CASASTART

Clients Rights Policy

tking — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:17:37 GMT

Child Intake

tking — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:10:23 GMT

CASATART Participant Monthly Attendance and Behavior Report

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U.S. ED’s OSDFS to Host Webinar on May 3rd.

tking — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:30:51 GMT


	OSDFS PREVENTION NEWS BULLETIN
April 15, 2010	Kevin Jennings, Assistant Deputy Secretary Vol. 5, No. 18

In This Issue

1. U.S. ED’s OSDFS to host Webinar with HHS’ CDC and Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women—Dating Matters: Understanding Teen Dating violence Prevention—May 3, 2:00-3:00 P.M., EDT

2. US Labor Department Awards $34 Million Plus to six High Schools Deemed “Persistently Dangerous” to Reduce Violence and Improve Educational Outcomes—Funds will Support Mentoring, Learning and Employment Strategies

3. New Information—Healthier Students are Better Learners: A Missing Link in School Reforms to Close the Achievement Gap

4. SAMHSA, the AD Council, and Inspire USA Foundation Launch National Suicide Prevention for Teens—Suicide is the Third Leading Cause of Death Among 15- to 24-year olds

5. Putting it all Together: Guiding Principles for Quality After-School Programs Serving Preteens—Free Download from Public/Private Venture

6. Justice’s OJP Launches ‘Grants 101’ Web Page—Aids Applicants for OJJDP and other OJP Grants

NOTE: We are trying to update the LISTSERV. In the next few weeks, we will be experimenting with the best possible format for the LISTSERV. If you have any suggestions, please contact me at : david.quinlan@ed.gov.

U.S. ED’s OSDFS TO HOST WEBINAR WITH HHS’ CDC AND JUSTICE’ OFFICE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN — DATING MATTERS: UNDERSTANDING TEEN DATING VIOLENCE PREVENTION--MAY 3, 2:00-3:00 P.M., EDT

On Monday, May 3rd, 2010, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., EDT, U.S. ED’s OSDFS staff in cooperation with DOJ’s Office of Violence Against Women and HHS’s Centers for Disease Control will host a webinar to discuss teen dating violence. The Webinar will provide an overview of the issue with relevant research and highlight a tool to help educators, school personnel, youth leaders, and others working to improve the health of teens.

Studies show 42% to 87% of dating violence takes place in a school building or on school grounds. Therefore, teachers have opportunities to observe interactions between dating partners that other adults, like parents, might not see. The ultimate goal is to prevent teen dating violence — to stop it before it begins. Educators play an important role in their school communities to not only impart knowledge but also serve as trusted, adult role models for their students.

“Dating Matters: Understanding Teen Dating Violence Prevention” is an interactive training developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in partnership with Liz Claiborne Inc. The training demonstrates how to implement effective teen dating violence prevention strategies and highlights the importance of promoting healthy relationships.

Assistant Deputy Secretary, Kevin Jennings, recently affirmed the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools’ (OSDFS) dedication to preventing teen dating violence: "The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools is committed to raising awareness about teen dating violence and sending the message to every student that he/she is valuable and deserves to be treated with respect. We know that one in three teenagers experiences violence in a dating relationship and that this violence crosses all racial, economic, and social lines. We believe we can empower teenagers through education and outreach to identify warning signs, recognize they have choices, and choose healthy, caring relationships."

Please join Kevin Jennings and our partners from the U.S. Department of Justice and Health and Human Services to explore this complex issue and shed light on how to raise awareness and ultimately prevent teen dating violence in schools and communities.

Tentative Agenda:

2 – 2:15 Kevin Jennings, OSDFS Assistant Deputy Secretary—Overview

OSDFS Work to Promote Safe, Respectful Relationships

2:15 – 2:25

Dept of Justice (OVW) and Health and Human Services (CDC)

Frame the Teen Dating Violence Issue

2:25 – 2:55

CDC Dating Violence Prevention: Teen Dating Violence Prevention 101

Overview of CDC TDV Prevention Research/Projects

Dating Matters Introduction

2:55 – 3 Eve Birge, OSDFS, Safe Schools/Healthy Students

NOTE: The webinar is limited to 300 callers. There will registration on the day of the event. The webinar call-in information will be published in next week’s LISTSERV.

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US LABOR DEPARTMENT AWARDS $34 MILLION PLUS TO SIX HIGH SCHOOLS DEEMED “PERSISTENTLY DANGEROUS” TO REDUCE VIOLENCE AND IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES—FUNDS WILL SUPPORT MENTORING, LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT STRATEGIES

The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced more than $34 million in grant funding to six high schools that have been deemed persistently dangerous by state educational agencies. Funds will support programs that reduce violence and improve educational outcomes through mentoring, alternative learning strategies, employment and case management.

