The Research and Evaluation team at the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare was thrilled to attend and present at the recent CEHD Research & Innovation Day, which took place at the McNamara Alumni Center at the University of Minnesota on March 20, 2025.
The CEHD Research & Innovation Day is an annual event that showcases the impact of college research in our lives. It’s an open house-style event, and features engaging poster presentations from students and faculty in the College of Education and Human Development. This well-attended event was open to the public, and provided a great opportunity to highlight recent accomplishments in the research space.
Michael Hoffmeister, PhD, the Director of Research and Evaluation at CASCW attended along with CASCW Assistant Executive Director Kristine Piescher, PhD, and CASCW Child Welfare Researcher Quinn Oteman, MSW, to share CASCW’s recent Getting to Yes research.
Getting to Yes set out to determine what works in supporting children with complex mental and behavioral health needs. With the increase of the pediatric mental health crises in Minnesota, the Getting to Yes study was developed to understand the supportive factors that children and families experienced during their journeys to access appropriate care.
This research project was completed in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and AspireMN. CASCW researchers analyzed case records and conducted interviews with parents, guardians, and system experts.
CEHD Research & Innovation Day provided a great opportunity to connect with the research community, and to talk about the key recommendations and results of the Getting to Yes study, which you can read more about here.
Ultimately, the research showed that strong, positive human relationships are powerful for youth in treatment, and with existing informal supports, they can lead to some of the most important moments of hope for youth and their families.