Improving Child Welfare Outcomes for Children and Families through Effective Service Systems

Susan Maciolek is a policymaker with more than 14 years of experience in the child welfare field, primarily at the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. She will use this Distinguished Fellows award to learn what current research is revealing about the adoption and implementation of evidence-based interventions in the children’s mental health field. Working with the Research Network on Youth Mental Health, Ms. Maciolek will assist in the evaluation of Child STEPs at three community outpatient clinics in southern Maine. Child STEPs use current research evidence to improve mental health care for children and adolescents who are involved in the child welfare system. Ms. Maciolek will work with clinic project liaisons and action teams to address and study organizational issues and assist in data collection activities. This fellowship will give her exposure to intervention research and practitioner communities. Her mentor will be Dr. John Weisz, Director of the Research Network on Youth Mental Health and CEO of the Judge Baker Children’s Center. Her work with Dr. Weisz will include studying how research evidence is produced and how meaningful findings can and should be communicated to policymakers. This fellowship will enhance Ms. Maciolek’s and the Cutler Institute’s ability to provide assistance to public child welfare agencies in using research evidence and implementing evidence-based practices.