News from the Field Related to Wraparound
Foster Care Transition Toolkit Available
June 2, 2016
The U.S. Department of Education has created a new toolkit with tips and resources to help foster youth access and navigate social, emotional, educational and skills barriers as they transition into adulthood.
Download the toolkit here >>.
Smoking While Pregnant: Risks to children’s mental health
June 1, 2016
A recent study led by Dr. Alan Brown of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) shows a link between mothers who smoke during pregnancy and the likelihood that their children will develop schizophrenia.
Read more here >>.
Schools making mental health services a priority
May 19, 2016
For Mental Health Awareness Month, a story profiling efforts of multiple school districts around the country to incorporate mental health services for students.
Read more here >>.
Resource: CDC Fact Sheet on ADHD in Young Children
May 16, 2016
The CDC has published a fact sheet for parents and healthcare providers regarding treatment recommendations for young children (ages 2-5 years) diagnosed with ADHD. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends healthcare providers first refer parents of young children with ADHD for training in behavior therapy before trying medicine, about 75% of young children with ADHD received medicine as treatment.
Read more here >>.
Residential Schools: A Promising Alternative to Foster and Group Homes
May 16, 2016
Profile of Crossnore School, a nonprofit residential foster care home in North Carolina, which is one of 100 organizations certified in the Sanctuary model of “integrated, trauma-informed, whole culture approach”.
Read more about it here >>.
Mental health disorders, care increase among military children in US
May 16, 2016
According to research presented this month at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, mental health diagnoses and care significantly increased among children who received care in the Military Healthcare System within the last 15 years.
Read more here >>.
Factors that Help Children Thrive in the Face of Adversity
May 12, 2016
Research shows that people who experience four or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as economic hardship, exposure to violence or the death of a loved one, are more likely to have lasting physical and mental health problems. But in a new study, “The Relative Contributions of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Healthy Environments to Child Flourishing,” researchers found that even when children were exposed to ACEs, certain family and community strengths – most importantly access to patient-centered, coordinated medical care, mothers in excellent mental health and community supports – appeared to have a protective effect on health, social and behavioral outcomes.
Read more here >>.
Psychology professor aims to develop tool to assess how therapists treat youth anxiety
May 11, 2016
Bryce McLeod, Ph.D., of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Psychology, has received a $431,244 National Institute of Mental Health grant to develop an instrument to assess the effectiveness of therapists’ treatment of young people with anxiety.
Read more here >>.
New Child and Adolescent Mental Health Web Portal from NIMH
May 11, 2016
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) recently introduced a new Child and Adolescent Mental Health Web Portal designed to help youth, caregivers, and professionals in understanding mental health conditions and disorders and the varying symptoms in children and adolescents throughout the developmental stages. This resource features helpful videos from experts, hotlines, and information on clinical trials.
Visit the site here >>.
Risks of Harm from Spanking Confirmed by Analysis of Five Decades of Research
May 6, 2016
A new study shows that spanking children leads to greater defiance toward parents, as well as increased anti-social behavior, aggression, mental health problems and cognitive difficulties. Published in this month’s Journal of Family Psychology the study by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Michigan, analyzed five decades of research involving more than 160,000 children. The study focused specifically on what “American adults would consider spanking” as opposed to other potentially abusive behaviors.
Read more here >>.