Wood’s Homes Research Department and Research Chair
Welcome to the Research Department of Wood’s Homes.
Wood’s Homes began collecting and analysing data about our program successes (and yes, failures) in 2001. Our researchers work to expand the body of knowledge in child, youth, family and community well-being. They monitor and evaluate excellence in service delivery within the agency, but also contribute to the larger service community by sharing our successes.
The department is committed to developing innovative methods for monitoring treatment effectiveness and agency functioning. Researchers compile, analyse and evaluate using the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) as well as the National Outcomes Matrix (NOMS) which represents 4 key areas: Safety, Well-Being, Permanence, and Family and Community Support.
Our researchers also focus on fostering an agency-wide climate of thinking about the work we do, as well as actually doing it. This department provides motivation and inspiration to go beyond the day-to-day activity, to investigate what works and to apply that knowledge in practice.
Wood's Homes Research Chair in children's mental health
“I intend to break some myths that are taught about traumatized children and parents and their mental health challenges. And I’ve learned that it’s never too late for repair.”
Dr. Angelique Jenney was named the Wood’s Homes Research Chair in Children’s Mental Health on May 16, 2017.
In partnership with the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Social Work, the Chair is unique to Canada as it’s the first community-based Chair in Children’s Mental Health. Dr. Jenney divides her time between the University of Calgary and Wood’s Homes in Calgary.
The children’s mental health community is already benefiting from this initiative by:
- Having ready access to information about Best Practices and other research to enhance skills and ability to effectively address mental health issues in children and youth.
- Engaging in studies that offer opportunities to learn about research practices, outcome measures and also ‘what works’ in a field of interest.
- Gaining access to action-oriented research opportunities results and strategies to more effectively work with children and adolescents.
- Offering practitioners and students in the social services field, the opportunity to both learn and practise skills needed to improve services for children, youth and families.
- Providing the results and experiences to policy-makers, other agencies, professional journals, academic institutions and the general public at the local, provincial, national and international levels.
Dr. Jenney, PhD, RSW, has more than 25 years’ experience working with children and families and most recently was the Director of Family Violence Services for the Child Development Institute (CDI) – an internationally recognized child and family agency in Toronto.
“I’m here to look at effective, innovative practices to share with the rest of the practice community, and to ensure that new knowledge is also extended to parents and caregivers in practical and meaningful ways.”
More from Dr. Angelique Jenney
Blog posts:
- Integrating the voices of youth into clinical approaches: What young people can teach us about our mental health interventions (May 18, 2022)
- 2022 Blues: Why it’s still important to press the reset button on a game that hasn’t changed (January 17, 2022)
- A Season of Faith: Why trust is everything (December 24, 2021)
- Is it wrong to ‘lie’ to your kids about Santa? (December 22, 2021)
- No one has time for Blue Monday (January 18, 2021)
- The waiting game: When patience is wearing thin – let’s talk about the art of waiting (November 10, 2020)
- Looking for silver linings on cloudy days: Could there be an upside to all this social distancing? (June 11, 2020)
- Part two: Managing the hard parts of the holidays (December 14, 2019)
- Part one: Managing the hard parts of the holidays (December 14, 2019)
- Raising boys to become good fathers (June 14, 2019)
- The elephant in the room: Why talking about mental health in families is so hard (May 23, 2019)
- The art of stories and storytelling: How narratives grow us as people (March 12, 2019)
- The gift of failure: What imperfection can teach kids about success (January 30, 2019)
- Hope and reconciliation: Decolonizing approaches to children’s mental health (December 11, 2018)
- Nature nurtures: Why getting outside is good for children and families (October 4, 2018)
- [Part three] Home is where the heart is: When leaving home is part of growing up (August 30, 2018)
- [Part two] Home is where the heart is: Separations and growth (August 30, 2018)
- [Part one] Home is where the heart is (August 30, 2018)
- '13 Reasons Why' season two should not be viewed alone (May 23, 2018)
- Looking for light in the darkness: Hope and resilience in the shadow of great loss (April 25, 2018)
- This Valentine's Day, give the gift of gleam: Shine the light on acceptance for your children to love who they love! (February 14, 2018)
- Part two: What's love got to do with it? Well, everything, actually. (September 19, 2017)
- Part one: What's love got to do with it? Well, everything, actually. (August 31, 2017)
- Part two: What every parent needs to know about racism and hate (August 10, 2017)
- Part one: What every parent needs to know about racism and hate (August 2, 2017)
- ’13 Reasons Why’: If your kids are watching it, parents should watch too (May 11, 2017)
Videos:
- Children in Care and Mental Health, CASA Dr. Roger Bland Lecture Series: February 2020 (05:00-53:15)
Podcasts:
- Coming soon