News & Events

Category: Research Profiles

CFS Faculty Profiled in RxNews Article: Thursday, May 9, 2013 The article discusses findings related to the use of the Prevent-Teach-Reinforce Model with Families of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
School Readiness Program to Expand in Hillsborough County: Friday, October 26, 2012 The Florida HIPPY Training and Technical Assistance Center has received approximately $1.2 million in funding from the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County to expand a national home visitation, evidence-based program that focuses on parent involvement and school readiness.
Communities Turn to CFS for Support in Evaluation: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 A tool developed by CFS faculty known as the System of Care Practice Review (SOCPR) is used to examine a program, agency, or system’s adherence to system of care values and principles.
NIDA Funds $1.7 Million Research Education Project to Help Bridge the Gap from Research to Practice: Tuesday, April 17, 2012 A New Graduate Certificate Program in Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health will merge the skills and experience of local community treatment providers, USF academic researchers and national experts.
New Workshop Online: Cultural Learning Styles Encountered in the College Classroom: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 The October 13th instructional enhancement workshop, presented by Dr. Teresa Nesman, is now online.
Kwang-Sun Cho Blair Receives $999,000 grant from U.S. Department of Education: Friday, September 30, 2011 Funding will address state-identified needs to improve the quality and increase the number of personnel locally who are fully credentialed to serve children with disabilities and behavioral challenges.
Florida Programs Show Ray of Light for At-Risk Mothers and Babies: Tuesday, February 1, 2011 Florida KIDS COUNT reached out to Children’s Services Councils and various state partners to find out what is being done in their communities to continue the downward trend of teen pregnancies and increase the number of babies born with opportunities for a bright future.
SAMHSA Grant in Jacksonville to Include Work of CFS: Friday, November 19, 2010 CFS has been sub-contracted to provide technical assistance in system of care planning for children's mental health.
Florida Governor Proclaims November 1st as Florida Trauma-Informed Care Day: Friday, October 29, 2010 The proclamation recognizes the importance of effectively addressing trauma when providing services to children, youth, adults and their families.
TAD Increases Independent Bus Riding for Individuals with Disabilities: Tuesday, October 12, 2010 The Travel Assistance Device (TAD) prompts individuals via a cell phone to exit the bus at a pre-scheduled location.
CFS Welcomes FDLRS Team: Friday, September 24, 2010 FDLRS/USF serves school-aged children with complex learning, behavioral, medical and socio-emotional problems as well as their families and teachers.
CARD-USF Makes the News: Thursday, September 16, 2010 Several news stories have recently been published about the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at USF.
CFS Partners with USF Center for Urban Transportation Research to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Travel Assistance Device: Wednesday, August 18, 2010 The device is used for increasing independent bus riding among individuals with disabilities.
CFS Goes to Alaska to Improve Outcomes for Youth and Young Adults: Thursday, July 1, 2010 Congratulations to CFS Professor Hewitt B. “Rusty” Clark, who was recently awarded a $200,000 contract from the State of Alaska to implement the Transition to Independence Process (TIP) model for youth and young adults with emotional/behavioral difficulties.
Trauma Prevention and Recovery Programs: Tuesday, June 8, 2010 CFS is working with several community partners in Florida to evaluate programs aimed at the prevention of and recovery from traumatic experiences suffered during childhood.
Continuing Dr. Friedman's Legacy: Friday, March 12, 2010 On the eve of Dr. Friedman's retirement, the University of South Florida is proud to honor him by establishing the Robert Friedman Endowed Professorship in Child & Family Studies. This endowed position recognizes Dr. Friedman's remarkable career.
Florida's Positive Behavior Support Project Profiled in St. Petersburg Times Article: Friday, March 5, 2010 Assistant Professor Heather George comments on success of school using positive reinforcements to improve student behavior.
USF Receives Funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to Study the Impact of Tic Disorders in Youth: Tuesday, October 6, 2009 The study aims to gain a better understanding of the public health burden and the specific challenges faced by youth with tic disorders and their families.
Preparing for School Success: 2,500 Florida Students Benefit from Early Intervention Program: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 Housed within CFS, the Florida HIPPY Training and Technical Assistance Center is the second largest HIPPY state office in the United States.
The Department of Child & Family Studies is Included in Newly Formed College at USF: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 The USF College of Behavioral and Community Sciences will focus on the development and implementation of innovative solutions to the complex problematic conditions that affect the behavior and well-being of individuals, populations and the communities in which they live.
