News from the Field Related to Wraparound
How to Address the Child Therapist Shortage
September 23, 2022
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?
New Program Successfully Supports Foster Youth in College
September 23, 2022
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.
Research Update: Peer Support for Youth and Young Adults
September 23, 2022
This brief report summarizes recently-published research relevant to peer support for youth and young adults who experience serious mental health conditions.
Youth Depression Screening Does Not Prevent Hospitalizations or Suicide Attempts
August 7, 2022
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.
Challenges for Families of Special-Needs Children Adopted from Overseas
August 7, 2022
For years, evangelical Christians were enthusiastic supporters of adoption by sponsoring conferences, targeting adoption-friendly Sundays and staging adoption fairs in parish halls. Thousands of overseas children got new homes. Leading the way were evangelical luminaries such as recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman (three daughters from China) and then-Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore (two sons from Russia). Enthusiastic parents took up the challenge, traveling overseas for one or more children, even adopting special needs kids whose home countries were not interested in their care. More than a decade after this movement peaked, many families who went overseas are in crisis mode.
Youth MOVE National Welcomes New Executive Director
August 7, 2022
Mark Saint Amour (they/them/their) will be joining Youth MOVE National as its next Executive Director. A seasoned nonprofit executive and board leader, Mark brings more than 10 years of leadership experience in the national non-profit industry, most recently serving as the Co-Executive Director of the environmental justice organization Center for Whole Communities and as a core trainer for the Transgender Training Institute. Their work in the field aligns with Youth MOVE National’s values centered around lived experience, advocacy, collaboration, and community.
New Study of Wraparound with Homeless Youth
August 7, 2022
A newly-published study, Watch Me Rise: An Evaluation of Wraparound With Homeless Youth With a Child Welfare History presents findings from a formative evaluation of youth outcomes. Results indicate youth housing stability improved within the first six months of youth enrolling in WMR. Youth also demonstrated improvements in life domain functioning and employment and/or employment readiness. Although several other outcomes were not achieved or the results were inconclusive, the study highlights important insights for working with and studying this important population.
The Expanded Role of Telehealth for Behavioral Health
June 13, 2022
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.
Helping Young People Face the Reality of Climate Change
June 13, 2022
As they become more exposed to the grim realities of climate change, today’s teens and people are experiencing increased anxiety, grief, fear or guilt about the planet’s future as well as their own. This resource discusses six ways of helping youth build resilience while they learn about the planet’s future and ponder their own.
Impact on Behavioral Health of Cash Transfers to Families of Children in Poverty
June 13, 2022
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.