Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Efforts over the course of the entire grant period focused on grandparents raising grandchildren, professionals who work with these families, undergraduate social work students, community partners who are important for sustainability of the project, and policymakers who are important actors in efforts to improve the larger environment for grandfamilies. Grandparents were recruited in Kanawha, Clay, Braxton, Putnum, and Jackson counties in WV. Custodial grandparents were the focus of this project because they are an underserved group characterized by low incomes, limited access to healthcare, poor overall health, and weak social support systems. Efforts to reach this target audience included outreach activities, the delivery of participant discussion groups by WVSU Extension, and followup activities with participants by the WVSU Department of Social Work. A total of 125 grandparents were enrolled in the project. Another audience for this project was the professional community, including social workers, Extension professionals, public school personnel, health care providers, mental health professionals, child care providers, criminal justice professionals, substance abuse counselors, and members of faith-based community organizations. This audience was targeted for training due to their frontline contact with grandfamilies. Efforts included formal presentations by Project staff at professional conferences, agency in-service training events, and organizational staff meetings. Project staff made over 4 dozen presentations through these various activities during the grant period. The project provided experiential learning opportunities for 18 undergraduate social work students who worked directly under the supervision of the project's Lead Social Worker and assisted with pre and post assessments, outreach activities, and social support services for enrolled participants. Another 198 social work students participated in learning activities in classroom settings through the delivery of curriculum modules on grandfamilies. Community partners interested in assisting with sustainability of the project included Boards of Education in several counties, faith-based organizations, non-profit organizations, state agencies, and the Extension Service of West Virginia University. Activities with these partners included planning meetings and replication training workshops. Productive relationships with policymakers who are influential in developing responsive public policies that affect grandfamilies were developed as part of this project. Efforts included individual meetings with policymakers at the WV Department of Human Resources, administrators at Boards of Education, family court judges, and local and state elected officials. In addition, a Policy Brief was developed, and Project staff were invited to provide expert testimony to the WV Legislature in March 2019. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During the entire grant period, project staff attended over two dozen professional conferences at the regional, state, and national levels and developed extensive knowledge and skills related to grandfamilies. Many of these conferences are listed above under Goal C. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Dissemination of results was a key focus of the project throughout, but especially in the final year through the use of printed materials such as factsheets, a policy brief, impact statements, and a 16 page booklet titled "Lessons Learned." A complete copy of the final Program Evaluation report is posted on the Healthy Grandfamilies website.The project was covered by National Public Radio (WVNPR) in Oct. 2017 and CBS News Health Watch in May 2018.The project was also covered extensively by local print and TV outlets. As detailed under Goal C, project staff disseminated results at 18 professional conferences. A final community event was held with grandparents in October 2018. Expert testimony was delivered to the WV Legislature in 2019. The project was showcased in Social Work Advocates, a national publication of the National Association of Social Workers, in its June-July 2019 issue. Preliminary results were published in the Journal of Extension in 2018. Additional journal manuscripts are in progress. This capacity building grant has enabled WVSU to bring awareness to the issue of grandfamilies and to offer a program model for the rest of West Virginia. The WV Legislature appropriated $300,000 to WVSU in 2019 to expand the program statewide and to develop a Center of Excellence on Grandfamilies. Funds were also given by the WV Department of Education, WV Bureau for Senior Services, two local foundations, and several partner agencies.The grandfamilies model is well on its way to being replicated in all 55 counties in WV. The project received the Power of Performance Award presented at the 2018 Small Communities Big Solutions Conference by the Alliance for Economic Development for Southern West Virginia. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
A detailed Program Evaluation Report can be found on the healthygrandfamilies.com website under the Publications tab. GOAL A: Improve the health behaviors of grandparents and grandchildren. Objective 1. By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide 120 grandparents in Kanawha County and surrounding communities with eduation and training on topics related to health and wellness. The project provided services to 125 grandparents exceeding the original enrollment target. All grandparents reported having at least one chronic health condition with the top five being arthritis (33.6%), heart disease (24.0%), diabetes (22.4%), chronic pain (20.8%), and obesity (19.2%). In addition, 21.6% reported having health problems that made it difficult to care for a grandchild. After completing their participation in discussion groups, grandparents reported statistically significant improvement in awareness, knowledge, and comfort level related to the topics of navigating the school system, communications, social media, family relationships, healthy lifestyles/managing stress, family response to addiction, parenting, legal issues, nutrition, and health literacy/self-care. Grandparents also reported fewer challenges at 6 months than at baseline related to financial burden, less time for self, less privacy, feeling "tied down", lack of sleep fear of losing custody, dealing with bureaucracies, impact on own physical health, feeling isolated or alone, difficulty getting public assistance, interference with job, legal difficulties, less time for family, and difficulties with school system. Objective 2. By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide case managment services to 120 grandparents in Kanawha County and surrounding communities to help them develop strategies to increase social supports. Grandparents substantially increased their use of educational and support services by the time they completed the program at 6 months. The services which saw the greatest increases in use were educational groups, information about services, assistance in accessing services, assistance with school system, and legal assistance. Of those grandparents who actively used case management, about 61% of the requests for specific follow-up services were for assistance in obtaining concrete services; 34.1% were related to legal services; 26.8% were in the category of self-care/health related needs; 19.5% were school-related issues; 14.6% were related to the need for day care services; 12.2% were in the category of child mental health/behavioral health services; and, 12.2% were in the category of support services for grandchildren. Participant Satisfaction Survey results showed that 98.3% of grandparents reported that participating in the program helped them to feel better prepared to be a custodial grandparent; 95.1% of grandparents reported that participating in the program helped them live a healthier lifestyle; and,98.4% of grandparents said they would recommend the program to others. GOAL B. Prepare undergraduate social work students to work effectively with grandfamilies. Objective 1: By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide experiential learning opportunities to 15 undergraduate social work students. The project provided undergraduate social work students with experiential learning through a 240 clock hour per semester internship. Another 20 clock hour volunteer experience was offered to students enrolled in an introductory social work class. Eighteen undergraduate social work students worked directly under the supervision of the project's Social Worker and assisted with pre and post assessments, outreach activities, and social support services for enrolled participants. Experiential learning helped students to better prepare for working with grandfamilies upon graduation as they entered careers in child welfare, aging, mental health, medical social work, school social work, and behavioral health. Objective 2: By the end of Year 3, the project will deliver content related to working with grandfamilies to 140 students in four social work courses. Through the delivery of curriculum modules developed specifically through this project, 198 social work students participated in learning activities in classroom settings. Courses adding grandfamilies content included SWK 131 Introduction to Social Work, SWK 205 Community Services, SWK 350 Aging: Process & Services, SWK 316 Social Work Methods I, and SWK 342 Social Policy & Legislation. In addition to the content module, a total of 10 Case Study teaching tools were developed for use in social work courses. GOAL C. Prepare professionals who are already working with grandfamilies to serve these families more effectively. Objective 1: By the end of Year 3, the project will deliver continuing education opportunities to at least 50 social workers and Extension professionals. Project staff presented workshops to professional social workers and Extension professionals at 18 national, regional, state, and local conferences: 1) Relative as Parents Conferences on 11/5/15 and 6/23/16; 2) WV-National Association of Social Workers CE Spring Conference on 4/27/17; 3) WV Infant Mental Health Association Webinar on 5/19/17; 4) WV Social Emotional Institute Annual Conference on 5/23/17; 5) WV Public School Administrators Annual Meeting on 6/21/17; 6)WV Handle with Care Fall Conference on 9/27/17; 7) National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) in Omaha on 10/17/18; 2) ; 8) University of Alabama Extension Service Care Giver Center Conference on 11/9/17; 9) University of Guam Extension Service staff training event 2/19-21/18; 10) WV Library Association Annual Conference on 4/5/18; 11) WV Handle with Care Spring Conference on 5/24/18; 12) 5th Annual International Human Rights/Human Relations Conference on 4/12/18; 13) Our Children Our Future Annual Meeting on 12/7/18; 14) West Virginia University Summer Institute on Aging on 6/16/18; 15) University of New Hampshire Extension Service on 6/5-7/18; 16) WV Kids Strong Conference on 6/21/18; 17} 2018 West Virginia Geriatric Society Scientific Assembly on 9/18/18; and 18) 6th Annual International Human Rights/Human Relations Conference on 4/18/19. Workshops averaged 30 participants each. GOAL D. Improve the responsiveness of the larger environment to the needs of grandfamilies. Objective 1: By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide user-friendly information about grandfamilies to the general public through one online source and at least two printed resources. The healthygrandfamilies.com website, developed in Year 1, was maintained throughout the duration of the project. Incollaboration with Legal Aid of WV, a 26-page legal guide was developed for grandfamilies and is accessible to the general public through the healthygrandfamilies.com website. A "Lessons Learned" 16-page booklet was developed by project staff and is also available on the website under the Publications tab. Objective 2: By the end of Year 3, the project will provide at least 50 community leaders and 300 local, state, and national policy makers with information about the needs of grandfamilies. Presentations were made to over 530 community leaders (school administrators, principals, agency heads, church leaders, executive boards/committees of non-profit agencies, city officials, state legislators, U.S. House and Senate legislators) over the course of the project. A two-page Policy Brief was developed in 2019 for policymakers, and project staff were invited to provide expert testimony to the WV Legislature in March 2019. At the national level, one staff was was invited in 2019 to serve a 3-year term on the Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Dunn, B. & Wamsley, B. (2018). Grandfamilies: Characteristics and needs of grandparents raising grandchildren. Journal of Extension, 56(5), Article 5RIB2. Available at: https://joe.org/joe/2018september/rb2.php
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
http://healthygrandfamilies.com/
