National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention

Save the Date: Evaluation Meeting January 30–31, 2007
On January 30–31, 2007 the National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention will host a conference for 2006 grantees on the topic of evaluation. The meeting will take place in Washington, D.C., and more details will follow in the coming weeks. SS/HS National Evaluation Resources are available on our Web site. If you have any questions, please contact your technical assistance specialist.

Highlights from the Multi-Systemic Therapy and Second Step Teleconferences
Notes from the Multi-Systemic Therapy teleconference on November 7, 2006 and the Second Step teleconference on December 7, 2006 are now available on the National Center Web site. The teleconferences provided grantees with opportunities to learn about and share their experiences implementing these two evidence-based interventions. To view the notes on Multi-Systemic Therapy, please visit http://learn.aero.und.edu/pages.asp?PageID=82752; and for Second Step, please visit http://learn.aero.und.edu/pages.asp?PageID=91512. In addition to highlights from the teleconference proceedings, the Web pages also contain background information on the programs, success stories and tips, and other related resources.

Upcoming CASEL Teleconference: Engaging School Administrators in Social and Emotional Learning
On January 24, 2007 the National Center will host a teleconference, titled Engaging School Administrators in Social and Emotional Learning. The teleconference will provide information about Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in schools, identify challenges and concerns of garnering support from school administrators, and provide a networking opportunity for grantees. To learn more about SEL, please visit our resource page at http://www.promoteprevent.org/resources/resource_pages/ program_functions/social_emotional.htm. For more information about this event, please e-mail promotepreventinfo@edc.org.

New Resource Page: Juvenile Justice
Need information about juvenile justice programs and partnerships with schools? We have expanded the resource section on our Web site to include a Juvenile Justice Resource Guide. This page includes an annotated list of useful Web sites, organizations, and to help coalitions understand and work with the juvenile justice system, including the juvenile courts and probation. It also includes online publications available through the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database. To view this page, please visit http://www.promoteprevent.org/resources/resource_pages/ program_functions/juvenile_justice.html.

This section summarizes the key findings from a current research study in the field of education, mental health, violence prevention, or youth substance abuse prevention. Research Notes are linked to the full report when available online.

Stigma and Mental Health Services

A research team from Johns Hopkins University conducted a study to explore gender differences and the role of stigma in the willingness of eighth graders to use mental health services. Their team’s research indicated that girls were twice as likely as boys to be willing to use mental health services. This difference was related to a greater perception of both stigma (shame or embarrassment) and perceived parental disapproval of mental health services among the boys in the study. The boys also displayed less knowledge of mental health and mental health services (measured by survey questions such as “Most kids with mental illnesses are in special classes at school.”). This study reinforces the importance of educating both young people (especially boys) and their parents about mental health and mental health services.

This Research Note was drawn from “Stigma Starts Early: Gender Differences in Teen Willingness to Use Mental Health Services,” by Anita Chandra and Cynthia Minkovitz, published in the June 2006 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health (Volume 38, Number 1).

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

Attention Grantees: Receive Recognition for Your Hard Work!
Apply for the 2007 Science to Service Awards. This national initiative recognizes exemplary community-based organizations and coalitions that have successfully implemented evidence-based programs. Applications are due February 28, 2007. Please visit http://www.samhsa.gov/Spotlights/sciencetoservice.pdf for more information.

Creating Partnerships: Schools and Law Enforcement
Findings from the study School-Based Partnerships: A Problem-Solving Strategy, completed by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, offer insight into effective school-based crime prevention partnerships. The study reports on three sites: Bullhead City Police Department and Bullhead City Junior High School; Hollywood Police Department and Attucks Middle School; and Miami Police Department and Booker T. Washington Senior High School, which used the SARA problem-solving process (Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment) to address specific issues in their schools. The authors concluded that the most successful cases had clearly defined partner roles, shared priorities, and strategic goals. Sites with too many partners, competing priorities, or limited resources faced more challenges. To read the report, please visit http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1920.

