Arkansas Home Visiting Network Programs
Evaluation and reporting on federal benchmarks for Arkansas’ expansion of the Arkansas Home Visiting Network, which houses multiple home visiting programs providing in-home support to at-risk families. Evaluation includes process measures and outcome indicators for families receiving services.
Contact Lorraine McKelvey, Ph.D., at mckelveylorraine@uams.edu
Studying Quality Early Childhood Care and Education
Evidence-based review and evaluation guidance for Arkansas’ Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) for early childhood education programs. Funded by the Arkansas Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education.
- Arkansas Workforce Studies
- Arkansas Early Childhood Care & Education Financing
- Evaluation of Arkansas’ Better Beginnings
Contact Lorraine McKelvey, Ph.D., at mckelveylorraine@uams.edu
TRIS
The Arkansas Trauma Resource Initiative for Schools (TRIS) provides training and resources to school personnel of K-12 schools in Arkansas to recognize and respond to the impact of trauma on students.
TRIS supports Arkansas schools through providing:
- training to school personnel to build basic knowledge about trauma;
- national and local resources to schools on a range of trauma-related topics;
- assistance to schools in identifying available trauma-focused mental health treatments for children and families;
- specialized consultation to administrators, both routine and in times of unexpected crises.
To view their 2023 AR youth mental health needs assessment report, click here.
TRIS is a collaboration between the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, the Psychiatric Research Institute, the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) and other key stakeholders and is funded by the Blue & You Foundation. To learn more about TRIS, visit http://tris-ar.org
The HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study
The HBCD Study will establish a large cohort of pregnant women and follow them and their children for at least 10 years. In Arkansas, our goal is to enroll 300 families into the study. We hope to enroll families across the spectrum of childhood experiences. Findings from this study will provide a much more advanced understanding of child brain and behavioral development and influences of different early-life experiences. The study involves 25 academic centers across the United States and will collect data on pregnancy and fetal development; infant and early childhood structural and functional brain imaging; growth and development; medical history; family history; biospecimens; and social, emotional and cognitive development. Knowledge gained from this research will help identify risk and resilience factors that affect a child’s mental and physical health trajectory.
For more information: LINK
The Virtual HOME Study
This study, in partnership with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the University of North Carolina, is developing a virtual implementation of the HOME Inventory.
Family First Prevention Services Outcomes Evaluation
The project evaluates the implementation of services that support families with the ultimate goal of preventing child foster care placement in Arkansas. Interventions include SafeCare, Family Centered Treatment, and Intercept.
SafeCare®
SafeCare® is an in-home parent training program designed for families with children ages birth to 5 who are at risk for maltreatment. SafeCare provides a curriculum of 3 modules (1) Health, 2) Safety, and 3) either Parent-Infant Interaction or Parent-Child Interaction, depending upon the age of the child) for treatment over a span of 18-20 weeks.
Family Centered Treatment®
Family Centered Treatment® (FCT), is a home-based intervention for families who are at risk of separation or who need intensive services to return from treatment facilities, foster care, group or residential treatment, psychiatric hospitals, and juvenile justice facilities. The FCT model is theoretically based on Eco-Structural Family Therapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy. Its services are appropriate for families with children ages birth to 17 years.
Intercept®
Intercept®, is a home-based intervention for families with children ages birth to 18 who have emotional or behavioral problems, who have experienced abuse or neglect, or who are at risk of entering foster care. The model uses trauma-informed, strength-based clinical practices, which are individualized to each child and family.
SafeCare – Arkansas Evaluation
The study evaluates the implementation of home visiting in all Arkansas counties using evidence-based home visiting program, SafeCare. The findings from the 2022 report demonstrates positive pre-post change for families.
Substance Abuse Treatment for Benton County Adult Drug Court
Evaluation of the expansion of substance abuse treatment and wraparound support services offered through a county court. The goal is to provide a full continuum of care for medical assisted drug treatment, mental health services, and peer support.
