Breadcrumb
- Federal Resources
Federal Resources
Child Health USA
The Child Health USA Databook is an annual report of the health status, well-being and service needs of America's children and youth. Coalitions, program planners and policy makers can identify national trends by examining and comparing data from one year to the next. Indicators for youth, or adolescents, cover multiple issues, including childbearing, substance abuse, violence, mental health treatment, and mortality from traffic and firearms injuries. The section, Population Characteristics, provides information about poverty status and school dropouts. Each topic includes a written summary and at least one graph that clearly depicts key statistical facts.
Center for Mental Health Services
CMHS leads Federal efforts to treat mental illnesses by promoting mental health and by preventing the development or worsening of mental illness when possible.
Children and Youth Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Disaster Technical Assistance Center's updated Children and Youth Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series contains an installment focusing on the reactions and mental health needs of children and youth after a disaster.
Coping with School Tragedies
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides coping resources on its blog in the wake of the Chardon High School shooting in Ohio. The blog entry provides a hotline number that individuals can call or text for disaster and trauma crisis counseling.
Circles of Care Address Health Disparities in Native Communities
This article describes the Circles of Care grant program, which draws on system of care philosophies to provide tribal and urban Indian communities with tools and resources to plan and design a holistic, community-based, coordinated system of care to support mental health and wellness for children, youth and families. The article also describes the SAMHSA-produced American Indian and Alaska Native Culture Card, which describes Native cultural differences, customs, and identity.
Complex Trauma Resource Webpage
The NCTSN website features a Complex Trauma Resource webpage. The page contains fact sheets, webinars, and other resources related to complex trauma. "Complex Trauma: Facts for Educators" (PDF, 6 pages) is the newest addition to the resource collection. This fact sheet provides information that can help teachers and school staff understand and work with students who have experienced complex trauma.
Disaster Distress Hotline
People affected by any disaster or tragedy can call the Disaster Distress Helpline, sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to receive immediate counseling. Calling 1-800-985-5990 will connect you to a trained professional from the closest crisis counseling center within the network.
Director’s Blog: What Caused This to Happen?
Written by NIMH Director Dr. Thomas Insel, this blog post explains the mixture of genetic and environmental factors that underly mental illness and cites recent research that suggests “bad luck” may play a role in the development of psychopathology.
Culture and Trauma
The Spring 2012 of the IMPACT newsletter of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, which is sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services, focused entirely on the relationship between culture and trauma. Topics covered include youth suicide in a tribal community and disclosure of abuse in LGBT youth.
Emergency Department Visits for Drug-Related Suicide Attempts Have Increased
As this report illustrates, drug-related emergency department visits involving suicide attempts have increased in recent years, with a 58% increase seen in visits involving patients ages 18-29 between 2005 and 2011.
Domestic and International Adoption: Strategies to Improve Behavioral Health Outcomes for Youth and Their Families
In 2012, SAMHSA held a two-day meeting with a group of interdisciplinary experts to discuss the behavioral health challenges of children who have been adopted and their families (PDF, 41 pages), and implications for future research, practice, and policy. This report provides an overview of the presentations from this meeting, as well as related challenges and opportunities for the future.
FDA: Don’t Leave Childhood Depression Untreated
This short bulletin from the FDA describes symptoms associated with depression in teens and the steps for ensuring teens with depression receive the proper treatment, which may include antidepressant medication.
Girls Health
Girlshealth.gov is sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health, and is the "daughter" program of the National Women's Health Information Center (www.womenshealth.gov). Girlshealth.gov provides valuable information about ways girls can achieve a healthy lifestyle helping them to understand their body, mind, and spirit as they grow into adults.
Five Point Plan to Improve the Nation’s Mental Health
This blog post, written by SAMHSA officials Pamela Hyde and Paolo Del Vecchio, includes five steps Americans can take to immediately and greatly improve the mental health system and help ensure delivery of high quality care for individuals with mental illness.
Growing Up Girl — A "Girls Matter!" Webinar
The first of three webinars in the "Girls Matter!" series provides an overview of the growth and development of adolescent girls. Key topics include biological, social, cultural, and societal factors that influence their maturation, impact of media on self-esteem, reproductive health, and teen dating violence.
Health Center Program Technical Assistance
This resource provides technical assistance to health centers. The Bureau of Primary Health Care has developed partnerships with state, regional and other national organizations to provide:
- Training and technical assistance on fiscal and program management
- Operational and administrative support
- Program development/analysis
- Primary care/clinical care development and operations
- Support to meet the needs of special populations
- Support to develop and implement health and other information technology systems
Healthy Youth
This Web site provides information on and links to school health strategies, research and evaluation tools, Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, evidence-based guidelines for school health programs, and adolescent and school health program resources and tools.
Helping Teens with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers
This resource provides tips for caregivers in recognizing and helping teens experiencing traumatic grief. It highlights the importance of being nonjudgmental, open to compromise, and considering the teen’s point of view.
Healthy Youth Mental Health
This CDC website provides information on youth mental health, including information on school policies and programs to support youth mental health.
Guide to Community Preventive Services
The Guide to Community Preventive Services is a free resource listing programs and policies that improve health and prevent disease. The Program Planning Resources section of the site outlines the types of steps that are generally used in program planning, along with selected resources that may be useful at each step.
Healthy People 2020
Healthy People provides science-based, ten year national objectives for promoting health and preventing disease.
Healthy Youth - Evaluation
CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health provides evaluation technical assistance to Funded Partners through a variety of evaluation resources and tools.
Helping Youth After Community Trauma: Tips for Educators
“Helping Youth After Community Trauma: Tips for Educators” provides insight into how students may react after a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster or a death in the school community, and how educators can help.
Homelessness Resource Center
The Homelessness Resource Center is an interactive community of providers, consumers, policymakers, researchers, and public agencies at federal, state, and local levels.
HHS Data Council Gateway to Data and Statistics
The Gateway brings together key health and human services data and statistics. It is designed to complement other government resources such as FirstGov and FedStats. The Gateway covers federal, state and local government sponsored information.