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September/October 2015Vol. 16, No. 7Making Healthy Choices Companion Guide

In 2012, the Children's Bureau partnered with the National Resource Center for Youth Development and a collaborative committee of young people and professionals to produce Making Healthy Choices: A Guide on Psychotropic Medications for Youth in Foster Care. The guide (available in English and Spanish at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/makinghealthychoices) presents valuable information for youth in foster care related to making decisions about their mental health, treatment options, and the use of psychotropic medications.

This year, the Children's Bureau and its partners collaborated to publish a companion guide intended to help caseworkers, foster parents, other caregivers, or other caring adults to use Making Healthy Choices with youth. This guide aims to provide all the caring adults in a youth's life with information about trauma experienced by youth in foster care and treatment options, including approaches other than psychotropic medication. The guide presents strategies for seeking help for youth, identifying appropriate treatment, and supporting youth in making decisions about their mental health. Additionally, specific sections that can be used in conjunction with sections of the Making Healthy Choices youth guide are clearly indicated with relevant instructions for each.

Access Supporting Youth in Foster Care in Making Healthy Choices: A Guide for Caregivers and Caseworkers on Trauma, Treatment, and Psychotropic Medications at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/mhc-caregivers/.