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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Search Results: MCHLine

Items in this list may be obtained from the sources cited. Contact information reflects the most current data about the source that has been provided to the MCH Digital Library.

Displaying records 1 through 20 (673 total).

Wittenmyer J. n.d.. Amelioration of Health Problems of Children with Parents with Mental Retardation: [Final report]. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities, 51 pp.

Annotation: This project attempted to improve the health status of children in families in which one or both parents have mental retardation by reducing the risks associated with lack of immunization, poor nutrition, undiagnosed medical or developmental problems, injuries, and inadequate early stimulation. Efforts included both direct services (such as immunization, screening, and home care programs) and a consultation and technical assistance program aimed at improving the accessibility of the service delivery system for these children. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Access to Health Care, Barriers to Health Care, Health Education, High risk children, High risk groups: Families, Mental Retardation, Parents, Parents with disabilities, Preventive Health Care, Primary Care

Fiser D. n.d.. Outcome Evaluation of Emergency Medical Services for Children [Final report]. Little Rock, AR: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 27 pp.

Annotation: The primary purpose and goal of this project was the validation of scales for measuring cognitive and physical or general adaptive morbidity, the Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category Scale (PCPC) and Pediatric Overall provides the means of evaluation needed to reach the EMSC goal to evaluate emergency medical care of children as outlined in the EMSC 5 year plan. A secondary purpose of the study was to obtain supplemental data on the nature and severity of adverse outcomes of psychosocial adjustment for children and families with a broad range of cognitive and functional outcomes following childhood emergencies. This study and other work by the investigator will facilitate the identification of the population of children and families at high risk for emergencies in order to guide the development of a suitable intervention in a future phase of study. A cohort of 200 PICU discharges were accumulated consecutively over a 22 month enrollment period to a maximum of 25 patients in each of the eight cells of the study. The patients were then followed up with the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale and a battery of psychological tests. We find that the POPC and PCPC scales differentiate well between children of varying cognitive and general adaptive functional abilities as measured by the StanfordBinet, Bayley, and Vineland instruments. They should provide a useful tool for future studies which require outcome assessment. Maternal assessments may not be suitable substitutes for clinician assessments as mothers tend to rate children lower (less morbidity) than the nurse rater. Additional outcome analyses are still in progress. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Emergency Medical Services for Children, Emotional Health, Mental Health, Morbidity, Research

Susin J, Kaplan L. n.d.. "Breaking the Silence" tool kit: A how-to guide to bring mental illness education to schools in your community—A school outreach project. (Rev. ed.). Lake Success, NY: National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Queens/Nassau, 46 pp.

Annotation: This tool kit, geared toward program facilitators and volunteer educators, provides methods for bringing the Breaking the Silence program to communities. The purpose of the program is to break the silence about mental illness in schools. The toolkit provides a background on Breaking the Silence, the rationale for mental illness education, information about how to organize and fund a local program, how to enlist and train volunteers, and materials documenting the success of Breaking the Silence. The program is intended for use in upper elementary, middle, and high school classrooms.

Keywords: Adolescents, Children, Communities, Health education, Mental disorders, Mental health, Resource materials, Schools, Training

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. n.d.. Helping children cope during deployment. Bethesda, MD: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 2 pp. (Courage to care)

Annotation: This fact sheet, which is geared toward parents and family caregivers, contains information to help children cope during a parent's deployment. The fact sheet presents commonly asked questions and their responses. General tips for communicating with children of all ages, as well as advice for communicating with children from age 3 through adolescents according to their ages, are also included.

Keywords: Adolescent mental health, Adolescents, Child mental health, Children, Communication, Consumer education materials, Coping, Families, Military, Parent child relations, Parents

Rutgers Occupational Training and Education Consortium. n.d.. Trauma training: Child development, trauma and the brain—The DYFS mental health screening program. Buhl, ID: National Family Preservation Network,

Annotation: This website links to a training guide and participant workbook that provide activities that focus on trauma as a way of understanding how children and adolescents in the child welfare system are especially vulnerable to mental health challenges. The training materials were developed to help providers think about the physical effects of trauma on children, adolescents and young adults; understand the biological underpinnings of their challenges; and identify children with a suspected mental health need. Included are activities to help providers administer the New Jersey Mental Health Screening Tool (MHST) to assist with identifying children who may have mental health need and require further assessment.

Keywords: Child welfare, Children's mental health, Interventions, New Jersey, Screening, State programs, Training, Trauma

American Academy of Pediatrics. n.d.. Mom! Dad! Ask the doctor about my emotional development, too!. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 12 items.

