Examining Whether Project Support Works

Summary

This study will involve a randomized, controlled trial with two parallel groups, Project Support and a treatment as usual control group. Families with a child on the waitlist for trauma-focused services will be invited to participate. Participation involves completing a baseline assessment of family functioning and trauma characteristics. Participants will then be randomized to either Project Support or the treatment as usual control group. All participants will be invited to complete the post-test assessment 4-6 weeks after the baseline assessment, prior to beginning trauma-focused services.

Conditions

• Parent-Child Relations
• Parenting Self Efficacy
• Child Mental Health

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Project Support

The Project Support intervention involves up to four 60-minute individual counseling sessions focused on teaching caregivers how to listen to and comfort their child. Participants will receive didactic instruction and feedback on their use of the skills in role-plays with a treatment provider and with their child. In the role-plays the provider first demonstrates how to use the skill in a brief example of typical situations in which the skill could be used. In these examples the caregiver takes on the role of their child and the provider takes on the role of the caregiver. Subsequently the caregiver and provider switch roles so the caregiver has an opportunity to practice executing the skill. The provider helps the caregiver process their experience of each role-play and provides real-time, targeted feedback to help the caregiver develop their ability to use the skills.

BEHAVIORAL

Case Management Services

Case management services, or treatment as usual, may involve referrals for financial resources or donated goods, as well as assistance with court, law enforcement, or information about orders of protection. The nature of these services depends on the needs identified by the family and case manager. There is currently no standard "treatment" offered to families on the waitlist. This condition will receive individually tailored services, as needed.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

  collaborator NIH

• Medical University of South Carolina

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Caitlin Rancher, PhD · Medical University of South Carolina

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

6 Years

Max Age

13 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-11-04

Primary Completion

2027-11-01

Completion

2028-03-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations