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Unintended Consequences: Reverberations Of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Lauren Heidbrink

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

This paper details the socio-legal factors that shape the relationship between the child, the family, and the state, and the ways unaccompanied migrant children’s lives have come to be defined and contested. The legal identity of migrant children is socially situated within a history that intertwines social movements of helping professionals, legal jurisdictions characterized by increasingly intolerant approaches to juveniles, and shifts in the treatment of unauthorized migrant youth under immigration law over time. In a globalized world, this triangular relationship between children, families, and the state becomes increasingly complex and dynamic. Social policies and legal norms often lag far …

The Journey To Oz: How Practice, Research, And Law Have Been Used To Combat Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking In Kansas, Karen I. Countryman-Roswurm, Bailey Patton Brackin

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking is a form of modern day slavery and is one of the most hidden means of child abuse in the United States. In response to encountering the reality of this abuse and exploitation of our children, multidisciplinary professionals in Kansas were impassioned to develop and implement collaborative practices, community-based research, and law and policy in order to combat trafficking. This paper presents a summary of such efforts that, expanding over a decade, have culminated in a new Kansas Anti-Trafficking Law. A brief summary of the definitions and demographics of trafficking are provided followed by a …

Education Of Children With Disabilities: Voices From Around The World, Shannon Peairson, Cary Haynes, Charles Johnson, Carol Bergquist, Kash Krinhop

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

Education of Children with Disabilities: Voices from Around the World combines research on children with disabilities and women/girls with disabilities. These projects provided opportunities to interview disability professionals, policy-makers and persons with disabilities from around the world with the purpose of learning about needs, issues and services, in diverse countries. A unique international analysis, this research compares various cultural responses on the education of children with disabilities emphasizing the girl child. Discussion includes findings based on 177 interviews of disability professionals from over 57 countries including the stated reasons and consequences of lost educational opportunities. Techniques locating participants included internet …

Focusing On Children’S Strengths: Accessing Effective Mental Health Services For Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth Through Collaboration And Understanding Federal Entitlements To Care, Fiza A. Quraishi, Hannah Benton

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

Between 65 and 70 percent of youth in the juvenile justice system have mental health disorders, with some studies estimating that at least 20 percent of these youth have severe disorders that significantly impair functioning. Many of these youth are entitled to adequate and responsive mental health services through federal programs like Medicaid’s Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment Program (EPSDT), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). Despite these entitlements to care, by and large, the systems that serve youth fail to provide mental health services that address …

Representing The Educational Experiences Of Black Girls In A Juvenile Court School, Monique W. Morris Ed.D.

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

Multiple, intersecting factors contribute to the over-representation of youth of color, including Black girls, in the juvenile justice system, and specifically, in confinement. This study examined the self-identified, educational experiences of Northern California Black girls in confinement. This phenomenological study found that Black girls in trouble with the law experience a history of exclusionary discipline and poor relationships with schools that are exacerbated by the absence of a learning environment in confinement that emphasizes their ability to build positive relationships with teachers and each other. The study also found that the use of exclusionary discipline was heightened in the juvenile …

Education Not Incarceration: A Conceptual Model For Reducing Racial And Ethnic Disproportionality In School Discipline, Kent Mcintosh, Erik J. Girvan, Robert H. Horner, Keith Smolkowski

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

Extension of retribution- and incapacitation-based criminal justice policies and practices to schools has exacerbated racial and ethnic disproportionality in school discipline, a serious and unsolved threat to equity in education and social opportunity. Common approaches implemented to reduce discipline disproportionality have not been shown to be widely effective. A more comprehensive, theory-driven understanding of the factors associated with disproportionate discipline is needed to enhance equity. In this article, we propose a conceptual model of how racial and ethnic bias affects school discipline, with direct implications for practical interventions. The model includes a multidimensional view of bias, informed by research from …

Housing And Child Health: Safety Net Strategies, Regulations And Neighborhood Challenges, Daniel Skinner Ph.D., Jenelle Donovan-Lyle, Kelly J. Kelleher M.D., M.P.H.

