addressing the concrete needs of families and promoting economic stability. In addition to income poverty, material hardship is a consistent predictor of child protective services contact, above and beyond family characteristics. Access to Medicaid and healthcare for children and their families, specifically, is associated with reduced risk for child welfare system involvement.
Single-Session Interventions Effective for Mental Health
March 22, 2025 | NWI
A new review has confirmed that single-session interventions (SSIs) can significantly improve mental health outcomes in both youth and adults. Common in other countries but not the U.S., an SSI is a structured program intentionally designed to provide meaningful support, guidance or treatment in just one meeting, recognizing that many patients may not return for a follow-up appointment.
A New Chapter in America’s Child Welfare System
February 23, 2025 | NWI
At the end of last year, Congress passed the largest overhaul of the nation’s child welfare system in more than 15 years. The reform includes more support for kinship care, aging out youth and efforts to prevent the separation of families due to poverty. This panel discussion looks at how these reforms will make a difference for children and families in the U.S.
An Analysis of Custody Relinquishment Using Administrative Data
February 23, 2025 | NWI
Custody relinquishment occurs when children enter foster care primarily to receive behavioral health or disability services. This brief focuses on the prevalence custody relinquishment and the demographic characteristics, family circumstances, and behavioral health conditions and disabilities of children relinquished.
Five Innovative Programs Supporting Black Students’ Mental Wellness
February 23, 2025 | NWI
A lack of mental health providers can hinder a Black student’s growth. These five organizations are showing up in and outside of schools.
Foster Care’s Downward Trend
February 23, 2025 | NWI
Data from various sources shows a steady decline in the number of children and youth in foster care. This article highlights reports on legislative, policy and advocacy efforts aimed at preventing the use of foster care in as many child welfare cases as possible.