School of Social Work endowed professor of prevention J.David Hawkins is leading the Collaborative on Healthy Parenting in Primary Care, an initiative sponsored by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine in Washington, D.C. The collaborative—made up of 90 professionals in pediatrics, social work, family medicine, psychology and mental health—came together following a national workshop on prevention strategies for effective parenting.
The 2014 workshop, called “Strategies for Scaling Tested and Effective Family-Focused Preventive Interventions,” was held by the Forum on Promoting Children’s Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Health (C-CAB). Read the C-CAB annual report.
Most lifetime mental health and substance use disorders have their origins in childhood and adolescence so there are ample opportunities to intervene early to prevent the development of these behavioral health problems. Hawkins’ group focuses on how to scale up and disseminate effective family-focused prevention programs that promote the health and emotional well-being of children from pre-birth to mid-adolescence. One way to reach families is to incorporate preventive interventions in primary health care settings where children are being seen and cared for in a pediatrician’s or family physician’s office. Family physicians and pediatricians are trusted by parents, so their offices could be excellent resources for providing parents with effective skills for ensuring their children’s physical, mental and behavioral health.
Hawkins co-authored an article in a special issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine focusing on ways that primary health care providers can provide an effective pathway for family-focused preventive interventions. He also participated in a congressional briefing last year, sponsored by Senators Patty Murray and Lamar Alexander and the National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives, where he summarized the effectiveness of family-focused preventive interventions and how to integrate them into the primary health care system. Watch the video.
Hawkins is the founding director of the School’s Social Development Research Group. His research looks at ways to identify risk and protective factors for child and adolescent health and behavior problems, and to understand how these factors interact in developing healthy behaviors and preventing problem behaviors. He serves on numerous national boards and committees, and is a fellow of the American Society of Criminology, Academy of Experimental Criminology, and American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.
About the Social Development Research Group—SDRG is a recognized leader in prevention science. For more than 35 years, its researchers have worked to understand and promote healthy behaviors and positive social development among diverse populations of young people. Its nationally recognized, science-guided approach to change, Communities That Care, has demonstrated sustained improved well-being among youth by translating prevention science into tools that communities can use.