Adriana Verdezoto Alvarado, a PhD student in the Nutritional Sciences program, has worked in the community before, but never in this setting.

“To help them, we had to adapt to their needs and understand their food and nutrition supplies,” said Verdezoto Alvarado. “This intervention opened my eyes to a different way of caring and helping people through health promotion.”

Paulhamus called this a rare learning opportunity for UD graduate students.

“Our students learn how to work with different populations in the community and how to tailor nutrition interventions,” Paulhamus said. “This is a very vulnerable population that needs significant support. Nutrition in the community is popular, but nutrition education in substance abuse programs and with people with severe mental illness is not typically a focus, so many students do not get this opportunity.”

Expansion in sight

The intervention was based on such a great need that the state had its sights set on expanding it from the beginning. Jessica Ryan, deputy director for social determinants at DSAMH, and Terry Cowan, peer services administrator at DSAMH, serve on the steering committee and provide valuable insights that were essential to the design of the study.

“The state of Delaware does not have a fruit and vegetable program, so we appreciate the innovative approach that helps meet some of the nutritional needs of the population we serve,” Ryan said.

While the UD FVRx pilot study is still collecting data, Cowan, who offers important firsthand perspective, said a similar program helped him during his recovery a decade ago.

“UD students in a culinary arts program showed us how to shop for and prepare food. They taught me what foods are beneficial to recovery and what foods are harmful,” Cowan said. “Most people in the populations we deal with don’t take care of themselves; they don’t realize the critical role that food and nutrition play in recovery and wellness.”

He described this continuity of care as necessary.

“I needed to see tangible results. By not drinking caffeine or sugar before bed, I sleep better. Then I wake up and feel better,” Cowan said. “The doctors have been constantly reinforcing this and holding me accountable.”

Ryan hopes to find additional funding sources to expand the program beyond the research phase.

“Our mission is to provide the best possible service to the community, meet their needs, reduce barriers and continually expand the resources and services we provide,” Ryan said. “We rely on integrated partnerships to best serve our clients, and this partnership with UD and Horizon House is a great collaboration that we are excited to expand.”

Cowan stressed that such programs are needed nationwide.

“The need is not just in New Castle County. In Kent and Sussex counties, the need is just as great, if not greater, and the obstacles and challenges are different.”

About the Fund

The Maggie E. Neumann Health Sciences Research Fund was established in 2020 to support research to improve the health and quality of life of children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities. While housed in the College of Health Sciences, the fund is designed to support interdisciplinary research across all UD colleges.

The research fund was established with a gift from Donald J. Puglisi and Marichu C. Valencia in honor of their granddaughter, Maggie E. Neumann. Puglisi is a member of the UD Board of Trustees and both are members of the President’s Leadership Council.