Adaptations of an Evidence-Based Parenting Program to Engage Fathers in Child Maltreatment Prevention: Positive Parenting Program

(Triple P)

Principal Investigator: Patricia Kohl, PI, PhD
Funder: Center for Disease Control (U01)
Timeframe:  09/09-08/12
Affiliation: Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR)

Project Contact: Mary Jo Stahlschmidt

                            (314) 935-9530

                            mstahlschmidt@gwbmail.wustl.edu                           

 

Project Update as of 09/23/2009

Stage:  Funded
 

Description:

This project, which is responsive to FAO-CE-09-002, Adaptations of Evidence-Based Parenting Programs to Engage Fathers in Maltreatment Prevention, seeks funding to develop an effective strategy to improve father engagement and involvement in Triple P, and it seeks to conduct a rigorous pilot evaluation of the engagement strategy (Engaging Fathers) to determine the feasibility of providing Triple P and Engaging Fathers within a well-established local agency (Fathers’ Support Center, St. Louis [FSC]).

 

Three specific aims will guide the proposed study.

 
Study Aim 1: Identify means and approaches to engage fathers in various circumstances into Triple P (including residential and non-residential fathers, biological and step fathers, employed and unemployed fathers, and fathers with current legal involvement and those without such involvement). We will use multiple assessment methods to capture stakeholder perspectives on fatherhood; parent training, in general; Triple P, as a specific parent training model; and strategies to engage fathers. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews will be conducted with low income African American fathers. A short computer administered survey will also be administered to a sample of responsible fatherhood program staff in the U.S.

Study Aim 2: Develop Engaging Fathers, a strategy to increase father engagement and involvement with Triple P.
We will use collaborative methods to incorporate stakeholder perspectives and locally contextualized knowledge to shape Engaging Fathers to meet the needs of low income African American fathers.
 

Study Aim 3: Conduct a pilot evaluation to determine the feasibility of implementing Triple P and Engaging Fathers within a non-traditional service setting (fatherhood program), and to inform a larger randomized clinical trial (RCT). Fathers identified and recruited by FSC will be assigned to treatment (Triple P and Engaging Fathers) and comparison (Triple P only) groups. Using a mixed methods design, the pilot evaluation will:
(a) Determine the feasibility of implementing Triple P and Engaging Fathers with low income, African American fathers. We will assess the fit between the parenting program and the service setting, recruitment and retention strategies, acceptability of the program by key stakeholders (fathers and service providers), client satisfaction, program uptake, and cost to FSC.
(b) Collect preliminary data for a larger randomized clinical trial (RCT) that will test both proximal and distal outcomes of Triple P and Engaging Fathers with low income African American fathers. This preliminary data will enable us to calculate effect sizes to determine the sample size necessary to detect meaningful differences in the larger study.
 

Our project brings together a strong team, an ideal setting, and a powerful evidence-based intervention. The project benefits from the expertise of researchers at top ranked schools of Social Work (Kohl, Zayas, Gulbas, Johnson), the resources from an Advanced Center for Interventions and Services Research (The Center for Mental Health Services Research or CMHSR at Washington University, 1 P30 MH068579, E. Proctor, PI), and the hands-on experience of the Executive Director (Sullivan) and professional staff (Harper) of FSC, a non-profit agency that is recognized nationally for the work they do with fathers. Finally, Triple P has a proven track record with other vulnerable populations making it an ideal candidate with which to examine father engagement strategies.