Dr Sophie Havighurst
University of Melbourne, VIC
Evaluation of Mental Health Service Provision 2009
Dr Sophie Havighurst (PhD, Dip Clin Psych) is a clinical child psychologist who has clinical, research, and teaching experience in the field of early intervention with children at risk for anti-social development.
Dr Havighurst is a Senior Lecturer at Mindful - Centre for Training and Research in Development Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, where she teaches and provides supervision to child and adolescent mental health practitioners. She is the Principal Investigator on the Tuning in to Kids research program. This program involves a series of different evaluation studies of the parenting program Tuning in to Kids: Emotionally Intelligent Parenting. This program, written with co-author Ann Harley, teaches parents to respond to children's emotions in ways that promote emotional competence and prevent problem development. Dr Havighurst supervises a number of research students exploring aspects of this research. She also works as a clinical psychologist at the Children's Court Clinic and in private practice.
SUMMARY OF PROJECT:
Preventing conduct disorders: The Austin CASEA evaluation of an early intervention service for children with behaviour problems.
Conduct problems are one of the most significant mental health problems in children. Early intervention, especially prior to age eight has been found to be one of the few effective ways to prevent behaviour problems in young children progressing to this more serious stage (Greenberg, Domitrovich, & Bumbarger, 2000). This rationale has underpinned the Victorian Government’s establishment of early intervention services for children with behavioural problems – the CASEA intervention programs.
This project aims to evaluate the Austin CASEA, which is a State Government funded early intervention service that aims to stop the advance of early signs of conduct problems in Prep – Grade 2 children.
Schools in northern metropolitan Melbourne are randomly assigned into either Intervention (N=120) or a 12 Month Waitlist Control (N=60). Those in the Intervention Group will potentially receive three levels of intervention, a Universal, Selected, and Indicated Intervention.
The Universal Intervention, PATHS, which is an evidence-based intervention, is delivered by teachers to all children in their classes, and facilitates the development of social and emotional skills.
The Selected Intervention for children screened in the upper 15th percentile for behaviour problems consists of: a Child Group Intervention, teaching social and emotional skills, and a Parent Group Intervention: one of either an emotion focused parenting program – Tuning in to Kids (N=60), or a behaviour focused parenting program - Triple P (N=60). Teachers will receive secondary consultation as needed. For those who remain at risk after the Universal and Selected Intervention, an Indicated Intervention will be offered, consisting of referral into CAMHS or other appropriate services.
The overall aim of the CASEA intervention is to improve the functioning of children at risk, resulting in better educational, social, family and ultimately life outcomes that build on the well-being of society as a whole. The aim of this proposed study is to evaluate whether the CASEA intervention achieves these intervention aims.