The University of Kentucky Research Center for JJ-TRIALS builds upon a partnership between UK and the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice. Housed within the Department of Behavioral Science and Center on Drug and Alcohol Research at UK, the Kentucky Research Center is lead by Dr. Carl Leukefeld (PI), who has more than 25 years of research experience in the areas of rural drug abuse, HIV, and health services research. Other key collaborators within the Kentucky team are Dr. Jennifer Havens, Dr. Hannah Knudsen, and Dr. J. Matthew Webster from the Department of Behavioral Science, Dr. Carrie Oser from the Department of Sociology, and Dr. Michele Staton-Tindall from the College of Social Work. For JJ-TRIALS, UK is partnered with the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), which is led by Mr. Hasan Davis as Commissioner. The Department oversees a full continuum of services for at-risk youth, including prevention, pre-trial detention, residential treatment services, probation, and community aftercare/reintegration programs; this continuum of care has been nationally recognized. Complimenting Commissioner Davis’s expertise is Ms. Veronica Koontz from DJJ, who has extensive experience in juvenile program development and implementation.
