Family Service of Rhode Island’s Post

Delighted to share our qualitative article, just published in the journal 'Children and Youth Services Review', which assessed the intra- and interpersonal influences on child adjustment and resilience in welfare care: https://lnkd.in/eJfp5a95 I am very grateful for the support and dedication of our team and co-authors, thank you Sarah Mäder, PD Dr. Myriam Verena Thoma, Aileen Salas Castillo, and Melanie Dorigo. This study was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF, within the National Research Program 76 (NRP76) “Welfare and Coercion—Past, Present, and Future” NFP 76 Fürsorge und Zwang // PNR 76 Assistance et coercition: https://lnkd.in/ebkJTT2p Study overview: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 former caregivers, to obtain their previously neglected perspective on care provision within Swiss child welfare care. Themes emerged on the intrapersonal factors (child characteristics/traits, coping strategies) and interpersonal factors (caregiving attitudes and actions, relationships and attachment) that were linked to child adjustment in care. Factors reported to hinder adjustment included emotion regulation difficulties, issues within the child-caregiver relationship (e.g., differential treatment, abuse and punitive measures, lack of affection and attachment, devaluing attitudes towards the children), and placement disruptions. Factors reported to promote adjustment included coping via the use of creativity, imagination, and escape; and social and emotional support beyond the caregiver (e.g., siblings, animals). #SNSF #NRP76 #NFP76 #mentalhealth #childwelfare #research #psychology #qualitative

🌟 This resource is an incredible overview of common standardized instruments for measuring changes in child and family outcomes! Whether you're a grant recipient, evaluator, or child welfare professional, this compendium can be used to easily identify potential measures of interest and gather more information about them. 👉 Check out the Child Welfare Measures Library: A Compendium of Standardized Instruments for Child Welfare Researchers and Evaluators. Murphy, J., Neurauter, K., Dang-Mertz, T., & Graham, E. (2023). Child Welfare Measures Library: A Compendium of Standardized Instruments for Child Welfare Researchers and Evaluators. Children’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 🔗https://lnkd.in/gypsc2zt #childwelfare #researchers #research #mentalhealthresearch #childrensmentalhealth #evidencebased #evidencebasedpractices #ImpSci #Professionaldevelopment #psychology #psychiatry #education #therapy #standardizedinstruments #measures

‘Creating Trauma-Informed Systems: Child Welfare, Education, First Responders, Health Care, Juvenile Justice’ Professional Psychology: Research and Practice Copyright 2008 by the American Psychological Association 2008, Vol. 39, No. 4, 396–404 0735-7028/08/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/0735-7028.39.4.396 Susan J. Ko, National Center for Child Traumatic Stress Nancy Kassam-Adams, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Charles Wilson, Chadwick Center for Children and Families Julian D. Ford, University of Connecticut Health Center Steven J. Berkowitz, Yale University Child Study Center Marleen Wong, Los Angeles Unified School District Melissa J. Brymer and Christopher M. Layne, National Center for Child Traumatic Stress Recommendations 1. Promote the integration of trauma-focused practices across formal mental health treatment and other service sectors. Such efforts may promote a number of aims of common concern to many mental health and service sectors, including accurate risk detection and case identification; triage of clients to appropriate interventions; continuity of care across providers; and facilitation of staged, multisystemic, or flexible interventions for high-risk, treatment-refractory, or culturally diverse populations (see Perry, 2006). […] 7. Emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration and relationship- building. Cross-training and cross-disciplinary integration between mental health practitioners and frontline workers and administrators in other child- and family-serving systems allows multiple systems to work together to seamlessly provide children with a continuum of care and reduce the risk that children and adolescents will be reexposed to traumatic material by being required to retell their story as they enter each new system. In conclusion, we propose that the successful integration of trauma-focused information into systems that serve trauma-exposed and bereaved children and adolescents, combined with strong collaboration among systems and disciplines, constitutes one of the most powerful mechanisms by which the NCTSN may promote its mission of raising the standard of care and improving access to services for traumatized children and adolescents nation- wide. https://lnkd.in/ekcuck-d

