Congratulations to Dr. Paul Stiles, Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy. Dr. Stiles was recently appointed as a Fulbright Specialist to the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. Fulbright Specialists engage in limited project-based exchanges with host universities worldwide. Dr. Stiles has previously presented multiple talks in South Africa regarding ethics, international studies, and ethics education.

In an effort to increase the focus of the journal on global mental health, refugees and displaced populations, and transdiagnostic/transcultural approaches to care, the International Journal of Mental Health invited Guitele Rahill to serve on its editorial board. The journal cited Rahill's expertise especially in health policy and her focus on health disparities.

Dr. Jerome Galea, Assistant Professor in Social Work, was interviewed for the College of Public Health's "Advocation - Change it Up!" podcast in which he spoke about the importance of mental health strategies for gay men and transgender women. The podcast is available here.

The virtual aging network conference for the Florida Council on Aging will be held from August 25-26, 2020. Four School of Aging Studies faculty members, who are also researcher's from the Florida Policy Exchange Center on Aging are presenting their work related to formal and informal caregivers in settings across the long-term care continuum on Tuesday, August 25, 2020 from 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM.

The title of their panel workshop is Formal and Informal Caregiver Research Across the Continuum. See below for the presenter's names and what they will be focusing on during their presentation.

• Dr. Debra Dobbs - Palliative care education in assisted living for providers of persons with dementia
• Dr. Soomi Lee - Sleep study for direct care workers in assisted living
• Dr. Hongdao Meng - Qualitative evaluation of musical and mindfulness intervention study in assisted living for persons with dementia
• Dr. Lindsay Peterson - Association between number of citations and staffing levels in nursing homes

To register for the event, click here:

Rose Iovannone (CFS)
Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System Multidisciplinary Educational Services Center (FDLRS MDCs)
Sponsor: Florida Department of Education/2020 General Appropriations Act (GAA)
07/01/2020 - 06/30/2021
Amount: $450,000

The purpose of the ICEI is to provide diagnostic evaluations, consultations, and intervention services for children and youth identified as having complex medical, educational, emotional, and/or behavioral problems. ICEI focuses on the following: (a) Behavioral evaluations and support plans using evidence-based practices; (b) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnostic evaluations; and (c) Diagnosis of complex social, emotional, developmental, and learning conditions. Services include interdisciplinary evaluation plans and contextually based interventions that are feasible and evidence-based to address the needs of the child, the school, and the family. Coaching supports are offered to educators and caregivers to implement interventions and recommendations derived from evaluations. Training and technical assistance (e.g., school-based/family consultations) are provided in specialization areas as indicated by needs assessments to families, community and medical agency staff, and educational personnel

Rose Iovannone (CFS)
Efficacy Trial of the Modular Approach for Autism Programs in Schools (MAAPS)
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Special Education Research
07/01/2020 - 06/30/2024
Amount: $1,013,801

The purpose of this research grant project is to test the efficacy of an individualized, comprehensive modular intervention system, the Modular Approach for Autism Programs in Schools (MAAPS). provides a collaborative framework for setting individualized intervention goals, selecting modular interventions that best address the goals, developing intervention steps that are feasible for teachers, and using active coaching to support teachers as they implement the selected interventions. The primary aim is to evaluate whether, compared to services as usual, MAAPS improves teacher/instructional personnel outcomes and subsequent student educational outcomes. The research will take place in public elementary schools in New York, Massachusetts, and Florida. The sample will include 120 teachers and 120 students with ASD. The researchers will use a cluster randomized controlled trial with schools as the unit of randomization to test the efficacy of MAAPS. Schools will be randomized in equal numbers to either MAAPS or a waitlist control group that will receive MAAPS at the start of the subsequent school year.

Applications are now open to start the program in Spring 2021. This program pays for 15 credits of tuition, fees, and travel to conferences. You will be mentored to conduct your own community-engaged research to help solve real-world problems, present results at a conference, and publish your our work. You may be able to apply these credits toward your degree program (with approval). For information and to apply watch this short video https://youtu.be/eAUE84OJvo0; then, visit www.usf.edu/itre (go to the Admission Application tab). You can also email us at errodri3@usf.edu. Applications will remain open until October 1, 2020.

Join us for a virtual information session on Friday, August 28, 2020 at 12:00pm.
 

School of Aging Studies PhD student Daniel Pupo's research interests include studying the relationship between sensory loss, cognition, and mobility. Daniel works with the Auditory & Speech Sciences Laboratory at USF.

The Auditory & Speech Sciences Laboratory is in need of participants for a study looking at earplug usage and sound localization. The laboratory is looking for participants who have or suspect normal hearing, (with little to no experience wearing ear plugs), are 18-40 years of age, fluent in English, and want to help the lab learn about hearing protection devices and earpieces. The participants will be paid the going rate of $16/hour.

To have your questions answered or to participate, contact 813-974-4148 or email assl@usf.edu

1. Lutes, L. D., Cummings, D. M., Littlewood, K., Le, M. T., Kirian, K., Patil, S., . . . Hambidge, B. (2020). A Tailored Cognitive-Behavioural Intervention Produces Comparable Reductions in Regimen-Related Distress in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Regardless of Insulin Use: 12-Month Outcomes From the COMRADE Trial. Canadian Journal of Diabetes, 44(6), 530-536. doi:10.1016/j.jcjd.2020.05.016

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