Prevention Archives - Page 3 of 8 - National Wraparound Initiative (NWI)

Connecticut Reduces Foster Care by a Third

October 24, 2022 | NWI

Connecticut has shrunk its foster care population by nearly a third in the past three years, signaling a shift toward keeping families together whenever possible – a strategy implemented by Vannessa Dorantes, the first African American commissioner in the agency’s history.

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Winning Youth Essays on Mental Health

October 24, 2022 | NWI

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announces 15 awardees for the 2022 Speaking Up about Mental Health! This Is My Story Essay Contest. The contest seeks to start conversations about mental health and encourage young people to access help for mental health issues. Read the winning essays now!

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New Program Successfully Supports Foster Youth in College

September 23, 2022 | NWI

This study is the first identified randomized experiment to evaluate a post-secondary support program for enrolled college students with foster care backgrounds and mental health challenges. Analysis showed evidence of intervention impact on important targeted outcomes at post-intervention and/or 6-month follow-up, including self-determination, career-related self-efficacy and career exploration activities, and mental health self-efficacy and empowerment.

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Youth Depression Screening Does Not Prevent Hospitalizations or Suicide Attempts

August 7, 2022 | NWI

Guidelines in the US advocate for depression screening in adolescents in the hopes that mental health struggles can be identified early and that this will prevent them from becoming more problematic over time. But a new study found that there was no difference in outcomes between those who were screened and those who were not.

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Impact on Behavioral Health of Cash Transfers to Families of Children in Poverty

June 13, 2022 | NWI

New research asks whether direct cash payments to people living in poverty, particularly for households with children, effectively improve child development outcomes into adulthood. About 20% of U.S. American children grow up in poverty, and family income during early childhood is strongly associated with educational attainment and other social and economic outcomes. A cash transfer during infancy can have profound and long-lasting effects, including educational, behavioral, and economic or labor market advantages.

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New Resources to Teach Children Coping Skills

April 4, 2022 | NWI

The Child Mind Institute has released a series of free, evidence-based video and print resources that caregivers and educators can use to teach their kids critical mental health and coping skills.

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Childhood Stress and Adult Chronic Disease

February 24, 2022 | NWI

How is ongoing, severe stress and adversity in early childhood connected to chronic disease in adults? And, what can we do about it? In this animated video from Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child, learn what the latest science tells us about how early experiences affect not only early learning and school readiness, but also lifelong health.

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Witnessing a Parent’s Arrest Can Get ‘Under The Skin’ of a Child

October 17, 2021 | NWI

This policy brief describes the effects on children of witnessing a parent’s arrest, and offers policy recommendations to reduce trauma.

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Living Near Woodlands Is Good for Children’s Mental Health

September 12, 2021 | NWI

Analysis of children and young people’s proximity to woodlands has shown links with better cognitive development and a lower risk of emotional and behavioral problems, in new research that could influence planning decisions in urban areas.

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Washington State Moving Toward Abolishing Foster Care

July 10, 2021 | NWI

Poor outcomes and disproportionate impacts on kids of color have propelled a once-fringe idea into the mainstream in Washington state.

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