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Transforming Childrens Mental Healthcare in America
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Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children’s Mental Health

(Portland State University)

Background

The Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children’s Mental Health was established in 1984 at Portland State University in Portland, OR, with funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education, and the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Center is dedicated to promoting effective community-based, culturally competent, family-centered services for children who are or may be affected by mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders and their families. This goal is accomplished through collaborative research partnerships with family members, service providers, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

The Center’s activities build on family strengths through applied multilevel research and capacity building in the following areas:

  • identifying and promoting culturally competent policies and practices as a part of an effective community response driven by the needs of families;
  • clarifying values related to family partnerships and collaboration in all aspects of service delivery and evaluation; and
  • building leadership capacity of families, advocacy groups, formal and informal service providers, local communities, and State and national level organizations through development, dissemination, and training activities related to the Center’s projects.

In carrying out its mission, the Center is aided and supported by a National Advisory Committee (NAC), that includes parents, advocates, researchers, youths, and others concerned with and knowledgeable about improving services for children and their families.

Areas of Activity

The Research and Training Center serves as a national resource on improvement of mental health services to children and families. Major efforts in dissemination and training include:

  • an annual national conference, Building on Family Strengths, that highlights research and innovative programs on family-centered services;
  • an award-winning Web site, http://www.rtc.pdx.edu, that shares information about child and family mental health services and policy issues;
  • Focal Point, a national semiannual bulletin, that focuses on relevant themes in children’s mental health;
  • publications that discuss state-of-the-art approaches to service delivery and policymaking in children’s mental health. For publication information, or to subscribe to Focal Point, e-mail rtcpubs@rri.pdx.edu; and
  • the Underrepresented Researchers Mentoring Program, which offers undergraduate and graduate students research opportunities and training. The program is targeted towards students who are from groups underrepresented in children’s mental health research. It is designed to encourage students to pursue an interest in research and to acquire a variety of research skills and experiences.

The Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children’s Mental Health is currently involved in the following research projects:

Family Participation in In-Home and Out-of-Home Settings

Principal Investigators: Barbara Friesen, Ph.D. and Jean M. Kruzich, Ph.D.

The purpose of this project is to study the experiences of families whose children received services for their serious emotional and behavioral disorders. Data was collected from 500 families across the country. Project accomplishments include the development of a measure of family participation across settings and refinement of a measure of caregiver empowerment.  The focus of current project efforts is the dissemination of findings about family participation and contact between parents and children who are receiving out-of-home care.

Common Ground? Families, Educators, and Employers

Principal Investigator: Julie Rosenzweig, Ph.D.

This project is a continuation of the Support for Working Caregivers project. This project studies how parents' employment is affected when caring for a child with a mental health disorder, the strategies used by parents to manage employment issues, and workplace practices that support employees who are caring for children with special emotional needs.

Models of Inclusion in Child Care

Principal Investigator: Eileen M. Brennan, Ph.D.

Identifies and intensively studies inclusive childcare programs and strategies which result in improved access for families having children with emotional or behavioral disorders. A comprehensive survey also explores State-level efforts toward inclusion in child-care settings.

Family Members as Evaluators

Principal Investigators: Nancy Koroloff, Ph.D. and Pauline Jivanjee, Ph.D.

This project is evaluating a curriculum developed by the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health to train and support family members involved in evaluation. The project is also studying the experiences of evaluators who are collaborating with family members and will use the findings to guide the development of training materials for evaluators.

Guidance for Program Design: Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Young Children and Their Families in Early Childhood Education Settings

Principal Investigators: Beth Green, Ph.D.

This group is developing a research-based approach to assist early childhood education settings in developing effective mental health services for young children. Technical assistance and training materials will also be developed, tested, and disseminated.

ISP/Wrap around teamwork in practice:  Context of Services

Principal Investigator: Nancy Koroloff, Ph.D.

The Context of Individualized Services studies the system and organizational context within which family centered Individualized Service/Support Planning (ISP or wraparound) exists. Having derived a conceptual framework describing system- and organization-level conditions necessary to support quality implementation of the ISP process, the project is constructing tools for sites that are implementing ISP to use as a part of their ongoing self-assessment and development.

ISP/Wraparound teamwork in practice: An examination of multiple perspectives on team collaboration, functioning, and effectiveness

Principal Investigator: Janet Walker, Ph.D.

Teamwork in Practice: This project studies effectiveness in Individualized Service/Support Planning teams (wraparound teams) using interviews, observations, and the intensive study of videotaped team meetings. Using the results of this research, project staff are developing tools to help teams increase their effectiveness.

Support for Working Caregivers

Principal Investigators: Eileen M. Brennan, Ph.D. and Julie Rosenzweig, Ph.D.

This project examined the factors that enhanced the ability of employed family members to find a fit between their work and caregiving responsibilities for children and youth with emotional or behavioral disorders; these factors include employment strategies, social support, and family-centered services.

Promising Practices Initiative

Principal Investigator: Pauline Jivanjee, Ph.D.

The Research and Training Center participates in the production of Promising Practices, a series of monographs that describes successful practices in providing effective, coordinated care to children with a serious emotional disorder and their families.

Data Trends

Principal Investigator: Pauline Jivanjee, Ph.D.

As a part of our participation in the Learning Community partnership, the Research and Training Center at Portland State University collaborates with the Research and Training Center at the University of South Florida to produce Data Trends, a series of one-page briefs addressing current themes, summarizing recent articles, or presenting new developments in the field of children’s mental health.

Listserv

This new communication tool will convey timely information and updates on center activities to our diverse audience.  Follow the link on our home page: http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/ 

Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children’s Mental Health
Portland State University/RRI
P.O. Box 751
Portland, OR 97207-0751
Phone: 503-725-4040
Fax: 503-724-4180
E-mail for information: rtcinfo@rri.pdx.edu
E-mail for publications: rtcpubs@rri.pdx.edu
 
Barbara Friesen
Director
E-mail: friesenb@pdx.edu 
Nancy Koroloff
Director of Research
E-mail: koroloffn@pdx.edu 
Janet Walker
Associate Director and Focal Point Editor
E-mail: janetw@pdx.edu 
Pauline Jivanjee
Associate Director
E-mail: jivanjeep@pdx.edu 
Lynwood Gordon
Associate Director and Conference Coordinator
E-mail: gordonl@pdx.edu 
Donna Fleming
Center Coordinator
E-mail: flemingd@pdx.edu
 

 
  Please direct information updates to soc@samhsa.gov with the specific location or internet address to be updated. Thank you.
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