More than 300,000 California children ages 4 to 11 have mental health needs, yet only one-fourth of them received mental health care in 2007 and 2009. Health insurance coverage and a usual source of care typically facilitate mental health service use; however, this is not the case for children with mental health needs. This policy […]
Children
Safely Home Report Highlights Community-Based Alternatives to Youth Incarceration
The Youth Advocate Programs Policy and Advocacy Center has released “Safely Home.” This report highlights cost-effective, community-based alternatives to incarceration for high-needs youth. Some key findings: More than 8 of 10 youth remained arrest-free and 9 of 10 were at home after completing their community-based programs. Intensive programs based in the community can serve 3 […]
A Practitioner’s Resource Guide: Helping Families to Support Their LGBT Children
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is releasing “A Practitioners Resource Guide: Helping Families to support Their LGBT Children.” This resource Guide is designed to help health care and social service practitioners provide greater insight to families on how they can support their children who are coming out or identifying themselves as […]
Disparities in Medicaid Spending on Children in Welfare System
A new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis examines racial and ethnic differences in Medicaid expenditures for children in the welfare system who use psychotropic drugs — medication for conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, that affect a child’s mental state. The study, “Racial/Ethnic Differences in Medicaid […]
Hispanics and Family-Strengthening Programs: Cultural Strategies to Enhance Program Participation
This brief, using qualitative data collected during the Hispanic Healthy Marriage Initiative Grantee Implementation Evaluation, describes the adaptations and refinements undertaken by study sites to make their services more culturally responsive to address the backgrounds and life circumstances of people of different cultural, racial, ethnic, or socio-economic backgrounds. The adaptations included addressing issues of language, […]
A Guide for Understanding, Supporting, and Affirming LGBTQI2-S Children, Youth, and Families
A new guide provides information for educators, human service providers and allies about supporting the health and well-being of children and youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex and/or two-spirit (LGBTQI2-S) and their families. A Guide for Understanding, Supporting, and Affirming LGBTQI2-S Children, Youth, and Families addresses biases and myths, and discusses why […]