Foster Children’s Psychotropic Medication Monitoring Act

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A wrenching story of abuse and neglect appears on the op-ed page of Thursday’s AJC.  And State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-DeKalb) makes the case for reviewing how much medication is used to control the behavior of children in foster care. Oliver writes about a little boy who endured a crushing family tragedy and was abandoned by his parents while in first grade. Now he’s 13, living in an institution and heavily medicated with psychotropic drugs. His story is one of more than 200 cases detailed in the Cold Case Project, sponsored by the Supreme Court of Georgia’s Committee on Justice for Children.

Children’s Agencies Push for Data Driven Progress, Common Goals at Statewide Conference

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Georgia ranks near the bottom on almost every index of child well-being charted by KIDS COUNT, the annual survey that tracks children and families in all 50 states.  While the state has made progress on issues like child deaths, teen pregnancy and high school graduation rates, Georgia sits at #42. So when 500 people who provide services for children got together this week at the Georgia Conference on Children and Families, they had plenty to talk about. Leaders of the largest state agencies and non-profits who guide child policy came together in front of a full house on Wednesday to send a message about sharing common goals and measuring progress with data. “We have to work together by developing outcomes we agree to and track,” said Normer Adams, executive director of the Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children. "Child welfare has changed so much over the years it really needed a break from the past. We have moved away from the model of child rescue to the model of family restoration. It’s more informed by research and outcomes than in the past. What we know from research is that children are best cared for by their families."

5th Grader Arrested with Gun at School

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Police seized an unloaded handgun and a box of ammunition from a 10 year old boy this morning in Augusta. The child was arrested before classes at his elementary school, according to the Augusta Chronicle, which  details the incident further.

FDA Bans Energy Drinks with Alcohol

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The federal government has ordered beverage companies to stop selling drinks that combine caffeine and alcohol in U.S. markets.  The drinks with names like Four Loko, Joose and Moonshot, are often nicknamed ‘Cocaine in a Can’ or ‘Blackout in a Can’ by teens and young adults.  USAToday.com reports the companies that produce these drinks, including Phusion Projects and United Brands, have 15 days to comply or the FDA may seize their products. The fruit flavored drinks have deceptively high alcohol content and produce what some experts call a ‘wide-awake drunk’ that police link to accidents and illnesses across the country. In Georgia, activists like the Cobb Alcohol Taskforce have been pushing for a ban. Coordinator Cathy Finck told JJIE.org, “When you mix a depressant like alcohol with a stimulant like caffeine it confuses the nervous system in the body… Binge drinking is more likely to occur with this potent mixture. One brand in particular has 12 percent alcohol in just one can.

Conyers Police Plan Zero Tolerance Crackdown at Big Teen Parties

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Two teenagers have died at large house parties that got violent with little warning in the last week.  The latest, in Conyers, Ga., where 18-year old Dequavious Mapp  was shot in the chest and died early Sunday morning.  One week earlier, 18-year old Bobby Tillman was beaten to death at a house party in Douglas County. Conyers Police Chief Gene Wilson has a new plan to break up parties that get out of control before someone gets hurt.  “I spoke to the sheriff and my staff.

Cobb Alcohol Taskforce Coordinator, Cathy Finck, Receives Prevention Pioneer Award

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November 12, 2010, Marietta, GA – Cobb Alcohol Taskforce is proud to announce that Cobb Alcohol Taskforce Coordinator, Cathy Finck, was awarded the Prevention Pioneer in Georgia Award. The award was given by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases at a recent 4th Annual Georgia School of Addiction Studies at a conference recently held in Savannah, Georgia.  The award was given to Finck and five of her peers in acknowledgement of their continual dedication and contributions to prevention in Georgia.   

