M2b

THE PRESENT: EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF TECHNOLOGY ON CHILD MALTREATMENT PREVENTION EFFORTS

Presenters: Shannon Self-Brown

Abstract Category: Research

Instruction Level: Intermediate

Presentation: Not Provided

Description:

PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE CDC CHILD MALTREATMENT RESEARCH

Abstract: 

This talk will describe three projects that were funded by the CDC Division of Violence Prevention under Program Announcement 06-006 entitled, “Using Technology to Augment the Effectiveness of Parenting Programs in the Prevention of Child Maltreatment.” 

The purpose of this program was to augment previously demonstrated efficacious or effective parenting programs with information and communication technology (e.g. cell phones, internet, video conferencing, web cameras) and to examine the impact on program outcomes, fidelity, enrollment, attrition rates, and cost-effectiveness in reducing child maltreatment.

This program funded three, four-year cooperative agreements with the University of Kansas (UK), Wayne State University (WSU), and University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (UOHSC). 

Dr. Judith Carta (PI) at UK will compare the traditional Planned Activities Training (PAT) component of Project Safecare to a cellular phone enhanced PAT, and a control group to examine the effects on rates of child maltreatment, parent and child behavior, parental engagement and fidelity to the interventions, and the cost effectiveness of the cellular phone enhanced PAT as compared to traditional PAT. 

Dr. Steve Ondersma (PI) at WSU will evaluate the ability of specialized computer software to enhance a traditional Healthy Families America (HFA) home visiting program as compared to treatment as usual and a control. 

Outcomes will include child maltreatment rates and risk, parental involvement/engagement in Healthy Families America program, and evaluation of the supplemental software.  Lastly, Dr. Beverly Funderburk (PI), at UOHSC, will compare two approaches for training therapists in Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT): Standard phone consultation (PC) vs. Internet-based telemedicine technology with remote real time training (RRT).  

Outcomes will include the cost effectiveness of these training approaches as well as the impact on practitioner outcomes (fidelity to PCIT, competency in PCIT, practitioner satisfaction with training, practitioner attitudes towards evidence based practices) and downstream client outcomes (parent acquisition of interaction skills, parent satisfaction, child aggressive and oppositional behavior, rates of child welfare reports). 

Following a brief discussion of these projects, future directions for utilizing technology in Child Maltreatment Prevention will be highlighted.