Safe Care Kenya Project
Elementary Social Emotional Learning Project
Rural Oregon Child Mental Health Project
Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC)
Student Led Projects
Safe Care Kenya Project
Research indicates that childhood maltreatment increases risk of non-communicable diseases later in life. In Kenya alone, these account for 39% of annual deaths, a statistic that’s expected to reach 55% by 2030. Moreover, up to 70% of Kenyans report experiences of childhood maltreatment in some form, either from caregivers’ lack of proper parenting skills, misunderstanding of child development, not providing proper medical attention, and obstacles to providing basic needs and adequate supervision.
This project, a multi-year collaborative effort between ourselves, the Africa Institute of Mental and Brain Health (), Georgia State University (), and key country and regional stakeholders, is evaluating the effectiveness of a recently adapted evidenced-based program, SafeCare Kenya, as a primary prevention approach to reduce this rising burden. This collaboration has three primary aims:
1. To determine clinical effectiveness of SafeCare Kenya using a multilevel-randomized trial.
2. To determine the long-term feasibility and probable utility of SafeCare Kenya’s implementation.
3. To initiate efforts to begin scale-up and sustainment of SafeCare across Kenya.
This is a continuation of a previous NIH R21 project the examined the parenting culture and service infrastructure in Kenya to support the adaption of SafeCare for the Kenyan culture and context. We hope to develop a sustainable research and implementation plan in Kenya and disseminate a culturally relevant, evidence-based parenting program to promote children’s wellbeing and reduce risk of NCD across their lifespans.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 1 R01 HD112043-01 (September 2023 – May 2028). “Implementing SafeCare Kenya to Reduce Noncommunicable Disease Burden: Building Community Health Workers' Capacity to Support Parents with Young Children.” $1,913,428. (Jenelle Shanley, M-Principal Investigator, ƵLisa Armistead, M-Principal Investigator, Georgia State University; David Ndetei, M-Principal Investigator, African Mental Health Research and Training Foundation).
Project Newsletters
If you have questions or want to learn more about the SafeCare Kenya Project, please send your questions to: safecarekenya@contact.pacificu.edu
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 1R21HD094227-01A1 (September 2018 – August 2022). “Assessing parenting practices and service system to adapt a prevention program to promote child wellbeing in Kenya.” $334,915. (Jenelle Shanley, M-Principal Investigator, Ƶ; Lisa Armistead, M-Principal Investigator, Georgia State University; David Ndetei, M-Principal Investigator, African Mental Health Research and Training Foundation).
Elementary Social Emotional Learning Project
This study, “Elementary Social-Emotional Learning Program Pilot” aims to examine the effectiveness of school and group level programs of the Collaborative for Academic and Social Emotional Learning (CASEL) program with students in grades K-6 at Lincoln Elementary School to develop and improve social emotional learning (SEL) skills in elementary aged children. The intent is to determine the effectiveness of the school level and group level programs for application in other local elementary schools through this pilot study. We also seek to address the question of how parents/legal guardians and children perceive the effectiveness of the school-level and group-based social-emotional learning programs. A local Hillsboro elementary school provides this prevention approach to all students and recently added small peer groups to advance these school level efforts. Up to 100 parents/legal guardians and children will be recruited and complete multiple assessments at designated intervals via online surveys including a control group consisting of children eligible for the CASEL groups program who could not participate due to limited space in the groups.
Rural Oregon Child Mental Health Project
This is a newer project in development to understand the needs of children and families from rural communities, what services and resources are available, and what are challenges to meeting the mental health needs of children in these rural communities. We are collaborating with local and state stakeholders to conduct a formative assessment to inform future projects to support child mental health efforts in rural communities across Oregon.
To facilitate this project, we have developed a map of current stakeholders and their relationships with each other, which will be uploaded to our website in the near future.
Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC)
Early childhood mental health settings such as daycares, preschools, and home-visiting programs provide critical community support to children and families. Children in these settings gain access to much needed social-emotional development and support through peer interactions and interactions with program staff. Additionally, participation in early childhood education or care can promote the early identification and intervention for children with mental and behavioral health concerns. Despite the crucial role these settings play in bolstering a young child’s development, children in these settings display more problematic behaviors, and are more likely to be suspended and expelled than children in K-12 settings. Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) is an indirect intervention delivered to early childhood professionals in these settings in order to reduce disruptive behaviors and exclusionary discipline. Ƶ’s PEACH lab has teamed up with a local community mental health agency to evaluate the implementation of this intervention, with the goal of understanding how specific implementation factors influence early childhood staff stress, burnout, self-efficacy in their role, and cultural competence.
Student Led Projects
Alex: State Psychology board cultural competency requirements
Riley: Adolescent intergenerational effects and substance use in rural areas
Andromeda: systematic review on children's access to mental healthcare in Rural-America
Annaleise: LGBTQ+ adolescent mental health needs in rural communities
Taylor: Lincoln Project
To inquire about any current or future projects, please contact our lab: shanleylab@groups.pacific.edu