A Guide to School-Based Mental Health
School-Based Mental Health: An Empirical Guide for Decision-Makers, by Krista Kutash, Albert J. Duchnowski, and Nancy Lynn, provides important information for educators and administrators interested in implementing mental health programs in their schools. The guide reviews federal policies and funding strategies, describes current approaches to school-based mental health, addresses barriers to effective programs, and recommends next steps for creating and sustaining successful school-based mental health systems. For the full publication, please visit http://rtckids.fmhi.usf.edu/rtcpubs/study04/SBMHfull.pdf.

New Tribal Justice and Safety Web site
U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs has a new Web site, Tribal Justice and Safety, to serve Native American and Alaskan Native tribal governments and communities. The Web site serves as a resource for improving safety in Native American communities and addresses issues such as courts, corrections, law enforcement, crime statistics, crime prevention, and other public safety issues. The Web site also includes several pages dedicated to juvenile justice research, training, resources, and funding opportunities. To learn more, please visit http://www.usdoj.gov/tribaljusticeandsafety/jj_training.htm.

Mentored Youth Less Likely to Show Signs of Depression
A report by Public/Private Ventures, Positive Support: Mentoring and Depression Among High-Risk Youth, examined the effect of mentoring on depression in high-risk youth. The results were taken from interviews with participants enrolled in several National Faith-Based Initiative programs. Upon intake into the program, 30 percent of the youth showed signs of depression, and between 25 and 40 percent had poor anger management and conflict resolution skills. After at least six months in the program, the report found that mentored youth showed fewer signs of depression, which in turn increased their ability to handle social conflicts and decreased substance use and recidivism. Youth who participated for six months were 69 percent less likely to show signs of depression at follow-up than those who were not mentored. In the final chapter, the authors address the challenges associated with implementing a mentoring program for a high-risk population. To read the full report, please visit http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/202_publication.pdf.

January Is National Mentoring Month
The theme for this year’s National Mentoring Month is “Pass It On. Become a Mentor.” This month-long outreach campaign led by the Harvard Mentoring Project, MENTOR, and the Corporation for National and Community Service aims to recruit volunteers to mentor youth from underprivileged backgrounds. It features notable public figures, including Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and Larry King, who share their experiences of mentoring. Musician Quincy Jones will be honored as the 2007 Mentor of the Year. To learn more about Mentoring Month and recommended activities, please visit http://www.mentoring.org/mentoring_month/ and
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/wmy2007/index.html.

The Grant Opportunities page is updated regularly with new announcements of available public and private grant competitions. Here is just one of the listings you'll find:

Title: Tribal Youth Program
Funder: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Description: The Tribal Youth Program (TYP) supports and enhances tribal efforts to prevent and control delinquency and improve the juvenile justice system for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth.
Award: Tribes with 6,000 or fewer residents on or near the reservation may apply for awards of up to $300,000; tribes with 6,001 or more residents on or near the reservation may apply for awards of up to $400,000. Federally recognized tribes with populations of 100,000 or more are eligible to apply for more than one award at $400,000 per four-year period. Each application must represent different communities that are geographically separated from one another but within the tribe’s jurisdiction.
Eligibility: OJJDP will award Tribal Juvenile Accountability Discretionary Grant (JADG) program grants to federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities to develop and implement programs that hold AI/AN youth accountable for their delinquent behavior and strengthen tribal juvenile justice systems. OJJDP has developed this program announcement to assist and guide federally recognized tribes as they prepare their applications for funding under the Tribal JADG program.
Deadline: January 24, 2007
For more information: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/grants/solicitations/FY2007/TYP.pdf

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

Date: February 7–9, 2007
Location: Washington D.C.
Title: NCCRESt Leadership for Equity and Excellence: Transforming Education
Sponsor: The National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt)
Description: This year’s conference, Leadership for Equity and Excellence: Transforming Education, will be held in Washington, D.C., on February 7–9, 2007. Educators, policymakers, advocacy groups, parents, and community members from across the United States will gather to explore how educational systems can ensure equity in educational outcomes for all students through school improvement, leadership, family and community partnerships, policy, and teaching.
Web site: http://www.nccrest.org/events/events/national_forum_2.html