Poll: Drug Abuse a Top Health Concern for Kids (and More) -- News Roundup

• Selecting and Implementing Evidence-Based Practices
  Treatment funding is being increasingly tied to outcomes, a trend expected to continue as the integration of behavioral health with primary care moves forward in the context of healthcare reform. Learn more from the Addiction Technology Transfer Center of New England about achieving desired client outcomes in part 2 of a 3-part series.
• Poll: Drug Abuse Equals Childhood Obesity as Top Health Concern for Kids
  On Aug. 15th, the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital released the results of its 5th annual national poll, in which Americans rated drug abuse and childhood obesity as the number one health concern for our nation’s youth. This is important news because it shows that drug abuse is now on the radar screens of people throughout the country and that Americans are very concerned about this issue. Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America issues a statement in response. (Hat tip to Christa Myers.)

• Juvenile Justice Youth “Chemically Restrained” in Louisiana
   The Lens uncovers records showing the overuse of powerful antipsychotic medications in juvenile detention centers. Drugs originally developed for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are increasingly being used to control behavior disorders.
• Funding for Educational Support for At-Risk Students
  Designed to improve the quality of educational services and support for students who have behavioral and emotional problems and may be at risk for entering the juvenile and criminal justice systems, the Southern Poverty Law Center is offering grantees $75,000, which is renewable for up to two additional years (three years total). Interested applicants should contact Jerri Katzerman, at jerri.katzerman@splcenter.org. The application deadline is September 16, 2011. (Hat Tip to JUVJUST)
• Webinar - Child Trauma and Juvenile Justice: Prevalence, Impact and Treatment
  The majority of youth involved with the juvenile justice system have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Furthermore, recent research demonstrates that many youth in the juvenile justice system have experienced traumatic victimization and exhibit symptoms of trauma. This webinar will summarize the current state of knowledge regarding this population. It will review:
  • Current definitions of trauma, including traumatic events, experiences and effects;
  • The prevalence of traumatic experiences among youth involved with the juvenile justice system;
  • The impact of childhood trauma on youth development, behavior and delinquency; and
  • Emerging responses to trauma among youth in the juvenile justice system including trauma screening, assessment, treatments and recovery.

  The webinar, supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, will be held from 2:00-3:00pm (ET) on Thursday, August 25, 2011. Follow the link to register.

• Course in Adolescent Chemical Dependency: Current Perspectives And Treatment Approaches
  This course will begin on August 22, 2011, and will run for 5 weeks. The required time commitment is two hours per week (10 contact hours). There are no real time events associated with this course. All course material will be posted on the Internet. (Hat tip to Rob Vincent.)

  Course Objectives:
  *Gain an understanding of the developmental differences between adolescent and adult chemical dependency.

  *Identify the current adolescent use patterns and their relationship to effective treatment techniques.

  *Gain an understanding of the neurological conditioning that creates cognitive barriers to recovery for this population.

  *Discuss some productive activities that are useful with patients.

  *Interact with others that understand why we want to work with this population.

 

 
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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.