Collaborative Care for Infants at Risk

NCT ID: NCT03199326

Last Updated: 2020-11-10

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 468 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2017-08-15
• Study Completion Date: 2020-07-31

Brief Summary

This study evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of a collaborative care practice for infants investigated by state Child Protective Services (CPS) for suspected maltreatment. Recognizing the vulnerability of infants referred into CPS in the first year of life, as well as the frequent contact of infants with health care providers in the first year of life, the investigators will conduct a RCT to measure the impact of a collaborative practice model linking CPS caseworkers with primary health care providers during an investigation for suspected infant maltreatment. With this trial, the investigators will ask (3a) Can a collaborative practice model improve parent-reported infant health-related quality of life 6 months following child welfare involvement for suspected infant maltreatment? and (3b) Does a collaborative practice model impact repeat child welfare involvement for suspected child maltreatment over 6 months?

Conditions

Child Abuse; Primary Health Care; Child Welfare

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Collaborative Care

CPS caseworkers will be randomized to collaborative or comparison practice. For any infant investigated by a caseworker in the collaborative practice, the caseworkers will conduct a standard CPS investigation. Additionally, caseworkers will seek parental permission to contact an identified primary health care provider at two points in the CPS investigation for information sharing related to health needs, social risks, and recommended interventions.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Collaborative Care

Intervention Type: OTHER

CPS caseworkers will explain collaborative care to parents, ask parents to allow communication with an infant's primary care provider, and have willing parents sign a release allowing communication with the infant's provider during the investigation. Caseworkers will make at least two attempts to contact identified providers with parental consent. In the first week, caseworkers will contact the provider, identify the infant, and summarize the child maltreatment concerns. The caseworker will ask whether the provider recognizes any additional strengths or vulnerabilities for the infant. Prior to case closure, caseworkers will provide a summary of investigation findings, disposition, and service referrals including placement changes, safety planning, family preservation, and community resources, with a summary letter delivered to the provider after case closure.

Comparison Care

CPS caseworkers will be randomized to collaborative or comparison practice. For any infant investigated by a caseworker in the comparison practice, the caseworkers will conduct a standard CPS investigation.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Collaborative Care

CPS caseworkers will explain collaborative care to parents, ask parents to allow communication with an infant's primary care provider, and have willing parents sign a release allowing communication with the infant's provider during the investigation. Caseworkers will make at least two attempts to contact identified providers with parental consent. In the first week, caseworkers will contact the provider, identify the infant, and summarize the child maltreatment concerns. The caseworker will ask whether the provider recognizes any additional strengths or vulnerabilities for the infant. Prior to case closure, caseworkers will provide a summary of investigation findings, disposition, and service referrals including placement changes, safety planning, family preservation, and community resources, with a summary letter delivered to the provider after case closure.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Less than 12 months of age at referral
• Involved in a child welfare investigation for suspected maltreatment
• Investigation occurring in Utah DCFS Salt Lake Valley or Western regions

Exclusion Criteria

For the primary and selected secondary outcomes,

• Caregiver with primary spoken language other than English or Spanish,
• CPS caseworkers not yet randomized to a practice arm
• Infants in out-of-home placement at the time of referral or case closure,
• Infants suffering fatal maltreatment
• Prior investigation of an infant in a household during study timeframe (e.g., twins, infant siblings, and repeat referrals will be excluded).

For other secondary outcomes related to CPS outcomes, language exclusion will not be considered.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 0 Days
• Maximum Eligible Age: 364 Days
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Utah

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Kristine Campbell

Associate Professor, Pediatrics

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Kristine A Campbell, MD, MSc

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Utah

Locations

The Center for Safe and Healthy Families, Primary Children's Hospital Eccles Outpatient Building, 81 North Mario Capecchi Dr 4E-200

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

00098047

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id