Practice-relevant information in the areas of Mental Health, Education, Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice, Family Involvement, Primary Care, Substance Abuse, and Youth Development

Guide Serves Sexual Minority Youth in Welfare and Justice Systems

The Child Welfare League of America has published its first policy and practice guide for serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth in child welfare and juvenile justice settings. Policy and professional standards managing youth services often neglect to consider sexual orientation or gender identity which results in poor guidance in critical areas for LGBT youth. Part of its Best Practice Guidelines series, “Serving LGBT Youth in Out-of-Home Care” is based on model practice and legal standards and current social science research to provide guidance to agencies responsible for the care of LGBT youth in out-of-home care.

To see the policy and practice guide, go to http://www.nclrights.org/publications/pubs/bestpracticeslgbtyouth.pdf. (Adobe Reader required)

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Attention Deficit Disorder Resources

The website of Attention Deficit Disorder Resources has over 150 articles written by national ADHD authorities as well as adults with ADHD and includes plenty of information for parents too. The website has over 100 links to ADHD-related websites and includes the National ADHD Directory with over 1100 ADHD Service Providers listed as well as a National ADHD Events Calendar. 

To view the free monthly eNews, go to: http://www.addresources.org  

For more information on ADHD, see the TAP resource page at http://www.tapartnership.org/advisors/mental_health/links.asp#Attention%20Deficit/Hyperactivity%20Disorder

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Strategies to Support Child Care Subsidy Access and Retention: Ideas from Seven Midwestern States

This study from the Urban Institute looks at the issues that can affect childcare subsidy access and retention. The report explores steps to address participation barriers by examining the policies and strategies that subsidy agencies in seven Midwestern states—Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin—had in place to support subsidy access and retention in 2005 (data were gathered between May and November). Data were gathered using a combination of reviews of state policy manuals and state plans, a written survey, and telephone interviews with state and local subsidy administrators. The study documents strategies used and implications behind them. The report concludes with a discussion of key themes and provides a guide for administrators, policymakers, and advocates who are interested in taking steps to improve subsidy policies and practices to make it easier for eligible families to access and retain subsidies.

To learn more, please visit http://www.urban.org/publications/411377.html

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School-Based Mental Health Resource

The University of Southern Florida’s Research and Training Center for Children’s Mental Health has released a guide entitled, “School-Based Mental Health:  An Empirical Guide for Decision-Makers.” This guide provides a brief history of mental health services offered in schools, an overview of the evidence-base for school-based interventions and practical information and advice for those engaged in developing and implementing effective evidence-based services in the school setting.

To download the guide, go to http://rtckids.fmhi.usf.edu/rtcpubs/study04/default.cfm