PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN SOCIAL SKILLS INTERVENTIONS

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Problematic relationships with peers, particularly when chronic, can have a tremendous impact on children's functioning and mental health. Prevention and treatment research supports the use of social skills group therapy for improving children's peer relationships, social behavior, and emotional adjustment. However, focusing exclusively on the child is not as effective as multi-component interventions targeting both the child and home environment. Independently, parent training promotes positive role models and support for social goals at home. The goal of this research is to develop and test a parent-based intervention product, the Parent Guide to S.S. GRIN (including professional manual, parent handouts, audio tapes, and overview video), to parallel an established social skills group intervention for children. The feasibility and utility of the Parent Guide will be tested within a targeted market (school counselors, n=23) and with end users (parents, n=90). Revisions will be made based on findings and funding will be sought to scientifically evaluate the efficacy of the combined package (parent and child products) versus either intervention alone. Broad-scale marketing and distribution will then be sought through a partnership with a publishing firm. This research will provide more effective and diverse intervention strategies to professionals working to build children's social relationships. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: This research will support the creation and initial testing of the Parent Guide to S.S. GRIN to be marketed to school and mental health professionals working with children in public and private settings. These products will parallel an established social skills group, intervention protocol and will be marketed as a combined package as well as separately. Findings will demonstrate feasibility to continue R & D efforts, including a combined intervention evaluation during Phase II, and will be used to obtain investment capital to support further product development and marketing. Multiple commercial products will be developed, including the professional manual, parent handouts, audio tapes, videos, and Spanish translations of each.