AICAFMHA:
promoting mental health for young Australians
Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association Ltd
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Welcome to rtcUpdates for June 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--Next Week!
** 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
The RTC's 10th annual national conference is set for June 26th-28th at the Portland Hilton. That's next week!
Online registration is available until this Friday, June 20th. After that, you may register at the conference itself. Of special note is a great deal on Saturday's one-day early registration: if you plan on attending just Saturday's plenary and workshops, which feature an emphasis on research and practice in early childhood mental health, you'll pay only $20. The price includes a continental breakfast.
Visit http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgConference.shtml to register and for up-to-date listings of all our keynote, plenary, workshop, and poster presentations and presenters.
************************************************************* FORUMS
Recently-published studies document a variety of strategies that pharmaceutical
companies are using to influence the production and dissemination of evidence
about the effectiveness of medications. This raises difficult issues for
families whose children take psychotropic medications. What sources of
information can be trusted to provide unbiased information about effectiveness?
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgFeaturedDiscussions.php
In last month's Featured Discussion, a parent told her story about finding a balance between work and family while caring for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties. There were a number of thoughtful posts discussing what helps--or hinders--caregivers' efforts to balance the responsibilities of work and family.
Access all discussions from http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgForums.shtml ************************************************************* DATA TRENDS--Recent Research Summaries Include:
* 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)
* A Family-Centered Early Adolescent Drug Abuse Prevention Model(#72)
* Family Interventions in Serious Mental Illness (#71)
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:
Friesen, B. J., Giliberti, M., Katz-Leavy, J., Osher, T. L. & Pullmann, M. D.
(2003). Research in the service of policy change: The "custody problem." Journal
of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 11(1), 39-47.
FREE reprints available
while supplies last -- One per order please. Order your free copy at
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgPublications.php
(search by author or title) or send an email request to rtcpubs@pdx.edu.
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.
* 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
MH DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
** Autism diagnoses increasing
A recently released report from the California Department of Developmental
Services shows that new cases of diagnosed full syndrome autism in the state
increased a staggering 634 percent in the 15-year period from 1987 through
2002.
http://www.dds.ca.gov/Autism/Autism_main.cfm
** International comparisons of prevalence and treatment
According to this
summary of a study from the May/June issue of the policy journal Health
Affairs, the United States has a higher prevalence and lower treatment rate of
serious mental illness than a number of other developed countries.
http://www.hms.harvard.edu/news/releases/0503kessler.html
** Placebos and low doses of medication effective for ADHD
A study sponsored by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill reported that 40% of children with ADHD did just as well when placebos
replaced some of their medications. The findings suggest that some children
with ADHD may be effectively treated on lower doses of medication that are
supplemented with a placebo.
http://www.unc.edu/news/newsserv/research/may03/adhd050103.html
** Research summaries
Summaries of the following articles are available from the Research and Training
Center for Children's Mental Health (our sister RTC in Tampa,
Florida) http://rtckids.fmhi.usf.edu/rtcpubs/datatrends/datatrendshp.htm
"Pathways into and through mental health services for children and
adolescents." "The relation of social capital to child psychosocial adjustment
difficulties: The role of positive parenting and neighborhood dangerousness." "
One-year follow-up of Multisystemic Therapy as an alternative to the
hospitalization of youths in psychiatric crisis"
IDEA REAUTHORIZATION
** House approves legislation with changes
According to a legislative update from the Alliance for Excellent Education,
the House-approved legislation does not address the controversial issue of
mandatory funding for IDEA. The legislation would also change current law to
allow schools to treat disabled students the same as non-disabled students for
any violation of school policy. The Senate has not yet approved its IDEA bill.
http://www.all4ed.org/publications/Volume3No9.html#IDEA
** Effective behavior interventions
The IDEA legislation passed by the house repeals current IDEA disciplinary
protections for students with disabilities. In its report, "Suspending
Disbelief: Moving Beyond Punishment to Promote Effective Interventions for
Children with Mental or Emotional Disorders," the Bazelon Center for Mental
Health Law argues that the existing disciplinary provisions should be kept, and
that the positive behavioral interventions required under current law have been
highly successful in school systems around the country.
