Kentucky — Targeted Issue
Implementation and Evaluation of a Support Group Network for the Families of Severely Injured Children Using Interactive Video at Regional Sites in a Rural State
March 1, 2000 - Aug. 31, 2002
- Project Overview
- Many injured children come from rural locations without access to health services in urban centers. Many counties currently have community mental health systems without resources to address either pediatric or post-injury needs. We therefore propose to develop a method for addressing such needs in rural states throughout the US utilizing a model previously pioneered in this state by the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Support Group. The goals of this project are to (1) establish a regional network of support groups for families of children who have sustained a severe injury; (2) augment educational support with group psychological support for a randomly assigned subset of families; (3) evaluate whether educational support groups decrease secondary morbidity and improve family and patient functioning following severe pediatric and adolescent injury; (4) evaluate whether the addition of group psychological support further enhances that outcome; (5) assess whether results differ between recently injured versus remotely injured families; (6) improve linkages between families of severely injured children and existing resources which are relevant but do not currently provide services, or are not now fully linked; (7) evaluate which of the existing resources (rehabilitation hospitals, community mental health, traumatic brain injury groups, other support group networks) might best provide a long term home for the support groups of families of injured children and transfer them by grants' end to ensure the long term sustainability of the groups; and (8) create and evaluate brochures for parents and schools and curricula for health professionals, mental health professionals and schools to fill gaps in available information on sequelae of severe injury and their personal/agency role in preventing and recognizing secondary morbidity.
- Institution
- University of Kentucky, Research Foundation
- Main Contact
- Award Amount
- $300,000
Contacts
| Name | Role(s) | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Susan Pollack |
|