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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 January 2004!

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:
** 2004 BUILDING ON FAMILY STRENGTHS CONFERENCE--Save the Date
** FORUMS--Evidence-Based Practices
** RTC PUBLICATIONS & PRODUCTS--Recently Produced & Newly Available Downloads
** DATA TRENDS--Recent Research Summaries
** FROM THE WEB--Online Information and Sites of Interest

** 2004 BUILDING ON FAMILY STRENGTHS CONFERENCE--Save the Date

Mark your calendar for the 2004 Building on Family Strengths Conference, to be held May 6th-8th, 2004 here in Portland, Oregon. Registration information, an online registration form, and a preliminary agenda will be available in early February 2004; printed conference brochures will be mailed (and available for downloading in pdf format at this web site) by mid-February.

Jane Knitzer of Columbia University will deliver the keynote address; other confirmed plenary speakers include Robert Friedman of the University of South Florida, Andres Pumariega of Eastern Tennessee State University, and David Arredondo, M.D., of the Office of Child Development, Neuropsychiatry and Mental Health.

For more information about the Building on Family Strengths Conference, visit our Conference web pages at http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgConference.shtml

** FORUMS--Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs)

This month's featured discussion focuses on evidence-based practices: Within the field of children's mental health, there is growing attention to evidence-based practices or EBPs. Policy and legislation at the local, state, and national levels call for increasing the use of and funding for EBPs. This turn towards EBPs is often portrayed as an opportunity to improve the quality and decrease the costs of treatment and services. Such an opportunity is particularly attractive in a context of growing demand and shrinking resources for care for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties and their families. Yet there are also reasons to be cautious about this trend.

We invite you to learn more about this topic, and to post your opinions in this month's featured discussion. http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgFeaturedDiscussions.php

** RTC PUBLICATIONS & PRODUCTS

Enhanced Online Search Feature
The RTC has an 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:

NEW Jivanjee, P., Schutte, K., & Robinson, A. (2004). Families as evaluators: Annotated bibliography of resources in print. Portland, OR: Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health, Portland State University. AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD FOR FREE from our publications page
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgPublications.php (search by author or title)

NEW Kruzich, J. M., Jivanjee, P., Robinson, A., & Friesen, B. J. (2003). Family caregivers' perception of barriers to and supports of participation in their children's out-of-home treatment. Psychiatric Services, November 2003, 54(11), 1513-1518. Single copies of reprints now available! Order from our publications page
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgPublications.php (search by author or title)

NEW Schutte, K., Jivanjee, P., & Robinson, A. (2003). Web-based resource list for evaluators and family evaluators. Portland, OR: Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health, Portland State University. AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD FOR FREE from our publications page
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgPublications.php (search by author or title)

* 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, Monographs, Focal Point articles, Data Trends, and other publications for free. http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgPublications.php

** DATA TRENDS--Recent Research Summaries Include:

* Exposure to Violence, Stress, Protective Factors, and Well-being (#90)
* Stress Reduction Interventions for Parents as Treatment Enhancement (#89)
* Barriers and Supports to Family Participation in Out-of-Home Treatment (#88)
* Promoting Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning in Schools (#87)
* Community Interventions and Effective Prevention (#86)
* Culture-Centered Practice in Services for Children (#85)

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

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"

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

** Data Trends from University of South Florida
One new Data Trends summary is available from the Florida Research and Training Center this month. Summary 93 describes a recent article from the Archives of General Psychiatry, "Prevalence and development of psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence."
http://rtckids.fmhi.usf.edu/rtcpubs/datatrends/datatrendshp.htm

** Grants offered to Young Creators
The Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health is soliciting applications for Young Creators Grants to be awarded to two people between the ages of 16 and 25 to further projects of their own design. The grants are intended to acknowledge "the enormous talent and innovation within the hearts and minds of young people dealing with mental health, and the tremendous role of creative work in inspiring the hearts and minds of American people about mental health issues." Applications are due July 1, 2004. More information is available by email from FFCMH@FFCMH.ORG

** Supreme Court Hears Key ADA Case
On Tuesday, Jan. 13, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in State of Tennessee v. George Lane and Beverly Jones, a case that could severely limit enforcement of key provisions in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that protect millions of people with disabilities from discrimination by public entities in courtrooms, schools, health care and other areas. A decision in the case is expected sometime this summer.
http://www.bazelon.org/issues/disabilityrights/lane/index.htm

