News from the Field Related to Wraparound
The State of Babies Yearbook 2019
March 14, 2019
Research published last month by Child Trends and Zero to Three compiles and examines more than 60 policies and indicators related to infant and toddler well-being to rank states by how effectively they support children during their first three years.
Trauma-Informed Schools Terms Dictionary from Connecticut
March 6, 2019
Connecticut’s Trauma-Informed School Mental Health Task Force created “Developing a Common Language in Connecticut: A Dictionary of Terms Related to Trauma-Informed Schools” to address the need for a common language for school-based practitioners, community-based providers and state government stakeholders to use. They followed the structure used in the “Glossary of Terms Related to Trauma-Informed, Integrated Healthcare,” published by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network in 2018.
Childhood Social-Emotional Functioning Linked To Early-Onset Mental Health Conditions
March 5, 2019
Research published in JAMA Network Open looked at a group of more than 34,000 children in British Columbia, Canada from birth to age 14. The researchers found a correlation between teacher-ratings for social-emotional challenges at kindergarten and physician-assessed mental health conditions by age 14. The researchers recommend further studies on preventative interventions in the early school years.
Mental Health Trial Bringing Mindfulness Program to Schools in England
February 21, 2019
The British Department of Education and Department of Health and Social Care are beginning a three year trial program focused on mental health in up to 370 schools in England. A universal prevention and intervention program, the trials will test five interventions:mindfulness, relaxation, strategies for safety and well-being, and an existing intervention from Canada called “the guide” and another from Sweden known as “youth aware of mental health.” The trials are being led by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families.
Gauging how family, community impact children’s mental health
February 21, 2019
Researchers, Wenhua Lu, an assistant professor of childhood studies at Rutgers University–Camden, and Yunyu Xiao, a researcher at New York University, have co-authored a study looking at factors that help to mitigate the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The results of their surveys of parents indicated a “significant direct relationship” between family cohesion and community involvement and lower levels of mental health disorders during adolescence for youth who experienced ACEs.
One in Six U.S. Kids Has Mental Health Disorder
February 15, 2019
According to a recent study of data from the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health, one in six kids has at least one mental health disorder and only half receive mental health treatment.
Research on Benefits of Mindfulness Education in School
February 1, 2019
A recent study compared groups of sixth graders in a Boston-area school: one group participated in an eight week mindfulness curriculum taught by Calmer Choice, a Massachusetts nonprofit, and the other group took computer coding during that time.The mindfulness group reported being less stressed and and having better self control after the program. About half of the participants agreed to brain scans as well. The results indicate that the mindfulness group responded less to negative stimuli after the course.
Youth Suicide Screening
January 16, 2019
A report published online in September 2018 in Psychosomatics, “Suicide Risk Screening in Pediatric Hospitals: Clinical Pathways to Address a Global Health Crisis,” authored in part by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), offers guidance on implementation of suicide risk screening in medical settings. According to an NIMH news release about the report, “studies have found that a majority of youth who died by suicide visited a health care provider or medical setting in the month prior” to their deaths. The report outlines a clinical pathway model, which includes using an NIMH-IRP screening tool with all youth.
Federal Commission on School Safety Resource Guide
January 16, 2019
The Federal Commission on School Safety issued a 177-page report on school safety in December. Based on months of research including site visits to successful programs and expert testimony, the report offers findings and recommendations in three sections: Prevent; Protect & Mitigate, and Respond & Recover. The Prevent section includes recommendations on incorporating mental health programs in schools with details on existing programs and research based practices.
Rate of Children in Foster Care Increased in 39 States in 2017
January 3, 2019
A new Child Trends post on the 2017 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data shows that in 2017 the number of children and youth in foster care in the U.S. rose for the 5th consecutive year, to 443,000, with 39 states experiencing an increase in the rate of children in foster care.