Policy Brief: Medicare to 26 for Former Foster Youth

We are pleased to share a new policy brief by our partner First Focus on Medicaid access for youth formerly in foster care. This brief provides an overview of the mandatory Medicaid coverage for former foster youth under the Affordable Care Act and explains issues regarding the “state option” around portability of coverage for former foster youth that aged out of care in another state.

Read the executive summary or the full policy brief from First Focus, through its State Policy Advocacy Reform Center.

National CASA would like to hear more from you about any challenges, issues, or concerns you have faced in working with youth on this issue.

Resource Available: Psychotropic Medications for Youth in Foster Care

The Children's Bureau has published a new guide on managing psychotropic medications written specifically for youth in foster care: Making Healthy Choices: A Guide on Psychotropic Medications for Youth in Foster Care. The guide was developed for the youth audience and can serve as a valuable discussion tool for child welfare professionals, foster parents, clinicians, health care providers, mentors, and others working with youth. The guide provides ways in which youth can manage powerful feelings and behaviors and make healthy, informed choices. It can help youth understand how psychotropic medication can help, as well as learn about other options that are available.

Read more about the guide and download the file at FindYouthInfo.gov.

Developing Trauma-Informed Approaches to Children in Courts

Understanding the impact of trauma on children of all ages and being trauma-informed is very important for judges, lawyers, court appointed special advocates, and all systems that interface with juvenile court. It is important to recognize how the approach to children and the work and decisions made by judges, lawyers and CASA volunteers will be different if they are trauma-informed. When individuals, be they children or adults, experience trauma it can be overwhelming and impact their capacity to cope. Children, especially young children, may feel helpless, fearful and hopeless because of trauma they have experienced, and have less ability to control and regulate their behaviors and emotions. Children and adolescent will have different reactions. Younger children may show their feelings by having frequent temper tantrums, hitting and throwing things. School-age children may have difficulty sitting still and concentrating in school; they may act out in negative ways or withdraw. Adolescents, especially with the influence of their peers, may show risky behaviors, substance use, delinquency and other negative behaviors that come to the attention of the juvenile justice system.

To read more, go here.

Phil Tedeschi Teaches us About the Impact of Animals in our Lives

TedX Talk:  Our pets are our family. Phil (and friend Samantha) share new insights into the importance of animals as sources of comfort and aid to people suffering from stress, depression, anxiety, trauma and other life issues. Watch the video here.

Moose and Emma approve.

Wings For Life - A Domestic Violence Survivor's Story

Wings for L.I.F.E.

(Life-skills Imparted to Families through Education)

Rebuilding Your Life:  Sarai Peterson,

“A Domestic Violence Survivor’s Story”

Presented By

Roswell Refuge

                        

505 N. Pennsylvania Avenue

Andy’s Place (Free to Public)

SUNDAY, October 12, 2014

6:00 PM to 7:30 PM

>Door Prize Drawing<

Doors open at 5:45 PM. Meeting starts at 6:00

Dinner provided & crafts for children in a family friendly environment

(Sitter available)

For Questions call:  Shelly @ 317-2042

Wings for L.I.F.E. is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization that provides education, life-skill training, and access to community resources

Webinar from CWLA on Trauma Informed Care: October 8

The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) is presenting a webinar to explore the new on-line, video-enhanced resource tool developed through a collaborative effort between JBS International and Georgetown University's National TA Center for Children's Mental Health. This tool is intended for use by state and local decision makers who want to build capacity for their child-serving systems and provider organizations to become more trauma-informed. The interactive webinar will explore portions of some of the eight modules that include video, issue briefs, and annotated resources.

“Trauma Informed Care: Perspectives and Resources” will be presented Wednesday, October 8, at 3:00 p.m. eastern time. Register at gotomeeting.com.

President Signs Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act

On September 29th, President Obama signed H.R. 4980, the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act, which is intended to "prevent and address sex trafficking of children in foster care, to extend and improve adoption incentives, and to improve international child support recovery."  You can read a summary here:  

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr4980?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email#summary