Annotation: These advertising materials promote the importance of mental health as part of a health supervision visit. They are designed to be displayed on a bulletin board or used as a table top display in a pediatric practice. One version focuses on young children and the other on teenagers. Both versions are available in English and Spanish. Other versions are provided for use on Facebook pages or in parent newsletters.

Keywords: Child mental health, Emotional development, Health supervision, Pediatric care, Public awareness materials, Social interaction

American Academy of Pediatrics. n.d.. Tips to promote social-emotional health among young children. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 4 pp.

American Academy of Pediatrics. n.d.. Helping children in foster care make successful transitions into child care. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics , 2 pp.

National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness. n.d.. Health tips for families series. [Elk Grove Village, IL]: National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness, 13 items.

Annotation: These fact sheets for families in Head Start programs cover a variety of health topics related to children. Topics include active play, health literacy, understanding and using health information, healthy breathing at home (asthma prevention), healthy eating, mental health, oral health, and safety and injury prevention. The materials are available in Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Burmese, Chinese, English, Hmong, Marshallese, Polish, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Yiddish.

Keywords: Asthma, Child safety, Consumer education materials, Families, Head Start, Health literacy, Health promotion, Injury prevention, Mental health, Nutrition, Oral health, Physical activity, Play, Smoking, Spanish language materials, Young children

National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness. n.d.. Facilitating a referral for mental health services for children and their families. Itasca, IL: National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness, 8 pp.

Annotation: This guide describes how Head Start and Early Head start programs can facilitate mental health screening and referrals for children and families. It explains how Head Start staff can prepare for the referrral and engage families in the process and facilitate the process once the referral has been made. A referral checklist and a guide to help facilitators locate mental health providers are included.

Keywords: Early Head Start, Families, Head Start Centers, Mental health, Referrals, Young children

Ohio Perinatal Mental Health Task Force. n.d.. Perinatal mental health screening protocol and briefing. Columbus, OH: Ohio Perinatal Mental Health Task Force , 26 pp.

Annotation: This perinatal mental health screening protocol and briefing guide is designed to provide a culturally responsive framework for screening Black birthing persons. The protocol aims to address the urgent need for improved screening and quality care for this population, which is at higher risk for perinatal depression and anxiety. Informed by focus groups with Black birthing people, Black birth workers, perinatal service providers, and a literature review, the guide outlines five key steps for conducting screenings: fostering an atmosphere of trust and safety, starting a conversation, providing choice and transparency, discussing results with patients, and making referrals with follow-through. The briefing includes considerations for providers before screening, such as assessing biases, serving with cultural humility, understanding community fears and stigma, and recognizing common phrases used to indicate anxiety or depression. The protocol also provides guidance on establishing an organizational screening process and building culturally responsive referral partnerships.

Keywords: Blacks, Child birth, Culutral sensitivity, Mental health, Ohio, Perinatal care, Protocol, Quality improvement, Screening, State initiatives

Center for Health Care Strategies; Casey Family Programs . 2025. What strategies support effective implementation of the system of care approach? . Hamilton, NJ: Center for Health Care Strategies, 7 pp.

Annotation: This strategy brief identifies lessons learned and effective strategies for implementing a system of care approach to improve behavioral health outcomes for children and their families. It details core principles such as building trust among cross-sector partners, centering families as primary decision-makers, and prioritizing the delivery of home- and community-based services. The document discusses key elements for achieving scale and sustainability, including leadership commitment, flexible financing, and workforce capacity building through Centers of Excellence. Based on a literature review and interviews with stakeholders, it features jurisdictional profiles and practice examples from New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, and Oklahoma

Keywords: Behavior, Child health, Families, Family support programs, Literature reviews, Mental health, Models, Service delivery systems

March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. 2023. What is PKU in your baby?. White Plains, NY: March of Dimes , (Preconception risk reduction)

Blevins D. 2023. Promoting black joy and countering bias through infant and early childhood mental health consultation . Washington, DC: Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation ,

Annotation: This resource offers guidance for infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) consultants and supervisors in their efforts to support and attain equitable learning environments for Black children. The resource is divided into three sections: 1) Section one includes information about Black culture, history, cultural strengths, values, and ways of knowing and being; 2) Section two guides users through the revised IECMH Consultation Competencies and provides promising practices and concrete strategies to increase consultants’ and supervisors’ capacity to handle personal and institutional bias; and 3) Section three invites users to consider the real-life implications of harmful practices through a series of case studies with questions for individual and group reflection. The resource is intended to fill the need for targeted support that is anti-bias, culturally rich, and promotes joy for Black children and families.

