Sap County Coordination Update

SAP COUNTY COORDINATION UPDATE February, 2013

PENNSYLVANIA NETWORK FOR STUDENT ASSISTANCE SERVICES INTERAGENCY UPDATE

Welcome New SAP Regional Coordinators PDE has added four SAP Regional Coordinators to the Pennsylvania Network for Student Assistance Services. Based out of four intermediate units, the additional staff will be responsible for the regions that have been covered by the PDE office. In addition the region numbers have changed to reflect the additional personnel and assignments. Please see the table below to check for the name of your regional coordinator and the region number your county has been assigned.

PNSAS Regions & Coordinators 2/4/13 PNSAS Region & Regional Coordinator Counties Region I Bucks Delaware Joe Loccisano Chester Montgomery [email protected] Dauphin Philadelphia Ph. 717-346-4253 Region II Adams Lancaster Susan Billy Franklin Lebanon [email protected] Fulton York Ph. 717-606-1622 Region III Berks Lehigh Mary Lou Michaels Carbon Schuylkill [email protected] Ph. 570-544-9131 x1215 Region IV Lackawanna Pike Katie Reese Luzerne Susquehanna [email protected] Monroe Wayne Ph. 570-876-9200 Northampton Wyoming Region V Bradford Northumberland John Deppen Columbia Sullivan [email protected] Lycoming Tioga Ph. 570-523-1155 x2203 Montour

1 Region VI Clinton Mifflin Trish (Patricia) Johnson Cumberland Perry [email protected] Huntingdon Snyder Ph. 570-532-0935 Juniata Union Region VII Blair Clearfield Deborah Strayer Bedford Jefferson [email protected] Cambria Somerset Ph. 814-944-4355 Centre Region VIII Allegheny Greene Renee Urick (Currently on Sabbatical) Beaver Washington [email protected] Fayette Westmoreland Region IX Armstrong Lawrence Marie Bozelli Butler Mercer [email protected] Clarion Venango Ph. 724-284-9183 Indiana Region X Cameron Forest Beth Sprentz Crawford McKean [email protected] Elk Potter Ph. 814-726-9626 Erie Warren *Region VIII counties are currently being covered by staff in the regions indicated. PNSAS 2/4/13 Beaver, Washington—Region X Allegheny, Westmoreland—Region VII Greene, Fayette—Region VI

RESOURCES

Project Aims to Curb Teen Medicine Abuse Last fall The Partnership at Drugfree.org launched The Medicine Abuse Project, an action and education campaign to curb teen medicine abuse, and ultimately save lives. The Medicine Abuse Project aims to prevent half a million teens from abusing medicine within five years. One in six teens has used a prescription drug in order to get high or change their mood, too often with deadly consequences. Addressing the epidemic of teen medicine abuse is a responsibility that falls upon entire communities, including educators, who are in a unique position to help recognize, respond to and address this health crisis that affects thousands of families across the country. At MedicineAbuseProject .org there is a suite of resources for educators tailored specifically for teachers, school administrators, school nurses and other specialized instructional sup ort personnel to help prevent medicine abuse in schools, homes and community. You can download curricula, posters, parent talk kits, drug guides and more. While you are there, take the Pledge to end medicine abuse!

HHS/SAMHSA Disaster Response Template Toolkit Includes Customizable Resources The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series (DBHIS) contains themed installments of resources and toolkits in disaster behavioral health. Each installment focuses on a specific population, disaster type, or other topic pertinent to disaster behavioral health preparedness, response, and recovery.

2 DBHIS has released a new Disaster Response Template Toolkit featuring public education materials that disaster behavioral health response programs can use to create resources for reaching people affected by a disaster. The template kit includes print materials such as brochures, door hangers, flyers, newsletters, tip sheets, wallet cards, and postcards that can be completely customized. The toolkit also has web and multimedia materials such as sample blog posts and public service announcement scripts. Many of the links contain downloadable templates and online tools that have been used in previous disaster situations across the country. The templates can be adapted for future use as desired. For example, an organization may add their specific program contact information, point of contact reference, or branding such as logos. In addition, the content can be tailored to fit specific program needs. To download and learn more about DBHIS resources visit DBHIS Templates at http://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/dbhis/dbhis_templates_intro.asp and DBHIS resources at http://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/dbhis/

Identifying Polyvictimization and Trauma Among Court-Involved Children and Youth: The National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence found that 60 percent of children surveyed had been exposed to violence. Researchers have labeled children who have experienced seven or more types of victimization as "polyvictims", and have suggested that "victimization exposure across so many domains may be what leaves these children so particularly distressed. For many of these children, this exposure can have both short and long-term effects. This checklist, developed in partnership with the American Bar Association (ABA) Center on Children and the Law, and Child & Family Policy Associates, provides juvenile defenders, children's attorneys, GAL attorneys, CASAs and other advocates the tools to identify both the types of violence exposure that a child has experienced, and past and current symptoms that a child is exhibiting related to victimization. The checklist also includes a resource guide with links to free materials on numerous topics related to polyvictimization and trauma-informed advocacy. View PDF.