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

Abstract: “Improving Neighborhoods: An Innovative Program of Hospital-Community Collaboration”

Although often overlooked as a key factor in health status, stable and affordable housing plays a critical role in protecting children and adolescents. This article examines possibilities as well as challenges in health-oriented housing interventions for children, with particular attention to understanding how the law—and its limits—shape the nature of non-profit housing work. First, the authors discuss the scholarly literature on the relationship between health and housing to consider why healthcare institutions generally and children’s hospitals specifically might enter into the challenging fray of housing advocacy for the poor. They then …

Co-Enrollment For Child Health: How Receipt And Loss Of Food And Housing Subsidies Relate To Housing Security And Statutes For Streamlined, Multi-Subsidy Application, Megan Sandel, Diana Cutts, Alan Meyers, Stephanie Ettinger De Cuba, Sharon Coleman, Maureen M. Black Ph.D,, Patrick H. Casey, Mariana Chilton, John T. Cook, Amanda Shortell, Timothy Heeren, Deborah Frank

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

In light of recent policy debates around funding food and housing subsidies, the combined influence of these programs on housing security (HS), defined as housing without crowding or frequent moves, remains unstudied. In a multi-city study of young children, federal nutrition and housing subsidies together increased the odds of HS, whereas loss of nutrition subsidies lowered the odds of HS even after controlling for housing subsidy receipt. Ensuring eligible families’ access to both nutrition and housing subsidies may sustain HS. The results of this study inform and support current efforts by states to streamline online applications for social services and …

Legal Safety Nets: The Law As A Change Agent For Children, Robert D. Sanborn, Angelo P. Giardino

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

Robert Sanborn and Angelo P. Giardino's introduction for Volume 5, Issue 2: Legal Safety Nets

Impact And Predictors Of Noncircular Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Shapes On Estimating Aortic Stenosis Severity By Means Of Continuity Equations, Nirmanmoh Bhatia, Buddhadeb Dawn, Tariq S Siddiqui, Marcus F Stoddard

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Determining aortic stenosis (AS) severity is clinically important. Calculating aortic valve (AV) area by means of the continuity equation assumes a circular left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT). The full impact of this assumption in calculating AV area is unknown. Predictors of noncircular LVOT shape in patients with AS are undefined.

In 109 adult patients with AS who underwent multiplanar transesophageal echocardiography, we calculated AV area by means of the standard continuity method and by a modified method involving planimetric LVOT area.

We found 54 circular, 37 horizontal-oval, 8 vertical-oval, and 10 irregular LVOTs. Area derived by direct planimetry correlated better …

Improved Systemic Saturation After Ventricular Assist Device Implantation In A Patient With Decompensated Dextro-Transposition Of The Great Arteries After The Fontan Procedure, Ali Abdul Jabbar, Wayne J Franklin, Leo Simpson, Andrew B Civitello, Reynolds M Delgado, O H Frazier

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

We report the successful implantation of a HeartMate II left ventricular assist device after a failed Fontan procedure in a patient with dextro-transposition of the great arteries. The patient had developed significant intrapulmonary arteriovenous shunting. Despite the theoretical risk of worsening intrapulmonary shunting due to the decrease in systemic vascular resistance after device implantation, our patient did well. He was discharged from the hospital in stable condition and had better oxygen saturation than before the device was implanted. To our knowledge, ours is the 2nd report of the use of a ventricular assist device after the failure of a Fontan …

Using Appreciative Inquiry To Identify Strengths In Refugee And Immigrant Families: Implication For Family And Community Assessment, Noël Bezette-Flores, Sacha Lazarre

Journal of Family Strengths

Houston is a diverse and international city. According to the U.S. Census (2000) the racial makeup of the city was 49.3% Caucasian, 25.3% African American, 5.3% Asian, Native American 5.3%, 16.5 % other and 37% Hispanic. In an effort to improve upon existing strengths within the refugee and immigrant families living in Houston communities the Office of International Communities along with the Mayor’s advisory Committee of Immigrant and refugee affairs (Advisory Committee Office of International Communities) tasked an engagement working group to explore the aspirations of the families utilizing an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) methodology with the goal of informing service …

Annual Report 2014-2015, Houston Academy Of Medicine - Texas Medical Center Library

Annual Reports: 1943 - Present

This file contains the Annual Report for the library from 2014-2015.

Ms225: 2015 Faculty Meeting Minutes, Thomas R. Cole

Thomas R. Cole, PhD Papers

Original Filename: Faculty Meeting Minutes 010715.docx. Format Details: fmt/412; Microsoft Word for Windows; 2007 onwards. See more at Thomas R. Cole, PhD Papers and its finding aid.

Ms225: Faculty Meeting Project Updates, Thomas R. Cole

Thomas R. Cole, PhD Papers

Original Filename: Faculty Minutes 041207.doc. Format Details: fmt/40; Microsoft Word Document; 97-2003. See more at Thomas R. Cole, PhD Papers and its finding aid.

Caring Minds, University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston School Of Nursing

Caring Minds

No abstract provided.

Mentoring Moms: The Critical Health And Safety Needs Of Pregnant Offenders In The Harris County Sherriff’S Office Reentry Program., Judith A. Harris Phd, Jennifer Herring Msw

Journal of Family Strengths

This article highlights the benefits of collaboration between academia and programs within an urban jail. Staff from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Reentry program and Senior Seminar students from the University of Houston Downtown (UHD) Criminal Justice Department have come together to form a partnership where the core project is focused on community reentry. In addition to providing services for inmates, such a platform provides each student with ongoing career opportunities. One such program, Mentoring Moms focuses on the critical health and safety needs of pregnant offenders through an established curriculum under the supervision of licensed case managers.