Contact Isis D. Martel at MartelIsisD@uams.edu
Washington/ Madison County Adult Treatment Drug/diversion Court
UAMS RED Northwest provides evaluation and technical assistance for the SAMHSA funded programs received by the Washington/Madison County Adult Treatment Drug/Diversion Court. Mission of the project is to reduce the harmful impact of untreated substance use disorder and cooccurring mental health disorders by addressing the behavioral health needs of the those in the criminal justice system.
For more information: Eleanor Hughes ejhughes@uams.edu
Parents and Children Together (PACT)
UAMS was awarded $2 million over 5 years from SAMHSA for this project. PACT expands services for children of parents who have a substance use disorder (SUD), or co-occurring SUD/mental illness (COD), have experienced trauma, and who are at high risk for continued inter-generational trauma through connection to clinical and community resources.
For more information: Isis Martel MartelIsisD@uams.edu
Arkansas Department of Health OD2Action Grant
This state-funded grant is a two year project to provide peer recovery support services to those at risk for overdose in rural Madison County. UAMS partners with PEARL to provide services such as recovery support, education, transportation etc. through an Arkansas Core Peer Recovery Specialist.
For more information: Isis Martel MartelIsisD@uams.edu
Building Communities of Recovery with PEARL’s Peer Impact Project
UAMS RED Northwest provides evaluation and technical assistance for this SAMHSA funded project through PEARL in Benton County. PEARL’s Peer Impact Project uses Peer Support Specialists to target those that have the highest need and lowest community support. The population of focus for this project include individuals with SUD from underserved rural areas that have histories of trauma and are justice involved.
For more information: Eleanor Hughes ejhughes@uams.edu
HIV
AASI
The Arkansas Anti-Stigma Initiative (AASI) and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) have a symbiotic relationship. AASI provides capacity building for specific marginalized populations while UAMS provides medical and policy oversight any scientific and medical services while providing models of best practices. The Arkansas Anti-Stigma Initiative (AASI) currently operates six different programs related to the prevention of HIV in Arkansas. The goals of AASI are “to increase access to HIV screening and care across Arkansas, reduce stigma regarding HIV, and provide medical, fact[1]based advocacy for HIV-related criminal law reform.”
Contact Latunja R. Sockwell at LRSockwell@uams.edu
Project HEAL
A team with DFPM-RED, others at UAMS, and Better Community Development. (BCD) (sub-recipient) will lead Project HEAL to expand and enhance treatment and recovery support services among African American (AA) adult men and women who reside in the Pulaski County area and are involved in the criminal justice system, have a substance use disorder (SUD) particularly alcohol, marijuana, and/or opioid abuse, or co-occurring SUD/mental illness (COD), and are at high risk for HIV/Viral Hepatitis (VH) infection or transmission. The group plans to serve 1,200 individuals over the five-year project (240 individuals annually). A large proportion of persons served are expected to have some type of criminal justice involvement and underrepresented minorities. BCD, a three-decades-old program serves as a catalyst to constructively meet central AR’s urgent needs in SUD/COD treatment and HIV prevention, filling a service gap by establishing services beyond SUD/COD treatment to include a Community Health Worker (CHW) and HIV education/testing/stigma reduction for all enrollees of their program. The CHW will assist project enrollees with client-centered emotional, tangible, informational, and appraisal supports focused on recovery. The BCD team will refer clients to licensed treatment partners as needed for direct COD treatment services, including MAT, HIV, and Hepatitis services. Evidence-based interventions (in addition to MAT and CHW) will include Motivational Interviewing, Healthy Love, and Seeking Safety provided by BCD staff. Project HEAL will provide outreach and engagement services and assist enrollees with development of an individualized Recovery Plan. Project HEAL participants will have access to a full continuum of acceptable, effective, and individualized SUD/COD treatment including MAT and recovery support services including substance abuse peer counseling and support groups, housing for homeless and low income individuals and families, violence prevention, prevention of incarceration and community re-entry, and HIV prevention and service coordination. Lessons learned will be shared with providers and policy-makers. The project is funded by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Contact Latunja R. Sockwell at LRSockwell@uams.edu
Gap Services Program
PrEP
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is when people at very high risk for HIV take HIV medicines daily to lower their chances of getting infected. PrEP can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body. It is highly effective for preventing HIV if used as prescribed, but it is much less effective when not taken consistently.
