Positive Youth Development

This webpage contains resources to support state agencies in preparing for Round 4 of the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs). Resources explore how to use data, evidence, and engagement practices to examine performance and make system improvements to achieve better outcomes for children, youth, and families who receive child ...

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced grant awards totaling more than $340 million to help combat America’s substance use crisis amid a continued escalation of overdose deaths among young people and adults. Funding has been awarded under the 14 distinct grant programs. Learn more. 

This toolkit contains sample social media posts and images that individuals and organizations can use to spread awareness of youth justice issues and reform throughout Youth Justice Action Month, which is October. Learn more. 

This toolkit (PDF, 13 pages) provides resources and information to help increase recognition of adoption issues and bring attention to the need for adoptive families for teens in the foster care system. The toolkit contains graphics, sample social media posts, email signatures, and additional messaging. Learn more.  ...

This toolkit (PDF, 26 pages) aims to help State Advisory Groups (SAGs) better understand the benefits of diversion programs as alternatives to probation for system-involved youth. It includes recommendations for implementing probation reform and offers examples of SAGs engaging in diversion strategies. Learn more.  ...

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAW). Knowing how to establish and maintain healthy romantic relationships can help adolescents develop into adults with healthy adult relationships. During DVAW, youth people should review the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) resources on healthy relationships in adolescence and how to talk to teens ...

This intervention was designed for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) teens and young adults to amplify and reinforce healthy social norms and cultural values, teach suicide warning signs, prepare youth to initiate difficult conversations with peers and trusted adults, encourage youth to access mental health resources (i.e., tribal clinics, ...

This video explains the impact of drugs on the brain’s reward systems and how treatment and recovery support can help people meet their goals by relieving withdrawal symptoms, navigating triggers, and making other positive changes. This plain language explanation is ideal for use in educational settings and can be shared ...

This webpage contains videos and discussion guides to explain how and why kinship caregivers foster and adopt relative children and how to better support them.   The discussion guides include reflective activities and questions for individual coaching or to promote collaborative discussions. They also feature templates for goal setting and action planning ...