Anchor Rehabilitation Support Services, Inc. ‘s PATHways Program: Creating impact in the Child Welfare sector. We are thrilled to update you on the incredible work our PATHways (person driven, appropriate services, trauma informed, holistic approach) program is doing in collaboration with child welfare agencies. As the clinical lead for these agencies, our behaviour analysts address the needs of high acuity youth with complex challenges, ensuring they receive the comprehensive care and support they deserve. Our role involves developing robust support plans, including transition planning to family, kin, or other placements. We are dedicated to strengthening the family unit through parent and caregiver coaching, often partnering with mental health professionals such as psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists. Our ultimate goal is to keep children out of care and support their return to stable, loving homes. We advocate on behalf of our partner agencies, providing a clinical perspective to ensure that decisions around youth care and support are well-informed. Representing both the youth and the agency at community tables, we strive to build capacity within the agency and among community partners. This collaboration is essential to ensuring that youth receive the services and support they need. Our efforts to optimize youth care focus on providing the right support at the right time, ensuring cost-effectiveness while achieving the best possible outcomes for youth and their caregivers. Through comprehensive training programs, we equip families, caregivers, staff, and leadership with the tools to better allocate resources and assist families and youth in crisis. Our partnerships have led to remarkable successes: • A decrease in the overall number of youth in care. • Increased reunifications of youth with their families. • Youth reaching optimal outcomes in skill building • Improved collaboration between agencies and placement organizations. We are proud to be partnered with agencies throughout the province and through our work together, we are creating significant impact and change, helping to brighten the futures of the youth we serve while also strengthening their communities. #ChildWelfare #YouthCare #FamilySupport #MentalHealth #CommunityCollaboration #AnchorRehabilitation #PATHwaysProgram #mentalhealth #behaviouranalysts #socialwork #dualdiagnosis #behaviour #youth #autism #developmentaldisabilities

💡 NEW REPORT: After the WCA: Competing Visions of Disability and Welfare After several near misses, the era of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) may be coming to a close. But what comes next? And will it be better than the WCA? In this new report, Professor Ben Geiger explores both worst-case and best-case scenarios, along with what a better WCA might look like, so we can better understand how to make a reformed system successful. Topics covered include: 👉 How bad is the WCA now? 👉 The worst-case scenario 👉 The best-case scenario 👉 A better WCA is possible Read the full briefing for an in-depth analysis of the potential futures of the WCA and what a better system could look like: https://lnkd.in/dgeUtgNP King's College London | ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council | Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience | King's Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy | #AfterTheWCA #WCA #PIP #DisabilityReform #WelfareSystem #PolicyBriefing #SocialPolicy #PublicPolicy #GovernmentReform

This #FosterCaremonth, let's not just raise awareness, but center the voices of folks with lived experience in child welfare. Here's how centering lived experience can make a difference: 🖤 Informs better policies: Their experiences highlight areas for improvement within the system. 🖤Empowers others: Seeing success stories from former foster youth can inspire hope and motivation. 🖤Improves care: Lived experience can guide training for caregivers and social workers. Ready to learn more? Check out this curated book list featuring powerful narratives and actionable advice from people with lived experience in child welfare: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e978PPJ7?       #FosterCare #ChangeTheNarrative #LivedExperienceMatters #SocialWork #ChildWelfare

Investing in Our Future: Free Youth Mental Health First Aid Training As professionals working with young people, we have a unique responsibility to support their mental well-being. The rising prevalence of mental health challenges among youth necessitates proactive measures and equipped individuals. We're proud to announce FREE virtual Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training in partnership with Florida Blue Foundation and SAMHSA. This evidence-based program empowers adults who work with youth (ages 6-18) to: -Identify signs of mental illness and substance use disorders -Understand how to respond effectively and provide initial support -Connect young people to appropriate care resources Who should attend? -Law enforcement professionals -Juvenile justice personnel -School district employees (teachers, staff, coaches) -Child welfare workers -Healthcare providers -Mental health professionals -Other youth-serving organizations -Parents and caregivers **Investing in YMHFA training equips you with the skills to make a significant impact on the lives of young people in your community. It fosters: -Early intervention and access to support -Reduced stigma surrounding mental health -Empowered and resilient youth Register for FREE today! https://brnw.ch/21wH3qT #MentalHealthAwareness #YouthMentalHealth #YMHFA #Florida #Training #CommunityImpact #Empowerment