Keywords: Consultants , Cultural competence, Health equity, Infants, Learning, Mental health, Young children

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . 2023. Improving access to children’s mental health care. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ,

Annotation: This online resource presents strategies to help connect families to children's mental health care; addresses gaps in the mental health workforce; and investigates how funding issues affect mental health care. It also addresses social determinants of health and how they affect mental health care; offers guidance on identifying children who need more support; and provides tools to help support healthy child development and the well-being of families.

Keywords: Access to health care, Barriers, Child mental health, Health equity, Policy, Services for families

Smith S, Granja MR, Wright Burak E, Johnson K, Ferguson D. 2023. Medicaid policies to help young children access infant-early childhood Mental health services: Results from a 50-state Survey. New York, NY: National Center for Children in Poverty,

Annotation: This report presents results of a 50-state policy survey conducted by the National Center for Children in Poverty, Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy Center for Children and Families, and Johnson Policy Consulting. The survey asked state Medicaid agency leaders about Medicaid policies related to screenings and services designed to identify, prevent, and treat infant-early childhood mental health problems. The results and recommendations presented in this report can help mental health and early childhood leaders take stock of current Medicaid policies and their potential to support infant-early childhood mental health.

Keywords: Access to care, Child health, Health policy, Infant health, Medicaid, Mental health, Public policy, Screening, State surveys, Young children

Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission. 2022. Report to the Congress on Medicaid and CHIP. Washington, DC: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, 196 pp.

Annotation: This report focuses on aspects of Medicaid's mission to ensure access to high-quality health services and the program's future as a major health care payer driving health system change toward value. The report focuses on topics of interest to Congress, including Medicaid’s responsiveness during economic downturns; concerns about high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality; improving hospital payment policy for the nation's safetynet hospitals, and the integration of care for people who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare.

Keywords: Access to health care, Adolescents, Children, Children's Health Insurance Program, Costs, Financing, Health care reform, Health services delivery, Medicaid, Medications, Mental health, Oral health, Organizational change, Pregnant women, Reimbursement, Systems development

Hostetter M, Klein S. 2022. Filling gaps in access to mental health treatment for teens and young adults. New York, NY: Commonwealth Fund, 1 item

Annotation: This electronic resources examines ways to promote resilience among all young people and connect those who need help with mental health treatment and other supports. The web feature explores care models tailored to the unique needs of young people, including clinics and youth centers that offer a range of clinical and social supports, and therapeutic tools that can be used by non-specialists or young people themselves. All of the models presented seek to lower barriers to getting help, teach young people about mental health, and empower them to become part of the solution.

Keywords: Adolescent mental health, Child mental health, Mental health, Mental health services, Young adults

Ferguson D, Smith S, Granja M, Lasala O, Cooper H. 2022. Child welfare and early intervention: Policies and practices to promote collaboration and help infants and toddlers thrive. New York, NY: National Center for Children in Poverty , 19 pp.

Annotation: This brief examines promising strategies used in three states (Texas, Colorado, and Rhode Island) to address the developmental and mental health needs of infants and toddlers involved in Child Welfare (CW). The brief focuses primarily on the roles of state and local CW and Part C of the federal Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that establishes requirements for providing Early Intervention (EI) services to infants and toddlers with disabilities. Additional support from other sectors and settings (e.g., mental health and home visiting) are also highlighted.

Keywords: Child development, Children, Early intervention, Ethnic groups, Infants, Low income groups, Mental health, Model programs , Poverty, State programs, Toddlers

Viswanathan M, Wallace I, Cook Middleton J, Kennedy SM, McKeeman J, Hudson K, Rains C, Vander Schaaf EB, Kahwati L. 2022. Screening for depression, anxiety, and suicide risk in children and adolescents: An evidence review for the U.S. Preventive Task Force . Rockville, MD: U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 547 pp. (Evidence Synthesis 2021; AHRQ Publication No. 22-05293-EF-1)

Annotation: This review examines the research evidence on the benefits and harms of screening, accuracy of screening, and benefits and harms of treatment for suicide risk, anxiety, and depression in children and adolescents. Intended to help healthcare decision makers (patients and clinicians, health system leaders, policy makers, and others) make well-informed decisions, the review is based on research conducted by the RTI International--University of North Carolina Evidence-based Practice Center under contract by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality AHRQ).

Keywords: Adolescents, Anxiety, Children, Depression, Mental health, Quality assurance , Research reviews, Screening, Suicide
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The MCH Library is one of six special collections at Georgetown University, the nation's oldest Jesuit institution of higher education. The library is supported through foundation, private, university, state, and federal funding. This information or content and conclusions are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by Georgetown University or the U.S. Government. Note: web pages whose development was supported by federal government grants are being reviewed to comply with applicable Executive Orders.