HDI Awarded Project to Support Children and Families of the Opioid Epidemic

The University of Kentucky (UK) Human Development Institute (HDI) has been selected as a primary lead program for Project Supporting Children of the Opioid Epidemic (SCOPE). Project SCOPE will build needed provider capacity in Kentucky for the use of evidence-based practices in screening, monitoring, and interdisciplinary support for children impacted by Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, trauma, and related exposures.

Project SCOPE in Kentucky will launch and support a leadership team, nurture a Community of Practice and utilize the ECHO training model. Dr. Kathy Sheppard-Jones, HDI Executive Director, will serve as principal investigator and will lead the HDI project team that includes Dr. Caroline Gooden, Brandon Cannada, and Christine Hausman.

Project SCOPE partners include the UK Pathways Prenatal Program, Beyond Birth in the UK College of Nursing, Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, Kentucky Department for Public Health, and the Kentucky Division of Behavioral Health.

Dr. Sheppard-Jones explains, “We see this as a critical step in building a solid structure of supports to address the needs of families and communities around opioid use disorder in Kentucky”.

Project Contact:
Kathy Sheppard-Jones, PhD
kjone@uky.edu

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