Team Members
- Lina Svedin, PhD
- Kristine Campbell, MD
- Tonya Myrup, MSW
Research Project Description
The Utah IRL team evaluated (2016-2019) the impact of child welfare policies supporting collaboration between child welfare and child health care professionals on outcomes relevant to child well-being though 3 independent research projects. Through conducting a national scan of child welfare policies the team described the range of collaborative practices around the country. Using a mixed-methods approach, the team explored professional experiences with different types of collaboration and associations between collaborative policies and child welfare outcomes. Second, the team used the introduction of a new child welfare practice guideline in Utah in June 2016 as natural experiment to evaluate barriers and successes to implementation of cross-sector collaborations. Finally, the team conducted a randomized controlled trial of a novel collaborative child welfare practice to measure the impact of this practice on parental perceptions of child well-being, child welfare interventions, and primary care satisfaction 6 months after a child welfare investigation for suspected maltreatment.
The team studied (2016-2019) state policies and practices that support child welfare and child health collaboration in Utah and across the U.S. In 2015, the Utah Division of Child and Family Services passed a policy that would allow sharing of information regarding maltreatment, household risks, and treatment recommendations with health care providers who have referred a child for concerns of suspected child maltreatment. This team analyzed challenges with the implementation of the new Utah policy and provided recommendations. The team also conducted a RCT to evaluate the impact of a direct communication policy between child welfare caseworkers and primary health care providers in suspected infant maltreatment cases.
Watch the Team Video
Team Members
Lina Svedin, PhD
Lina Svedin is an Associate Professor at the University of Utah in the Political Science Department. Her research interests include investigating government function and response to crises and adverse circumstances.
Kristine Campbell, MD
Kristine Campbell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child Protection and Family Health of the University of Utah. Her research focuses on understanding the experiences of children and families after child maltreatment, and interventions to improve their outcomes.
Tonya Myrup, MSW
Tonya Myrup is the Deputy Director of the Division of Child and Family Services. This agency has a mission to keep children safe from abuse or neglect and to strengthen families.
Issue Brief: Utah
Using Inter-Professional Collaboration to Improve Outcomes in Child Protective Services Investigations