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

New Webinar and Conference Call Series Launches in January 2013: The Intersection of Suicide Research and Public Health Practice The Injury Control Research Center for Suicide Prevention (ICRC-S), a new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - funded research center focusing on a public health approach to suicide research and suicide prevention is launching a series of monthly webinars and conference calls starting in January 2013. Developed by the University of Rochester Medical Center and Education Development Center, the ICRC-S draws suicide prevention directly into the domain of public health and injury prevention and links it to complementary approaches to mental health. The ICRC-S webinar series, The Intersection of Suicide Research and Public Health Practice, will explore the perspectives and approaches of suicide researchers and of state and local injury prevention and suicide prevention practitioners.

The goal of the series is to promote a dialogue between researchers and practitioners, enabling them to identify new, collaborative projects that will inform and enhance suicide prevention and research efforts. Topics to be addressed in the series include: • The public health approach to suicide research and suicide prevention • Youth suicide • Domestic violence and suicide • Suicide among military veterans • Suicide and the media

The webinars will be held on the second Wednesday of the month from 2-3 p.m. ET. The dates of the upcoming webinars are: • January 9th • February 13th

3 • March 13th • April 10th • May 8th Each webinar will be accompanied a week later by a follow-up conference call, which will provide an opportunity for in-depth discussion of the material presented in the preceding webinar. The conference calls will be held on the third Wednesday of the month from 2-3 p.m. ET. The dates of the conference calls are: • January 16th • February 20th • March 20th • April 17th • May 15th

View registration information here.

Webinar Wednesday: Guide to Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT): An Introduction to Screening Wednesday, February 27, 2013 12:00 - 3:00 Eastern / 11:00 - 2:00 Central / 10:00 - 1:00 Mountain / 9:00 - 12:00 Pacific This training will introduce health professionals to the use of valid, brief screening tools and determining recommended level of intervention based on level of risk. COST: FREE! CEUs: 3 CEUs approved for PA CADC, NAADAC, and Social Work. Attendees will receive link to the CEU order form after the webinar. IRETA webinars are approved by the Pennsylvania Certification Board to provide credits for addictions practitioners *and* they satisfy Department of Health, Division of Drug and Alcohol Program Licensure training hour requirements! Additional information available at http://ireta.org/webinars .

Pennsylvania Association of Student Assistance Professionals’ (PASAP) Annual Conference Online registration is now available for the Pennsylvania Association of Student Assistance Professionals’ (PASAP) Annual Conference at the Penn Stater Conference Center in State College from February 24 – 26, 2013. PASAP (Pennsylvania Association of Student Assistance Professionals), PAMLE (Pennsylvania Association of Middle Level Educators) and AEDY (Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth) Professionals are partnering to host this event to offer our members broader professional development experiences and many more resources. For conference information, visit www.pasap.org.

SAVE THE DATE

Schoolwide Positive Behavior Supports Implementer’s Forum May 29 and 30, 2013 Hershey Lodge and Convention Center Hershey, PA Registration information will be forthcoming at a later date at the PaTTAN website.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Connecting Kids to Health Insurance Funded under the Affordable Care Act, these grants will continue efforts to find and enroll eligible children in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). A total of $32 million is available for states, local governments, community-based and non-profit organizations. Indian health care providers and tribal entities also are

4 eligible to apply. Proposals are due on February 21, 2013, with grant award notification anticipated on June 1, 2013. Grants are expected to range in size from $250,000 to $1 million for a two-year period, beginning June 1, 2013 and ending May 31, 2015. Grant information is available at http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/professionals/index.html . For more information, read the “Connecting Kids to Coverage: Ten Things Schools Can Do” fact sheet at http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/professionals/outreach/strategies/schools/10_things_to_do.pdf.

