Greetings, Network faithful. Many of you are getting excited about some sort of pandemic-influenced summer vacation. Here is a great tune to help you get busy planning your adventure. Join some of my favorite musicians as they take that iconic trip on Route 66. Enjoy the tune, and then get to readin’ Friday Update, cuz we got work to do!

Most Important Reads of the Week

Alina Liao: Zenit Journals – A Radical Wellness Company
I am so excited to share the latest episode of The Optimistic Advocate podcast, where I had the honor of speaking with Alina Liao, a remarkable young entrepreneur and founder of Zenit Journals. If you are looking for inspired thinking about how to improve everyone’s mental health, then give a listen and learn how Alina has created a radical wellness company that takes journaling to the next level.

Is It Possible to Reduce School Shootings– Without Gun Control?
Must read from CMHNetwork Science Advisor, Dr. Dennis Embry
Is it possible to reduce school shootings without gun control? Yes, of course. And that means that the gun industry should put up a great deal of money to prevent violence—much more than thoughts and prayers. Right now, the burden to prevent such school violence is being borne by school districts and schools themselves. Schools don’t have enough money to pay for educational books and trainings. Parents and educators themselves should not bear the cost of such violence prevention.

Researchers Should Understand and Adapt Race and Ethnicity Data That Change Over Time
Embedding race equity principles into supports provided for young people who age out of foster care can better prepare them for a successful transition into adulthood. Child welfare practitioners and policymakers must consider how race and racism affect a young person’s child welfare experience and the services and supports they receive. This focus on race equity principles ensures that all young people have access to services tailored to their needs.

Helping Children Who Experience Trauma: The Role of Trauma Screening
The Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut (CHDI) Trauma ScreenTIME online Infographic highlights the role of screening in helping children who experience trauma. The infographic includes information on trauma and the effects of trauma on children, answers questions on screening for trauma, explores the benefits of screening and provides links to an online training course on how to screen children for trauma.

National Survey of Family Experiences When Using Crisis Services for their Child, Youth or Young Adult
FREDLA, the Institute for Innovation and Implementation at the University of Maryland, and the Maryland Coalition of Families have partnered to conduct a national survey of families’ experiences who have utilized crisis services that may include law enforcement, crisis hotlines/textlines, mobile crisis teams, walk-in centers, and emergency departments. Join the call on June 21, 2022, to learn more about the survey and how your organization can assist in dissemination.

Translating Evidence to Support Transitions (TEST)
The Translating Evidence to Support Transitions (TEST) project has created a series of practice guides to increase the use and adoption of 3 research-informed practices for the transition planning of high school students with emotional, behavioral disturbance (EBD) who receive special education services: student-led IEP meetings, community agency representation at IEP meetings, and concentrations of CTE coursework along career pathways.

State of Babies Yearbook: 2022
The State of Babies Yearbook: 2022 clarifies that our nation’s systems have not ensured all babies have the support they need to thrive. A nation that tolerates grave disparities and does not prize equity cannot be strong in the long term.

The Robert Raben Health Equity Innovation Award Competition 2022
The award seeks to support the emerging generation of health equity innovators and change agents by providing financial support and technical assistance from health experts across multiple sectors. The Robert Raben Health Equity Innovation Award seeks concepts for social, policy, and advocacy campaigns; health promotion projects or interventions; small research projects; new technologies or applications; media projects; and other projects displaying innovation and a commitment to advancing health equity.

The Impact of Climate Change on Our Health and Health Systems
Worldwide, more than 5 million deaths yearly are linked to climate change. Our new explainer looks at the impacts of climate change on health and health care. Learn how climate change affects people’s physical and mental health, the healthcare system, and what it means to have a climate-ready healthcare workforce.

Innovations in Wraparound: Text-Based Outcomes Monitoring
University of Washington Wraparound Evaluation and Research Team (UW WERT) has partnered with 3C Institute on a recently awarded grant to develop and test a “mobile Routine Outcomes Monitoring” (mROM) system specific to Wraparound. The proposed SMART-Wrap (Short Message Assisted Responsive Treatment for Wraparound) product will use brief prompts sent by text that can be read and responded to in a matter of seconds.

Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner’s Guide
The Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner’s Guide has just been released from the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. This Guide is beneficial for individuals and organizations that manage the health and well-being of 9- 18-year-olds. The Guide, designed to help health care professionals quickly identify youth at risk for alcohol-related problems, is now available in Spanish.

How Noise Affects Children
Many parents know that very loud noise can hurt kids’ hearing. With more kids and teens using personal listening devices like headphones and earbuds for music, videos, and classes, it’s especially important to be aware of a sound that’s too loud. It’s also important to know that too-noisy environments can have harmful effects that go beyond hearing. Read on to learn more.

It’s Time to Screen All Kids for Anxiety, Physicians’ Task Force Recommends
An influential panel of experts says all kids ages eight to 18 should be screened regularly for anxiety. This draft recommendation by the United States Preventive Task Force comes at a time when mental health problems among kids have escalated and are overwhelming the health system. The task force also recommends that kids 12 and older continue to be screened for depression, a recommendation since 2016. The screenings are usually done by primary care physicians using standardized questionnaires that parents and kids answer, depending on their age.

Youth Mobile Response: A Tool for Decriminalizing Mental Health
As the United States heads deeper into its third year of the Covid pandemic, Whitney Bunts says the past 25 months have been especially tough on young people. They’ve navigated quarantine, isolation, loneliness, and a series of alleged returns to normalcy that weren’t.

Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner’s Guide
If you manage the health and well-being of 9- to 18-year-olds, this Guide is for you. “Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner’s Guide” is designed to help health care professionals identify at-risk youth for alcohol-related problems. NIAAA developed the Guide and Pocket Guide with a team of underage drinking researchers, clinical specialists, and practicing healthcare professionals.

The Essential Aspects of Parity: A Training Tool for Policymakers
This document provides an overview of the essential information for understanding mental health and substance use disorder parity and how to implement and comply with federal parity laws. This guide applies to employer-sponsored health plans and group and individual insurance parity laws.

Understanding Parity: A Guide to Resources for Families and Caregivers
There are protections in federal law, collectively known as “parity,” which are designed to ensure that certain types of health plans cover mental and substance use disorders no less generously than they cover other health issues. This resource can guide you to valuable materials and places.