Center for Social Research
Strengthening communities through research
RSS
ATOMCurrent CSR Projects
Program Development and Assessment Research
Nurturing Families Network
Principal Investigators (PIs): Tim Black, Marcia Hughes
Nurturing Families Network (NFN) program is a statewide system of continuous care designed to promote positive parenting and reduce incidences of child maltreatment. The program focuses on socially and economically vulnerable first-time mothers and starts working with them at or before birth. The program is offered to parents in the service areas of all 29 birthing hospitals in the state.
Program evaluation and research are integrated components of this program. Descriptive and outcome data are routinely analyzed, compiled in both yearly and quarterly reports, and used for monitoring changes occurring in areas the program is trying to impact. Interviews, focus groups, surveys and ethnographic field work are used to acquire a better understanding of the program
intervention, program dynamics, and the characteristics of the families receiving services. Both outcome and process data are used to inform program development and provide direction for ongoing research and evaluation.
Sponsor: Childrens Trust Fund
Looking for downloadable NFN forms? Click here
Help Me Grow research
PI: Marcia Hughes
Help Me Grow (HMG) is a comprehensive, statewide, coordinated system of early identification and referral for children at risk of developmental or behavioral problems. Parents, pediatricians and other providers are given information and training in how to recognize the early signs of developmental problems and to contact HMG when they have a concern or need help. Children who are facing difficulties are connected with community resources and local programs.
CSR evaluation strategy is to help refine the data collection already in place for tracking calls and service outcomes and to analyze these data on an annual basis. CSR also documents training done with pediatricians and health care providers. Importantly, data collected for this project interface with the state’s Results Based Accountability (RBA) framework.
There are three related research analyses integrated into this design:
- - Examine service needs and availability by type of community or town
- - Identify gaps and barriers across the state between the intensity of family needs and availability of services
- - Examine the program’s efforts to engage hard-to-reach, socially and economically isolated families.
Sponsor: Children’s Trust Fund
Family/School Connection research
PI: Marcia Hughes
The Family/School Connection (FSC) program provides home visitation and support services for families of children who have been identified as having truancy, academic, and/or behavioral problems in school. The goals of the program are to improve parenting skills and help families become more involved in their children’s education. In order to identify and help to solve issues, home visitors contact families on a regular basis.
The CSR research strategy is to track families in the program and document changes in areas the program is attempting to impact, particularly school attendance, grades and behavior, parental involvement in their children’s education routines and their schools, and nurturing parenting practices.
Sponsor: Children’s Trust Fund
Impact Assessment of In-Home Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (IH-CBT) Program
PI: Marcia Hughes
The CSR is conducting a clinical trial of In-Home Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (IH-CBT) for depressed mothers receiving concurrent home visitation services. IH-CBT is a 15-session intervention that is uniquely designed to meet the needs of depressed mothers in a home visitation context. Rhese two services are designed to work together synergistically, each helping the other achieve maximum effectiveness.
A randomized clinical trial will be used to determine efficacy: 100 participants will be randomly assigned to either the treatment group — receiving both IHCBT and home visitation — or a comparison group receiving on home vistation services. The clinical trial will occur over an eighteen month period.
Sponsor: Children’s Trust Fund
The Diversity Program
PI: Marcia Hughes
Sponsor: The Diversity Center
Basic Social Science Research
Study of Young, Low Income Fathers Residing in 3 CT Communities
PI: Tim Black
This study combines lifestory interviewing and ethnographic field research with racially diverse fathers living in New Haven, Hartford, and Torrington to learn more about the lives of socially and/or economically marginalized young dads. The purpose of the research is to advance public policy and strengthen programs supportive of parenting among this population of men.
Collaborative Research with Community Organizations
Racial Disparities in Connecticut
PI: Tim Black
This research identifies racial disparities across a number of domains in Connecticut, including income, education, public health, and criminal justice outcomes.
Community Partner: A Better Way Foundation
