EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Targeted violence is increasingly threatening the safety and security of communities throughout the United States. Targeted violence refers to any violence against a specific target designed to intimidate or coerce a broader population, regardless of motive. Targeted violence … Read More
Mental Health
Child Safety Forward Implementation Study Final Report
Executive Summary Initiative Overview In October 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) launched Child Safety Forward (CSF), a three-year demonstration initiative to develop multidisciplinary strategies and responses to address serious … Read More
Social Media’s Concerning Effect on Teen Mental Health
CURRENT LEVELS OF TEEN SOCIAL MEDIA USE Virtually all teens (95%) ages 13 to 17 use social media, with more than 1 in 3 reporting that they use it “almost constantly.” While most U.S. social media platforms require users to be at least 13 years old, nearly 40% of kids ages 8 to 12 use social media. … Read More
The Indivisibility of Parental and Child Mental Health and Why Poverty Matters
Child mental health difficulties are common, with approximately one in five young people across all ages globally experiencing them. This is a major cause for concern, as child and adolescent mental health problems have deleterious effects, not only on social … Read More
Mental Health Emergency Response
Introduction It is estimated that 7% to 10%1 of all police encounters involve a person who has mental illness. Most of these encounters do not involve any violence, and some don’t involve a crime at all. People with mental illness … Read More
New CDC Report Highlights Youth Risk Behavior Challenges
What is included in the YRBS Data Summary & Trends Report? The YRBS Data Summary & Trends Report includes data on behaviors and experiences for 29 variables across Download Report Additionally, this year’s report includes data on social determinants of health, such as unstable … Read More
Containing Trauma: Closing the Wounds that we Open
Flashbacks. Nightmares. Distractability. Mood changes. Hyper-arousal. Developmental arrest. We are taught about the signs and symptoms of traumatic wounding through books and articles, trainings and conferences, symposiums and panels. We have learned how to adeptly detect our clients’ injuries—the moral, … Read More
A Review of State Efforts to Enforce Mental Health Parity: Lessons for Policymakers and Regulators
By JoAnn Volk, Rachel Schwab, Maanasa Kona and Emma Walsh-Alker Executive Summary The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) aims to remove insurance-related obstacles to mental health and substance use disorder treatment. However, federal and state regulators have … Read More
Behavioral Health Resources for Youth
Americans are facing mental health and substance use challenges at alarming rates. These conditions were already on the rise before the pandemic, but the toll of COVID-19 on people of all ages has been significant. Following President Biden’s State of the … Read More
Disrupting Stigma: How Understanding, Empathy, and Connection Can Improve Outcomes for Families Affected by Substance Use and Mental Disorders
Stigma specifically related to child abuse, neglect, and prenatal substance exposure affects the attitudes of healthcare and treatment professionals; child welfare and court professionals; social service agencies and workers; as well as family, friends, and most notably, the person with … Read More