mental health
Lack of action by Congress to protect kids online criticized at U.S. Senate hearing
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators on Tuesday voiced frustration and outrage that Congress has been unable to pass legislation bolstering protection for children online, including adding guardrails to social media platforms. During a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democrats and Republicans pledged to keep working together to pass several bipartisan bills that didn’t make it […]
Child care access a barrier to women’s workforce participation in Arkansas, study finds
Access to quality child care and health services are challenges facing Arkansas women, according to a study by the Arkansas Commission on the Status of Women. The 19-member commission formally presented its final report to Gov. Asa Hutchinson Wednesday. It was the first report produced by the group in nearly half a century. The challenge […]
Health effects of mass shootings ripple outward beyond immediate community
A grim and familiar pattern has followed the parade of mass shootings across America. In their aftermath, the nation’s attention focuses on the direct victims of the attacks, the dead and injured, their families and friends, and the witnesses. But a growing body of research reveals that the negative effects of mass shootings spread much […]
Arkansas lawmakers mulling improvements to mental and behavioral health policy
Arkansas legislators are compiling a report to recommend legislation during the 2023 session aimed at bolstering mental and behavioral health services for Arkansans of all ages and incomes. The Joint Health Services Subcommittee met Monday to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the state’s existing mental and behavioral health care resources, in accordance with a […]
How you can help veterans every day
As the nation celebrates our 17 million living veterans, it is also important to know that the chance these heroes will end their own lives prematurely is still higher than among civilians. Among veterans with PTSD, suicide is the fourth most common cause of death. Among veterans younger than 35, it’s second. Over the past […]
UAMS, Arkansas Children’s building children’s mental health training for physicians
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will use just over $2 million in federal grant money to bolster behavioral health care for children across the state, the university announced in a Thursday news release. Children of Arkansas Mental Health in Primary Care (CHAMP) will connect primary care physicians with a three-person team of pediatric […]
School Safety Commission adopts final proposals before report due date
The Arkansas School Safety Commission wrapped up four months of work by approving seven more recommendations at its final meeting Tuesday. Its final report to the governor is due Oct. 1. Three proposals at Tuesday’s meeting focused on cybersecurity and included recommendations for school districts to implement best practices in third-party risk management and cybersecurity […]
School safety panel recommends funding to help implement proposals
The Arkansas School Safety Commission approved two recommendations Wednesday aimed at providing funding to support best practices included in the group’s final report, which is due by Oct. 1. “I don’t think that we can walk away from this table without trying to get our schools some additional financial help because we’re asking them to […]
School safety panel proposes hardening schools, improving mental health response
The Arkansas School Safety Commission adopted a dozen recommendations Tuesday aimed at hardening schools against intrusion and making sure staff and teachers are trained to respond not only to physical threats but also to students in mental distress. Commissioners voted to recommend that school campuses “should always have armed personnel when staff and students are […]