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Author(s): Erin Knight [sup.1] , Rebecca L. Butcher [sup.1] , Mary Kay Jankowski [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.414049.c, Center for Program Design and Evaluation, Geisel School of Medicine At Dartmouth, [...], Introduction The use of illicit substances, including opioids, is a serious public health issue in the United States. While there are reports of the impact of the ongoing opioid crisis on adults, a new focus has emerged on how parental substance misuse (PSM) affects children. This study explored existing screening and assessment practices and services for children and families affected by PSM across different service sectors in one state. The purpose of the study was to identify opportunities for training, policy development, and practice improvement related to identifying PSM and linking children and parents to services. Methods Interviews (n = 15) with professionals from five service sectors (mental health, primary care, schools, community programs, and law enforcement) were used to inform development of a state-wide survey of the same groups (n = 498) to assess current practices, attitudes, knowledge, and training needs related to child screening of PSM. The survey was piloted using cognitive interviewing (n = 9) before it was distributed. Results Fewer than 20% of survey respondents reported using standardized tools specific to screening PSM. Informal assessment practices predominate, though 60% of respondents saw value in adopting more standardized PSM screening. Attitudes about PSM and screening varied among sectors but interest in training was high. Discussion Results indicate a need for more systematic PSM screening, cross-sector training and practice discussions, and policies to support early identification of children affected by PSM. Ramifications of these findings and recommendations are discussed.

This paper reports the results of research into parental experiences of the Somerset (UK) "Time Together" home visiting intervention, with regards to its impact on the parent-child relationship. The research was carried out using an Attachment Theory lens in order to understand the qualitative experiences of seven parents of children in the early years who were identified as being socially isolated and/or having difficulties relating to their child. The key findings were that parents experienced a change within their notion of self, seeing their child as a separate self and seeing the world more through their child's eyes. They experienced a wider range of play activities which brought about greater levels of attunement and enjoyment. The parent and home visitor relationship served to empower parents. A flow diagram was created to illustrate the processes of the research interactions and outcomes. This provides a model of how parents can be supported to experience greater enjoyment within their relationship with their child, and increase their level of social engagement.

With the recent proliferation of quality improvement (QI) and patient safety (PS) education programs, guidance is needed on how to assess the effectiveness of these programs. Without a systematic approach, evaluation efforts may end up being disjointed, lead to excess participant burden, or yield unhelpful feedback because of poor fit with program priorities. This article presents a framework for developing a multilevel evaluation infrastructure using examples from the evaluation of the national Department of Veterans Affairs Chief Resident in Quality and Safety program, a 1-year, post-accreditation program to develop leadership and teaching skills in QI and PS. It illustrates how to apply the framework to establish evaluation priorities and methods, and shares sample results and how they are used to guide program improvements and track important outcomes at multiple levels. The framework is particularly relevant to other nonaccredited advanced QI/PS programs, yet offers useful considerations for evaluating any advanced medical education program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trauma-informed care (TIC) initiatives in state child welfare agencies are receiving more attention, but little empirical evidence exists as to their efficacy. The purpose of this study was to assess changes in self-reported practices and perceptions of child welfare staff involved in a multifaceted, statewide TIC intervention. Ten child welfare offices were matched and randomized to an early or delayed cohort. Staff were surveyed at Time 1 prior to any intervention, Time 2 postintervention for Cohort 1, and Time 3 postintervention for Cohort 2. The survey covered six domains: trauma screening, case planning, mental health and family involvement, progress monitoring, collaboration, and perceptions of the state's overall system performance. Linear mixed modeling assessed the effect of the intervention. Cohort by time interaction was significant for three intervention targets. We demonstrate, using a rigorous study design, the mixed results of a multimodal intervention to improve trauma-informed attitudes, practices, and system performance. TIC initiatives must account for complex, dynamic contextual factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caring for children with complex needs severely stresses foster and adoptive parents, but few studies have examined their perspectives on needs and services. To examine parental views, the authors analyzed four focus groups (n = 27 participants) and one state-wide survey (n = 512 respondents, 42% of 1206 contacted) of foster and adoptive parents in one state. Results