Announcements

This guide offers strategies for engaging with and using the Summer and Afterschool Needs Assessment to diagnose needs and strengths, support continuous improvement processes, and better connect program providers to expertise and resources in the community. Learn more. 

The Summer and Afterschool Needs Assessment helps youth-serving programs and organizations learn best practices for planning and delivering high-quality summer and afterschool programs and identify areas where they might benefit from guidance or support. The needs assessment provides organizations with a better understanding of their strengths and needs and connects them to aligned and targeted resources and guidance. Learn more. 

This guide (PDF, 7 pages) informs campus law enforcement and public safety officials about human trafficking and its indicators so that they can be better prepared to recognize potential victims on college or university campuses. The guide includes information about taking a victim-centered approach and explores how trauma can affect victim behavior. Learn more (PDF, 7 pages). 

This guide (PDF, 10 pages) seeks to inform school resource officers (SROs) about human trafficking and its indicators so they can be better prepared to recognize a potential victim and know how to report a potential case. This guide includes information about: 

• What human trafficking is 

• How to recognize human trafficking among youth 

• Tips for talking to students about general exploitation 

• Building life skills that may help prevent youth from being trafficked 

• Reporting options if you suspect a student is affected by human trafficking or being exploited 

• Ensuring potential victims or impacted students get connected to appropriate service providers/support services 

Learn more (PDF, 10 pages) 

This guide (PDF, 8 pages) spreads awareness of human trafficking among student leaders on college campuses. The guide includes information about: 

• What human trafficking is 

• How to recognize human trafficking on college campuses 

• Key indicators of human trafficking 

• Examples of human trafficking on college campuses 

• Tips for how to spread awareness in your campus community 

• Reporting options if you suspect someone is affected by human trafficking or being exploited  

Learn more (PDF, 8 pages). 

This fact sheet (PDF, 9 pages) shares 10 strategies that serve as the building blocks for a comprehensive school safety program. These timeless strategies directly support the prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery practices as outlined in the School Guide and the District Guide in support of school emergency preparedness efforts. Learn more (PDF, 9 pages). 

This fact sheet (PDF, 3 pages) provides guidance to school districts about continually evaluating and enhancing high-quality emergency operations plans (EOPs). The fact sheet presents the following considerations for reviewing, updating, and strengthening EOPs: 

• Conduct emergency exercises 

• Collaborate with community partners 

• Focus on sustainability 

• Conduct evaluations consistently 

Additional resources are provided. Learn more (PDF, 3 pages). 

This toolkit educates and equips individuals and organizations to raise awareness about human trafficking and their role in responding to and reporting human trafficking. The toolkit shares examples of crucial connections that will increase the health and well-being of people at risk or experiencing human trafficking. Learn more (PDF, 25 pages). 

This webpage contains resources for American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations about understanding and accessing the American Community Survey (ACS). Resources include training materials, information about responding to the survey, and ways to find data. Learn more. 

This webpage contains a video and corresponding discussion guide to help facilitate conversations among child welfare teams about advancing racial equity in practice. Learn more. 

This resource provides an overview of the seven measures to support Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) planning and implementation activities. The resource summarizes: 

• The seven CFSR outcomes and corresponding statewide data indicators and case review items 

• The seven CFSR systemic factors and related items 

This resource is designed to help new or experienced CFSR team members and their partners prepare for the CFSR Statewide Assessment or Onsite Review. Learn more. 

This three-part webinar series will explore effective practices for mentoring, with particular focus on grassroots mentoring organizations. Topics range from cultivating meaningful community connections to navigating resource constraints. Webinars will occur on these days: 

• January 18, 2024, 1:00—2:30 pm ET 

• May 16, 2024, 1:00—2:30 pm ET 

• September 19, 2024, 1:00—2:30 pm ET 

Learn more and register. 

This toolkit shares research-based information and practical tools to help school systems develop and implement a plan to advance the wellness of all school employees. The toolkit is built around two primary goals: 

1. Build Knowledge: This section introduces planning teams to a research-based framework for advancing school employee wellness. This section also highlights the unique role that school systems play in employee wellness and emphasizes a focus on equity to meet the needs of increasingly diverse school systems. 

2. Take Action: This section outlines a research-based process that planning teams can use to apply concepts from the Build Knowledge section. This section also links to practical tools to help teams at all stages of planning and implementation. 

Learn more. 

This webpage describes CDC's Improving Mental, Behavioral and Academic Supports to Students and Families project, which provides opportunities for parents and caregivers to share their perspectives on matters that impact their child’s school experiences, mental health, and overall wellbeing. The webpage also highlights conference materials and media literacy campaign materials related to supporting youth mental health and wellbeing through family engagement. Learn more. 

The Youth Systems Building Academy (YSB Academy) provides local workforce systems and their community partners with individualized training and tailored technical assistance as they create plans to explore, design, test, implement, or scale system-level approaches to engage and support young people entering the workforce. Learn more.

This supplemental issue of Prevention Science briefly documents the innovation history of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program and its iterations in response to the shifting needs of the field. It also presents findings from the fifteen TPP innovators. The issue highlights emergent priorities of the TPP Program informed by this federal experiment in rigorous adolescent sexual health innovation development, testing, evaluation, and scaling and conclude by discussing how the TPP program adapted and refined its approach for fostering dynamic innovation-to-scale projects over time. Learn more.

OPA funds grants, cooperative agreements, and prize challenges that support community-based public health innovation. In May 2023, OPA convened 50 innovation teams to build relationships, workshop innovations, and fine tune design skills. Four showcase videos resulted from that event. Watch a compilation video to learn more about how OPA integrates innovation into their grant programs. Watch the other three video shorts to learn more specifically about innovations for engaging and supporting families, advancing adolescent health equity, and improving health care access and service delivery. Learn more.

The We Think Twice™ webpage on young men's mental health was developed based on the recognition by experts that young people struggle to know when to ask for help and men ask for help less frequently than other genders. Co-created with youth, this resource normalizes emotional ups and downs, shares signs that someone may need to ask for help, describes strategies for managing mental health, and provides additional resources. Learn more.

This quiz tests users’ knowledge of slang or street names for drugs. The quiz is part of DEA’s efforts to combat drug misuse. Learn more. 

This fact sheet (PDF, 2 pages) explains the limited cross-system collaboration between the child welfare and juvenile justice systems to provide youth and families with the services they need. The fact sheet presents risk factors for and dual involvement with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, key federal programs, promising practices, and more. Learn more (PDF, 2 pages).