FSOS researchers to launch and test "Empowered Generations" statewide

Christopher Mehus, research associate professor in Family Social Science,  has been awarded a $3.8 million National Institute of Mental Health R01 grant. The five-year grant will support a clinical trial of child behavior support program for parents, called "Empowered Generations." 

"The overarching goal of this research is to make child behavior supports more accessible, by first engaging parents in primary care clinics and then referring them to a therapist who can provide a short, online intervention,” says Mehus. He will be assisted by Jaime Ballard who will manage the project. She is an FSOS PhD alumna and currently a researcher in the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement. 

Chansophal Mak, a post-doctoral fellow in Family Social Science, will be participating as a therapist in the study. “I plan to do similar projects for trauma-affected Cambodian refugees in the future, so I am excited to be part of this project,” she says. The work is also supported by numerous students, staff, and community partners.

To accomplish their goal, Mehus' team is doing two Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT). The first RCT will test the effectiveness of a training program for primary care clinicians across the state. The training is focused on the referral process and communication skills, using a framework of "Support & Guide." The second RCT will test the effectiveness of Empowered Generations, which is a 6-session program to address mild to moderate child behavior issues. Parents are eligible for the referral if they have a child between the ages of 3-8. The program is provided online by licensed mental health professionals. Locations of current healthcare partners range from Mankato to International Falls. 

"To reach parents where they are at, we are partnering with primary care clinics," says Mehus. "Primary care is a non-stigmatizing, nearly universal place for families to get support, and it is one of the first places parents go when they have concerns about a child's behavior."

In a pilot program that concluded over the summer, Mehus' team found that clinicians who participate in the referral training had stronger communication skills, referred more families to the program, and more of those families successfully connected with treatment. Families who attended Empowered Generations reported a substantial decrease in child behavior problems, and an increase in their parenting confidence and skills.