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Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Efforts this reporting period focused on grandparents raising grandchildren, professionals who work with these families, undergraduate ocial work students, community partners who are important for sustainability of the project, and policymakers who are important actors in efforts to improve the larger environment for grandfamilies. Recruitment of grandparents was conducted in Kanawha, Clay, Braxton, and Jackson counties in WV. Custodial grandparents are the focus of this project because they are an underserved group characterized by low incomes, limited access to healthcare, poor overall health, and weak social support systems. Efforts to reach this target audience included outreach activities, the delivery of participant discussion groups by WVSU Extension, and followup activities with participants by the WVSU Department of Social Work. Fifty-four grandparents were enrolled in the project during Year 3. Another audience for this project during this reporting period was the professional community, including social workers, Extension professionals, public school personnel, health care providers, mental health professionals, child care providers, criminal justice professionals, substance abuse counselors, and members of faith-based community organizations. This audience was targeted for training due to their frontline contact with grandfamilies. Efforts included formal presentations by the Project staff at professional conferences, agency in-service training events, and organizational staff meetings. Project staff made a total of 43 presentations through these various activities in Year 3. During this reporting period, the project provided experiential learning opportunities for seven undergraduate social work students who worked directly under the supervision of the project's Lead Social Worker and assisted with pre and post assessments, outreach activities, and social support services for enrolled participants. Another 54 social work students participated in learning activities in classroom settings through the delivery of curriculum modules on grandfamilies. Community partners interested in assisting with sustainability of the project included Boards of Education in several counties, faith-based organizations, non-profit organizations, state agencies, and the Extension Service of West Virginia University in Jackson, Braxton, and Clay counties in WV. Activities with these partners included planning meetings which resulted in enrollment of participants in neighboring counties to Kanawha County and a highly successful pilot replication of the Healthy Grandfamilies Project in Harrison County, WV. Efforts were initiated in Year 3 to develop productive relationships with policymakers who are influential in developing responsive public policies that affect grandfamilies. These efforts included individual meetings with policymakers at the WV Department of Human Resources, administrators at Boards of Education, family court judges, and local and state elected officials. Changes/Problems:No major changes have been made to the proposed approach or project design. However, we requested and were granted a no-cost extension to finalize the project. The primary reason for an extension of the project is the slower than anticipated enrollment of grandparents into the program. Our approved timetable as presented in our original proposal called for the final cohort(s) of grandparents to enroll in September 2017 and to complete the 6-month intervention by early March 2018. If accomplished, this timetable would have given us another six months to complete data collection, finalize the program evaluation, finalize curriculum materials, conduct dissemination activities, and finalize our sustainability plan. What we discovered early in the project is that grandparents are a "hard to reach" population due to the complexity of their family relationships, their social isolation, their problems with transportation during the winter months, and their reported sense of fear and embarrassment related to the circumstances surrounding their caretaking responsibilities, which is very often related to the drug addiction of a biological child. Fortunately, as a result of an aggressive outreach/recruitment strategy, we have been able to address these barriers to enrollment and meet our enrollment target of 120 grandparents. However, it has taken longer than originally planned. Our final cohort started the series of educational group sessions on May 31, 2018 and will complete the 6-month intervention in November 2018. Once all grandparents have completed the program, we estimate that we will need at least another five months to complete data collection, finalize the program evaluation, finalize curriculum materials, conduct dissemination activities, implement our sustainability plan in collaboration with community partners, and prepare final reports. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In Year 3, the Project Director and Co-Project Director attended the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) in Omaha on Oct. 17, 2018. In addition, the Project Director attended the 2017 Scientific Assembly of the West Virginia Geriatrics Society in Charleston, WV in September 2017, and the Project Director and Social Worker attended the WV Spring CE Conference for Social Workers in Charleston, WV in May 2018. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Preliminary results were disseminated through formal presentations given at the following conferences: 1) National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) in Omaha on Oct. 17, 2018; 2) WV Handle with Care Fall Conference on Sept. 27, 2017; 3) University of Alabama Extension Service Care Giver Center Conference on Nov. 9, 2017; 4) University of Guam Extension Service staff training event in Guam Feb. 19-21, 2018; 5) WV Library Association Annual Conference in Summersville, WV on April 5, 2018; 6) WV Handle with Care Spring Conference in Martinsburg, WV on May 24, 2018; 7) 5th Annual International Human Rights/Human Relations Conference in Institute, WV on April 12, 2018; 8) Our Children Our Future Annual Meeting in Charleston, WV on Dec. 7, 2017; 9) West Virginia University Summer Institute on Aging in Morgantown, WV on June 16, 2018; and 10) WV Kids Strong Conference in Charleston, WV on June 21, 2018. Dissemination of preliminary results were also provided to stakeholders throughout the region, such as administrators at various County Boards of Education (Fayette, Harrison, Braxton, Kanawha counties), faith-based organizations (WV Council of Churches, Charleston Baptist Temple, Partnership of African American Churches), and community groups (Project Launch, ACES Coalition, WV Kids Health partnership, Kings Center Headstart). The project was also covered in the media by National Public Radio (WVNPR) in Oct. 2017 and CBS News in May 2018. These news outlets interviewed project participants and project staff and showcased the grandfamilies issue. A manuscript was also accepted in July 2018 for