This project examines changes in young adult substance use, related health risk behaviors, and substance use-related risk factors from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic among young adults in WA state (where alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis sales and use are legal for adults age 21 and over) using the accelerated longitudinal cohort sequential data from the Washington Young Adult Health Study. Findings will inform tailoring and development of prevention and intervention efforts aimed at reducing health risk behaviors and improving public health in emergent situations that pose serious challenges for effective long-term planning of such efforts.
Geographic Area: Washington
Achieving Reach in Youth Behavioral Health and Wellness through Catchment-Area Community Governance
This study, funded as part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Systems for Action research program, evaluates the feasibility of the Youth Wellness Hub as a hyper-local community governance model for integrating delivery and financing systems for youth behavioral health and wellness services. The Youth Wellness Hub combines three social policy tools that are separately promising or well-supported in the research literature: community governance; public health education campaigns; and service network coordination through fiscal blending. The study uses a mixed-methods approach to assess feasibility of the model as tested in Tacoma, Washington, including surveys and interviews with community organizations together with a network analysis of these organizations. The study is conducted by the University of Washington in collaboration with the Excelsior Center for Health and Wellness, the Safe Streets Coalition, and other community partners.
State Opioid Response/Tribal Opioid Response Technical Assistance
In conjunction with American Academy of Addiction Psychiatrists, this two-year grant extends regional contribution to an Opioid Response Network (ORN) by offering a range of technical assistance efforts in prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery in HHS Region 10 (AK, ID, OR, and WA states).
Systematic redesign of an autism community implementation toolkit for schools
The aims of the current project are to: 1) Engage stakeholders to identify targets for ACT SMART redesign to optimize its fit for middle and high school providers who serve autistic adolescents; 2) Conduct prototyping and usability field testing of the redesigned ACT SMART and iteratively refine to ensure usability, feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness for use in schools.
Parent-Child Assistance Program – Washington
This project provides direction, training, technical assistance, and evaluation of the Parent-Child Assistance Program (PCAP) being implemented by 13 community agencies and 15 sites serving 20 counties and up to 1490 mothers/families in Washington State.
Spanish-language lay-delivered Behavioral Activation in senior centers
This supplement seeks to expand the Collaborative R01 on Lay-delivered Behavioral Activation in Senior Centers for clients whose preferred language is Spanish. The aims are to translate DMFB intervention materials and and test the effect of Spanish DMFB in comparison to professionally-delivered BA (Clinician BA) among older senior center clients on increased activity level and decreased depressive symptoms.
Trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) for ADHD
TNS uses a device to send currents into the brain and stimulate the trigeminal nerve. This method has proven effective to treat depression and other psychiatric disorders. The research team is working to understand if this approach could help improve executive function and reduce symptoms of ADHD.
Previous studies have shown that this is effective for about half of people with ADHD. Our research team is working to better understand for whom this therapy might be most effective and if this could be a viable new treatment for ADHD.
Please contact us at tnsstudy@seattlechildrens.org.
Treating Parents and Children with ADHD (TPAC)
ADHD often runs in families. The TPAC study focuses on parents with ADHD who also have a child with the disorder, aiming to open the door to new ADHD treatments for adults and children. All parents in the study receive training that uses behavior modification techniques and reward-based interventions to improve communication, increase compliance and reduce negative interactions between parents and children. This training is offered in nine sessions via telehealth. Some parents in the study will also receive medication for ADHD.
This ADHD study aims to understand if treating the parent with medicine and/or parent training could reduce the need for medicine in young children, especially because children under six generally don’t respond well to medication. The theory with this approach is that parents with ADHD are more prone to being distracted and disorganized, and they are much less likely to receive treatment than children. If we can first help parents with ADHD, they may be more successful in implementing behavioral training to help their child.
Because a lot of ADHD research is conducted in white, middle-class families, our lab has added an additional piece to this study, focused on better serving under-resourced families. These families cover a broader range of ethnic groups and a larger geographic area. This research aims to reduce barriers to diagnosis and treatment, and include a wider range of participants in clinical trials. The goal of this work is to collect more data about how to best serve these groups and ultimately improve treatment and care in more diverse communities.
TPAC is a hybrid implementation study, meaning that it evaluates how well the treatment works and the impact on the region and providers. Twice a year, we have a focus group with pediatricians, social workers and parents that have been through this study to evaluate results. This collaborative approach aims to build a model for more multidisciplinary care and ultimately improve ADHD care across our state and beyond.
Interested in hearing more about this study? Please contact us at tpac@seattlechildrens.org.
Preparing teachers and paraprofessionals for the successful inclusion of children with ASD (ASD PREP)
The purpose of this IES study is to identify what EBPs teachers and paraeducators use to more meaningfully include and retain autistic in general education settings; and the malleable individual and organizational characteristics that increase EBP use.
Autism Community Toolkit: Systems to Measure and Adopt Research-Based Treatments- Educational Redesign (ACT SMARTER)
The aims of the current project are to: 1) Engage stakeholders to identify targets for ACT SMART redesign to optimize its fit for middle and high school providers who serve autistic adolescents; 2) Conduct prototyping and usability field testing of the redesigned ACT SMART and iteratively refine to ensure usability, feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness for use in schools.