Call for Papers Announced for the 22nd Annual Research Conference Scheduled March 1-4, 2009: Thursday, August 28, 2008 You are invited to add your knowledge and experience to the research base for systems of care serving children with mental health challenges and their families.
NIRN Plays Important Role in SAMHSA's Inaugural Science to Service Award Initiative: Friday, November 2, 2007 With coordination from FMHI's National Research Implementation Network (NIRN), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recognized 20 organizations for providing exemplary evidence-based interventions to benefit consumers and communities.
Hillsborough High School GEAR UP Students Awarded Beautification Grant: Thursday, March 16, 2006 They will implement a service learning environmental program in their school.
FMHI Staff Receive Funds to Help Identify Effective Psychosocial Interventions Specifically for Children with Mental Health Challenges: Wednesday, March 1, 2006 Contract by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) will allow staff to study the use of psychotherapeutic medications and clinical services by children enrolled in Florida's Medicaid program.
CFS Behavior Analysts Help Create Positive Change For Foster Children and Their Caretakers: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 A statewide program is providing supports for foster children who display serious behavior problems.
University Center for Excellence Awarded to USF: Saturday, November 5, 2005 A new five-year federal grant will augment on-going efforts aimed at improving the quality of life for persons with disabilities in Florida and throughout the nation.
Literacy Development: CFS Evaluates Impact Of Program For Early Childhood Educators And Preschool Children: Friday, September 16, 2005 A project providing a unique, comprehensive approach to improving literacy, reading readiness and social-emotional functioning of children from birth to five years of age was recently implemented in Pinellas County.
CFS Training Helps Increase Employment Success for Those With Developmental Disabilities: Wednesday, September 7, 2005 Staff have introduced a number of individuals with development disabilities, their families, and support networks to the concept and feasibility of Micro-Enterprises.
Hillsborough County GEAR UP Wins Support Through Accountability: Saturday, September 3, 2005 Designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education, students entering both Blake and Hillsborough High Schools have had an array of educational and enrichment support services.
CFS Helps Initiate Alliance For Youth In Unregulated, Private Residential Treatment Programs: Tuesday, August 23, 2005 A multi-disciplinary task force has formed at the Department of Child and Family Studies to study the issues regarding the growing number of reports pertaining to the exploitation, mistreatment and abuse of youth in unregulated, private residential treatment programs.
Florida KIDS COUNT Responds to National Calls to Action For Unemployed Parents: Monday, August 1, 2005 This year's Data Book reveals a critical need for state and local leaders to build support for vulnerable parents in a more systematic, comprehensive, and integrated way.
Tampa Boasts First Spanish Language Chapter of Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health: Thursday, July 21, 2005 A national family-run organization dedicated exclusively to helping children with mental health needs and their families achieve a better quality of life has established its first ever Spanish Chapter in the Tampa Bay area.
New Study Shares Proven Approaches For Investing in the Nation's Children: Wednesday, June 22, 2005 Increasing health costs and rising enrollment have created a major strain on funds that support children in publicly-financed managed care programs.
Personnel Training Modules Support Youth Transition to Adulthood: Tuesday, June 21, 2005 Researchers from the University of South Florida are piloting personnel training modules that will enable professionals and caretakers to assist youth with EBD in making the connection between their behavior and what happens to them.
GEAR UP at Blake High School Graduates First Group of Seniors: Thursday, May 12, 2005 To date, 60 students have already been accepted into two-year or four-year colleges.
CFS Participates in First National Study on Early Childhood Mental Health: Tuesday, January 18, 2005 Tampa Bay children between the ages of one-and-a-half and four years old are participating in the first national study of its kind to help answer important questions about challenging behaviors and mental health concerns in early childhood.
New Training Modules Support Educators of Young Children with Challenging Behavior: Friday, December 31, 2004 Thanks to a joint project of Florida State University and the University of South Florida, early childhood education and special education professionals can find help through a new set of training modules that demonstrate effective ways to help young children with challenging behavior and their families.
Research and Training Center to Reach 25-Year Mark: Saturday, November 20, 2004 An award of 4.125 million dollars to USF's Research and Training Center for Children's Mental Health will support continued research on service systems for children and youth with serious emotional disturbances and their families.
