Early next year, a program that has shown progress in reducing child abuse and neglect will be launched in Lane County by UO researchers, thanks to a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health.

"Parent-Child Interaction Therapy" is among a handful of interventions in the country that are effective in reducing repeat episodes of child abuse and neglect among parents involved with child protective services, says Elizabeth Skowron, associate professor of counseling psychology in the College of Education and the project's principal investigator.

The grant, awarded by the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse, allows for a comprehensive study on therapy's use and implementation on the local level. Preparation work is now underway. Working with Skowron will be psychology professor Philip Fisher. Both are members of the UO's Prevention Science Institute.

Insights gained from the work under the grant, Skowron said, should help tailor improved approaches that are based on the individual concerns and needs of families, and deliver resources more efficiently and effectively to more families in need.

For more details, see a UO news release on the grant.