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promoting mental health for young Australians
Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association Ltd
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Welcome to rtcUpdates for July 2003!

rtcUpdates are brought to you by the Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health. Subscribers to rtcUpdates receive occasional email messages from the RTC containing information about the RTC's recent research, publications and other activities, as well as information about developments in the field of Children's Mental Health. Feel free to forward this message to friends and colleagues. If this email was forwarded to you, you will need to subscribe to rtcUpdates in order to receive future emails. To subscribe to rtcUpdates, go to the RTC home page at http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/ and click on the "Join our List!" link.

CONTENTS OF THIS UPDATE:
** ANNUAL CONFERENCE--A Success!
** WRAPAROUND STRATEGIES INITIATIVE--Advisory Group Meets
** FORUMS--Post Your Opinions
** DATA TRENDS--Recent Research Summaries
** RTC PUBLICATIONS & PRODUCTS--Recently Produced & Newly Available Downloads
** FROM THE WEB--Online Information and Sites of Interest

** BUILDING ON FAMILY STRENGTHS CONFERENCE

2003 Conference a Success--Preparations for 2004 Conference Underway!

The RTC-sponsored 10th Annual Building on Family Strengths Conference, held at the Portland Hilton from June 26th-28th, was a resounding success. Over 450 people attended, and from John VanDenBerg's stirring keynote until Saturday's stimulating final plenary session and workshops, the program provided high quality information, discussion, and conversation about current research, programs, and issues in family support and children's mental health. Thanks to all who participated!

Visit the conference webpage (http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgConference.shtml) over the next month as we post photos, PowerPoint presentations (presenters are welcome to send copies of their presentations to gordonl@pdx.edu for inclusion on our website), and other materials related to the 2003 Conference.

Even as we wrap up the 2003 conference, preparations for next year's conference are underway. Please mark your calendars for the 2004 Building on Family Strengths Conference, to be held May 6th -8th, 2004.
Watch for the 2004 Conference Call for Presentations in late September.

** WRAPAROUND STRATEGIES INITIATIVE--Advisory Group Meets

On June 25th, the day prior to the opening of the RTC's annual Building on Family Strengths Conference, 28 Wraparound experts from around the nation gathered for the first convening of the advisory group for the Wraparound Strategies Initiative. The meeting was sponsored by the RTC, in collaboration with researchers from the Universities of Maryland and Vermont, and the Center for Mental Health Services. The goal of the meeting was to begin a process that will lead to a higher level of shared understanding about specific practices that promote effectiveness in Wraparound. Wraparound is a collaborative, team-based approach to individualized service/support planning.

The group reached consensus to undertake preliminary work within two major strands of activity: first, to gather and organize specific strategies to promote high-quality Wraparound at the team, program, and system levels; and second, to begin defining minimum standards for high-quality Wraparound across these same levels. The group also agreed to pursue several strategies to seek funding for these activities, and to develop research protocols to investigate the links between fidelity to Wraparound standards and procedures and child and family outcomes. Periodic reports of progress will be made in rtcUpdates.

** FORUMS

This month's Featured Discussion asks for your input on the topic of "Increasing the Impact of Workshops, Training, and Presentations." We invite you to post your comments about what makes these types of events effective (or ineffective). http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgFeaturedDiscussions.php

Last month's Featured Discussion focused on the increasingly powerful role played by the pharmaceutical industry in the production and dissemination of information about the effectiveness of medications.

A posting in the Open Discussions raises the question of whether or not an inclusive school placement is always most appropriate, and asks if there is research on this topic.

Access all discussions from http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgForums.shtml

** DATA TRENDS--Recent Research Summaries Include:
* Students with Disabilities and Inclusion in Schools (#78)
* Adolescent Help-Seeking Behavior: Role of the Internet (#77)
* Community-Based Interventions for Affective Disorders (#76)
* Evaluating systems of care for youth: Effectiveness, equity and efficiency (#75)
* Research and Advocacy for Policy Change (#74)
* Having a Brother with Emotional and/or Behavioral Challenges (#73)

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

New! You can also search for and download all Data Trends from our newly updated Publications web page http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgPublications.php
Search Tips:
* For a list of all Data Trends, choose "Data Trends" as Publication Type and click "Get"
* For specific Data Trends topics type a keyword or phrase in "Phrase"

