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

How to Address the Child Therapist Shortage

September 23, 2022 | NWI

There is a nationwide shortage of mental health professionals, but it’s especially acute for children and teenagers. What are some proven strategies for addressing it?

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The Expanded Role of Telehealth for Behavioral Health

June 13, 2022 | NWI

At its pandemic peak, telehealth represented 13% of outpatient visits between March and August of 2020. As in-person care resumed, telehealth began to represent a smaller share of outpatient care (8% between March and August 2021). While many continue to envision an expanded role for telehealth in the delivery of care following the pandemic, there remains considerable uncertainty in what services will be available, where and how providers will be able to practice, how benefits will be structured, and how providers will be paid.

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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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Utilizing Black Families’ Cultural Assets

May 13, 2022 | NWI

This publication is part of a broader effort to build a deeper understanding of the diversity of Black families, contextualize their experiences within systems and institutions, and produce evidence to inform policies and practices that promote their well-being in the twenty-first century.

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Youth Incarceration in the United States

February 24, 2022 | NWI

This infographic from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows that public agencies made enormous progress reducing youth incarceration between 1995 and 2019, reflecting the deep declines in juvenile arrests over the same period. However, some harmful practices remained stubbornly entrenched, such as an overreliance on incarceration once youth are referred to the juvenile justice system, especially for Black and Native American youth.

View the infographic »

Shadow Foster Care

January 21, 2022 | NWI

Over the past decade, states have increasingly institutionalized “hidden” foster care, when caseworkers persuade parents to send their children to live with someone they know, often by threatening a foster placement if they refuse. Unlike the foster system, this shadow system is not designed to protect children or to support caregivers.

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Parents Billed for Costs of Foster Care

January 21, 2022 | NWI

A recent investigation found that it’s common in every state for parents to get a bill for the cost of foster care. Those bills can bury parents in debt and make it harder to create the stable home they need to get their children back – and to keep them from being taken again.

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How to Reduce Child Poverty in the US

November 14, 2021 | NWI

This short video from the Institute for Research on Poverty focuses on how to upgrade public programs so that they are more effective in reducing child poverty, particularly for those children in the most vulnerable families.

Watch the video »

White House Fact Sheet on Youth Mental Health

November 14, 2021 | NWI

This statement from the White House calls for eliminating barriers and expanding the full continuum of prevention, treatment, and recovery services for youth, as well as prioritizing integration of these services into settings where young people and their families can access them.

Read the statement »

Family First Planning and Implementation Toolkits

October 17, 2021 | NWI

These toolkits are designed to help jurisdictions capitalize on the opportunities provided under the Family First Prevention Services Act. Part 1 focuses on planning and readiness, and Part 2 focuses on implementation and change management.

Access the toolkit »