New Funding Will Evaluate Intervention Model for Severe Behavior Problems in School: Friday, November 19, 2004 The Department of Child and Family Studies has received a four-year, $4,300,000 grant to evaluate a school-based intervention model used for students having severe behavior problems.
Parent Support Program Will Enhance Education for Children Who Have Emotional Disturbances: Thursday, November 18, 2004 The Office of Special Education Programs at the US Department of Education has awarded $750,000 to CFS to address one of the major challenges facing public schools today.
Behavioral Health Initiatives: Wednesday, November 17, 2004 New Funding To Help Fill In The Gap Between What Is Known to Work and What Is Being Practiced in the Field.
CFS Announces $10 Million in New Grants to Improve the Lives of Children and Families: Wednesday, November 17, 2004 The money will support projects to better serve children with mental health needs in areas from the classroom to the community.
GEAR UP Partners with Starbucks Foundation to Improve Literacy at Memorial Middle School: Tuesday, October 5, 2004 A partnership between the GEAR UP program and The Starbucks Foundation is putting the spotlight on some teens during poetry readings at local Starbucks coffee shops.
Faith-Based Initiative Brings Churches Together to Strengthen Family Supports: Sunday, July 18, 2004 All local pastors were invited to assist in the development of a resource guide for community members to use in their search for children's services and supports.
Living With a Brother Who Has Autism: Thursday, April 15, 2004 A Sister Shares Heartwarming Story.
Supporting Autism in Schools:: Thursday, April 15, 2004 A Little School is Making a Big Difference
A Smile is Worth a Thousand Words: Tuesday, January 13, 2004 Mother Shares Joys and Struggles of Inclusion for 6 Year-Old Son Having Asperger's Syndrome.
The National Technical Assistance Center for Youth Transition (NTAC-YT) Accomplishes Much During First Year: Thursday, December 4, 2003 As part of its mission to share information across sites, the NTAC-YT recently launched a website and monthly E-newsletter.
Youth from Blake High School Receive Grant To Carry Out Community Action Project: Monday, December 1, 2003 Youth participating in the GEAR-UP program at Blake High School are helping their community by cleaning apartments for elderly and disabled residents.
CARD Uses Web-Based Training To Support Growing Number of Requests: Thursday, November 6, 2003 CARD has recently launched four web-based instructional modules that provide training on four steps in the Positive Behavior Support (PBS) process.
New CFS Project Links Schools and Communities for Latino Children and Families: Friday, September 26, 2003 The US Department of Education has granted funding for CFS to develop and test a model that provides greater access to culturally competent services for Latino children of southeast Hillsborough County.
Teen Suicide Prevention: CFS Helps Prepare Florida's Schools: Sunday, August 10, 2003 As part of Florida's goal to decrease the incidence of teen suicide by one third, a panel of experts recently met in Tampa to help provide guidelines for the development of a school-based suicide prevention tool kit.
GEAR-UP Summer Program Goes to Class at USF: Monday, June 16, 2003 A group of approximately eighty-five students in the GEAR UP program from Blake High School had the experience of campus life at the University of South Florida during a three-week academic, social and cultural enrichment program.
CFS Workshops Foster Knowledge Exchange for the Nation's System of Care Program Sites: Sunday, May 25, 2003 This spring, workshops conducted by CFS faculty will support continued improvement in the nation's child mental health service delivery systems. These workshops apply findings from national research and evaluation projects to the real-life complexities of establishing and maintaining community-based systems of care (SOC) for children with serious emotional/behavioral disabilities and their families.
CFS's Richard Briscoe Receives Community Leadership Award: Sunday, May 25, 2003 Congratulations to CFS's Richard Briscoe, who recently received the Community Leadership Award at the Seventh Annual Harvest of Hope Awards Celebration, sponsored by the Tampa Bay Academy of Hope, Inc.
Children's Mental Health Services: Finding Help In Your Own Back Yard: Monday, May 5, 2003 Recognizing that informal helping networks already exist within many neighborhoods and communities, the EQUIPO project has developed specialized training for "natural helpers" such as neighbors and family members to enable them to partner with formal service providers in an effort to establish a comprehensive neighborhood system of care. This training focuses on the fundamentals of collaboration, community building, and team work.
