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Anna Johnson

5/28/2014

Communication, Transparency Needed on Use of Psych Meds, Study Says

Preliminary findings of a study examining the use of psychotropic drugs to treat foster youth and juvenile offenders suggest a need for increased transparency and communication among service providers. The Chronicle reported last week that Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee planned to “play offense” on this issue.

5/23/2014

State to Counties: EPSDT Is Still An Entitlement

California has compensated several counties retroactively for expenditures on Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT), and is assuring counties that obligations under the federally mandated program have not been dropped in their laps.

4/25/2014

Foster Youth Campaign to Access Obamacare

As part of a series of public service announcements intended to encourage foster youth to sign up for the Affordable Care Act, California Youth Connection (CYC) released a video focused specifically on mental health.

4/15/2014

Sibling Visitation Law Introduced

A state bill backed by a youth-led advocacy group to strengthen requirements on sibling visitation rights for foster youth will be introduced in California. Senate Bill 1099 would toughen the reporting requirements related to the suspension of sibling visitation rights; create more consistent visitation of reasons behind suspension and stricter guidelines to maintain suspension; and provide a pathway to facilitate sibling visitation when one sibling is in the foster care system, and another isn’t.

4/13/2014

Residential Center Leaders Meet in San Francisco

As reliance on their services decline in several states, the American Association of Children’s Residential Centers met last week in San Francisco to discuss emerging knowledge on serving high-need youths. The 58th annual conference, “Community INtegration, Program INnovation, Neuroscience INfluence, and Relational INteractions,” included four days of discussion about issues ranging from data collection to the use of youth workers.

3/20/2014

Leading LGBT Agency Focuses on Foster Youth

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s All Children – All Families initiative has expanded its focus to include issues facing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) foster youth. Launched in 2006, All Children – All Families started by providing child welfare agencies and prospective foster and adoptive families with tools and skills to effectively work with LGBT foster youth.

    3/19/2014

    New Funding Scheme Complicates Mental Health Provision

    Lead child welfare advocates in California fear that the state’s social services “Realignment,” the conversion of former state programs into a block grant for counties, will stunt the already-sluggish attempt to expand and improve mental health screening and treatment of foster youth and other poor children.