Joan M. Abbey, a research scientist with Eastern Michigan
University's College of Health and Human Services, has
been awarded a $388,870 grant from the U.S Department of
Justice to continue a statewide study related to Michigan's
Infant Mental Health model started in 2005.
Crystal Mills, professor of social work, and the Institute
for Geospatial Research and Education at EMU, are collaborating
with Abbey on the study.
"It is personally very exciting to be involved in evaluating
this Michigan homegrown model," Abbey said. "Receipt of
this highly competitive award from the Department of Justice
is acknowledgement of the model's potential as a best-practice
service for vulnerable families with young children and
the strength of EMU's evaluation proposal."
Receipt of this two-year Field Initiated Research and
Evaluation grant from the Justice Department's Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention will allow
the study to run for two more years, and determine if this
promising mental health intervention is a best-practice
service in reducing child abuse and neglect.
The study, which began with funding from the Rollin M.
Gerstacker Foundation, is designed to determine the efficacy
of Michigan's Infant Mental Health model with two different
at-risk populations: families experiencing first-time births/adoptions,
and families with second/subsequent births or adoptions.
It also will assess the impact of therapist-to-caseload
ratio and services duration and intensity on outcomes.
Evaluation objectives for the cost analysis include determining
the service's cost-benefit relative to child welfare, and
juvenile justice involvement for youth and distributive
efficiency.
The study is being conducted in partnership with four
mental health agencies that serve large numbers of families:
The Guidance Center and Development Centers, Inc., in Wayne
County; Clinton, Eaton, Ingham Community Mental Health
Agency in Ingham County; and The Arbor Circle Corporation,
in Kent County.
These four state-contracted public mental health providers
deliver this home-based service to families where the parents'
depression or other mental disorder places their infant
and/or toddler at risk, or families with infants/toddlers
already diagnosed as having attachment or regulatory disorders,
and/or serious emotional disturbance.
The Infant Mental Health model was developed and implemented
in Michigan during the 1980s, and has never undergone a rigorous
evaluation.
