Trained service providers

The knowledge and skills of the service providers are important to develop the capacity of parents.

How can it be implemented?

Service providers who deliver the program as home visitors, facilitators or clinicians are trained in the program, and often have prior professional qualifications, skills, and experience. These include medical clinicians or residents, social or family support workers trained in a particular program. Sometimes the program service provider has lived experience and cultural knowledge, and training in the program.

Who is the target group?

This flexible activity has been implemented with several different target groups. Key characteristics include:

• First time mothers who are vulnerable, for example young mothers, single mothers, and families of low socioeconomic status
• Aboriginal mothers in Central Australia
• Families at risk using indicators such as education level, single parenthood, employment, history of abuse or neglect, potential for violence, and a history of mental illness, criminality, and drug abuse
• Families assessed as being likely to benefit from a prevention service
• Families with prior contact with child welfare services, or who have been reported for alleged child abuse or neglect
• African American mothers who have not accessed adequate prenatal care
• Universal
• Children who have shown signs of social behavioural problems; had difficulties with socio-emotional or cognitive development
• The parents lacked parenting skills
• Culturally diverse communities
• Families with children with behavioural concerns who might be at risk for maltreatment
• For mothers at risk of maltreating their children because of a heavy trauma burden, mental health challenges, or prior removal of a child

What programs conduct this activity?

Nurse-Family Partnership: The home visitor is a qualified nurse.

Australian Nurse-Family Partnership Program: The home visitor is a qualified nurse.

Early Start: Family support workers have nursing or social work qualifications and have also attended a five-week training program specific to Early Start.

Right@Home: The home visitor is a qualified nurse.

Pride in Parenting: The program uses paraprofessional home visitors who participate in a 45-day intensive training on issues to be covered and the specific content for each visit.

Healthy Steps for Young Children: The model introduces a child development expert trained in the Healthy Steps approach into the paediatric primary care practice.

PATSCH: The program is delivered by trained parent educators.

Promoting First Relationships: The program is delivered by community-based service providers, with master’s degrees in social work or counselling, certified to deliver the program.

Johns Hopkins Children and Youth Program: The program employs paediatricians, nurses, parent education specialists, social workers and support staff. Community based home visitors receive training and direct supervision from module’s educator (Johns Hopkins University) and social workers.

HeadStart: The program is provided by trained providers.

Relief Nursery Program: This program is delivered by appropriately qualified people with ongoing education, training, and individual and group supervision.

Family Support Program: The program is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team including a social worker, a psychologist, an early childhood educator and two social educators.

ParentCorps: Face-to-face groups in school settings are provided by trained residents and social workers. These facilitators undertake a Professional Development Program. The teachers who co-lead the family program also receive training.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: The program is delivered by master- and doctoral-level psychologists or social workers trained in PCIT.

The Incredible Years Preschool BASIC Parenting Program Enhanced with Home Visits: The program is delivered by professionals specifically trained and accredited.

The Incredible Years Shortened Basic Version: Group leaders are trained nurses specialising in public healthcare, with experience in clinical work. Group leaders are trained according to certification procedures established by The Incredible Years program, and receive continuous supervision through observations, role play, and video reviews from a certified trainer and two mentors.

SEEK: The program is delivered by physicians, social workers, early interventionists, early childhood teachers, and other service professionals. The social worker and physician are trained in the use of this program.

Child-Adult Relationship Enhancements in Primary Care: The program is delivered in a clinical setting by clinicians.

Group attachment-based intervention: The program operates in a clinical setting with trained clinicians.             

 Further resources