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Evaluation of the Refugee Family Strengthening (RFS) Program

The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
 
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02829086
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : July 12, 2016
Last Update Posted : April 28, 2020
Sponsor:
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

Brief Summary:

The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) will be conducting an evaluation of a healthy marriage and relationship program developed by USCRI titled Refugee Family Strengthening (RFS) Program. This program is funded through an initiative of the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance (OFA).

The study is intended to measure if the identified interventions improve the well-being of individuals and families within the refugee and immigrant population served by USCRI. Outcomes to be measured include behavioral outcomes and perceptual changes towards healthy relationships, family development, and positive home environment. The study will examine the following:

  1. Participants will identify utilizing healthy marriage and relationship skills.
  2. Participants will report an increase in satisfaction with conflict management with others after completion of the relationship workshop series.
  3. Participants will report an increase in quality and time spent with children.
  4. Participants will report an increase in economic stability.

Condition or disease Intervention/treatment Phase
Health Behavior Other: Relationship Enhancement Other: Family Stress and Conflict Management Other: Financial Management Not Applicable

Detailed Description:

The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) will be conducting an evaluation of a healthy marriage and relationship program developed by USCRI titled Refugee Family Strengthening (RFS) Program. This program is funded through an initiative of the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance (OFA).

The Refugee Family Strengthening (RFS) Program builds on literature and existing research from the healthy marriage and relationship initiatives developed by ACF over the last 10 years, in particular the Supporting Healthy Marriage Program initiative that established a randomized clinical trial. In addition, marriage and relationship education/ enrichment literature and research has expanded dramatically over the past 35 years. The most glaring shortcoming of this database is the limited types of populations that are sampled and included in studies. USCRI's RFS program will provide important data about a diverse group of subjects that is currently unavailable.

The aim of the evaluation is to determine the effect of participating in two interventions on the population of refugee and immigrant couples, families, and individuals, served by USCRI. The program will target individuals ages 16 and older using a randomized control design. The program will be implemented with individuals, couples, and families. RFSP will recruit 9,350 individuals over the 5 year tenure of the project, 3115 of which will serve as control subjects, the remaining 6,235 subjects will be randomly assigned to intervention groups at each of the 11 selected sites that are participating in the project. Control subjects will not receive the intervention workshops, only case management.

The intervention is to be delivered as follows:

Group I: Intro to Relationship Enhancement (RE) (8 hours), Family Stress & Conflict Management (8 hours), and case management Group II: Intro to Relationship Enhancement (RE) (8 hours), & Financial Management (8 hours), and case management Group III: Case management ONLY

Data will be collected and analyzed across 3 collection points: Pre-test immediately before the start of the interventions, Post-test immediately upon completion of the interventions, and again at 6 months following the pre-test date.

Results will be analyzed to determine gains towards the following research questions:

When participating in the RFS program:

  1. Do individuals who participate in the two RFS interventions demonstrate favorable impact in the four program outcomes as compared to those who participate in the control?
  2. What are the differences in gains for subjects who participate in the two different interventions?
  3. What are the long-term effects of participation in the RFS interventions on individuals?

The local evaluation is expected to reflect progress toward project outcomes and is anticipated to demonstrate significant results that will be highlighted and prepared for dissemination.

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Study Type : Interventional  (Clinical Trial)
Actual Enrollment : 5365 participants
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Other
Official Title: Evaluation of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI): Refugee Family Strengthening (RFS) Program
Actual Study Start Date : July 1, 2016
Actual Primary Completion Date : March 31, 2020
Actual Study Completion Date : March 31, 2020

Resource links provided by the National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus related topics: Family Issues

Arm Intervention/treatment
Experimental: Group I
Participants in Group I will receive the following interventions: Intro to Relationship Enhancement (8 hours), Family Stress and Conflict Management (8 hours), and case management
Other: Relationship Enhancement
Relationship Enhancement is a curriculum based program provided by a facilitator over an 8 hour skill-based education intervention.

Other: Family Stress and Conflict Management
Family Stress and Conflict Management is a curriculum based program provided by a facilitator over an 8 hour skill-based education intervention.

Experimental: Group II
Participants in Group II will receive the following interventions: Intro to Relationship Enhancement (8 hours), RE & Financial Management (8 hours), and case management
Other: Relationship Enhancement
Relationship Enhancement is a curriculum based program provided by a facilitator over an 8 hour skill-based education intervention.

Other: Financial Management
Family Management is a curriculum based program provided by a facilitator over an 8 hour skill-based education intervention.

No Intervention: Group III
Participants in Group III will receive the the standard care of all participants, case management ONLY



Primary Outcome Measures :
  1. Healthy Relationship Skills [ Time Frame: At program enrollment-during registration, immediately after completing 8 hour Relationship Enhancement intervention and at 6 month follow up. ]
    Questionnaire developed for intervention to measure change from before 8 hour intervention to after intervention


Secondary Outcome Measures :
  1. Conflict Management Skills [ Time Frame: At program enrollment-during registration, immediately after completing 8 hour Conflict Resolution intervention and at 6 month follow up. ]
    Questionnaire developed for intervention to measure change from before 8 hour intervention to after intervention

  2. Economic Stability [ Time Frame: At program enrollment-during registration, immediately after completing 8 hour Financial Literacy intervention and at 6 month follow up. ]
    Questionnaire developed for intervention to measure change from before 8 hour intervention to after intervention



Information from the National Library of Medicine

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Ages Eligible for Study:   16 Years and older   (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
Sexes Eligible for Study:   All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   Yes
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Refugee or Immigrant

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals under the age of 16
  • Individuals that are not identified as refugees or immigrants

Information from the National Library of Medicine

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT02829086


Locations
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United States, California
International Institute of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States, 90033
United States, Iowa
USCRI Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa, United States, 50314
United States, Michigan
USCRI Detroit
Dearborn, Michigan, United States, 48126
United States, Missouri
Jewish Vocational Services
Kansas City, Missouri, United States, 64110
International Institute of St. Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, 63118
United States, New York
USCRI Albany
Albany, New York, United States, 12204
United States, North Carolina
USCRI North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, 27609
United States, Pennsylvania
International Institute of Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania, United States, 16504
Nationalities Services Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19107
United States, Texas
YMCA International Services
Houston, Texas, United States, 77057
United States, Vermont
Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program
Colchester, Vermont, United States, 05446
Sponsors and Collaborators
US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
Investigators
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Principal Investigator: Jennifer Salerno, DNP Possibilities for Change
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Responsible Party: US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02829086    
Other Study ID Numbers: 90FM0092-01-00
First Posted: July 12, 2016    Key Record Dates
Last Update Posted: April 28, 2020
Last Verified: April 2020
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
Plan to Share IPD: Undecided