Bringing Out the Best in Students Brings Out the Best in Behavior at Three Hillsborough Elementary Schools: Sunday, February 2, 2003 In today's classrooms, through the use of Positive Behavior Support (PBS), good behavior, instead of bad, gets the recognition. Through specific praise such as "Students, I like the way you are working together quietly," and "Thank you Sara for listening to the lesson," PBS programs work to define, teach, and support appropriate behaviors. PBS establishes a culture of competence within schools where students are more likely to support appropriate behavior and discourage inappropriate actions by their peers. The students not only receive recognition for good conduct during the school day, but are rewarded with special incentives and activities throughout the year.
Findings Reveal Success for Early Intervention School Readiness Program: Sunday, February 2, 2003 New research findings on Florida's families were announced at the recent statewide conference of The Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program. The HIPPY program is designed to increase vulnerable children's success in school, and the numbers on increased reading in the home reflect parents' increased confidence in their abilities to be teachers for their children.
CFS Staff Gear Up for Two New Projects: Friday, January 10, 2003 The management of two "Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs" (GEAR UP), which are funded by the US Department of Education and the Children's Board of Hillsborough County, have recently been transferred from the Florida Community Partnership Center to the Department of Child and Family Studies(CFS) at USF.
USF Receives Funding for a National Technical Assistance Center on Youth Transition: Wednesday, January 1, 2003 In October 2002, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a public health agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services, awarded $2.3 million for the Partnerships for Youth Transition initiative, which funds five sites across the nation to develop and implement transition programs for youth with serious emotional disturbance (EBD) as they enter adulthood.
CFS Staff Ask: What Makes Children's Mental Health Services Successful?: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 Under the direction of Drs. Mario Hernandez and Sharon Hodges at the Department of Child and Family Studies, the Community-Based Theories of Change Study has recently completed Phase I, which involved conducting case studies at program-and system-level sites, gathering information on how organizations conceptualize, operationalize and implement community-based service policies, and how those organizations transfer policy agendas across stakeholders in local organizations.
Promising Center for Young Children Receives Additional 2.2 Million: Friday, November 15, 2002 Aggression. Noncompliance. Defiance. Tantrums. Destruction of Property. These are the challenging behaviors in young children that lead parents and caregivers to seek help. Sources of help may include child welfare, public health and mental health services, pediatricians, preschools, as well as early care and intervention programs. In the past, these agencies and service providers have had limited access to information about best practices for children with, or at risk for, behavioral problems and their families.
Bringing Out the Best in Adolescents: Grant Recipients Present Successful Results: Tuesday, October 1, 2002 The USF Collaborative for Children, Families and Communities awards grants each year to USF faculty members who work with community partners on projects that address important issues relating to children and adolescents. Several projects recently completed show how the university and community can successfully work together for the good of these young people and their families.
State Training Teams Meet to Discuss Challenging Behaviors Students Bring in Today's Classrooms: Thursday, August 8, 2002 At a recent meeting of the State Training Team Network of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Positive Behavioral Support (RRTC-PBS) held the week of August 19th, training teams from 23 states met to discuss ways in helping expand the support teachers, related services personnel, administrators, and family members need to address the challenging behaviors students bring in today's classrooms.
CFS Helps Communities Help Themselves: Thursday, November 22, 2001 Last July, federal funding from the Office of Rural Health Policy was provided to the Southwest Rural Health Research Center at Texas A&M University to conduct research on access to health issues for the Latino population. One of the grant's six studies was proposed by CFS's Ricardo Contreras and Marlynn May of Texas A&M.
A Look at Children's Challenging Behaviors:OSEP Funds Two New Centers for DARES: Sunday, November 11, 2001 With drastically changing conditions for teaching and learning in both general and special education classes, the public demand for improved learning and behavioral outcomes has become more pressing, especially in the early school years. In order to address this issue, a new center, led by researchers at the University of Oregon, will collaborate with five research organizations (CFS is one) to conduct and coordinate research and demonstrations across 90 schools and five states. This five–year project will focus on children K-3 who are identified as having great difficulty learning to read or who exhibit serious problem behaviors.
HIPPY USA Selects Florida HIPPY Technical Assistance and Training Center as National Evaluator: Sunday, November 11, 2001 The Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) was established in the United States in 1984 and now serves more than 15,000 families in many urban, suburban, or rural areas across the country. HIPPY goals include increasing the chances of positive early school experiences among children who may be educationally at risk, empower parents to view themselves as primary educators of their children, and create an educational environment in the home that encourages literacy.
