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Schedule:
Friday, January 16, 2026
Marquis BR 6, ML 2 (Marriott Marquis Washington DC)
* noted as presenting author
Background and Purpose: Mental health problems in adolescence complicate an already challenging developmental period characterized by significant physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Poor self-regulation, the ability to manage internal and external stress effectively, is associated with a range of maladaptive outcomes, including mental health problems. One key approach to building adolescent self-regulation skills is by enhancing parental self-regulation. Brief, targeted, interventions delivered in community settings (e.g., schools) have the ability to enhance parent competence and confidence and promote academic achievement and positive behavioral outcomes for adolescents1. However, research on delivery of brief evidence-based parenting support in schools is limited. To address this gap, this study was the first to examine implementation of parentings supports via schools using an existing school-based workforce in one large school district.
Methods: Since 2022, 79 middle and high school counselors and social workers have been trained in Primary Care Teen Triple P. Pre-, mid-, and post-training data were collected, including satisfaction with training, perceptions of training adequacy, and self-efficacy to provide parenting support. After training, providers completed monthly implementation surveys. Qualitative interviews with a small subset of providers are planned to explore the complexities of their implementation decisions.
Results: A total of 79 school staff were trained and 23 are no longer active. From pre- to post-training, on a scale of 1-7, school counselors and social workers reported growth in satisfaction with training (5.46 post training to 6.10 accreditation), perceptions of training adequacy (4.14 pre-training to 6.29 accreditation), and enhanced self-efficacy in providing brief parenting support (4.11 pre-training to 6.16 accreditation). Program reach and implementation was measured via monthly online surveys; however, monthly survey completion rates ranged from 0-35 (M=14.3) surveys per month, limiting the conclusions drawn. Total parent/caregiver reach reported was 658. Implementation facilitators consisted of program resources, flexibility of the model, and content. Barriers included time, lack of parent involvement, and inability to meet with parents face-to-face. Over half of the surveys submitted did not include feedback regarding facilitators or barriers. Qualitative data collection is in process.
Conclusions and Implications: According to the Theory of Planned Behavior, as providers’ positive experiences, beliefs, norms, attitudes toward an intervention, and self-efficacy improve, behavioral intentions typically increase. In this study, provider satisfaction with training, perceived training adequacy, and self-efficacy rates pre- to post-training grew. Collection of data on program reach, as well as on implementation facilitators and barriers was limited by low and variable rates of monthly survey return. Additionally, implementation reach was limited by staff turnover. Despite facilitators and staff’s creative use of resources, finding the time to deliver parenting support in middle and high school settings remained a barrier. Collecting data from providers is important, but other stakeholders (e.g., parents/caregivers receiving the intervention) are also key. When it is feasible, social work researchers must work within the constraints of multiple systems to implement evidence-based parenting programs in schools.
Methods: Since 2022, 79 middle and high school counselors and social workers have been trained in Primary Care Teen Triple P. Pre-, mid-, and post-training data were collected, including satisfaction with training, perceptions of training adequacy, and self-efficacy to provide parenting support. After training, providers completed monthly implementation surveys. Qualitative interviews with a small subset of providers are planned to explore the complexities of their implementation decisions.
Results: A total of 79 school staff were trained and 23 are no longer active. From pre- to post-training, on a scale of 1-7, school counselors and social workers reported growth in satisfaction with training (5.46 post training to 6.10 accreditation), perceptions of training adequacy (4.14 pre-training to 6.29 accreditation), and enhanced self-efficacy in providing brief parenting support (4.11 pre-training to 6.16 accreditation). Program reach and implementation was measured via monthly online surveys; however, monthly survey completion rates ranged from 0-35 (M=14.3) surveys per month, limiting the conclusions drawn. Total parent/caregiver reach reported was 658. Implementation facilitators consisted of program resources, flexibility of the model, and content. Barriers included time, lack of parent involvement, and inability to meet with parents face-to-face. Over half of the surveys submitted did not include feedback regarding facilitators or barriers. Qualitative data collection is in process.
Conclusions and Implications: According to the Theory of Planned Behavior, as providers’ positive experiences, beliefs, norms, attitudes toward an intervention, and self-efficacy improve, behavioral intentions typically increase. In this study, provider satisfaction with training, perceived training adequacy, and self-efficacy rates pre- to post-training grew. Collection of data on program reach, as well as on implementation facilitators and barriers was limited by low and variable rates of monthly survey return. Additionally, implementation reach was limited by staff turnover. Despite facilitators and staff’s creative use of resources, finding the time to deliver parenting support in middle and high school settings remained a barrier. Collecting data from providers is important, but other stakeholders (e.g., parents/caregivers receiving the intervention) are also key. When it is feasible, social work researchers must work within the constraints of multiple systems to implement evidence-based parenting programs in schools.
1. Sanders MR, Healy KL, Hodges J, Kirby G. Delivering evidence-based parenting support in educational settings. J Psychol Couns Sch. 2021;31(2):205-220.