Centers & Initiatives

Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD)
The Center for Autism & Related Disabilities at the University of South Florida is a community-based project that provides information and consultation to individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and related disabilities. CARD-USF offers instruction and coaching to families and professionals through a training and assistance model.
Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (CPBIS)
The TA Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports has been established by the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education to give schools capacity-building information and technical assistance for identifying, adapting, and sustaining effective school-wide disciplinary practices.
Community Solutions at USF
Community Solutions at the University of South Florida is a national resource for system planning and community capacity building.

The website serves as a gateway to services and training available to equip individuals, communities and states with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively provide behavioral health services and supports to all children, youth and their families.
Florida Center for Inclusive Communities (University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities)
Through leadership in research and evaluation, theory, policy, capacity building, and practice the FCIC is committed to developing a range of supports and services in the areas of Community Supports, Early Childhood, Transition, Education, Employment, Health, Interdisciplinary Training, Public Policy, and Cultural Competence.
Florida Center for Parent Involvement
The Center for Parent Involvement (FCPI) was funded by the U.S. Department of Education; Goals 2000, Educate America Act from 1994-1999. Guided by an advisory board of parents and professionals, the FCPI's goal was to tap the power of parents.
Florida Center for the Advancement of Child Welfare Practice
The Center supports Florida's child welfare professionals in achieving practice excellence and helping keep kids safe. It is funded by the Department of Children and Families for the distribution of relevant, accurate and consistent information that is easily accessible and readily available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Florida KIDS COUNT
FKC is part of a Nationwide KIDS COUNT Network, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The KIDS COUNT Network is a national and state-by-state effort to track that status of children in the U.S. By providing policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being, KIDS COUNT seeks to enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all children.
Florida's Positive Behavior Support Project
Increasing the capacity of Florida's school districts to address problem behaviors using Positive Behavior Support.
Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY)
The HIPPY curriculum is cognitively based, focusing on language development, problem solving, and perceptual discrimination skills. There are 30 easy-to-use activity packets for each age of the program. Activities take as little as 15 minutes a day for the parent and child to complete. Learning and playing are mingled throughout HIPPY's structured curriculum as parents encourage their children to recognize shapes and colors, tell stories, follow directions, solve logical problems, and acquire other school readiness skills. Apart from building on the basic bond between parents and children, parents learn how to prepare their children for success in school and beyond.
National Directory of Family-Run & Youth Guided Organizations for Children's Behavioral Health
The directory lists family-run and youth-guided organizations and support groups throughout the United States, US Territories and Tribal Nations. Behavioral health services include mental health and substance abuse services.
Research and Training Center for Children's Mental Health
For 25 years, we had the privilege of being one of two research and training centers in children’s mental health, jointly funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. During that time we worked with wonderful colleagues across the country to help increase awareness of the mental health needs of children, youth, and families, and change the way our communities respond to those needs. And we have been supported in these efforts in every way imaginable by the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, and the Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS).
The Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children (TACSEI)
The Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children, also known as TACSEI, is a five-year grant made possible by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. TACSEI takes the research that shows which practices improve the social-emotional outcomes for young children with, or at risk for, delays or disabilities and creates FREE products and resources to help decision-makers, caregivers, and service providers apply these best practices in the work they do every day. Most of these free products are available right here on our website for you to view, download and use.

Center Highlights

New Program to Help Youth and Adults with Developmental Disabilities Gain Employment

The Florida Center for Inclusive Communities has been awarded year one of a three-year grant totaling $300,000 for an initiative entitled the Collaborative on Discovery and Innovation in Employment (CODIE). The project, funded by Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Inc., is to build the capacity of school professionals in collaboration with community action partners to use the Discovery Process in supporting youth and adults with developmental disabilities (DD) in achieving customized employment.

CFS Welcomes FDLRS Team

FDLRS/USF serves school-aged children with complex learning, behavioral, medical and socio-emotional problems as well as their families and teachers.

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Child & Family Studies