Early intervention is the most dynamic and critical period in the treatment of children with autism for one very simple reason: the younger they are, the more “elastic” their brains are. This article discusses how to Integrate art into early intervention treatment to help children with autism.
Behavioral, Developmental, & Physical Health
Wellness Central
Every year, college students are affected by a multitude of health issues. Wellness Central, a new online health and wellness tool with content tailored to the needs of California Community College students, is now available on Canvas. Containing resources about emotional, social, physical, academic, financial, and spiritual health and wellness topics, the tool has been tested with current students who described it as “comprehensive,” user- friendly, and “something that’s been sorely lacking for CCC students.”
Wellness Central was created by Health Services Association – California Community Colleges (HSACCC), the California Virtual Campus – Online Education Initiative (CVC-OEI), the Foundation for California Community Colleges, and the California Community College Mental Health & Wellness Association (MHWA). Promoted by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, Wellness Central is beginning its pilot year.
California Homeless Youth Handbook
With the launch of the Homeless Youth Handbook, advocates and California youth who are unhoused, precariously housed, or transitioning out of homelessness have gained a major new set of legal resources. A multi-year, multi-state pro bono initiative by Baker McKenzie in partnership with corporate partners and a broad range of legal services and youth support organizations, the Homeless Youth Handbook is the product of thousands of hours of dedicated pro bono and volunteer work. The Handbook offers young people along with the social workers, legal advocates, shelter staff, school and medical personnel who support them a set of state-specific legal resources that speak plainly about topics including shelters, foster youth transition, LGBTQ+ issues, schools and education, employment, sexual exploitation and assault, public benefits, and immigration, among many others.
The California Homeless Youth Handbook joins handbooks from 6 other states and the District of Columbia, with at least two additional handbooks on their way. It was launched on January 31, 2019, in an event held at the Google Community Space in San Francisco. The Handbook represents the work of a collaboration including Baker McKenzie, Bay Area Legal Aid, Tipping Point Community, and Google.
Integrating Social Care into the Delivery of Health Care: Moving Upstream to Improve the Nation’s Health
Health care systems are paying increased attention to social factors, such as access to stable housing, reliable transportation, and nutritious food. These upstream social conditions help shape people’s health because they affect both the delivery and the outcomes of health care. How can services that address social needs be integrated into clinical care? What kind of infrastructure will be needed to facilitate that integration? To begin answering such questions, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine assembled an expert committee to examine the potential for integrating social care services into the delivery of health care with the ultimate goal of achieving better and more equitable health outcomes. The resulting report, Integrating Social Care into the Delivery of Health Care: Moving Upstream to Improve the Nation’s Health, identifies and assesses current and emerging approaches and recommends ways to expand and optimize social care in the health care setting.
Defining and Unpacking the Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity – A Culture of Health Webinar
The National Academies report Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity identified 9 social determinants of health and how these determinants impact our health and the health of our communities. The report also defined health equity as the state in which everyone has the opportunity to attain full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or any other socially defined circumstance. But where and how can communities begin to unpack the social determinants of health in order to achieve health equity? Watch the one hour webinar where field leaders will explore the meanings of both social determinants of health and health equity and what it means to apply these terms to enact change in the real world.