The Effects of Drug Testing in Schools (and More) -- News Roundup

• Health and Human Services Awards $40 million
  Grants were awarded to 39 state agencies, community health centers, school-based organizations and non-profit groups in 23 states for efforts to identify and enroll children eligible for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. (Hat tip to Rob Vincent.)
• Study Finds Drug Testing in Schools Has Only Small Effect in Reducing Substance Use
  “This study sends a cautionary note to the estimated 20 percent or more of high schools that have joined the drug testing bandwagon,” study co-author Dan Romer said in a news release. “We find little evidence that this approach to minimizing teen drug use is having the deterrent effect its proponents claim.”
• Fact Sheet: Understanding Child Welfare and the Courts
  Families involved with the child welfare system may have some involvement with the court—in most States, this occurs in a family or juvenile court. This fact sheet is designed to serve as a quick guide to the general types of court hearings that a family may experience, and it traces the steps of a child welfare case through the court system. (H/t Paul Savery.)

• It's Time to Register for ASAP Conference in NYC
  This conference will bring together the knowledge and expertise of NYS Chemical Dependence and Problem Gambling, prevention, treatment and recovery services providers to discuss challenges that we will face, explore innovative solutions and discuss effective strategies to address these challenges. October 30-November 2, 2011
• National Conference on Adult and Juvenile Female Offenders
  This conference will provide a forum for those who work with adolescent and adult females in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. The conference is for administrators, policy makers, facility directors and any professional who has responsibility in providing direct or indirect services for adolescent and adult females in the justice systems. October 15-19, 2011 (Hat tip to the National Institute of Corrections.)

Lori Howell is a Senior Associate at Prichard Communications. She is a seasoned public affairs practitioner with a background in public policy, fundraising, and education. Lori helps clients with online editorial services, media relations, and publications. Before joining Prichard Communications, she served as chief of staff for Greg Macpherson, a former Oregon state legislator, an account executive for the Northwest Evaluation Association, a nonprofit educational testing consortium, and once taught English in Choshi, Japan.