future publication in the Journal of Extension. The article to be published is titled "Characteristics and Needs of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren" and provides preliminary results from our project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our request for a no-cost extension was approved in July 2018. As specified in our request for the extension, we plan the following activities to be completed during the next reporting period: *Convene final External Advisory Committee meeting *Conduct community meeting with grandparents & other stakeholders *Finalize participant curriculum "Train the Trainer" manual & materials *Complete intervention with last grandparent cohort *Finalize (teaching) case studies *Finalize modules for social work curriculum *Conduct/finalize evaluation activities *Prepare Policy Brief for decision-makers *Update Grandfamilies website *Present workshop at professional conference(s) *Implement sustainability activities with community partners *Prepare manuscripts for publication
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During this reporting period, 54 participants were enrolled in the project bringing the total enrollment for all three years to 121. This number meets the overall enrollment goal of 120 participants. Of the 54 participants enrolled this year, 37 completed the 6-month intervention, and 17 others were in various stages of the follow-up period at the time of this report. Preliminary data from the first 95 participants who completed the project over the 3-year period show that 76% were female; 67.4% were 60 years of age or older; 85.3% were Caucasian/White; 48.4% had a high school educaton or less; 28.5% worked part-time or full-time; and, 57.9% had an annual income of $34,999 or less. On average, grandparents were raising 2.82 grandchildren, with the primary reason being drug-related problems of a biological parent (85.3%). A summary of activities to achieve the project's objectives is provided below. GOAL A: Improve the health behaviors of grandparents and grandchildren. Objective 1. By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide 120 grandparents in Kanawha County and surrounding communities with eduation and training on topics related to health and wellness. All grandparents for whom final data collection was completed (N=95) reported having at least one chronic health condition with the five most common being arthritis, chronic pain, heart disease, diabeties, and vision problems. Grandparents reported that 22.1% of grandchildren had at least one diagnosed chronic medical condition with the four most common being obesity, vision problems, developmetal disabilities, and substance misuse. These findings confirm that grandfamilies are at high risk for health related problems. In Year 3, the project continued to provide grandparents with information on the following nine topics: nutrition, health literacy/self-care, stress management/mental health, parenting, family relationships, communications, social media/technology, legal issues, and school related issues. In addition to these topics, a tenth topic was added to cover the key drug-related issues that these familie face. Topics were covered through a series of weekly discussion groups presented through Extension using curricula designed specifically for the target population. Preliminary pre/post assessment data indicate positive outcomes for grandparents who completed the 6-month intervention. For example, the percent of grandparents who reported "good" or "excellent" overall health increased from 64.3% to 68.5%; the percent who reported that health problems made it difficult to raise a child decreased from 44.2% to 23.2%; and, the percent who reported that raising a grandchild had a negative impact of their own physical health decreased from 27.4% to 21.1%. Objective 2. By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide case managment services to 120 grandparents in Kanawha County and surrounding communities to help them develop strategies to increase social supports. In Year 3, 72 grandparents (18 carried over from Year 2, 54 enrolled in Year 3) received follow-up case management services from the project's Social Worker. Of these participants, 55 completed the 6-month intervention and another 17 were in various stages of follow-up at the time of this report. Each participant developed an individualized Action Plan. Results of a Satisfaction Survey completed with participants at the end of the 6-month intervention showed that 96.8% felt that the Action Plan helped them apply discussion group information, and 98.9% reported that follow-up services by the Social Worker were helpful. GOAL B. Prepare undergraduate social work students to work effectively with grandfamilies. Objective 1: By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide experiential learning opportunities to 15 undergraduate social work students. In Year 3, the project provided experiential learning opportunities for seven undergraduate social work students who worked under the supervision of the Social Worker and assisted with pre/post assessments, outreach activities, and social support services for enrolled participants. Of these students, five students completed a 20 clock hour observation experience through SWK 131 Introduction to Social work, one student completed a 480 clock hour senior internship through SWK 404 and SWK 406 (consecutive semesters) Field Experience, and one student provided child care activities as part of the weekly grandparent discussion groups. Objective 2: By the end of Year 3, the project will deliver content related to working with grandfamilies to 140 students in four social work courses. A grandfamilies content module was delivered to 34 students in SWK 350 Aging: Process & Services during the 2017 Fall Semester and 20 students in SWK 316 Social Work Methods I during the 2018 Spring Semester. Three additional Case Study teaching tools were developed for use in social work courses. GOAL C. Prepare professionals who are already working with grandfamilies to serve these families more effectively. Objective 1: By the end of Year 3, the project will deliver continuing education opportunities to at least 50 social workers and Extension professionals. In Year 3, The Project Director, Co-Project Director, and the Social Worker presented workshops to professional social workers and Extension professionals at 10 national, regional, state, and local conferences. These conferences included the following: 1) National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) in Omaha on Oct. 17, 2018; 2) WV Handle with Care Fall Conference on Sept. 27, 2017; 3) University of Alabama Extension Service Care Giver Center Conference