News from the Field Related to Wraparound
Research: School-Based Mental Health Programs Effective
August 21, 2017
A research review published in the September/October 2017 issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry analyzed school-based mental health programs with data on specific mental health outcomes of large scale implementations. The researchers found that the available research shows “‘moderate to strong’ evidence that these interventions are effective in promoting good mental health and related outcomes”.
Data on Student Homelessness
August 18, 2017
In a recent blog post, the National Center for Education Statistics shared data from two recent reports on student homelessness in urban, rural, and suburban settings. For these reports, homeless students are defined as “children/youth who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence”. In 2014-15, the highest percentage of homeless students was in cities, 578,000 students, 3.7 percent, but the percentage was also 2.0 or higher in suburban, rural and town districts.
How Multi-Sector Health Partnerships Evolve
August 15, 2017
This recent post from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Blog, focuses on how partnerships across sectors – including public health, housing, education, transportation and others – evolve and help create healthy communities. It includes examples of such successful partnerships and links to data on outlining the phases, challenges and opportunities characteristic to these efforts.
Research: Home-Based Parent Child Therapy for Young Traumatized Children Living In Poverty
August 9, 2017
“Home-Based Parent Child Therapy for Young Traumatized Children Living in Poverty: A Randomized Control Trial” published in the Journal for Child & Adolescent Trauma (June 2017) details a randomized control trial that evaluated the effectiveness of a home-based, parent-and-child therapy program specifically developed for toddlers and preschoolers living in poverty with trauma symptoms. The authors conclude that the results support the value of early intervention of children with trauma symptoms.
Issue Brief: Stamford Public Schools’ Comprehensive Trauma-Informed System
August 7, 2017
This issue brief from Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut (CHDI) describes the approach Stamford Public Schools implemented following a series of suicides and mental health crises among students in 2014. The brief describes the action steps taken and the results of the effort to date.
Research: Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Children with Autism Also Beneficial for Parents
August 4, 2017
In a study recently published in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, researchers with York University’s Faculty of Health looked at the effect on parents who participate in cognitive therapy for their children with autism. The randomized controlled trial surveyed parents before and after the treatment and found improvements in parent mental health and mindful parenting.
Research on Biological Processes Impacted by Loss of a Father
August 2, 2017
Recent research published in the journal Pediatrics identified biological changes correlated with the absence of a father in a child’s life. While the absence of a father, either due to incarceration, death, separation or divorce, is already understood to have adverse consequences for children, this research connected the loss of a father with a change at the cellular level. The children who lost their fathers had shorter telomeres, the protective nucleoprotein end caps of chromosomes and a core biological indicator of health.
National Home Visiting Yearbook 2017
July 31, 2017
The National Home Visiting Resource Center has published the 2017 Home Visiting Yearbook with key data on early childhood home visiting, a service delivery strategy that connects parents-to-be and parents of young children with a designated support person who guides them through the early stages of raising a family. The report includes a history of home visiting in this country, as well as information on workforce development, research in this evidence-based practice, current practice by state and a calculation of the ROI of these programs.
Resource: Family Resilience and Traumatic Stress: Guide for Mental Health Providers
July 27, 2017
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has published “Family Resilience and Traumatic Stress” a new resource for mental health providers and others who work with families. The five page guide defines family resilience as a “family’s ability to maintain or resume effective functioning—including care of its members—following potentially traumatic events”. It provides recommendations for providers on ways to support families’ resilience.
Bullied Primary School Children are Falling Behind in Learning
July 25, 2017
A recent study published in Academic Pediatrics found that children who experienced bullying had poorer academic performance. The study which included 965 primary school children found the negative impact on academic achievement was greater for girls who reported being bullied than it was for boys.