ListenJuly 2010
UK
Ofsted praises foster company
A local foster company has received its latest Ofsted report – and is hoping it inspires more local people to help them address the current North West foster care crisis.
Modus, an independent foster agency based in Bolton, has just received its Ofsted report, which praised the quality of support given to foster carers by the company. Among its comments, the report said: "This is a good service with outstanding aspects. The agency is child-focussed and prioritises support and supervision of foster carers to ensure that children's and young people's holistic needs are met to a high standard."
The agency, which was recently granted Tier One status on the North West Fostering Contract, is now among the first to be contacted for any placements of children across the region – but desperately needs more carers to come forward to help them provide homes to these young people in need.
Sue Hamilton, director of modus, said: "We're really pleased to have our hardwork recognised in this way. Providing a quality service, not only to the children in our care, but also to the foster parents who provide them with a safe and loving home, is top of our agenda, and we're hoping other people who might be considering fostering will look at the feedback given to us by Ofsted and will think about coming forward.
"The North West, and the rest of the UK too, is in the midst of a foster care crisis with more children requiring care than parents available to look after them. I really do think that many people are put off coming forward to become a carer because of preconceived stereotypes that exist about what a carer should be, but at modus we have foster parents from all different walks of life – single people and couples, old and young, and from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.
Ofsted acknowledged Modus' promotion of equality and diversity, which is reflected in the variety of backgrounds their carers come from: "The promotion of equality and diversity is outstanding. Young people's religious, ethnic and linguistic needs are being met and foster carers are equipping themselves with relevant information through a variety of sources."
Sue added: "Anyone can become a foster carer if they really want to. It's about having a drive and determination to try something new in life, and most importantly to want to provide a safe and loving home for children and young people across the region."
For more information on becoming a foster carer, or to find out more about modus, call 01204 399514 or visit http://www.moduscom.org.uk/
Notes
Modus was set up in 2002 to provide high quality, co-ordinated childcare services for looked-after children and young people
Through exceptional training and ongoing support, it helps families to provide environments in which young people can safely achieve their potential
Modus provides foster families across the whole of North West England
Modus also runs a small residential home in West Yorkshire, Cross Lee House, for up to five children who display varying degrees of emotional and behavioural difficulty
Press release: Beattie Communications
28 July 2010
http://www.beattiegroup.com/prclients/pr-press-releases.aspx?news=31&id=10706
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NEW ZEALAND
Problem or fact of life?
"What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?"
There is a widespread perception that today’s youth are more badly behaved than ever before. The fact is, however, that such concerns have always been with us. The above quote is attributed to Plato in 400 BC – and the following is an inscription on a 6,000-year-old Egyptian tomb: “We live in a decaying age. Young people no longer respect their parents. They are rude and impatient. They frequently inhabit taverns and have no self-control."
To get a better idea of what is really going on with our young let’s have a look at some research.
First of all, the recent death by alcohol poisoning of a 16 year-old King’s College school student has raised serious concerns about binge drinking amongst young people. The Chief Coroner released data to show that the number of young people who have died as a result of binge drinking, since the beginning of July 2007, is 12. Between July 2007 and February 2010 the number of people of all age groups who have died of alcohol poisoning stands at 83.
According to a Law Commission report on youth and alcohol from 1996 to 2003, the percentage of publicly funded hospitalisations for young people aged from 15 to 19 – where the primary diagnosis was alcohol related – fell from 15.3 percent in the year 2000 to 12.5 percent in 2003. This included the period during which the drinking age was lowered from 20 to 18.
When it comes to traffic accidents, Ministry of Transport figures show that in the 12 months to September 2009, young drivers aged from 15 to 19 were involved in crashes that resulted in 67 deaths, 21 of which involved alcohol. However, over the years, the number of road deaths involving young drivers has reduced dramatically from the peak in 1987 when 195 young drivers died. Similarly, the number of young drivers involved in crashes where alcohol was recorded as a factor has dropped from a maximum of 418 accidents in 1995, to 298 in 2003.
While road fatalities attract a great deal of attention and public money, more New Zealanders die from suicide. Between 2004 and 2007, while 1,654 people died on the roads, suicide claimed 2,008 lives. Of those, 198 were young people between the ages of 15 and 19.
According to a report Doing Better for Children published by the OECD last year, the latest youth suicide statistics puts New Zealand above all other OECD countries: New Zealand’s rate of 15.9 deaths per 100,000 young people aged 15 to 19 compares with a rate of only 3 deaths per 100,000 in the UK, 7.7 in the US, 8.5 in Australia, 9.5 in Ireland, and 10 in Canada. The OECD average is 6.9 deaths per 100,000 15 to 19 year olds.
New Zealand ’s highest recorded rate of youth suicide was in 1997 when 72 young people in the 15 to 19 age group took their own lives. For the younger 10 to 14 age group, the highest number was 12 children who died in 1998. In comparison, in 2007, 42 young people in the 15 to 19 year age group died, and 2 children aged between 10 and 14.
When it comes to youth crime, the trend is downwards. A Ministry of Justice report shows that the child apprehension rate for 10 to 13 year olds has fallen from a peak of 543 per 10,000 head of population in 1996 to 336 in 2008, and the youth apprehension rate for 14 to 16 year olds has fallen from a peak of 1,926 in 1996 to 1,572 in 2008. In addition, both child and youth apprehensions for property offences, which is the most common category of offence, have fallen to an all time low in 2007 and 2008. When it comes to violent offences, while child apprehensions are stable, youth rates have increased by 13 percent. However, overall offending by young people over the last decade has fallen by 15 percent.
In any policy area where there is heightened public concern, there is a temptation for politicians to propose high profile ‘solutions’ designed to appease community unease. The real question is whether such solutions are largely window dressing, leading to more regulation and higher taxpayer costs, or whether they will genuinely produce better outcomes.
The National Government has already announced a range of policy responses that they claim will improve outcomes for young people and society as a whole. These include raising the driving age from 15 to 16, a move that they expect will save 4 lives a year, and introducing a zero blood alcohol limit for drivers under the age of 20, which they expect will save 2 lives a year.
In the area of youth offending, falling crime rates have not stopped politicians from pushing ahead with a very expensive youth justice facility which opened this weekend in Rotorua at a cost of $47 million. This new facility, which has 30 beds for 12 and 13 year old young offenders, takes the number of such residences around the country, to 4.
However, the strategy of placing young offenders together in large institutions has been criticised by a former Youth Court Judge who has labeled them as a ‘gateway to prison’. Carolyn Henwood is strongly of the view that the relatively small number of children who commit most of the country’s youth crime need very close individual care, not institutionalisation.
