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) program–a 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 off-business 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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 451-469 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Journal of Public Child Welfare |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio (PCSA) and The Ohio State University College of Social Work Seed Grant. This study was made possible in collaboration with PCSAO, whose mission is to advocate for safe children, stable families, and supportive communities. This publication was supported by grant number G-2021-06-0415 awarded by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. This research was funded by an internal grant from The Ohio State University, College of Social Work. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of The Ohio State University, College of Social Work. The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions
Funding Information:
This research was funded by an internal grant from The Ohio State University, College of Social Work. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of The Ohio State University, College of Social Work. The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Keywords
- Child maltreatment
- child protection
- child welfare
- substance abuse
