Faculty Research

One mandate for universities is to not only share knowledge but also produce it. The Social Work and Family Studies Department is actively involved in several research endeavors.

Dr. Rene Drumm

• Dr. Drumm is concluding a study on youth substance abuse in Molokai, Hawaii.  Dr. Drumm received a three year, $125,000 per year grant from Hawaii’s State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division to help reduce substance abuse among Molokai youth.  The primary prevention program was Positive Action that encourages students to engage in a range of positive actions that replace any negative activities such as drug use.  The early results show that the program has reduced substance use and other at-risk behaviors.

• With a $75,000 from the Winifred Stevens Foundation, Dr. Drumm has been the Principle Investigator on a research team to investigate domestic violence in the northwestern United States. The first of the results will be published this fall in Christianity and Social Work.

• Another research project involves Advent Home, an agency that provides residential care, counseling, and remedial schooling for boys 12 to 16 years of age who have academic, emotional, and spiritual needs.  With a  $17,380 grant from Loma Linda University Adventist Health Science Center, the Social Work and Family Studies Department will be working in conjunction with the School of Education and Psychology to evaluate the Advent Home program after talking with 30 individuals who have been through Advent Home residential treatment.

Updates currently underway...