Friday Update 7-13-18

Greetings faithful readers. John Legend is on a mission to transform America’s criminal justice system. Through his Free America campaign, he’s encouraging rehabilitation and healing in our prisons, jails and detention centers — and giving hope to those who want to create a better life after serving their time. With a spoken-word prelude from James Cavitt, an inmate at San Quentin State Prison, Legend treats us to his version of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.” Watch the video, get inspired, and then get to readin’ Friday Update, cuz we got work to do!

Most important reads for this week

‘I Can’t Be Silent’: A High School Student’s Ode to Protest
A New Jersey 16-year-old created a short film about the First Amendment and the right to protest which won (out of 278 submissions) the National Coalition Against Censorship’s annual contest. Watch it and be inspired by the strength and power of youth voice!

Doing the Work: Martin Rafferty and Youth ERA Continue to Forge New Frontiers in Youth Advocacy
Great Morning Zen Guest Blog Post by Jammie Gardner Farish reflecting on the ongoing work by Martin Rafferty and Youth ERA. “I have dealt with my fair share of challenges, but I know one thing for sure; I never, not for one single second of my life experienced the kind of terror and worry that youth do in schools today. Now, children and youth are faced with the very real possibility that someone could come into their classroom armed with a gun and change their lives forever.  Because of the drastic changes happening in our country and the increasing challenges youth are facing, it is critical that we take a minute to stop and listen to what they have to say.”

New Report Provides Valuable Insights into the Ethical Dilemmas in Bringing Prevention Programs into Community Settings
Check out this timely report from the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) Ethics Task Force. The Task Force worked over the past two years to identify ethical challenges faced by researchers involved with public programs designed to prevent a wide range of mental health, substance use and behavioral health problems that threaten the health and well-being of society. What is most refreshing about the report is the call for open, transparent dialogue about ethical issues impacting behavioral health researchers. A most timely and thought-provoking report. Read it, Network faithful!

Coming Together for Action: An Interdisciplinary Conference on Behavioral Health, Social Justice, and Healthier Communities
Planning on attending the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice conference this October 4 – 6? The conference will bring together individuals from across disciplines who are passionate about promoting behavioral health and social justice. Get all the details here and register!

Tips for Mental Health Providers Working with Southeast Asian Immigrants/Refugees
In honor of July as Minority Mental Health Month, the Systems and Psychosocial Advances Research Center SPARC in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts, Inc. (SEAC), has developed a tip sheet for mental health providers, which offers culturally-informed strategies that can be used to build strong therapeutic alliances with Southeast Asian clients. SPARC also has tip sheets in Vietnamese. Excellent work, SPARC and SEAC!

Fearing Deportation, Immigrant Parents Are Opting Out Of Health Benefits For Kids
The fear of family separation is nothing new for many immigrants already living in the U.S. In fact, that fear, heightened in recent weeks, has been forcing a tough decision for a while. Advocates say a growing number of American children are dropping out of Medicaid and other government programs because their parents are not citizens.

What You Should Know About Race-Based Affirmative Action and Diversity in Schools
Race-based affirmative action has been losing support in the United States for some time with other “color-blind” methods of admissions gaining ground in the courts. But there are still compelling arguments for why affirmative action in admissions based on race is still needed — not only to reverse historical discrimination but also because research has shown that diversity in schools helps low-income students as well as wealthier ones. This remains true even though U.S. public schools have become more segregated by race and class over the past two decades.

Finally, Some Answers on the Effects of Medicaid Expansion
Almost a decade into the change in law, research suggests that access to health care has improved and quality has not suffered.

Scott Bryant-Comstock
President & CEO