The Child Welfare Impact Institute aims to foster the development of applied research for practice and policy systems improvement in child welfare and human services. The Institute brings the University of Oklahoma together with tribal, state, and community partnerships dedicated to improving the lives of children, families, and professionals in child welfare. The center is an Organizational Academic Unit model (OAU) and is used to coordinate and support related research, evaluation, and special projects in the area of child welfare. The innovative structure promotes collaborations and allows practice experts and research teams to work together. The result is a team empowered to address the most complex issues in child welfare, human services, communities, and beyond.
Professional child welfare practice is a career-long learning process. The Institute and its Centers aim to provide evidence and competency-based training and simulation that improve child welfare outcomes and work to address some of the most pressing challenges faced by the workforce. The Institute also implements the Title IV-E stipend program, which offers significant financial support for undergraduate and graduate students committed to a professional child welfare career.
Established to coordinate and nurture collective goals that enhance the mission of the Anne & Henry Zarrow School of Social Work. The School of Social Work spans both Norman, Tulsa, and online programs; therefore, this organization supports the school, program, units, centers, and faculty across campuses.
The Child Welfare Impact Institute's mission is to expand the development and dissemination of research and supporting evidence-based practices for tribal, state, and non-profit organizations in child welfare.
The primary goals of the institute are:
· Maintain a program of research that supports the goals of safety, permanency, and well-being for children and families in child welfare systems.
· Work across tribal, state, and non-profit organizations to enhance the professional workforce through evidence-driven training and support.
· Use new and existing research, policy, and practice to identify effective interventions that improve supervision and training of professional child welfare specialists, support administrative decision-making, and advance the knowledge base of social work practice in child welfare settings.
· Foster research development that utilizes implementation science and program evaluation models
· Provide seed funding and support for child welfare projects aligning with the Institute’s mission.
· Create a research-to-practice pipeline.
· Support and mentor graduate student research in various child welfare research and practice areas.
Email: angela.b.pharris-1@ou.edu
