Policy & Engagement (Admin Core)

Led by Christian M. Connell, Ph.D. (Penn State HDFS) and Yo Jackson, Ph.D. (Penn State Psychology) Co-Investigators: D. Max Crowley, Ph.D. (Penn State HDFS, Public Policy, and the Prevention Research Center) and Taylor Scott, Ph.D. (Penn State Prevention Research Center), the Admin Core serves as the backbone of TCCMS, providing centralized leadership and operational support to all projects and initiatives. It ensures that TCCMS functions efficiently and effectively, advancing high-impact research and fostering the next generation of scholars through mentorship and professional development. The core also drives innovative prevention strategies and promotes the translation of research into policy through the Research to Policy Collaboration (RPC) model.

• Aim 1: Support rigorous, translatable science and cultivate the next generation of child maltreatment scholars through mentoring and training opportunities, including the NICHD-funded T32 program.
• Aim 2: Advance primary prevention efforts by scaling innovative programs like Smarter Parents, Safer Kids and the Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) model.
• Aim 3: Enhance the impact of research on policy through the RPC model, creating pathways for scientific evidence to inform child welfare practices and legislative actions.

The goal is to provide the leadership, resources, and awareness that will create the necessary scaffolding to translate science to policy that directly improves the lives of youth and families affected by child maltreatment. The Network serves as a national model for the generation of translational science by forging coalitions to facilitate the rapid transfer of knowledge to practice to policy. We do this by positioning the Network as a valuable resource from which policy-makers can benefit by educating researchers about the policy implications of their work and creating and national collation of scientists and practitioners whose work informs the complex issue of child maltreatment.

In this section, professionals can find the necessary resources, latest research findings, developments in policy about child maltreatment to inform their work and address challenges associated with promoting healthy outcomes for youth and families affected by child maltreatment.

Research to Policy Model

The Research-to-Policy Collaboration (RPC) is a nonpartisan model for bridging research and policy, emphasizing partnerships between research experts and legislative staff. This work builds off of the science of how research evidence is used by policymakers. The approach involves a series of steps to build capacity for researchers' policy engagement that correspond with 3 primary objectives:

1. Identify legislative priorities and opportunities for leveraging evidence-based strategies through interviews with legislative staff.
2. Coalesce a Rapid Response Network comprised of individuals with research expertise related to legislative priorities.
3. Support legislative offices by coordinating a response to legislative needs or inquiries.

The Research-to-Policy Collaboration (RPC) involves preparing and engaging researchers around policy efforts related to their expertise because doing so is thought to support policymakers' use of research evidence. The RPC is currently developing a network of researchers, including those in applied settings, who have expertise and experience related to children and families, such as child maltreatment, substance use in families, human trafficking, and other issue areas. Ultimately, the RPC aims to facilitate collaborative relationships with policymakers around using research in ways that advance child and family well-being.

Please consider joining the Rapid Response Network. There are no costs associated with participation and you will receive updates regarding related policies and opportunities to share your expertise with policymakers. This network may also support scholarly networking, professional development (e.g., writing for non-academic audiences), and documentable scholarly impact. To learn more, please review our information for Participating Researchers. To join, please complete our member registration form, which asks about your areas of expertise so that we may minimize future communications to those that are relevant to you. Interested members can contact Taylor Scott with questions or for further information.

If you are interested in becoming a learning more about or collaborating with this work, please contact Yo Jackson, Ph.D, ABPP at yjackson@psu.edu.