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Featured From Spring
Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Month
First recognized in April of 1938, National Child Abuse Prevention Month brings awareness to child maltreatment across the United States. At the CICM, child well-being is at the forefront of all research, projects, and activities. The CICM’s Community Engagement Core (CEC) executed a social media campaign during the month of April to grow our virtual community, share tool kits and resources within our community, and highlight communities working together to strengthen and support families so that all children can thrive.
Help us continue the conversation beyond April and follow us on Linkedin, Facebook, and YouTube.
Video Research Briefs
The CEC is excited to share our newest project—video research briefs. The team is producing short videos of recent child maltreatment research to share in an easily digestible format.
Check out our first video briefs here and follow us on social media to see these in your feed. Please like and share these briefs to help us grow our community of child advocates and let us know what you think!
Youth Advisory Board
The Youth Advisory Board met on May 18 and 25, 2022. Dr. Vetta Thompson presented the four-hour training supported by our community partner, Epworth Children and Family Services. The training focused on research and engagement and aimed to:
(1) explain data, data types, and how it is obtained
(2) explain research, research types, and how it is completed
(3) learn to find and use data to decide on activities to improve the lives of children, youth, and families
(4) understand how to use simple planning and evaluation tools to think about ways to improve family and community life
(5) increase youth confidence in taking action on their own behalf
(6) facilitate youth interest in assisting in generating organizational and community strategies to address youth needs in families, communities, and child welfare.
Missouri’s State Youth Advisory Board (SYAB) supports successful transitions to adulthood for foster youth. The SYAB is comprised of representatives from each region’s Local Youth Advisory Board (LYAB).
Celebrate
In early April, Brown School honored Washington University’s Brett Drake as he was installed as an Endowed Professor of Data Science for the Social Good in Practice.
Featured from Summer
LEAD
From July 13-15th, the Center for Innovation in Child Maltreatment Policy, Research and Training (CICM), virtually hosted our annual Leadership, Equity, and Diversity in Higher Education (LEAD) Predoctoral Summer Institute. LEAD is an Institute designed to encourage and support child welfare professionals from historically excluded backgrounds in pursuing doctoral degrees studying child maltreatment. The LEAD Predoctoral Institute prepares participants to submit competitive doctoral applications and offers insight into opportunities in academia.
As part of the center’s annual LEAD initiative, 7 outstanding professionals were selected to participate in the Institute, attending workshops specifically curated to help navigate the application process and accelerate their academic careers.
LEAD was organized and led by four outstanding doctoral students and CICM research assistants, Fithi Embaye, María Gandarilla Ocampo, Yadi Tejeda, and Wynette Whitegoat. Each coordinator is passionate about diversifying the academy and drawing from their lived experiences as scholars from historically excluded backgrounds to inform the design of the program. LEAD also invited BIPOC child welfare scholars from across the country to virtually connect with scholars and contribute to this year’s huge success.
The CICM looks forward to supporting past and future LEAD doctoral applicants and sends our best wishes to our LEADers as they submit their doctoral applications this fall.
Community News & Projects
We take partnership to heart, creating connections to grow community and empower individuals. Check out our amazing partners and the important projects they lead.
Faculty & Student News
Congratulations to our graduates!
Autumn BlackDeer, PhD
Sarah Hunter, MSW
Mackenzie Hynes, MSW
Pearl Tate, MSW
Mackenzie Hynes Takes On Child Maltreatment After Graduation
The CICM team, while sad to lose Mackenzie, is so proud of her accomplishments and excited to see her continue her work advocating for children. Recently, graduating with a Master’s in Social Work from the Brown School graduation, she has accepted a position as a Clinical Research Coordinator with the Washington University School of Medicine in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry for Project SURROUND. Mackenzie will also be a Resource Navigator at the new Hermann Center while working on obtaining her LCSW. As she takes on these new adventures, she remembers those who supported her through her hard work, “CICM has guided the trajectory of my career and I would not be where I am without the constant support of all I was surrounded with.”
Dr. Nancy Weaver partnered with the Family Nurturing Center in Northern Kentucky to craft an Op-Ed with the support of the Face It Movement.
CICM Partners–do you have news to share about your work in child maltreatment? Recent briefs, publications, research opportunities, policy work, or anything else? Share your news here to be added to our website & upcoming newsletters.
Check out recent Publications, Research, Projects & Resources!