Families comprising a parent, child, or youth who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, two-spirit (LGBTQI2-S) or transitioning navigate
varying levels of acceptance and support when accessing and utilizing needed services within the mental health system.
Search page for resources from Child Welfare Information Gateway, the Children’s Bureau (CB), CB-funded projects, and other leading organizations in child welfare.
A system of care is: A spectrum of effective, community-based services and supports for children and youth with or at risk for mental health or other challenges and their families, that is organized into a coordinated network, builds meaningful partnerships with families and youth, and addresses their cultural and linguistic needs, in order to help them to function better at home, in school, in the community, and throughout life.
The landscape for the organization and financing of behavioral health services for children and adolescents is rapidly shifting in the United States as a result
of state and local budgetary pressures, large-scale Medicaid redesign initiatives in states, and opportunities and challenges posed by national health reform
Advances in many areas of research, such as brain development, are showing that young children, including infants, can experience significant mental health problems. These studies confirm that the developmental journey towards positive mental health begins early, founded upon the first years of life. Studies have also found that children whose families experience stressors, such as parents with serious mental illness, families experiencing violence, families with histories of abuse and neglect, have the best outcomes when interventions focus on the entire family and not just the child.
Violence, abuse, and bullying are frequent realities for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD). Criminal justice professionals, self-advocates (people with disabilities), family members, and disability professionals must collaborate and learn from one another to safeguard the
lives of people with disabilities as they live independently in their communities.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by differences in social interaction and communication, as well as the presence of restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interest or activities. People who have ASD may experience a range of symptoms and characteristics.
Module 3 – Skill Building Practices This module provides summarizes important skills that can create a positive environment and improve quality of life.
