USF Collaborative Presents Grants for Engaged Research [07/14/2008]

by Laura Nessola

Nine USF faculty members from three campuses were awarded research grants through the USF Collaborative for Children, Families and Communities so far this year. Their community-based research proposals cover a wide array of subjects from homelessness and foreclosure to art programs and college assistance for foster care children.

Each proposal creates research partnerships between community organizations and the faculty members conducting the research. Dean Junius Gonzales, Chairman of the Collaborative, congratulated each of the recipients and their community partners at the orientation meeting on June 30th, and encouraged each team to include “components that make the partnerships successful” in their report.

This year’s Faculty Grant award winners are:

Catherine Batsche – Children & Family Studies, Florida Mental Health Institute                          Connect 2 Go!                                                                                                                         Combining the resources of Connected by 25 of Hillsborough County (Cby25) and the Know How2Go Tampa Bay (KH2GoTB), this pilot study will be used to seek support for a statewide study of educational pathways for youth in foster care and kinship care. The findings will also be used to develop a toolkit for foster care families and caregivers of youth interested in 2-year College, 4-year College or career/technical training.

Kathy Black – School of Social Work, Sarasota Campus                                                             Facilitating a Community-Based Partnership to Enhance Aging-in-Place                                            USF is involved with the Aging-in-Place Action Team, a community based partnership of health and social service providers, which prepares older people to remain independent in their homes. The community-engaged research of this project will enhance the exchange of resources and information to further promote aging-in-place.

Heidi Casteneda – Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences                                                      Oral Health Literacy and Access to Dental Care for Migrant Families in Tampa Bay                             USF researchers in medical anthropology, public health and social work will collaborate with Suncoast Community Health Center in a qualitative ethnographic study of why migrant children underutilize oral health services.

Tiffany Chenneville – Psychology, St. Petersburg Campus                                                           The Relationship between Decisional Capacity, the Doctor-Patient Relationship and HIV Disease Management                                                                                                                               A pilot study with All Children's Hospital will promote better understanding of HIV disease management among youth. Specific aims include the decisional capabilities of youth, the doctor-patient relationship, and demographic variables may affect the outcomes.

Heather Curtiss – Pediatrics, College of Medicine                                                               Development of an Instrument to Measure Knowledge of Child Development and Behavioral Modification Principles for the HOT DOCS© Program                                                                         In conjunction with Infants and Young Children, Inc., a pre-test and post-test will be developed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Helping Our Toddlers-Developing Our Children’s Skills (HOT DOCS©) curriculum.

Dawn Cecil – Criminology, St. Petersburg Campus                                                           Promoting Mothers' Successful Readjustment to Family upon Re-entry to Community after Incarceration                                                                                                                                 The strong partnership between USF and Hillsborough Jail continues as the studies of needs and impediments to reunification of incarcerated mothers with caregivers. The intervention designed from the research will be created and tested.

Sondra Fogel – School of Social Work                                                                                    Pinellas Hope Follow-up Grant                                                                                                 Pinellas Hope is a five month pilot program which created a “tent city” in St. Petersburg for the homeless of Pinellas County. Through a partnership with Catholic Charities, interviews with residents and stakeholders of the temporary site will be used to create an evaluative report for policy makers and state officials.

Susan Greenbaum – Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences                                                Using Youth Arts Programs to Increase Academic Achievement and Decrease Delinquent Behavior in Sulphur Springs                                                                                                                             USF Anthropology and USF School of Art will collaborate with the Community Stepping Stones program, the Moses House artists, All Nations Outreach Center, the Good Community Alliance, the Sulphur Springs Alliance, the North Tampa Recreation Center and the Rich House to enhance the creativity of low-income youth living in distressed neighborhoods.

Elizabeth Strom – Geography, College of Arts & Sciences                                                          Causes and Consequences of Home Mortgage Foreclosure Activity in Hillsborough County Collaboration with the Housing and Education Alliance and Redlands Christian Migrant Association will aid research in the factors leading to foreclosure, the impact of clustered foreclosures and other data that is currently unavailable to the public. The research will aid policy makers of non-profits and local, state and federal programs.