Research at the Resiliency Center for Families and Children
The Resiliency Center for Families and Children supports interdisciplinary health professionals, faculty and students engaged in prevention and intervention research. Research questions are based on community need, and they are designed to improve wellbeing and resiliency in individuals and families from Michigan and beyond.
The engagement of health professionals, faculty and students in the projects is already showing positive impacts in the community.
news
Resiliency Center funds program with $1.8 million SAMHSA grant
August 2023
The Resiliency Center for Families and Children has received a $1.8 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Youth Mental Health Interprofessional Networking and Workforce Development (Y-MIND) program will train WMU students in health- and education-related disciplines to work with youth experiencing mental and behavioral health challenges.
Led by Drs. Michelle Suarez, Adriana Degani and Ron Cisler, this workforce development program will expand the mental and behavioral workforce through interprofessional learning. Students will gain a holistic understanding of the neurobiological bases of mental health conditions and practice sensitive, evidence-based, client-centered interventions.
Oreo, one of the many therapy dogs at the Resiliency Center for Families and Children greets a family.
Research Highlights
- TechBoost: A Technological Infrastructure Upgrade for Experiential-Learning Excellence at WMU Unified Clinics. This project will offer students in Unified Clinics the opportunity to develop telehealth service skills with industry-appropriate equipment. The project will allow the academic programs served by UC to adapt to a fast-growing trend that emerged from the pandemic (Dr. Michelle Suarez, Dr. Adriana Degani, Dr. Andrea Perez, Dr. Laura DeThorne, Ms. Kathy Rigley, and Mr. David Longjohn)
- Incorporating therapy dogs into comprehensive trauma assessments (PI: Dr. Angela Moe).
- Measuring the impact of the CTAC neuro-developmental assessment for children who have experienced trauma (PI: Dr. Michelle Suarez; Co-PI: Dr. Yvette D. Hyter).
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy for adults, adolescents, and children at behavioral health services (PI: Joseph Kuchenbuch).
- Measuring computerized executive function in children impacted by trauma and prenatal alcohol exposure (PI: Dr. Mark Sloane).
- Pilot study of caregiver co-regulation coaching: a retrospective chart review (PI: Dr. Michelle Suarez; Student Investigators: Allison Hansel, Anna Burch, Carissa Heestand, Francie Bailey, Jessica Zydorczyk, Julia Henderson, Kara Hutchison, and Tyler Turnquist).
- Using allied health care settings to promote mental health screening for children: A pilot study in Michigan, USA (PI: Dr. Adriana Degani).