"Every good job begins with a good education and all students deserve to pursue that education in a safe environment," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "These grants will promote the type of learning environment that will help get these students on the right track to personal and professional success."

Each grant-funded program must include an adult volunteer mentoring component that integrates the other strategies. Anti-bullying efforts, student courts, peer mediation, anger management classes, crisis intervention strategies, increased involvement of parents and teacher training also will play important roles in reducing violence.

Educational activities can include school restructuring efforts and alternative learning strategies aimed at getting at the underlying causes of violence, high dropout rates and low student achievement in the schools. The strategies implemented by programs should create reforms that have a positive impact on entire schools. Target groups include at-risk youth, such as vulnerable ninth graders, and those individuals who present the greatest challenges in terms of misconduct, truancy and poor school performance. Expected outcomes for the initiative include decreased dropout rates, a reduction in school violence, and improved student behavior and academic performance.

These grants are being awarded to four schools within the School District of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, one in the Schenectady City School District of New York and one in the Baltimore City Public School System in Maryland. One school, with an enrollment of fewer than 1,000 students, will receive $3.4 million. The others, with more than 1,000 students each, will receive $6.27 million each.

The complete list of schools receiving Persistently Dangerous High Schools grants and award amounts follow:

Schenectady High School, Schenectady School District, $6,270,000; Samuel Fels High School Philadelphia School District $6,270,000; Olney West High School, Philadelphia School District, $6,270,000; Frankford High School, Philadelphia School District, $6,270,000; Edison High School, Philadelphia School District, $6,270,000; and Reginald Lewis High School, Baltimore City School District, $3,400,000.

For more information on schools receiving funding, visit : http://www.doleta.gov/pdf/PD_OnePagers.pdf.

For more information on the range of Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration programs, visit http://www.doleta.gov.

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NEW INFORMATION—HEALTHIER STUDENTS ARE BETTER LEARNERS: A MISSING LINK IN SCHOOL REFORMS TO CLOSE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP

A webcast aired recently with author of a new paper “Healthier Students are Better Learners: A Missing Link in School Reforms to Close the Achievement Gap”, Charles Basch, as well as Matthew Hale, Deputy Chief of Staff for Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, U. S. Department of Education; and Howell Wechsler, Director, Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although Dr. Basch acknowledges that the connection between health and learning is not new, he focuses this paper on seven educationally relevant health disparities that disproportionately affect urban minority youth from low-income families. He discusses how these health disparities impede motivation and ability learn through five interrelated causal pathways. And, he calls for a U.S. Department of Education initiative to reduce educationally relevant health disparities as part of a national strategy to close the achievement gap.

Charles E. Basch, is the Richard March Hoe Professor of Health Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.

The paper can be downloaded via http://www.equitycampaign.org/i/a/document/12557_EquityMattersVol6_Web03082010.pdf .

A webcast presentation of the highlights and discussion is archived via http://www.tc.edu/webcast You have to register, but there is no cost.

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SAMHSA, THE AD COUNCIL, AND INSPIRE USA FOUNDATION LAUNCH NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION FOR TEENS—SUICIDE IS THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG 15- TO 24-YEAR OLDS

SAMHSA, along with the Ad Council and the Inspire USA Foundation, recently launched a new Teen Suicide Prevention national public service campaign, the first teen suicide prevention effort from SAMHSA to utilize a national mass media strategy, as well as a robust digital outreach program.

The public service announcement (PSA) campaign—We Can Help Us—was developed out of the acquired insight that, although many teens encounter the same tough times, many also develop positive solutions to help overcome them. The campaign empowers teens by reminding them that there are ways to get through whatever problems they face and directs them to visit: http://us.reachout.com/

to hear stories from others who successfully conquered their tough times.

The campaign includes TV, radio, and print advertising, and mall and in-school posters and viral videos. The http://us.reachout.com/ web site features stories from teens, as well as tips to help cope with tough issues and links to resources, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, for teens who need immediate help. The PSAs will be distributed widely in the national media this week. It is hoped that your organization can help extend the campaign’s reach to youth who may be at risk and amplify these potentially lifesaving messages.

To view the PSAs, the press release, and more details about how your organization can help support the campaign, please view the National Suicide Prevention Campaign for Teens Multimedia News Release go to: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/adcouncil/43256/ .

You can also visit SAMHSA's Web site at: http://www.samhsa.gov/, or the Ad Council Web site at: http://www.adcouncil.org/ to learn more.