http://www.bazelon.org/newsroom/5-16-03suspendingdisbelief.htm
SERVICE DELIVERY
** Effectiveness of faith-based services
http://www.ombwatch.org/article/articleview/1550/1/176/
A study by Indiana University and Purdue University compares the results of
faith-based and secular job training programs, finding no difference in the
job placement rate or starting pay for people in the two types of programs.
However, participants in the faith-based programs worked fewer hours and were
less likely to have health insurance
** Health insurance lacking for young adults
This issue brief from the Commonwealth fund predicts that two-thirds of all
young adults ages 19 to 23 today are likely to lack insurance at some point
over the next four years. The situation has grown worse over the last decade,
and the authors suggest policy options for expanding and stabilizing coverage
in this population.
http://www.cmwf.org/programs/insurance/collins_riteofpassage_ib_649.pdf
** Promising approaches
The Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development has produced
two new reports in their series on promising approaches for behavioral health
services to children and adolescent and their families in managed care systems.
The first report is entitled "A View from the Child Welfare System"
http://www.georgetown.edu/research/gucdc/cw2.pdf
The second is titled "Making interagency initiatives work for Children and
Families in the Child Welfare System"
http://www.georgetown.edu/research/gucdc/cw3.pdf
** Do You Need Help?
By answering a few questions, you can find out if you or your child could be
eligible for child care assistance, help with housing, college fellowships,
health care coverage and a wide range of other government benefit programs.
http://www.GovBenefits.gov
JUVENILE JUSTICE
** Derailed: The Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Track
This report from the Advancement Project argues that youth of color and students
with special needs have been disproportionately harmed by zero-tolerance
policies that have pushed them into the juvenile justice system.
http://www.advancementproject.org
** Trends, policies, and programs
The Annie E. Casey Foundation has devoted the Spring 2003 issue of its policy
magazine, AdvoCasey, to juvenile justice. The issue explores the trend toward
"fad justice" for teens, juvenile justice reform, and successful programs in
youth corrections.
http://www.aecf.org/publications/advocasey/spring2003/.
HEAD START REAUTHORIZATION
** House Republicans say proposed changes Will Strengthen Head Start The
House Committee on Education and the Workforce says its reauthorization
legislation will strengthen the Head Start program by giving states flexibility
to improve early learning programs, and by discouraging cuts in early learning
funding.
http://edworkforce.house.gov/press/press108/05may/headstartintro052203.htm
** Concerns about proposed Head Start reauthorization
This commentary from the National Association for the Education of Young C
hildren outlines a series of concerns about the proposed changes to the Head
Start program. The authors argue that the proposed changes will result in
reduced quality in Head Start and other early child hood programs.
http://naeyc.org/childrens_champions/federal.asp
** Head Start and disabled children
This brief from the Center for Law and Social Policy argues that the Head Start
reauthorization should include the current protections and services required
for disabled children and their families, as well as inclusive programming
that benefits children with and without disabilities.
http://www.clasp.org/DMS/Documents/1052934362.69/HS_disabilities.pdf
MEDICAID
** Impact of block grant
In its report "Slashing Medicaid: The Hidden Impact of the President's Proposal
to Block Grant Medicaid," Families USA says the Bush Administration's proposal
to block grant Medicaid would result in a loss of almost a half-trillion dollars
in public health funds over the next 10 years.
http://www.familiesusa.org/site/DocServer/Slash_report.pdf?docID=961
** Proposed funding changes
In, "Medicaid: Fiscal Challenges to Coverage," the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid
and the Uninsured says the Bush Administrations proposed changes to Medicaid
funding would create a dramatic relaxation of rules on coverage and benefits.
http://www.kff.org/content/2003/4112/4112.pdf
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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