News from the Field Related to Wraparound
School-Based Mental Health Centers Play Vital Role For Hispanic And Black Students
June 13, 2018
This recent article highlights the impact of the 120 school-based health centers in Connecticut. According to recent research, Hispanic and black students may continue with school-based counseling longer than with providers in the community. In addition to one-on-one counseling, some Connecticut schools also offer group therapy as part of the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools program. In the state, this 10-session group therapy program 70 percent of participants are typically Hispanic, and 20 percent black participants, and roughly 50 percent of participants are males.
The Atlantic: Children Who Are Cleared to Leave Psychiatric Hospitals – But Can’t
June 7, 2018
This article in The Atlantic by ProPublica Illinois reporter, Duaa Eldeib, investigates the complex factors leading to children staying in psychiatric hospitals long after they are cleared for release because of the challenges the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has in finding appropriate placements. Although psychiatric hospitals are designed for short-term stays, the reporter found that “Eighty percent of the more than 800 children whose stays became medically unnecessary between 2015 and 2017 were held for 10 days or more beyond when they should have been released. More than 40 percent were confined for a month or longer; 15 percent had to wait two months or longer.”
Read the article»
New Brief: Preparing for Effective SEL Implementation
May 30, 2018
Part of a series commissioned by the Wallace Foundation, this brief written by members of the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s EASEL Lab, provides information on effective implementation of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs. It describes the common features of the most effective SEL programs based on research findings, and provides specific implementation guidelines for schools and other organizations to consider when planning the introduction of a new SEL program.
New York Times: Children’s Suicide-Related Hospital Visits Rise Sharply
May 22, 2018
This New York Times article reports on a study published in the May 2018 issue of Pediatrics on the increase in suicide-related hospital visits by children and teens between 2008 and 2015. The article also discusses the ongoing lack of mental health care resources for this age group.
Kaiser Family Foundation Issue Brief on Impact of Medicaid Expansion
May 18, 2018
The Kaiser Family Foundation has published an issue brief reporting on the effects of the Medicaid expansion. “Implications of the ACA Medicaid Expansion: A Look at the Data and Evidence” shows that states that expanded Medicaid had greater reductions in their rate of uninsurance, increased affordability of health care, and overall there has been a net fiscal benefit for states.
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.