For further information on supporting the Campaign, go to: http://samhsa.gov/spotlights/TeenSuicidePrevention.aspx

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PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR QUALITY AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS SERVING PRETEENS—FREE DOWNLOAD FROM PUBLIC/PRIVATE VENTURE

Putting It All Together: Guiding Principles for Quality After-School Programs Serving Preteens is a booklet by Rachel A. Metz, Julie Goldsmith and Amy J.A. Arbreton, April 2008, 25 pages

Successfully navigating early adolescence depends, in large part, on the availability of safe and engaging activities and supportive relationships with adults, yet many preteens have limited access to positive supports and opportunities such as high-quality after-school programs that could put them on a path to success. Funders, policymakers and practitioners share the common goal of supporting strategies that will have the most long-lasting positive effects on young people.

Recognizing this, the Lucile Packard Foundation for Childrens Health commissioned P/PV to identify the characteristics of quality after-school programs that are linked to positive outcomes for preteens. Based on the latest research and experience in the field, P/PV developed the publication, Putting It All Together: Guiding Principles for Quality After-School Programs Serving Preteens, along with a companion Resource Guide that includes links to research and tools to strengthen programs.

Putting It All Together focuses on six after-school program components associated with positive outcomes for preteens:

1) Focused and Intentional Strategy: Programs have a clear set of goals, target specific skills, and deliberately plan all aspects of the program with a youth development framework in mind.

2) Exposure: Programs are designed to: a) provide preteens with a sufficient number of hours per week over an extended period of time, that matches program outcome goals; and b) allow preteens to attend a variety of activities.

3) Supportive Relationships: Programs emphasize positive adult-youth relationships regardless of the curriculum.

4) Family Engagement: Programs strive to include families through various strategies, such as clear communication and a welcoming environment.

5) Cultural Competence: Programs have diverse staff whose backgrounds are reflective of participants and who create practices and policies that: a) make services available to and inclusive of a variety of populations; and b) help participants understand and value a broad range of cultures.

6) Continuous Program Improvement: Programs strengthen quality through an ongoing and integrated process of targeted staff training, coaching and monitoring, and data collection and analysis.

While a host of factors, including organizational capacity, the needs of the youth served and the resources available, all play a role in determining a programs ability to achieve its goals, research suggests that these guiding principles are essential for program quality. That quality, in turn, is the foundation for positive results for youth.

NOTE: This version of Putting It All Together contains a full list of endnotes and references, which were omitted from hard copies of the report, in the interest of brevity.

For a free download of this publication, please go to:

http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/234_publication.pdf

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JUSTICE’s OJP LAUNCHES ‘GRANTS 101’ WEB PAGE—AIDS APPLICANTS FOR OJJDP AND OTHER OJP GRANTS

The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has launched a Grants 101 Web page (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/grants101/) to assist applicants in navigating the challenges of a highly competitive application and grant award process. This portal page offers several resources, which are particularly useful for new applicants.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has posted a number of current solicitations on OJJDP's Funding Opportunities Web page (http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/funding/FundingList.asp)

. Additional funding opportunities from other OJP components may be found on OJP's Open Solicitations Web page at: http://www.ojp.gov/funding/solicitations.htm

Resources: Access OJP's Grants 101 Web page at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/grants101/.

Current OJJDP funding opportunities may be found at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/funding/FundingList.asp.

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NOTE: The material provided in this OSDFS PREVENTION NEWS BULLETIN is for informational purposes only. The opinions expressed herein may not always reflect the views of the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools or the US Department of Education, nor do they imply an endorsement. We hope that you find this information to be useful.

Sign up your friends for the OSDFS PREVENTION NEWS BULLETIN. This weekly LISTSERV about violence and substance use prevention education information and funding opportunities, includes information on substance use and violence prevention education, articles to increase professional development, legislation, and grant opportunities at the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, other Federal Programs, and from foundations. Please sign up and bring your friends: http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/listserv/preventioned.html

Child Trends Research Brief - Telling It Like It Is: Teen Perspectives on Romantic Relationships

tking — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:06:01 GMT

Overview: Teen romantic relationships have become a pervasive part of popular culture, from TVshows, movies, and books to blogs and social networking sites. But the attention paid to these relationships extends beyond the parameters of popular culture. Romance, teen style, has become of increasing interest to anyone concerned with healthy adolescent development—with good reason. The initiation of romantic relationships represents a key developmental task of adolescence. Research suggests that several critical dimensions of adolescent romantic and sexual relationships—such as how teens define the different types of relationships, how serious they consider these relationships, and how they communicate within them—may influence when teens first have sex and whether they use contraception. In turn, these considerations have a bearing on teens’ risks of having or fathering a child or of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection (STI).6,9,13,16 Moreover, relationship habits and patterns developed during adolescence can affect later adult relationships,2,8 a finding that highlights the importance of developing healthy relationship behaviors during the teen years.

