Update from ACT for Youth
Youth Development Research, Resources, Opportunities
April 2023
Featured Resource
Social and Emotional Learning Strategies and Tools
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is not based on prescribed curricula; instead it is an approach that reflects a set of teaching strategies and practices that are youth centered. Here we offer several general strategies and tools to promote social and emotional learning.
Research and Resources
Forms, sources, and functions of social support for youth in natural mentoring relationships


The Chronicle of Evidence-Based Mentoring: Social Support is associated with positive physical and psychological health outcomes for youth. The Chronicle of Evidence-Based Mentoring took a qualitative approach to examine the sources, forms, and functions of social support youth receive from natural mentoring relationships in their lives. Data for this study comes from interviews of 40 youth participating in a study of youth-adult relationships and natural mentoring processes.

Child Trends: Head Start family service workers (FSWs) seek to build trusting relationships with families and connect them to services that help them meet their needs and goals. A new Child Trends brief highlights specific attitudes, knowledge, and practices that may help FSWs link families to critical services and supports.
HHS Proposes Measures to Bolster Confidentiality Around Reproductive Health Care

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): The HHS issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to strengthen the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule protections by prohibiting the use or disclosure of protected health information to investigate, or prosecute patients, providers, and others involved in the provision of legal reproductive health care, including abortions.
Teach Kids to be an Upstander

Stopbullying.gov: Youth involved in bullying play many different roles. Witnessing bullying is upsetting and affects the bystander, too. Bystanders have the potential to make a positive difference in a bullying situation by becoming an upstander. An upstander is someone who sees what happens and intervenes, interrupts, or speaks up to stop the bullying.
Resources for STI Awareness Week

HIV.gov: STI Awareness Week, observed April 9-15 this year, provides an opportunity to raise awareness about sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and how they impact peoples’ lives. Raising awareness may also help reduce the stigma, fear, and discrimination surrounding these conditions. Additionally, a goal of the observance is to ensure that people have the tools, knowledge, and resources for STI prevention, testing, and treatment.
Professional Development
Youth In Custody Certificate Program

Center for Juvenile Justice Reform: This training provides an interactive and dynamic learning environment with instruction from national experts on cutting edge ideas, policies and practices from across the country. Specifically, the program focuses on the serious, high-risk youth population and integrates best practices around culture change and leadership, evidence-based tools to assess youth’s risks and develop individualized case plans, supporting positive relationships between and among staff and youth, shaping facility’s physical environment, delivering effective programming and treatment, as well as strength-based approaches and re-entry support.

Apply by: May 1, 2023
Training Dates: June 26 - 30, 2023
Grants
FY 2023 Multistate Mentoring Programs Initiative

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP): With this solicitation, seeks to fund mentoring organizations to enhance and expand mentoring services for children and youth who are at risk or high risk for juvenile delinquency, victimization, and juvenile justice system involvement.

Deadline: June 12, 2023
This newsletter was developed with funding provided by the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Perinatal, Reproductive, and Sexual Health. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the ACT for Youth Center for Community Action and do not necessarily represent the views of the New York State Department of Health.