Exploring practitioner and policymaker perspectives on public health approaches to address Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in South Carolina.

Objective: We examined the perspectives of child and family-serving professionals (CFSP) and state policymakers on protective factors to develop policy and program recommendations including current and needed approaches for addressing ACEs.

Methods: In 2018, we conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 23 CFSP and 24 state policymakers in South Carolina. Data were analyzed applying the Multiple Streams Theory using thematic analyses.

Pursuing an Ethical, Socially Just Classroom: Searching for Community Psychology Pedagogy.

Discussions of community psychology (CP) ethics often examine how we might best uphold CP values in community-based practice. However, for many community psychologists in faculty positions, our main domain of practice is the undergraduate classroom. Teaching is essential to the growth and sustainability of our field as prospective students tend to discover CP during their undergraduate studies.

Home based educational intervention to improve perinatal outcomes for a disadvantaged community: a randomised control trial.

Objectives: Pregnancy, labour, and delivery involve risk for mothers and infants. This study tested the effectiveness of a home-based programme to improve perinatal outcomes among socially disadvantaged women. The hypothesis was that the intervention group who received education and support during pregnancy would have better perinatal outcomes than the control group.

The effects of caregiver social connections on caregiver, child, and family well-being.

This study examines the degree to which caregiver social connectedness influences the effects of strain associated with caring for a child with severe emotional disturbance (SED) on caregiver well-being. We propose a model describing the relationships among the variables of interest and investigate elements of this model. Caregiver strain and social connections were significantly associated with caregiver well-being.

Educational outcomes in a system of care for children with emotional disturbance.

In North Carolina, only 69% of high school students graduate in 4 years; however, recent data suggest that only 42% of students with mental and emotional disabilities graduate. MeckCARES, a system of care (SOC) in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, is designed to serve youth with severe emotional disturbances and their families. The SOC philosophy is a prominent family-focused approach intended to provide comprehensive, coordinated networks of services, tailored to the needs of the child and family, while emphasizing the strengthening of natural community supports.

Factors associated with positive adjustment in siblings of children with severe emotional disturbance: the role of family resources and community life.

This study builds on the scant research involving siblings of children with severe emotional disturbances (SED) and examines: associations between adversity experiences and adjustment among 5- to 10-year-old siblings, and relations among family resources, community life, and sibling adjustment. Caregivers from 100 families completed standardized indicators of sibling adjustment and scales reflecting multiple contextual variables. Results document negative associations between stress exposure and sibling adjustment.

Moving from principles to practice: recommended policy changes to promote family-centered care.

This paper emphasizes the value of family-centered care. Discussion highlights family-centered philosophies (e.g.