The all too common exposure of young children to traumatic situations and the life-long consequences that can result underscore the need for effective, developmentally appropriate interventions that address complex trauma. This paper describes Head Start Trauma Smart (HSTS), an early education/mental health cross-systems partnership designed to work within the child’s natural setting—in this case, Head Start classrooms. The goal of HSTS is to decrease the stress of chronic trauma, foster age-appropriate social and cognitive development, and create an integrated, trauma-informed culture for young children, parents, and staff. Created from a community perspective, the HSTS program emphasizes tools and skills that can be applied in everyday settings, thereby providing resources to address current and future trauma. Program evaluation findings indicate preliminary support for both the need for identification and intervention and the potential to positively impact key outcomes.

Patient engagement is increasingly recognized as a critical component in improving health care. Yet, there remains a gap in our understanding of the intricacies of rural patient engagement in health-related research. This article describes the process of engaging rural patients, caregivers and broader stakeholders to actively participate in an exploratory effort to understand rural perspectives around the patient-centered medical home model. Highlights of the project's engagement activities demonstrate how giving voice to rural residents can have a significant impact. Lessons learned point to the importance of six factors for successful engagement of rural residents as partners in health care research: building relationships, defining expectations, establishing communication guidelines, developing shared understanding, facilitating dialogue, and valuing contributions.

Teen pregnancy remains a public health concern particularly among Latinos, whose pregnancy rate of 83.5 per 1000 girls constitutes one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy among all ethnic and racial groups in the United States. To enhance the effectiveness of interventions for diverse Latino populations in the US, it is crucial to assess the community's understanding of the etiology of the problem of adolescent pregnancy and to implement programs that reflect the local community's beliefs and preferences. We present findings from six focus groups held with parents (n = 18), teachers (n = 23) and school stakeholders (n = 8) regarding teen pregnancy prevention among Latino youth at a high school located in a large, Midwestern city. Two investigators analyzed data iteratively using a template organizing approach. A consensus emerged across the groups regarding content that emphasized respect for oneself and one's family, a focus on personal and shared responsibility in reproductive health behavior, information about the "realities" or consequences associated with engaging in sexual activity, and information about contraceptives. The strong request from participants to include a parental education component reflects the community's belief that parents play a crucial, protective role in the socialization and development of adolescent sexual behavior, a view that is supported by empirical research. Findings highlight the importance of involving local school communities in identifying adolescent pregnancy prevention strategies that are responsive to the community's cultural values, beliefs, and preferences, as well as the school's capacity and teacher preferences.

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Abstract:Not much is currently known about how employment in child welfare agencies operating under performance-based contracts affects worker attitudes related to retention. This study focuses on the relationship of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and conflict between work and family to intention to quit among privatized child welfare staff. An online survey was completed by 152 workers employed by private child welfare agencies operating under performance-based contracts. Results indicate that job satisfaction and work-family conflict predicted intention to quit. Implications for agency practice and further research, particularly in the area of work-family conflict, are discussed. . Work attitudes and intention to quit among workers in private child welfare agencies operating under performance-based contracts. Administration in Social Work, 36(2) This research was supported through a cooperative agreement between the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare and the U.S. DHHS/ACF Children's Bureau, Grant Number 90CT0150. The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Children's Bureau. . Work attitudes and intention to quit among workers in private child welfare agencies operating under performance-based contracts. A stable and supported child welfare workforce is essential to achieving desired outcomes for children and families. Thus, it is of great concern that the estimated annual turnover rates in child welfare range from 30 to 40 percent (U.S. General Accounting Office, 2003). Moreover, there is some evidence to suggest that turnover might be more pervasive within private child welfare agencies. Turnover has been reported to be up to twice as high among private agency workers, when compared with public child welfare workers (The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2003). Studies have also found private child welfare agency staff less committed than public workers to their agencies and to the field of child welfare (Faller, Grabarek, & Ortega, 2010;Jayaratne & Faller, 2009).While states have turned to privatization in hopes of achieving better outcomes for children and families, only a handful of studies have examined factors related to turnover and retention in privatized child welfare systems (Auerbach, McGowan, Ausberger, StronlinGoltzman & Schudrich, in press;Faller et al., 2010;Jayaratne & Faller, 2009). Furthermore, researchers have yet to examine factors that influence workforce outcomes for child welfare workers within private agencies operating under performance-based contracts.Performance-based contracts (in contrast to traditional fee-for-service contracts) link agency funding to the achievement of outcomes. As a result, these agencies must focus on structuring their workforce to manage financial risks and provide cost-effective services (McBeath & Meezan, 2010). This puts workers under increased pressure to meet deadlines for achieving permanency, finalizing adoptions, or placing children with rel...