Centre for Community Child Health’s Post

Congratulations to Lottie Harris PhD candidate, lead author, and co-authors on publication of: Dimensions of child maltreatment in Australians with a history of out-of-home care. This paper is a very nuanced analysis of dimensions of maltreatment based on data from the Australian Child Maltreatment #ACMS survey. The paper shows differences between those with and without care experience. It also shows higher burden of maltreatment, higher frequency, longer duration and more perpetrators in people who have out-of-home care experience. Those with a care experience were consistently more likely to experience multi-type maltreatment, a greater range of maltreatment items, maltreatment starting at an earlier age, lasting for a longer period, and perpetrated by more people than the non-care-experienced group. The widespread experience of multi-type maltreatment in children and young people who have out-of-home care experience suggests the need for therapeutic intervention. Read the open access paper: https://lnkd.in/gEHwu4tV

“Hospital staff suggested ‘surrendering’ a child. Another was taken by nurses to CAS in a taxi. What happens when the system can’t cope”… 🌟 **Urgent Call for Change in Ontario's Mental Health Services for Children** 🌟 As the mother of a 11 year-old autistic daughter, I cannot remain silent about a serious and growing issue in our healthcare system. This heartbreaking experience is not isolated; it reflects a troubling trend across Ontario. Children with complex health needs—like autism, ADHD, and mental health challenges—are being discharged from hospitals into the care of children's aid services (CAS) without adequate support, often due to a lack of resources in our health system. 🔍 Key Concerns: - Children with serious mental health needs are being mischaracterized and left without the necessary care. - The current system pushes families to consider relinquishing their children to CAS, despite no safety concerns. - Hospital discharges often occur without proper planning or follow-up care. The Patient Ombudsman has documented multiple cases illustrating this alarming pattern, emphasizing the urgent need for systemic change. We must advocate for better support systems that prioritize the health and safety of our children. 👉 **Join the conversation** to raise awareness and push for reforms that ensure vulnerable youth receive the comprehensive care they deserve. The only way wecan create a future where every child has access to the resources they need to thrive and by getting community united and fight by our side! #MentalHealth #ChildWelfare #Advocacy #AutismAwareness #OntarioHealth #SystemicChange #SupportOurYouth https://lnkd.in/edpipeAG

💡 Affiliate research spotlight 💡 Moving from idea to reality: The barriers and enablers to implementing Child and Family Hubs policy into practice in NSW, Australia Adverse childhood experiences can impact physical and mental health throughout the lifespan. To support families experiencing adversity and improve child health and developmental equity, an integrated, multi-sector response is required. Child and Family Hubs (Hubs) are a feasible and acceptable approach to providing such a response. Read about the perspectives of NSW policy stakeholders and health service managers on the barriers and enablers to translating policy into practice in the implementation of Child and Family Hubs. https://lnkd.in/g7gPfMw6 #childandfamilyhealth #healthpolicy #integratecare #childhoodadversity #SLHD #NSWHealth

From 2008 to 2024, EngenderHealth has supported India’s Ministry of Family Health and Welfare to improve adolescent health services and outcomes. Using a GYSI lens and participatory approaches to meaningfully engage adolescents and youth, whose unique needs are often ignored, we implemented an innovative partnership model with local nongovernmental organizations to improve access to and quality of adolescent health services. For instance, we helped establish and strengthen adolescent-friendly health clinics at facilities and enhanced community outreach to adolescents by identifying and training peer educators and by organizing special adolescent health days. This project helped improve community- and facility-level services and improved coordination between health and education initiatives, fostering an enabling environment for adolescent health that supports more gender- and youth-transformative programming. Learn more: https://loom.ly/H_G3_1s  #HealthSystemStrengthening #HealthEquity #SRHRForAl

New from JN Learning: USPSTF Review: Primary Care Interventions to Prevent Child Maltreatment https://lnkd.in/gtGewaXj

Kentucky public health leaders want to hear your thoughts on maternal and child health services. Click this link to complete a needs assessment: https://buff.ly/3UdRTlp Kentucky’s comprehensive MCH needs assessment is completed every five years through this survey. The needs assessment will help us identify gaps in coverage in five key population domains: Women's and Maternal Health, Perinatal and Infant Health, Child Health, Adolescent Health, and Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs. The results help determine statewide priorities for maternal and child health programs.

