Edward Cohen
Edward Cohen is Professor in the School of Social Work. His research interests include child and family wellness, parenting, juvenile justice, and mental health.
Current Projects
Celebrating Families! Evaluation
Dr. Cohen is currently evaluating a family-based prevention program for children and
adolescents whose caregivers have a substance use problem. Celebrating Families! (CF)
was developed in Santa Clara County for the juvenile dependency court and has since
been replicated in several sites in the U.S. and Canada. The aim of the 16-week multi-family
group program is to prevent further adverse experiences for all family members by
improving relationships among caregivers and children, improving parenting skills,
and reducing harmful substance use. The program uses theories of child development,
attachment, family systems and cognitive behavioral treatment.
Current research activities, for which student researchers can participate,
include:
- Development of a randomized control treatment study implementing CF in outpatient substance use treatment programs.
- Development of measures for adolescent participants and their families, supplementing the existing pre- and posttest measures on family strengths, parenting skills, and learning.
For more information, see:
- Cohen, E., & Tisch, R. S. (2021). The online adaptation and outcomes of a family-based intervention addressing substance use disorders. Research on Social Work Practice, 31(3), 244–253. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731520975860
- Cohen, E., Tisch, R. S., Ramirez, M., & Torres, T. (2023). Hispanic family resiliencies improve with a family-based prevention program ¡Celebrando Familias! Child Welfare, 100(4), 89–112.
- Sparks, S. N., & Tisch, R. (2018). A family-centered program to break the cycle of addiction. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 99, 100–109. https://doi.org/10.1177/1044389418767841
