The Care for Life Family Preservation Program: Outcome Evaluation of a Holistic Community Development Program in Mozambique

Objective: In 2016, Mozambique ranked 13th worldwide in infant mortality (67.9 deaths/1,000 live births) and 20th worldwide in maternal mortality (489 deaths/100,000 live births). This study’s objective was to determine whether a comprehensive program, incorporating the International Association for Community Development’s recommended holistic elements was effective in a country such as Mozambique. Method: Over a 5-year period (2012–2017), an independent, randomized between-group outcome study was conducted to determine whether the holistic Care for Life ( CFL) Family Preservation Program was effective in reducing infant mortality ratios (IMRs) and maternal mortality ratios (MMRs) in Mozambique. Results: At preintervention assessment, intervention and comparison villages were statistically equivalent in both IMR and MMR. After 5 years, intervention villages were significantly below the comparison villages in both IMR (odds ratio = 2.3) and MMR (odds ratio = 4.6). Conclusion: The use of comparison groups demonstrated the CFL program comprehensive, holistic, and sustainable approach is effective.

Alliantie in Beeld

Alliance at Work – Observation research on the working relationship between care providers and families in intensive outreach family treatment Alliance is an important common factor in the treatment of youth and family problems. When working with multiple family members, building and maintaining strong alliances can be particularly challenging. Alliance at Work (Alliantie in Beeld) is a research project that investigates how alliance processes affect the treatment outcome of IAG, a Dutch homebased family preservation program. Two videotaped IAG sessions of sixty families are analyzed with the System for Observing Family Therapy Alliances. Participants completed the working alliance inventory and treatment outcomes were monitored. Methodological implications and relevance of this observational research project are discussed.

Provider Cultural Competency, Client Satisfaction, and Engagement in Home-Based Programs to Treat Child Abuse and Neglect

Home-based programs to treat child abuse and neglect suffer from high rates of attrition, limiting their impact. Thus, research is needed to identify factors related to client engagement. Using data ( N = 1,305) from a statewide family preservation program, this study investigated the role of program type (i.e., SafeCare® [SC] vs. Services as Usual [SAU]) and client perceived provider cultural competence on client satisfaction and engagement with services. Families in SC completed more treatment goals than those in SAU. In addition, provider cultural competence and client satisfaction were higher in SC than in SAU. Higher provider cultural competence was associated with higher goal attainment and satisfaction, and these effects partially mediated the service program differences. The effects of service type and cultural competence on goal attainment and satisfaction varied somewhat by client ethnicity. Findings suggest that clients receiving manualized programs for child maltreatment may be more likely to meet their goals and may perceive such programs to be culturally appropriate and satisfactory.