** Share Your Story of Custody Relinquishment
If you are a parent who has relinquished custody of your child to obtain needed mental health services, lawmakers need to hear from you. By humanizing the issue, your story can help lawmakers understand the desperate need for change. Fill out the online form at: http://www.bazelon.org/issues/children/custody/help.htm#share

** Activity Book Helps Support Children in Times of Stress or Crisis The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) have developed an Activity Book for African American Families: Helping Children Cope with Crisis.
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2004/nichd-12.htm

** Online Training Course Teaches Advocacy Skills
Making Your Case is a self-study course designed to help people with developmental disabilities and their families create positive change through advocacy. The course was created by the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities.
http://www.partnersinpolicymaking.com/makingyourcase/

** Putting it All Together: Including Students with Disabilities in Assessment and Accountability Systems
This report from the National Center on Educational Outcomes revisits the topics of participation in assessments, accommodations, reporting results, and accountability, and brings them into today's standards-based educational context. It offers a quick introduction to the participation of students with disabilities in state and district assessment and accountability systems.
http://education.umn.edu/nceo/OnlinePubs/PolicyDirections16.pdf

** Bullying and Teasing of Youth with Disabilities
This "Issue Brief" from The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET) outlines research about bullying and harassment, and describes two effective, comprehensive, whole-school, anti-bullying programs. It also offers recommendations and resources for further action.
http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=1332

** Coming Together for Children with Disabilities
This report from the Center on Law and Social Policy and Easter Seals describes the current state and future of state-wide collaborations that support high-quality, inclusive child care for children with disabilities. Suggestions for improving child care access for low income families are offered.
http://www.clasp.org/DMS/Documents/1070980704.1/ccdf_idea_rpt.pdf

** Family Influences on Adolescent Mental Health
The family--sometimes in surprising ways--is a powerful influence on the mental health of adolescents even when the youths seem to be rejecting their families, according to one of the nation's longest-running studies of influences on mental health from early childhood forward. The Simmons School of Social Work presented data from their longitudinal study at the annual meeting of the National Society for Social Work and Research. http://www.simmons.edu/about/news/releases/2004/1_16_04_criticalinfluence.shtml

** State Budget Cuts and Cutbacks in Children's Health Coverage
In thirty-four states, measures to close state budget gaps have caused unprecedented cuts in Medicaid and SCHIP health insurance coverage for low-income children and families, reports the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Almost half of those losing health insurance coverage (490,000 to 650,000 people) are children.
http://www.cbpp.org/12-22-03health-pr.htm

** Children's Mental Health Resource Kit
The Children's Defense Fund offers this information kit to help people advocate at the State level for improved access to children's mental health assessments as a key to ensuring appropriate mental health treatment for children.
http://www.childrensdefense.org/pdf/mentalhealthresourcekit/full.pdf

** Youngsters' Mental Health And Psychosocial Problems: What Are the Data?
This report from UCLA's Center for Mental Health in Schools details and evaluates the existing data from research on the prevalence and incidence of these problems and defines the research in this area that remains to be done.
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/prevalence/youthMH.pdf

** Youth Advisory Committee of the National Council on Disability is Seeking New Members
The National Council on Disability (NCD) Youth Advisory Committee was established as a non-paid advisory body to include youth and young adult perspectives in carrying out the mission of NCD. NCD is seeking youth input to ensure their activities and policy recommendations respond to the needs of youth with disabilities. Any interested parties ages 16 to 25, send cover letter, resume, and letter of recommendation directly to NCD by January 15, 2004: Dr. Gerrie Hawkins, 1331 F Street, NW Suite 850, Washington, DC 20004; E-mail: ghawkins@ncd.gov. Contact Rebecca Hare at rhare54@aol.com or Isaac Huff at I_Huff@superaleja.org with questions about the application process.
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/advisory/youth/youth.html

** Results of Youth Employment Study
This National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) Data Brief provides a detailed description of employment trends for youth with disabilities documented within the study. The NLTS2 has recently gathered data on work-study employment and regular paid employment of youth with disabilities, with a focus on hourly pay, disability categories, demographic differences in employment, and individual differences such as gender, age, race/ethnicity, and household income in relation to employment.
http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=1310

** Disability Statistics
The Disability Statistics Web site condenses several data sources into a single Internet resource providing statistical data and background information on key issues related to disability statistics.
http://www.disabilitystatistics.org/

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.

The Research and Training Center makes its products accessible to diverse audiences. If you need a publication or product in an alternative format, please contact the Publications Coordinator: 503.725.4175, rtcpubs@pdx.edu.

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Last Modified: 31-01-2004 15:12:04