Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • ADHD drugs could help ice addicts kick the habit

    Three Australian states are using ADHD medication to reduce cravings for patients in detox from methamphetamine use s part of a trial. The trials are a first worldwide and researchers hope the method will result in better social outcomes for recovering drug abusers.

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  • ‘You can't teach a child without family': It's the magic ingredient at one preschool

    Christopher House, a nonprofit organization in Boston, believes wraparound services and family support are key to running a successful preschool. “You can’t teach a child without family,” says Karen Ross-Williams, director of early-childhood and youth development for Christopher House. “This is what makes the difference, when you’re able to partner with the family." In return for free services such as trauma counseling and parenting classes, the nonprofit asks that parents stay as actively involved as possible in the school community.

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  • In Boerne, a Youth Suicide Prevention Effort that May Actually Work

    Going above and beyond state-mandated minimums for suicide prevention training in schools reduces teen suicides. In Boerne, Texas, the Boerne Independent School District enrolls teachers, students, staff, and mental health professionals in its suicide prevention program. Boerne ISD developed an aggressive plan, including yearly training, suicide prevention curricula, and a database to help identify and track high-risk teens.

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  • North Dakota Prison Officials Think Outside The Box To Revamp Solitary Confinement

    Prison officials in North Dakota have revamped solitary confinement, inspired in part by Norway's system, which focuses on “punishment that works.” There is much less focus on using isolation to punish small infractions and more emphasis on mental health and helping inmates learn new skills to change behavior. The shift has reduced tensions between guards and prisoners, fostering better relationships and less disruptive behavior and suicide attempts by inmates.

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  • Prison hurts women more than men — so England is trying a new approach

    In the United Kingdom, all 12 women's prisons have implemented a program to “treat trauma through the lens of gender” in an effort to address the root causes that drive women into prison. It's based on work by the Center for Gender and Justice in California and focuses on training staff to understand trauma, as well as helping inmates heal from trauma. Initial results are promising, but there are serious challenges to implementing this strategy on a systemic basis.

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  • In a state troubled by suicide, teens learn mental health skills

    Making space for mental health awareness in school curricula aids in suicide prevention among teens. Schools in rural Montana have begun to adopt the Youth Aware of Mental Health program (YAM), which originated in Sweden. An initiative at the Center for Mental Health Research and Recovery at Montana State University succeeding in developing the pilot program, launched in 2018. The ongoing classes serve as a safe space for discussion and student-driven activities, using role-play scenarios and teaching students how to look out for signs of mental illness and reach out for help.

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  • The lifelong consequences of childhood trauma

    Trauma-informed care and social support systems encourage resilience in the face of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). With evidence of strong links between childhood trauma and long-term health, behavioral, and even social issues in adulthood, programs like the Best Beginnings Children’s Partnership of the Flathead Reservation and Lake County in Montana and the BARR (Building Assets, Reducing Risks) curriculum promote healing and resilient thinking. Creating positive, supportive environments also reduces the likelihood of passing down inter-generational trauma.

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  • Neighbors on call to help care for one another

    Although Haiti and Montana appear to be vastly different places, they have a few important things in common; they are geographically rural, they both face high rates of mental illness and a shortage of mental health care workers, and they are both combatting this problem by utilizing Community Health Workers. These workers regularly visit people who struggle with mental health issues to check up on them and ensure that they stay on track with their treatment, and provide consistent support.

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  • New intervention plan linked to lower risk of veteran suicides

    A program called the Safety Planning Intervention is reducing the occurrence of repeat suicide attempts among veterans. The program helps veterans establish a safety plan and identify a support network that they can rely on during times of crisis.

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  • New prison unit opens to help young female inmates

    Connecticut’s women's prison launched a new unit in 2018 devoted to rehabilitation and reintegration. It’s based on prisons for young offenders in Germany, which the state's governor and the head of corrections visited, after which they worked with the Vera Institute of Justice to design one for Connecticut. The women’s unit follows the opening of a similar program for young male offenders where they are mentored by older inmates and receive counseling and education to reduce recidivism.

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