To read this article in full, view the attached PDF.

U.S. Department of Education Funding Available

tking — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:05:10 GMT

A funded program must include all of the following:
• Enhancing, improving, or developing collaborative efforts between school-based service systems and mental health service systems to provide, enhance, or improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services to students;
• Enhancing the availability of crisis intervention services, appropriate referrals for students potentially in need of mental health services, and ongoing mental health services;
• Providing training for the school personnel and mental health professionals who will participate in the program;
• Providing technical assistance and consultation to school systems and mental health agencies, and families participating in the program;
• Providing linguistically appropriate and culturally competent services; and
• Evaluating the effectiveness of the program in increasing student access to quality mental health services, and making recommendations to the secretary of education about sustainability of the program.

To learn more please log on to http://www2.ed.gov/programs/mentalhealth/index.html.

The deadline for this grant is February 22, 2010.

ONDCP and SAMHSA Accepting Applications for $18.75 Million to Harness the Power of Drug Free Community Coalitions

tking — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:48:21 GMT

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY
Washington, DC 20503

FOR RELEASE:	Contact: SAMHSA Press Office: 240-276-2130 ONDCP Public Affairs: 202-395-6618
January 21, 2010	http://www.samhsa.gov

ONDCP and SAMHSA Accepting Applications for $18.75 Million to Harness the Power of Drug Free Community Coalitions

WASHINGTON, DC—The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has announced the availability of new Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program funding. ONDCP expects to award approximately $18.75 million for 150 new competing grants to support the efforts of community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use among youth. The deadline to submit DFC grantee applications is Friday, March 19, 2010.

The DFC Support Program is a collaborative Federal program sponsored by ONDCP and administered in partnership with SAMHSA. The program aims to establish and strengthen communities, private nonprofit agencies, and Federal, state, local, and tribal governments and entities to collaborate and support community-based efforts to prevent and reduce youth substance use. The DFC program was created in 1997 under the Drug Free Communities Act, and was reauthorized in 2001, and again in 2006. The latest reauthorization extends the DFC Program until 2012. The DFC Program provides grants of up to $125,000 per year for up to five years, with a 10-year maximum limit.

“The Drug Free Communities Program reflects the Obama Administration’s commitment to preventing youth substance abuse,” said Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy. “Community problems need community solutions, and when local leaders organize around their specific drug issues, we know they can make a difference in creating safer and healthier communities.”

“The Drug Free Communities Support Program is one of the great foundations of our efforts to prevent and reduce substance abuse throughout our Nation,” said SAMHSA Administrator, Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. “These new resources will strengthen and revitalize these community efforts and promote healthy, productive lives.”

The DFC Program aims to achieve two major goals:

Establish and strengthen collaboration among communities; public and private nonprofit agencies; and Federal, State, local, and tribal governments to support the efforts of community anti-drug coalitions
Reduce substance abuse among youth and, over time, reduce substance abuse among adults by addressing a range of risk and protective factors that impact substance abuse

In order to assist potential Drug Free Communities Support Program applicants through the grant process, ONDCP, in partnership with SAMHSA, has scheduled three live application workshops in the following cities:

January 26: Fort Worth, Texas
January 28: Salt Lake City, Utah
February 12: National Harbor, Maryland

At the Salt Lake City and National Harbor sites, Native American/American Indian Support Sessions are also being held. All workshops are free and open to the public. Applicants do not have to attend a workshop in order to apply for a grant. To register, visit http://www.ondcp.gov/dfc/fy10_RFA_workshops.html. In addition to these live workshops, ONDCP will post an online workshop and PowerPoint slides on www.ondcp.gov/dfc by January 29, 2010.

WHO CAN APPLY: Community-based coalitions that are focused on addressing youth substance use and meet all of the DFC eligibility requirements.

HOW TO APPLY: Applications for No. SP-10-005 are available by calling SAMHSA’s Health Information Network at 1-877-SAMHSA7 or by downloading the application http://www.samhsa.gov/Grants/2010/SP-10-005.aspx. Applicants may apply online using http://www.grants.gov/.

APPLICATION DUE DATE: All applications are due by March 19, 2010.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Applicants with questions about program issues should contact Olivia Shockey, Public Health Advisor, CSAP at 240-276-1270 or by email at dfcnew2010@samhsa.hhs.gov; or Barbara Orlando, Grants Management Specialist, Office of Program Services at 240-276-1422, or by email at barbara.orlando@samhsa.hhs.gov.

For information on DFC and upcoming application workshops, visit the Program’s Web site at www.ondcp.gov/dfc.

Evaluation Finds that Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative Significantly Improves Student Safety

tking — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:03:56 GMT

Evaluation Finds that Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative Significantly Improves Student Safety

On November 3, 2009, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued the following press release:

Rockville, MD - In the wake of several recent highly-publicized stories about violence among school-aged children, a new report shows that school districts participating in the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative substantially improved the safety of their students. According to the report by SAMHSA, over a three-year period, school districts participating in the Safe Schools/Healthy Students grant program reported fewer students involved in violent incidents, decreased levels of experienced and witnessed violence, and improvements in overall school safety and violence prevention.

"Every child deserves to learn in a safe and healthy environment, and now through the results of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative we know that we can take real steps to help them," said SAMHSA Acting Administrator Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H. "The positive impact for children, families and communities is unprecedented: lower rates of school violence, more mental health services for more children, better attendance, and improved academic performance."

Key findings from the Safe Schools/Healthy Students National Evaluation include:

A 15 percent decrease in the number of students involved in violent incidents during the grant period (from 17, 800 in year 1 to 15,163 in year 3).
A 12 percent decrease in the number of students reporting that they had experienced or witnessed violence from year 1 of the grant period to year 3.
Most staff at grantee schools reported that the Initiative had made their schools safer. By year 3 of the grant, 84 percent said the Initiative had improved school safety, 77 percent said it had reduced violence on campus, and 75 percent said it had reduced violence in the community.

The Safe Schools/Healthy Students program supports the implementation and enhancement of integrated, comprehensive community-wide plans that create safe and drug-free schools and promote healthy childhood development. Under the initiative, school districts, in partnership with local public mental-health agencies, law-enforcement and juvenile justice entities, must implement a comprehensive, community-wide plan that focuses on the following elements:

Safe school environments and violence prevention activities
Alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention activities
Student behavioral, social and emotional supports
Mental health services
Early childhood social and emotional learning programs.

Since 1999, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Justice have implemented the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, which has provided more than $2.1 billion to local educational, mental health, law enforcement and juvenile justice partnerships. For more information on the Safe Schools/Healthy Students visit www.sshs.samhsa.gov/apply/default.aspx.

Resources:

Read the press release on SAMHSA's Web site at www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/0911033535.aspx.

Read a data brief that describes the evaluation's findings at www.sshs.samhsa.gov/media/sshs_media/pdf/SSHS_Violence_Prevention_Brief_rev7.pdf.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice Programs in the U.S. Department of Justice.

Subscribe or unsubscribe to JUVJUST and OJJDP News @ a Glance.

Browse past issues of JUVJUST.

'Spice' Banned in Germany

tking — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:52:32 GMT

A marijuana-like drug called 'Spice' has been banned by the German government, the Associated Press reported Jan. 21.'

To read the whole story, please link to http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2009/spice-banned-in-germany.html.

MSNBC: 1 in 5 young Americans has personality disorder

tking — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:36:53 GMT

CHICAGO - Almost one in five young American adults has a personality disorder that interferes with everyday life, and even more abuse alcohol or drugs, researchers reported Monday in the most extensive study of its kind.

Please log on to: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28002991/wid/11915773?GT1=31037

Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation

tking — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:31:08 GMT

Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation addresses the challenges facing Latina students in the United States today and explores ways to overcome obstacles that undermine their chances for success. With this report, the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) bring new voices to the conversation: those of Latina students themselves and the adults who work with them on a daily basis.

To read the article in full please log on to http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/ListeningtoLatinas.pdf.

School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth

tking — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:49:31 GMT

What Is School Connectedness?

In 2003, the Wingspread Conference was sponsored by CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health and the Johnson Foundation to bring together key researchers and representatives from the education and health sectors to assess the state of knowledge about school connectedness and its effect on health and education outcomes. Through an extensive review of research and in-depth discussions, the interdisciplinary group defined school connectedness and identified, in the Wingspread Declaration on School Connections,⁴strategies that schools could implement to increase it. School connectedness was defined as the belief by students that adults in the school care about their learning as well as about them as individuals. Because studies indicate that individual students’ feelings of being connected to school are influenced by their peers as well as by adults.

To read this full article leaso go to http://www.cdc.gov/healthyYouth/AdolescentHealth/connectedness.pdf.

Trenton eyes program for helping students: CASASTART shows promise with high-risk youth

tking — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:05:15 GMT

The CASASTART program is now in Trenton, NJ. As written by Lisa Rich, "In Trenton...district officials are adamant that a program they are implementing known as CasaStart is more than talk -- it's the real deal toward bettering student achievement."