With regards to alcohol, while the Law Commission in its recent report recommended a number of sweeping law changes – including substantially increasing the excise tax, introducing stronger regulations relating to the sale and advertising of alcohol, and raising the drinking age back up to 20 (it was lowered from 21 to 20 in 1967, then to 18 in 1999) – the government’s intended response is unclear.
This week’s NZCPR Guest Commentator is policy analyst David Seymour, an expatriate New Zealander based in Canada , who believes an excessive use of alcohol by young people is a symptom of a far wider problem:
“The question at the heart of the youth alcohol abuse debate should be why so many youth have decided that such a destructive activity is worth giving up their other opportunities. Most of the popular explanations are variations on the theme that alcohol has become more seductive. The lowered purchase age and more outlets have made it more available; the synthesis of alcopop drinks has made it more digestible, advertising has made it more desirable. The logical conclusion is that if only these could be reversed, youth would switch back to safer, more productive activities.
“Or perhaps the root of our troubles is that other opportunities have become less meaningful for youth. Over the past decade, their efforts and choices in education, the housing market, and the economy have been trivialised, meaning they have less to lose by getting sloshed.”
He concludes by saying “Even ignoring the impracticality of taking alcohol away from the young, doing so would leave a much more serious problem untouched in our society. The only real long-term solution to youth alcohol abuse is to attack its root cause; the diminishing ability of youth to make a difference in their own lives.” To read David’s full article, Youth Alcohol Abuse is the Symptom of a Wider Disease see link below.
David’s article raises not only the wider issue of intergenerational equity, whereby the younger generation is expected to carry the cost burden of long term public policy decisions on welfare, health, superannuation and so on, but also the wisdom of short term policies that adversely impact youth opportunities – such as Sue Bradford’s abolition of the youth wage.
However, the real question – given that concerns about the behaviour of young people, is neither isolated nor new – is whether anything can realistically be done? Clearly the politicians, whose stock and trade is to be seen to be solving problems (rather than actually solving them!) like to think so – and it is definitely in their interest to create alarm even if it is not justified. But as tragic as it may be that the consequences of irresponsible youth can lead to disastrous results, the question remains as to whether or not this is a problem that can be solved.
Press Release: NZ Centre For Political
Research
27 July 2010
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1007/S00322/problem-or-fact-of-life.htm
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AUSTRALIA
Helping young people leaving out-of-home care
Young people leaving out-of-home care in Victoria now have easier access to a comprehensive package of supports to help them make the transition from foster care, kinship care and supported accommodation to more independent lives.
Visiting the Leaving Care Helpline headquarters at Melbourne Citymission today, Minister for Community Services Lisa Neville officially launched a one-stop-shop for advice and assistance. “Just like most teenagers, those living in out-of-home care need support when they take the step from living at home with their carers to living more independently,” Ms Neville said. “The Brumby Labor Government understands this step can be a stressful and confusing time that is why we have set up the Leaving Care Helpline. Around 2,000 young Victorians aged between 16 and 21 will be eligible each year to receive help from this new service.
“They will receive practical help finding accommodation, education advice and financial assistance, as well as general support and practical advice either in person or via the Helpline. Supports can include brokerage funding for accommodation to cover bond and rent for up to a year to help the young person establish a good tenancy history. It can also include helping them gain part-time work, or fund study or training. Support is also available for young people who want to get their driver’s licence.”
One of the young Victorian care leavers to have already used the service, Rachel, spoke at the launch about her experiences. “The service provides advice that has real benefits,” Rachel said. “What surprised me was that it is not just the big stuff like accommodation and educational support that they can help with, I have even rung the advice line for help with a pasta recipe!”
Ms Neville said Rachel’s story was a real example of the practical assistance provided through the new Leaving Care Helpline service. “We developed this specifically to help young people make the transition from out-of-home care to independent living and into adulthood with as much support as possible,” she said. “All children deserve the best our community can provide, and the most vulnerable need to know that there is help available to them as they make their journey to adulthood.”
Press Release: Media Newswire
26 July 2010
http://media-newswire.com/release_1123129.html
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Bullying victimization is common among children of school age
Bullying victimization is common among children of school age, although its consequences are often anything but benign. The recent death of a Massachusetts teen by suicide prompted state lawmakers to pass one of the most far-reaching anti-bullying laws within the U.S. Whether such legislative actions result in measurable decreases in physical or emotional distress among school peers remains to be seen, but a team of researchers from Duke University and Kings College London have discovered a genetic variation that moderates whether victims of bullying will go on to develop emotional problems.
Gene and environment interactions are a burgeoning area of scientific research and an increasing body of evidence demonstrates that children who are victims of bullying are at risk for developing emotional problems including depression. However, not all children who are bullied go on to develop such problems. Whether a gene variant could contribute to emotional disturbance in children that are bullied is the focus of a study reported in the August 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP).
In the article titled, 'The Serotonin Transporter Gene Moderates the Development of Emotional Problems Among Children Following Bullying Victimization' Dr. Sugden and colleagues report on the findings in a study sample of 2,232 same-sex 5 year-old twins. Home visit-assessments were conducted in 1999-2000 when the children were 5 years of age, and follow-up assessments were made at 12 years of age. The children were evaluated for emotional problems reported by their mothers and teachers using the Child Behavior Checklist and the Teacher's Report Form. In addition to interviews, DNA samples acquired via buccal swabs were evaluated to determine the presence or absence of the genetic variation under investigation.
The researchers observed that genetic differences in the 5-HTTLPR gene, specifically the SS genotype, interact with bullying victimization to exacerbate emotional problems. Second, the strength of this genetically influenced response is related to the frequency of the bullying experience (i.e ., the gene and environment interaction was strongest for frequently bullied children).
In the article, Sudgen and colleagues state, 'This genetic moderation persists after controlling for children's previctimization emotional problems and for other risk factors shared by children growing up within the same family environment.' The present findings are consistent with the recent report by Benjet and colleagues2 that SS genotype victims of relational aggression are prone to depression.
This article is discussed in an editorial by Dr. James J. Hudziak and Dr. Stephen V. Faraone in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.3 In talking about the use of twin studies to determine whether an illness or psychological disorder can be inherited, Drs. Hudziak and Faraone state, 'These designs have moved us well beyond the fiery but misguided debates about nature versus nurture. We have learned that both domains affect psychopathology, exerting effects that sometimes act independently of one another and sometimes interactively, as when risk DNA variants make some children more susceptible to the onset of illness. Twin studies show that gene action can be complex, with DNA variants at a gene locus sometimes acting additively (in a dose-response manner) and sometimes with classic dominant or recessive modes of inheritance.'
On the relevance of Dr. Sugden and colleagues' findings, Drs. Hudziak and Faraone report, 'Candidate gene studies such as these could lead to public health interventions (e.g. greater efforts to decrease bullying) that may lower the prevalence of child psychopathology.' 3
This study was supported by the UK Medical Research Council grants G9806489, G0100527, and G0601483, and National Institutes of Health grants MH077874 and HD061298.
