This Center for Health and Health Care in Schools webinar on Feb. 24, 2009 will address partnering with families to meet the mental health needs of immigrant and refugee children.

Research published in this month's American Journal of Public Health finds that girls in the public mental health system were arrested at earlier ages more frequently and were charged with more serious offenses than girls in the general population. This provides strong evidence for the coordination between mental health and justice systems to provide rehabilitation.

A new report from the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine finds that physical activity among adolescents has decreased in the past 10 years and rates of chronic diseases, such as asthma and diabetes, have increased. The report also found that, although 10-20 percent of adolescents annually experience a mental health disorder such as anxiety or depression, their access to specialized mental health care has decreased.

The National Center for Children in Poverty finds some improvements in states since its original report, but there is a long way to go.

New research by the National Center for Children in Poverty reveals that state-by-state policies continue to hinder children's mental health delivery, 25 years after the release of research and recommendations for a federal plan. We'll have info on the updated findings after the November 20-21,2008 release at The Carter Center's symposium.

CLIMB is a program founded by the Children's TreeHouse Foundation to aid in facilitating communication between parent and child when the parent has cancer. It is also created to help children realize their emotions and feelings are okay and normalize those feelings through activites and group discussions. Dr. Elbow, DSW,LCSW, facilitates the group.

At least one-third of children in foster care have physical or mental disabilities and are at higher risk for poor educational, employment and well-being outcomes. This report from the National Council on Disability finds that federal investments are undercut by lack of coordination across programs and agencies. It offers recommendations for policymakers.

Young people with emotional or mental illness risk an abrupt interruption in or loss of services when they age out of the child mental health system at age 18 or 21. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Partnerships for Youth Transition Initiative brought together systems and resources in five sites to serve transition-age youth. This brief looks at the results, what’s next for federal and state policy, and what communities can do to support these young people.

Seven years ago, a piece of paper on a desk started Pamela Pine on a quest to understand and spread the word about child sexual abuse. In this column, Pine shares how she turned her concern into a vibrant, dynamic nonprofit organization—with an annual international awareness-raising foot race in Washington, DC, every April.

Building kites, drawing, creating an on-line community—these are some of the ways that young survivors of Hurricane Katrina are expressing themselves as part of their healing process. Martha Pitts reports on art therapy programs that are helping kids rebound.