Grandparents raising grandchildren are a rapidly growing population in the United States. This project works on understanding the needs and challenges that grandparents face while getting essential information or guidance on their unique journeys by developing and optimizing an intervention to enhance the health and well-being of grandparents raising grandchildren.

TEAM: Rhiana Romanowski, Genesis Chambers

Emerging adulthood (18-25 years) is a critical period for establishing positive or adverse health behaviors, including the potential for developing substance use disorder (SUD) and engaging in risky sexual behaviors that increase the risk for HIV infection. Particularly at risk are youth who have experienced child maltreatment and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Emerging adults exiting foster care are at a high risk of having experienced maltreatment and, in turn, SUD and risky sexual behaviors. This project uses the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST) to develop and optimize a multicomponent intervention to prevent and reduce the risk for SUDs among young adults exiting foster care using principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and human-centered design.

TEAM: Elizabeth Chasen

Supported by the New York University School of Global Public Health Research Program

This project adapted the Smarter Parents. Safer Kids. curriculum for universal delivery in a group format. We pilot-tested the adapted curriculum to ensure acceptability and feasibility. A total of N=31 parents participated in virtual group-based workshops and completed pre- and post-workshop assessments to refine data collection procedures and examine preliminary efficacy. In addition, each participant completed a brief 30-minute interview post-workshop further to probe adaptation to the curriculum content or presentation. Parents expressed high levels of acceptability of the curriculum, suggesting there likely is very little difference between at-risk and general population parents.  Additionally, parents' CSA-related awareness and intention to use protective behaviors increased from pre- to post-workshop (p <.05).  The next phase of this research will be to roll out the curriculum as part of Project Safe and Smart and work toward examining its effectiveness.