Welcome to the June 2011 issue of the Safe Start Center e-Newsletter. In recognition of National Refugee Awareness Month, we have included several resources addressing trauma-informed services for children of immigrant and refugee families. We are pleased to announce two new resources authored by Elena Cohen, Safe Start Center Director: a series of tip sheets on trauma-informed care for practitioners, advocates and families, and a toolkit for child welfare staff working with immigrant families. Please visit our website, www.safestartcenter.org, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for ongoing news and links to new resources as they are available.
IN THIS ISSUE
Current news related to the impact of exposure to family and community violence on children and their families
Conferences, funding opportunities and related initiatives in the news
Print and media resources for professionals and families
Tools/Resources
Policy/Advocacy
Studies/Reports
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CEV IN THE NEWS
Attorney General Holder Releases Public Service Podcast
A public service announcement (PSA) featuring Attorney General Eric Holder began airing in May on the Investigation Discovery network. This 30-second PSA calls on all of us in communities across the country to take action to protect our children from violence, and to work together to prevent children's exposure to violence as victims and witnesses.
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OJJDP Announces FY 2011 Funding Opportunities
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has announced the following fiscal year (FY) 2011 funding opportunities: National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Truancy Prevention and Intervention and Defending Childhood Technical Assistance. The application deadline for both programs is July 11, 2011.
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Mayors Act to Prevent Youth Violence
On April 4, 2011 mayors from six cities presented comprehensive plans to prevent youth violence in their communities at a Summit on Preventing Youth Violence held in Washington, D.C. The cities are: Boston; Chicago; Detroit; Memphis, Salinas, and San Jose. View the plans.
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EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
June is World Refugee Awareness Month
Using current knowledge about effects of exposure to violence and traumatic experiences on children and combining this with an assessment of the impact on the child of lifetime exposure to violence, strategies can be developed to assist the family in supporting the child's well-being within their family and community. Safe Start Center provides a summary of this approach and list of resources.
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NEW! Disaster Behavioral Health Webinar Series
The first webinar in this series will be held on July 14, 2011 at 2PM EDT. This webinar will focus on key concepts of disaster behavioral health, signs of survivor distress, and basic tips for non-mental health professionals who are involved in a disaster response. In August, a second webinar will focus on responding to the needs of culturally diverse communities.
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New Website Launched: StopBullying.gov
This user-friendly site provides information from government agencies on how kids, teens, young adults, parents, educators, and others in the community can prevent or stop bullying, and how to find help if a child is being bullied. Sponsored by the U. S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, and Justice.
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New on PolicyforResults.org: Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect
This new section includes policy recommendations supported by research and data to support states in preventing child abuse and neglect. The site features two new videos: overview of Strengthening Families initiative and Kansas' use of this approach.
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Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Multi-System Integration Certificate Program for Private Sector Leaders
Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, Georgetown University
Washington, DC, November 2-8, 2011
This program is designed for current and future leaders of private organizations to improve their organization's performance and services and partner more effectively with public agencies. Application deadline is July 27, 2011.
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National Child Welfare Parents' Attorneys Conference
ABA National Conference on Children and the Law
American Bar Association, Center on Children and the Law
Arlington, VA, July 13-16, 2011
Agendas for the two conferences are available online. Topics include representing teen parents, child safety, incarcerated parents, bullying, representing non-offending parents, immigration, child participation in dependency court, kinship caregivers, LGBTQ youth, and youth aging out of foster care.
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International Conference on Violence, Abuse & Trauma
Institute on Violence, Abuse & Trauma (IVAT)
San Diego, CA, September 11-14, 2011
This is a forum for researchers, advocates, survivors, and front-line workers to exchange current information on violence and abuse and trauma prevention, intervention, and research. Tracks include children exposed to violence, at-risk youth, and treatment of victims and offenders.
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National Conference on Substance Abuse, Child Welfare and the Courts
Children and Family Futures
National Harbor, MD, September 14-16, 2011
The focus of this conference is improving outcomes for children, youth, and families affected by substance abuse. Workshops feature strategies for policy and program development, practice, research, and clinical improvements in prenatal and infant services, and family drug courts.
