The Chronicle has been out front on analysis and coverage of the Family First Prevention Services Act since it was first conceived of four years ago.
Our deep dive analyses and webinars about the law, related regulations and state perspectives has kept the child welfare community plugged into this complex and substantial reform of federal funding for the nation's most vulnerable children and families. If you know someone who would benefit from our summer webinar series on Family First, which kicks off June 6, we hope you'll share this information with them.
Meet the Youth Voice Contest Winners
We launched a writing contest to see what former foster youth had to say about their time in care or their experiences with the justice system. The contest gave youth the opportunity to write on one of three themes: “What does home mean to you?” “What’s one thing the child welfare or juvenile justice system could have done to help you but didn’t?” and “How has the criminal justice and/or correctional system impacted your family and you personally?”
This month, we have the chance to raise $10,000 in matching funds.
We're nearly halfway there! Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to our #FortheCommunity campaign so far. Your donation, in any amount, allows us to tell stories about often overlooked communities, like kids in foster care, their parents and foster parents, and all the other people who work to improve their lives. Will you help us reach our goal?
Upcoming Events
Join us at NFPA in Anaheim June 12-15
Later this month, Fostering Families Today will be at the National Foster Parent Association conference in Anaheim, California. Stop by our booth or join our President Daniel Heimpel for his presentation on foster care capacity and the upcoming implementation of Family First Prevention Services Act, which takes place June 13 at 10:45 a.m. Learn more at nfpaonline.org/Conference.
ACHSA Youth Resource Fair July 16th
The Association of Community Human Services Agencies (ACHSA) is hosting a youth resource fair in downtown Los Angeles at The California Endowment on July 16th. The event provides critical resources and information for youth ages 0 to 24 who are or were under the care of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services or Probation Department and their caregivers. Learn more at achsa.net/fair.
Want to stay in the loop about breaking child welfare and juvenile justice news throughout 2019?
You can sign up for one of our newsletters by changing your settings here.
To keep up with our magazine, Fostering Families Today, subscribe here.
Or follow us on social by clicking one of the logos below:
• Pokémon & the brain
Images of Pikachu and other characters from the original Pokémon video games activate a particular and unique region in the visual cortex, according to research from the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University. The study, which incorporated 11 Pokémon experts and 11 novices, sheds light on the brain’s organizational structure. “Pokémon nowadays does not look like the original Game Boy graphics, so this was a trip down memory lane, and it yielded some interesting results,” says Penn doctoral student Michael Barnett, one of the study’s co-authors. “Our message isn’t that video games change your brain. Everything changes your brain.” (EDITORS: Additional information)
• Uptick in allergies
Bad news for allergy sufferers: climate change may exacerbate your symptoms. Warming temperatures, which extend the growth cycle of plants, causes trees, grasses, and weeds to pollinate earlier and to die back later. New research from the University of Pennsylvania found that pollen loads and durations have been increasing on three continents during the past two decades as average temperatures have increased. Taken together, this means increased exposure to more allergenic plants, said Michael Phillips, director of allergy programs at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine and an author on the study. “Some plants don’t grow very well in cold climates,” he said. But as temperatures warm, they can thrive further north. “And since we haven’t been exposed to these plants before,” Phillips said, “they can be potent allergens.” (EDITORS: Additional information)
• Circadian rhythms & cancer
Chronic disruptions of circadian rhythms, or internal body clocks, can lead to an increased risk of cancer, but the mechanism of how this occurs is not well understood. A new study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine found that disruptions to circadian rhythms trigger an increase in cell proliferation that stimulates tumor growth in mice. Results also suggest that “chronotherapy,” or timing the delivery of treatment to match circadian rhythms, can make the drugs that inhibit tumor growth more effective. (EDITORS: Additional information)
• Cultural health interventions
The rates of non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, are on the rise in South Africa, with many South Africans being overweight or obese due to poor nutrition and lack of physical activity. A new study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication found that participating in a culturally-relevant health intervention program resulted in better eating habits and increased physical activity among youth. “The results of the study are impressive,” says John B. Jemmott III, lead author of the paper. “One six-day intervention creating behavior change that lasts for 4.5 years is quite promising, and I’d like to see additional research to better understand how we can encourage healthy behavior.” (EDITORS: Additional information)
=======================
Hi Jim,
The below article is free for your use. Sarah Lee Gossett Parrish is available for interviews and comments on this and related topics. If you are interested please reach out and I will be happy to coordinate.
