(PS4-C74) Outcome Data on a Behavioral Parent Training Program for DHS Child Welfare Affiliated Families, with Services Provided by Undergraduate Students from an Applied Psychology Program

There is a significant need for effective parent training services to help reduce the prevalence of child maltreatment. Prior research has found that various behavioral parent training programs are effective at improving parenting skills and reducing child maltreatment (Gershater-Molko et al., 2002 & Whitaker et al., 2020). The Oregon Tech Relationship Building Program (RBP) was developed, as an innovative partnership between The Oregon Department of Humans Services Child Welfare (DHS) and Oregon Tech’s Applied Psychology Program, to provide local DHS-affiliated families with evidence-based behavioral parent training to enhance their parenting skills, strengthen their parent-child attachment, increase their connection to community resources, and enable reunification. In this program clinical faculty train and supervise undergraduate students to serve as family mentors who provide psychoeducation and evidenced-based behavioral interventions to clients.

In this study, we analyzed updated outcome data from Oregon Tech's Relationship Building Program. Participants (n = 128) included parents from diverse races and SES levels. They were assessed using multiple measures at baseline and program completion. Data collected included demographic information, duration of participation, attendance percentage, the Planned Activities Training (PAT) Checklist of effective parenting skills, individualized goal achievement, reunification status, parent-child attachment, and satisfaction with the services offered by the program. A paired-sample t-test was conducted to evaluate the impact of the RBP program on the client's pre to post PAT scores. The percentage of clients’ goal achievement, reunification with their child, and satisfaction with the program were also calculated.

There was a statistically significant increase in clients’ PAT scores from pre (M = 71.48, SD = 0.19) to post-test (M = 92.92, SD = 0.15), t (118) = -5.04, p < 0.043. The mean score increase was 21.44% (95% confidence interval = 21.398 to 21.482). On average, clients achieved high progress on 83% (SD = 0.29) of their established goals. Additionally, 68% of participants were reunified with their children by the end of their attendance in the program and 96% reported satisfaction with the program. Amongst caseworkers who referred their clients to our program, 89% reported being satisfied with our program. There was not a statistically significant change in the mother's closeness score from baseline (M = 44.17, SD = 3.82) to post scores (M = 42.50, SD = 5.01 ), t (6)= 0.624, p < 0.49 (two-tailed). The mean change in the score was 1.67 with a 95% confidence interval ranging from –4.07 to 7.40.  There was not a statistically significant change in the father's closeness score from baseline (M = 49.50, SD = 0.71) to post scores (M = 45.0, SD = 1.41). Due to the small sample size, the significance value could not be analyzed.  The mean change in the score was 4.5 with a 95% confidence interval ranging from –1.85 to 10.85. 

Preliminary results suggest the Oregon Tech Relationship Building Program is effective on multiple fronts and may serve as a model for future partnerships between other DHS Child Welfare departments and university undergraduate psychology programs.