The Child Development & Epidemiological Research Area uses research and evaluation methods to examine the ways in which risk and protective processes at the child, family, and systems levels influence developmental and other related outcomes for child and adolescent populations. A related aim of our work is to inform the development of more effective prevention and intervention services and supports to improve outcomes for children and families.
Research & Evaluation
Initiatives by The Consultation Center at Yale
Child Development and Epidemiological Research Child Well-Being and Education Research Work in the Child Well-Being and Education Research area focuses on how the interaction of social contexts and individual factors influence the behavioral functioning, development, and academic outcomes of children and youth.Evaluation Research, Resilience Research, and Transdisciplinary Team Science Primary scholarly interests include community-based research to promote resilience and/or prevent adolescent substance use, the integration of cultural approaches into practice, research, and policy, the evaluation of service systems, and examining the processes and impact of transdisciplinary team science. This research is collaborative and often carried out in partnership with community-based organizations, state and municipal agencies, colleagues, and other community stakeholders. This work is conceptualized from a social justice perspective, examines multiple levels (such as the individual, the family, peers, the school, the neighborhood or community, and the broader culture), and takes place in various community contexts that involve mostly at risk, traumatized, or clinical populations.
Family Violence Research Our program of research is centered on individual- and system-level factors that affect the mental and physical health of women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV).Male Research and Evaluation Initiatives The Research, Policy, and Program on Male Development broadly focuses on the factors that support and undermine the “healthy” involvement of men and boys in relationship, family, and community life. This work has a special emphasis on men and communities of color, who disproportionately experience negative health outcomes. Research and evaluation activities are focused in the areas of men’s preventive health; father involvement and paternal contributions to positive maternal, child, and family outcomes; supporting successful community reintegration following incarceration; and community mental health and its impact on academic and social outcomes.
Within our area, evaluation and research activities use a community informed approach. In these contexts, questions posed, programs implemented and activities evaluated are developed in consultation with relevant community members, service providers and State representatives. Research and evaluation activities use a mixed methods approach that complement and add meaningful insights into the phenomenon of interest.
Program & Service System Evaluation Evaluations conducted in collaboration with faculty and staff combine scientific rigor with the practical realities of implementing feasible evaluations that are ultimately responsive to local needs. As a result, evaluations are consistently useful; they inform practice, program planning and management, and policy development. Center staff and faculty provide trainings and technical assistance to community-based organizations with the goal of enhancing the evaluation capacity of these organizations. In addition to designing evaluations that yield data that is useful in understanding the processes and outcomes of a given project or organization, we strive to develop evaluation infrastructures that are sustainable beyond our tenure so that programs and organizations can continue to utilize data to inform their program and policy planning.Partnerships for Research and Implementation in School Mental Health (PRISM) The Yale Partnerships for Research and Implementation in School Mental Health (PRISM) team seeks to promote access to high quality mental health promotion, prevention, early intervention, and treatment services and supports in K-12 schools. We work toward this mission by partnering with and learning from local school and community systems, researchers, and education and mental health leaders nationwide.
Study of Trauma, Addiction, and Recovery (STAR) Lab Study of Trauma, Addiction, and Recovery (STAR) Lab is dedicated to understanding how trauma and emotional processes influence substance use in people’s real-world, daily lives.