Richard V. Briscoe
Title: Assistant Professor
Specialty: Identifying the strengths of African-American families and creating neighborhood-based systems of care.
Contact Information:
Department of Child and Family Studies USF Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute
Phone: (813) 974-6413
E-mail this USF Collaborative Partner
Details:
Topics of expertise:
Identifying the strengths of African-American families and creating neighborhood-based systems of care.
Educational and professional background:
B.S. in Psychology from Florida A & M University and M.S. and Ph.D. in School-Community Psychology from Florida State University. Background in conducting research, service and training focusing on intervention programs, a system of services, effective neighborhood-based service delivery systems, family support systems and multicultural mental health issues for high-risk children and their families.
What USF Collaborative grants have you worked on?
Identifying Strengths of African-American Families and Hop To It: A Program Evaluation For Children With Sickle Cell Disease (with Karen Bradley-Klug).
What is one of your newest grants/projects?
“Quality Use of In Church Known Resources (QUICKR). This project examines services provided by African-American faith-based institutions for children and families, resources in providing these services, collaboration with other churches, barriers, and strategies to enhance their effectiveness. The identification and assessment of roles played by the church will provide important information and recommendations needed to improve service delivery for African-American children and their families. The research methodology will include an in-depth qualitative approach involving surveys and structured informant interviews with ministers and staff of faith-based institutions. The final product of this project is to develop a directory and an electronic network of African-American churches in Hillsborough County. I am working with Robert Nixon and Aaron Smith.”
News You Can Use:
“My research approach involves applied strengths-based practices as a framework for conducting research in collaboration with communities and facilitating a process for communities to use the acquired research information in planning, implementing and evaluating interventions. My framework is multifaceted, integrated and incorporates community based-practices with research methodologies. A goal is to create a system of services within neighborhood and faith-based institutions and coordinate existing natural supports for children and families.”
What do you think is the biggest issue in your field right now?
“Developing collaborative efforts that will support partners dedicated to identifying, supporting and promoting strengths that improve the development of children and families in African-American communities.”
What have you learned from your research that you wish every professional and every student knew?
“I wish other professionals would design research projects with families and communities to implement projects that are collaborative community -university partnerships. This collaboration involves encouraging the active engagement of community residents during development of research goals, objectives and strategies.”
