Announcements

OJJDP recently launched its new training and technical assistance request system, TTA360. TTA360 is used by all of OJJDP’s training and technical assistance providers and offers a single point-of-entry for requesters to access the full range of OJJDP’s services.

CDC has conducted the first national study on the use of behavioral therapy, medication, and dietary supplements as treatments for children, ages 4-17, with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Results show that about four in 10 children with ADHD were treated with medication alone, one in 10 received behavioral therapy alone, three in 10 were treated with both medication and behavioral therapy, and one in 10 received neither medication nor behavioral therapy. Overall, about one in 10 children took dietary supplements for ADHD. Learn more.

Women’s Health Week — May 10-16, 2015 — is an opportunity to encourage women to take control of their health. The National Women’s Health Week website includes an interactive checklist with suggestions for good health for women of all ages, as well as a pledge women across the country can take, committing themselves to take steps for better health. Learn more.

USDA Secretary, Tom Vilsack, announced the selection of 30 university students to attend “Smart Agriculture in the 21st Century,” USDA’s 2015 Agricultural Outlook Forum, which will be held February 19-20, 2015, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, VA. USDA chose 20 college students based on an essay about "Agriculture as a Career” and 10 graduate students based on their essay about "The Greatest Challenge Facing Agriculture over the Next Five Years.” Learn more.

“Sticker Shock: Calculating the Full Price Tag for Youth Incarceration” estimates the long-term costs incurred by taxpayers as a result of the negative outcomes of incarcerating juvenile offenders. Such long-term costs include the effects of recidivism, fewer future earnings and tax revenues, additional public assistance spending, and higher victimization rate. These long-term costs could cost taxpayers $8-$21 billion each year. The report offers recommendations for reducing incarceration, including shifting funding to community-based alternatives and investing in diversion and prevention programs. This report was released by the Justice Policy Institute. Learn more.

This blog post provides easy to follow, step-by-step instructions on how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Learn more.

Two new reports published by ACF describe what is known about the human service needs of LGBT populations and discuss areas for future research:

• Human Services for Low-Income and At-Risk LGBT Populations: An Assessment of the Knowledge Base and Research Needs — explores what is known about the human service needs of low-income and at-risk LGBT people and their interactions with human services, especially those funded by ACF, and identifies important topics for further research in this area.
• Recognize, Intervene, Support, and Empower (RISE) Report — survey to determine the number of youth in L.A. County’s foster care system who identify as LGBTQ, and an intentional model to address both the system-level and individual-level bias against LGBTQ youth in foster care.

Learn more.

SPARK Talks is a new video series from SPRC. In these short, provocative, action-oriented, realistic, and knowledgeable videos, leaders in the suicide prevention movement describe developments in the field that can have an impact on suicide. Learn more.

This report examines new tools to gauge and prevent potential school crises and new uses for familiar technologies in school settings. It also highlights successful safety programs in urban and rural schools. Learn more (PDF, 82 pages).  

HHS Secretary Burwell presented the President’s HHS Budget for Fiscal Year 2016, which includes key investments in health centers, the Precision Medicine initiative, biomedical and behavioral research, and domestic and international preparedness. Learn more.

A new study indicates that American children and teens, 9-18 years old, who smoke may also use a variety of other nicotine delivery systems, including e-cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, hookahs, and pipes. Potential harms of using multiple products include increased nicotine exposure during brain development and risk of nicotine addiction. 

“Substance Use Disorders Today: Access, Recovery, and the ACA” was the first ONDCP and SAMHSA meeting on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Leading experts in the fields of substance use and mental health treatment gathered on January 21, 2015, to discuss the latest programs and policies and how ACA is expanding coverage and access to services. Learn more.

The 2015-2016 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is currently available online and is free to complete on a secure government website. This blog post provides a list of seven things that students should have on hand while completing the FAFSA. Learn more.

The CDC’s National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey found that teens and young adults are the group most likely to arrive at a hospital emergency department with injuries suffered in a motor vehicle accident. The study found race to be another factor that increased an individual’s chances of crash-related emergency room visits, with higher injury rates for blacks than whites or Hispanics. Learn more.

In observance of National Runaway Prevention Month, this slideshow provides tips for youth-serving professionals and programs on how they can keep youth from running away and help them if they do run. Learn more.  

This guide informs administrators working in correctional settings about the benefits and challenges of using “video visiting,” in which incarcerated individuals communicate with family members via video conferencing technology or virtual software programs. The guide discusses reasons to consider video visiting, implementation considerations, and evaluating a video visiting program. Learn more.

This blog post explains some of the most common myths associated with financial aid, such as those related to eligibility and the type of information required in the application. Learn more.

The Community Preventive Services Task Force offers recommendations, findings, and other materials on a variety of programs related to academic success, health, and well-being of children and teens. Intended for center-based, full-day kindergarten, high school completion, and out-of-school time academic programs, recommendations are based on a systematic review of the scientific literature. Learn more.

In observance of National Runaway Prevention Month, this slideshow provides tips for youth-serving professionals and programs on how they can youth from running away and helping them if they do run. Learn more.