We work towards the ultimate vision of creating communities where all children and families thrive by conducting collaborative research that seeks to support the inherent capacity of children and families to overcome adversity and achieve success.
We are currently conducting research on the local, statewide and national level. We have engaged in research for state agencies including evaluating the effectiveness of child maltreatment prevention programs, examining the impact of youth with serious mental illness entering foster care, completing the initial process evaluation of the Texas foster care redesign and evaluating state efforts to improve education for foster youth. We have worked with private non-profits to answer meaningful questions about their work including examining why child abuse victims are not receiving medical exams in Texas and how evidence-based parenting programs improve well-being in high-risk families. We also work with community groups to help them build evidence of their grassroots initiatives. For example, we co-led a city-wide effort to create a needs assessment on teen pregnancy prevention in the Austin area.
Our approach to research is:
Trauma-informed: We believe in the inherent capacity for all traumatized individuals and communities to heal, and believe research and interventions should strive to realize the impact of trauma, recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma, respond appropriately to trauma, and seek to avoid re-traumatization.
Inclusive: TXICFW recognizes the potential marginalizing nature of conducting research and developing interventions. We believe the most valuable piece of research is respecting and preserving the voice of the marginalized and underserved populations we serve. TXICFW approaches research utilizing emancipatory and participatory research practices that seek to build self-determination and preserve the dignity and worth of our research participants.
Holistic: As social workers, we approach social issues from person-in-environment perspective drawing from the socio-ecological model. TXICFW strives to conduct multi-tiered research and develop interventions that address issues on the individual, family, community, and societal level.
Values the Social Justice framework: TXICFW maintains a strong commitment to promoting social justice in the work that we do. Through our research, we aim to address unfairness and inequity in our current society and build capacity to develop policies, practices, curricula, and institutions that do not discriminate against certain groups.