Ongoing Research Projects/Areas of Interest:
Family Support and Services Project
The Family Services & Supports Project (FSSP) is dedicated to making timely, practical support available to families of children with behavioral challenges before high-intensity therapy becomes necessary. Many families face barriers such as long waitlists, high costs, or limited access to evidence-based care, and those who do receive support are often directed to weekly, intensive therapy even when lower-intensity options could be equally effective. FSSP addresses this gap by testing scalable, low-cost interventions designed for early engagement. The project evaluates two main supports: psychoeducational online videos, which provide accessible, skills-focused strategies parents can use at home, and single-session consultations, which deliver targeted guidance tailored to families’ immediate needs. To encourage engagement, FSSP also integrates behavioral “nudges,” such as reminders and motivational prompts, to help families complete and apply the self-directed materials. By assessing the effectiveness of these interventions, the role of nudges in boosting participation, and the overall efficiency of a stepped-care approach, this work aims to demonstrate how early, low-intensity services can improve child behavioral outcomes, increase access to care, and reserve higher-intensity resources for families with the greatest need.
Parent Engagement in Triple-P Online
Triple P Online is a research-supported, parenting course for parents of preschool children at risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or behavioral problems. This study is actively recruiting caregivers of children ages 3 to 5 years old to participate in Triple P Online, and complete surveys and interviews about their experiences with Triple P Online.
Improving Engagement to the CDC’s Essential for Parenting Program
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Essentials for Parenting program (EFPP) is an evidence-based, publicly available, online, self-directed, behavioral parent training program. Despite its strengths, EFPP is underutilized and engagement is often poor. Funded through a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and in collaboration with our colleagues from NYU School of Medicine, Westat, we are evaluating whether embedding motivational and gamification approaches into EFPP will result in improved utilization and engagement.
Working Memory Behavioral ADHD Treatment (WoMBAT)
WoMBAT is a National Institute of Mental Health funded study, in collaboration with colleagues at Florida State University, to evaluate the singular, combined and sequenced effects of a working memory training intervention and behavioral parent training for school-age children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Family Engagement in the Path Program
Path is an inclusion model in New York City Public Schools that creates new paths to success for students who can benefit from focused emotional and behavioral support, specifically those who have the potential to be classified as having emotional disabilities. The FACES lab in collaboration with Path is focused on determining approaches to engagement and providing support for families of children enrolled in Path. Activity includes needs assessment, development of family support and evaluation of family outcomes.