The study is published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and online at www.jaacap.org. This article represents one of several articles to be published in the August and September issues of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry that explores the intersection of genetics and mental health disorders in children and adolescents.
References
1. Sugden K, Arseneault L, Harrington H,
Moffitt TE, Williams B, Caspi A. The Serotonin transporter gene
moderates the development of emotional problems among children following
bullying victimization. Journal of the American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry. 2010; 49:830-840.
2. Benjet C, Thompson RJ, Gotlib IH. 5-HTTLPR moderates the effect of relational peer victimization on depressive symptoms in adolescent girls. J Child Psychol Psychiatry Allied Disc. 2009;51:173-179.
3. Hudziak JJ, Faraone SV. The new genetics in child psychiatry. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2010; 49:729-735.
To reach the author you may contact: Dr. Karen Sugden by email at ks164@duke.edu.
For further information, please contact Rebecca Jensen, Managing Editor, JAACAP, rjensen@jaacap.org or 202.966.7300 x 112.
Press release: 7th Space
25 July 2010
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CANADA
Ontario's child welfare association appoints new Executive Director
The Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies (OACAS) today announces the appointment of Mary Ballantyne as Executive Director of the provincial child welfare association. With over 24 years experience in child welfare, Ms. Ballantyne has contributed significantly to the field in a leadership and management role.
"Child welfare in Ontario is facing challenging and exciting times with the work of the Sustainability Commission, an evolving Transformation Agenda and significant budget issues. The OACAS will continue to play a critical role in advocating for the needs of children and families across the province and in facilitating future direction and change in the critical work of child welfare. I am excited to be able to provide leadership to this important cause," said Ms. Ballantyne, incoming Executive Director of OACAS.
Beginning November 1, Ms. Ballantyne will lead the Association in representing Ontario's Children's Aid Societies (CASs) and supporting its members in working with the Commission for Sustainability in Child Welfare, government and community stakeholders.
For the past ten years, Ms. Ballantyne has served as Executive Director of the Simcoe County Children's Aid Society (Simcoe CAS). Some of Ms. Ballantyne's most notable contributions to child welfare in Ontario include developing a province-wide assessment tool for child protection, leading Simcoe CAS through pilot testing for an information management system for all CASs in Ontario and providing leadership on various provincial projects. She also brings to the Association commitment, skills and leadership in working with the Aboriginal communities.
"We are extremely pleased to welcome Mary to the Association," said Keith Sparling, president of OACAS. "Mary brings a genuine, compassionate and courageous approach to working with people and systems to improve the lives of children and families. We believe she will successfully carry forward the mission of OACAS as the voice of child welfare in Ontario."
In the interim, Virginia Rowden, Director of Social Policy, has been appointed Acting Executive Director of the Association.
About the Ontario Association of
Children's Aid Societies
OACAS is a membership organization representing Children's Aid
Societies (CASs) in Ontario. The Association has served its members, the
community, the public and the government in a variety of ways since
1912. Today, OACAS provides service in the areas of advocacy, government
relations, communications and public education, youth in care,
information management, training, and member outreach.
Press release: CNW
21 July 2010
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2010/21/c5730.html
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Canada, Manitoba and Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs reach agreement on Child Welfare Framework
Representatives of the Government of Canada, the province of Manitoba and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC), today announced a historic framework for First Nations Child and Family Services in Manitoba. Funding for the Enhanced Prevention-Focused Approach will help more First Nations children and parents get the help they need to prevent the types of crises that lead to intervention and family breakdown.
The announcement was made by Shelly Glover, Member of Parliament for Saint Boniface and Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages, on behalf of the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Metis and Non-Status Indians, along with the Honourable Gord Mackintosh, Minister of Family Services and Consumer Affairs, together with Grand Chief Ron Evans, of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.
"Today's announcement acts on our positive and growing working relationship we have with Manitoba," said Mrs. Glover. "Children represent the future of First Nations communities in Manitoba -- and today's announcement demonstrates our shared commitment to improving conditions for First Nations children and youth. With this announcement, six provinces will have reached historic tripartite frameworks for Child and Family Services with our government."
The Framework with Manitoba and First Nations in Manitoba will provide over $177 million over 5 years to implement an Enhanced Prevention-Focused Approach to First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) on reserves in Manitoba.
"This Framework caps years of hard work by the province and First Nations chiefs to correct historic imbalances and provide similar services across the province, regardless of where children live," Minister Mackintosh said. "Just as importantly, it will allow us to provide services and support for families under stress and in many cases prevent the need to take children into care."
"This new funding model and Enhancement Framework will assist in decreasing the number of children in care and support families to stay together," said Grand Chief Ron Evans. "It will also assist agencies so they will have the resources available to support children and families they work with in our communities. Prevention is critical to positive change for our people."
By moving forward in this province, INAC will be well on its way to completing the reform of Child and Family Services by ensuring roughly 68% of on reserve children have access to enhanced prevention services.
First Nation Child and Family Service Agencies in Manitoba, in collaboration with INAC and the Province, will develop individual business plans that outline goals, outcomes and expectations and will be required to provide annual reports on these to access the new funding. Agencies will be required to ensure that results are obtained, measured and reported under this new regime. This new funding will be conditional upon Agencies meeting accountability requirements, in order to ensure that the funds will be used for their intended purpose and will serve the best interests of children and families.
INAC continues to discuss implementation of the new funding approach with willing provincial and First Nations partners. Since the launch of the new approach in 2007, frameworks have been reached with partners in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Quebec, PEI and Manitoba.
Under the six Tripartite Frameworks, more than $100 million per year in additional funding will be dedicated to the new approach by 2012/13. The goal is to have all provinces on board for the Enhanced Prevention-Focused Approach by 2013.
Press release: marketwire
19 July 2010
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/press/child-welfare-framework,1388418.html
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CARE2 youth behavior assessment and treatment planning tool is now online
How do you know if a youth who has problems is at risk to be violent? Do you know what to do to help troubled youth? Don't guess any more. With the CARE2 assess problems, strengths and treatment needs.
The US has a higher violence rate than Europe, Asia, Canada, or Australia, while South America, Africa and Russia have higher rates of violence than the US. The cost of violence in death, injury, suffering and damage to communities and economies is massive and unacceptable. The World Health organization estimates the monetary cost for US interpersonal violence at $300 Billion per year and an additional cost to victims of $500 Billion. This is around 8% of the GNP. Therefore, reducing violence will have a huge positive economic and social impact on the US.
To reduce violence, one must be able to measure risk in a valid manner and know how to manage risk and prevent future violence. An assessment tool that links problems and resiliency with evidence based treatment, such as the CARE2 has been needed in the field of youth violence. It is not enough to measure risk for violence, professionals must also provide effective treatment to at risk youth.
