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| Behavioral Parent Training in Child Welfare |
| Monday, May 29, 2006 |
| 1:30 PM–2:50 PM |
| Greenbriar |
| Area: CBM; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Kristin Mayfield (University of Florida) |
| Discussant: John R. Lutzker (C.D.C.) |
| CE Instructor: Kristin Mayfield, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: Three presentations will examine the role of behavioral parent training within the context of child welfare. The first presentation will evaluate program outcomes for the University of Florida Behavior Analysis Services Program (UF-BASP), which provides behavioral parent training to caregivers of children who have been abused and/or neglected and who are currently involved in the child welfare system in Florida. The evaluations will involve both large scale (i.e., over hundreds of caregivers) and single-subject evaluations of the effectiveness of the program at a) teaching parenting skills and b) increasing placement stability for children in foster care. The second presentation will describe a systematic replication of the UF-BASP being conducted at the University of North Texas. Descriptions of the projects progress and future plans will be provided. Our final presentation will describe a behavioral parent training program for parents at risk of committing child maltreatment. Single-subject data on improved parent and child behaviors as a function of parent training will be presented. |
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| The Behavior Analysis Services Program and Caregiver Training: Evaluations of Program Effectiveness. |
| CAROLE M. VAN CAMP (University of Florida), Janet L. Montgomery (University of Florida, Behavior Analysis Services Program), Han-Leong Goh (University of Florida), Timothy R. Vollmer (University of Florida) |
| Abstract: One of the primary objectives of the Behavior Analysis Initiative involves improving caregiver parenting skills, with the ultimate goals to decrease placement disruptions (the movement of a foster child from one foster home to another) from the homes of trained foster parents. Over the last 4 years, hundreds of caregivers have completed a 30-hour positive parenting course, during which 9 parenting skills are taught. Parent performance on these skills is measured on the first day of class (pre-test) and on the last day of class (post-test) via role-play assessments. Hundreds of caregivers have demonstrated an increase in accurate skill use following the completion of the course. Data on caregiver performance on these A-B assessments will be presented. In addition, more controlled evaluations of caregiver performance, which include repeated measures of parent performance and multiple-baseline across skills designs will be presented for a smaller sample of caregivers. Next, data on the effectiveness of the program in increasing the length of placements for individual children will be presented. Finally, the effects of “booster” remedial training on parent performance on skills assessments will be described. |
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| Reducing Child Maltreatment in Texas: The Texas Child Welfare Project. |
| AARON A. JONES (BehaviorMachine.com), Richard G. Smith (University of North Texas), Kerri P. Berard (University of North Texas), Kathleen S. Laino (University of North Texas), Michelle S. Greenspan (University of North Texas), Anna Whaley Carr (University of North Texas), Roxanne L. Wolf (University of North Texas), Carla M. Smith (University of North Texas) |
| Abstract: Last year, the Department of Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas created a service-learning program to serve child victims of abuse and neglect. The Behavior Analysis Resource Center has established relationships with local and regional organizations and agencies to provide services to parents. Initiated as a systematic replication of the Florida Department of Children and Families' foster parent training program, this project soon developed its own identity as it adapted to the meet the specific needs of the Texas child welfare system. The project, though young, has already begun to produce some impressive results. This presentation offers a description of this project’s inception and growth, its progress so far, and some plans and expectations for the future. Recent accomplishments include the development of a curriculum for training professional personnel to deliver the parent training modules, establishment of a practicum experience for graduate students interested in conducting parent training and delivering related services, and delivery of a five-week sequence of classes to parents referred for intervention from Texas’ Department of Families and Protective Services. |
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| Parent Training for Parents At-Risk for Child Maltreatment: Prevention through Intervention. |
| JENNIFER L. CROCKETT (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Meagan Gregory (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Michael F. Cataldo (Kennedy Krieger Institute) |
| Abstract: We evaluated a Behavioral Parent Training program for parents at risk of Child Maltreatment that focused on increasing parent-child interaction and increasing parents’ effective use of instructions and behavior management skills. Additional targets included increasing child compliance with parental instruction and decreasing child inappropriate behavior. Such parent and child behaviors are related to a trajectory or pathway that begins with poor parenting, Child Maltreatment, disruption of families, and eventually leads to delinquency, violence, and other negative physical and mental health outcomes. Training consisted of didactic instruction, modeling, role-playing, and feedback. Training was conducted in a multiple-baseline design across Child-Lead Play, Parent-Lead Play, and Parent-Lead Demand conditions. Following training, we evaluated the effects of providing live feedback to parents while they worked directly with their children (coaching sessions). Results indicated improvements in parent behavior across conditions following training with further improvements following coaching sessions. Similar improvements were observed with child compliance and behaviors. Parent and child gains continued across generalization and maintenance sessions. Inter-rater reliability was assessed across 49% of sessions, and ranged from 78.44 – 100 (mean 91.77). |
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