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Tag Archive: education

1. Building a Bridge for Youth in Foster Care to Higher Education

   February 14, 2019 4:19 pm 2 Comments

   For the nearly 500 youth who age out of Virginia’ Foster Care system, only 2% of them will graduate with a degree from a four year university. In fact, currently there are only 200 youth, who are in foster care, enrolled at Virginia universities. Research shows that young adults who experienced foster care have worse outcomes than their peers in the general population across a variety of spectrums — from education, to employment, to housing, to early parenthood. Examining data on these outcomes in Virginia is important as we strive to improve the practices, programs, and policies that help ensure these young people have the relationships, resources, and opportunities they need for well-being and success.

   In the last several years, Virginia has made investments in improving the outcomes of older youth, including our extended foster care program to 21 – Fostering Futures. However, while the state provides tuition waivers for youth who age out of foster care to attend Virginia community colleges, youth who choose to move on to a four year university do not receive tuition assistance. That leaves many students unable to afford the cost, in addition to living expenses.

   During the 2019 General Assembly Session, Delegate Jason Miyares (R) has filed a bill, HB2350,  that would extend the tuition waiver to youth who aged out of foster care who attend four year universities. The bill has passed out of the House of Delegates and is now making its way through the Senate.

   Voices will provide an update on the status of this legislation. You can read more about legislation we support, in our 2019 legislation blog here.

2. Speak Up for Kids: May is Mental Health Awareness Month!

   April 22, 2013 7:30 pm Comments Off on Speak Up for Kids: May is Mental Health Awareness Month!

   At the Campaign, we are very excited about a new partnership with the Child Mind Institute in New York and its “Speak Up for Kids” initiative in May: “The centerpiece of Speak Up for Kids 2013 is a series of marquee events—livestreamed talks and roundtable discussions by our nation’s mental health leaders—that expose and address the real barriers that stand in the way of effective mental health care for children and families.”

   There is an AMAZING lineup of 16 webinars throughout the month of May, and you have the opportunity to host viewing parties—gatherings of interested folks, whether work colleagues, parents, or clients of your organization – to view the webinars together and then discuss. I have discussion guides available if you would like to organize a viewing party. No group is too large or too small! Also, if the time of the live webinar is not convenient, you can host a viewing party at a later time that works for you. All webinars will be available on the Child Mind website.

   Topics include everything from teen addictions, brain research, fighting stigma, and partnering with your pediatrician, and speakers include young people, parents, Congressman Patrick Kennedy and NIMH director Dr. Tom Insel. There is truly something for everyone!

   The Child Mind Institute is offering the webinars and discussion guides totally free of charge, and we are excited to bring this opportunity to your attention. Please let us know if you would like to host a viewing party: margaret@vakids.org.

   

3. USF Webinars: Children’s Mental Health

   June 4, 2012 3:07 pm Comments Off on USF Webinars: Children’s Mental Health

   Community Solutions at the University of South Florida hosts free webinars twice a month on a variety of topics that are helpful to anyone working to build the children’s mental health system. Below is a list of dates and topics. You can click on the links below to register or go to the Community Solutions website.

    

   Webinars (To register, please visit the individual webinar pages using the links below. Times listed are EST)
   May 23, 2:00 PM: Daniel Dawes		Health Reform: A Bridge to Health Equity
   June 12, 2:00 PM: Brittany Smith		Social Media Series Part 1: Why it Matters for Children’s Mental Health
   July 11, 2:00 PM: Brittany Smith		Social Media Series Part 2: Developing a Social Media Strategy for Children’s Mental Health
   June 26, 2:00 PM: Mary I. Armstrong		What Does the Evidence Tell us? Successful Strategies for Collaboration in System of Care
   August 7, 2:00 PM: Katherine J. Lazear and Stephen Roggenbaum		Saving Lives: A Framework for Suicide Prevention in Schools
   August 21 , 2:00 PM: Sharon Hodges and Kathleen Ferreira		Who’s in Charge Here? Governance in Systems of Care
   September 12 , 2:00 PM: Marlene Matarese, Michelle D. Zabel, JoeAnne Hurst		Developing Centers of Excellence: A Strategy to Build Local Capacity for Centralized Cross-System Collaboratives, Workforce Development Initiatives, and Research and Evaluation in Systems of Care
   Sept 25, 2:00 PM: Kathleen Ferreira and Sharon Hodges		Partnerships with Families in Systems of Care: Strategies for Success
   October 16, 2:00 PM: Don Kincaid		School-wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS): Working Together to Implement Systems Change Across Schools, Districts, and States
   October 30, 2:00 PM: Sharon Hodges and Kathleen Ferreira		Thinking Systemically: Six Lessons of System of Care Implementation
   Nov. 13 , 2:00 PM: Kathleen Ferreira and Sharon Hodges		Connecting Data to Decision Making in Systems of Care
   Dec. 4, 2:00 PM: Mary I. Armstrong		How do we Know what is Happening at the Practice Level in Systems of Care?
   Dec. 19, 2:00 PM: Lisa Lambert		Asking Families: How Data from Families can Inform Policy and Practice