National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention

Calling all Safe Schools/Healthy Student grantees from 1999 and 2000: We need your local evaluation reports

The National Center, in partnership with the SS/HS Federal partners, is developing an evaluation monograph to detail the successes and challenges of 1999 and 2000 SS/HS sites. The publication will offer an in-depth look at what worked in the local evaluations and will be shared with current and past program grantees. The monograph will also be shared with Federal, State, and local policy makers, and schools and communities across the nation to provide information on best practices for reducing violence and promoting healthy childhood development.

An announcement will be issued the week of January 26, 2004 asking for local evaluation reports. We look forward to hearing from all 1999 and 2000 SS/HS grantees. In the meantime, if you have any questions about this project, please contact Yvette Lamb ( ylamb@edc.org ) or Clif Watts ( cwatts@edc.org ).

Announcing the winner
Thanks to all 70 of you who took the time to submit an entry for our national conference title. We were thrilled to receive so many creative entries, though it made our decision very difficult. We are pleased to announce the winning submission: Strengthening Our Future: Developing Healthy Youth and Children, Strong Families, and Safe Communities

Congratulations to Laura Dombrock, Youth Violence Prevention grantee from Waukesha, Wisconsin

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
What: Strengthening Our Future: Developing Healthy Children and Youth, Strong Families, and Safe Communities
Where: Kansas City, Missouri at the Marriott Kansas City
When: April 27-29, 2004

Pre- and post-conference activities are being planned for the 26th and 30th. More information about those activities will be available soon.

The national conference will bring together the Safe Schools/Healthy Students, Targeted Capacity Expansion: Prevention and Early Intervention and Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities, and Youth Violence Prevention grantees to:

The conference represents a partnership including the Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Your National Center Technical Assistance Specialist will be calling shortly to discuss further details about the conference. See you in KC!

The Safe Schools/Healthy Students '03 grantees are invited to attend the National Center's Evaluation Training and Strategic Planning Workshop scheduled for February 25th through the 27th in Washington DC. The SS/HS team is also pleased to introduce its newest technical assistance specialist, Gwen Willis-Durpoh.

The Targeted Capacity Expansion team recently conducted a series of teleconferences on the Incredible Years evidence based intervention (EBI). Grantees who are implementing this EBI shared experiences with each other, with the technical assistance team and with Government Project Officers. The conversation continues on the www.PromotePrevent.org discussion board. We are also planning a series of sustainability teleconferences with grantees from the different cohorts during February and March. Your TA specialist will fill you in on the details.

The Youth Violence Prevention Programs team is planning a series of interactive learning events. The first event's topic, which will take place in early Spring, will explore communications issues. The YVPP team is pleased to announce the addition of three new Technical Assistance Specialists, Paul Giguere, Lauren Gilman and Gwen Schiada as well as a new Research Assistance, Aisha Thompson.

Expanding your program's reach by engaging policy makers and partnering with community resources
April Thomas, Project Director
The Violence Intervention and Prevention Project (VIP), a program of L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc.
Fitchburg, MA
Youth Violence Prevention grantee

This month we highlight another center partner, the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health (FFCMH), a national parent-run nonprofit organization focused on the needs of children and youth with emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders and their families. The Federation provides leadership and advocacy for a nation-wide network of diverse, family-run organizations.
The Federation's website features:

Stein BD, Jaycox LH, Kataoka SH, Wong M, Tu W, Elliott MN, Fink A
A Mental Health Intervention for School Children Exposed to Violence: a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Journal of the American Medical Association 2003 Aug 6; 290(5):603-11
A randomized controlled trial was conducted during the 2001-2002 academic year to evaluate the effectiveness of a collaboratively designed school-based intervention for reducing children's symptoms of PTSD and depression that has resulted from exposure to violence. The study concluded that a standardized 10-session cognitive-behavioral group intervention can significantly decrease symptoms of PTSD and depression in students who are exposed to violence and can be effectively delivered on school campuses by trained school-based mental health clinicians.
For full text, please contact: news@promoteprevent.org

The U.S. Department of Education recently released a new guide to assist schools in planning for any emergency, including natural disasters, violent incidents and terrorist acts. The guide entitled 'Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities' can be found at http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/emergencyplan/index.html

