UAMS Research Awarded $350K for Telehealth Counseling Study

University of Arkansas For Medical Sciences researcher Nickolas Zaller, Ph.D., recently received a three-year, $350,000 Interdisciplinary Research Leader Fellowship from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for a new telehealth counseling pilot study in the West Memphis area for people on probation or parole who have behavioral health disorders.

The purpose of the study is to determine if providing counseling services through telemedicine to people on probation or parole can improve their behavioral health outcomes and reduce the frequency at which they commit new offenses and return to prison or jail.

Also working on the project are Femina Varghese, Ph.D., a University of Central Arkansas associate professor of counseling psychology, and Ben Udochi, assistant director of Substance Use Treatment with Arkansas Community Corrections.