National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention

New Brochures on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Earlier this fall, the U.S. Department of Education announced the availability of three new brochures (one for K–12 educators, one for higher education officials, and one for parents) on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The brochures are intended to inform schools and parents as they balance the privacy rights of students and school safety concerns. Links to the new brochures are available at http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/safeschools/index.html.
For other related resources, visit the FERPA Resource Page on the National Center’s Web site at http://www.promoteprevent.org/resources/briefs/FERPA.html.

SS/HS Event Materials Now Available
On November 1, 2007, the Federal Intra-agency Rural Behavioral Health Workgroup sponsored a Webinar on Creating State-Community Partnerships for Social-Emotional Well-Being in Rural America. Presenters discussed the benefits of not only building strong partnerships between state-level and community partners but also enhancing linkages across federal grantee programs for community mental and behavioral health. Materials used during this Webinar can be accessed at http://www.promoteprevent.org/events/center-events/#rural_webinar. For more resources pertaining to rural communities, visit the Rural Portal: Healthy Children and Families at http://www.promoteprevent.org/rural.

On October 25, 2007, the Latino Networking Group hosted a teleconference called Positive Beginnings for Families with Young Children: Primary Prevention Programs and Mental Health Support. This event, with guest speaker Peggy Kaufman from the Center for Early Relationship Support at Jewish Family and Children’s Services in Massachusetts, focused on the emotional health of families with young children, and the programs and services that have been proven successful in giving them a positive start. Notes and materials from the teleconference can be found at https://learn.aero.und.edu/pages.asp?PageID=107898.

The following is a summary of key findings from the fields of education, mental health, violence prevention, and/or youth substance abuse prevention.

Linking Child Abuse and Youth Violence
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of Georgia used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to explore the relationship between child maltreatment and youth violence. They found that children who are neglected or physically or sexually abused are more likely to perpetrate youth violence or youth intimate partner violence (i.e., dating violence) as adolescents.

The study found that boys who were sexually abused are at higher risk of perpetrating intimate partner violence as adolescents—although this is not the case with girls. Childhood sexual abuse did not predict youth violence perpetration for either gender. Physical abuse and neglect predicted youth violence perpetration for females, but not for males. The study also found that adolescent boys who were victims of youth violence were at a higher risk of being victims of intimate partner violence than boys who were not victims of youth violence.

The links between child maltreatment, youth violence, and intimate partner violence led the researchers to suggest that:

“Child Maltreatment, Youth Violence, and Intimate Partner Violence: Developmental Relationships” by Xiangming Fang and Phaedra Corso can be found in the October 2007 issue of American Journal of Preventative Medicine at
http://www.ajpm-online.net/article/PIIS0749379707003492/fulltext.

This section highlights a few updates from the prevention field. Please go to http://library.promoteprevent.org for more news items and resources.

New SAMHSA Report Emphasizes Promotion and Prevention in Mental Health
A new report to Congress, prepared by SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services, promotes the use of evidence-based programs that address the mental health needs of children by strengthening parenting skills and promoting child resilience. Promotion and Prevention in Mental Health: Strengthening Parenting and Enhancing Child Resilience reports that half of all lifetime cases of diagnosable mental illnesses begin by age 14, and that although programs aimed at older age groups have proved to be beneficial, focusing promotion and prevention efforts on children and their caregivers at an earlier age yields greater and more long-term benefits. The report also analyzes the costs and benefits of prevention programs and describes the best opportunities to reach parents and other caregivers with evidence-based programs. The report can be accessed at http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/svp%2D0186.

Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four Battle Underage Drinking
Hard Choices, a comic book developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in collaboration with Marvel Entertainment and the Elks USA, features Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four in a battle against underage drinking. Hard Choices urges kids to become real-life heroes by making healthy choices. Copies of the comic book are free and can be ordered by visiting http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=17739. A copy of the Hard Choices teacher’s guide, which features activities that educators, parents, and youth leaders can use with kids, is automatically included with orders of 25 copies or more.

New Web Guide to Evidence-Based Practices Launched
SAMHSA has launched a new Web Guide that provides direct connections to Web sites containing information on specific evidence-based practices related to mental health and substance abuse. Visitors can browse evidence-based practices by topic area or by age group and setting to find links and bulleted descriptions of the program Web sites. Visit the guide at http://www.samhsa.gov/ebpWebguide/index.asp.

Research Briefs on Evidence-Based Practices
In October 2007, Child Trends published a new brief for the series “Fostering the Adoption of Evidence-Based Practices in Out-Of-School Time Programs.” Implementing Evidence-Based Practices: Six “Drivers” of Success addresses the challenges of implementing a new program and reviews the six basic components of implementation that can be used to successfully carry out an evidence-based practice. The brief also discusses major outcomes associated with successful implementation. It can be accessed at http://www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends-2007_10_01_RB_6SuccessDrivers.pdf. This series is a product of Child Trends’ Research-to-Results Initiative, which examines and evaluates programs and interventions for children and youth. Research briefs and other resources are available at http://www.childtrends.org/researchtoresults.

The Grant Opportunities page is updated regularly with announcements of current public and private grant competitions. Here is one of the listings you will find:

Title: Washington Mutual Corporate Giving
Funder: Washington Mutual, Inc.
Description: Washington Mutual makes grants to education programs that benefit K–12 public schools where a majority of students receive free and reduced-price lunches. Grants are focused on the areas of professional development for teachers and principals and school improvement strategies that improve student achievement and help parents take advantage of resources available in the school system for their child.
Award: Varies
Deadline: Rolling
For more information: http://www.wamu.com/about/community/grantsguidelines/k12publiceducation.asp

We regularly add to a detailed listing of conferences, events, and calls for papers occurring within the National Center and across the nation.

Date: February 24–27, 2008
Location: Tampa, FL
Title: A System of Care for Children’s Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base
Sponsor: Research and Training Center for Children’s Mental Health
Description: This annual conference is a forum to explore contemporary, empirical research on systems of care that promote the emotional and behavioral well-being of children and their families. Innovative methods presented at prior conferences have been utilized in practice and policy, creating a framework of best practices to improve the way communities address the mental health needs of children and their families. This event is designed for researchers, evaluators, administrators, policymakers, advocates, and family members interested in applied practical systems-of-care research.
Web site: http://rtckids.fmhi.usf.edu/rtcconference