Federal Resources

Based on the lessons learned from the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, the toolkit cultivates an approach that has left a legacy of success in schools and communities. This toolkit will show you how partnerships with representatives from sectors including education, law enforcement, mental health, juvenile justice, children’s services, families, and faith-based associations can take Three Bold Steps to create positive lasting change among our nation’s students.

Reviews the population, framework, legislation, funding sources, and services of the child welfare, substance abuse service, and court systems and their capacity to support cross-system coordination within state, county, and tribal jurisdictions.

This report discusses the prevalence of mental health and other related challenges among children and youth in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems, as well as trauma-informed SAMHSA programs, services, and initiatives that support the recovery and resilience of these young people.

OJJDP's Model Programs Guide, an online resource of evidence-based juvenile justice and youth prevention, intervention, and reentry programs, has added three new literature reviews that address risk/need assessments for youth, disproportionate minority contact, and family therapy. 

• Assessing Exposure to Psychological Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress in the Juvenile Justice Population (PDF, 16 pages)
  This resource discusses the importance of the screening and assessment of youth involved in the justice system for trauma exposure and related negative consequences. It provides information on screening tools, additional disorders related to the experience of trauma, legal and clinical considerations for trauma screening and assessment, and sources for more information.

• Trauma Among Girls in the Juvenile Justice System (PDF, 11 pages)
  This resource describes the prevalence of trauma exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among girls involved in the juvenile justice system, potential consequences of trauma for girls, the impact of involvement with the justice system on girls who have been traumatized, and models of gender responsive programming.

• Evidence-Informed Interventions for Posttraumatic Stress Problems with Youth Involved in the Juvenile Justice System (PDF, 14 pages)
  This resource provides an overview of key issues to consider before providing therapeutic interventions to traumatized youth involved in the juvenile justice system. It also includes information on evidence-based interventions, interventions with an evidence-base, and promising evidence-informed interventions for treating traumatized adolescents.  

This report released by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration illustrates that children and youth participating in community-based programs, who are involved in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems, demonstrate improved outcomes after receiving trauma-informed services.

NCSCW offers free online tutorials for a wide variety of professionals related to substance abuse disorders, treatment, and recovery. NCSACW requires users to register online before access these courses:

1. Understanding Child Welfare and the Dependency Court: A Guide for Substance Abuse Treatment Professionals
2. Understanding Substance Use Disorders, Treatment, and Family Recovery: A Guide for Child Welfare Professionals
3. Understanding Substance Use Disorders, Treatment, and Family Recovery: A Guide for Legal Professionals

This website guides local leaders and stakeholders through the process of establishing a School Responder Mode (SRM), a behavioral health response to school infractions that provides an alternative to exclusionary school discipline and justice system referral. Launched by the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, this site outlines key steps in setting up a successful SRM and provides tools and resources to implement an SRM and gauge its progress. 

This report (PDF, 3 pages), developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, details the results of a national survey of probation officers on their roles, what they know about trauma and youth, and what they want to learn about trauma and trauma-informed practices. 

This set of graphic novels is now available to help young trafficking survivors, ages 2–18, navigate the justice system as a victim or witness. These resources help youth understand the justice system, their rights, and roles of different practitioners. Practitioner and Caregiver Guides and excerpts of support from individuals with lived experience are included.

This factsheet, available in English and Spanish, presents information about Hispanic and Latino gangs and provides recommendations for working with Hispanic and Latino gang members

This website is targeted at "tweens" with 12 educational, animated "webisodes" featuring characters who are involved in bullying and its prevention. The site describes bullying in language friendly to young people, and includes helpful information for kids and for adults. Web site available in Spanish.

This sourcebook looks at the effectiveness of four types of violence prevention strategies: parents and family-based; home visiting; social-cognitive; and mentoring. The sourcebook documents the science behind each best practice and offers a comprehensive directory of resources for more information about programs that have used these practices.

”Child Maltreatment, 2013” (PDF, 250 pages) is the 24th edition of the annual report on child abuse and neglect data collected through the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. According to the report, from 2009 to 2013, overall rates of victimization declined from 9.3 to 9.1 per 1,000 children in the population. 

The Administration for Children and Families’ Child Welfare Information Gateway provides these resources on the “Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect” section of its website in order to support preparation for National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works to protect public health and safety by providing information to enhance health decisions, and it promotes health through partnerships with state health departments and other organizations.

The Children's Bureau (CB) is one of two bureaus within the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, of the Department of Health and Human Services. The Children's Bureau seeks to improve the safety, permanency and well-being of children through leadership, support for necessary services, and productive partnerships with states, tribes, and communities. It has the primary responsibility for administering federal programs that support state child welfare services.

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.

This document, created by the Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, compares the effectiveness of various interventions for children and youth exposed to maltreatment in addressing well-being and child welfare outcomes.

CDC’s Violence Prevention site provides a wide variety of materials that can help professionals understand violence and stop it before it starts.

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.

This resource offers tips for survivors of community violence, providing information on grief reactions, the length of grief, and methods of coping. Ways to help children cope with grief reactions to community violence are also included.

FYSB supports the organizations and communities that work every day to reduce the risk of youth homelessness, adolescent pregnancy and domestic violence. Learn more about FYSB programs.