Sunday, September 07, 2008
ABOUT RCI
Rosalynn Carter Caregiving Award FINALISTS 2007
Congratulations to these two finalists, important and effective partnerships between caregiving researchers and community organizations. Both of these finalists are making significant impact with their projects.
Mt. Hope Family Center, the University of Rochester, the United Way of Greater Rochester, and
the Monroe County, NY Department
of Human Services
The partnership between Mt. Hope Family Center, the University of Rochester, the United Way of Greater Rochester, and the Monroe County, NY Department of Human Services, is led by the current Director of the Mt. Hope Family Center, Dr. Sheree Toth.
Through the partners’ innovative leadership, Mt. Hope has specialized in creating and empirically testing interventions to improve outcomes for traumatized children and their caregivers. With funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families, and the Office of Child Abuse and Neglect, a research program was initiated to develop and test evidence-based programs for these children and their families. These interventions are now the core of the Center’s work.
One of these programs, Child-Parent Psychotherapy, has as its central tenant the belief that children’s health and well-being is supported primarily by their relationship with their caregiver. The work being done at Mr. Hope not only helps the Rochester community, but also improves the practice of professionals around the nation.
North Carolina’s “Win a Step Up” program
a partnership between the
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the University of
North Carolina’s Institute on Aging
“Win a Step Up” educates and supports career nurses aides and frontline supervisors working in nursing homes throughout the state. In 2004, the U. S. Department of Health & Human Services identified “Win a Step Up” as one of three programs nationwide proven to be effective in reducing nursing aide turnover.
Evaluation of the program indicates that it improves morale, retention, and quality of care delivered by frontline caregivers, while lowering organizational turnover. “Win a Step Up” synergizes financial, educational, and human resources to support caregivers combining funds from Civil Monetary Penalties (Federal fines from nursing homes) with the instructional resources of the University. Nurses aides agree to continue working for their employer after finishing a 30-hour curriculum, while employers use their staff development coordinators and reward nurse aides with a bonus or raise.