Improving Access to a Primary Care Based Positive Parenting Program

A parent who has completed the standard CARE program will be recruited to be a peer mentor. The peer mentor will attend the CARE training for group leaders and will also be trained in motivational interviewing. These skills will then be used strategically in weekly phone discussions between the peer mentor and parent about practicing the CARE parenting skills in the home setting and planning for attending the 6 training sessions. The parent mentor will co-facilitate the CARE groups in the peer mentor arm along with 2 additional CARE therapists. The peer mentor will also call the parents in the peer mentor arm before each session to discuss progress on homework, and to address barriers for program attendance.

CARE involves 6 weekly 90-minute sessions administered to 6-10 parents by 2 therapists. The initial phase focuses on developing parenting skills aimed at increasing attention to children's pro-social behaviors while ignoring minor attention seeking misbehaviors. The second phase teaches techniques for giving children effective commands in order to set age-appropriate limits and increase compliance. Children do not attend the training but parents are expected to practice the skills with their children between sessions.