National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention

The National Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA) recently developed a first of its kind curriculum, Growing Our Own , designed to reduce disparities in mental health care for diverse populations. Developed through a Workforce Development grant from SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services, it assesses what works and what doesn't in providing culturally competent mental health services to AAPI communities.

Growing Our Own employs concepts from the disciplines of psychiatry, psychology, social work, and counseling. It is currently being piloted at several sites across the U.S. Over the next year, NAAPIMHA will add other interested parties into this group of test sites. Criteria for inclusion will be available shortly on the promoteprevent website as well as in future newsletters.

This year's hurricane season has been especially severe, devastating the South and Southeast. Not surprising, individuals and families trying to restore their homes and towns are under extreme stress. Although children have returned to school, their lives are far from "back to normal": many lack essentials such as electricity and running water. Unfortunately, local authorities have also noted a concomitant rise in domestic violence. School districts and community organizations, including many grantees sites, are searching for resources to respond to the crises.

The Center recommends the following resources:

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) website offers a wealth of Crisis Resources, many available in English and Spanish. Scroll down the page for resources designed specifically for Natural Disasters and Trauma . http://nasponline.org/NEAT/crisismain.html

NASP also has a crisis team, the National Emergency Assistance Team (NEAT), which, if requested by the school, responds to assist schools in reacting to trauma. http://nasponline.org/NEAT/crisismain.html

The NASP Children's Fund welcomes requests for funding from school psychologists for projects that will directly benefit children. The Children's Fun also responds to natural disasters through a Teddy Bear Roundup. http://www.nasponline.org/about_nasp/childfund.html

The Center for Mental Health Services Emergency Mental Health and Traumatic Stress Branch is responsible for assessing, promoting, and enhancing resilience in times of crisis. Through their homepage, you may access many resources, including the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center. http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/EmergencyServices/

You may also want to read a recent article from AP News entitled Storm Stress Hitting Many Floridians http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040930/D85E2AVG1.html

Please check back with promoteprevent.org for more resources on crisis response.

Latino Networking Group teleconferences continue

Initially brought together at the National Conference in April, grantees who work with Latino populations have remained active in the Latino Networking Group via the Discussion Board and regular teleconferences. Their August teleconference focused on identifying common challenges experienced across grant programs as well as positive strategies learned in the field. The next teleconference, scheduled for October, will address Latina girls' involvement in violence and/or gangs. If you would like to join the teleconference, contact Lauren Gilman ( lgilman@edc.org ) or Nancy Macias-Smith ( nmacias-smith@edc.org ).

To access materials from past teleconferences and other events, go to the Conference Materials page.

New resources available on promoteprevent.org

Two new resource pages have been recently added:

Collaborating for Impact
Liza Andrew-Miller
David White
Graham Harriman
Targeted Capacity Expansion Grantees
Multnomah and Washington Counties, Oregon

School psychologist shortage hits rural schools the hardest

A recent article on CNN,com discusses the shortage of school psychologists and the impact it has on rural school districts. A survey from the National Association of School Psychologists estimated that only one-third of the nation's schools districts met the minimum standards of one psychologist for every 1,000 students, leaving rural districts especially hard hit. Too few applicants, especially applicants able to work with students with disabilities or other hardships, make it difficult to meet federal academic standards. http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/09/06/school.psychologists.ap/index.html

Characteristics of interpersonal violence involving girls

A study from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia identifies unique characteristics of interpersonal violence events involving girls. Investigators found that violent events involving preadolescent and early adolescent girls are more likely to be in response to a previous event and to involve the home environment and family member intervention. Recommendations for health professionals are offered.

For a copy of this journal article, contact news@promoteprevent.org.

Attracting and sustaining youth participation in out-of-school time (OST) programs

"Moving Beyond the Barriers: Attracting and Sustaining Youth Participation in Out-of-School Time Programs", a Harvard Family Research Project Evaluation Report, highlights information from several implementation and impact evaluations, including reasons youth give for staying or leaving OST programs and common incentives and barriers to participation. The brief also proposes promising strategies for attracting and sustaining participation in OST programs. http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/issuebrief6.html

Evidence-based mental health services can inform public policy

"Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatments and Services: Examples to Inform Public Policy", a report published by the Milbank Memorial Fund, uses examples of evidence-based practices and their successful adaptations to make a case for allocating resources to and within public mental health programs. The report conveys support for a wide range of mental health treatments within communities and emphasizes the need to monitor program outcomes to ensure accountability. http://www.milbank.org/reports/2004lehman/2004lehman.pdf

We regularly add to a detailed listing of conferences and events occurring across the nation. Please visit http://www.promoteprevent.org/events/national_events.htm

If you are interested in learning of the latest grant opportunities, the Grant Opportunities page is regularly updated with new announcements of available public and private grant competitions.