The Lee Salk Center for Research
The Lee Salk Center provides the scientific and statistical foundation for the treatment options and prevention material offered by KidsPeace. The Center brings together a coalition of nationally recognized child experts, family advisors and business, industry and community leaders in order to examine specific issues that impact today’s families.
KidsPeace provides inpatient, residential, educational, community-based, juvenile justice and foster care services to thousands of children and adolescents every year. A very important component of our work is to collect and analyze data on our clients to help us enhance our own approaches to healing children and to share our findings with our colleagues in the field to help them improve their services as well.
Outcomes
KidsPeace monitors the progress of our clients as they move through our continuum of care and reevaluates them one year after discharge. Our success is reported annually in our “Outcomes and Measures” report.
Measures
Our clients receive pre- and post-treatment assessments utilizing standardized evaluative tools such as the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. The results present a concrete basis for our strategic and operational planning and provide a strong reality check on the outstanding success we achieve.
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
The purpose of the IRB is to assure that all studies are conducted according to the principles for the ethical treatment of research participants as outlined in “The Belmont Report.” The IRB is composed of physicians, psychologists, nurses, statisticians and community members. The IRB reviews protocols according to FDA guidelines, assesses the risks and benefits to the participants for any study and ensures the participants who agree to participate in studies and their families are provided with sufficient information to allow them to make an informed consent to participate. The IRB meets monthly and offers a timely turnaround of projects presented for review.
Commitment to Publish
KidsPeace has an aggressive publication record, supporting and encouraging staff and researchers who work with us to publish their work. Staff from the foundations, pharmaceutical industry or any other organizations that work with us are welcome to take part in this process to make a positive contribution in the field.
Areas of Research
- Acuity of our hospitalized clients
- Evidence-based practice in our residential treatment facilities
- Tracking of client recidivism after discharge
- Participation in clinical trials
- Applied Behavior Analysis in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders
- ADHD treatments using medications and behavioral approaches
- The impact of story-based, child-focused, interactive, online counseling through our unique Web site, www.TeenCentral.Net, which has more than 460,000 teen members
Support
- Data collection and analysis using specially created databases managed by highly qualified IT staff
- Data extraction through our automated electronic client record
- Research design, experiment conceptualization and conduct
- Biostatistical analysis and report development
- Abstract submission, paper, book and article editing and publication
SIDEBAR
“ The … Lee Salk Center at KidsPeace was inspired by my brother’s lifelong work to protect children against harm. The nation needs the Center.”
Dr. Jonas Salk, polio vaccine pioneer/former Director Lee Salk Center at KidsPeace
Download Brochure (pdf provided)