Responding to Basic and Complex Cases of Child Abuse: a Comparison Study of Recent and Current Child Advocacy Studies (CAST) Students with DSS Workers in the Field.

In an effort to improve the training of future child protection professionals, more than 70 universities and graduate schools in the United States have implemented Child Advocacy Studies (CAST) minors or graduate programs. In order to assess the efficacy of these programs, 46 current and recent graduates of a CAST minor and 43 child protection professionals currently employed by a Department of Social Services (DSS) were given two vignettes. The first vignette involved a clear case of sexual abuse and the second vignette involved a more complex case involving polyvictimization. The students were asked to identify various systems that needed to be involved, potential corroborating evidence, risk and protective factors, and types of victimization. In the case of sexual abuse, the current CAST students and CAST graduates performed at the same level as DSS caseworkers. On the more complex polyvictimization scenario, the current CAST students and CAST graduates performed significantly better than all levels of DSS caseworkers in identifying systems that respond to child maltreatment and in identifying psychological and emotional abuse. The results of this study suggests that undergraduate CAST minors may be an effective model for improving the knowledge and skills of future child protection professionals in responding to complex cases of maltreatment.

The Impact of Trauma-Based Training on Educators.

An extensive literature establishing the prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their destructive impact over the lifespan has motivated recent efforts to fundamentally alter the educational milieu. One such initiative, entitled "Compassionate Schools," involves the training of educators in trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive practices, in the hopes of creating scholastic environments more conducive to widespread resilience. Despite encouraging initial reports, few studies have empirically evaluated the impact of Compassionate Schools training on attendees. The current investigation reports the results of two studies. In Study 1, participants completed a questionnaire 6 months after their Compassionate Schools trainings, including items relevant to mindset and behavior change. In Study 2, participants completed the Attitudes Relevant to Trauma Informed Care (ARTIC) scale before and after a Compassionate Schools training. The majority of participants in Study 1 reported enduring changes in mindset and behavior as a result of their trainings, and described those changes in terms consistent with the Compassionate Schools model. ARTIC responses in Study 2 suggested marked trauma-informed attitudinal improvements between pre- and post-training assessments. These data, although preliminary, are consistent with the Compassionate Schools paradigm, and empirically support its promise as a ACEs-informed intervention for educators.

Coalescing investments in school mental health in South Carolina.

BACKGROUND: Improving child and adolescent mental health requires states and jurisdictions to invest in school mental health efforts. In recent years, there has been notable expansion and improvement in school mental health services in the state of South Carolina related to a number of investments that are cumulatively promoting capacity building. METHODS: This narrative overview examines the history of the school mental health movement in one southern state and details efforts by multiple key stakeholders that have coalesced to form a strong system for advancing school mental health. RESULTS: Resting on a strong university-community partnership, five separate initiatives are described that together provide enhanced workforce training and support and expansion of school mental health services. Themes of this work are identified with a goal of supporting and advancing the development of school mental health systems in the United States. CONCLUSION: Strong collaborations and communication efforts both within the university setting and between partners in education and community settings, along with engaged funders keen to enhance well-being of children, youth, and families statewide have set the stage for the growth and expansion of school mental health services.

Purification and characterization of recombinant Staphylococcus haemolyticus DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV expressed in Escherichia coli.

The subunits of DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV from Staphylococcus haemolyticus were expressed in Escherichia coli, purified to homogeneity, and used to reconstitute active enzymes that were sensitive to known topoisomerase inhibitors. This represents the first description of a method for isolating type II topoisomerases of a coagulase-negative staphylococcal species.

Development of a fluorescent F-actin blot overlay assay for detection of F-actin binding proteins.

Interactions between cellular proteins and filamentous (F) actin are key to many cellular functions, e.g., cell motility, endocytosis, cell:cell adhesion, and cell:substrate adhesion. Previously, a functional assay using 125I-labeled F-actin to detect a subset of F-actin binding proteins by blot overlay was developed. We have modified this assay to use the fluorescent label, Alexa 488, in place of 125Iodine. The detection limit for Alexa 488-labeled actin using a Molecular Dynamics STORM 860 Fluorescence/PhosphorImager was as little as 100pg of labeled actin. The Alexa 488 F-actin assay detects the same proteins from Dictyostelium discoideum and with approximately the same sensitivity (approximately 10 microg/ml F-actin final concentration) as the analogous 125I-labeled F-actin blot overlay. The use of Alexa 488 F-actin for blot overlay assays requires no radioactive materials and generates no hazardous waste. Assays can be performed on the laboratory bench top and the blots imaged directly with a blue laser scanner, either wet or dry. In addition, the Alexa 488 fluorophore is highly resistant to photobleaching, does not decay, and may be stored frozen or lyophilized. Alexa 488 F-actin is a stable, cost-effective, nonhazardous probe used for rapid identification of a subset of F-actin binding proteins.