Neighborhoods Show Positive Results From ChangeMakers and Puentes Collaborative Initiatives: Wednesday, October 10, 2001 Under the umbrella of the Tampa Hillsborough Integrated Network for Kids (THINK) project, The EQUIPO: Puentes Parents and ChangeMaker's of Neighborhoods United groups have been busy with numerous training activities. Designed to bring together formal and informal helpers of children with serious emotional disturbances and their families, the EQUIPO/ChangeMakers are working to create avenues to encourage neighborhood-based care. One of the avenues is relying on informal/natural helpers – people living within the neighborhood who naturally provide emotional and moral support to other families in need. Since they are in a better position to establish links with families, these informal helpers work closely with formal service providers.
CARD Gears up for 2001/2002 Teacher Partnership Program: Wednesday, October 10, 2001 The Partnership for Effective Programs for Students with Autism is now in its third year and currently accepting applications for the 2001-2002 school year. Funded by the DOE's Bureau of Instructional Support and Community Services, the program is designed to offer training and technical assistance to teachers who wish to enhance the educational program for students with autism in a general or special education program.
CFS Helps Create More Opportunities for Summer Fun for Students with Disabilities: Tuesday, October 9, 2001 For parents of children with disabilities or special health care needs, summertime doesn't usually mean fun camps and great recreational opportunities. Often, since children with special needs require a higher level of direct care than is typically found in school-aged summer programs, they are denied access to the programs that serve their typically developing peers, making this especially difficult for working parents who rely on out-of-school care during summer months. Family financial constraints, geographic locations of childcare facilities, and inexperienced staff also add to the difficulties of placing children with special needs in a quality childcare environment.
CFS Chosen as Partner For National Resource Center: Saturday, October 6, 2001 CFS has just become a partner in a new four-year program to help create a national resource center that will identify and implement practices that promote children's social and emotional competence. With funding provided by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the University of Illinois will serve as coordinating center. USF will partner with the University of Colorado at Denver, the University of Connecticut, Education Development Corporation and Tennessee Voices for Children as subcontractors.
CFS Conducts Research on Florida's Foster Children: Sunday, September 9, 2001 CFS's Consortium for Child Welfare Studies has partnered with the Florida Department of Children and Families to conduct ongoing analysis of Florida's administrative child protection data. As part of that analysis, intended to provide state and community-level stakeholders with information about Florida's foster system, Rick Brown, Lodi Lipien, Victor Trinidad, and Svetlana Yampolskaya have recently completed a report on Florida's foster children. Measuring the Length of Stay Experiences of Florida's Foster Children focuses on the length of stay in foster care and the flow of children into and out of the foster system. John D. Fluke, along with CFS's Paul Greenbaum and Mario Hernandez provided consultation.
Reaching Out Together Receives Funds to Go Statewide: Wednesday, August 8, 2001 Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties are getting relief from the shortage of quality service providers, thanks to the Reaching Out Together: Paraprofessional Training Project, housed within CFS's Division of Applied Research and Educational Support (DARES). The project began July 15, 2000 with the primary goal of recruiting and training individuals as paraprofessional Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver providers.
New Grant for DARES Will Help Prepare Early Childhood Professionals Better Meet the Needs of Children with Problem Behavior: Saturday, July 7, 2001 In a new project funded by the U.S. Department of Education, CFS and Florida State University, Departments of Special Education and Communication Disorders will work together to improve educational supports and services for young children with challenging behavior. State-of-the-art instructional technology will be developed for professionals in early childhood special education programs.
Preparing For Tomorrow: CFS Provides a TIP to Youth with Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties: Saturday, July 7, 2001 Congratulations to CFS's Rusty Clark and his team, who have just received a three-year, $538,918 Federal Grant from the US Dept of Education - OSERS to further develop his model related to the transition of youth with emotional and behavioral challenges.
CFS Evaluates Capital One Leadership Grant: Friday, June 8, 2001 As Co-PI's, CFS staff Mario Hernandez and Ruby Joseph will be evaluating the Capital One Leadership Grant (COLG). This project brings together five local not-for-profit agencies: Big Brothers Big Sisters, Corporation to Develop Communities, Francis House, Hillsborough County Center of Excellence and the National Conference for Community and Justice. As its main goal of identifying and implementing programs that promote resiliency in youth, COLG is committed to helping kids understand their potential by providing positive opportunities that help them expand their thinking and experiences.