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Children's Justice and Safety National Conference
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
National Harbor, MD, October 12-14, 2011
Leading experts and researchers will address key issues and best practices in juvenile justice, delinquency prevention, and victimization. Topics include crimes against children, anti-gang strategies, children's exposure to violence, disproportionate minority contact, girls' delinquency, tribal youth programs, mentoring, truancy and bullying, and substance abuse. A two-day preconference will be held on October 10-11. There is no charge for registration.
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National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) National Conference
Orlando, FL, November 2–5, 2011
This event brings together providers, policymakers, and researchers in the mental health field to share strategies for changing policy and practice.
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RESEARCH TO PRACTICE
 Trauma Informed Care Tip Sheets (2011)
The Safe Start Center has published 8 tip sheets providing basic information for families and practitioners in various disciplines about caring for children exposed to violence. Each tip sheet presents warning signs for children of different ages, what you can do to help, and resources for further information.
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FEATURED RESOURCES
Social Worker's Tool Kit for Working With Immigrant Families – Healing the Damage: Trauma and Immigrant Families in the Child Welfare System (2010)
Published by the Migration and Child Welfare National Network, this tool kit provides public child welfare and community-based agencies working with immigrant families with guidelines for integrating child welfare practice with trauma-informed care and trauma-specific services. Contents include capacity building strategies, frequently asked questions illustrated by case examples, website links, and other resources.
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ONLINE RESOURCES/PUBLICATIONS
Tools/Resources
After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools (2011)
The toolkit describes warning signs and causes of suicide, best practices on suicide prevention, and information about how to respond when a suicide has occurred. Contents include helping students cope, working with the community, social media, and bringing in outside help.
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Prevention Institute's Urban Networks to Increase Thriving Youth (UNITY) Fact Sheets: Links Between Violence and Chronic Diseases, Mental Illness and Poor Learning
This New fact sheets describe how violence affects other health problems and community concerns. They are designed to help advocates and community leaders persuade educators and public health professionals that violence can undermine the work of all community sectors.
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Toward Developmentally Appropriate Practice: A Juvenile Court Training Curriculum, 2nd Edition (2010)
Intended for juvenile court judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, and probation staff, the curriculum provides in-depth training materials on current adolescent development research and its application to juvenile court practice. The authors include several exercises, including hypothetical case scenarios, discussion guides for video clips, and other training tools.
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CrimeSolutions.gov
On June 22, 2011, the Office of Justice Programs, USDOJ, launched this Website as a resource to help practitioners and policymakers understand what works in justice-related programs and practices. It includes information on more than 150 justice-related programs and assigns ratings that indicate whether a program achieves its goals.
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Bought and Sold: Helping Young People Escape from Commercial Sexual Exploitation (2011)
This brochure helps shelter workers recognize young people at risk of being sexually abused or exploited, understand their needs, and provide them with services to help them leave the streets.
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Reproductive Health and Partner Violence Guidelines: An Integrated Response to Intimate Partner Violence and Reproductive Coercion (2011)
These guidelines are for reproductive health care providers to provide trauma-informed, coordinated health care. Contents include statistics about IPV and reproductive coercion, impact on health, guidelines and tools for routine assessment/intervention, and policy implications.
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Making the Connection: Intimate Partner Violence and Public Health (Powerpoint, 2011)
This is an updated version of a PowerPoint educational tool on the health impact of violence on maternal child health, mental health, injury prevention, children, and adolescents. Training materials include downloadable slides, photos, data, and promising practices.
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Creating Trauma–Informed Programs: Youth Drop–In Centers and Beyond (Webcast, 2011)
This Webcast and PowerPoint presentation is part of a series produced by the Homelessness Resource Center. Webcast topics include effects of trauma, responses to triggers, principles of trauma–informed systems, steps to create a trauma-informed center, training and practice resources, and examples from the field.
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Saving Drug–Endangered Children (Podcast)
This 2-part interview with Commander Lori Moriarty of the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children was produced by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, USDOJ. The speaker has trained law enforcement officers in dealing with children living with substance abusing parents, and has adopted two children who are drug-endangered. Click on the topic "Justice Matters" to access the podcasts.
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Policy/Advocacy
A Call to Action on Behalf of Maltreated Infants and Toddlers (2011)
The Center for the Study of Social Policy, together with other organizations, released a new policy agenda for infants and toddlers in the child welfare system. The paper includes evidence of the effect of maltreatment on development and presents actions that can be taken in policies, programs, and practices.