Ashley
5 Ways States Can Unify Behind
Marijuana And Reap The Benefits
Medical marijuana is now legal in 33 states, but some have been slow to reap the economic benefits. Advocates say this is because of a long legislative and legal process that delays the rollout of legalization and results in numerous restrictions.
“How the states regulate marijuana varies greatly,” says Sarah Lee Gossett Parrish (www.sarahleegossettparrish.com), a cannabis industry lawyer. “Each state has to decide how much a patient can possess, where and how they can obtain it, and what medical conditions warrant a physician’s recommendation for its usage.
“The more permissive state regulatory systems result in more patients and usually in more dispensaries.”
Oklahoma, though regarded as a conservative or red state, is viewed as one of the most liberal when it comes to medical marijuana laws, Parrish says. And about a year after voters approved medical cannabis in Oklahoma, business is booming in the state.
Now comes Oklahoma’s “Unity Act,” signed into law in March. Parrish says it was designed to streamline state regulation of medical marijuana without impeding commerce and imposing too many restrictions.
“The Unity Act further develops Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program, an exemplary model for states that seek a more permissive regulatory scheme,” Parrish says. “There are compromises added for employers, but overall it benefits the patients and entrepreneurs. Oklahoma rolled out its medical marijuana program quickly and efficiently, wisely avoiding the quagmire of regulations that strangle the industry in other states.”
Parrish explains some key provisions of the Unity Act that promote the industry’s growth while ensuring proper oversight:
Sale of seeds. “The Act includes language allowing commercial growers to sell seeds or clones to other commercial growers, thereby providing a much-needed legal way for new growers to obtain seeds and clones,” Parrish says. “Language that would also have allowed the sale by growers to patients or caregivers was deleted.”
Patient confidentiality. “The Act preserves confidentiality of patients and caregivers, making the handling of all records subject to all relevant state and federal laws, including HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996),” Parrish says.
Employment Issues. The Act permits employers to refuse to hire workers for safety-sensitive jobs, examples of which are listed in the legislation. It provides that employers are not required to permit or accommodate the use of medical marijuana at the place of employment. “It also recognizes employers’ right to establish written policies about drug testing and impairment in accord with current Oklahoma law,” Parrish says.
Seed-to-sale quality and safety checkpoints. The Act requires a medical marijuana seed-to-sale inventory tracking system, and mandates quality testing by licensees. “This includes testing for contaminants and THC/CBD content,” Parrish says.
New licenses. The Act creates a medical marijuana transporter license, a testing laboratory license, research license, a caregiver license and an education facility license. “These components show how the Unity Act represents a concerted effort to create a working framework for regulation and oversight,” Parrish says.
“It’s encouraging to see both sides of the aisle work together to achieve a common goal,” Parrish says. “Oklahoma is on its way to becoming a thriving cannabis industry, and that’s good news for everyone.”
About Sarah Lee Gossett Parrish
Sarah Lee Gossett Parrish (www.sarahleegossettparrish.com) is a cannabis industry lawyer whom The National Law Journal named a 2019 Cannabis Trailblazer — one of only 30 trailblazers recognized in the nation. She represents numerous dispensaries, growers, and processors, and is admitted to practice in Oklahoma and Texas. Ms. Parrish is a member of the National Cannabis Bar Association, NORML, and the National Cannabis Industry Association. She is also admitted to practice in all state and federal district courts in Oklahoma; the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. Ms. Parrish received her B.A. in letters from the University of Oklahoma, Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude. She also served as chairman of the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women for the State of Oklahoma and was instrumental in starting the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, and her legal thriller, Guilt of Innocence, placed second in the New York Law Journal's national fiction writing contest.