SAMHSA Accepting Applications for Up to $3 million in Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act (STOP Act) Grants The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for up to $750,000 per year in STOP Act grants aimed at preventing alcohol use among underage youth in communities across the nation. The STOP Act program was created to strengthen collaboration among the federal, state, local and tribal governments and communities to more effectively reduce alcohol use among youth. This mission includes disseminating timely information to communities about state-of-the-art practices and initiatives that are proven to be effective in preventing and reducing alcohol use among youth. The STOP Act program enhances, not supplants, effective local community initiatives for preventing and reducing alcohol use among youth.

SAMHSA anticipates providing funding up to $50,000 annually in individual grants for up to 15 grantees for up to a four-year period. Actual amounts may vary, depending on the availability of funds.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE: The statutory authority for this program (stated in the STOP Act CFDA: 93.243, Legislative Authority, 42 U.S.C. 290bb-25b, Section 519B of the Public Health Service Act) limits eligibility to domestic, public, and private nonprofit entities that are current or former Drug Free Communities Support Program (DFC) grantees, including past STOP Act grantees. For example, local governments, federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native Tribes, Territories, and Pacific and Caribbean Jurisdictions may be eligible. The statutory authority for this program prohibits grants to for-profit agencies.

STOP Act grantees that received their award in fiscal year 2008 and fiscal year 2009 are eligible to apply for the FY 2013 STOP Act grant.

HOW TO APPLY: Requests for a complete application package for SP-13-001can be made from SAMHSA at 1-877- SAMHSA7 [TDD: 1-800-487-4889]. The required documents may also be downloaded from the SAMHSA web site at http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/. APPLICATION DUE DATE: March 1, 2013. Applications must be received by the due date to be considered for review. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: For questions about program issues, contact Dan Fletcher at (240) 276-2578 or e-mail [email protected].

Coalitions: Apply for DFC Support Program Funding The Office of National Drug Control Policy, in cooperation with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is pleased to announce the posting of the FY2013 Request for Applications (RFA) for the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program.

The purpose of the DFC Program is to establish and strengthen collaboration to support the efforts of community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use among youth. Since 1998, ONDCP has awarded approximately 2,000 DFC grants, with up to 150 new awards expected in FY 2013. Grants have been awarded to communities from every region in the nation including rural, urban, suburban, and tribal communities.

5 Applications are due no later than March 22, 2013. For the required materials to apply for the DFC Program visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/drug-free-communities-support-program . The DFC Program will also host three New Applicant Workshops to assist interested coalitions in applying for DFC funding in FY2013. Each workshop will focus solely on the FY2013 DFC RFA. Register here: https://www.cmpinc.net/dfc/ for workshops Jan. 29 in Phoenix, Ariz.; Jan. 31 in Little Rock, Ark.; and Feb. 8 after CADCA’s National Leadership Forum.

For information related to these workshops, email Helen Hernandez at [email protected]. For more information on applying for the DFC Program, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/information- for-potential-applicants.

Binge Drinking is Reported by One in Five High School Girls According to HHS/CDC Report Excessive alcohol use accounted for an estimated average of 23,000 deaths among women and girls in the United States each year during 2001–2005. Binge drinking accounted for more than half of those deaths. CDC analyzed data from the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to describe the prevalence, frequency, and intensity of current alcohol use and binge drinking among U.S. women aged ≥18 years and high school girls. This report summarizes the results of that analysis. Read more here: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6201a3.htm?s_cid=mm6201a3_w.

Marijuana Use Continues to Increase as Perceived Risk of Use Decreases among U.S. High School Seniors The percentage of U.S. high school seniors reporting past month marijuana use continues to gradually increase, according to the most recent data from the national Monitoring the Future (MTF) study. In 2012, 22.9% of 12th graders reported using marijuana in the past month, a 25% increase since the most recent low of 18.3% in 2006 (see figure below). While the current prevalence of marijuana use is far below the peak of 37.1% in 1978, it has returned to a level not seen since the late 1990s. According to the study’s principal investigator, “one important variable that has been a lead indicator of use—namely the amount of risk teenagers perceived to be associated with marijuana use—continued its sharp decline in 2012 among teens, which would suggest further increases in use in the future” (University of Michigan, 2012). The percentage of high school seniors who thought there was a great risk of harm from regular marijuana use decreased from 57.9% in 2006 to 44.1% in 2012—the lowest level since 1979. Dr. Robert DuPont, the first Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), suggests that “the recent legalization of marijuana use . . . in Colorado and Washington State, and the legalization of ‘medical’ marijuana in 18 states and the District of Columbia will lead to further decreases in youth perception of risk from harm” (IBH, 2012). For more information available at: http://www.ibhinc.org/ .

