News from the Field Related to Wraparound
Research: School-Based Mental Health Services Effective
May 14, 2018
A study published recently in Journal of American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry found that school-based mental health services delivered by teachers and staff can significantly reduce mental health problems in elementary-aged children. The researchers reviewed 43 studies involving nearly 50,000 children who had received school-based mental health services. One of the methods the research showed to be especially effective is blending behavioral and mental health services into classroom instruction.
Read more about the research study on school-based mental health services»
Cognitive behavioral therapy can improve emotion regulation in children with autism
May 2, 2018
A recent study used a randomized controlled trial to measure the impact of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in helping children with autism learn to better manage emotional challenges. Researchers concluded that children who received the intervention showed improvement in managing their emotions.
Regular screening can find teen depression, but getting treatment isn’t easy
April 24, 2018
In this Washington Post article the author notes that despite increased screening by primary physicians, many families face significant challenges in finding mental health treatment for their teens once they are diagnosed. Some of the challenges mentioned by the parents interviewed included finding a provider who accepts their insurance, is not too far away, has availability and with whom their child feels comfortable with.
Mental Health Literacy for Children with a Parent with a Mental Illness
April 24, 2018
The March 2018 issue of the Journal of Parent & Family
Mental Health from Systems and Psychosocial Advances Research Center
(SPARC) features the Issue Brief, “Mental Health Literacy for Children with a Parent with a Mental Illness.” The brief references research highlighting a lack of mental health literacy among children and the need for increased research in this area.
Issue Brief: Addressing Trauma in Early Childhood:
April 24, 2018
The latest in the series of Issue Briefs from Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut (CHDI), Integration of Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC)
in Outpatient Behavioral Health Care for Young Children, focuses on the state’s work to address the gap in identifying and treating traumatic stress in young children with the Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC) treatment approach.
Resource for Schools: After a Suicide
April 24, 2018
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) has published the 2nd edition of its After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools to assist middle and high schools in implementing a coordinated response to the suicide death of a student. The toolkit was developed in collaboration with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and in consultation with national experts, including school-based administrators and staff, clinicians, researchers, and crisis response professionals. It is designed primarily for administrators and staff but can also be useful for parents and communities.
STUDIES TAKE CLOSER LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES FOR LGBTQ YOUTH
April 24, 2018
This news story summarizes results of a few recent studies looking at the instance of mental health challenges among LGBTQ youth. One study that examined medical records found mental health diagnoses were more common for transgender and gender-nonconforming youth. A second study
of survey data from almost 82,000 high school students in Minnesota found LGBTQ adolescents were more likely to experience abuse and victimization than heterosexual teens. Notably, the majority of youth didn’t experience any abuse, bullying or victimization.
In his commentary on the studies, Dr. Stanley Ray Vance of the Child and Adolescent Gender Center at the University of California, San Francisco noted: “It should be emphasized that LGBTQ youth are incredibly resilient, but they unfortunately face poor mental health outcomes and adversity. Their childhood environment and experiences matter and reducing rejection, abuse and other adverse events could potentially make a difference.”
Study of first-graders shows fetal alcohol spectrum disorders prevalent in U.S. communities
March 21, 2018
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), funded a study of more than 6,000 first-graders across four U.S. communities and found rates of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) from 1 to 5 percent in community samples. The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the brain can result in a range of neurobiological deficits that contribute to physical, cognitive, behavioral, and social challenges throughout life.
New ways of working and learning can grow resilient children’s social workers
March 21, 2018
This recent article from The Guardian looks at research done by the UK’s Department of Education on England’s children and family social workforce. The study found that “a third of social workers leave the profession within two years, and the average career span is just eight years”. The article discusses related research and potential solutions, including implementing “reflective supervision” techniques and improved training for the social workforce.
April 26 Webinar: Measuring Wraparound Fidelity in Systems of Care
March 21, 2018
Part of the Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) National Evaluation Web Event Training Series, this webinar will feature presenters from NWI providing an overview of the processes and technologies associated with ensuring quality and accountability in Wraparound care coordination. Topics covered will include the Wraparound Fidelity Assessment System (WFAS), WrapSTAR and the new Wraparound Implementation Practice Standards (WIPS), as well as strategies for incorporating fidelity assessments into already existing data collection procedures and timelines.
PRESENTERS
- Eric Bruns, PhD, Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington
- Spencer Hensley, BA, Technical Assistance Specialist, University of Washington
- April Sather. MPH, Research Project Director,
University of Washington
MODERATOR
- Abram Rosenblatt, PhD, Project Director, CMHI National Evaluation, Westat