AICAFMHA:
promoting mental health for young Australians
Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association Ltd
ABN 87 093 479 022
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Welcome to rtcUpdates for November 2004!
rtcUpdates are brought to you by the Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health in Portland, Oregon. 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:
** FEATURED DISCUSSION-- Family Involvement and the Older Adolescent: Where
Does Advocacy Stop and Interference Begin?
** National Wraparound Initiative--The Phases and Activities of Wraparound
** RTC PUBLICATIONS & PRODUCTS--Recently Produced
** DATA TRENDS--Recent Research Summaries
** FROM THE WEB--Online Information and Sites of Interest
** FEATURED DISCUSSION--Family Involvement and the Older Adolescent: Where Does Advocacy Stop and Interference Begin?
This month's Featured Discussion focuses on the question of how family roles in treatment and advocacy shift as a young person with an emotional or behavioral disability makes the transition to adulthood and independence. We invite you to read an essay and respond with your comments.
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgFeaturedDiscussions.php
Last month's featured discussion, "Assets and evidence: Do positive
strategies 'work'?" prompted a large volume of commentary about
strengths-based and asset-building approaches in children's mental health.
Read the comments and post your own:
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgFeaturedDiscussions17.php
** National Wraparound Initiative--The Phases and Activities of Wraparound
The National Wraparound Initiative website has been updated with a compilation
of votes and comments for the proposed framework of the phases and activities
of wraparound.
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/nwi/NWIDescHQualWA.htm
** RTC PUBLICATIONS & PRODUCTS--Recently Produced
NEW Walker, J. & Schutte, K. (2004). Practice and process in wraparound
teamwork. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 12(3), 182-192.
Available from your local or university library. FREE reprints of this article
will be available soon to order from our Center. Watch for an announcement in
rtcUpdates.
NEW Cross, T. L., & Friesen, B. J. (2004). Community practice in children's mental health: Developing cultural competence and family-centered services in systems of care models. In M. Weil (Ed.), Handbook of community practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Available from your local or university library.
************************************************************* DATA TRENDS--Recent Research Summaries
The Research and Training Center on Children's Mental Health at the University
of South Florida produces Data Trends, summaries of recent news and findings.
http://datatrends.fmhi.usf.edu/
** FROM THE WEB--Online Information and Sites of Interest
** Workforce Capacity and Effective Treatment
This issue brief from the National Health Policy Forum examines two critical
issues in meeting children's unmet needs for mental health care: ensuring that
there are enough providers, and ensuring that the delivered care is effective.
This paper describes the nature of provider shortages, discusses how managed
care can drive practice patterns, and explores which providers are most
qualified to provide what care.
http://www.nhpf.org/pdfs_ib/IB801%5FChildMHProvider%5F10%2D26%2D04%2Epdf
** "Connectedness" as a Protective Factor
This story from Join Together Online discusses findings of the National
Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The findings suggest that
"connectedness" to family, school, and community is the answer to reducing
the likelihood of violence among the young.
http://www.jointogether.org/gv/news/features/reader/0,2061,575036,00.html
** Residential Care: Trends and Alternatives
A new study from the Chapin Hall Center for Children describes trends in
residential care in Illinois. The report provides evidence that state policies
designed to serve abused and neglected children in less restrictive settings
have resulted in a decrease in the number of Illinois children and youth served
in institutions, but that those children are more troubled and traumatized than
previously.
http://www.chapinhall.org/article_abstract_new.asp?ar=1367&L2=66&L3=124
** California Passes Mental Health Services Act
The Act, also known as Proposition 63, provides funding to counties to expand
and develop innovative, integrated mental health services, including "systems
of care" for children and families. The Act also provides funding to reduce
stigma and increase the quality and accessibility of services.
http://www.igs.berkeley.edu/library/htProp63MentalHealthServicesExpansion.htm
The Act is available at http://www.cccmha.org/Initiative/03.08.25.pdf
An analysis of the Act is available at http://datatrends.fmhi.usf.edu/news_095a.pdf
** OSEP Releases ADHD Resource Guide
The U.S. Office of Special Education Programs recently released the second
part of a two-part resource guide on ADHD. The report, designed for teachers,
other school staff, and families, describes an overall strategy for
successfully instructing students with ADHD. Suggestions of research-based
academic instruction, behavioral interventions, and classroom accommodations
are provided.
http://www.ed.gov/teachers/needs/speced/adhd/adhd-resource-pt2.pdf
** Mental Health and the Juvenile Justice System
The National Mental Health Association presents a brochure entitled "Mental
health treatment for youth in the juvenile justice system: A compendium of
promising practices." The brochure addresses promising practices, special
populations and what doesn't work in the juvenile justice system.
http://www.nmha.org/children/justjuv/
** Quarterly Memo from the ADS Center
The Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma (ADS Center) has
released its fall memo. The subject of the memo is, "informational update
addressing discrimination and stigma associated with mental illness in rural
communities."