on Nov. 9, 2017; 4) University of Guam Extension Service staff training event in Guam Feb. 19-21, 2018; 5) WV Library Association Annual Conference in Summersville, WV on April 5, 2018; 6) WV Handle with Care Spring Conference in Martinsburg, WV on May 24, 2018; 7) 5th Annual International Human Rights/Human Relations Conference in Institute, WV on April 12, 2018; 8) Our Children Our Future Annual Meeting in Charleston, WV on Dec. 7, 2017; 9) West Virginia University Summer Institute on Aging in Morgantown, WV on June 16, 2018; and 10) WV Kids Strong Conference in Charleston, WV on June 21, 2018. The workshops averaged 30 participants each. In addition, the Project Co-Director provided in-service training to Extension professionals in several counties throughout WV. The Co-Project Director and Social Worker also provided training to Extension staff at the University of New Hampshire June 5-7, 2018. GOAL D. Improve the responsiveness of the larger environment to the needs of grandfamilies. Objective 1: By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide user-friendly information about grandfamilies to the general public through one online source and at least two printed resources. The healthygrandfamilies.com website was maintained and updated throughout Year 3. Objective 2: By the end of Year 3, the project will provide at least 50 community leaders and 300 local, state, and national policy makers with information about the needs of grandfamilies. Presentations were made to over 225 community leaders (school administrators, principals, agency heads, church leaders, executive boards/committees of non-profit agencies, city officials, state legislators) in Year 3.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Efforts during this reporting period focused on grandparents raising grandchildren, professionals who work with these families and undergraduate social work students. Recruitment of grandparents was conducted in Kanawha County, WV and Putnam County, WV. Custodial grandparents are the focus of this project because they are an underserved group characterized by low incomes, limited access to healthcare, poor overall health, and weak social support systems. Efforts to reach this target audience included outreach activities, the delivery of participant workshops through WVSU Extension, and followup activities with participants through the WVSU Department of Social Work. Outreach activities included local news articles, TV coverage, community based open houses, distribution of program brochures, development of a short project video, a Healthy Grandfamilies Project website and social media, in-home assessments, displays at pre-school enrollment events, a partnership with Kanawha County Schools who made robo calls to families, a partnership with the judicial system in Putnam County in which one family court judge mandated participation of certain grandparents to participate in the program, presentations to community groups, and the development of a referral process with churches and community non-profit agencies. During this reporting period, 66 grandparents participated in participant workshops and/or followup services. Another audience for this project during this reporting period was the professional community, including social workers, public school personnel, health care providers, mental health professionals, child care providers, and members of faith-based community organizations. This audience was targeted for training due to their frontline contact with grandfamilies. Efforts included formal presentations by the Project staff at the following professional meetings: a 3-hour workshop presented at the WV-National Association of Social Workers, Continuing Education Social Work Conference, Charleston Civic Center, April 27, 2017; a webinar presented statewide to professionals of the West Virginia Infant Mental Health Association, May 19, 2017; a panel presentation at the Social Emotional Institute Annual Conference, Charleston, WV, May 23, 2017; and a presentation to WV public school administrators at their Annual Administrators Meeting at Stonewall Jackson Resort on June 21, 2017. Additional efforts to reach the professional community included presentations to staffs of numerous local and regional groups and organizations including, but not limited to, the following: local public school principals, counselors, and social workers; Kanawha Valley Senior Services, Partnership for African American Churches, Tiskelwah Community Center, Switzer Center, Goodwill Industries, Project Launch, Putnam County Family Court/Drug Court, Safe at Home Program (WVDHHR), West Virginia State Police Center for Chidlren's Justice, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, New River Health Association School-Based Program, WV Kids' Health Partnership, Harrison County Principal's Association, St. Albans Truancy Court, Kanawha County Pre-School Council, Rand Community Center, and numerous faith-based groups/churches in Kanawha and Putnam Counties. During this reporting period, the project provided experiential learning opportunities for eight undergraduate social work students. Six of these students worked directly under the supervision of the project's Lead Social Worker and assisted with pre and post assessments, outreach activities, and social support services for enrolled participants. Another two students served as student representatives on the project's Community Advisory Committee. Changes/Problems:No major changes have been made to the proposed approach or project design. The low enrollment problem discussed in the Year 1 Progress Report (August 2016) was successfully addressed in Year 2 through improved recruitment strategies and by expanding the service area to include neighboring Putnam County, WV. No additional enrollment issues are anticipated. Overall, the project has met its timetable for completing tasks and activities as outlined in the project proposal for both the Teaching and Extension components of the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In Year 2, the Project Director and the Co-Project Director attended the 3rd Annual 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program Project Director (PD) Meeting, September 19-20, 2016, Virginia Beach. In addition, the Project Director and the Social Worker attended the 2016 Scientific Assembly of the West Virginia Geriatrics Society in Charleston, WV in September 2016, and both also attended the WV Spring CE Conference for Social Workers in Charleston, WV in April 2017. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Preliminary results were disseminated through formal presentations by Project staff at the following professional meetings: Poster presentation at the Third Annual 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program Project Director (PD) Meeting, September 19-20, 2016, Virginia Beach; Three hour workshop presented at the WV-National Association of Social Workers, Continuing Education Social Work Conference, Charleston Civic Center, April 27, 2017; Webinar presented statewide to professionals of the West Virginia Infant Mental Health Association, May 19, 2017; Panel presentation at the Social Emotional Institute Annual Conference, Charleston, WV, May 23, 2017; Power Point presentation to WV public school administrators at their Annual Administrators Meeting at Stonewall Jackson Resort on June 21, 2017; Power Point presentation to Harrison County School Principals on July 26, 2017; and Power Point presentation to New River Health Association School-Based Program staff on August 16, 2017. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In Year 3, we plan to: Enroll 54 grandparents in the program to complete the target enrollment goal of 120 participants; Provide experiential learning opportunities for 7 undergraduate social work students; Finalize curriculum content for social work courses; Deliver at least one continuing education event for Extension professionals; Develop a web-based continuing education module for professional social workers; Develop two printed resources for grandfamilies; Expand resources for grandfamilies accessible on the project's website; Develop and disseminate a Policy Brief for policy makers on the needs of grandfamilies; Finalize data collection; and Finalize sustainability plan in collaboration with community partners.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The Healthy Grandfamilies Project enrolled 60 grandparents as participants during Year 2. Of these participants, 42 completed the 6-month intervention and 18 were in month 4 at the time of this report. Data presented in this section are limited to those participants who completed the 6-month intervention. These participants were primarily female (81.4%) and ranged in age from 39 years to 82 years old with the average age of 60.8 years old. In terms of race, 60.5% were caucasion, 20.9% were African American, and 18.6% reported being more than one race. On average, these grandparents were raising 2.09 granchildren. All grandparents reported having at least one chronic health condition with arthritis (27.9), heart disease (25.6%), and chronic pain (25.6%), being the most frequently reported conditions. About 40% of grandparents reported that their overall health had declined since they had started taking care of their grandchildren. About 35% of grandchildren were reported as having at least one chronic health condition with obesity (25.6%) and mental health issues (18.6%) being the most frequently reported conditions. In addition, 27.9% of these children were reported to have child behavioral problems. All grandparents reported the need for information designed for grandfamilies and for information about available services and supports. A summary of activities to achieve the project's objectives is provided below. GOAL A: Improve the health behaviors of grandparents and grandchildren. Objective 1. By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide 120 grandparents in Kanawha County and surrounding communities with eduation and training on topics related to health and wellness. In Year 2, the project completed data collection for 42 grandparents who were provided with information on the following topics: nutrition, health literacy/self-care, stress management/mental health, parenting, family relationships, communications, social media/technology, legal issues, and school related issues. These topics were covered over a nine week period through a series of workshops presented through Extension using curricula designed specifically for the target population. Pre/Post self-report questionnaires were used to measure change in knowledge related to each of the 9 topics. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 indicating a low level of knowledge and 10 indicating a high level of knowledge, "post" mean scores consistently increased over "pre" mean scores on questionnaire items. A summary of mean scores for a subset of key variables is provided below. Sample Variables General knowledge of nutrition: Mean score increased from 6.80 (pre) to 8.74 (post) Knowledge of specific ways to increase the number of healthy meals/snacks: Mean score increased from 6.26 (pre) to 8.63 (post) Knowledge of how to manage stress: Mean score increased from 6.17 (pre) to 8.56 (post) Knowlege of health-related self-care strategies: Mean score increased from 6.63 (pre) to 8.71 (post) Knowledge of strategies to improve family relationships: Mean score increased from 6.33 (pre) to 8.52 (post) Knowledge of specific parenting strategies: Mean score increased from 6.27 (pre) to 8.06 (post) Knowledge of social media issues associated with raising a grandchild: Mean score increased from 4.94 (pre) to 7.83 (post) Knowledge of legal issues associated with raising a grandchild: Mean score increased from 4.61 (pre) to 7.45 (post) Knowledge of the 10 major symptoms of stress: Mean score increased from 4.47 (pre) to 8.89 (post) Knowledge of ways to address specific school issues: Mean score increased from 6.31 (pre) to 8.51 (post) These results are a few examples of the positive outcomes related to knowledge gained by grandparents. In addition, results of a satisfaction survey administered to grandparents at the end of the 6-month intervention showed that 97.6% reported that the workshops were relevant to their situation as a grandparent and helped them to feel better prepared to raise a grandchild, and 92.7% reported that their participation helped them to live a healthier lifestyle. Objective 2. By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide case managment services to 120 grandparents in Kanawha County and surrounding communities to help them develop strategies to increase social supports. In Year 2, 66 grandparents (6 carried over from Year 1, 60 enrolled in Year 2) received case management services from the project's Social Worker. Of these participants, 48 completed the 6-month intervention and another 18 were in month 4 at the time of this report. Each participant developed an individualized Action Plan. Results of the Satisfaction Survey completed with participants at the end of 6 months showed that 90% believed that the Action Plan helped them to apply workshop information, and 94% reported that follow-up services provided by the Social Worker were helpful. GOAL B. Prepare undergraduate social work students to work effectively with grandfamilies. Objective 1: By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide