The Developmental Understanding and Legal Collaboration for Everyone (DULCE) Implementation Project

The Developmental Understanding and Legal Collaboration for Everyone (DULCE) Implementation Project is sponsored by the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) and is a planning grant that will allow for the implementation of the DULCE model into general pediatric clinics at UMMC. Of note, this will be the first implementation of DULCE in the southern region of the United States. DULCE is based in the pediatric care setting and proactively addresses social determinants of health, promotes the healthy development of infants, and provides support to their parents, all during the precious and critical first six months of life. DULCE does this by introducing a Family Specialist trained in child development, relational practice, and concrete support problem solving into the pediatric care team. Family Specialists attend well-child visits with families and providers. They get to know the families, provide peer support, and then work with the DULCE Interdisciplinary Team to connect families with resources (e.g., Early Intervention, resources, legal help) and support.

For more information about DULCE at UMMC, please contact Dr. Courtney Walker (cwalker7@umc.edu; 601-984-2697) or Dr. Sarah Jones (smjones@umc.edu). You may also visit the CSSP website at https://cssp.org/our-work/project/dulce/ for more information.