Seeking California Labor and Delivery Provider Input for New Research Study

Julia Reddy, research assistant at the CDN and doctoral student at UNC-Chapel Hill is conducting a qualitative study of California labor and delivery providers to learn about the decision to notify child protection systems (CPS) following substance exposed deliveries. She is currently recruiting hospital providers in California – nurses, social workers, midwives, physicians – who make decisions about CPS reporting after birth. Interviews will be conducted in person (in January 2024) or over zoom between November 2023 and February 2024.

Julia notes: “This dissertation research study is focused on policies and practices related to child protection system reporting (or maltreatment referrals) following births where there was identified prenatal substance use. I am interested in the clarity and utility of various policies, and the tools or resources that help or hinder providers who are making these determinations at the time of delivery.

I am interviewing labor and delivery providers, including doctors, midwives, nurses, and social workers, who are part of the decision-making team for determining whether to file a CPS referral following a substance exposed birth. I would like to speak to providers who work at hospitals in California. The interview will last about 1.5 hours and no identifying information will be retained or disclosed. I will interview you as an individual provider; your place of employment will not be recorded or connected in any way to your responses. This study has IRB approval (UNC IRB #22-3294).”
​
If you work at a California birth hospital and have participated in CPS reporting decisions following a substance-exposed birth, and you are interested in learning more about this research study, please visit: https://jreddy0.wixsite.com/cps-reporting-study.