Daily PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90%. Among people who inject drugs, it reduces the risk by more than 70%. Your risk of getting HIV from sex can be even lower if you combine PrEP with condoms and other prevention methods.
- CDC PrEP information
- Download the PrEP Toolkit
Contact Latunja R. Sockwell at LRSockwell@uams.edu
SARF
Save Arkansas’ Future (SARF) is a Prevention Program to Reduce Health disparities by decreasing substance abuse, HIV, and related stigma impacting 18-24-year-olds in Arkansas, particularly minority populations.
SARF Goals are to Increase community capacity to provide culturally responsive Substance Abuse/HIV/Viral Hepatitis prevention services in 8 AR counties with a high prevalence of Substance Abuse and HIV among minority populations between the ages of 18 and 24.
Also, the initiative seeks to increase SA and HIV knowledge/awareness and protective behaviors by 10% among young adult AAs in 12 AR colleges/ communities. Services align with academic semesters Fall 2019 – Spring 2023.
This 5-year initiative will be deployed and supported by a cross-section of community partners such as UAMS, Arkansas Minority Health Commission, UALR, Arkansas Department of Health, RED, Arkansas HIV Planning Group and LinQ for Life.
Contact Latunja R. Sockwell at LRSockwell@uams.edu
Obesity and Nutrition
K01 Award
Taren Swindle, Ph.D., was the recipient of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant that will support her work with RED work over the next several years. Swindle will receive a four-year, $442,583 NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease K01 Award. Swindle’s research involves the study of a childcare-based nutrition intervention and development of a strategy for implementing the intervention. She will pilot test the implementation strategy and the intervention’s effect on child health outcomes.
The K01 award is designed to advance Swindle’s expertise and skills in implementation science, child and community nutrition, and community engagement. To help achieve her goals, she will take part in a comprehensive plan of mentored research, didactic education, cross-disciplinary collaborations, and structured field studies.
WISE in Home Visiting
A healthy diet is a key factor for prevention of early mortality and nutrition education programs are needed for families and children in rural areas. Implementation of successful nutrition promotion programs in home visiting settings has the potential to reach 2,400 families in AR each year. This proposal will adapt and pilot test WISE for HV programs in rural Arkansas.
Completed Projects
Arkansas Better Chance for School Success (ABC)
Longitudinal study of classroom quality and effect of Arkansas’ state preschool program on short-term and long-term cognitive and social development. Funded by the Arkansas Department of Education.
- Arkansas Better Chance Program
- Elementary School Journal 2015 Article (PDF)
ASQ Project
2012 Evaluation of the ASQ Project – Statewide
Screening children for needed services is a key activity of a quality program. As programs meet higher standards of the Better Beginning, they will be required to screen children with reliable and valid assessment tools. The state has adopted the ASQ as the primary tool for this assessment. Current recommendations are that Better Beginnings Level 5 will require screening. Supporting the integration of ASQ screenings will allow more programs to qualify for higher levels of BB and provide higher quality as they work toward higher levels.
The evaluation of the ASQ project has helped the State identify critical steps in addressing barriers and judging the quality of the training provided by the R&R staff. The evaluation project has documented the feasibility of programs to implement, the support provided by R&R staff to maintain implementation, and the challenges of the link with medical providers.
Arkansas’ Access To Recovery (ATR)
Evaluation of voucher program for purchase of substance abuse clinical treatment and recovery support services. Goals are to expand capacity, support client choice, and increase the array of faith-based and community-based providers for clinical treatment and recovery support services. Delivered by the Arkansas Division of Behavioral Health Services.
