Embracing Comprehensive Mental Health and Social Services Programs to Serve Children Under California's Mental Health Services Act

Research Participation of Minor Adolescents in Foster Care

STUDY OBJECTIVE

In this study we evaluated published studies about foster care to: (1) determine the types of data used; (2) describe the degree to which a sexual/reproductive health topic was addressed; and (3) describe the consent process.

DESIGN

Analysis of published literature.

SETTING

PubMed was searched using "foster care" for English articles published between January 1, 2017 and September 4, 2019.

PARTICIPANTS

None.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Articles were coded into 4 data source categories: primary, secondary, peripheral, or perspective data. Articles with a primary data source were coded for participant ages: only 9 years old and younger, 10- to 17-year-olds (minor adolescents), and only 18 years old and older. Articles using a secondary data source were coded for the source of the data registry. All articles were coded for presence of a sexual/reproductive health outcome. The primary data articles that included minor adolescents were coded for the study topic and consent process.

RESULTS

Of the 176 articles about foster care, 72/176 (41%) used primary data, 53/176 (30%) used secondary data, and 51/176 (29%) used peripheral/perspective data. Forty-eight of the primary data articles included minor adolescents. Secondary data sources included few national research surveys. Sexual/reproductive health outcomes were measured in 17 articles, 4 of which used primary data. The consent process for minor adolescents varied and had no consistent pattern across studies.

CONCLUSION

Research on best practices for consent processes and use of registries could be developed to increase research on sexual/reproductive health outcomes among adolescents in foster care.

A Window of Opportunity: Visions and Strategies for Behavioral Health Policy Innovation

Objective

The New York City's Thrive (ThriveNYC) and the Los Angeles County Health Neighborhood Initiative (HNI) are two local policies focused on addressing the social determinants of behavioral health as a preventive strategy for improving health service delivery. On January 29, 2016, leaders from both initiatives came together with a range of federal agencies in health care, public health, and policy research at the RAND Corporation in Arlington, Virginia. The goal of this advisory meeting was to share lessons learned, consider research and evaluation strategies, and create a dialogue between stakeholders and federal funders - all with the purpose to build momentum for policy innovation in behavioral health equity.

Methods

This article analyzes ethnographic notes taken during the meeting and in-depth interviews of 14 meeting participants through Kingdon's multiple streams theory of policy change.

Results

Results demonstrated that stakeholders shared a vision for behavioral health policy innovation focused on community engagement and social determinants of health. In addition, Kingdon's model highlighted that the problem, policy and politics streams needed to form a window of opportunity for policy change were coupled, enabling the possibility for behavioral health policy innovation.

Conclusions

The advisory meeting suggested that local policy makers, academics, and community members, together with federal agents, are working to implement behavioral health policy innovation.