ABSTRACT Many youth seek and receive mental health treatment in schools, yet research on their perceptions of these interventions remains uncommon. This qualitative study explored how student perspectives on social validity informed the ongoing implementation and evaluation of the Well-Being Promotion Program (WBPP), a Tier 2 positive psychology…

Similar to national trends, in Illinois, fatal opioid overdoses have risen. Black men (35+) outrank all other racial subgroups for the highest rate of fatal opioid overdoses in the state. To address this, Prevention First and the Illinois Department of Human Services developed a public health education campaign to support increasing enrollment in…

This article describes how evaluators and stakeholders could combine their expertise to collaboratively evaluate a program designed to promote mental health in the school environment. The program, called Youth Mental Health First Aid USA (YMHFA), was designed to help young people cope with the early stages of mental health concerns. Specifically,…

Background: Despite extensive literature on school-based health center (SBHC) characteristics and outcomes, their quality of care has not been examined nationally. Standardized quality metrics can inform health care delivery and improvement. Methods: SBHC national performance measures (NPMs) were developed by reviewing measures from national child…

LifeSkills Training is the only program to prevent substance use disorder among adolescents that has evidence of effects on substance use outcomes from multiple randomized controlled trials. Evaluations have shown that the version for middle school students reduces their use of substances in high school, but these studies were conducted in the…

This brief summarizes the published Cochrane Review, "Healthy Eating Interventions Delivered in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings for Improving the Diet of Children Aged Six Months to Six Years," by S. L. Yoong, M. Lum, L. Wolfenden, J. Jackson, C. Barnes, A. E. Hall, S. McCrabb, N. Pearson, C. Lane, J. Z. Jones, E. Nolan, L.…

Youth substance use challenges their health and well-being. There is research and practical need for rigorous evaluation of substance use prevention programs in prompting positive youth development. This study examined the program effectiveness of Health Rocks!, a youth substance use prevention program, with a quasi-experimental two-factor mixed…

Background: Following the spread of COVID-19, the Rhode Island Department of Health delivered its first virtual World Diabetes Day (RIWDD) event. Evaluations exploring advantages and disadvantages of delivering public health events virtually are generally lacking. Purpose: The aims of the present paper were to evaluate the reach, feasibility, and…

Introduction: Health and social service providers have limited expertise with regard to assessing and treating psychiatric disorders in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The aim of this study was to describe the development and pilot evaluation of a virtual capacity-building program (Project ECHO) focused on supporting the…

As the nation transitions from responding to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to navigating its ongoing impact on youth and their communities, K-12 students continue to experience mental health and wellbeing challenges. In the fall of 2021, Redwood City School District (RCSD) placed a full-time, district-employed mental health counselor in each…

Rheumatic diseases are known to be associated with the development of metabolic syndrome, which increases mortality rates due to cardiovascular complications. Although a variety of self-management programs for rheumatic diseases have been developed, few have concentrated on metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to develop and verify a blended (a…

Background: Comprehensive health education in schools can effectively prevent drug use and related outcomes, but successful implementation remains challenging. Contextual determinants, including intervention-setting compatibility, focus on the intervention, available resources, and leadership support, influence implementation success. This study…

Anatomy outreach is a well-documented practice by many academic institutions, defined here as when anatomy-related services are provided to external communities. However, most of the current literature on this topic is largely descriptive, focusing on the 'what' of anatomy-related outreach, rather than the generalizable 'why' or 'how'. There…

A 50-cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products has been endorsed by California voters to fund early childhood services under Proposition 10, California Children and Families First Act of 1998. In compliance with the legislative requirement of Result-Based Accountability (RBA) on revenue spending, this report delineates evaluation…

The Health Navigator Program (HNP) was a pilot health mentor intervention program for youth in British Columbia, Canada, with connections to the provincial child welfare system. In this article, youth participants are referred to as "independent youth" as they are independent of traditional familial care. Children and youth in the foster…