AICAFMHA:
promoting mental health for young Australians
Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association Ltd
ABN 87 093 479 022

Back to AICAFMHA Homepage / News in Brief Index / Issue #3.03

CONTENTS OF THIS UPDATE:
** SUCCESSES--Impacts of the RTC's work
** RTC PUBLICATIONS & PRODUCTS--Recently produced
** FORUMS--Post Your Opinions
** NATIONAL EVENTS CALENDAR
** DATA TRENDS--Recent research summaries
** FROM THE WEB--Online information and sites of interest

** SUCCESSES--Impacts of the RTC's work
This new addition to our website features descriptions of some of the ways that the RTC has been successful in reaching new audiences, providing needed information, and having a positive impact on individual lives. You can also use this page to submit your own story telling of an impact-large or small-that the RTC has had on you, or on your work, advocacy, or education. Information about the Center's impacts helps us think about how to use our resources effectively. It also helps us provide our funders with evidence of the usefulness of our work.
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgSuccesses.shtml

** RTC PUBLICATIONS & PRODUCTS-Recently produced

* Publications:

Rosenzweig, J. M., Brennan, E. M. & Ogilvie, A. M. (2002). Work-family fit: Voices of parents of children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Social Work, 47(4), 415-424.
FREE reprints available while supplies last - One per order please.
Order your free copy at http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgPublications.shtml (search by author) or send an email request to rtcpubs@pdx.edu.

Kruzich, J. M., Friesen, B. J., Williams-Murphy, T. & Longley, M. J. (2002). Voices of African American families: Perspectives on residential treatment. Social Work, 47(4), 461-470.
FREE reprints available while supplies last - One per order please.
Order your free copy at http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgPublications.shtml (search by author) or send an email request to rtcpubs@pdx.edu.

Koroloff, N. M., Parks, J., McLeod, M. & Steltzer, C. (2002). Cultural competency and early childhood mental health. Multnomah County, Oregon's Early Childhood Mental Health Best Practices Project literature review workgroup report. Portland, OR: Regional Research Institute for Human Services, Graduate School of Social Work, Portland State University.
FREE WHILE SUPPLIES LAST - One per order, please.
Order your free copy at http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgPublications.shtml (search by author) or send an email request to rtcpubs@pdx.edu.

* Presentations:

Friesen, B.J. (2003, January 16). Family Issues in Children's Mental Health Research. Presented to the Society of Social Work Research.
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/PDF/presBFdc03withrefs.pdf

** FORUMS--Post your opinions
This month's Featured Discussion focuses on a research report examining parent perspectives on children's mental health in Massachusetts. While the results of the research are interesting in and of themselves, the study deserves attention for another reason. The research project was led by parents, in collaboration with researchers. We encourage you to read the report, and post your opinions about the study, or about family-led research.
Last month's Featured Discussion on cultural competence stimulated some interesting discussion related to: culture and appropriate discipline, the equation of culture and race, research on outcomes related to increased cultural competence, and more.
Open Discussions receiving recent attention included: outcomes for eating disorders and a lack of attention for this in systems of care discussions, positive behavior supports, and more.
Access all discussions from http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgForums.shtml

** NATIONAL EVENTS CALENDAR
This up-to-date resource provides a convenient listing of upcoming conferences, trainings, and other learning opportunities in the fields of family support, children's mental health, strengths-based work, child development, and more. Live links to event organizers help you get the information you need quickly.
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgNationalEvents.php

** DATA TRENDS--Recent research summaries include:

* Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in Youth in Juvenile Detention (#68)
* Culture and Families' Experiences of Residential Treatment: Shared and Unique Experiences (#67)
* Preventing Unnecessary Detention of Children in Foster Care Involved with Juvenile Justice (#66)
* Reducing Dropout from Therapy in a Community Mental Health Center (#65)
* Impact of Poverty on Family Quality of Life (#64)
* Implementing IDEA '97 Disciplinary Provisions (#63)
* Psychiatric disorders & service use among White & African American rural youth (#62)
* The paradigm shift from provider-driven to family-driven Systems of Care (#61)

