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  -- Shakespeare

Brevity on the Net

Wednesday, February 8, 2006

 A weekly newsletter about juvenile justice
from the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges,
Brevity brings you news and information from around the country and on the Internet.

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National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week February 6-10

The American Bar Association (BA) has put together a toolkit that can be used anytime, but is associated with this week in particular. The toolkit materials include a Teen Dating Violence Awareness DVD, a book of prevention recommendations highly recommended by teens, and a teacher’s guide among other contents. Below are links to some of the toolkit resources:

Teen Dating Violence Facts
Warning Signs
Teen Dating Violence Prevention Recommendations

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 Dayton’s Reclaiming Futures Program ‘Natural Helpers’

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Reclaiming Futures program relies on natural helpers to assist teens with substance abuse problems who are also in the juvenile justice system. Natural helpers are trained volunteers who find a connection between their personal interests and the youth they are coupled with. This article interviews natural helpers in Dayton, Ohio, one of ten Reclaiming Futures sites in the country.

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Federal Programs to Assist Youth with Serious Mental Health Conditions

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law has identified 57 programs run by 20 or more different agencies in nine departments of the federal government that can address the wide range of needs for teens with mental health conditions who are transitioning into adulthood. Moving On: Analysis of Federal Programs Funding Services for Transition-Age Youth with Serious Mental health Conditions is available from Bazelon. A complete set of fact sheets in 12 categories is available for download at the site.

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Family Group Decision-Making

The American Humane Association’s National Center on Family Group Decision Making has added a number of new resources online since the last time I visited the web site. Here are some representative samples:

Family Group Conferencing: Responses to the Most Commonly Asked Questions

Family Group Conferencing: A Message from the Bench

Family Group Conferencing: A Realistic Option for Juvenile Justice?

FGDM Training Schedule for 2006

And, from Casey Family Programs, another application of FGDM, a description of a Texas family-centered approach to child welfare.

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A New Medical Condition to Note: Selective Mutism

TIME Magazine reports on children who are talkative in private and silent, not just shy, in public. The root of the problem is described as an extreme form of social anxiety or phobia.

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THE LINK

The Winter 2006 issue of CWLA’s online newsletter examining  the link between juvenile justice and child welfare is available online. This issue has two articles:

Legal Analysis in Systems Integration, and
African American Males in Foster Care and the Risk of Delinquency

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Domestic Transracial Adoption

From the National Resource Center for Foster Care and Permanency Planning, an information packet on domestic transracial adoption. It includes a comprehensive set of fact sheets and resources and a bibliography.

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Internet Dangers for Teens

Predators on Teen Web Sites

Free services like MySpace, Xanga, Facebook and Friendster have attracted millions of young people who swap messages, find dates and post journals, songs, videos and photos. Sexual predators find these sites irresistible. Experts say parents aren’t paying enough attention.

Former NASCAR Spokesman Arrested in Internet Child-Predator Sting

The case against Richard “Chip” Williams could involve more than 50 children according to the statement of a 14-year-old girl who told police she had been having sex over the past three years with a man who is identified as Williams.

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California Supreme Court Shifts Balance in Parental Moves

The Supreme Court of California shifted the balance in fights between divorced parents with a ruling that eases the way for a parent with custody – usually the mother – to move away over her former mate’s objections. The court ruled a hearing in a move-away situation should be held only if necessary.

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"Internal Possession" of Alcohol

The state of New Hampshire can arrest minors for what is called “internal possession” of alcohol, to the point of being intoxicated. An underage person with drinks in his or her system often faces the same charge as one with a drink in hand. A handful of states have taken similar positions.

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A Change in Focus for Batterer Programs

In Texas ex-offenders are leading recent offenders to confront how their own decisions to use violence are linked to an underlying belief in male dominance in a prison and probation program for domestic batterers.

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Young Children of Substance Users: The Case for Alcohol and Other Drug Education

The prevalence of substance abuse in the US virtually guarantees that all children will have playmates, friends, and eventually adult friends and colleagues who have personal experience with alcohol and/or other drug problems.

This issue of The Source, the newsletter of the National Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center, is devoted to the need to educate all young children about the realities of substance abuse and to teach them how to handle their problems and feelings safely.

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Help for Kids of Jailbound Parents

The Iowa Child Advocacy Board and Drake University’s Middle Center for Children’s Rights want to organize volunteers who can quickly locate relatives or friends to care for children of jailbound Des Moines residents. They have a plan designed to prevent DHS involvement and allow families to be the solution. Under the plan, fewer children would enter he child welfare system solely because of a parent’s arrest and if the child is adopted, he or she is more likely to be adopted by relatives.

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2005 State Fact Sheets

CWLA’s web site includes a section of state fact sheets that provide descriptive information on the condition of vulnerable children using indicators of child protection, health, child care, education and income support.

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Conferences, a Resource, and a Film

Reinventing Children’s Services - February 23, 2006, Washington, D.C.

Financial and programmatic challenges facing the nation’s child welfare service call for a new national discussion on how to reinvent and reshape effective service for troubled children and their families. The NASW, the New America Foundation, First Star, and Policy America have invited leaders in the field to begin the discussion on the next generation of policies and programs. For more information contact David Stoesz  at davestoesz@aol.com

Open Minds: Implications of Adolescent Brain Research on the Juvenile Justice System -  March 14 and 25, 2006 – Madison, Wisconsin

A two-day cross-disciplinary look at the most recent research on the adolescent brain and how that research can inform work with juveniles in the juvenile justice system. Emphasis will be on developmentally appropriate treatment of children and how to make changes. Click above for brochure and registration form.

The Listening Heart

New documentary that chronicles the challenges of children, parents and families as they struggle with the consequences of Fatal Alcohol Syndrome. The director/producer of Listening Heart is Gabe Chasnoff who is also the son of Dr. Ira Chasnoff, who appears in the film. Dr. Chasnoff is one of the leading researchers in the field of maternal drug use during pregnancy and the effects on the newborn infant and child. Available in DVD and VHS.

Enriching Lives: Resources for mental health care providers helping traumatized rural children and their families

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the  Idaho State University Institute of Rural Health provide free consultation to providers in rural, frontier and tribal areas about interventions for child trauma, reimbursement, and recruiting and retaining personnel.

Join Us! !  Membership in NCJFCJ offers judges and juvenile court professionals the opportunity to get information about innovations and ideas, issues and news in juvenile justice and family law. Members receive the Juvenile & Family Court Journal and TODAY Magazine quarterly, and the Juvenile & Family Law Digest  every month. For a sample package of all three publications and information on how to become a member, send me your name and mailing address and I'll send you an information packet

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Joey Binard, Senior Program Manager
Technical Assistance Resource Center
Juvenile & Family Law Department
NCJFCJ

Brevity is supported by Grant No.2005-JL-FX-0065 from the 
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice