News Mashup for July 2021
Dual-Status Youth
This month, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) published a review of studies focusing on youth involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. OJJDP’s intent is to provide information on the “characteristics of both systems, predictors of crossover from one system to the other, characteristics of dual-status youth, progress toward and challenges in serving dual-status youth, and outcomes of interventions.”
Both the juvenile justice and child welfare systems serve a substantial proportion of children who need mental health services, and, as cited in the review, many who need services do not receive them. Research on successful behavioral interventions is generally siloed, focusing on what works best in one or the other system. Less common are interventions designed for youths involved in both systems. Further, dual-status youths often go unrecognized because of limited information sharing and cross-system collaboration.
In summarizing research results, the authors of the OJJDP report conclude that “having a single agency accountable for youth care increased odds of youths’ receiving both inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services” and that cross-system collaboration is best achieved by 1) early identification of dual involvement, 2) improved information sharing across systems, and 3) coordinated case supervision. Click on the links below to learn more.
Development Services Group, Inc. July 2021. Intersection of juvenile justice and child welfare systems. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Retrieved July 30, 2021 from https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/model-programs-guide/literature-reviews/Intersection-Juvenile-Justice-Child-Welfare-Systems.
Vidal, S., Connell, C. M., Prince, D. M., & Tebes, J. K. (2019). Multisystem-Involved Youth: A Developmental Framework and Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice. Adolescent Research Review, 4(1), 15–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-018-0088-1.
Averting a “Second Pandemic” of Mental Health Challenges
Pervasive mental health challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic have made educators wary of a pending second pandemic as stressed-out, anxious, and grieving students return to the classroom this fall. Most schools have limited capacity to support student mental health, but new funding through the American Rescue Plan Act is widely seen as an unprecedented opportunity to meet immediate needs and build lasting in-school mental health programs.
The potential for a “second pandemic” in California schools led legislators and Governor Gavin Newsom to sign-off on a 2021-2022 budget on July 16 that provides major new funding for in-school mental health services and school-linked partnerships with community providers. Under the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, $400 million is directed toward the Medi-Cal Managed Care Incentive program for increased school-based services and $550 million toward additional school-linked behavioral health partnerships.
With new funding opportunities comes the timely release of a rapid expert consultation by the National Academy of Sciences outlining “school-based strategies for addressing the mental health and well-being challenges among youth that arose or were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.” In the report, experts examine options for school-wide screening and mental health services, partnering with community mental health centers, integrating social and emotional learning in core curriculum, educating the educators on mental, behavioral, and emotional needs of youth, and supporting self-care of educators and staff. Click on the links below to learn more.
Bekah McNeel. July 20, 2021. Educators prepare for “second pandemic” with mental health first aid. Yahoo!news. Retrieved July 29, 2021 from https://news.yahoo.com/educators-prepare-second-pandemic-mental-110100938.html.
Justine Coleman. July 20, 2021. Analysis: Most states not ready to tackle youth mental health ahead of fall. The Hill. Retrieved July 29, 2021 from https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/563785-most-states-not-ready-to-tackle-youth-mental-health-crisis-ahead-of-fall.
California School-Based Health Alliance (CSBHA). July 2021. What’s in California’s 2021 budget? Major investments to address youth behavioral health. CSBHA. Retrieved July 31, 2021 from https://www.schoolhealthcenters.org/policy/policy-updates/2021-state-budget/?mc_cid=97a585096b&mc_eid=400cae5eb9.
The Office of News and Public Information. July 8, 2021. COVID-19 pandemic and racial trauma have caused unprecedented disruption among youth; school-based supports can help address mental health concerns. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Retrieved July 23, 2021 from https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2021/07/covid-19-pandemic-and-racial-trauma-have-caused-unprecedented-disruption-among-youth-school-based-supports-can-help-address-mental-health-concerns.
AlegrÍa, M., Baum, R., McCabe, M. A., & Lee Williams, J. (2021). School-based strategies for addressing the mental health and well-being of youth in the wake of COVID-19. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26262.
Ileana Najarro. July 21, 2021. Thousands of kids lost parents to COVID-19. Schools must prepare to help the grieving. Education Week. Retrieved July 29, 2021 from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/thousands-of-kids-lost-parents-to-covid-19-schools-must-prepare-to-help-the-grieving/2021/07.
Michael Burke. July 15, 2021. In LA, secretary of education says students need help with social and emotional health. EdSource. Retrieved July 25, 2021 from https://edsource.org/2021/in-los-angeles-visit-secretary-of-education-highlights-need-to-help-students-with-social-and-emotional-health/658076.
Alexis Sanchez. April 26, 2021. The American Rescue Plan Act – What does this mean for the funding of school mental health services? National Association of School Psychologists. Retrieved July 31, 2021 from https://www.nasponline.org/research-and-policy/policy-matters-blog/the-american-rescue-plan-act-%E2%80%93-what-does-this-mean-for-the-funding-of-school-mental-health-services.