For more information, please log on to: http://www.nj.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news-5/1227157528319620.xml&coll=5

Clinical Psychiatry News: Internet-based interventions can help youth

tking — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:59:19 GMT

Clinical Psychiatry News

March 1, 2009

Internet-based interventions can help youth;
PREVENTION IN ACTION

BYLINE: Mahoney, Diana

SECTION: Pg. 33(1) Vol. 37 No. 3 ISSN: 0270-6644

LENGTH: 1213 words

The National Research Council's and Institute of Medicine's recentchallenge encouraging the federal government to make the prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral problems among young people a priority seems daunting. But the challenge can be met.

In recent years, many interventions have shown efficacy in preventing depression, anxiety, conduct disorder, substance abuse, and violence in children and adolescents.

For example, a school-centered substance abuse and violence prevention program developed by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University has seen great success in implementations nationwide.

Called CASA-START (Striving Together to Achieve Rewarding Tomorrows), the intervention promotes communication between children and their families, and collaboration among key community stakeholders.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's national registry of evidence-based practices and programs(NREPP) multiple outcome studies have linked the intervention with significant reductions in participants' risk of drug use and violence as well as improvements in school performance (www.nrepp.samhsa.gov).

Another example is an intervention called Coping Cat, developed byPhilip C. Kendall, Ph.D., of Temple University in Philadelphia. Thisintervention uses cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to help children recognize and analyze anxious feelings, and to develop strategies aimed at coping with anxiety-provoking situations. The 16-session program uses behavioral training strategies with demonstrated efficacy.

Studies reported in the NREPP database indicate that the intervention has led to significant decreases in child-reported anxiety symptoms and significant increases in children's coping ability. The effects have been maintained long-term.

Such evidence-based interventions suggest the "the nation is well-positioned to equip young people with the skills and habits needed tolive healthy, happy, and productive lives," said Kenneth E. Warner, Ph.D., dean of the University of Michigan School of Public Health andchair of the Institute of Medicine committee that worked with the National Research Council in writing the new report, "Preventing Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People: Progress and Possibilities." In order to facilitate such outcomes, "we need to develop the systems to deliver effective prevention programs to a far wider group of children and adolescents," he said.

Toward this end, Internet-based preventive interventions may hold particular promise. Outcome studies of a combined primary care/Web-based program called Project CATCH-IT, developed by Dr. Benjamin W. VanVoorhees of the University of Chicago and his colleagues, have demonstrated the power of the Internet as a medium for preventing depression in at-risk adolescents.

The initial phase of the intervention is a motivational interview conducted by a primary care provider, during which the patient is encouraged to identify his or her goals and to understand the potential impact of depression on attaining those goals. As part of this session, the adolescent is introduced to the Internet-based program, which is made up of multiple modules based on CBT that the user can move through at his or her own pace. The intervention concludes with a follow-up visit with the primary care provider to reevaluate patient mood and depression risk (http://catchit-public.bsd.uchicago.edu).

In a pilot trial of Project CATCH-IT, 14 adolescents who were at high risk for depression experienced favorable changes in depressed mood and symptom scores (Can. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. Rev. 2005;14:40-3).

More recently, the investigators randomly assigned 84 adolescents at risk for major depression to one of two versions of the intervention. One version consisted of a 1-to 2-minute brief advice component prior to the Project CATCH-IT implementation; the other included the standard 5-to 15-minute motivational interview.

In a comparison of program use and before and after changes and between-group differences for protective and vulnerability factors, both groups substantially engaged the Web site, and both groups experienced declines in Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression Scale (CES-D 10) scores. Also, the percentage of those with clinically significant depression symptoms based on CES-D 10 scores declined significantly in both groups from baseline to week 12, the authors reported (J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr. 2009;30:23-37).

"For clinicians, the results suggest that motivational interviewing and brief advice may both be useful in engaging adolescents with mental health disorders with interventions, and that motivational interviewing may confer an added protective benefit in reducing the incidence of depressive episodes," the authors wrote.

The development of optimal delivery models offering the best cost/benefit ratio and yielding the most effective results will require "conducting randomized trials comparing varying degrees of face-to-facecontact coupled with Internet interventions," according to the authors. But the advantages of the Internet as a delivery medium over traditional practice are unassailable. Internet applications enable patient autonomy and minimize passive participation, Dr. Van Voorhees saidin an interview.

Internet dissemination also does not require scheduling; there is no stigma associated with participation; it is easy to tailor; the fidelity is high; and the application is in vivo, in that the "learningand behavior changes are occurring in the patients' world of activity," he said.

To be optimally effective, however, Internet interventions must bedelivered in the context of a relationship, Dr. Van Voorhees stressed. "This can be as brief as 1-2 primary care meetings to engage the patient, or it could be with a youth minister, coach, or guidance counselor."

