News from the Field Related to Wraparound
OJJDP Study Findings on Dual System Youth
May 8, 2019
OJJDP’s Dual System Youth Design Study aimed to identify challenges, successes and best practices in cross-system collaboration for working with youth who have been involved with child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Researchers found that “dual system youth had higher rates of over-representation of African Americans and higher proportion of females,” and had “longer histories in child welfare with more placements and higher rates of recidivism than youth with involvement in just one system.” The project also resulted in a best practices recommendations for cross-system collaboration.
Report: Success Plans – Promising Tools for Customizing Student Supports and Opportunities
April 25, 2019
A report published this month by the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Education Redesign Lab, focuses on Student Success Plans, a personalized tool for “capturing the full range of strengths and needs of children and youth in order to connect them with tailored, seamless, and equitable services and opportunities”. Along with the authors’ vision for Success Plans and recommendations for stakeholders, the report includes an overview of the emergence of personalized learning strategies and plans. There is also a companion toolkit for communities interested in creating and implementing Success Plans.
Mindful Parenting Benefits Emotional Health as Young Adults
April 25, 2019
Research published in January in Mindfulness found that young adults whose parents were supportive of them expressing emotions, tend to be more emotionally healthy and report lower levels of depression and anxiety. The study, led by Laura G. McKee, an assistant professor of psychology at Georgia State, used measures to assess college and graduate students depressive symptoms, anxiety, emotional regulation, mindfulness and recalled parental emotion socialization.
NIMH Children and Mental Health Resource Available in Spanish
April 9, 2019
A Spanish version of NIMH’s Children and Mental Health brochure,”Los niños y la salud mental,” is now available online. This resource on children’s mental health includes information for parents and other caregivers on when to seek help, evaluation, treatment, choosing a mental health professional and advice on how to work a child’s school as well as other resources.
Early Childhood Development
April 1, 2019
Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child has published a new online resource, “What is Early Childhood Development? A Guide to the Science” that explains how children develop in their earliest years, why that time period is so important, and the practical ways we can support early childhood development (ECD) and improve outcomes for children and families. The guide includes brief summaries of key findings and how they can guide policymakers and program developers to improve outcomes for children and families, as well as videos and other related resources.
Texting and Social Media Help Children of Divorced Parents Stay in Touch
March 15, 2019
Recent research looked at how parent-child relationships are affected by different types of co-parenting after divorce. The researchers identified three styles of co-parenting: cooperative;moderately engaged; and conflicted. They also looked at specific aspects of the parent-child relationship: parental warmth and closeness; parental knowledge of the child; and consistency of discipline. They found that the relationship between the parents was less important than the amount of contact between parent and child. For older children and teens, the use of texting and social media facilitates the direct contact between child and parent when they live apart.
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.