Marijuana IQ Study Successfully Defended by Scientists A highly-publicized study finding that marijuana use is linked to a severe drop in IQ has been successfully defended by the scientific community overseas and in the United States, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Dr. Nora Volkow.

The original study, published last August in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Dr. Madeline Meier of Duke University, and colleagues, was the strongest evidence yet that teen use of cannabis could cause a drop in IQ. Opponents of the study claimed that socio-economic factors are to blame.

Around 1000 people all born in the same year in the New Zealand city of Dunedin were interviewed at ages 18, 21, 26, 32 and 38 about their marijuana use. The participants were also tested for their cognitive abilities at age 13 before starting to use cannabis, and at age 38. The study found persistent cannabis use during teenage years was associated with a drop in IQ of seven or eight points by the age of 38.

6 A new paper contesting the interpretation of the large-scale marijuana study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Norwegian Dr. Ole Rogeberg of the Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research in criticizes Meier for failing to control their study for socio-economic status: Poorer kids were getting an initial boost in IQ when they first went to school but that this declined once they left school.

“Indeed, when discussing traits like IQ, it would be surprising for one factor to be 100 percent causal. The strengths of the Meier et al study are that it is longitudinal in nature and that it controlled for a number of factors including years of education, schizophrenia, and other substance abuse. That said, observational studies in humans cannot account for all potentially confounding variables. In contrast, animal studies— though limited in their application to the complex human brain—can more definitively assess the relationship between drug exposure and various outcomes. They have shown that exposure to cannabinoids during adolescent development can cause long-lasting changes in the brain’s reward system as well as the hippocampus, a brain area critical for learning and memory,” Dr. Volkow wrote on NIDA’s website.

“The message inherent in these and in multiple supporting studies is clear. Regular marijuana use in adolescence is known to be part of a cluster of behaviors that can produce enduring detrimental effects and alter the trajectory of a young person’s life—thwarting his or her potential. Beyond potentially lowering IQ, teen marijuana use is linked to school dropout, other drug use, mental health problems, etc. Given the current number of regular marijuana users (about 1 in 15 high school seniors) and the possibility of this number increasing with marijuana legalization, we cannot afford to divert our focus from the central point: regular marijuana use stands to jeopardize a young person’s chances of success—in school and in life,” she concluded.

Teens Who Experience Dating Violence at Increased Risk of Substance Abuse Teenage girls who experience dating violence are more likely to binge drink compared with their peers who aren’t in abusive relationships, a new study finds. Teen boys who report dating violence are more likely to use marijuana as young adults compared with boys with healthy dating relationships. The study included more than 5,600 teens who had been in at least one relationship with someone of the opposite sex in 1996. About one-third said they had experienced dating violence, including emotional and physical abuse, WebMD reports, http://teens.webmd.com/news/20121206/teen-dating-violence-substance-abuse . Five years later, those who experienced dating violence in their teen years were more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors. For girls, those behaviors included smoking, suicidal thoughts and symptoms of depression, in addition to binge drinking. For boys, the unhealthy behaviors included suicidal thoughts and being antisocial, in addition to marijuana use. Teens who were in physically abusive relationships were two to three times more likely to be in a violent relationship between the ages of 18 and 25, the article notes. The study appears in the journal Pediatrics, http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2012/12/05/peds.2012-1029.abstract .

Study Finds that Military Children’s’ Drug Use Increases When Family Member Deploys Substance abuse in the children of military families increases when someone in that family is deployed, according to a new study from the University Of Southern California School Of Social Work.

The study found that when a parent or sibling is on deployment, drug use among middle and high school students increases. "The potential for strain and the trauma associated with multiple deployments in the past 10 years of war seem to be driving this. People need to be aware that these experiences have an impact,” the study's lead author, assistant professor Tamika Gilreath, said in a USC news release.

