Nebraska DHHS: Children's Mental Health and Substance Abuse Statewide Infrastructure Grant (SIG): Steering Committee

Nebraska Medicaid Program

Current Initiatives

Children's Mental Health and Substance Abuse Statewide Infrastructure Grant (SIG)

Evaluation/Academic Subcommittee

Purpose:
The Academic Committee will provide a forum for researchers, policy makers, consumers and service providers to plan and conduct relevant, collaborative research pertaining to children’s mental health and substance abuse. The Committee will develop a better understanding of the policy implications of research and how research can help in addressing public policy issues.

Meeting
Minutes

Background:
Federal, state, and local policy makers are increasingly demanding accountability for health and human services including the delivery of mental health and substance abuse services. Organizations responsible for funding service delivery systems are requiring that policy and practices reflect the current state of empirical knowledge about what works. In areas in which there is little research, there is a need for policy makers and researchers to collaborate in generating knowledge that will inform public policy.

In Nebraska, there are exceptional social scientists currently engaged in science related to children’s mental health and substance abuse services, and there are experienced public officials and stakeholders with expert knowledge about real world issues facing children and their families with mental health and substance abuse challenges. Currently, however, there is not a forum for these two groups of knowledgeable Nebraskan’s to work collaboratively.

Charge:

Identify current Nebraska researchers and their areas of interest related to the focus areas
Review current programs in Nebraska and identify best practices to build on for children’s mental health and substance abuse delivery system
Identify:
- Processes to improve use of existing research-based knowledge in public policy
- Critical issues to policy makers
- Research approaches that help address these issues
- Strategies to encourage implementation of research

Timeline:
August – September 2009

Sponsoring
State Infrastructure Grant

Members:

Committee Members	Affiliation	Location
Mark DeKraai	Public Policy Center	Lincoln
Ken Gallagher	UNL Center for At Risk Children Services	Lincoln
Blaine Schaffer	DHHS – Services	Lincoln
Susan Sheridan	UNL - Center for Research on Children	Lincoln
Chris Kratochvil	UNMC	Omaha
Rich Wiener	UNL Psychology Department	Lincoln
Deb Anderson	UNO Department of Social Work	Omaha
T. Hank Robinson	UNO Juvenile Justice	Omaha
Alan Tomkins	Public Policy Center	Lincoln
Monica Sleicher	Region III Families CARE	Kearney
Leann Burback	Region I SPEAK OUT	Scottsbluff
Clifton Hogancamp	Region IV Parent to Parent Network	Norfolk
Alyssa Kruizenga	Region VI Family Support Network	Omaha
Pat Brookhauser	Boys Town	Omaha
Glenn Palmer	Mary Lanning	Hastings
Gregg Wright	UNL Center for Children, Families, Law	Lincoln
Todd Glover	UNL Center for Children, Youth, and Families	Lincoln

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