The CARE2 (Child & Adolescent Risk Evaluation) Assessment by Dr. Kathy Seifert can be administered in paper and pencil form and is also now available online. The CARE2 works to identify youth who are at risk for violence and determine specific interventions needed to prevent any future risk of aggressive behavior. Updated and enhanced, this invaluable tool examines every factor that may be affecting the youth's development, and puts a plan in place for the youth to mature into a positively pro-social functioning member of society. Educators, social workers, mental health professionals, juvenile services professionals, or concerned parents, can provide at-risk children and teenagers with the nurturing, support, and treatment that will give them a second chance at life.
Dr. Seifert announced the new, powerful online CARE2 system that gives you a treatment plan in a prewritten report. The first step is identifying the strengths, problems, and stressors of each "at promise" youth. An intervention plan is then created to provide the care, support, and treatment that counteract risk factors and trauma and promote a youth's strengths. Professional following the plan help a youth move toward success by executing the intervention plan.
Youth and family violence expert Dr. Kathy Seifert is one of the world's leading authorities on identifying which youth are most likely to commit a future act of violence. She is the author of the CARE2 the only assessment of its kind to provide a complete intervention plan of evidence based practice to counteract violent tendencies before it's too late. Dr. Seifert is the CEO of Eastern Shore Psychological Services (ESPS), a multidisciplinary private practice that specializes in working with high-risk youth and their families. She has over 30 years experience in mental health, addictions, and criminal justice work. She specializes in the assessment and treatment of attachment problems, a condition that can make boys three times as likely to become violent later in life.
Helping "at risk" youth involves holistic treatment plans that improves the all aspects of the youth and his/her family's lives. The younger an intervention starts, the greater the chances of success. Elementary school is not too early to identify youth that need help and provide services. The CARE2 has been used to prepare treatment plans for hundreds of "at promise" youth to improve skills, become more successful in school, increase emotional health, and improve conflict resolution and relationships. Many youth with behavior problems have also been traumatized by abuse, neglect, or exposure to domestic violence. Therefore, trauma and attachment work are a necessary part of the plan, as well.
The attached Chart compares the CARE2 to other youth risk assessment tools. It has excellent sample and validity, a prewritten report, separate norms for girls and pre-teens, assesses strengths as well as problems and provides treatment suggestions based on evidence based practice.
Release Source : PRWeb
19 July 2010
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/press/is-now-online,1387094.html
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The situation remains critical in Haiti and steps toward progress often meet the unexpected. But, there is progress.
As the six-month mark came and went, the focus in the media was the lack of progress. It is true that so much still needs to be done. There was suffering and serious need before the earthquake and it was only compounded by this tragedy. The situation remains critical and steps toward progress often meet the unexpected. But, there is progress.
Some humanitarian organizations and many people have left the country, but Salesian Missions will continue its work throughout Haiti. Donations are still urgently needed to help Haiti.
Salesian Missions was saving the children of Haiti long before the earthquake. Salesian Missions has been working in Haiti since 1936 and will stay in Haiti as long as there are children in need. Before the quake, food and basic needs were provided to youth and their families. Primary schools gave opportunity to smiling children. Youth centers housed homeless youth. Young adults trained to be teachers, builders, farmers and nurses. Since the quake, Salesian Missions has worked tirelessly to again provide all it can to those in need in Haiti, focusing on its specialty – the youth. Salesian Missions is giving hope to Haiti by giving hope to its youth. They are again training, studying and building. They are preparing to rebuild their country. In the midst of despair, the future is brighter for Haiti because of Salesian Missions and those who give generously to fund the priceless work.
Salesian Missions reports the nonprofit humanitarian organization has accomplished the following since the devastating earthquake:
In Port-au-Prince, lessons are being taught on the grounds where the National School of Arts & Trades (ENAM) once stood. Daily classes are being held in prefabricated buildings.
In Fort-Liberté, nursing training is taking place at the only school for nurses left in Haiti.
Students have returned to tent classrooms and pre-fabricated classrooms, and 40 teachers have been hired.
In Pétionville, all activities have started up again at primary school, high school, technical and vocational training schools. The boundary walls have been rebuilt to provide security and safety for the children.
At a facility for agricultural training in Cap-Haitien, teachers are still receiving salaries and school meals are being provided.
More than 9,000 middle school students receive breakfast (a cup of milk and bread) daily. A new kitchen will be installed soon to provide food for the children from the schools in Cité Soleil and La Saline, the poorest districts in the area.
More than 300 children in Lakay (street children center) are being cared for on a daily basis.
More than 12,000 homeless earthquake survivors moved from “tent cities” in Port-au-Prince are receiving accommodations and psychological help in Thorland as they wait to be re-located.
Youth groups continue with cultural, recreational, and spiritual activities (which have never been interrupted).
In Gressier, Salesian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have promised to cover the financial costs of the rebuilding of the study center and part of the elementary schools.
22 shipping containers of relief supplies – including food, water, clothing, medical supplies and forklifts – have been shipped by Salesian Missions, as well as two school buses.
To date, approximately $2.7M in funds have been spent by Salesian Missions on relief efforts for the Haitian people, along with additional in-kind donations.
For more information on the accomplishments and ongoing needs in Haiti, or to make a donation, go to www.FindYourMission.org
How the earthquake impacted Salesian
Missions in Haiti
Since the devastating earthquake, Salesian Missions is desperately
working to care for those who are homeless and suffering and is
tremendously grateful to all who have given generously. A vast Salesian
Missions compound in the Cité Soleil (which consisted of schools, trade
shops, housing, orphanages, youth centers, feeding programs and
administrative offices) was almost completely destroyed. 200 students
and staff were killed in the rubble. Buildings destroyed include those
at ENAM, the renowned National School of Arts & Trades, where a vast
majority of the deaths took place.
Press relwase: PR Web
16 July 2010
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/07/prweb4270634.htm
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WASHIINGTON DC
Mental health peer specialists participate in top children’s mental health conference
The Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD) invited Jody Shreven and Cathy Clem, Parent Partner peer specialistsfrom Sound Mental Health, to attend their Training Institutes symposium to share ideas, strategies and innovative best practices from their child and youth mental health programs. The event takes place in Washington D.C., from July 14-18, 2010.
One of the country’s leading conferences dedicated to systems of care for children and families, GUCCHD’s Training Institutes attracts thousands from the nation’s mental health establishment to learn about emerging practices and models of care in the field.
The week-long conference covers a wide range of topics including policy, research, and ground breaking clinical services. Clem and Schreven, whose presentation is entitled “Strengths in Partnerships for Families,” will highlight their efforts as Parent Partners, sharing key program templates and its promising, innovative wraparound approach. Parent Partnership strengthens the comprehensive and personalized approach of wraparound programs and is applied to an individual’s specific needs.
