Effects of case characteristics on teamwork in family meetings

Little empirical research has examined the effects of case characteristics on high‐quality teamwork within family meetings in child welfare. We attempted to fill this gap using 497 child welfare cases in a Midwestern state in the United States. We found that overall teamwork was negatively associated with domestic violence, frequent placement moves, and a permanency plan of adoption, whereas teamwork was positively associated with the length of involvement in the child welfare system. We also examined the relationships between the case characteristics and two components of teamwork. The results showed that domestic violence and the length of the involvement were equally significant factors for both team formation and functioning. The permanency plan of adoption was a significant factor for team formation, but not for team functioning. Finally, family voices and frequent team meetings appeared to be stronger factors for improving both team formation and functioning. The results suggest that families in the child welfare system have different experiences in forming and functioning high‐quality family team meetings. Therefore, it is necessary to customize specific processes and strategies to promote teamwork depending on the child and family's characteristics and situations.     

Examining area- and individual-level differences in suicide ideation severity and suicide attempt among youth

Youth suicide is a pressing problem and suicide rates are not equally distributed across geographic areas or socioeconomic status (SES). Death by suicide is often preceded factors including hopelessness and suicide ideation, planning, and attempt. The current study examined area- and individual-level differences in suicide ideation severity and suicide attempt in a state-representative sample of youth from 2019 (N = 78,740) and 2021 (N = 61,396). Youth from higher SES and rural areas showed lower suicide ideation severity and odds of suicide attempt. After including individual-level covariates, SES differences in ideation severity and suicide attempt persisted for 2019 but not 2021. Rural differences for ideation severity persisted across years but not for suicide attempt. Further research on geographic variation in suicide risk is needed.