News from the Field Related to Wraparound
New Studies: Trans Youth and Mental Health
March 30, 2016
Two recently published studies explore the effects of socialization patterns on transgender youth. One of the recent studies, focused on 16-29 year old women, found that “the rate of psychiatric disorders and substance dependence among these women was 1.7 to 3.6 times greater than in the general population”. These young people grew up in poverty with little acceptance of their gender identities. The other study assessed the mental health of 73 transgender 3-12 year old children in Washington state and the results showed that this group did “not experience any more depression, and had only slightly more anxiety, than their siblings and non-transgender peers”. In contrast, these young people grew up in relatively affluent households and were more emotionally supported.
Can Big Data Predict Child Abuse?
March 30, 2016
Innovators in child protective services around the country are looking at using data for predictive analytics as a tool for early intervention practices. However, the proposed implementation of some of the analysis of at-birth data is controversial. A director for the Children’s Data Network at the University of Southern California who has worked with Allegheny County in PA on a predictive analytics model, is quoted as saying: “We have 6 million children reported for abuse or neglect, and how you make triaging decisions early on absolutely impacts outcomes for that child and family…The use of predictive analytics in child welfare could change … the system.”
New TA Resource: Expanding Early Childhood Systems of Care
March 30, 2016
This new resource describes how the system of care (SOC) approach has been adapted to address the behavioral health needs of young children and their families, and how SAMHSA’s SOC Expansion and Sustainability Cooperative Agreements offer a strategic opportunity to meet the needs of this population.
Marijuana use among youth remains stable, despite low perceived risk
February 18, 2016
A recent national study found that although the majority of youth in the U.S. do not consider marijuana use to be a significant risk, marijuana use rates among youth have remained stable. The study results found that in 2013 to 2014, approximately 75% of adolescents did not believe using marijuana posed a significant risk, and about 1.8 million U.S. teens were “past-month” marijuana users.
CHIPRA quality demonstration states use innovative strategies
August 12, 2015
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has recently released a new evaluation highlighting innovative strategies employed by CHIPRA quality demonstration states. You can access the latest evaluation report – along with 12 previous ones – from the AHRQ web site.
It’s never too early to intervene for at-risk children
August 12, 2015
New evidence suggests that early intervention for at-risk children of mothers with bipolar disorder may be helpful.
Beyond trauma-informed care training for child welfare workers
August 11, 2015
This article reviews current efforts to train child welfare workers in trauma-informed practices and argues that trauma informed care adaptation and training must transcend case workers and supervisors in order for true systemic change to occur.
Reading teaches children empathy
August 3, 2015
The benefits of child literacy are many, and here’s more evidence. This article describes the power of stories to help children understand their own feelings and the feelings of others through empathy.
Military families factsheet
August 3, 2015
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has released a fact sheet addressing child maltreatment in military families. It also reviews for providers the key concepts, findings, and interventions that will support them in their approach to care for today’s military family.
Obstacles for non-white Latino youth
July 31, 2015
This recent entry to the Latin Post describes the unique barriers to treatment faced by Latino youth.