Strategies For Practice In Helping Fathers Step Up To The Plate And Stay Engaged, Joshua Kirven

Journal of Family Strengths

In times of stress or crisis for families, one effective approach practitioners can use is the conceptual framework of family strengths as a mechanism to promote strong, healthy relationships. The purpose of this article is to familiarize practitioners with the family strengths perspective and encourage them to incorporate family strengths into working with fathers. Clinical impressions will be discussed, including introducing Holistic Integration Techniques (HIT), along with other intervention strategies for practitioners implement. The concept of family strengths has been studied for several decades and describes a family that functions optimally in support of the individual members, including fathers. When …

Family Strengthening Programs: Where Do We Go From Here?, Anne Jones, Pajarita Charles

Journal of Family Strengths

Family fragility in the US, especially among unmarried, impoverished parents is of increasing concern to policymakers, researchers, and practitioners involved with promoting family stability and positive outcomes for children. Federal initiatives such as the Welfare-to-Work Program and the Health Marriage Initiative have fallen far short of their goals of fostering economic mobility and intact families.

Between 2007 and 2011 the Strong Couples-Strong Children (SC – SC) project enrolled 726 low-income, expecting and new parents into a relationship strengthening program. Participants received a manualized group intervention focusing on communication and problem-solving skills supplemented with family-care wrap-around services. While beneficial treatment effects …

Exploring Adaptation And Fidelity In Parenting Program Implementation: Implications For Practice With Families, Steven E. Lize, Arlene B. Andrews, Pippin Whitaker, Cheri Shapiro, Nina Nelson

Journal of Family Strengths

The vast majority of evidence-based programs (EBPs) for parenting are manualized and, as evaluated in research settings, have been implemented with a high degree of fidelity. In the real world, providers make changes to evidence-based programs they deliver, including combining programs and modifying materials to meet client needs. Additional research on adaptation of EBPs delivered in natural settings is needed to understand the nature of and reasons for adaptation in program delivery. Moore, Bumbarger, & Cooper (2013) proposed a taxonomy for categorizing adaptations based on fit, timing, and valence. In order to examine the utility of this taxonomy, a qualitative …

Conceptualizing A Trauma Informed Child Welfare System For Indian Country, James C. Caringi, Hal A. Lawson

Journal of Family Strengths

The creation of trauma-informed systems that use evidence-based, culturally competent interventions for affected children and families is a priority in Indian Country because mounting evidence from adverse childhood experiences research with American Indians documents the incidence and prevalence of trauma. What is more, an emergent line of research documents secondary traumatic stress (STS) in the adult workforce, which reduces their ability to help affected children and families and contributes to workforce turnover. The development of a trauma-informed system entails evidence-based detection, treatment, and prevention mechanisms for children, families, and STS-affected social services professionals. With tribal child welfare systems as a …

Uunderstanding Program Engagement And Attrition In Child Abuse Prevention, Lana O. Beasley Phd, Jane F. Silovsky Phd, Leigh E. Ridings Ma, Tyler J. Smith Ba, Arthur Owora Mph

Journal of Family Strengths

Engaging and retaining families is a common challenge when serving families at high risk. McCurdy and Daro’s (2001) Integrated Theory of Parental Involvement (ITPI) proposes factors that impact engagement and retention in services. While several studies have found varying family demographic and risk factors to be associated with family engagement in home-based services, (withheld citation for purpose of review) identified program and provider characteristics that predicted engagement and retention (withheld citation for purpose of review). Specifically, SafeCare (SC) had greater enrollment (4 times) and retention (8.5 times) rates than services as usual (SAU), likely due to SC’s skill-based approach targeting …

Evidence-Based Elements Of Child Welfare In-Home Services, Lisa E. D'Aunno, Shamra Boel-Studt, Miriam J. Landsman

Journal of Family Strengths

In this article we discuss evidence-based elements of effective in-home child welfare services as a foundation for advancing the evidence base for family-centered child welfare practice. In 2009 the U.S. Children’s Bureau established the National Resource Center for In-Home Services to build the capacity of state and tribal child welfare agencies to ensure the safety and well-being of children and youth in their homes, prevent their initial placement or re-entry into out-of-home care, and to support families in their role as primary caregivers. Through a nationwide assessment of in-home services conducted over four years of research and technical assistance, we …

