Screening For Mental Health Problems among Incarcerated Youth in Nevada: Practice and Policy

Incarcerated youth in Nevada with serious mental health problems are not being effectively identified. The current study examined the utility of simple screening instruments as a mechanism for identifying incarcerated youth who may have a mental health disorder. Adjudicated youth, incarcerated at each of Nevada’s 12 juvenile detention facilities, participated in the study by completing a demographic questionnaire and a standardized mental health screening instrument: the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Version 2 (MAYSI-2). Findings indicate a high prevalence of mental health disorders among incarcerated juveniles in Nevada. Identifying youth with mental health problems is complicated by the lack of a systematic screening or assessment process within detention facilities, and limited enabling legislation at the State level. Based on the research findings, policy recommendations were made and subsequently adopted by the State Legislative Counsel Bureau

Child Abuse and Neglect in Nevada

Child maltreatment is a critical issue facing our nation and our state. Child abuse and neglect impacts the lives of thousands of children and families every day. In 2003, an estimated 906,000 children were determined to be victims of child abuse and neglect in the United States. This equates to a victimization rate of 12.4 per 1,000 children in the population. These figures, however, only represent the number of substantiated cases of abuse and neglect. In 2003, approximately 2.9 million referrals concerning the welfare of an estimated 5.5 million children were made to child protective service agencies in 2003

What is a Healthy Community?

The health of a community is dependent not only upon the genetics of its residents, but also upon the environment within which those individuals live. A person’s health is a product of their environment. As such, a healthy community is one in which all residents have access to a quality education, safe and healthy homes, adequate employment, transportation, physical activity, and nutrition, in addition to quality health care. Unhealthy communities lead to chronic disease, such as cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. The health of our communities is critical to the growth and development of our region. To build healthy communities in Southern Nevada, we must develop multi-sectoral collaborations between community members and stakeholders to ensure the sustainability and adequacy of resources to support comprehensive reform

Nevada Medicaid and Check Up Programs: Barriers to Enrollment and Utilization

This study offers only a brief look at some of the barriers Nevada children and families face with Medicaid and Nevada Check Up. Strengthening the Medicaid and Nevada Check Up programs is vital to improving children’s health care access and utilization in Nevada. By developing and implementing legislation to improve public health insurance coverage, access, and utilization in Nevada, policymakers can ensure a brighter, happier, and healthier future for Nevada’s children and families

Clark County Child Death Review: 2008 Annual Report

The primary goal of all Child Death Review Teams is to prevent future child deaths. The child death review process enables jurisdictions to come together in a collaborative, multidisciplinary forum to openly discuss detailed circumstances in an effort to gain a better understanding of child deaths. The team provides a venue for representatives from a variety of both public and private agencies as well as community organizations to share information in a confidential and non-threatening environment. The National Center for Child Death Review (hereinafter, National Center), which is supported by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has developed a “Program Manual for Child Death Review” (hereinafter, Program Manual) to assist States in developing and conducting Child Death Review Teams. Many of the recommendations provided in that document have been adopted by both the State and local Child Death Review Teams in Nevad

2013 Children’s Legislative Briefing Book

The purpose of this Legislative Briefing Book is to provide a quick snapshot of some of the most pressing issues facing Nevada’s children in order to provide advocates and policymakers with a stepping stone in creating positive changes to improve the lives of Nevada’s children. While this book will not cover every issue facing our children, it is intended to highlight some of those where state policy may have an impact, covering issues in education, health, safety and security, and the juvenile justice system. Diligent efforts need to be made during the 2013 Legislative Session to improve policies, procedures and services for Nevada’s children. Nevada has continually been ranked as one of the poorest states when it comes to statistics regarding children and social policy. Given the current economic strains on our State, it is vitally important to focus on preventing cuts to necessary programs while looking ahead to see what we can improve upon. Although most advocates and particularly policymakers would like to create policies that will provide immediate positive feedback, it is important to realize that effective social change takes time. As such, much emphasis should be placed on developing quality, comprehensive systems and implementing evidence-based preventive strategies to researched-based risk indicators. This book is intended to be a compilation of statistics and policy recommendations from across the state, with contributions from practitioners, agencies, organizations, individuals and others who work with and advocate for the well-being of children in Nevada

Health Status of Children Entering Kindergarten: Results of the 2010-2011 (Year Three) Nevada Kindergarten Health Survey

