Volunteer opportunity to work on the Tuning in to Kids parenting program research study
The Big Tuning into Kids (Big TIK) study is a four-armed randomised controlled trial of a parenting program, teaching parents of 4 – 10-year-old children to recognise, understand and respond to their child’s emotions. The aim of the program is to improve emotional communication, to foster a strong parent-child connection and help children develop emotional competence as well as improve social and behavioural functioning. The centre is looking for volunteers to assist with conducting parent-child observation assessments that enable the intervention to be evaluated.
TIK is an innovative evidence-based group parenting program (www.tuningintokids.org.au), and the current study aims to evaluate three methods of delivery: Online, one-to-one, and group delivery against a waitlist control group. Evaluation of the program is to establish the efficacy of the various delivery versions and uses parent-report on questionnaires as well as observation assessments of parent-child interactions in a series of structured tasks designed to elicit different emotions in the child. These observation assessments are being coded for parent emotion socialisation, parent-child interaction, and emotion regulation. Child verbal ability will also be assessed.
The centre is seeking volunteers who are interested in the emotional life of families and who want to know more about parenting and child emotion regulation. The volunteer roles would suit students studying Psychology/Social-Work/Health Science or a related field. Volunteers will help with assessments and other administrative tasks around the evaluation of the program. Volunteers will be trained in assessment methods and then be asked to provide half a day a week of time or a day a week a fortnight for 4-8 months (with flexibility according to their own study demands). Volunteers will also be given a free place in the professional training workshop for the Tuning into Kids or Tuning in to Teens parenting program.
TIK is run through Mindful, Centre for Training and Research in Developmental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and based at the Travencore site of the Child and Mental Health Service as part of the Royal Children’s Hospital. Volunteers will need to have a current police check and Working with Children Check if appointed.
If you are interested, please send an up-to-date CV and covering letter to Dr Christiane Kehoe, Research Manager by COB September, 12th 2018 (ckehoe@unimelb.edu.au).