Internet-based interventions will be useful only if the user can read, understand, identify with, and find personal relevance in the program in order to create a goal-directed change plan, Dr. Van Voorhees said. An interesting, media-savvy design with information presentedat a 7th-grade reading level would increase the likelihood of adolescent engagement, he noted.

Patients most likely to benefit from this type of intervention arethose at moderate risk for mental disorder, Dr. Van Voorhees said.

Despite the obvious benefits of these interventions, they are not immune to challenges. Among the obstacles impeding the transition of these interventions from research to clinical implementation are the lack of a viable commercial distribution model and thus the absence of marketing to build up use of the programs, Dr. Van Voorhees said.

One alternative would be delivery via a government-sponsored public health model, or a mixed government/private pay model, such as thatused for vaccine distribution, he said. "Social networking would potentially boost effectiveness, but liability concerns are an issue forinstitutional sponsors," he noted.

To increase the likelihood of abolescent engagement with an onlineintervention, present the information at a 7th-grade reading level and make the design media-savvy.

By Diana Mahoney. Share your thoughts and suggestions at cpnews@elsevier.com

SUBJECT: SUBSTANCE ABUSE (92%); RESEARCH INSTITUTES (90%); CHILDREN (90%); DEPRESSION (90%); MENTAL ILLNESS (90%); ADOLESCENTS (89%); DISEASES & DISORDERS (89%); EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE (78%); PSYCHOLOGY (78%); BEHAVIOR & COGNITION (78%); SCHOOL PERFORMANCE (76%); FAMILY (76%); UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION (75%); MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICE (74%); HEALTH CARE (74%); INTERNET & WWW (64%) Professional; Youth; Depression (Mood disorder); Juvenile drug abuse; Anxiety; Childhood mental disorders

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (91%); INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE (84%); COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY (57%); SUBSTANCE ABUSE & MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (56%); TEMPLE UNIVERSITY (55%)

INDUSTRY: HEAL Health; HLTH Health care industry; PSMH Psychology and mental health

PRODUCT: E121930 (Youth)

GEOGRAPHIC: CHICAGO, IL, USA (79%); PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA (79%) MICHIGAN, USA (79%); PENNSYLVANIA, USA (79%); ILLINOIS, USA (79%) UNITED STATES (79%)

CROSS-OVER: HIO

LOAD-DATE: April 9, 2009

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

ACC-NO: 197420504

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Magazine

JOURNAL-CODE: 0JVD ASAP

Co-occurrence of Substance Use Behaviors in Youth

tking — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:38:47 GMT

This Bulletin analyzes the prevalence and overlap of substance-related behaviors among youth, with comparisons by age group, gender, and race/ethnicity. It uses data from the first two waves of the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97)—self-reports gathered in 1997 and 1998 from a nationally representative sample of youth ages 12–17. The data are from questions asking about drinking alcohol during the previous 30 days, using marijuana during the previous 30 days, and ever selling or helping to sell marijuana (pot, grass), hashish (hash) or other hard drugs such as heroin, cocaine, or LSD.

To read the full article, click the following link: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/219239.pdf.

Juvenile Arrests 2006

tking — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:40:38 GMT

In 2006, law enforcement agencies in the United States made an estimated 2.2 million arrests of persons under age 18.* Juveniles accounted for 17% of all violent crime arrests and 26% of all property crime arrests in 2006. The substantial growth in juvenile violent crime arrests that began in the late 1980s and peaked in 1994 was followed by 10 consecutive years of decline. Between 1994 and 2004, the juvenile arrest rate for Violent Crime Index offenses fell 49%, reaching its lowest level since at least 1980. However, this long-term downward trend was broken in 2005 with a 2% annual increase in Violent Crime Index arrests followed by a 4% increase in 2006.

To read this full article, log on to http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/221338.pdf.

Carson Valley Children's Aid CASASTART: July Newsletter

tking — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:00:32 GMT

To learn more about CASASTART Carson Valley Children's Aid take a look at their newsletter for June & July. The program is located at the Harding Middle School in Philadelphia, PA. Learn about what's new in their program from service learning projects to community projects.

Carson Valley Children's Aid CASASTART: June Newsletter

tking — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:56:37 GMT

To learn more about CASASTART Carson Valley Children's Aid; take a look at their newsletter for June & July. The program is located at the Harding Middle School in Philadelphia, PA. Learn about what's new in their program from service learning projects to community projects.

