This brief summarizes potential federal funding sources and programs that can be used to address barriers facing young parents and families, such as unemployment, disruption to education, financial instability, and lack of child care access, parenting experience, or family supports. Programs listed include, but are not limited to, TANF, SNAP, SSBG, Medicaid/Children’s Health Insurance Program, Child Care Development Block Grant, WIOA, and the Family First Prevention Services Act Prevention Funds.

This Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) publication includes the agency’s “National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care: Best Practice Toolkit” as well as papers covering crisis services. The toolkit highlights clinical and health services research, an assessment of program practices nationally, and best practice approaches. The accompanying papers cover a range of issues pertaining to crisis services, including overall service delivery, behavioral health crisis care for homeless populations, the use of technology addressing substance use, legal issues impacting crisis services, financing crisis services, diverse populations, improving child and adolescent crisis systems, crisis services in rural communities, and the role of law enforcement.

While behavioral health providers and staff are particularly at risk for compassion fatigue, they are also in a unique position to enhance resilience among themselves and within their school communities by using trauma-informed care approaches. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing hosted a webinar on December 15, 2020 entitled “Tips and Tools for Leveraging Trauma Informed Care Techniques to Reduce Stress for Students, Teachers, and Providers” which explored trauma-informed care techniques that behavioral health providers, school staff, and caregivers can use to improve behavioral healthcare provided to students, and addressed traumatic stress occurring during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar recording and accompanying slides are available for download.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on tribal communities across the country. Working in partnership with tribal communities, the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health supports public health interventions in approximately 140 tribal communities across 20 states. The Center has produced COVID-19 materials to educate tribal leaders, providers, caregivers, children, and the public, and has developed COVID-19 related radio public service announcements and social media templates for tribal use.

The purpose of this Indian Health Service grant is to address the opioid crisis in American Indian/Alaska Native communities by developing and expanding community education and awareness of prevention, treatment, and recovery activities addressing opioid misuse and use disorder. The grant intends to increase knowledge and use of culturally appropriate interventions and support an increased use of medication-assisted treatment. The program will assist tribal and urban Indian communities in providing prevention, treatment, and recovery services to address the opioid crisis’ impact within their communities. Applications are due on December 15, 2020.

This report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration presents national indicators for substance use and mental health among persons who are 12 years old or older. Indicators include substance use and alcohol use in a prior month, and illicit drug use, substance use disorders, mental illness, substance use treatment, and mental health services received in the past year.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) will host a virtual meeting on October 13-16, 2020 focused solely on health for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Conference presentations will cover Tribal health care, health policy’s impact on Tribal communities, behavioral and environmental health, and best practices being implemented in Indian Country.

This issue brief by Voices for Utah Children in conjunction with the Aspen Institute focuses on two-generation strategies to reduce poverty. Voices for Utah worked with Utah lawmakers to address the issue by passing the Intergenerational Poverty Mitigation Act in 2012 and creating an Intergenerational Poverty Advisory Commission in 2013. The goal was to develop evidence-based strategies and interventions with policymakers to increase economic security, educational success, social capital, and health and well-being for families. This legislation and approach have been a critical step in creating a framework for states to develop five- and ten-year plans to address poverty.

This fact sheet defines two-generation and whole-family approaches that simultaneously provide services and opportunities to both children and the adults in their lives. The fact sheet also includes summaries and links to resources on 5 key components of the two-generation approach: Postsecondary Education and Employment Pathways; Early Childhood Education and Development; Economic Assets; Health and Well-Being; and Social Capital.

The Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin will host a virtual seminar on October 15, 2020 from 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. CT. The seminar will discuss metrics, covering financial well-being, secure and stable housing, family stability, health, supportive communities, education, and work, that embody the comprehensive definition of economic and social mobility developed by the U.S. Partnership on Mobility from Poverty. Urban Institute’s Greg Acs will lead the seminar’s discussion.