Sound Mental Health was invited to participate, in particular, because of its track record of success developing and implementing wraparound services for children and families – and its strong use of Parent Partner peer specialists as a central part of the practice. Parent Partner peer specialistsare individuals who have been consumers of mental health services – as either recipients or as caregivers to recipients. Because of their life experience, peer specialists are vital to helping clients navigate the mental health system toward their recovery.
“Parent Partner peer specialistsmake up a vital part of our children’s wraparound approach,” said Trish Blanchard, chief clinical officer at Sound Mental Health. “With success in pioneering this practice in our children, youth and family programs, we are eager to share our insights and encourage replication among our colleagues.”
To learn more about Sound Mental Health’s children’s and family programs, visit www.smh.org. More information about the GUCCHD Training Institutes conference can be found at http://gucchd.georgetown.edu/training/88504.html
News release: BusinessWire
14 July 2010
Click HERE for this link
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NEW YORK
Justice Department announces a comprehensive agreement with New York to remedy violations and ensure constitutional rights at four juvenile justice facilities
The United States has entered into a comprehensive agreement with the State of New York and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) that resolves previous findings of unconstitutional conditions at four juvenile justice facilities, the Justice Department announced today. The agreement resolves the United States' investigation, which began in 2007, of the Finger Lakes Residential Center and Lansing Residential Center in Lansing, N.Y., and the Tryon Residential Center and Tryon Girls Center in Johnstown, N.Y. As a result of its investigation, the United States concluded that the facilities systematically violated juveniles' constitutional rights in the areas of protection from harm and mental health care.
The agreement was filed today simultaneously with a complaint. The settlement agreement is pending approval by a federal judge in U.S. District Court in Albany, N.Y. The agreement contains comprehensive provisions on protection from harm, use of restraints, use of force, reporting and investigation of incidents, mental health care, use of psychotropic medications, training, quality assurance, and improved policies, procedures, and practices.
"It is New York's fundamental responsibility to protect juveniles in its custody from harm and to uphold their constitutional rights," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "We have worked cooperatively with New York officials to craft an agreement to ensure that the constitutional rights of juveniles at the four facilities are protected, and we commend New York and the New York State Office of Children and Families for their willingness to work aggressively to remedy these problems."
The United States' 2009 findings concluded that staff at the facilities consistently and excessively used a disproportionate degree of force to gain control of youths in nearly every type of situation, leading to concussions, broken or knocked out teeth, spiral fractures, and other injuries. Further, staff at the facilities overused restraints often causing severe injury to youths, including initiating facedown restraints through "hooking and tripping," a process where staff grab a youth's arms and trip his or her feet from underneath, causing the youth to fall face-first on the ground. Additionally, the facilities consistently failed to investigate uses of force and failed to properly discipline staff found to have used excessive force.
In the area of mental health care, the United States found that the facilities failed to provide adequate behavioral management programs and treatment plans. Residents' substance abuse or dependence problems were generally ignored in their mental health services and programming, staff were not equipped to address youths in mental health crisis, and psychotropic medications were prescribed without appropriate monitoring of potentially dangerous side effects.
Under the agreement, New York will implement detailed remedial measures to ensure that juveniles are safe and receive the services necessary to meet their constitutional rights. This includes restrictions limiting the use of restraints to situations when all other techniques have failed and the youth poses a danger to him or herself, and requiring the immediate assessment of medical staff if prone restraints are used. The agreement also severely restricts the use of force on youths, including express prohibitions on using chokeholds and "hooking and tripping" techniques. The agreement also includes provisions directed at conducting appropriate investigations of excessive force allegations, as well as provisions aimed at improving policies; procedures and practices to protect inmates from harm by providing adequate mental health care; ensuring that the use of psychotropic medication is safe and clinically appropriate; addressing substance abuse and dependence issues; and instituting comprehensive employee training requirements.
Compliance with the agreement will be overseen by two jointly selected subject matter experts to monitor compliance with the settlement agreement. These monitors will conduct compliance review tours and will file a comprehensive monitoring report with the court within 60 days after each compliance review tour. The first compliance review tour will occur in approximately five to six months, and will occur every six months thereafter.
Additional information about the Special Litigation Section of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division can be found at www.usdoj.gov/crt/split/index.html
SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice
14 July 2010
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NEW BOOK
New memoir recounts pain, strength and hope of Jewish teen forced to hide during WW II
In Psalms*, Hirsch Grunstein describes his two-year hiding ordeal as a Jewish teenager during the German occupation of Belgium in World War II. "I feel it was a story that cried out to be told, prompting copious note-taking for decades, until I found, in retirement, the time and the tranquility to write it," explains Grunstein.
Grunstein covers the preceding two years of ever-tightening Nazi decrees against the Jews that culminate in their deportation by the tens of thousands from Belgium to the death camps. Psalms follows Grunstein as he flees Antwerp and finds a second home with a Flemish village blacksmith. In his new home, he must change his name to Henri Govaerts.
In an effort to cope as a recluse, Grunstein passes the time by playing solitaire, reading the newspaper and a weekly magazine, daydreaming, and spinning fantasies. Two books give him a moral lift: the Book of Psalms, which his father gave him when they parted and becomes a vessel for his emotions ranging from fear and rage to yearning and hope; and an automobile course that the blacksmith gave him and which sparks his resolve to become an engineer and inventor.
Psalms describes the violent, emotion-laden, almost surreal 18-hour episode of Grunstein's capture by the SS. After his capture, he is held in a children's home, but, along with more than 600 other children, he is saved from deportation by the Belgian Underground with the help of the local population. Henri's parents, younger brother, and rescuers also survived.
Psalms is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels.
About the author
Hirsch Grunstein was raised in Antwerp, Belgium. By age 12, he was
fluent in Yiddish, Flemish, French and modern Hebrew. He resumed his
studies after the war and received an engineering degree from the
University of Liège. He worked for several years in Belgium and Israel.
In 1958, at age 30, Grunstein immigrated to the United States where he
worked until his retirement as an engineer, consultant and lecturer. He
lives in New York.
NewsWire.com
12 July 2010
http://www.mmdnewswire.com/psalms-author-hirsch-grunstein-9264.html
Psalms by Hirsch Grunstein is in our bookstore:
Please click on a flag
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SOS opens new Armenian Children's Village
SOS Children’s Villages has opened its second village in Armenia. On July 4th SOS was proud to open the village in Idjevan, the capital of the province Tavush. Armenia is already home to one SOS village in Kotayk but with widespread poverty and annual inflation increases taxing people, the need is great in this part of the world.
This location has 14 family homes where 90 orphaned or abandoned children will live with other children of all ages and an SOS ‘Mother’. This woman acts as the head of the household, providing emotional support as well as meals and everyday care for the children. The children attend local schools and grow up in a secure environment.