http://www.adscenter.org/memoranda/
** New Legislation To Increase Wages for Direct Support
Landmark legislation to amend Title XIX of the Social Security Act was
announced September 21, 2004. The Direct Support Professional Fairness and
Security Act is bi-partisan legislation designed to provide funds to states to
enable them to increase the inadequate wages paid to targeted direct support
professionals who, under the Medicaid program, provide services for individuals
with disabilities.
http://www.ancor.org/2004/issues/wageandhour/PressReleaseLegBill9-21-04.pdf
** Solving the Employment Puzzle: New Training Curriculum For Disabled Youth
The PACER Center and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability
Employment Policy, present a new family training curriculum for youth with
disabilities. The goal of the curriculum is to demonstrate how innovative
partnerships with community organizations can improve local transition services
and outcomes for youth with disabilities.
http://www.pacer.org/swift/index.htm
** Scholarship For Individuals With Severe Mental Illness
The Center for Reintegration is accepting applications for the 2005-2006
"Lilly Moving Lives Forward Reintegration" Scholarship, sponsored by Eli
Lilly and Company. The scholarship is to help persons with mental illness
acquire education, from high school equivalency programs to graduate degrees.
http://reintegration.com/resources/scholarships/apply.asp
** New Report From EPI On Early Childhood Development Programs
The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) has made produced a report entitled
"Exceptional returns: Economic, fiscal, and social benefits of investment in
early childhood development." The report discusses the investments in
high-quality, comprehensive early childhood development programs and how
these programs will pay for themselves in years to come.
http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/books_exceptional_returns#exec
The full copy of the report can be obtained at the following Website:
http://www.ourfuture.org/docUploads/epi_kids_report.pdf
** Three New NCSET Information Briefs
The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition has produced three
new information briefs:
1) "Alternative schools and students with disabilities: Identifying and
understanding the issues" discusses responses of state directors of special
education to a telephone interview about major issues regarding students with
disabilities and alternative schools in their state.
http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=1748
2) "Social Security and undergraduates with disabilities: An analysis of the
National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey" discusses the characteristics of
undergraduate students receiving SSDI and SSI benefits as they relate to issues
of participation in postsecondary education and employment.
http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=1747
3) "Teaching social skills" reviews research on the importance of social
skills for youth and highlights strategies for teaching social skills to youth
with disabilities.
http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=1749.
** CWLA Tips For Accessing Resources
The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) recently reported that child
welfare agencies may be able to bring resources to children and youth in care
through the McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act.
http://www.cwla.org/programs/housing/mckinneyvento.htm
** Report From APHA On Race and Research
The American Public Health Association has produced a report entitled "Race
and research: Perspectives on minority participation in health studies." The
report is a teaching text and resource guide for students, health professionals,
public health researchers, and the general public that extends the discussion of
environmental factors that influence ethnic minority participation in health
studies.
http://www.apha.org/media/abc2.htm#raceres
** Joint Organizational Statement on 'No Child Left Behind' Act
Various education, civil rights, children's, disability, and citizens'
organizations are committed to the No Child Left Behind Act's objectives of
strong academic achievement for all children and closing the achievement gap.
The joint organization's emphasis is on the need to shift from applying
sanctions for failing to raise test scores to holding states and localities
accountable for making the systemic changes that improve student achievement.
http://www.nea.org/presscenter/nclbjointstatement.html
** 2004 Kids Count Data Book Now Available
The Annie E. Casey Foundations 2004 Kids Count Data Book is now available
online. Kids Count is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status
of children in the U.S. The 2004 Kids Count Data Book presents ten key measures
that comprise an index of child well being which is used to rank states and
supplemental data on education, health, and economic conditions for each state.
http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/databook/
** Evidence Summary On Community- Based Participatory Research
AHRQ released a new report summary on community-based participatory research.
The reports and assessments provide organizations with comprehensive,
science-based information on common, costly medical conditions and new health
care technologies.
http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/cbprtp.htm
** Briefing Paper on Mental Health Issues in Medicaid Restructuring
The Campaign for Mental Health Reform has released an analysis on Medicaid
restructuring. The briefing paper focuses on Medicaid restructuring as a key
to mental health reform because Medicaid provides more than half of the
resources for state and local community mental health services. The briefing
also discusses what proposals for Medicaid reform are on the horizon.
http://www.mhreform.org/index.html
** Early Child Development Chartbook
APA/Commonwealth Fund/Child Trends has released a chartbook on how young
children are faring in America based on a number of key developmental
indicators. The report reviews more than 30 indicators of development and
health for children up to age six, along with social factors in the family
and neighborhood that affect their readiness for school.
http://www.cmwf.org/usr_doc/chartbook_quick_download.pdf
** NCWD Career Planning Guide
A new report from the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for
Youth has released provides guidance to adolescents and young adults in
successfully making the transition from school to adult life and the world of
work. The report discusses the best decisions and choices made by transitioning
youth, which are based on sound information including appropriate assessments
that focus on the talents, knowledge, skills, interests, values, and aptitudes
of each individual.
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/assessment.html
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