highlighted inadequate communication between providers and families, cultural and legal barriers, needs for parent training and preparation, the importance of several types of parent supports, and needs for specialized mental health treatment for the children. Surveyed parents identified children's behavior problems as their top challenge, and over half rated the availability of mental health providers who treat attachment and family as insufficient. The findings suggest specific areas in which state leaders could enhance training and supports for child welfare staff and foster and adoptive parents and improve mental health services for children in foster and adoptive care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding patient goals for metoidioplasty and phalloplasty gender-affirming surgery (MaPGAS) is paramount to achieving satisfactory, preference-sensitive outcomes, yet there is a lack of understanding of MaPGAS priorities and how these may vary between transgender men and non-binary individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB)., Aim: To understand the surgical goals of transgender men and non-binary individuals AFAB considering MaPGAS., Methods: An online survey was created following literature review and qualitative interviews and distributed via social media and a community health center to participants AFAB aged ≥18 years who had considered but not yet undergone MaPGAS. We collected demographics, surgical history, Likert ratings of importance of 14 possible MaPGAS goals, and selection of the 5 most important goals. Differences in goal importance ratings were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Responses to an open-ended question on additional MaPGAS goal considerations were thematically analyzed by 2 reviewers., Outcomes: A total of 248 eligible participants completed the survey; participants included transgender men (64%) and non-binary individuals (36%)., Results: Both groups rated maintaining tactile and erogenous sensations as top priorities. Significant differences emerged in half of the goals, with transgender men more likely to place importance on being seen as male, public restroom comfort, peeing through the tip of the penis, standing urination through the fly, and resolution of gender dysphoria. Non-binary individuals were more likely to place importance on retaining a vaginal canal to receive penetration and for gender identity affirmation. These differences in goal prioritization between the 2 groups were most apparent when individuals provided their top 5 goals. In open-ended responses, aesthetics was a major consideration for transgender men, sexual pleasure was a consideration for non-binary individuals, and complications were cited as major concerns by both groups., Clinical Implications: Individual MaPGAS goals should be incorporated into preoperative counseling and may vary by gender identity., Strengths and Limitations: This is the largest study to our knowledge evaluating patient MaPGAS goals and comparing gender identity cohorts. Our results incorporate qualitative open-ended feedback and underscore the importance of understanding patient-specific MaPGAS goals to better facilitate personalized preoperative counseling. Results will be used to guide decision support tool development. Limitations include the cross-sectional study design and reduced socioeconomic diversity., Conclusions: While maintaining tactile and erogenous sensation and minimizing surgical complications were universally important goals, significant variations emerged between transgender men and non-binary individuals' MaPGAS goals highlighting the need for personalized preoperative counseling., (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Sexual Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: Caring for children in foster or adoptive care with behavioral health needs can severely stress parents, contributing to adverse outcomes for children and families. Trauma-informed services from the child welfare and mental health sectors may help prevent poor outcomes by helping children and parents identify and understand trauma and its impact on children's behavioral health and receive effective treatment. To help understand the role of trauma-informed services for the child welfare population, we examined whether trauma-informed child welfare and mental health services moderated the relationship between children's behavioral health needs and parent satisfaction and commitment., Method: The researchers analyzed data from a cross-sectional statewide survey of foster and adoptive parents (n = 512 respondents, 42% of 1,206 contacted) from one state., Results: Foster (but not adoptive) parent ratings of trauma-informed mental health services significantly moderated the relationship between children's behavioral health needs and foster and adoptive parent satisfaction and commitment. As ratings of trauma-informed mental health services increased, the association between child behavioral health needs and parent satisfaction and commitment became nonsignificant, suggesting a buffering effect. Trauma-informed child welfare services did not moderate the relationship for foster or adoptive parents., Conclusions: Leaders and policymakers are urged to promote trauma-informed mental health services for children involved with child welfare to potentially buffer foster parents against lower parenting satisfaction and commitment. More research is needed to replicate and expand on these findings and to examine the effectiveness of trauma-informed services on other relevant child and family outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).