AR Passion Project
The AR Passion Project seeks to decrease substance abuse and HIV infection and transmission rates among low-income, high-risk heterosexual AA women with substance use disorders by:
- Active “street” and “agency” outreach that results in increased referrals and admissions of high-risk AA women with a substance use disorder to BCD
- Enhanced evidence-based, gender-specific, culturally competent, and trauma-informed interventions that engage and retain women in treatment BCD
- BCD admission testing for HIV, VH, and other health issues including co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders
- Referral, care coordination, and follow-up services for healthcare and transitional social support needs
- Continuous, data-driven quality improvement that incorporates the voices of clients, staff, and partners.
Contact Latunja R. Sockwell at LRSockwell@uams.edu
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and Foster Care
Evaluates outcomes of a program to screen and evaluate for FASD children entering foster care in Pulaski County. A collaboration with the Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services and Pulaski County Juvenile Courts.
Contact Angie Kyzer at alkyzer@uams.edu
Foundations for Smarter Screening
Exploring Patterns of Exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the Protective Influence of Early Intervention on Child Health and Development. This project will investigate different patterns of children’s exposure to ACEs over time and whether those patterns are associated with different outcomes for children. It will also investigate whether Early Head Start programs limit ACEs negative effects on children in low-income families.
- Adverse Experiences in Infancy and Toddlerhood: Relations to Adaptive Behavior and Academic Status in Middle Childhood.
- Foundations for Screening Adverse Childhood Experiences: Exploring Patterns of Exposure through Infancy and Toddlerhood.
Contact Lorraine McKelvey, Ph.D., at mckelveylorraine@uams.edu
Hot Springs Safe Schools, Healthy Students
Evaluation of a project to improve school safety and the health and emotional well-being in the Hot Springs School District. Project includes student, teacher, and parent interventions. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Health and Human Services and Justice.
Gilead Drug Court Project Project
This project will implement HIV education within Adult Drug Court (ADC). After the education, this study’s goals will be to identify barriers to
- preventive services such as Truvada for oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP),
- ongoing implementation of HIV education in ADCs,
- treatment of HIV in Arkansas
- ADC client acceptance of HIV screening after HIV education.
We have piloted HIV education developed with ADCs titled Embracing Healthy Love (EHL). Our focus in Arkansas is important because southern states account for the majority of new AIDS cases in the country (52% of all cases) and the majority of deaths (53%). Arkansans have a high rate of late-stage HIV/AIDS diagnosis suggesting that many individuals in the state are not routinely screened and enter care in extremely late stages of their illness.
Contact Latunja R. Sockwell at LRSockwell@uams.edu
Obesity Prevention Targeting Young Children in At-Risk Environments
Development of an educational program to increase consumption of fresh vegetables. Intended for Head Start and public school teachers and parents. Project involves surveying parents about food-buying habits and technology use, secondary data analysis projects, curriculum development, and measure selection.
Team Nutrition
We Inspire Smart Eating AR (WISE) project provides in-person education to child nutrition professionals and early childcare educators working in rural Arkansas early child care programs. The project is designed to increase the nutritional content of meals and snacks offered in child care centers and family day care homes participating in CACFP and assist young children meet the recommended dietary guidelines. The project tests the usefulness of high-quality web-based training and ongoing technical assistance using social media. Programs are selected because, in part, because they serve children in high poverty areas. Effective use of social media and web-based training to provide education and post-training mentoring and technical assistance has the potential to provide an ongoing cost effective tool for states with limited resources and high numbers of early childcare staff with educational needs. The evaluation includes psychometrically sound survey of parents, child nutrition professionals, and early childcare educators. Funded by the Arkansas Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education with a grant from the USDA.
THRIVE, a Home Visiting Program for Young Parents
Evaluation of the effects of home-based intervention services for pregnant/parenting teens in Arkansas. Targets are improved parenting skills, child birth outcomes, and life skills for pregnant and parenting teens. Services are provided by Centers for Youth and Families and funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Contact Lorraine McKelvey, Ph.D., at mckelveylorraine@uams.edu