Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Living in fear. Terrified no one will come, yet terrified someone will. No relief, just fear and dread. No sense of control and a profound sense of isolation. This can be the experience of a person with a traumatic story.

One California state senator thinks it might. Pain patients and researchers? Not so much. When Anne Fuqua was a teenager she came down with a rare neurological disorder that caused her muscles to involuntarily twist, contort and spasm.

The MacArthur Foundation, in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, are sponsoring a program to support states in developing more responsive policies affecting justice-involved youth with behavioral health disorders.

Lacy Kendrick Burk has used her experience in foster care as the executive director at Youth MOVE National, an organization that works to unite the voices of individuals who have experienced the mental health, juvenile justice and child welfare systems.

Last month, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors began implementing the recommendations made by the Blue Ribbon Commission on Child Protection, which calls for augmented child maltreatment prevention efforts. While implementation of the commission’s many recommendations is a long-term venture, leaders are hoping that the rollout of a maltreatment prevention initiative may improve child safety in the short-term.