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Children's Right to be Heard and Effective Child Protection: A guide for governments and children's rights advocates in involving children and young people in ending all forms of violence (2010)
This publication aims to expand the focus of governments and NGOs towards achieving the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It argues that respect for the child's right to be heard must underpin everything done to improve children's lives and expand the definition of child protection to shield them from all levels of violence.
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Prevent Violence for Better Public Health (2010)
This article explains how violence makes people sick. The author recommends language for persuading local leaders that preventing violence is crucial for healthy communities. He relates violence prevention and social policies regarding public housing, health care reform, justice, and education.
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Opportunities in Public Policy to Support Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: The Role of Psychologists and Policymakers (2011)
This article highlights policy areas that support the social–emotional development of very young children and gives examples of current policy accomplishments and challenges. The authors suggest ways that psychologists can engage with policymakers to promote policies that foster infant mental health.
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Studies/Reports
Building Domestic Violence Health Care Reponses in Indian Country: A Promising Practices Report (2010)
The authors report on lessons learned in the past 8 years and ways to replicate practices to provide prevention, screening, and treatment for domestic violence in Indian Country.
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Immigrant Children (2011)
This volume of Future of Children is about children in immigrant families in the United States. Articles include living arrangements, early education, K-12 outcomes, higher education, poverty and rate of participation in programs.
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Resilience and Recovery after War: Refugee Children and Families in the United States (2010)
This American Psychological Association Task Force report presents a review of the research and provides recommendations for culturally and developmentally informed practices and programs for refugee children and families.
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Crossover Cases: Children and Youth Involved in the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems (March 2010)
In this issue of Judges' Pages, the authors discuss multiple aspects of collaboration among attorneys, judges, and CASA volunteers in dealing with crossover cases. Topics include principles, best practices, collaboration, and the leadership role of the judge.
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Setting the Stage: Strategies for Supporting LGBTIQ Survivors (Winter 2010)
This edition of Connections, published by Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, provides guidelines for working with LGBTIQ survivors. Articles focus on creating safe space, interrupting problematic language, and the SANE protocol for working with individuals who identify as LGBTIQ.
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Healthy Families New York (2011)
The study, reviewed on the Promising Practices Network, reports overall positive findings in terms of childbirth outcomes and parenting practices. Compared with their counterparts in the control group, HFNY mothers were less likely to deliver low birth weight babies, less likely to engage in abusive, neglectful, or harsh parenting practices, and more likely to use positive parenting skills.
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Fragile Families (Fall 2010)
The Future of Children has released this volume about fragile families, defined as couples who are unmarried when their children are born. Experts explore the ramifications for children and offer policy recommendations to reduce the number of children born into fragile families to ensure that the children receive the support they need to grow into healthy, productive adults.
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White Paper: Child Trauma as a Lens for the Public Sector (2010)
Members of the Illinois Childhood Trauma Coalition argue that disruptive behaviors in children, as assessed in public sector agencies, may be interpreted differently depending on which adult is assessing the child. They explain why it is essential to understand how the adult views the child and how this drives the public sector response.
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Multisystemic Therapy (program evaluations, 2011)
Two recent studies reported in Promising Practices Network support the effectiveness of Multisystemic Therapy (MST) at reducing juvenile delinquency and substance use. In one study, researchers found that youth treated with MST showed substantial improvement in functioning across social domains and had reduced rates of re-arrest 18 months after treatment. Another study suggests that youth who participated in MST engaged in less criminal activity four years after ending treatment and were less likely to abuse illegal substances.
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Poverty, Trauma, and Infant Mental Health (2009)
This article published by Zero to Three documents the fact that the majority of young children in the public health sector who come to the attention of the mental health system have a range of needs that often are the result of the link between poverty and health problems. The authors argue that infancy and early childhood mental health interventions need to be integrated with other systems of care that address the well-being of the child.
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Connecting the Dots: Children's Exposure to Violence and Home Visiting Programs (2011)
This article, published in the Spring 2011 issue of the Futures Without Violence e-journal, discusses children's exposure to violence for home visitors, provides an overview of relevant issues, explains when to report to child welfare, and offers practical suggestions for home visiting programs.
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RELATED LINKS
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CONTACT US
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The Safe Start Center e-Newsletter is distributed by the Safe Start Center under Contract No. GS-10F-0285K with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Information and points of view in this newsletter do not imply endorsement by OJJDP, OJP, DOJ, or the Safe Start Center.
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