Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day was a hit this year. Never too early to begin planning for next year! Get some great ideas from three new archived webinars and two new publications from SAMHSA. Check them out below:

• National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day webcast: The Awareness Day national event was held on May 9 in Washington, DC, paying tribute to honorary chairperson Cyndi Lauper for her work with homeless LGBT youth and featuring performances by youth and announcements from federal government leaders.  The webcast highlights stories of youth and their “Heroes of Hope,” caring adults who supported these youth through their experiences. To watch the 2012 Awareness Day Webcast of the national event, click here.
• SAMHSA’s Short Report Release Webinar – Promoting Recovery and Resilience for Children and Youth Involved in Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems: This informational webinar marked the release of a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Promoting Recovery and Resilience for Children and Youth Involved in Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems. The report’s release corresponded with National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day on May 9th. Commissioner Bryan Samuels of ACYF, Dr. Gary Blau of SAMHSA and Jim Wotring of the National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health highlighted the report’s findings and described how they can be applied to public systems’ efforts to improve outcomes for children and families. They also highlighted recent efforts within child welfare to focus on improving social and emotional well-being and children’s functioning. The archived webcast can be viewed here.
• National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) webcast on teen brain research and application: For a closer look at teen emotional and behavioral growth, watch the National Institute of Mental Health’s webcast, “National Children’s Mental Health Awareness—The Developing Brain: What it means for treating adolescents.” View it here.
• Promoting Recovery and Resilience For Children and Youth Involved in Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems  – In observance of National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, SAMHSA released a Short Report based on national data describing the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services Program for Children and Their Families–also called the Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI), Systems of Care, and Donald J. Cohen National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI), and how children and youth in juvenile justice and child welfare systems within these two SAMHSA programs benefit from these initiatives, highlighting positive outcomes related to behavioral health and academic success. The report focuses on the impact of childhood trauma, resilience, and include data on behavioral and functional outcomes, and trauma services. Download the report here.
• Identifying Mental Health and Substance Use Problems of Children and Adolescents: A Guide for Child-Serving Organizations  – This first-ever publication developed by a cross-agency workgroup provides information on the early identification of children and adolescents with mental health and substance use problems. The guide is specific to a number of child-serving settings and includes a compendium of appropriate screening tools for children and youth. Download the guide here.