Sydney Daniello, Mary Giliberti, Caren Howard, Maddy Reinert, Nathaniel Counts, & Ethan Burrell. 2020. Addressing the youth mental health crisis: The urgent need for more education, services, and supports. Mental Health America. Retrieved July 31, 2021 from https://mhanational.org/addressing-youth-mental-health-crisis-urgent-need-more-education-services-and-supports.
Global Perspectives on Youth Mental Health
A new study published in the journal Evidence-Based Mental Health reveals “a high prevalence of childhood mental disorders coupled with unacceptable service shortfalls in high-income countries—to a degree that violates children’s rights.” The authors’ conclusions are based on an analysis of recent high-quality epidemiological studies from 11 affluent nations, including the USA, Australia, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Great Britain, Israel, Lithuania, Norway, South Korea, and Taiwan. Only 44 percent of the pooled sample of 61,545 children received any treatment for their conditions, with access to mental health services in the countries lagging well behind that for physical conditions. "We would not find it acceptable to treat only 44 percent of children who had cancer or diabetes or infectious diseases," says study author Dr. Charlotte Waddell in an interview published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science; “We have illuminated an invisible crisis in children's mental health and unacceptable service shortfalls in high-income countries.”
Low- and middle-income countries were not included in the study due to the paucity of systematic information on disorder prevalence and treatment availability. The authors emphasize that their assessment relies only on data collected between the years 2003 and 2020, and argue the need for “policy urgency, given the emerging increases in childhood mental health problems since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The call for policy urgency was echoed in a recent statement by Henrietta H. Fore, the Executive Director of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF): “Too many children and young people, rich and poor alike, in all four corners of the world are experiencing mental ill health as we have never seen before. This is the silent emergency of our times. It has no borders and requires urgent attention.”
The Director’s words introduce a new UNICEF report entitled MIND MATTERS: Lessons from past crises for child and adolescent mental health during COVID-19. The report contains a review of the impacts of, and responses to, past humanitarian crises—including SARS, Ebola, and HIV—with the hope that such knowledge can guide youth policies and programs in the era of COVID-19. Rapid screening, personnel training, digital tools and platforms, and school-based services are found to be crucial to a successful response. Click on the links below to learn more.
Melissa Shaw. July 23, 2021. Child mental health services lacking in high-income countries: SFU study finds. [Press Release] EurekaAlert! Retrieved July 31 from https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/845151.
Barican, J. L., Yung, D., Schwartz, C., Zheng, Y., Georgiades, K., & Waddell, C. July 2021. Prevalence of childhood mental disorders in high-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis to inform policymaking. Evidence Based Mental Health, ebmental-2021-300277. https://doi.org/10.1136/ebmental-2021-300277.
Sherr, Lorraine; Cluver, Lucie; Tomlinson, Mark; Idele, Priscilla; Banati, Prerna; Anthony, David; Roberts, Kathryn; Haag, Katharina & Hunt, Xanthe. July 30, 2021. Mind Matters: Lessons from past crises for child and adolescent mental health during COVID-19. UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti. Retrieved July 31, 2021 from https://reliefweb.int/report/world/innocenti-research-report-mind-matters-lessons-past-crises-child-and-adolescent-mental.
In Support of Foster Youth
Although May is officially designated National Foster Youth Month, a wealth of interesting articles, reports, and commentaries were published in July, including the latest on budget bump-ups for foster youth programs, decertification of out-of-state residential facilities, universal basic income, housing stability, sibling programs, college readiness mentoring, and congressional internships. Click on the links below to learn more.
Newsom bans sending foster youth to faraway treatment programs after Chronicle abuse investigation San Francisco Chronicle – 07.19.2021; State budget includes record-level investments in youth who have been in foster care or homeless John Burton Advocates for Youth – 07.20.2021; New York foster youth and advocates rally for housing during the pandemic, urge lawmakers to revisit permanent supports The Imprint – 07.28.2021; Foster youth congressional interns present policy fixes to U.S. legislators The Imprint – 07.27.2021; Lawmakers back funding for foster sibling pilot programs. The Imprint – 07.21.2021; Away from home youth experiences of institutional placements in foster care. Think of Us – 07.21.2021; JBAY launches statewide training for foster parents John Burton Advocates for Youth –07.15.2021; Universal basic income? California moves to be first state to fund pilot efforts CalMatters – 07.16.2021.
More Stories in July: A new approach to mental health care: Santa Clara County launches two youth clinics with no barriers Mountain View Voice – 07.01.2021; L.A.’s newest project? A youth development department HS Insider Los Angeles Times – 07.27.2021; California wants to expand access to mental health care for children The Imprint – 07.29.2021; Let's talk about mental health: Simone Biles' refusal to participate In the Olympic individual all-around competition isn't a sign of weakness The Root - 08.28.21 Disability rights organizations submit overwhelming evidence of DC’s broken children’s mental health system Bazelon – 07.26.2021. What do police know about teenagers? Not enough New York Times - 07.17.2021