** RTC PUBLICATIONS & PRODUCTS

NEW! Enhanced Online Search Feature:

The RTC is proud to debut our new, enhanced publications search and order form. Search by key phrases, type of publication, author, date of publication, and more.
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgPublications.php

* Publications Recently Produced:

Schutte, K., Jivanjee, P., Robinson, A. & Koroloff, N. (2003). Families in the world of evaluation: The evaluation of the national Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health Course I, How to Understand Evaluation. Portland, OR: Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health, Portland State University.
Available to download for FREE! or order at $4.50/printed copy from our publications page http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgPublications.php (search by author or title) or send an e-mail request to rtcpubs@pdx.edu.

Walker, J. & Schutte, K. (2003). Individualized Service/Support Planning (ISP) and Wraparound: Research Bibliography. Portland, OR: Portland State University, Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health.
Available to download for FREE! from our publications page http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgPublications.php (search by author or title). OR from the Teamwork in Practice project page http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgProjTeamwork.php (click on "Latest Updates")

* Publications recently available to download for FREE! (previously produced):

Brennan, E.M., Ama, S.M. & Gordon, L.J. (2002). Inclusion of children with emotional or behavioral challenges in child care settings: An observational study. Portland, OR: Portland State University, Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health. (Available through ERIC under citation number ED469398).
NOW AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD FOR FREE! Search by author or title on our new publications page http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgPublications.php

Walker, J. S. (2000). Caregivers speak about the cultural appropriateness of services for children with emotional and behavioral disabilities. Portland, OR: Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health, Portland State University.
NOW AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD FOR FREE! Search by author or title on our new publications page http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgPublications.php

* More Publications Available in PDF Format:

The RTC has added over two hundred "PDFs" of our publications to our main publications page. Now you can download and print out more of our Conference Proceedings, Focal Point articles, Data Trends, and other publications for free.
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgPublications.php

** FROM THE WEB--Online Information and Sites of Interest

** Evaluating State Mental Health Services
This recently released report from the National Mental Health Association, "Can't make the grade: NMHA State Mental Health Assessment Project," addresses the funding crisis in state mental health services and discusses key issues and questions that can assist advocates for improved mental health policy.
http://www.nmha.org/cantmakethegrade/

** New National Resource Center on AD/HD
This new center is a national clearinghouse of information and resources concerning AD/HD. The Web site answers many questions about AD/HD and includes links to other resources.
http://www.help4adhd.org/

** Child Welfare and Behavioral Health
A recent study from the Center for Health Care Strategies Informed Purchasing Series explores the issue of coordination between privatized child welfare initiatives and Medicaid managed care systems for the delivery of behavioral health services for children and families in the child welfare system:
http://www.chcs.org/publications/pdf/ips/childwelfare.pdf
For more information on child welfare and behavioral health:
http://www.gwhealthpolicy.org/behavioral.html

**IDEA for Pre-Schoolers
"A Family Perspective on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act," from the Policy Institute for Family Impact Seminars, looks at how well Part C helps young families and coordinates services. Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal grant program designed to provide, facilitate, and coordinate early intervention services for disabled infants, toddlers and their families.
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/familyimpact/reports/fia3.pdf

**A Battle of IDEAs
From every public school student to the governor of every state, there's a wide world of people with a stake in IDEA, the primary federal law governing special education. Congress is in the late stages of rewriting the law, with a House version already passed and a Senate version unveiled last week. Connect for Kids' Susan Phillips says time is short for weighing in on the proposed changes.
http://www.connectforkids.org/

** Teleconference Highlights the Youth Leadership Forum
A teleconference on July 31, 2003 will highlight the Youth Leadership Forum (YLF), supported by the Office of Disability Policy of the US Dept. of Labor. The presenters will share an overview and history of YLF and how national efforts can impact and influence the further development of YLFs to continue on an annual basis. In addition, two examples of states that have implemented YLFs will be presented, as well as their successes, challenges, and lessons learned. To join this teleconference call, dial 703-871-3092 and refer to the "NCSET Teleconference Call" if asked by the operator.
http://www.ncset.org/teleconferences/

