Staying Ahead of the Budget Shortfall

Choices has published its most recent white paper – Staying Ahead of the Budget Shortfall: Serving More Youth with the Same Amount of Money (or Less). Visit our new White Paper library at ChoicesTeam.org today and check it out!

Choices Gets Flashmobbed

Every now and then our staff need to just bust out and have a little bit of fun. See what happened during a recent “routine” monthly meeting.

The Consequences of Being Forgotten

A recent progress report on court-ordered reform shows that New Jersey is just the latest state to shortchange youth aging out of foster care, leaving them vulnerable to and unprepared for adult-sized problems.

Read the full story at Children’s Rights.

Crisis in DC: What Vulnerable Kids Face in Residential Treatment

We’d like to invite you to take a few moments and leave our blog to read this powerful story.

“With three sprawling campuses in Virginia’s Tidewater region, The Pines is the biggest for-profit residential treatment center in the state. It’s a complex operation that sustains itself on the idea of accepting just about any kid. The sexual predator, the orphan, and the gang member all occupy The Pines’ fortress of smash-proof glass and sky-blue cinderblock.

But in the past three years, The Pines has faced more abuse and neglect allegations than any other RTC facility in Virginia, according to a review of state records. Its campuses have been under constant scrutiny, threats of sanctions, and state orders to correct problems. One staffer described M’s unit as a “dog pen.””

Visit the Washington City Paper and read the full feature now.

A Yard Sale Like No Other!

Families Reaching for Rainbows is sponsoring a yard sale on Saturday, June 18.

Families associated with the Dawn Project and/or Rainbows are invited to shop. There is no charge for any item. We are asking only that families take what they can use.

Here is where you come in…we need “stuff” for the sale! We need gently used clothing, household items and the like. We are asking that you NOT donate any knick-knacks or things like that that are typically in garage/yard sales, just things that families might be able to actually use. If you would like to make a donation, just email us!

Is it bipolar or ADHD?

There’s been a dramatic rise in the number of children diagnosed with bipolar disorder. But not everyone agrees that they have the psychiatric condition that leads to swings between mania and depression.

Dr. Leslie Hulvershorn, chief of the pediatric mood disorders & adolescent dual diagnoses clinics at the Indiana University School of Medicine, is embarking on a study funded by two psychiatric research charities that asks whether these behaviors are symptoms of ADHD instead.

Read the full story here, at the Indianapolis Star.

Mental Health in the Public Sector – Where do You Stand?

U.S. Representative David Wu of Oregon is facing calls for resignation after stories of erratic behavior have surfaced. Wu has cited an ongoing mental health issue (the specific diagnosis still private) as the reason for his recent behaviors, but also insists that his condition does not prevent him from being able to do his job.

The allegations of his lack of fitness to continue in office stem from strange behavior at the end of his 2010 election campaign, which included sending pictures of himself, in a tiger costume, to staff members. Multiple staffers resigned as a result of the incident. Wu owned up to the allegations, stating the incident was “unprofessional and inappropriate”. During the campaign, Wu also suffered a “severe episode” stemming from a reaction to mental health drugs.

Portland newspapers insist the call for resignation is not due to his mental health challenges, but due to his lack of forthrightness concerning his treatment.

Where do you stand? Should Wu be forced to resign? Should Wu be held culpable for his behavior, despite his mental illness? Does Wu, as a publicly elected representative, have the same privileges to privacy regarding the condition of his mental health and any subsequent treatments he may be receiving? Comment below.

You can also view the original Associated Press story which served as the basis for this post.

-Adam Lowe, Branding Manager, Choices, Inc.

Register Now for the 10th Annual Indiana Systems of Care Conference

Register Today!
Interest in the 10th Annual Indiana Systems of Care Conference has reached a fever pitch. So it’s with much excitement that we announce the opening of registration!

Thanks to an incredible new partnership with Family Action Network and One Community One Family, along with continued partnership from the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction, we are branching out to bring the SOC Conference to youth and families. For those of you looking for more in-depth and detailed sessions, you’ll be happy to see some longer sessions with new learning opportunities. Register today!
[Register for the Conference Now]

Speakers
We are excited to bring Dr. Mike Thompson back to motivate and inspire us as parents and individuals working with youth. To enhance your learning opportunities, this year we are hosting two additional featured speakers. Arabella Perez is a nationally recognized expert on trauma informed care and Dixie Jordan is a pioneer of family centered care. In addition to these speakers, participants will have access to many in-depth breakout sessions in the afternoon.
[Learn More about our Speakers]

Jessica McCarthy Award
The Jessica McCarthy Award for Excellence in Wraparound recognizes outstanding efforts in applying wraparound values and system of care principles to improve the lives of children with serious emotional and behavioral problems and their families. Nominate someone today! The winner will receive a complimentary pass to the conference, will be honored during the event, and will receive a $100 award.
[Make a Nomination Today]

Hidden Discounts!
We have a limited number of discount codes available for the conference, but you’ll have to do a little digging. Here’s a hint – it helps if you like us, if you’re part of a new collaborative effort, or if a little bird told you.
[Visit the Official Conference Page Now]

Linking and Integrating with Primary Care:The Medical Home Model for Children’s Mental Health

The National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health is hosting a webinar, Linking and Integrating with Primary Care, which will be held on Thursday, February 15, 2011 from 1pm to 2:30pm. It will provide an overview of opportunities provided by Medical Home Model, primary care to strengthen collaboration, and the Affordable Care Act will be discussed.
Please visit the National TA Center site to register for the call.

There are no registration fees.

Help Us Honor Youth-Serving Professionals

Choices is proud to announce that the 2011 Indiana Systems of Care Conference will be host to the inaugural Jessica McCarthy Award for Excellence in Wraparound. This award recognizes one Indiana based, youth serving professional whose outstanding efforts in applying wraparound values and system of care principles have improved the lives of children with serious emotional and behavioral challenges, and their families.

Jessica McCarthy was the Benton County, Indiana, system of care coordinator tragically killed in an automobile accident in February 2009. The Choices TA Center announced at the annual system of care conference in 2009 that the Jessica McCarthy Award for Excellence in Wraparound would be established in her memory. This award is for youth-serving professionals who, like Jessica, embody wraparound values and go above and beyond to serve the individuals in their systems of care.

If you would like to nominate someone to receive this award, please visit our Systems of Care Conference site and complete the nomination form today. The winner will receive a complimentary pass to the conference, will be honored during the event and will receive a monetary gift as well.

Make your nomination today!