# Implementation and Scale-Up of a Caregiver Intervention for Mothers who have Survived Intimate Partner Violence: the Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON · 2024 · $34,943

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) constitutes a traumatic stress environment and incurs profound
impacts on both mothers’ caregiving and children’s’ mental health outcomes. Children who are exposed to IPV
are more likely to develop a variety of psychopathology. Sensitive and responsive caregiving has been
identified as an important protective factor that may buffer the negative impact of IPV exposure. The
Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers (MISC) has demonstrated positive treatment effects on
child mental health problems and is currently being adapted and evaluated in the sponsor’s RCT
(R01HD102436; PI: Sharp) for African American IPV-exposed mothers in a community partner organization’s
rehousing program. While MISC holds promise for this population, no data has yet been collected to evaluate
whether MISC is amenable to scale-up for delivery in community organization settings. This translational
research gap is significant because of the high prevalence of IPV exposure in African American families (1 in 4
African American children in the U.S. are exposed to IPV) and the paucity of available data on factors related
to the adoption of IPV-parenting interventions. Consistent with the NIMH’s strategic objectives 3 (prevention of
mental illness) and 4 (public health impact), the proposed research will evaluate the evidence-based MISC
parenting intervention for implementation using
mixed methodology
and the Consolidated Framework for
Implementation Research (CFIR) for scale-up in two IPV-community organization settings. This project will
identify key barriers and facilitators to the implementation of MISC that will be incorporated in a future scale-up
and evaluation project in an additional research proposal. Using CFIR constructs
in a parallel convergent
design
, the following
mixed method
aims will be completed. For Aim 1, we will identify MISC Characteristics for
scale-up suitability using qualitative interviews (N=10) with MISC-Implementation experts (caseworkers and
administrative leaders who are implementing MISC in their IPV organization in the sponsor’s RCT). Interviews
will focus on the perception of MISC and how it may fit into their existing workload. For Aim 2, we will assess
outer setting characteristics for MISC scale-up suitability via quantitative survey of stakeholders (N=50) in the
IPV field. Surveys will focus on policies and incentives that drive IPV initiatives. For Aim 3, we will assess inner
setting characteristics at two community partner agencies via focus groups with IPV caseworkers (N=20) to
explore factors related to workload and culture.
Each aim will identify salient barriers and facilitators to
implementation related to each CFIR construct and comprehensive recommendations will be created based on
these findings for future scale-up.
The proposed project will be the first to evaluate the capacity and feasibility
of adoption of an evidence-based caregiver intervention in an IPV-co...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10928737
- **Project number:** 5F31MH133356-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Madeleine Elise Allman
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $34,943
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10928737

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10928737, Implementation and Scale-Up of a Caregiver Intervention for Mothers who have Survived Intimate Partner Violence: the Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers (5F31MH133356-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10928737. Licensed CC0.

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