CARD Selects Partners for New Program: Wednesday, June 6, 2001 The Family Community Partner Program (FCP) is a collaborative project developed by CARD-USF to help train community partners who, like Susan, are family members of an individual with autism, share and understand CARD's values, and are connected to their local support community.
Lessons for a Caring Community: CFS Goes to Summer School: Wednesday, June 6, 2001 In order to promote and provide a more stable environment for special needs adoptive children, the Office of Family Safety within the Department of Children and Families has provided $158,563 for CFS's Banyan Family Center to conduct training at eight Florida sites for adoptive families, professionals, and Departmental staff.
Children with Problem Behavior: CFS Offers Help in Three New Projects - Inclusive Early Childhood Programs: Wednesday, June 6, 2001 The US Department of Education has provided funding for a three-year grant that will allow staff from the Division of Applied Research and Educational Support (DARES) within the Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS) to study three inclusive early childhood programs. The study, Ecological Support for Young Children with Challenging Behavior, Their Peers, and Teachers, will examine how young children, with and without disabilities, learn work and play together. It will focus on developing an understanding of how children with challenging behaviors can best learn to participate positively with peers and teachers in a classroom setting.
Tracking THINK: Year Three Arrives: Saturday, May 5, 2001 According to the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1 in 20, or as many as 3 million young people, may have a serious emotional disturbance that impairs their ability to function at an age-appropriate level. Unfortunately, an estimated two thirds of the young people who need mental health services in the US are not getting them. And, just as disturbing, CMHS states that many of the nation's 54,000 children with serious emotional disturbances currently treated in hospitals and residential treatment facilities "would be better served in less restrictive, community-based facilities within an integrated system of care."
CFS Works with 11-Year-Old Who Dreams of Treating All Kids the Same: Thursday, April 12, 2001 When the Children's Board of Hillsborough County Youth as Resources division asked for proposals for student-driven community projects, CFS's (The Department of Child and Family Studies) Marjorie Russell knew the perfect young person to take part. His name is Alvin Hamilton.
CFS Helps Develop Model to Engage Urban Families: Saturday, March 3, 2001 In an effort to help at-risk children and their families develop skills for improving mental health and educational outcomes, CFS staff members Kathy Armstrong and Mario Hernandez, along with USF developmental pediatrician Jim Scott have secured funding from the Casey Foundation for Families are First Teachers: A Demonstration Project for Engaging Urban Families to Support Infants and Young Children with Challenging Behaviors. Children from six weeks to five years of age will be served at Luther Village, a subsidized neighborhood childcare center located within a Hillsborough County neighborhood commonly referred as "Suitcase City." In this area, many families face the challenges of high poverty, low employment opportunities, drug abuse, crime, and a lack of transportation.
CFS's Reaching Out Together Reaches Goal!: Friday, February 9, 2001 Last summer, the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council provided funding for CFS to help increase the number of service providers for people with developmental disabilities in the Tampa Bay area. Under section 1915 (c) of the Social Security Act, Federal regulations permit medicaid home and community based service waiver programs to serve the elderly, persons with physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, mental retardation or mental illness. States are afforded the flexibility to develop community-based treatment alternatives such as case management, homemaker/home health aide services, personal care services, adult day health, habilitation, and respite care at costs no higher than that of institutional care. This allows individuals to preserve their independence and ties to family and friends. With the new waiver regulations in effect, the number of persons served has doubled, and has greatly increased the need for additional service providers.
CFS Heads Analysis Group for Children's Board: Friday, February 2, 2001 Research has confirmed that caregiver interactions with young children - and the experiences they provide them - greatly impact the child's emotional development, learning skills, and how they function later in life. Sadly, many children in Hillsborough County, as elsewhere, are exposed to stressful conditions during this critical period of infancy to preschool when brain development is rapid and most vulnerable to the environmental influences such as family instability, poor neighborhoods, family and community violence, substa nce abuse and mental illness.
