This webpage presents the priorities of the Tribal Behavioral Health Agenda (TBHA), which were identified through discussions with Tribal leaders, Tribal administrators, and Tribal members. It is organized around five foundational elements: historical and intergenerational trauma, a socio-cultural-ecological approach, prevention and recovery support, behavioral health systems and support, and national awareness and visibility. It also includes cross-cutting considerations and additional considerations for collaboration. The TBHA is not an exact map but an initial step toward driving action in the same direction and along a common path.

This Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration guide focuses on the process of adapting evidence-based practices (EBPs) for under-resourced populations who experience obstacles in obtaining healthcare services because of their socio-demographic characteristics, and the research supporting such adaptations. The guide provides examples of research on adapted EBPs for mental health and substance use disorders for clients with a wide range of demographic characteristics.

The U.S. Congress temporarily expanded the Child Tax Credit (CTC) during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide economic assistance for families with children. Between July and December 2021, CTC increased the amount of money they provided per child and the eligibility criteria was expanded to reach more economically disadvantaged families. Using data from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey and a quasi-experimental study design, this Health Affairs article examines the effects of the expanded CTC on mental health and related outcomes among low-income adults with children, and by racial and ethnic subgroup.

The influence of welfare and family self-sufficiency programs on a range of social well-being outcomes has received limited focus in research and evaluation. Therefore, the Measuring SUCCESS project, funded by The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), conducted focus groups with 44 caregivers to hear from them on how self-sufficiency programs and policies relate to families’ social well-being. This OPRE brief provides caregivers who contributed to the focus groups with a summary of how the research team incorporated their voice into the project. Several themes emerged from the caregiver focus groups, including mental health, nonfamilial families, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families’ successes as well as challenges.

Programs, organizations, and systems that provide services to address parents' and caregivers' needs (such as education and job-training services, substance use treatment centers, parent education programs, and others) often work exclusively with the adults, while those that serve the needs of children (such as schools and child care centers) often do not focus on advancing the well-being of the caregivers or other adults in their lives. Two-generation (2Gen) approaches bridge this gap by serving children and their families together through integrated and simultaneous services, with a particular focus on helping families achieve lasting financial stability. This Child Welfare Information Gateway brief provides an overview of 2Gen approaches and why child welfare agencies should use them to improve outcomes for the families they serve. The brief also describes the five core 2Gen approaches to help build parental capacity and protective factors within families, often with the explicit goal of interrupting generational cycles of poverty.

The Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth) is hosting a webinar on April 8, 2024 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET to provide an overview of CAPE-Youth's new mental health policy brief. Speakers from the White House Domestic Policy Council and state governments will highlight ways that policymakers can:

• Expand culturally responsive mental health care;
• Increase access to mental health supports; and
• Embed mental health programs and supports into workforce systems.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is working to strengthen the well-being of children, youth, and their families by integrating behavioral health services into the existing supports they rely on, such as social services and early childhood programs. This ACF announcement highlights the new behavioral health webpage that includes a tip sheet for parents and caregivers and a series of short videos about mental health.

The new behavioral health webpage includes audience-specific pages with resources about mental health and substance use for:

• Teens and young adults
• Parents and caregivers
• American Indian and Alaska Native Communities
• Service providers
• Grant recipients
• Early childhood professionals

In Massachusetts, when families with young children search for information about and connections to early childhood services, they face a complex maze rather than a coordinated early childhood system. This Urban Institute report highlights existing service coordination approaches in Massachusetts and is designed to inform the development of a comprehensive system of information about and connections to early childhood services for Massachusetts families with children from birth to age 5.

January was National Mentoring Month, which highlighted the critical role that mentors play in the lives of youth and the extent to which young people have access to mentors in America. Unfortunately, new data indicate that decades of mentoring progress may be eroding at a time when youth mental health needs are soaring. This Annie E. Casey Foundation blogpost emphasizes trends, impacts, and recommendations for youth mentoring.