Trauma is perpetuated by the systems we are in. These include systems of behavioral health, child welfare, medicine, education, and criminal justice. The practices and policies operating within these systems can often be trauma-inducing (e.g., harsh disciplinary practices in schools). These systems can inadvertently re-traumatize those who have experienced trauma in the past and get in the way of their ability to help people. Addressing trauma then requires us to address these systems. (From the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)) Trauma-Informed Approaches can look different for every organization, but the core concepts behind those approaches can be described by SAMHSA’s 6 guiding principles, shown in the figure below. These principles shape how an organization is structured and how its services impact the community around it. These principles also direct an organization’s attention to areas that are to be continually assessed and improved. Photo credit: Resilient Durham https://lnkd.in/eUfnfVft #TraumaInformedCare #BehavioralHealth #ChildWelfare #EducationReform #CriminalJusticeReform #TraumaPrevention #SystemicChange #SAMHSA #MentalHealthAwareness #TraumaRecovery #TraumaAwareness #ResilientDurham #CommunityHealth #PublicHealth #HealingCommunities #EquityInHealthcare #TraumaInformedApproaches #SystemicTrauma #PolicyChange #SocialJustice

#PATHways program update: Anchor Rehabilitation Support Services, Inc.‘a PATHways program (Person Driven, Appropriate Services, Trauma-informed and Holistic approach) is dedicated to supporting agencies in the child welfare sector better serve high-acuity youth with complex needs. As the child welfare sector faces increasing pressure with more youth coming in to care with complex needs routed in trauma with difficulties such as dual diagnoses, developmental & intellectual disabilities, TBI, behavioural challenges and mental health, we have partnered with numerous child welfare agencies to help them tackle this ongoing challenge. Our team of Registered Behavior Analysts (RBAs) serve as clinical leads for these agencies, guiding them in the procurement of appropriate resources, minimizing high-risk behaviors, and helping youth develop the skills necessary to transition in to stable placements. Our ultimate goal is to keep youth out of care, reunite them with their families and kin, and empower caregivers to better manage these challenges as well to navigate the system for better outcomes. We do this through parent/caregiver coaching, creating strong community partnerships and building capacity amoungst staff and leaders within our partner agencies. Through close partnerships with the leaders in child welfare and their community partners, as well as our ability to provide improved resource allocation and clinical consultation, the PATHways program is driving forward to help improve outcomes for youth and the dedicated professionals and families/caregivers that serve them. #ChildWelfare #YouthCare #TraumaInformedCare #BehaviorAnalysis #FamilySupport #CommunityCare #SpecialNeeds #Registerbehaviouranalysts #clinicallead #partnerships #childrensaidsocieties #mentalhealth #trauma #behaviour #neurodiversity

My name is Erika Yourdan and I am a doctoral student at National University. I am conducting a research study to explore the experiences of women who have had interactions with child welfare services both as a child and as an adult, who also struggle with complex traumatic experiences and substance use.  I am recruiting individuals who meet all of these criteria: Participants must be cisgender females aged 18 years or older. Participants must have had direct interactions with child welfare services during their childhood, either through removal or investigation without removal. Participants must have had two or more interactions with child welfare services concerning their biological children. Participants must be willing to self-report both complex traumatic experiences and symptoms and substance use disorder. Participants must be currently active in therapy or a support group. If you decide to participate in this study, you will be asked to do the following activities: Participants must be willing to provide the name and contact number for their therapeutic support resource prior to participation. Participants must be willing to self-report both complex traumatic experiences and symptoms and substance use disorder. Participate in a 1:1 interview lasting no more than 1 hour via zoom. Participate in a 1:1 follow-up meeting via zoom lasting no more than 15 minutes to confirm the accuracy of your interview responses. During these activities, you will be asked questions about: ·      Your childhood experiences ·      Your substance use history ·      Your experiences with abuse or trauma as a child or adult ·      Your experience as a woman and a mother ·      Your experiences and/or involvement with child welfare services   If you are interested in participating in this study, please click this link: https://lnkd.in/gj45ym-a or use the QR code on the flyer. If you have questions, please contact me at E.Yourdan6228@o365.ncu.edu