Child Trends recently released a Guide to Effective Programs for Children and Youth. The guide offers evaluation data on development programs from pre-birth to early adulthood. Program areas include child care, early childhood education, clinic-based or provider-based programs, community or media campaign, counseling, therapy, home visiting, mentoring/ tutoring, parent or family component, school-based, and service or vocational learning. Funding and many of the program summaries were provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Go to http://www.childtrends.org/Lifecourse/index.htm for more information

How Families and Communities Influence Youth Victimization
This Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Juvenile Justice Bulletin, prepared by Dr. Janet Lauritsen of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, describes how individual, family, and community characteristics influence the risk for non-lethal violence among youth. Using data from the National Crime Victimization Study, Dr. Lauritsen examines risk factors for violent victimization among youth in relation to family and community type, racial and ethnic group, and individual family and community risk factors. Findings show that "communities will have the most difficulty protecting youth from victimization if they are highly disadvantaged and, more specifically, if they have high proportions of young people and single-parent families."
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/201629.pdf

Turning Knowledge into Practice: A Manual for Behavioral Health Administrators and Practitioners about Understanding and Implementing Evidence-Based Practices
This manual, developed by members of the Technical Assistance Collaborative, Inc., the MacArthur Foundation Network on Mental Health Policy Research, and the American College of Mental Health Administration, is written for service providers and consumers to provide practical approaches to adopting and implementing evidence-based practices. The manual is arranged into eight chapters which answer a series of questions ranging from the introductory (What are evidence-based practices and why should we use them?) to the more involved (Are there organizational or structural issues that can impact the success of implementing evidence-based practices? and How can we sustain the progress we are making?).
http://tacinc.org/cms/admin/cms/_uploads/docs/EBPmanual.pdf

Setting the Pace: Model Inclusive Child Care Centers Serving Families of Children with Emotional or Behavioral Challenges
This monograph, from the Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health at Portland State University, reports on an investigation of nine inclusive child care programs that have successfully served families of children with emotional or behavioral challenges. Interviews of more than ninety participants yielded common characteristics, practices, and organizational factors of these inclusive programs, as well as strategies used to overcome barriers to inclusion. The monograph concludes with recommendations for actions at the program, community, state, and national levels.
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgProjInclusionMono.php

Violence Prevention Strategies in Local Government: Isolated Projects or Integrated Public Policy?
At the Local Level: Perspectives on Violence Prevention , a new publication released by California Attorney General Bill Lockyear, provides articles devoted to violence prevention. In its second and most recent edition, author Sid Garner, president of Children and Family Futures, discusses the importance of developing violence prevention programs that include strategies to measure results, definite immediate and long-term outcomes, involve the wider community, and identifies and target participants. Garner offers numerous suggestions on how community collaboratives can proceed strategically and highlights two successful programs from the state of California.
http://www.safestate.org/documents/local%20level%20no.2.pdf

For more news go to: http://www.promoteprevent.org/news/news_from_the_field/

February 8-10, 2004: Arlington, Virginia
14th Annual Conference on State Mental Health Agency Services Research, Program Evaluation, and Policy
The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Research Institute, Inc. (sponsor)
This year's conference title is "Dollars and Sense: Using the Knowledge Base to Inform Decisions and Practices in a Time of Limited Resources".
http://nri.rdmc.org/calendar.cfm

February 14-17, 2004: Arlington, Virginia
15th Annual Youth Crime Prevention Conference
The National Crime Prevention Council (sponsor)
This summit will be an opportunity for youth and adult allies to find inspiration, skills, and resources. http://www.ncpc.org/summit/

February 29-March 3, 2004: Tampa, Florida
17th Annual Research Conference
The Research and Training Center for Children's Mental Health (sponsor)
The title of this year's conference on children's health and service system research is "A System of Care for Children's Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base".
http://rtckids.fmhi.usf.edu/rtcconference/rtcconf.htm

March 11-14, 2004: Orlando, Florida
16th Annual National Student Assistance Conference
Performance Resource Press, Inc. (sponsor)
Conference proceedings are designed for professionals working in student assistance, safe and drug-free schools programs, and other youth-serving initiatives.
http://www.prponline.net/School/NSAC/school_nsac_nsac.htm .

March 30-April 3, 2004: Dallas, Texas
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Annual Convention
The theme of this year's conference is "Mind Matters: All Children Can Learn".
http://nasponline.org/conventions/index.html .