Academic achievement for children is vital to their success in life. Those that do well in school have greater opportunities for post-secondary education, and later have better prospects for employment. One of the major factors that can affect a child’s academic achievement is his or her health status. Academic outcomes and health conditions are consistently linked in the literature (Taras & Potts-Datema, 2005). Children with poor health status, and especially those with common chronic health conditions, have increased numbers of school absences and more academic deficiencies (Taras & Potts-Datema, 2005). In a study concerning excused versus unexcused absences, children with greater absenteeism had lower academic performance, and those with excused absences performed better than those with unexcused absences (Gottfried, 2009). Therefore, to increase the likelihood for academic success in children, we need address their health concerns. Preventative care is crucial to a child’s ability to succeed in school.According to data from the KIDS COUNT Data Center at the Annie E. Casey Foundation (2009), 11 percent of Nevada’s teens are high school dropouts, compared to 7 percent nationally. The national dropout prevention center lists poor attendance and low achievement as two of the significant risk factors for school dropout (Hammond et al., 2007). Additionally studies examining school dropout rates indicate that early intervention is necessary to prevent students from dropping out of school. Middle and high school students that drop out likely stopped being engaged in school much earlier in their academic career. Therefore, early prevention and intervention is crucial to improving graduation rates. Ensuring that children have their basic needs met, including receiving adequate health care, can directly impact a child’s academic achievement as well as increase their likelihood for high school graduation.To gain baseline information on the health status of children entering the school system and better track student health status, the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy (NICRP), in partnership with the state’s 17 school districts, the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), and the Nevada State Health Division (NSHD), conducted a health survey examining the health status as well health insurance status of Nevada’s children entering kindergarten. This study was conducted with the goal of quantifying the health status of children as they enter school to be able to identify specific areas for improvement to eventually increase academic success among Nevada’s students

Mental Health of Incarcerated Juveniles in Nevada: Final Report

The prevalence of mental health problems in the juvenile offender population is substantially higher than that of the general population (Cocozza & Skowyra, 2000). Studies estimate that one in five juvenile offenders has serious mental health problems, which is nearly twice the rate of occurrence of mental illness in children and adults in the general population (NMHA Fact Sheet #l). However, there have been several methodological problems encountered in previous research. These include the use of inconsistent definitions and measurements of mental illness; the use of biased, nonrandom samples, a reliance on retrospective case report data, and the use of non-standard measurement instruments (Coccozza & Skowyra, 2000). All these factors can cause confusion on the actual prevalence rates of mental illness in the juvenile offender population. From other studies, tentative estimates of specific disorders prevalent among incarcerated youth are as follows: 50-90% with conduct disorder, up to 46% with attention deficit disorder, 6-41%with anxiety disorders, 25-50%with substance abuse or dependence, 32-78% with affective (emotional) disorders, and 1-6% with psychotic disorders (Goldstrom et al, )

Planning Initiative Award – 2006-2007 Access to Reproductive Health Services for Low-SES Pregnant/Parenting Teens in Clark County: A Comprehensive Needs Assessment

The Planning Initiative Award (PIA) project was a collaborative effort between the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy (NICRP) and the Center for Health Promotion (CHP)/Department of Health Promotion, research centers in the School of Public Health. The purpose of the project was to conduct an assessment of the access to reproductive health services among lower SES pregnant and parenting teens in the Las Vegas Valley. The project was designed to identify gaps in existing services and assist researchers in developing communication networks between community members, providers, educators, and policymakers. The data collected during the project period has great potential to make an impact on the health outcomes of low-income teen mothers and their babies through the information and development of new opportunities for pregnant and parenting teens to access health services. This document serves as the final report for this 2006-2007 Planning Initiative Award project. An extension was granted for submission of this final report, due to unanticipated delays in completing aspects of the project that were outside of the control of the researchers. These delays are noted in the section entitled “Description of the Project.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Year One Outcome Evaluation Report for the Southern Nevada Health District

In the fall of 2010 the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) was awarded funding from the Federal Office of Adolescent Health to implement an evidence based teen pregnancy prevention curriculum. They have partnered with the Department of Juvenile Justice Services and the Clark County Department of Family Services to offer this curriculum to the youth in juvenile detention, probation, and life skills classes for youth aging out of the foster care system. The Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy (NICRP) has been contracted to complete the outcome evaluation for this program and is collecting data to help measure the program’s progress toward meeting its goals. The program will be implemented over a five year period with the goal of reducing teen pregnancy and birth rates, as well as the rate of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents in Southern Nevada. To achieve these goals, the SNHD selected two evidence based curriculums: Be Proud! Be Responsible! and ¡Cuidate!. Both are designed to educate youth about protecting themselves from sexual health risks. Adolescents who participated in the program also completed surveys to allow for an evaluation of the program’s impact on their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to sexual health. There were 752 youth who participated in Year Two of the program and of those, 593 (78.9%) completed the course and the pre- and post-surveys required for the current evaluation. Youth from juvenile detention, probation, and foster care centers between the ages of 12 and 18 participated in the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. To date, 387 Year Two participants have become eligible for the 3-month follow-up survey and 175 have been completed for a 3-month follow-up survey response rate of 45.2%. There are 226 Year Two participants that have become eligible for a 6-month follow-up survey of which 98 have been completed, for a 6-month follow-up survey response rate of 43.4%. Year One of this project was considered a “pilot” year to allow for adjustments in curriculum implementation, venues, and survey instruments. During Year One there were several iterations of the surveys used and therefore, the Year One Pilot data will not be included cumulatively with the Year Two dataset or with future project data. In the current report, comparisons are made to the Year One Pilot, when available and appropriate. Some comparisons are not available because the question used to measure a particular goal has been changed completely from Year One and some comparisons are not appropriate because the response options for a question were changed from Year One to Year Two. Going forward, it is expected that few, if any, adjustments to program implementation and survey instrumentation will be made. Therefore, future reporting on program outcomes will rely on a cumulative dataset beginning with Year Two