Development And Evaluation Of The Family Asset Builder: A New Child Protective Services Intervention To Address Chronic Neglect, Tyler W. Corwin, Erin J. Maher, Monica Idzelis Rothe, Maggie Skrypek, Caren Kaplan, Dan Koziolek, Brenda Mahoney

Journal of Family Strengths

Over the past 20 years, neglect has been the most pervasive form of child maltreatment in the United States, affecting more than half a million children annually. Further, neglect is more likely than other forms of maltreatment to occur repeatedly within child welfare-involved families. Children experiencing neglect, especially early in childhood and with regularity, face long-term deleterious effects on their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. Despite the ubiquity of neglect throughout child welfare and the potentially devastating consequences, interventions designed to target families chronically reported to Child Protective Services (CPS) for neglect are scant. The Family Asset Builder intervention …

Enhancing Child Care For Children With Special Needs Through Technical Assistance, Cyleste C. Collins, Rob Fischer, Nina Lalich

Journal of Family Strengths

Children with special needs often require additional supports in child care settings. The provision of technical assistance (TA) and consultation to child care teachers is an established method for addressing this need. This study expands on existing research by bringing the perspective of different adults (parents, technical assistance consultants, teachers, and child care center directors) together to better understand the experiences of all parties involved in TA cases for children between the ages of three and five. The concerns most frequently leading to the consultation were social-emotional-behavioral (50.5%), developmental (32.3%), medical (28.3%), and environmental risk (14%), and one quarter of …

Child Welfare Involved Caregiver Perceptions Of Family Support In Child Mental Health Treatment, Geetha Gopalan, Mary Acri, Marina Lalayants, Cole Hooley, Eddie Einbinder

Journal of Family Strengths

Families involved in the child welfare system have disproportionately high rates of child mental health difficulties coupled with co-occurring stressors which impede access to child mental health treatment and therapeutic benefits. Peer support providers, an emerging workforce within child-serving settings, show particular promise at facilitating access to services, particularly for individuals with stigmatizing conditions. However, the perceived benefits of utilizing peer support providers from the perspective of child welfare-involved families is unknown. The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe peer support provided services and their perceived benefits within the Multiple Family Group (MFG) service delivery model, a clinician- …

Religious Faith And Depression Among Child Welfare Involved Mothers With Young Children, Elissa E. Madden, Donna M. Aguiniga, Karen T. Zellmann

Journal of Family Strengths

Using secondary data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Survey of New Parents, this study explores the association between religion and depression in a nationwide sample of mothers with young children who were referred to Child Protective Services (N=344). The findings suggest that, when controlling for other contextual factors, mothers who viewed their religious faith as a guide for their daily lives were more than three times as likely to have experienced depression within the last year. Additionally, mothers who attended religious services a few times a month were significantly less likely to experience depression than mothers who reported …

Exploring Child Welfare Workers' Attitudes And Practice With Fathers, Tanya M. Coakley, Allyson Kelley, Robin Bartlett

Journal of Family Strengths

This cross-sectional study explored child welfare agency workers' attitudes and practice regarding working with fathers whose children are at-risk for abuse and neglect. Agency workers completed a questionnaire about their attitudes towards working with fathers, their knowledge of barriers to fathers' engagement, and their experiences with their own fathers. They also completed open-ended items about services and supports they felt would be most helpful to fathers. A content analysis of the data revealed critical themes for four areas that workers felt could be enhanced to effectively engage fathers: (a) use diligent efforts that ensure fathers are present to contribute, (b) …

Strengths Based Approaches To Practice And Family Drug Courts: Is There A Fit?, Margaret H. Lloyd, Jody P. Brook

Journal of Family Strengths

Substance abuse among child welfare service recipients has proven to be a challenging obstacle to child safety, permanence and well-being. The use of family drug courts as a specialized intervention for working with substance affected families has risen dramatically in the past decade, and emanates from the notion of therapeutic jurisprudence. At the same time family drug courts have grown, the use of strengths based approaches to practice has also proliferated among child welfare practitioners. This work examines the intersection of family drug courts and strengths based practices, and encourages to reader to consider that while the court system would …

Assessing The Cross-Cultural Reliability And Validity Of A Measure Of Parent Satisfaction Among Head Start Caregivers, Anne E. Day Leong

Journal of Family Strengths

Accurately assessing caregiver satisfaction in their child’s education creates an opportunity for two-sided conversations between caregivers and schools that fosters active family involvement in education. In response to the need for accurate assessment of caregiver satisfaction, Fantuzzo, Perry and Childs (2006) created the Parent Satisfaction in Educational Experiences Scale (PSEE) specifically for low-income caregivers of preschool aged children attending Head Start preschool programs as well as caregivers of kindergarten students. Although the PSEE presents an opportunity to engage caregivers, the measure has not yet been validated on a sufficient sample of men or a sample of caregivers born outside of …