Two Grace College faculty members are part of a team who have received a grant to study behavioral health interventions in the treatment of diabetes.

Kevin Roberts, Psy. D., associate professor in behavioral sciences and Thomas Edgington, Ph. D., professor of behavioral sciences, along with Joe Graham, Psy. D., director of counseling services at Warsaw (Ind.) Community Church received a two-year research grant from K21 Foundation. They are working with Kosciusko County (Ind.) Health Department to study whether it is possible to improve long-term health outcomes of individuals diagnosed with Type II Diabetes by adding a psychological component to their treatment.

Other people involved in this study include Warsaw, Ind., physicians, Kosciusko Community Hospital, and several area healthcare workers. James Lesko, Ph. D., chair of the Department of Science and Mathematics and professor of mathematics, will be involved in the statistical component of the research. Several students will be assisting in the study as well.

It is hoped that patients will see improved health-related outcomes and quality of life as a result of the study, which may result in a new integrated care model for treating diabetes. If successful, this new model may be utilized in Kosciusko County and elsewhere.