Strong Families Strong Forces
Project Overview
Boston University School of Social Work and the Boston Medical Center have received a four year grant from the US Department of Defense to develop a family-based program to support the healthy reintegration of soldiers from Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom into their families. The program will be designed for families with children ages birth to five years old and will recognize the particular needs and developmental challenges that arise when parenting young children. The goal of this home-based family program is to mitigate the impact of combat and separation-related stress upon the parent-child and family relationships.
This four-year grant has 3 phases:
Phase 1: We are currently conducting confidential interviews and focus groups with service members and spouses to better understand the impact of active duty experiences upon parenting, and the needs/challenges for the returning service member, spouse and children when families are reintegrated after deployment. In addition, child care providers, key informants in the fields of behavioral health, family support, and early child development will be interviewed.
WE ARE CURRENTLY RECRUITING SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR PARTNERS/SPOUSES FOR INTERVIEWS AND FOCUS GROUPS. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING INVOLVED? WOULD YOU LIKE MORE INFORMATION? Please fill out our consent to contact form.
Please contact Abby Ross, Project Coordinator, at aross1@bu.edu.
Compensation is available for those who participate.
Phase II: A home-based family program will be developed based on what we learn from service members, spouses and other key stakeholders. The program will support families with young children in addressing the potential impact of deployment separation and combat-related stress on parenting and the parent child relationship. The program will be specifically tailored to the unique developmental needs of young children and the centrality of the child-parent relationship for very young children.
This phase of the study is anticipated to begin in Spring 2009. Families who participate in Phase I interviews and/or focus groups may be eligible to participate in Phase II.
Phase III: The intervention will be evaluated using a randomized controlled trial. The evaluation will focus on measures of parent mental health, parenting stress, family well-being and child outcomes. The intervention will be pilot tested and evaluated with service members and families in the New England area.
This phase of the study is anticipated to begin in Fall/Winter 2009. Families who participate in Phase I interviews and/or focus groups or the Phase II pilot program may be eligible to participate in Phase III.
Are you a returning OEF/OIF veteran with young children?
Are you a family member of a returning OEF/OIF veteran with young children?
Are you a military family member who is concerned about the impact of the deployment cycle on your young child?
We are interested in hearing from you.
If you would like to find out more about the study and/or would like to participate, please contact Abby Ross, Project Coordinator, at aross1@bu.edu or 617-353-7228. Compensation is available for those who participate.
WHo we are
Investigators
Ellen R. DeVoe, Ph.D.
Principle Investigator
Boston University School of Social Work
617-353-7885
edevoe@bu.edu
Ruth Paris, Ph.D.
Co-Investigator
Boston University School of Social Work
617-353-7717
rparis@bu.edu
Betsy McAlister Groves, LICSW
Primary Investigator at Boston Medical Center
Boston Medical Center
617-414-4247
betsy.groves@bmc.org
Consultants
Renée Spencer, Ed.D.
Qualitative Research Consultant
Boston University School of Social Work
rspenc@bu.edu
Terence Keane, Ph.D.
Consultant
Boston Veterans Administration
Lisa Sullivan, Ph.D.
Biostatistics Consultant
Boston University School of Public Health
lsull@bu.edu
Glenda Kaufman Kantor, Ph.D.
Consultant
University of New Hampshire
Staff
Michelle Acker, Psy.D.
Research Associate
Boston Medical Center
michelle.acker@bmc.org
Abigail Ross, M.S.W.
Project Coordinator
Boston University School of Social Work
aross1@bu.edu
Rendelle Bolton, M.A.
Project Coordinator
Boston University School of Social Work
rbolton@bu.edu
Acknowledgements
- Award Number: W81XWH-08-1-0230
- The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, 820 Chandler Street, Fort Detrick MD 21702-5014 is the awarding and administering acquisition office.
- The content presented here does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government, and no official endorsement should be inferred.
