Feasibility of engaging child welfare-involved parents with substance use disorders in research: key challenges and lessons learned

Abstract

Child welfare-involved parents provide an important perspective on service needs and program impact. Similar to other vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, challenges exist to engaging child welfare-involved parents in community-based research and evaluation. This case study reviews recruitment and data collection strategies for effectively engaging child welfare-involved parents with substance use disorders in a survey to evaluate the Ohio Sobriety, Treatment and Reducing Trauma (START) programa multi-county initiative implemented to support families involved in the child welfare system due to parental substance use. In this study, child welfare agencies and caseworkers played instrumental intermediary roles to inform eligible parents about research opportunities and facilitate connections with the research team. Ongoing collaboration with child welfare agencies was necessary to establish buy-in for the research, streamline recruitment, and troubleshoot recruitment challenges. Engaging parents directly required strong interpersonal skills, empathy, persistence, attention to detail, and availability during offbusiness hours. Recruitment strategies also accounted for the unique internet connectivity barriers of parents living in rural communities through survey completion over landline phones, and provisions for cell phone minutes. We offer several recommendations for research methods, budgeting, and staffing when conducting research with child welfare-involved parents with substance use disorders ARTICLE HISTORY

Prevention Adaptation of an Evidence-Based Treatment for Parents Involved With Child Welfare Who Use Substances

“…Clinicians reflected on how they appreciated the ability to be creative, such as bringing a parent's favorite drink to a treatment session, in order to build rapport and increase parents' honest engagement. Findings around clinicians' engagement strategies are consistent with recent studies that report the need for off-business hours clinician availability and persistent engagement to develop therapeutic relationships with parents involved with child welfare (Yoon et al, 2021). Based on the current study, it is evident that creative, consistent engagement strategies also will be used for a prevention-oriented intervention, but qualitatively different creatives strategies might emerge during PRE-FAIR.…”

Benchmarking Trauma in Child Welfare: A Brief Report

“…Parents who participate in the Ohio START program receive intensive case management and expedited referrals to treatment. Further, they are paired with family peer mentors who enhance coordination of resources and supports for participating families through weekly visits (Bunger et al, 2020; Yoon et al, 2021). Since implementation in 2017, the program is currently available in 52 counties across the state.…”

Virtual recruitment and participant engagement for substance use research during a pandemic

“…Researchers also documented steps to assuage concerns related to technology and other structural barriers to participation in virtual studies, particularly those involving virtual interviews or focus groups. Yoon et al discussed techniques used to recruit parents with substance use disorders who were involved in the child welfare system [54 ▪ ]. Participants were offered a $15 gift card to add minutes to their phone, if needed, to participate in the telephone survey; Yoon et al noted that this strategy resulted in the successful recruitment of several additional participants [54 ▪ ].…”

“…Yoon et al discussed techniques used to recruit parents with substance use disorders who were involved in the child welfare system [54 ▪ ]. Participants were offered a $15 gift card to add minutes to their phone, if needed, to participate in the telephone survey; Yoon et al noted that this strategy resulted in the successful recruitment of several additional participants [54 ▪ ]. Technical and structural issues were also reported for interviews or focus groups conducted via virtual platforms.…”

“…Recommendations to virtually recruit and engage underrepresented and diverse populations, especially for substance use and addictions research Suggestions Building community trust prior to project implementation Cultivate long-lasting partnerships with the community by fostering bi-directional, genuine, and honest pathways of communication [22--24] Establish an enthusiastic, persistent, and diverse research team with population-and community-relevant experiences [21 Consult the community, citizen scientists, community champions, community health workers, and other relevant stakeholders regarding feasibility and acceptability of specific virtual recruitment methods [21 Re-evaluate and refine prepandemic recruitment strategies Utilize purposive sampling strategies to target recruitment toward underrepresented communities or populations who are under-enrolled in the study [34,35,46] Consider recruiting via postings on and paid advertisements through social media and networking, if approved [34,35,46] Regularly assess possible biases, ethical considerations, and privacy issues associated with the recruitment methods used [45] Incorporate strategies to prevent fraudulent enrollment and routinely check for data integrity [49,50,51Virtual administration of studies involving interviews or focus groupsProvide Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved flexibility Offer participation opportunities during weekends, early mornings, or later afternoons/evenings to allow the experiences of people who are unable to participate during the traditional workday to be included[16 & ,39,57,61] Allow participants to select the route of administering the interview or focus group (e.g., via telephone, virtual platform, or in-person while adhering to appropriate social-distancing protocols) Offer participants resources, such as a mobile hotspot to obtain internet access or Visa gift card to add minutes to their cellphones[54 …”