** July Data Trends from the U. of South Florida:
Summary 82 (Issued July, 2003).
Armstrong, K. H., Dedrick, R. F., & Greenbaum, P. E. (2003). Factors associated with community adjustment of young adults with serious emotional disturbance: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 11(2), 66-76.
Results of this study suggest that measures of functional impairment for older youth with serious emotional disturbances (SED) are the most powerful predictors of a successful transition into young adulthood
http://rtckids.fmhi.usf.edu/rtcpubs/datatrends/datatrendshp.htm

** The Siblings Project Becomes "Siblings Australia Inc." Siblings Australia Incorporated is a new national organization dedicated to the needs of siblings and families of children with special needs, which has grown out of the work of the Sibling Project, based in Adelaide, at the Women's and Children's Hospital.
http://www.siblingsaustralia.org.au/

** Foundations of Successful Youth Mentoring: A Guidebook for Program Development
Mentoring has become a popular strategy for helping youth stay on track, but setting up and sustaining a successful program takes some thought and know-how, according to this new guidebook from the national mentoring center. The manual includes checklists to gauge the strength of your efforts, and a timeline for setting up new programs.
http://www.nwrel.org/mentoring/foundations.html

** Forum Focus: Quality Counts
There is growing recognition that in youth development programs, like many other endeavors, quality counts--but it also costs. The July issue of The Forum For Youth Investment's journal, Forum Focus, summarizes the research and examines the components of high-quality supportive settings, and how to measure quality from the perspective of what young people need to heal, grow and contribute. An interview with Robert Granger, new president of the William T. Grant Foundation, is included.
http://www.forumforyouthinvestment.org/focus/focusv1i1jul03.pdf

** Child Development Conference Call Series
The Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development is launching a conference call series for practitioners on the social-emotional development of young children, covering topics like early brain research, risk and resilience, curricula for promoting healthy social-emotional development, and the impact of maternal depression on young children. Calls will be held on the last Wednesday of every month from 1:00-2:30 p.m. EDT, beginning July 30. To be added to the first call, send an e-mail to MelKisha Knight at mk73@georgetown.edu.

** "Youth with disabilities: A changing population"
A report of findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) and National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2), has recently been released. Conducted by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), this report compares differences between the population of 15-17 year old youth with disabilities in 1987 with those in 2001, including: household and student characteristics, services provided by the schools, and youths' achievements in academic and social domains. The Executive Summary reports that there were considerably more students diagnosed with autism and ADHD, and that more students with emotional disabilities than other disabilities received services in the schools.
http://www.cec.sped.org/pp/nlts2.pdf

** Reform of State-Run Child Welfare System Required in N.J. Children's Rights, Inc., reports the settlement agreement in the class action lawsuit (Charlie and Nadine H. v. McGreevey) is one of the strongest for children in recent history and will require the Department of Youth and Family Services to work closely with a panel of independent experts to reform New Jersey's state-run child welfare system.
http://www.childrensrights.org/press/2003-06-24.htm

** IEP & Transition Planning
This NCSET website offers information on developing a student's Individual Education Plan (IEP) and transition plan, including frequently asked questions, related research, emerging practices, Web sites, and additional resources.
http://www.ncset.org/topics/ieptransition/default.asp?topic=28

** Reports From the National Center on Educational Outcomes:

Synthesis Report 49 (April 2003)
Varied Opinions on How to Report Accommodated Test Scores: Findings Based on CTB/McGraw-Hill's Framework for Classifying Accommodations
http://education.umn.edu/nceo/OnlinePubs/Synthesis49.html

Technical Report 35 (April 2003)
Going Public: What 2000-2001 Reports Tell Us About the Performance of Students with Disabilities
http://education.umn.edu/nceo/OnlinePubs/Technical35.htm

** Conference on Inclusive Arts Programs
Volkswagen of America, Inc. has put out a call for presenters for the VSA Arts in Education Conference that will take place June 10-11, 2004 in Washington, DC. Presentations must reflect one or more of the five core elements of inclusive arts organizations and programming: on-going assessment and evaluation, linking to organizational structure and practice, inclusive practice, multiple intelligences theory, and developmentally appropriate practice. The proposal submission deadline is August 15, 2003.
http://www.vsartsfestival.org/conference/

Funds to support this activity come from the Child, Adolescent and Family Branch, Federal Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education. To unsubscribe from rtcUpdates, send a message to majordomo@lists.pdx.edu with the words "unsubscribe rtc" in the body of the message.

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Last Modified: 02-08-2003 15:19:27