Contact: Dr. Joann Wu Shortt or Dr. J. Mark Eddy, Phone (541) 485-2711 or on-line at www.oslc.org.
Eugene, OR – Nationwide, more than 2 million children have parents incarcerated in the criminal justice system. Though these children may be more likely to experience emotional and behavioral problems than their peers, few programs exist to support parents and children during the transition out of prison.
Oregon Social Learning Center, a Eugene-based non-profit, has just been awarded a $625,000 three-year grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to address this issue by creating and testing an intervention program to foster a positive emotional connection between incarcerated mothers and their children, and the emotional and behavioral adjustment of the mothers and children.
Mothers in this study, “Emotion-Focused Intervention for Mothers and Children under Stress”, are slated to return to community living in 3 to 6 months and will have already completed a prison-based positive parenting program called Parenting Inside and Out. The program was developed by OSLC scientists in collaboration with the Department of Corrections.
Dr. Joann Wu Shortt, a developmental psychologist who completed her doctoral training at the University of Washington, Seattle, will lead the research team.
Members of the research team include OSLC scientists Dr. J. Mark Eddy and Dr. Charles Martinez, Oregon Research Institute scientists Dr. Lisa Sheeber and Dr. Betsy Davis, and staff from community-based agencies and the Oregon Department of Corrections.
Since 2000, Oregon Social Learning Center has collaborated with the Oregon Department of Corrections and other non-profits, including Pathfinders of Oregon and the Children’s Justice Alliance, to develop, deliver, and study the effects of the Parenting Inside and Out program that is informed by scientific evidence on parenting and child development. Dr. Eddy has been the lead OSLC scientist on this work, which has been funded by the state of Oregon; private foundations, including the McConnell Clark Foundation; and the National Institute of Mental Health.
Additionally, center researchers with expertise in developing parenting programs for use in community settings have been actively involved in the Children of Incarcerated Parents Project (CIP), a multi-system workgroup formed by the Oregon Department of Corrections and encompassing government departments, child welfare, public health, substance abuse treatment and non-profit child and family services organizations.
On Friday July 25, 2008, Dr. Eddy will be presenting at Oregon’s 2nd annual Children of Incarcerated Parents Statewide Leadership Summit in Portland, which is sponsored by the Children’s Justice Alliance. This event is designed to bring together multi-disciplinary professionals from local, county and state levels that are committed to improving outcomes for children whose parents are involved in the criminal justice system. This is a state-wide opportunity to share success stories, brainstorm new ideas, problem-solve challenges, and set new goals. Guest youth leaders will speak about their experiences having incarcerated parents, and parents will speak about their experiences parenting during and since their involvement in the criminal justice system and DHS Child Welfare. Topics range from research and data collection to legislation, curriculum and training development, transportation and legal services.
For more information about the Emotion-Focused Intervention or Parenting Inside and Out Program, please contact Dr. Joann Wu Shortt or Dr. J. Mark Eddy at the Oregon Social Learning Center (541-485-2711). To learn more about the Oregon Social Learning Center, please visit www.oslc.org.
Additional information about the National Institute of Mental Health is available at www.nimh.nih.gov.