UC School of Social Work Recipient of $1.1 Million Contract to Help Children in Need in Clermont County

The University of Cincinnati’s School of Social Work is the recipient of a $1.1 million contract with the Clermont County Mental Health and Recovery Board (MHRB) to evaluate a new mental health initiative getting underway in Clermont County. That’s after the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded the MHRB nearly $9 million over the next six years to improve and expand mental health services for children with serious mental health and behavioral problems in Clermont County.

The initiative, called FAST TRAC, will also expand on support services for the children’s families as part of a partnership with the Clermont County Department of Job and Family Services, Family and Children First, the Clermont Juvenile Court and other child-serving agencies.

The FAST TRAC system-of-care program aims to reach children at an earlier age to address issues that could lead to severe problems as they get older. Researchers from UC’s School of Social Work will be conducting a longitudinal study over the period of the six-year grant to evaluate the effectiveness of the mental health services provided by FAST TRAC partners.

“Over the next six years of the grant, we’ll be following the progress of around 225 children and their families to see if there’s improved family functioning and improvement in the children’s mental health functioning, and what is sustaining those positive changes,” explains researcher Gary Dick, associate UC professor of social work. Dick is lead evaluator in UC’s research role on the project, joined by co-evaluator Sophia Dziegielewski, UC professor of social work.

Over the course of the project, Dick says UC social work students will also support the initiative as researchers work to help determine which services and supports are most effective, based on the outcomes achieved and participant input.

“The earlier we can intervene with families that have a child with behavioral health needs, the better,” Dick says. “We’re moving beyond the traditional services and interventions, and we also want to make sure that we address the needs of the families. This is an opportunity for our UC students to have real-world experiences in terms of working on a research study.”

The federal award for FAST TRAC was announced last fall. The UC researchers are involved in the strategic planning with the FAST TRAC team regarding delivery of programs that, based on research, will be the most effective for serving children and their families. The grant will build and expand on programs in Clermont County serving children from the ages of three to 21.