September 2020 Newsletter

Spotlight: Two Collaborations of Fellows Awarded Large Research Grants

Multiple fellows received funding through a Prevent Child Abuse grant from the Centers for Disease Control to examine the impacts of various public policies, such as paid family leave, extended health care access, rates of child abuse, and neglect and domestic violence. Under the leadership of Bart Klika, Chief Research and Strategy Officer at PCAA, other fellow collaborators include Whitney Rostad, Katie Maguire-Jack, Will Schneider, Megan Feely, Kerri Raissian, Lindsay Bullinger, and Lisa Schelbe. Bart Klika states, “We are thrilled to be partnering with so many Doris Duke fellows on this critical work. As a direct result of the learning and networking made possible by the Fellowship, we were able to submit a rigorous, interdisciplinary proposal to study pressing policy issues of our time.”

Another team of fellows, Maria Schweer-Collins (Co-PI), Carly Dierkhising (CO-PI), and Lindsay Huffhines (consultant), were awarded a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) two-year extension grant to specify developmental trajectories of delinquency and crime from adolescence into adulthood among a sample of justice-involved females, many of whom also experienced childhood maltreatment. The project team will examine whether delinquency and crime predict health outcomes. It will also explore the long-term effects of the Treatment Foster Care Oregon intervention on adult offending and crime and biological and self-reported health. This study aims to identify potential targets for subsequent intervention to prevent sustained delinquency and multiple-systems involvement among trauma-exposed females.

Both of these groups of grantees highlight the multidisciplinary and collaborative work this network of fellows are committed to in order to advance the field of child well-being.

COVID-19 Resources from Doris Duke Fellows & Prevent Child Abuse America Chapters

Doris Duke fellows and Prevent Child Abuse (PCA) Chapters are working together to collect and disseminate COVID-19 resources with the goal of strengthening prevention policy and practice. The resources are grouped into those relating to policy, research, and programs and provide timely and informative information to promote child well-being during the pandemic. If you have materials to add, please email them to (bklika@preventchildabuse.org).

2018-2019 Doris Duke Fellowships Network Survey Published

For the past six years, current and graduated Doris Duke fellows have participated in an online survey regarding their connections with one another. In this latest network analysis report, the interactions among all eight fellowships cohorts over a one-year period (July 2018-June 2019) are highlighted. We found that a majority of fellows have developed strong relationships with their peers and that these relationships continue over time crossing both cohort and discipline.

Upcoming Fellow-led Virtual Workshop on Maltreatment Reports and COVID-19

Kate Stepleton, Kerri Raissian, and Kelley Fong are conducting a virtual workshop through National Association for Welfare Research and Statistics (NAWRS) to share research findings about maltreatment reports and substantiations, describe how systems have responded to COVID-19, and discuss the role of the child welfare system now and into the future. This webinar will take place on October 5 from 2-3pm EDT. Register here.

Fellows Updates:

Aditi Srivastav is on the cover of the September 2020 issue of Columbia Business Monthly as a featured “Best and Brightest” of South Carolina’s 35 and under. She is highlighted for her work as the Director of Research at Children’s Trust of South Carolina and commitment to child health equity.

Christina Padilla started a new position in the Early Childhood Development team at Child Trends.

Scott Brown published a national report on the Family and Medical Leave Act in 2018. Along with the report, there is a public use data set available for those interested in national policy issues around paid leave.

Alysse Loomis has a new publication looking at head injuries as a mediator to the relationship between violent victimization and suspension/expulsion among adolescents in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.