Project Description
The Healthy Families Study is a randomized trial of two home visiting programs at the Milwaukee Health Department’s Southside Health Center. This study compares three groups: (a) families who enrolled in a long-term home visiting program, (b) families who enrolled in a short-term home visiting program, and (c) families who declined services. One program, Empowering Families of Milwaukee (EFM), implements the Healthy Families of America curriculum. The EFM program begins prenatally and lasts up to three years postpartum. The second program, Parents Nurturing and Caring for their Children (PNCC), is a Medicaid benefit that is available to eligible clients up to 60 days postpartum.
Study participation is voluntary, and no families are denied services based on the study design. However, many families referred for home visiting services do not ultimately enroll in a program. To study this group, a third quasi-experimental study arm consists of families who were referred to the Health Department for services but did not enroll.
Participants in all three study conditions complete assessments at four time points for a 12-month period. This captures change over time in maternal and child health, parenting practices, and child development.
Tasks and Responsibilites
This position supports the grant titled, “Smart Scale Up: Expanding Home Visiting with Fidelity.” This position reports to the principal investigator, Josh Mersky, Ph.D. Position responsibilities include:
• Assist in the recruitment and retention of study participants.
• Assist with the collection of survey data.
• Data entry and management.
• Participation in project team meetings.
• Assist in the preparation and analysis of data for publications, presentations and reports.
Desired Qualifications
None Listed