The award ceremony included a brief recap of Cathy Finck’s career in prevention: 

“Cathy Finck has worked in the substance abuse field for 22 years and her experience mirrors the theme of this year’s conference…from Prevention to Treatment to Recovery. Cathy has pioneered efforts for involving Georgia families in substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery systems and services.  Cathy has consulted with many organizations on substance abuse related issues for children and families, community mobilization and coalition building, environmental system change, strategic planning and public policy. Some of the organizations Cathy has worked with over the years are: Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Parent Resources & Information for Drug Education, Georgia Department of Human Resources, Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, Georgia Children and Youth Coordinating Council, The Council on Alcohol and Drugs, Cobb County Safe and Drug-free Schools’ Prevention Intervention Center, National Families in Action and Cobb Community Collaborative. Currently Cathy serves as Coordinator for the Cobb Alcohol Taskforce, as 2nd Vice President for the Georgia Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking, and as a SAMSHA Consultant for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Substance Abuse State Infrastructure Grants.”

About the Cobb Alcohol Taskforce - Cobb Alcohol Taskforce is an alliance of individuals and organizations which mobilizes and challenges Cobb County adults to reduce underage drinking and youth binge drinking, by advancing strategic enforcement, policy and education goals.

Teen Offender says Missouri Model has Humbled Him

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He’s serving time for burglary and manslaughter in the Missouri Division of Youth Services. But instead of prison, he’s living in a small group home, and getting treatment.  Seventeen year old Carlos Dickson talks about how he got into trouble, and how he believes he can turn his life around with the help of counselors and his family - who are all part of his treatment program. Dickson is interviewed by the Campaign for Youth Justice on blogtalkradio.com, an online radio program.  The Director of the Missouri Division of Youth Services also explains why he believes his system works.  Tim Decker describes it as a developmental approach that does not typecast kids. Decker urges professionals to understand teens, their mental health needs, learning disabilities and home situations.

Guide for Pedophiles Pulled by Amazon.com; Bookseller Faces Public Backlash

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A book that gives explicit advice to pedophiles on encounters with children is no longer being sold by Amazon.com, the giant online book store.  The bizarre pubication made headlines Wednesday as an e-book for Kindle owners. Public outrage slammed into a debate about censorship and free speech rights. Some experts on child pornography declared the book repugnant, but not obscene because there are no illustrations or photos. The self-published author of the pedophile guide told TheSmokingGun.com he sold only one copy. But CBS News reports more than 3,000 copies were sold in the last two weeks.  Author Phillip Greaves claims he is not a pedophile, but says he learned about sex at the age of seven from a girl who was ten. He admits he had sexual encounters with other younger children until he was 15, when his father found out and “put the fear of God in me to stop.”

Tomorrowsbook.com points out that Amazon is reeling from the controversy, especially after first defending its position, then quietly deleting the book this morning.  Hundreds of customers have posted comments on Facebook and the company website, some pledging to boycott Amazon.

Update: Hyper-Texting Teens Linked to Sex, Stress, Binge Drinking

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Some teenagers who text more than 120 times a day and spend hours using social media may be more likely to have sex, drink a lot, smoke and feel more stress.  Researchers at Case Western Reserve University are studying the link between heavy use of communication technology and risky behavior that can affect kids’ health. Dr. Scott Frank presented a study at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in Denver.  Dr. Frank teaches at Case, he’s a family physician, director of a local health department and a substance abuse prevention group.  He surveyed 4,257 teenagers at 20 high schools in the Cleveland Ohio area. Click here to read the abstract. Click here for the full study.

Teens Join "X the Text" Campaign in Kennesaw

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Students and teachers at North Cobb High School are pledging not to text while driving.  They gathered around the wreckage of a car, brought to the campus Monday, to drive home the dangers. While Georgia and other states have banned texting behind the wheel, a Pew study estimates that 26%  of American teens nationwide are sending text messages while they drive.  Watch the story from MyFoxAtlanta:

Students in Kennesaw are part of a campaign initiated by Allstate Insurance Company called "X the Text."   The company has created a teen driver pledge page, and some interesting statistics about texting while driving:

It takes your eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds
It’s like driving after 4 beers
It makes you 23 times more likely to crash

Allstate has also enlisted the Jonas Brothers to spread the word on YouTube: