<p> Depression affects over 16 million adults in the United States every year. Furthermore, depression is a chronic and reoccurring disorder for more than half of the individuals who experience it. There are various treatment options for depression; however, many people are unable to achieve long-term recovery from the disorder. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is an evidence-based intervention that significantly reduces the rates of depression relapse. The purpose of this project was to obtain funding to implement an on-going MBCT group at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian&rsquo;s Mental Health Center in Orange County, California. The goals of the group are to prevent depression relapse by helping participants develop and maintain positive coping skills, learn to be accepting of their thoughts and feelings, and become more compassionate towards their experiences. Included in this project is a literature review, suggested funder, staffing pattern, implementation timeline, evaluation strategy, and budget. Submission of the grant was not a requirement for this project.</p>

<p> In recent decades, there has been a significant rise in the prominence and visibility of gay-identified men choosing to become fathers. The rise in planned gay fatherhood may be partially due to young gay men&rsquo;s radically evolving views of fatherhood (Berkowitz, 2011a). The current research is a phenomenological investigation in to the lived experience of gay fathers and community. Research questions include: How do gay men re-orient to evolving sources of social support over the transition to parenthood? How does the experience and quality of social support affect the process of becoming a father for gay men? Do gay fathers experience a sense of inclusion or exclusion in various social settings? How do gay fathers experience social milieus differently than before having children? Data collection consisted of interviews with 12 gay identified cisgender men who became fathers in the context of a previously established gay or queer identities. Interviews were in-depth and semistructured. While some fathers have described the process of becoming a parent as a second coming out process that allows a casting off of internalized oppression, others have described feeling alienated from previous social networks. Participants did not describe a distancing from a gay community, nor did a majority appear to feel embedded in a gay community describing diverse group of friends before and after having children. Participants experienced varying levels of family support in which future parenting identity became paramount to maintaining connections and approval from family members. Several fathers described interactions, particularly in public, that fall under the category of microaggression laden with stereotype threat. Such intrusions were disorienting and threatened to undermine an emerging sense of competence at critical stages of establishing a new fatherhood identity. Suggestions for further research and implications for therapeutic interactions are considered.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this policy analysis is to critically review the Welfare and Institutions Code&sect; 369.5, which regulates the authorization of psychotropic medication to treat mental disorders among California's dependent children. While these medications have been proven effective forms of treatment, there is a growing concern about their life threatening side effects.</p><p> Research has concluded that children exposed to chronic child abuse and neglect often present with behaviors indicative of trauma. The <i>Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders</i> 5th Edition has included criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.) in children. However, the Welfare and Institutions Code&sect; 369.5 does not mandate psychiatrists and pediatricians to first rule out trauma prior to diagnosing foster children with one or more behavior, mood, or psychotic disorders.</p><p> Results support amending child welfare legislation and policies to reflect a shift toward trauma-focused services, thereby reducing the reliance on potentially dangerous pharmaceutical drugs.</p>