There are already Family Strengthening Programmes and Education Initiatives in place in Idjevan. There are also several other projects within the country, such as an SOS Children’s Village in the Kotayk province, an SOS Nursery in Kotayk, one SOS Youth Facility in Yerevan, two family strengthening programmes in Yerevan and Gyumri and three school quality development programmes in Kotayk and Yerevan.
Celebration
The ceremony was attended by many Armenian officials and
high-level representatives of SOS Children’s Villages International
including Mr Helmut Kutin, and the speaker of the Armenian national
assembly, Mr Hovik Abrahamyan who officially opened the village. The
audience was populated by many well-known Armenian celebrities and loyal
supporters.
The ceremony culminated with Mr Armen Ghularyan, the governor of the Tavush province, heartily thanking SOS Children’s Villages for setting up programmes in the province and handed over ownership for the plot of the village to SOS Children’s Villages Armenia. Mr Hans-Johann Schmidt, the Ambassador of Germany to Armenia wished everyone great success and express thanks for those involved in the construction.
Mr Helmut Kutin was proclaimed honorary citizen of Idjevan and was awarded the Medal of Honour of the Armenian national assembly. “…I dare to invite His Excellency the Speaker and all the members of the parliament to hold one session on children’s rights here in the village in Idjevan,” said Mr Kutin in his speech.
The little villagers had their own part as well through a performance in which they built a house of children’s rights. ”Each stone presents one right. This, for example, is the right to a home. This one the right to education. The roof presents our responsibilities for each right, like responsibility to study, to wash our hands, to go to the dentist, to do homework,” explained 13-year-old Nora, one of the first children who found a loving home in the SOS Children’s Village Idjevan.
goallover
9 July 2010
http://www.goallover.org/sos-opens-new-armenian-childrens-village/9352
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USA
Obama administration unveils new plan to end homelessness
While the Obama administration unveiled its new plan to address the issue of homelessness at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Tue., June 22, Ida Mabel Hedger, was perched on the edge of her wheelchair four blocks away at the Farragut North Metro Station in Northwest, shaking a change cup.
Rosie, as she is known to her friends, said that she has been living on the streets of our nation’s capital for the past 14 years, eating out of garbage cans and fending for herself. Hedger, like far too many homeless men, women, and children across the United States, knows the reality of skid row. “I’m going to die on the street—I got about six months left,” said Hedger, 78, a disabled widow from Winchester, Ky., who said that she became homeless after her husband died 15 years ago.
Hedger’s desperation ran concurrent with a press conference, chock full of congressmen, cabinet members, and media, to announce Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, which according to the 2010 report, is “a roadmap for joint action by the 19-member United States Interagency Council on Homelessness along with local and state partners in the public and private sectors.”
“It is estimated that nearly 2 million men, women, and children, experienced homelessness at some point during the last year,” said Barbara Poppe, the executive director of the U.S Interagency Council on Homelessness and one of six experts on the panel.
U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan outlined the Opening Doors plan, during the press conference, which attempts to allocate resources and align programs to achieve four main goals. “We will finish the job of ending chronic homelessness in five years; Prevent and end homelessness among veterans in five years; prevent and end homelessness for families, youth, and children in 10 years; and set a path to ending all types of homelessness,” he said.
Although Opening Doors may sound good on paper-- Hedger is skeptical of both the Obama administration and the plan. “I want people to know what Mr. Obama is doing—He’s not helping us,” Hedger said. “All he does is party, party, party… going overseas spending our money for trips, [while] nothing is being done about homelessness. He’s a talker…Everyday something is going on [in reference to President Obama’s glamorous lifestyle] – fancy food, fancy drink. What do we have—nothing? We eat out of a can,” she said. Hedger’s claims about President Obama may be unjustified, but it does not take away from the fact that the District’s homeless do not have faith in the current system.
Carl Turner, 58, a vendor of Street Sense, a District-based newspaper that helps the homeless earn income by letting them keep the proceeds of the newspapers they sell, said it is safer living on the street than it is living in homeless shelters. “Shelters are rough. You have people who steal, people who use drugs, violent people, mentally ill people – at least on the street you can find yourself a safe quiet place and feel safe,” Turner said. Originally from New York, Turner said he came to the District to care for his elderly mother and has subsequently become homeless. “They don’t have the proper security in the shelters,” he said.
Frustration is an inevitable outcome of life on the street, but the District is home to several homeless service providers that insist they are doing the best they can to address this growing epidemic. David H. Inoue, MPH, MHA, and the administrative director of the Christ House, a 24-hour nursing facility in Northwest, said, he and the Christ House staff are working hard to give proper health care to homeless people with acute health problems, but said they depend on the federal government for assistance. Inoue said the Opening Doors plan sounds ambitious, but not impossible. “I think with the limited resources that are allocated to this problem [the federal government is] doing as much as they can. The biggest problem is that homelessness is not something we, as a nation, have prioritized. There is not the political will to support services.”
The District of Columbia Department of Human Services also noted a significant increase in the amount of assistance they are receiving from the federal government. “We are seeing more involvement than ever before from the federal government in addressing homelessness in the District. Opening Doors is an example of that,” said Cheryl Holliday the acting Department of Human Service public information officer. “Moreover, the federal leadership has also come with crucial financial support for the District. The District received a federal appropriation last year of $17.2 million to support and expand our permanent supportive housing initiative.”
Several homeless agencies have said that housing subsidies are crucial to ending homelessness in the District, especially because family homelessness is on the rise. “Homelessness has increased for families over the past year,” said Michele Salters, 40, chief of programs at The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, the District’s largest non-profit homeless resource agency located in Southeast. “Probably the most significant thing that could happen [to end homelessness], which I was happy to see in the [Opening Doors] plan was the increase for the potential availability of housing subsidies. We certainly have a serious issue of poverty in the District. Without ongoing housing subsidies many individuals and families are not able to maintain housing on their own and— of course— our housing market is not affordable for people with low incomes.”
A 2010 report issued by the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, indicates that 6,539 people in the District were considered homeless in 2010—a 13.6 percent increase from 2007. Of the 2,593 single homeless clients who received assistance in shelters, throughout the District in 2010, men accounted for 76 percent, women accounted for 23.9 percent, and transgendered accounted for .1 percent. Within that same population 29.7 percent suffer from chronic health problems, 25.5 percent are chronic substance abusers, 2.7 percent are living with HIV/AIDS, 23.5 percent are physically disabled, and 21.4 percent are severely mentally ill.
Opening Doors reports there are more than 640,000 men, women, and children who are without housing on any single night in our country. Annually, that figure, more than doubles, with 1,558,917 people who experience homelessness at some point during any given year.
