Adversity and Coping in College Students
This project is being conducted in collaboration with Dr. Rachel Wamser at the University of Missouri St. Louis. Together, both labs collecting survey data from students attending their respective universities to investigate trauma exposure, reactions to disclosing trauma to others, mental and physical health, and perceptions of traumatic events and trauma victims. This will help to provide insights into the relationships between trauma, the reactions that young people face when they attempt to share traumatic experiences with others, and health-related outcomes.
DAIS Focus Groups on the Experience of Intimate Partner Violence and Parenting
In partnership with Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS), the REACH lab is conducting focus groups to investigate the experiences of parents who have experienced intimate partner violence. This project will explore their strengths and resilience, parenting and relationships with their children, and gather their feedback on what should be included in support services for parents experiencing IPV. This information will provide insights into IPV-related services, parents’ experiences with IPV, and barriers to support.
Pregnant Moms’ Empowerment Program (PMEP) – Randomized Clinical Trial
PMEP is a brief group intervention for pregnant women who have experienced intimate partner violence. Rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy, empowerment theory, and the social ecological theory of resilience, PMEP aims to promote positive prepartum and postpartum outcomes for women and their infants. The program also connects families to community resources and services. PMEP is conducted in partnership with Dr. Laura Miller-Graff at the University of Notre Dame.
A subproject of PMEP examined stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic among women participating in the PMEP evaluation. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) was also employed for 30 days following the final PMEP interview with PMEP participants to get a day-to-day glimpse into their functioning and relationships.
Empowerment Program #4mykids (EP4) – Randomized Clinical Trial 
EP4 is a research project designed to prevent child abuse, neglect, and exposure to intimate partner violence in early childhood through dual-generation programming. The project has two goals: (1) to learn about the long-term effects of interventions that women received during pregnancy and (2) to understand the additional value of supports for families during the preschool years.
EP4 is conducted in partnership with Dr. Laura Miller-Graff and Dr. Kristin Valentino at the University of Notre Dame. It is conducted across sites at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.