Family Help Update

How does Family Help Work?

Family Help Program: Bringing Health Home is a distance treatment service developed to provide up-to-date, evidence-based primary care for families whose children have mild to moderate problems not currently being treated in mental health services.

Advantages of Family Help:

• Families are referred by their family physicians.
• The 1-page referral process is simple.
• Treatment is delivered in a clear format via:
  • Educational (self-help) handbooks
  • Videos
  • Once-a-week telephone contact with a professionally trained coach who reinforces information outlined in the materials.
  • Web and CD Rom - For a short time only: Disruptive Behaviour Disorder (DBD) information is being delivered this way (computers supplied by Family Help).
• Treatment is cost effective for families because there is no need to travel or take time off work.
• Helps families in the privacy and comfort of their homes at times that are convenient for them.
• Fills the gap between physician care and mental health services by treating mild/moderate, but not severe cases.

How to Reach Family Help:

• Toll-free Phone: 1-866-470-7111
• Toll-free Fax: 1-866-470-7222
• Local Phone: (902) 470-7934
• Local Fax: (902) 470-7912
• e-mail: Family.help.info.ca
• By mail:
  Trish Pottie, Program Manager Pediatric Pain Research Lab, 8th floor IWK Health Centre; Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 3G9

Note to physicians: You will receive written notification when a module is switched to the randomized trial.

The Family Help handbooks have been updated to make them easier to read and more user-friendly. The DBD and ADHD handbooks have been merged to create one handbook: Parenting the Active Child. The new physician checklist will also be merged to reflect a more comprehensive screening tool.

The website for the Disruptive Behaviour Module is now complete and ready for participants. Currently, the website is for treating Disruptive Behaviour Disorder only. New web-based interventions are under development.

We would like to welcome our newest team members:

Claire Reinhardt, Secretary - Claire is responsible for maintaining program databases. She enjoys the beach, boating, gardening, and being with her grandchildren.

Teresa Janz, Web Programmer - Teresa holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Dalhousie and has a background in web development. She enjoys tennis, rock-climbing, and reading.

Sasha Narine, Research Assistant - Sasha holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Alberta. She enjoys traveling, live music, and trivial pursuit.

Andrea Saber, SPSS Research Assistant - Andrea holds a Master's degree in Neuroscience from the University of Western Ontario. She enjoys reading, traveling, and hiking.

Savvas Boukistianos, Co-op Student (Web Development) - Savvas is a third year Computer Science student. Savvas loves to play soccer, as well as to perform Greek dancing!

Steve Stoyles, Co-op Student (Web Development) - Steve is in his third year of Computer Science. He likes going to movies, playing baseball and hockey.

The Family Help Program

Principal Investigators:
Patrick McGrath, IWK/Dalhousie University
Cathy MacLean, Dalhousie University
Catherine Thurston, Cumberland District Health Authority 5
Staff:
Patricia Pottie, Program Manager
Heather Robertson, Psychologist, Candidate Register
Liz Coffin, Web Development Coordinator
Kirstie Hawkey, Web Development Consultant
Krista Wilkins, Research Nurse
Teresa Janz, Web Programmer
Sasha Narine, Research Assistant
Andrea Saber, SPSS Research Assistant
Angela Mailman, Coach
Sonya Melnyk, Coach
Andrew Clarke, Coach
Christine Sherren, Coach
Claire Reinhardt, Secretary
Savvas Boukistianos, Co-op student (Web Development)
Steve Stoyles, Co-op student (Web Development)

47 CHILDREN IN TREATMENT!

47 children are being treated in the Family Help Program pilot studies (8 DBD, 11 ADHD, 8 Anxiety, 10 Enuresis, and 10 web-based DBD participants).

TESTIMONIALS...

PAIN REFERRALS LOW!

We look forward to receiving any new referrals, especially for the Recurrent Headache and Abdominal Pain Module for which we have had very little response.

Do you know of a child (aged 9-16) who complains of headache or tummy pains at least 3 times a month? If so, we might be able to help.

We're Growing and We Need Your Help:

To date, we have recruited 50 family physicians from Nova Scotia District Health Authorities 4, 5, and 6 to collaborate with our program by referring potential patients for the pilot study.

The referral process is easy. The physician:

• Identifies a patient with mild/moderate symptoms of the problems targeted.
• Completes a 1-page referral checklist.
• Faxes the referral to our toll-free number at 1-866-470-7222

If you are a physician within these Health Districts, and you would like to receive the Family Help referral binder, please contact Trish Pottie, Program Manager at 1-866-470-7111.

We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to the physicians for their continued support of the program and their referrals to us.

There are many more families and children experiencing problems who could be treated in Family Help and benefit from our program. We look forward to more referrals in the future.

The pilot study for DBD, ADHD, Enuresis, and Anxiety is almost complete. The purpose of the pilot study is to ensure that the physician referral system is easy to use, that handbook text and exercises are manageable for parents and children, and that the phone interactions with coaches are effective.

The Family Help Program is currently preparing to start randomized trials. This will begin shortly.
This means that:

• 50% of the patients will be randomly selected to be referred back to their family physician for standard care.
• Family Help will perform assessments with this standard care group at regular intervals.
• If at any point the problem has become too severe, the family doctor will be notified.
• At the end of the 12 month period, if it is determined that these children could benefit from Family Help, treatment will be offered.