President Obama released a statement praising the new homelessness initiative produced by his Cabinet. “Now more than ever, we have the responsibility to tackle the national challenges like homelessness in the most cost-effective ways possible. Instead of simply responding once a family or a person becomes homeless, prevention and innovation must be at the forefront of our efforts. I was excited to receive Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness,” Obama said.
Benjamin Koconis
8 July 2010
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TASMANIA
At risk families are receiving the support they need earlier and fewer children are being unnecessarily referred to the Child Protection system under the Government’s reforms of child and family services.
The Minister for Children, Lin Thorp, today updated Parliament on the results of the reform program which was recommended in a 2006 report. Ms Thorp said that 180 of the 208 or 87 per cent of the recommendations have been completed with work on the remaining recommendations well underway. “This change represented one of the most fundamental transformations of our service system in years and it is starting to show positive results,” Ms Thorp said. “The primary aim was to tackle our ever increasing unallocated case list by targeting families early with support before they required child protection intervention.Four new Gateway Services were established in regions across Tasmania to act as a one stop shop for families needing help and support.”
In the March 2010 quarter, the Gateway Service received a total of 1250 referrals. Of those:
275 families with 654 children were referred for family support services
720 families required low level support such as information advice or referral to another service and
The remainder did not require a service.
“Importantly, only 22 families were referred to the acute end of the Child Protection service from the Gateways. A further 108 families were referred for family support services from the Child Protection system after notifications had been made.”
Ms Thorp said the figures showed early intervention in action which is the hallmark of a best practise and contemporary family services system. “The unallocated child protection list has been reduced by 99 per cent since its peak in December 2006. As at May this year, the number of unallocated cases stood at just five,” Ms Thorp said. “It is acknowledged that there has been an increase in the number of youths in care. Above all, we believe that this shows that the Child Protection is targeting its services in the right direction to the most vulnerable clients. So instead of diluting its service, the Child Protection system is now more successfully catching children at serious risk."
Key milestones in the reform agenda to date include;
Gateway Services were established in each of the four regions in August 2009, supported by an Intensive Family Support Service to intervene earlier with vulnerable families.
A therapeutic Early Years Parenting Support Service was established in January 2010 focusing on parents with children aged between 0 to 5 years, including unborn children.
A Strategic Out of Home Care framework has been finalised with the first step being the transitioning of therapeutic Residential Care to the non-government sector by the beginning of September this year.
A Residential Care practice consultant has been appointed to oversee the transition process and support the clients.
The Australian Childhood Foundation has been appointed to deliver therapeutic support for children in care.
A successful foster carer recruitment campaign was conducted and the focus is on maintaining the momentum. 61 new foster carers have been approved since the launch of the Real Carers Really Needed recruitment program, compared to 42 last year.
DHHS has worked with the Commissioner for Children to develop a pilot Children’s Visitor program which is currently underway.
DHHS has supported to Commissioner for Children in the development of a Charter of Rights for children in Out of Home care.
A Community Paediatrician position, jointly funded by Disability Child, Youth and Family Services (DCYFS) and the Royal Hobart Hospital, has been established to coordinate and deliver a state-wide clinical service for children and young people when physical, sexual abuse and/or neglect is suspected. The position is in the process of being filled.
Legislative amendments were made to the Children, Young Persons and their Families Act which allowed for improved information sharing, the establishment of community based intake services, an improved response to pre-natal concerns for children and the formal establishment of an Ashley Youth Detention Centre Residents’ Advocate position.
Source: Tasmania overnment
6 July 2010
http://www.media.tas.gov.au/release.php?id=29923
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UK
Working together to reduce re-offending
University of Gloucestershire students are working with Gloucestershire’s Restorative Justice (RJ) programme and bringing victims of crime together with those who committed the crime against them. Restorative Justice in Gloucestershire is based in HMP Gloucester, but covers the whole county, utilising volunteers from around Gloucestershire including third year Criminology student Charlotte Rhodes.
The project is jointly managed by Jemma Jewkes, HMP Gloucester, and Jane Marriot, Team Manager at Gloucestershire Youth Offending Service. It has started to implement this approach in Gloucestershire with the aim to reduce the number and severity of re-offending as well as to reduce the fear of crime and desire for revenge of the victims of crime.
“We have currently focused our work on offenders in prison but we are looking to extend this work to offer the opportunity to include victims where the offender is on a community sentence and working with young offenders at risk of offending,” said Jemma Jewkes. She added “Restorative Interventions lead to a reduction in re-offending, a key element of the Home Office Crime Strategy, Cutting Crime: A New Partnership and the Make Communities Safer. Restorative interventions will aim to both reduce the volume of re-offending, and the severity of re-offending.”
Reducing re-offending is a core function of custodial establishments, with all prisons required to have a resettlement service level agreement that reflects and links into both regional and national reducing re-offending strategies.
Dr David Turner, course leader for criminology at the University of Gloucestershire is a trained RJ Facilitator and has just enlisted two Criminology students to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the RJ project in Gloucestershire as the focus for their dissertation.
Caroline Little and Lewis Lincoln-Gordon will be assessing RJ as means to repairing the harm caused and how effective this is in the project’s first year of operation. Dr David Turner said “This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to engage in real criminological issues working with their criminology tutor and undertaking genuine applied research. Furthermore these students will be working alongside prison officers and youth offending officers as well as meeting offenders and their victims”.
The project expects to produce reports of their findings throughout 2010 and 2011 based on the research conducted by the students under the supervision of Dr David Turner.
Source: University of Gloucestershire
4 July 2010
http://www.cotswoldnews.com/news/1758/working-together-to-reduce-re-offending
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UK
Progress made in tackling youth alcohol misuse but still more to do, say inspectors
Youth offending teams (YOTs) have made good progress in identifying and addressing alcohol misuse in children and young people but further improvements must be made, said independent inspectors as they published a joint report on youth alcohol misuse and offending.
HM Inspectorate of Probation, the Care Quality Commission and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and Estyn carried out this inspection to determine whether youth offending and health services are sufficiently engaged and involved in efforts to reduce the impact of alcohol misuse by children and young people who offend.
The report re-emphasises the known link between alcohol misuse and health problems, underachievement in school and offending behaviour. It reports that YOTs are sufficiently aware of this link and are offering significant and effective health resources where alcohol misuse is seen to relate directly to offending. But there were too many inconsistencies found in the quality of assessments across England and Wales, suggesting children and young people who misuse alcohol are going without the appropriate help at times.
The report calls for all children and young people who come into contact with YOTs to receive a nationally validated health assessment by a health professional or case worker with health training to ensure that the appropriate interventions are offered. Among other recommendations, inspectors called for greater engagement with parents and for substance misuse issues, including alcohol, to be reported and adequately considered at YOT board management level.