experiential learning opportunities to 15 undergraduate social work students. In Year 2, the project provided experiential learning opportunities for 8 undergraduate social work students who worked under the supervision of the Social Worker and assisted with pre/post assessments, outreach activities, and social support services for enrolled participants. Of these students, 4 students completed a 20 clock hour observation experience through SWK 131 Introduction to Social work, 1 student completed a 480 clock hour senior internship through SWK 404 and SWK 406 (consecutive semesters) Field Experience, and 1 student provided child care activities as part of the 9 grandparent workshops. In addition, another 2 students served as student members on the project's Community Advisory Committee. Objective 2: By the end of Year 3, the project will deliver content related to working with grandfamilies to 140 students in four social work courses. A grandfamilies content module was delivered to 40 students in SWK 350 Aging: Process & Services during the 2016 Fall Semester and will be delivered to another 38 students who started the course in August 2017. In addition, 10 Case Studies will be used as teaching tools in three additional courses over the next two semesters. GOAL C. Prepare professionals who are already working with grandfamilies to serve these families more effectively. Objective 1: By the end of Year 3, the project will deliver continuing education opportunities to at least 50 social workers and Extension professionals. In April of Year 2, The Project Director and the Social Worker co-presented a 3-hour workshop to 38 professional social workers at the 2017 Spring CE Conference for Social Workers sponsored by the WV Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. The workshop was designed to share lessons learned from the Healthy Grandfamilies Project to help social workers develop skills to work with grandfamilies. An evaluation showed that 92% of the workshop participants believed that Learning Objectives were achieved. GOAL D. Improve the responsiveness of the larger environment to the needs of grandfamilies. Objective 1: By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide user-friendly information about grandfamilies to the general public through one online source and at least two printed resources. The healthygrandfamilies.com website was maintained and updated throughout Year 2. Objective 2: By the end of Year 3, the project will provide at least 50 community leaders and 300 local, state, and national policy makers with information about the needs of grandfamilies. Presentations were made to over 180 community leaders (school administrators, principals, agency heads, church leaders, executive boards/committees of non-profit agencies, city officials) in Year 2.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Efforts during this reporting period focused primarily on grandparents raising grandchildren who live in the City of St. Albans in Kanawha County, WV. Custodial grandparents are the focus of this project because they are an underserved group characterized by low incomes, limited access to healthcare, poor overall health, and weak social support systems.Efforts to reach this target audience included outreach activities, the development of curriculum and the delivery of participant workshops through WVSU Extension, and followup activities with participants through the WVSU Department of Social Work. Outreach activities includednews releases, TV coverage, anOpen House, distribution of program brochures, launching of a Healthy Grandfamilies Project website,in-home assessments, displays at pre-school enrollment events, presentations to community groups,and the development of a referral process with community partners such as public schools, churches, and community agencies.During this reporting period, the project components (i.e., participant workshops and followup services) were launched with a small group of seven (7) grandparents from June 2, 2016 through July 28, 2016. Another audience that we targeted during this reporting period was the professional community, including Extension staff, social workers, public school personnel, health care providers, and members of faith-based community organizations. This audience was targeted for training due to their frontline contact with grandfamilies. Efforts included presentations by the Project Director and Co-Project Director at two professional conferences sponsored by Mission WV's Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP). The conferences were held on November 5, 2015 and June 23, 2016. Additional efforts to reach the professional community included presentations to the Kanawha County Schools Principal's Association, St. Albans Ministerial Alliance, Metro Area Agency on Aging, St. Albans Truancy Court, and the St. Albans Rotary Club. Changes/Problems:No major changes have been made to the proposed approach or project design. Although participant enrollment was less in Year 1 than anticipated, the overall goal of enrolling 120 families will be accomplished by the end of the 3-year project period. Meeting the enrollment goal will be achieved through improved recruitment strategies being developed as a result of lessons learned in Year 1. Additionally, as the project matures and becomes more visible in the community, it is anticipated that more grandfamilies will seek out its services. Overall, the project has met its timetable for completing tasks and activities as outlined in the project proposal for both the Extension and Teaching components of the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In Year 1, the project designed and delivered two (2) continuing education events to a total of 78 professionals who were already working with grandfamilies. Approximately one half of these professionals were either licensed social workers or Extension professionals. The events were held on 11/5/15 and 6/23/16 as part of the Relatives as Parents conference sponsored by one of our community partners, Mission WV, Inc., a non-profit community organization and a member of our External Advsiory Committee. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Preliminary results were presented to a group of licensed social workers, Extension professionals, and healthcare providers as part of the Relatives as Parents conference held on 6/23/16 in Charleston, WV. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In Year 2, we plan to: Provide at least 60 grandfamilies with education, training, and case management. We will expand the geographic area within Kanawha County to recruit participants; Provide experiential learning opportunities to at least 8 undergraduate social work students; Develop curriculum content on grandfamilies and deliver to 50 social work students in 3 courses; Deliver at least one continuing education event to area professionals; Develop at least one printed resource for grandfamilies; and Provide at least 25 local community leaders with information about the needs of grandfamilies.