MD Juvenile Justice Bill Guarantees Girls Same Services as Boys, and More - a Roundup

• Can Adolescents in Treatment Use "Recovery Coaches"?
  Yes, says Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC, writing in Counselor magazine. Coaches can help a youth through the period just after treatment -- especially the first 90 days, when the risk of relapse is highest. (Hat tip to Paul Savery.)
• Bullying Makes Girls Vulnerable to Substance Abuse
  No teen responds well to bullying -- boys and girls both risk depression -- but new research suggests that girls who are bullied are also more likely to turn to alcohol and drugs.

• Maryland Juvenile Justice Bill Guarantees Girls Same Services as Boys
  According to the bill's sponsor, girls in the juvenile justice system there do not have access to the same alternatives to detention that boys do.  (Hat tip to Maryland Association for Families and Youth on Facebook.)
• NIDA Study: Drug Abuse Changes Brain for Long-Term
  A new research study appears to show that changes to the brain brought about by substance abuse remain even after individuals stop using.
• Don't Stop Collaborating - Just Stop Creating New Collaboratives
  Collaboration fatigue? Check out this brief guide from the Forum for Youth Investment on how to eliminate redundancy and leverage all that great work your partners are (already) doing. (Hat tip to Christa Myers.)
• Why Connecting Youth in the Justice System with Local Services is Better than Sending Them Away
  This editorial supporting New York City Mayor Bloomberg's effort to stop sending youth to prisons upstate and serve them locally instead makes great arguments that aren't just for New York City. What do you think? How would local control affects juvenile justice in your community? 
• Cliff Notes for Understanding Health Care Reform & Behavioral Health
  The changes proposed in national health care reform and parity legislation are complex. Been wondering how it affects substance abuse and mental health services? In the first of a two-part series, this brief article from the ATTC Network will bring you up to speed.
• Should Juvenile Felony Charges (vs. Convictions) Be a Matter of Public Record?
  Minnesota advocates don't think so - find out why.
• Extracurricular Activities Improve Odds for Foster Youth
  The National Center for Youth Law writes about how a California law helps foster youth access extracurricular activities, thereby addressing high school dropout rates for foster youth that are worryingly high. (Link and headline courtesy of sparkaction.)
• Teen Alcohol Use Drops to Record Low
  The percentage of high school seniors who reported having at least a sip of alcohol in the past 30 days dropped to 41.2%, compared with the high of 72.1% in 1978, according to the 2010 Monitoring the Future study. Eighth- and -tenth-graders, who have only been surveyed since 1991, reported similar declines.

EVENTS

• Training: Ready by 21 Institute in Washington, D.C.
  On March 14-15, 2011, The Forum for Youth Investment will hold a two-day conference to help others adopt its innovative Ready by 21 strategies aimed at "having all youth ready for college, work and life. The strategies help leaders build broader partnerships, set bigger goals, collect and use better data, and implement bolder strategies." To learn more, email Kiley Bednar, or phone Kiley at 202-207-3722.
• Training: Establish or Enhance a Youth Court/Teen Court
  You can register now for this training on launching a youth court. Sponsored by Global Youth Justice and the National African American Drug Policy Coalition, the training will be held in Las Vegas on June 7–9, 2011. (Hat tip to John Kelly at Youth Today.)
• Webinar: Building Sustainable Organizations: Developing Capacity From the Ground Up
  Want to learn how to "apply for and receive federal funding to develop sustainable community organizations"? Register now for this two-hour webinar, to be held by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) National Training and Technical Assistance Center on February 24, 2011, from 10 am-12 pm PST / 1pm-3pm EST. Capacity is limited to 1,000, so where possible, please watch it with colleagues on a single computer. Questions? Email Kim Canter, Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator for OJJDP National Training and Technical Assistance Center, or phone her at 703-225-2361. (H/t to JUVJUST.)