Suchergebnisse

The current study aimed to explore mothers' perceptions of facilitators and barriers to engagement in the HoPES program, an intensive home-visiting intervention for families with young children identified as having child maltreatment concerns. Seven mothers who had participated in the program participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo Version 12. Themes relating to facilitators of engagement included the following: (1) clinician behaviours; (2) treatment relevance/acceptability; (3) strong therapeutic relationship; (4) mothers' cognitions and beliefs about treatment and (5) program delivery. Themes relating to barriers to engagement included the following: (1) contextual/external barriers to treatment; (2) treatment relevance/acceptability; (3) mothers' cognitions and beliefs about treatment and (4) program processes. This study highlights the important role which services and clinicians have in engaging parents at risk of child maltreatment. Specifically, the prioritisation of the therapeutic relationship through all intervention processes, and the utilisation of strength-based approaches, may facilitate engagement.

AbstractTweddle's Parenting Assessment and Skill Development Service (PASDS) is a 10‐day residential programme for families at risk of child maltreatment. The service aims to conduct a comprehensive parenting capacity assessment to inform case management and improve parenting practices. The aims of the study were to (1) describe the psychosocial functioning of parents taking part in PASDS, (2) describe the key parenting assessment outcomes, and (3) explore parents' experiences of participation in PASDS including (a) perceived barriers and enablers of participation and (b) perceived outcomes for their family. Participants were 18 parents who participated in Tweddle's PASDS in Melbourne, Australia. A mixed methods study comprising a case file review and qualitative interviews was conducted. Parents accessing PASDS had experienced adverse childhood events, and many were experiencing mental health difficulties. Interviews with parents revealed perceived benefits of PASDS in improving parenting knowledge and skills, family relationships, and parenting confidence. At the time of discharge, 33% of families were assessed as unable to provide independent care for their child. The current findings have important implications for the further evaluation of evidenced‐based services which can improve the accuracy of parenting capacity assessments, aiding in child protection decision‐making related to child placement and safety.

AbstractChildren are at heightened risk of maltreatment during community wide crises. The Parenting Skill Development and Education (PSDE) Service is a 6‐week telehealth intervention designed and implemented during the COVID‐19 pandemic to support families with young children in Australia at risk of child maltreatment. This study aimed to conduct a formative review of the PSDE service to (a) describe families accessing the PSDE during the pandemic, (b) determine parent and referrers' satisfaction of the service and (c) explore clinicians' experiences of service delivery. A mixed‐method study design incorporating the analysis of routinely collected data, and qualitative interviews with clinicians was conducted. Participants were 11 families displaying child maltreatment risk and 11 clinicians. Parents accessing the service were experiencing considerable risk factors for child maltreatment. The service was deemed acceptable by parents and referrers; however, several challenges in telehealth delivery were documented including parent engagement, technology difficulties and assessing child safety. Our findings highlighted the importance of ensuring adequate support and monitoring of families where there is child maltreatment risk during the COVID‐19 pandemic. In addition, these findings highlight the acceptability of telehealth services to support families at risk of child maltreatment for families, clinicians, and referrers.