Highlight: CASASTART at the Mi Casa Neighborhood Center

tking — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:21:32 GMT

CASASTART at the Mi Casa Neighborhood Center after-school program

Located at Lake Middle School – 1820 Lowell Blvd. Denver, CO 80204

(303) 571-1881 phone (303) 571-1883 fax

The CASASTART program, housed within our after-school program at Lake Middle School, is an important part of Mi Casa Resource Center’s youth and family development strategies. The hallmark of Mi Casa’s approach to working with youth is to engage the whole family. Our target population at Lake Middle School is 89 percent Latino, and nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch. Currently there are 12 students enrolled in CASASTART through the Mi Casa Neighborhood Center at Lake.

The focus for most of our CASASTART students is helping them become engaged in school and build positive relationships with adults. Each CASASTART student stays after school to receive individual tutoring and homework help, as well as to participate in the fun activities at the Mi Casa Neighborhood Center - computer workshops, newspaper journalism, jewelry making, gardening, arts and crafts, sports, band, and more.

Mi Casa’s CASASTART Case Manager and Youth Advocate, Shaina Gonzales, meets with each of the 12 families once a month to assess the family’s needs and connect them with community resources. When she makes home visits, Shaina will often bring the family a bag of food from the local food bank. Shaina also connects the families to housing assistance, subsidy programs for utility costs, low-cost furniture and house wares for families that are in transitioning out of homelessness, and other human services. “If a family doesn’t know where they will come up with the money for rent or food, it’s almost impossible to support a child through school,” Shaina says.

Danny Thomas is an eighth grader at Lake Middle School and a star CASASTART student. Danny is from a single-parent household and being African American, Danny has struggled feeling like an outsider at his school, which is predominantly Hispanic. But with solid support from CASASTART, Danny’s sixth grade uncertainty faded, and now as an eighth grader, Danny takes pride in his role as mentor to younger, African American students at Lake who are struggling with the same feelings of loneliness and isolation that he once did.

Danny’s accomplishments after school and in CASASTART are many. Recently Danny got to take home his very own computer after completing the TechKnow program that teaches kids about computers, including how to take them apart and put them back together. And in recognition of Danny’s outstanding effort and dedication to school and community, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver nominated Danny for one of their 2009 Youth of the Year awards.

CASASTART in San Antonio Food Fair

tking — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:17:39 GMT

On Friday, February 20, 2009 San Antonio's CASASTART staff sorted, packaged and distributed food and perishable goods which was donated by the San Antonio Food Bank at the Food Fair event.

To view pictures and learn more about this wonderful event, please open the above attachment.

Great work San Antonio!

Highlights of the 2007 National Youth Gang Survey

tking — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:57:23 GMT

Survey Findings:Following a marked decline from the mid1990s to the early 1996–2007 2000s, a steady resurgence of gang problems has occurred in 50 recent years.To read the full article pleas go to http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/225185.pdf.

CASA ANNOUNCES CASASTART AND YOUTH ANTI-VIOLENCE PROGRAMS AT PHILADELPHIA

tking — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:14:18 GMT

PHILADELPHIA, PA, May 5, 2009 – The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University announced today a $400,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, to support a CASASTART^SM program and an anti-violence curriculum for students at Tilden Middle School over the next three years.

CASA at Columbia University's 17th Anniversary Awards Dinner

tking — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:34:20 GMT

On April 7, 2009 CASA (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University) held its 17 Anniversary Awards Dinner at the Pierre Hotel. Julie Chen and Michael Douglas were emcees.

The honorees were Muhtar Kent, President and CEO of the Coca-Cola Company, who was presented with the CASA Distinguished Service Award, and Anne and Kirk Douglas who were presented with the CASA Inspiration Award (for their courage and generous spirit to help families battle substance abuse and addiction).

To read more about the event click here http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/272297.

CADCA: Missouri Coalition Helps Change Community Norm on Youth Drinking

tking — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:23:00 GMT

In Ray County, Mo., it wasn´t uncommon to see coolers filled with alcohol at family-friendly community events or to see police officers turn a blind eye to underage drinking at parties. After years of witnessing a blasé attitude toward youth alcohol use, community leaders decided to take action, launching a comprehensive prevention plan that changed social norms and reduced underage drinking.

Please click here for more information: http://www.cadca.org/CoalitionsOnline/article.asp?id=2105

The Drug Capitals Of America

tking — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:57:08 GMT

Persistent narcotics problems continue to plague American cities both large and small. It may not be surprising that well known urban centers like New Orleans, Baltimore and San Francisco appear on the Forbes List of cities dealing with the worst in the nation. But some smaller communities are also facing epic battles with drugs, including tiny Espanola, N.M.

For more imformation, please log on to http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/20/narcotics-heroin-cocaine-biz-beltway-cz_nv_0121drugcities.html.