Inspectors were pleased to find that:
most youth offending teams have made good progress towards recognising, identifying and meeting alcohol-related needs in children and young people over recent years;
the range of interventions being offered were generally good and included the provision of educational support and information used in prevention; and
feedback from parents and young people was positive about relationships with YOT staff and health workers.
Inspectors were concerned, however, that:
arrangements for assessments varied greatly and in some areas, there was an acceptance by case managers as to what they saw as a normal level of alcohol consumption which then impacted on their assessment;
assessments were seen to be of a good quality in only half of the cases examined;
there was little evidence of the needs of victims being well managed; and
the recording of outcomes from alcohol interventions was inconsistent.
Care Quality Commission chief executive, Cynthia Bower, said on behalf of all inspectorates: "It is critical that all alcohol-related care and support needs for children and young people are identified through consistently-good systems of assessment, which are likely to lead to the appropriate interventions and referrals where needed. Children and young people, as well as their parents and carers, must also be fully engaged in assessments and interventions, and the effectiveness of interventions must be better measured. The misuse of alcohol has wide ranging effects on long term health and on communities. It requires greater prominence as a crucial issue that local services and modern society must tackle.'
Notes
The Government's 2007 National Alcohol Strategy highlighted the fact that deaths caused by alcohol consumption had doubled in the past two decades with more people becoming ill and dying younger. The report also indicated that, although overall consumption of alcohol had reduced for 11-15 year olds, children who did consume alcohol were drinking more, and more often.
HM Inspectorate of Probation is an independent inspectorate, funded by the Ministry of Justice, and reporting directly to the Secretary of State on the effectiveness of work with individual offenders, children and young people aimed at reducing reoffending and protecting the public.
The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. The CQC regulates care provided by the NHS, local authorities, private companies and voluntary organisations. Its aim is to make sure better care is provided for everyone – in hospitals, care homes and people's own homes. The CQC also seeks to protect the interests of people whose rights are restricted under the Mental Health Act.
Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) is the independent inspectorate and regulator of all healthcare in Wales. HIW's primary focus is on: making a significant contribution to improving the safety and quality of healthcare services in Wales, improving citizens' experience of healthcare in Wales whether as a patient, service user, carer, relative or employee, strengthening the voice of patients and the public in the way health services are reviewed and ensuring that timely, useful, accessible and relevant information about the safety and quality of healthcare in Wales is made available to all.
Estyn is the office of Her Majesty's Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales. It is independent of, but funded by, the National Assembly for Wales.
Source: Care Quality Commission
1 July 2010
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/193544.php
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Parents can spot teen drug use and take steps to prevent it
Parents need to face the fact that drugs are widely used among teens -- even theirs. Hazelden outlines what signs parents can look for and what steps they can take if they discover their teens are using drugs.
Summer, with its promise of free time and relaxed adult supervision, can present prime opportunities for adolescents and teenagers to use alcohol or other drugs. Consider the facts:
Forty-four percent of high school seniors report drinking in the past 30 days
One-third of high school seniors report having used marijuana – as do 27 percent of 10th graders
Fifteen percent of eighth graders, 29 percent of 10th graders and 37 percent of 12th graders report using any illicit drug in the past year
These findings are from the most recent “Monitoring the Future” survey, an annual study of adolescent drug use sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. They underline the fact that drugs are widely used among teens today – a fact that parents need to face.
Psychiatrist Joseph Lee, M.D., adolescent addiction specialist at Hazelden’s Center for Youth and Families says, "You don't have to be an addict to experience problems from substance use. Many teens suffer terrible consequences from drugs and alcohol simply by experimenting. Accidents, deaths, unintentional overdoses, sexual trauma, violence and legal issues are a few of these pitfalls."
Since adolescence often brings dramatic changes in a child’s moods and behaviors, parents may have a difficult time spotting the signs of substance abuse. However, according to Hazelden, observing more than a few of the following signs means that it’s time for a parent to take action:
The smell of alcohol or odor of marijuana
Stealing or borrowing money
Defensiveness about activities and possessions
Unusual mood changes or temper outbursts
Marked changes in eating or sleeping habits
Decline in academic performance
Heavy use of perfumes, mouthwash or other scents to hide drug use
A bedroom littered with burned matches, pipes or other drug paraphernalia
Changes in friend groups
Significant change in personal appearance or hygiene
Loss of interest in usual activities or hobbies
Difficulty with concentration
Frequent visits to doctors for medical issues and prescriptions
The earlier a parent responds to such signs, the better. Lee offers the following guidelines:
Set the expectations in your home
Research indicates that parental disapproval deters adolescent drug use.
Remind your children that you expect them to avoid all alcohol or other
drug use – period. Set clear rules around alcohol and other drug use.
“Parenting is about leadership and modeling in adolescence,” Lee says.
“Don’t lose sight of the fact that you are incredibly influential at
this time in their lives. You can be up front about your shared value
system without being overbearing. Then model those values in your
actions and words.”
Talk about it
Develop a culture of open communication in your home, regardless of the
issue. That way, talking about drugs and alcohol won’t be an awkward
experience. If you suspect substance abuse, share your observations with
your child, while avoiding judgment. Stick to the facts and stay calm.
Don’t have the conversation if your child is under the influence of
alcohol or other drugs. Teens don’t process advice as well when they are
emotionally charged. If tempers flare, wait for a moment when cooler
heads prevail.
Take advantage of help
Parents don’t have to do this alone. Many professionals can help
intervene with your child, such as a family doctor, therapist, school
counselor or addiction counselor. In addition, turn to support groups
for teenagers and their families who are in recovery from addiction.
“Parents are at their best when they are being parents,” Lee remarks.
“Juggling the roles of parent, friend, and co-counselor can be
difficult. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you feel stretched.”
Help your child create a plan for
refusing drugs
The key is to come up with a plan that your teenager will actually use
in a social setting where kids are using drugs. Role play possible
scenarios and offer help while encouraging good decision making. Of
course, the best defense against substance use is prevention.
Get to know your teen’s world
Stay actively involved in your teen’s life. Get to know his or her
friends and their parents, and talk to their teachers. Association with
a poor choice of peers can easily lead to substance abuse. Take time
each week to ask what your child is thinking, feeling and doing – and
listen to the answers without interrupting. The more resources you have
the better the trust will be between you and your teen. They’ll also
feel less intrusion if you are a natural part of their social life. You
don’t have to be a helicopter parent to get results. Just stay tuned in.
Parents who want more information are encouraged to consult “Teen Alcohol and Other Drug Use: Knowing the Signs and What to Do About Them,” a 23-minute video and DVD produced by Hazelden. Visit Hazelden’s online bookstore or call 800-328-9000 for more on this video and other Hazelden educational resources.
Press release: PRWeb
30 June 2010
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/06/prweb4171404.htm
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