RESEARCH
RESEARCH AT WESTCOAST
The purpose of our research is to promote healing and thriving in children and youth. We focus on the experiences of young people, how those experiences are related to their needs and their strengths, and what aspects of our public systems and communities can better support safe, happy futures for children and youth.
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Our research is informed by our direct services, by helping children and youth build resilience in the face of adversity and toxic stress. In addition to improving our own work with children and youth, our research informs our trainings and our advocacy on behalf of young people at the local, state, and national levels.
FOCUS AREAS
Our areas of expertise include trauma, youth strengths, mental health needs, team-based service delivery, and best practices for early identification and intervention for youth experiencing exploitation.
Our team has a breadth of experience in multiple research methodologies, including qualitative and quantitative methods, and we tailor our methods to the research questions at hand. We strive to include individuals with lived experiences as partners in our work. Understanding how law, policy, and practice impact a community is critical to our process. We aim to conduct research that reflects a relevant, substantive, and equitable vision of how to improve public systems and foster healthy communities.
OUR DATA
For our internal evaluation work, our data comes from our operations and encounters with clients. Internal evaluations ensure that we meet the highest standards for our client care.
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For our external research, our data come from our own experiences with clients and from those of our partners. Our data sources include the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths instrument (CANS); the Commercial Sexual Exploitation-Identification Tool (CSE-IT); and original data collection with respondents. We regularly develop new instruments for surveys, focus groups, and interviews.
Full list of publications below:
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSE)
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Perry, D. et al. (2023). Exploitation and Gender: Increasing the Visibility of Cismale, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming Youth. Oakland, CA. WestCoast Children’s Clinic.
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Perry, D., Basson, D. & Haley, H. (2022). Universal Screening Makes Exploitation Visible. Oakland, CA. WestCoast Children’s Clinic.
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Perry, D. & Basson, D. (2022). Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Alameda Country: Estimating the Scope of the Problem. Oakland, CA. WestCoast Children’s Clinic.
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Basson, D, et al. (2018). Psychotherapy for Commercially Sexually Exploited Children: A Guide for Community-Based Behavior Health Practitioner and Agencies. Oakland, CA. WestCoast Children’s Clinic.
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Basson, D. (2017). Validation of the Commercial Sexual Exploitation-Identification Tool (CSE-IT): Technical Report. Oakland, CA. WestCoast Children’s Clinic.
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Basson, D., Rosenblatt, E., & Haley, H. (2012). Research to Action: Sexually Exploited Minors (SEM) Needs and Strengths. Oakland, CA. WestCoast Children’s Clinic.
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Mental Health Outcomes
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Basson, D., Nguyen, P. T., & Perry, D. (2023). Strength Profiles of Youth Seeking Mental Health Services: Shifting the Perspective from Risk to Positive Assets. Oakland, CA: WestCoast Children’s Clinic.
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Perry, D., Basson, D., & Nguyen, P. T. (2023). Spotlight on Community Violence: An Underrecognized Danger to Children's Mental Health. Oakland, CA: WestCoast Children’s Clinic.
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Nguyen, P.T., Basson, D., & Perry, D. (2022). Uncovering Trauma Patterns at a Community Clinic: Links to Mental Health Needs. WestCoast Children’s Clinic. Oakland, CA.
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Nguyen P, Basson D, Perry D. (2022). Patterns of Trauma Among Youth Seeking Mental Health Services at a Community-Based Clinic: A Latent Class Analysis Approach. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. doi: 10.1007/s10802-022-00998-y.