The data for the study came from the California Healthy Kids Survey, which questions 14,000 seventh, ninth, and eleventh graders from public schools in Southern California, about alcohol, tobacco, and drug use, and is one of the most dependable sources of data for CADCA’s coalitions in that state. The study appears in this month's issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

7 Study Suggests Over-the-Counter Drug Abuse More Common in Boys A new study suggests boys are more likely than girls to abuse over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. The study of middle school and high school students in 133 schools in Cincinnati found 10 percent said they abused over-the-counter drugs such as cough syrup or decongestants. University of Cincinnati researchers noted this type of drug abuse can lead to accidental poisoning, seizures and physical and mental addictions. HealthDay reports the researchers found high rates of over-the-counter drug abuse were found among both female and male middle school students, but boys had a higher risk of longtime use, compared with girls. Teens who admitted to abusing over-the-counter drugs were more likely to say they had gone to parties where the drugs were available, or had friends who abused the drugs. The article is located at http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=670177 . Teens involved in school clubs, sports, community and church groups were less likely to report abusing over-the-counter drugs. “Findings from this study highlight and underscore OTC drugs as an increasing and significant health issue affecting young people,” Rebecca Vidourek, Assistant Professor of Health Promotion, said in a news release at http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.aspx?id=16780 . The study was presented at the American Public Health Association meeting.

Teens More Likely to Commit Suicide after Parent's Suicide Attempt Teens with a parent who has attempted suicide or been admitted for inpatient psychiatric care are at increased risk for suicide within the two years following the episode, according to new research published in the journal PLOS ONE. "We show that young people, particularly teenagers, need support during a period immediately following the admission of a parent into care for mental disorders or suicidal behavior," said principal investigator Dr. Ellenor Mittendorfer-Rutz. The study included more than 15,000 teenagers and adults who had attempted suicide between the ages of 15 and 31. Read the full text of "A Life-Course Study on Effects of Parental Markers of Morbidity and Mortality on Offspring's Suicide Attempt"

Self-injury in Young People is Gateway to Suicide According to a study published this month in the Journal of Adolescent Health, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) could be a risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. "While we can't conclude that self-injury leads to later suicide attempts, it is a red flag that someone is distressed and is at greater risk," said lead author Janis Whitlock. "It also suggests that if someone with self-injury history becomes suicidal, having engaged in NSSI may make it much easier to carry out the physical actions needed to lethally damage the body." The longitudinal study of 1,466 students at five U.S. colleges found that people who had self-injured were almost three times more likely to attempt or consider suicide. Read the study abstract

Parents at Risk after Child’s Suicide Parents who lose a child to suicide are at higher risk for mental health problems and marital breakup compared to nonbereaved parents, according to research from the University of Manitoba. In the two years following the suicide, rates of parental depression were more than doubled compared to the two years before the death, according to the researchers. Parents also had a 40 percent increase in anxiety disorders, a 60 percent increase in any mental health disorder, and an 18 percent increase in marital breakup. Read the abstract of “Parents Bereaved by Offspring Suicide: A Population-Based Longitudinal Case-Control Study” in JAMA Psychiatry

The State of Mental Health among U.S. Adolescents Research shows that approximately one in five adolescents has a diagnosable mental health disorder, a leading cause of disability among this age group. In January 2013, Child Trends is issuing three briefs in its Adolescent Health Highlights series focusing on adolescent mental health:

-The Mental Health Disorders brief at http://tinyurl.com/by3z4x6 presents the warning signs of mental disorders; describes the types of mental disorders and their prevalence and trends; discusses the consequences and risk of

8 mental disorders; presents treatment options and barriers to accessing mental health care; and provides mental health resources. -The Access to Mental Health Care brief at http://tinyurl.com/azxfwck describes barriers to treatment of adolescent mental health disorders; discusses the connection between insurance status and access to mental health treatment; and explains funding for adolescent mental health services. -The Positive Mental Health: Resilience brief at http://tinyurl.com/aomsl4u presents key research findings on characteristics that are associated with resilience; describes program strategies that promote resilience; discusses links between resilience and avoidance of risk-taking behaviors; and provides helpful resources on the topic of resilience.

Adolescence is a time in life when many mental health disorders first arise. These briefs highlight several facts about mental health and adolescents: -More than half of all mental disorders and problems with substance abuse (such as binge drinking and illegal drug use) begin by age 14. -The most prevalent mental disorder experienced among adolescents is depression, with more than one in four high school students found to have at least mild symptoms of this condition. -The mental health needs of adolescents are often first identified in schools, where students spend so much of their time. -Adolescents who are resilient find ways to reduce the negative effects of stress on their lives, such as getting regular physical exercise, avoiding substance abuse, and practicing relaxation techniques.

The briefs include strategies and approaches to reducing mental health disorders among adolescents. Early intervention or prevention can be an effective way to address potential mental disorders before they reach the stage requiring treatment. The Child Trends DataBank includes brief summaries of well-being indicators, including several that are related to mental health and mental health disorders.

Child Trends launched the Adolescent Health Highlights series in 2012 to review research about adolescent health, including trends, and to highlight promising approaches for improving adolescent health.