News from the Field Related to Wraparound
Better Research Needed To Solve the LGBTQ Youth Mental Health Crisis
September 24, 2023
This opinion piece from Scientific American notes that young people do not fall into neat categories of race, sexual orientation or gender identity, and argues that research into LGBTQ mental health must take a more nuanced approach.
Training for Just a Few Teachers Could Cut Racial Discipline Gap in Half
September 24, 2023
Students of color continue to be disciplined at higher rates than their white peers for the same behaviors. A new study suggests targeted teacher supports could significantly shrink discipline gaps. About 5 percent of teachers accounted for nearly 35 percent of all discipline referrals. These teachers sent a student to the office for discipline on average once every four days, while their colleagues referred fewer than one student for discipline, on average, every other month.
Training Marginalized Youth to Become Tomorrow’s Mental Health Care Providers
September 24, 2023
This article describes a new pilot program that gives Los Angeles high schoolers from marginalized backgrounds a chance to explore careers in mental health.
Mental Health and Schools: Best Practices to Support Our Students
July 23, 2023
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) built upon effective, culturally and linguistically responsive interventions are the most promising strategy for achieving positive student behavioral health outcomes. This report highlights the current strengths and barriers related to promoting healthy outcomes for students living with mental health concerns, and provides actionable recommendations and strategies to ensure that all children and families have access to the services and supports they need in order to thrive.
Foster Care’s Disruptive Impact on Sibling Relationships
July 23, 2023
This short article discusses a study from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being showing that foster youth that maintain quality sibling relationships while in foster care have lower depression symptoms.
‘Anti-Dopamine Parenting’ Can Curb Children’s Cravings
July 23, 2023
Parents are constantly being told they have to limit how much junk food their children can eat or how long they allow them to use their devices. This can be a struggle, but neuroscientists now know what’s happening in a child’s brain that drives this overconsumption, and what parents can do to counteract the cravings that lead children to overconsume.
Bringing Kinship Care Out of the Shadows
July 23, 2023
Kinship diversion care is sometimes described as “hidden foster care” because it is complex and often operates outside the boundaries of the foster care system. Despite the positive aspects of kinship care, the parameters of kinship diversion are vague and these kinship families are not eligible for the same benefits as foster families. This brief provides a list of recommendations for those who are deciding how to explore, make meaning of, and implement changes to child welfare agencies’ kinship diversion practices.
Why Youth Incarceration Fails: Evidence Review
July 23, 2023
This publication summarizes the evidence documenting the serious problems associated with the youth justice system’s continuing heavy reliance on incarceration and makes recommendations for reducing the use of confinement. It details how the harms of incarceration fall disproportionately on Black youth and other youth of color – despite well-established alternatives that produce better outcomes for youth and community safety.
Therapists’ Views on Helping Suicidal Teens
May 22, 2023
This article describes how therapists respond when teens are suicidal and when parents are considering tough questions such as: At what point do you take your child to the hospital? What if they refuse to go? If they have attempted suicide, do you consider residential care in a facility, where children live for weeks or months at a time? What else can you do to protect them?
Family First Reforms One Year Later
May 22, 2023
The Family First Prevention Services Act contains a major child welfare policy allowing states to use federal funds to support the judicious use of congregate care. This report examines where states stand after one year, describes what was and was not working to date, and identifies early lessons learned to inform future implementation decisions and child welfare policy deliberations.