Addressing Elder Mistreatment in Canada: Introducing the RISE/EAPO Framework   Did you know that approximately 10% of older adults in Canada—around 900,000 individuals—experience elder mistreatment each year? This includes #abuse, #neglect, and #financial exploitation, with devastating impacts such as premature #mortality, #suicidal ideation, and poor #physical and #mental health.   The need for an organized #community response to support victims of elder mistreatment has never been more urgent. With Canada’s aging population on the rise, this issue will only grow without effective prevention and intervention strategies. Funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada and developed in partnership with Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario (EAPO), RISE is one of the first evidence-based programs globally dedicated to preventing and addressing elder mistreatment in community settings. Grounded in #theory, #research, and #survivor #consultation, the RISE model operates at #Relational, #Individual, #Social, and #Environmental levels RiseCollaborative.   Early findings from a randomized control trial in Ontario show significant improvements in psychosocial outcomes for older adults impacted by mistreatment.   ✨ Meet Experts Leading the Way in Ontario in a Presentation on the RISE/EAPO Framework✨ 🔹 Dr. David Burnes Canada Research Chair in Older Adult Mistreatment Prevention, Professor, RISE Director, University of Toronto 🔹 Andria Allen RISE Program Supervisor and clinical social worker specializing in health equity and older adult care 🔹 Marta Hajek CEO, Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario and advocate for the human rights of older adults 📅 Date & Time 🗓 Tuesday, December 10, 2024 ⏰ 1:00 to 1:30 pm Eastern Time (ET) 📢 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gFEK5a8M   Together, we are driving a movement to create safer, more supportive communities for older adults. ✨ A Knowledge Hub Community of Practice Member ✨ RISE is proud to be part of the Knowledge Hub Community of Practice, fostering collaboration, shared learning, and innovative solutions to address gender-based violence and health promotion.   Check out our RiseCollaborative page to follow RISE efforts as we adapt, replicate, evaluate, and scale across different contexts in Canada and the US. #ElderMistreatment #AgingPopulation #CommunityCare #EAPO #RISEProject #EAPO #SocialWork #PublicHealth #KnowledgeHub 

Addressing Elder Mistreatment in Canada: Introducing the RISE/EAPO Framework   Did you know that approximately 10% of older adults in Canada—around 900,000 individuals—experience elder mistreatment each year? This includes #abuse, #neglect, and #financial exploitation, with devastating impacts such as premature #mortality, #suicidal ideation, and poor #physical and #mental health.   The need for an organized #community response to support victims of elder mistreatment has never been more urgent. With Canada’s aging population on the rise, this issue will only grow without effective prevention and intervention strategies. Funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada and developed in partnership with Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario (EAPO), RISE is one of the first evidence-based programs globally dedicated to preventing and addressing elder mistreatment in community settings. Grounded in #theory, #research, and #survivor #consultation, the RISE model operates at #Relational, #Individual, #Social, and #Environmental levels RiseCollaborative   Early findings from a randomized control trial in Ontario show significant improvements in psychosocial outcomes for older adults impacted by mistreatment.   ✨ Meet Experts Leading the Way in Ontario in a Presentation on the RISE/EAPO Framework✨ 🔹 Dr. David Burnes Canada Research Chair in Older Adult Mistreatment Prevention, Professor, RISE Director, University of Toronto 🔹 Andria Allen RISE Program Supervisor and clinical social worker specializing in health equity and older adult care 🔹 Marta Hajek CEO, Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario and advocate for the human rights of older adults 📅 Date & Time 🗓 Tuesday, December 10, 2024 ⏰ 1:00 to 1:30 pm Eastern Time (ET) 📢 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gFEK5a8M   Together, we are driving a movement to create safer, more supportive communities for older adults. ✨ A Knowledge Hub Community of Practice Member ✨ RISE is proud to be part of the Knowledge Hub Community of Practice, fostering collaboration, shared learning, and innovative solutions to address gender-based violence and health promotion.   Check out our RiseCollaborative page to follow RISE efforts as we adapt, replicate, evaluate, and scale across different contexts in Canada and the US. #ElderMistreatment #AgingPopulation #CommunityCare #EAPO #RISEProject #EAPO #SocialWork #PublicHealth #KnowledgeHub

We are also advocating for changes to the laws in Canada: Please see a piece written with Dr. Tracie Afifi in 2023: https://lnkd.in/gfTCnhp7

“More than one third of children in the United States live below 200% of the federal poverty level and are disproportionately exposed to adverse social conditions that increase their risk of physical, developmental, and behavioral health problems.” Screenings for Social Drivers of Health (SDoH) in the primary care setting can lead to essential connections to community services for families and children. An exceptional qualitative study was published exploring the perspectives of caregivers being asked the screening questions for SDoH. Their findings are an excellent example of how intent does not equal impact. As healthcare professionals, we strive to help others and unfortunately, how we go about offering services can, unintentionally, be an added barrier to the help we hope to provide.  The themes families shared that healthcare professionals and systems can integrate into their practice include:  - The acceptability of social determinants of health screening questions was tied to participants’ understanding of the connection between the topic and child health - Families preferred a warm handoff to community services  - Families fear child protective services intervention as a result of sharing unmet social needs - Positive provider rapport was an important factor in choosing to share social needs We especially appreciate the methodology including focus groups in both Spanish and English. The study identified Spanish-speaking families face additional barriers when trying to connect with community services without a warm handoff by the primary clinic due to lack of interpreter services. One quote is quite powerful, highlighting one of the very real fears families face in healthcare settings: “You never know the doctor is going to call CPS which is Child Protective Services, and they don’t have hesitation on taking your child away from you, you know, so a lot of these parents would be scared to really talk about, not to say that we’re not a bad parent and we did not take care of our child, it’s just that we had lack of resources” (an English-speaking caregiver on child protective services intervention) This study adds the most important voice of patients and families. Thank you to the authorship team Leena Penumalee, Jennifer O’Neil Lambert, Martha Gonzalez, Melanie Gray, Ekta Partani, Celia Wilson, Rebecca Etz, and Bergen Nelson for sharing this work! #healthequity #intentversusimpact #implicitbiasinterruption https://lnkd.in/eaxEwJwn