Health

Research: Gun Safety and Suicide Prevention

Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund released a new report on September 29, 2023, highlighting the impact of state gun laws over a 20 year span in preventing firearm suicide. The report, entitled “Two Decades of Suicide Prevention Laws: Lessons from National Leaders on Gun Safety Policy,” shows that from 1999 to 2022, rates of

CWLA Endorsed: Housing ACCESS Act

This week, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced the Housing Alignment and Coordination of Critical and Effective Supportive Health Services (ACCESS) Act. The legislation would align housing and services for people experiencing chronic homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization. In sum, the bill aims to make Medicaid services work better with housing.

Pain in the Nation: The Epidemics of Alcohol, Drug, and Suicide Deaths

Trust for America’s Health hosted a webinar to discuss the epidemics of alcohol, drug, and suicide deaths in 2023. Panelists, Debra Houry, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Program and Science at CDC, Shairi Turner MD, MPH, Crisis Text Line, Shelby Rowe, Executive Director at of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC),

HHS Announces National Center to Support Mental Health in Child Welfare Services

On September 25, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) awarded $20 million to launch the first-ever National Center for Child Welfare Competent Mental Health Services (the Center). As part of HHS’ Roadmap for Behavioral Health Integration, this investment is one of many ways

Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness with ARPA Funds

On September 26th, 2023, SchoolHouse Connection hosted a webinar about the expiration of this one-time funding in September 2024. Daniel Espinosa of the Learning Policy Institute and Barbara Duffield the executive director of SchoolHouse Connection, shared statistics, barriers to support, and alerted new letter of guidance for how states should use their remaining American Rescue

State of Babies Yearbook 2023 Released

On September 27, 2023, ZERO TO THREE released the State of Babies Yearbook: 2023. This resource is a blueprint for transformation to put our nation on the path towards a comprehensive infant-toddler agenda. The Yearbook identifies five imperatives where urgent action is needed at the federal level: maternal health, infant and early childhood mental health

Children are not for Sale – Global Efforts to Address Child Trafficking

On September 14th, 2023, The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations held a hearing to assess the measures in place that protect vulnerable populations from human trafficking and to understand actions that should be taken by Congress to end human trafficking and the exploitation of children worldwide. Chairman of

Senate HELP Moves Three Bills on Maternal and Pediatric Health

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) convened for votes on multiple bills relating to medical research, funding and programs. Three bills were passed together, the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act and the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0. These bills were voted out of committee by

CWLA Endorses: Bills to Support Children and Families

Child Poverty Reduction Act On September 21, 2023, Representative Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA), Representative Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA), Representative Sara Jacobs (D-CA), and U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the Child Poverty Reduction Act of 2023 to commit the nation to cutting child poverty by half in 5 years and to

CWLA Statement on the Creation of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention

On Friday, September 22, President Biden announced the creation of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. CWLA President & CEO, Christine James-Brown, released the following statement: “As an organization with more than a century-long commitment to increasing the safety and well-being of families and communities, we at the Child Welfare League of America know the

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