Children's Board of Hillsborough County Sends Change-Makers Participants to Community Development Workshop: Wednesday, January 10, 2001 The Community Partnership Center at the University of Tennessee conducted a workshop November 30 &endash; December 3 in Knoxville Tennessee for practitioners, researchers, and community organizers wanting to build public participation in community development, community youth development, as well as community health and environmental projects. The Children's Board of Hillsborough County provided funding so that CFS's Ricardo Contreras and six Plant City residents who currently participate in the evaluation team of the Change-Makers project were able to participate. Change-Makers is a Plant City training program which seeks to improve social support networks among families involved in the children's mental health delivery system.
US DOE Helps DARES Support Pasco Schools: Tuesday, January 9, 2001 DARES (The Division of Applied Research and Educational Support) has teamed up with Pasco County Schools and the Family Network on Disabilities to develop a model that will help increase the amount and the quality of parental participation in the school's processes of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS). FBA is a process for describing environmental influences on behavior of professionals and caregivers, and guides the development of effective and efficient behavior support plans. It is the foundation of positive behavioral support, representing a preferred practice for all students, especially those with problem behaviors.
CFS Looks at Programs for Girls of Pinellas County: Friday, November 10, 2000 During the early 1990's, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) began to notice that things were changing within their system. A growing number of females were being admitted to detention facilities, placed on community control, and committed to the DJJ throughout Florida. As departmental policy, programs and funding had traditionally focused on the issues and needs of delinquent males, very few programs were in existence for females. It became necessary for the DJJ to focus on the needs of girls within their system, and in 1997 they received federal funding through an Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Challenge Grant to launch the Girls Initiative statewide.
CFS's Good Work Results in Renewals and New Support!: Tuesday, October 10, 2000 Starting this summer, a similar approach in Texas helped to create a partnership with CFS and Texas A&M University. In July, federal funding from the Office of Rural Health Policy was provided to three universities to create general health research centers. The Southwest Rural Health Research Center at Texas A&M University was selected to conduct research on access to health issues for the Latino population. Their proposal, consisting of six projects, includes one proposed by CFS's Ricardo Contreras and Marlynn May of Texas A&M, entitled Community Outreach and Social Support: Promotora Programs on the U.S.-Mexico Border.
Florida's Positive Behavioral Support Project Has Busy Year: Sunday, September 10, 2000 Hopefully, as Florida's Positive Behavioral Support Project (FPBSP) continues to expand, teachers, related services personnel, administrators, and family members will receive the support they need to address the challenging behaviors students bring in today's classrooms.
New Program for Parents Results from Community THINKing: Saturday, September 9, 2000 What is the day like for parents of children who suffer from serious emotional and behavioral disturbances? How are they affected? The Department of Child and Family Studies' Eloise Boterf, mother of two children with special needs, knows too well. "The whole family is under strain as exhausted parents devote so much energy to one child," she said, "never getting a break themselves, and unable to give sufficient attention to other children. It is difficult to find a babysitter, and even more difficult to find and maintain good jobs when both childcare centers and schools require parents to remove their child on a regular basis."
CFS Helps Ruskin's Parents Find Strengths in Their Community: Tuesday, August 8, 2000 Over the last month, in the midst of arranging her family's move to Philadelphia plus working with thirteen teenagers on an asset-mapping project, Marcela Gutierrez-Mayka took the time to tell us about a Rural Social Services Program (RSSP) project that will result in the first Family Resource Center in Hillsborough County that is not part of a school.
Consortium for Child Welfare Studies Is Off to a Busy Start: Tuesday, August 8, 2000 The new Consortium for Child Welfare Studies (CCWS) within the Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS) was launched just six months ago, and already has been involved in much work. Committed to building community partnerships and engaging in projects which bridge mental health and child welfare systems of care, CCWS responds to community needs by developing, implementing, and evaluating systemic interventions. CCWS is already under contract with three agencies.
Adolescent Girls and the Internet: CFS Participates in Surveying the Risks: Friday, June 9, 2000 According to the Department of Justice's 1999 Report on Cyberstalking: A New Challenge For Law Enforcement and Industry, there are currently more than 80 million adults and 10 million children with access to the Internet in the United States. The Internet has virtually opened the door to a whole new way of life, providing a one-stop place to work, shop, learn, communicate and voice opinions.
Lessons of Friendship Teach Diversity, Altruism and Increased Self Esteem: Tuesday, June 6, 2000 When typical kids are empowered with the knowledge to understand children with autism and other developmental disabilities, they react in a totally different way than they would otherwise. A program developed by The Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) staff members Nila Benito and Marjorie Russell is helping to provide that knowledge.

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