An example of an innovative partnership with the state is the work of Assistant Research Professor Patricia Carlson, who along with her colleague Brenda Kurz, has received a grant to study a new program to empower families. The Department of Children and Families refers families to the program, Integrated Family Care and Support (IFCS), after an investigation has deemed the children are safe. IFCS uses a Wraparound Practice model, which brings together a team of family members, friends, and providers identified by the family to develop a plan of care.

“IFCS is a strength-based program designed to keep families together,” says Carlson. “The goal is to help families meet their own needs, increase their access to care, and connect to supports in their community.” The program was established in partnership with Beacon Health Options, which has collaborated with the Performance Improvement Center (PIC) at UConn School of Social Work to provide data analysis, reporting, and research support to evaluate the program’s impact.

In a study published by the Journal of Public Child Welfare, Assistant Professor of Social Work Nate Okpych investigated how a federal law increasing the foster care age limit might affect postsecondary outcomes for foster care youth. The law, passed in 2008, gives states the option to raise the foster care age limit from 18 to 21. Okpych analyzed a longitudinal study of over 700 young people in foster care in three midwestern states. He compared college data from one midwestern state that had extended the foster care age limit with data from two other states that had not.

“Extended foster care did in fact increase the probability that youth enrolled in college,” Okpych says. He found that for each year youth remained in foster care past age 18, the probability of enrolling in college increased by 10 percentage points. “The study findings suggest extended foster care is an effective policy for increasing rates of college enrollment, but additional supports and services are needed to ensure youth persist in college,” he explains. In his book Climbing  a Broken Ladder, Okpych further explores college outcomes for the study participants, including enrollment patterns and how trauma affects college persistence.

According to a recent national survey, 40% of LGBTQIA youth seriously considered suicide in the last 12 months and 68% reported symptoms of anxiety. To respond to the mental health disparities facing this population, Assistant Professor Gio Iacono created a mindfulness intervention called Tuned In! This online intervention was developed in collaboration with LGBTQIA youth and will be facilitated by licensed clinicians. It differs from traditional mindfulness-based interventions in that it focuses on addressing the specific struggles of LGBTQIA individuals and supports the development of healthy coping skills and strategies.

“LGBTQIA youth are particularly vulnerable to poorer mental health outcomes, such as anxiety, depression and suicidality, compared to the general youth population,” says Iacono. Those mental health disparities may also be compounded by other forms of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, ability and class. Youth who participated in two-session simulation of the intervention reported increased self-compassion, mindfulness, and self-kindness. The research is supported by four grants — the UConn Office of the Vice President for Research’s (OVPR) Research Excellence Program, the OVPR Scholarship Facilitation Fund, the UConn School of Social Work Dean’s Incentive Award, and the Mind and Life Institute. With these resources, Iacono plans to launch an online pilot study in Connecticut, which will include eight sessions of Tuned In!. “Through this research, I hope to improve mental health supports for LGBTQIA youth, and eventually develop a national strategy to implement LGBTQIA affirmative mindfulness programs in a variety of communities across America to improve the well-being of LGBTQIA youth,” he says.

Professor Louise Simmons drew upon her many years of work in the field of community labor coalitions to co-edit the book, Igniting Justice and Progressive Power: The Partnership for Working Families Cities. Each chapter, written by academics in different states, tells the story of the local organizations affiliated with the Partnership (now known as Power Switch Action). From California to Georgia to Tennessee, the authors used different qualitative methods to demonstrate how affiliates successfully took on specific modern urban problems. Issues included environmental regulations related to ports, police relations, development and community benefits, and school reform.

“Resistance to issues that have been problematic for cities, and for the people who live in cities under neoliberalism, is possible,” says Simmons. The outcome of the coalition work, she explains, could be a change in environmental requirements related to ports in Los Angeles, for example, or simply bringing people together to share an agenda. To tell these stories, the authors utilized different qualitative research methods, such as interviews, historical records, and press accounts. In each of the 14 cases, “what motivates these groups is a vision for a better society,” Simmons notes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led many older adults to become more socially isolated, particularly older adults of color who have also been affected by racial tensions in society. The isolation contributes to inactivity, diminished mental health, and may even accelerate the aging process. To study this phenomenon, Assistant Professor Rupal Parekh developed an intervention to engage older African Americans in Hartford. Over eight weeks, the research team will engage these older adults with a web-based behavioral intervention that encourages physical activity and greater mental health. Participants will also discuss the intervention with a group leader and receive peer support.

“One of the goals is to increase physical activity and lead to participation in outside activities,” said Parekh. “We’re talking to African American older adults, from various cultural backgrounds, and trying to make it as culturally competent as possible, identifying a range of activities that folks would be interested in.” Parekh and her team have also identified pre- and post-tests of physical function, mental health, and biomarkers to assess the intervention’s impact. Her research is supported by grants from the National Institute on Aging and the UConn Health Center on Aging’s Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center.