Visit our "Data Trends" web page at http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgDataTrends.shtml

** FROM THE WEB--Online information and sites of interest

ACCESS TO SERVICES

** New reports on state budgets and Medicaid
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has produced two new reports:
"State budget deficits for fiscal year 2004 are huge and growing": http://www.cbpp.org/12-23-02sfp.htm
and "Proposed state Medicaid cuts would jeopardize health insurance coverage for one million people": http://www.cbpp.org/12-23-02health.htm

** Arizona Governor announces expansion of reforms
The governor of Arizona announced the statewide expansion of a pilot program for reforming mental health services for children. The pilot program began in response to a lawsuit, brought by the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, that challenged the state's failure to provide adequate services. The pilot program emphasizes providing individualized services, treating children and families with respect, and promoting collaboration among agencies.
http://www.bazelon.org/newsroom/3-20-01jksettlement.htm

** Bazelon Center provides recommendations
In January, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law offered comments to the president's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. The comments included a series of recommendations to improve the federal government's programs and policies in support of strong and effective public systems that address the needs of people with mental illness.
http://www.bazelon.org/newsroom/testimony/1-8-03publicsector.htm

** Vision for effective mental health services
This report, published by the National Council on Disability, examines causes of the current crisis in public systems that are charged with providing mental health services and supports for children, youth, adults and seniors who have been diagnosed with mental illnesses. The report also offers a vision of effective services and supports.
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/mentalhealth.html

FOSTER CARE

** Scholarships for foster youth
The Casey Family Scholars Program provides scholarships and support for young people who have spent a year or more in foster care. The scholarships support the youth as they pursue vocational training or a college education.
http://www.orphan.org/OFACaseyscholarship.html

** Trends in foster care
This report from Child Trends provides information about trends in foster care, racial and ethnic disparities among the foster care population, and characteristics of children in and leaving the system. It also offers program and policy options for reducing the numbers and supporting youth of all ages.
http://www.childtrends.org/PDF/FosterCareRB.pdf

SPECIAL EDUCATION

** Facilitating the transition to work
This research to practice brief from the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition reviews studies that explore employer perspectives on managing supports and accommodations for youth with disabilities. The report also discusses the implications of these studies for transition practice and employment services for youth with disabilities.
http://ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=716

** NCSET offers searchable database of state resources
The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition now offers an online, searchable database of state contacts and resources to assist youth with disabilities and their families in planning for the transition from high school to work and/or further education.
http://www.ncset.org/stateresources

OTHER RESOURCES & INFORMATION

** Full text resources from the CEC now online
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Web site now offers all the articles in the most recent issues of Exceptional Children and Teaching Exceptional Children. Exceptional Children publishes original research on the education and development of infants, children, and youth with exceptionalities and articles on professional issues of concern to special educators. Teaching Exceptional Children is published specifically for teachers and administrators who work with infants, children, and youth who have disabilities or who have gifts and talents.
http://journals.cec.sped.org/

** Treatments for eating disorders may be ineffective
A review in Current Opinion in Psychiatry questions the effectiveness of treatments for eating disorders, and finds that outcomes have not improved in the past 50 years. The review further claims that prevention programs have failed to demonstrate any benefit, and that existing theories of the causation of eating disorders seem to lack specificity. (Viewing this article requires free membership in Medscape.)
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/447414?mpid=9081

** More Children Taking Psychiatric Drugs
This HealthScoutNews summary of a study from the University of Maryland reports that American children are being prescribed more psychiatric drugs than ever before.
http://www.healthscout.com/static/news/511284.html

Back to AICAFMHA Homepage / News in Brief Index / Issue #3.03

Last Modified: 18-02-2003 11:34:05