Click here to view a full listing of Conferences and Events through June 2004.

Title: New Jersey Health Initiatives - 2004
Funder: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
Description: The Health Initiatives Program is designed to improve health and health care in New Jersey communities by supporting innovative community-based projects that address one or more of RWJF's goals: to assure that all Americans have access to quality healthcare at reasonable cost; to improve the quality of care and support for people with chronic health conditions; to promote healthy communities and lifestyles; and to reduce personal, social, and economic harm caused by substance abuse.
Award: $50,000 - $400,000 (up to eight grants)
Eligibility: Organizations must be either public entities or nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations located within the state of New Jersey.
Deadline: January 27, 2004 (Brief Proposals), March 22, 2004 (Full Proposals)
For more information: http://rwjf.org/applying/cfpDetail.jsp?cfpCode=NJH&type=open

February 2004
Title: Interventions and Practice Research Infrastructure Program (IP-RISP)
Funder: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health
Description: The IP-RISP seeks to foster an active, synergistic partnership between mental health researchers and community-based, clinical/services staff, clinicians, and patients. The goal of this partnership is to make available evidence-based mental health care that is sensitive to social and cultural needs of patients and providers.
Award: Not specified.
Eligibility: Any public or private, profit and not-for-profit, institution is eligible to apply, as well as state, local, and tribal governments and eligible agencies of the Federal government.
Deadline: February 1, 2004
For more information: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-04-015.html

Title: Integrated Health and Behavioral Health Care for Children, Adolescents, and their Families (IHBHP) (HRSA-04-059)
Funder: Dept. of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Programs
Description: IHBHP planning grants shall assist community health care organizations to develop and formalize working relationships for planning a program of health service delivery for children, adolescents, and their families that integrate physical and psychosocial primary care, comprehensive mental health services, and substance abuse and treatment services which meet the unique needs of different communities.
Award: $400,000
Eligibility: Any pubic or private entity is eligible to apply, except organizations that have previously received funding under this initiative.
Deadline: February 2, 2004
For more information: http://www.fedgrants.gov/Applicants/HHS/HRSA/GAC/HRSA-04-059/Grant.html .

Title: Statewide Consumer Network Grants
Funder: Dept. of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Description: The purpose of the Statewide Consumer Networks program is to enhance state capacity and infrastructure to be consumer-centered and targeted toward recovery and resiliency and consumer-driven by promoting the use of consumers as agents of transformation. To achieve this goal, the program assists consumer organizations around the country to work with policymakers and services providers to improve services for consumers with serious mental illness(es). The program is designed to strengthen coalitions among consumers, policymakers, and service providers.
Award: 20-22 awards of up to $70,000
Eligibility: Eligible applicants are limited to domestic private, nonprofit entities, including faith-based entities and currently funded Statewide Consumer Network Grantees that (1) are controlled and managed by mental health consumers; (2) are dedicated to the improvement of mental health services statewide; and (3) have a Board of Directors comprised of more than 51 percent consumers.
Deadline: February 25, 2004
For more information: http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/2004/nofa/sm04-003_inf_consumer.asp

March 2004
Title: Rural Health Research Grant Program Cooperative Agreement (CARHR) (HRSA-04-070)
Funder: Dept. of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Rural Health Research Centers
Description: CARHR grants are intended to provide establishment for a Rural Health Research Center as an identifiable entity with a specific area of research concentration and an infrastructure to develop health services researchers into experts in the research complexities of rural health issues.
Award: $4,000,000
Eligibility: Any pubic or private entity is eligible to apply.
Deadline: March 15, 2004
For more information: http://www.fedgrants.gov/Applicants/HHS/HRSA/GAC/HRSA-04-070/Grant.html .

Title: Maternal and Child Health Minority Research Infrastructure Support Program (RMIN) (HRSA-04-052)
Funder: Dept. of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Programs
Description: The purpose of this program is to increase the capacity of institutions and their faculty to conduct rigorous maternal and child health applied research addressing issues relating to health disparities.
Award: $250,000
Eligibility: Public/nonprofit institutions of higher learning and public or private nonprofit agencies engaged in work related to maternal and child health.
Deadline: March 26, 2004
For more information: http://www.fedgrants.gov/Applicants/HHS/HRSA/GAC/HRSA-04-052/Grant.html .