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The Healthy Grandfamilies Project seeks to help families characterized as having one or more grandparents who serve as the primary caregiver for one or more grandchild who lives in their home. The first 7 grandparents served by the project in Year 1 lived in the City of St. Albans and were primarily female (85.7%), caucasion (100%), and ranged in age from 47 years to 68 years old. On average, these grandparents were raising 2.14 grandchildren ranging in age from 3 months to 14 years. All grandparents reported at least one chronic health condition and all reported that their overall health had declined since they had started taking care of their grandchildren. About 86% reported often feeling unable to cope with the daily stress in their lives. All of these grandparents were caring for grandchildren as a result of substance abuse/addition of the biological parents. In 42.9% of the cases, the biological parents were in prison or jail. All the grandparents reported the need for information designed for grandfamilies and for information about available services and supports. The characteristics of these families confirm the premise posited in the project's proposal that new models are needed that address health-related issues of grandparent caregivers, especially older individuals with existing chronic conditions. Helping grandparent caregivers to take better care of their health through education and social supports will enable them to not only function better in their every day lives, but will hopefully translate to improved health behaviors for the entire grandfamily. Goal A. Improve the health behaviors of grandparents and grandchildren. Objective 1: By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide 120 grandparents in Kanawha County and surrounding communities with education and training on topics related to health and wellness. At the end of Year 1, the project provided 7 grandparents with education and training on the following topics: nutrition, health literacy/self-care, stress management/mental health, parenting, family relationships, communications, social media/technology, legal issues, and school related issues. These topics were covered over a nine week period through a series of workshops presented through the WVSU Extension Service using curricula designed specifically for the target population. Pre/Post questionnaires were used to measure a significant change in knowledge related to each of the 9 topics among participants. Although the sample size (n=7) is too small for statistical significance, the results indicate positive change. For example, on a scale of 1 to 10, with one indicating a self-reported low level of knowledge and 10 indicating a self-reported high level of knowledge, Post mean scores consistently increased over Pre mean scores on workshop questionnaire items. A summary of mean scores for a subset of key variables is provided below. Variable Pre Mean Score Post Mean Score General knowledge of nutrition 6.50 8.75 Knowledge of specific ways to increase the number of healthy meals/snacks 5.75 9.25 Knowledge of how to manage stress 4.20 8.60 Knowledge of health-related self-care strategies 5.83 8.50 Knowledge of strategies to improve family relationships 5.33 7.00 Understanding of how to communicate with family members 5.20 7.60 Comfort level in parenting grandchildren 6.17 7.83 Knowledge of social media issues associated with raising a grandchild 3.33 7.00 Knowledge of legal issues associated with raising a grandchild 5.33 8.00 Objective 2: By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide case management services to 120 grandparents in Kanawha County and surrounding communities to help them develop strategies to increase social supports. The project provided 7 grandparents with case management services through an action planning process and supportive followup services in Year 1. Each participant developed an individualized Action Plan with the assistance of the Project Social Worker. At the time of this report, the families were in the first month of the 3-month followup period, and an evaluation of participants' change in action (behaviors) was not yet completed. Goal B. Prepare undergraduate social work students to work effectively with grandfamilies. Objective 1: By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide experiential learning opportunities to 15 undergraduate social work students. Two (2) undergraduate social work students are being provided with experiential learning opportunities in the 2016 Fall Semester through a 20 clock hour observational assignment as part of SWK 131 Introduction to Social Work, and one (1) undergraduate social work student will complete a 240 clock hour internship with the Healthy Grandfamilies Project as part of SWK 403 Field Instruction. Objective 2: By the end of Year 3, the project will deliver content related to working with grandfamilies to 140 students in four social work courses. A content module related to working with grandfamilies is being delivered in SWK 350 Aging: Process & Services to 40 students in the 2016 Fall Semester, which began August 22, 2016. Goal C. Prepare professionals who are already working with grandfamilies to serve these families more effectively. Objective 1: By the end of Year 3, the project will deliver continuing education opportunities to at least 50 social workers and Extension professionals. Events were held on 11/5/15 and 6/23/16. (See next section for details.) Goal D. Improve the responsiveness of the larger environment to the needs of grandfamilies. Objective 1: By the middle of Year 3, the project will provide user-friendly information about grandfamilies to the general public through one online source and at least two printed resources. The healthygrandfamilies.com website was launched in Year 1. Objective 2: By the end of Year 3, the project will provide at least 50 community leaders and 300 local, state, and national policy makers with information about the needs of grandfamilies. Group presentations and individual interviews were conducted with over 125 local community leaders and policy makers (high school principals and school counselors, church leaders, and city officials) in the city of St. Albans in Year 1.
Publications
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
http://healthygrandfamilies.com/
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