Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Skills Training (FACT-ST) program for paraprofessionals serving families of children with special health care needs: A service evaluation study

Abstract

Addressing mental health needs among parents of children with Special Health Care Needs (SHCN) requires improved access to effective interventions. This study assessed the satisfaction, skills implementation intention, and psychological flexibility of frontline paraprofessionals providing family and child rehabilitation services for families of children with SHCN in Hong Kong following participation in a Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Skills Training (FACT-ST) program. The training program comprised two phases: an initial foundation training stage (i.e., the FT group), which provided theoretical instruction on ACT, and a subsequent supervised practice stage (i.e., the FT + SP group), during which participants were required to conduct at least three video-conferencing FACT sessions with parents of children with SHCN under supervision. A diverse sample of 317 paraprofessionals participated, with 246 completing the foundation training and an additional 71 completing both training phases. The FACT-ST program was positively received, as indicated by high average client satisfaction questionnaire scores. In the FT + SP group, paired sample t-test indicated that the mean total skills implementation intention score remained consistent at the 3-month follow-up (M = 36.65, SD = 7.56) when compared to the 2-week follow-up (M = 36.00, SD = 8.28, P = 0.063). Repeated measures analysis of covariance showed significant improvements in psychological flexibility from baseline to the 3-month follow-up in both the FT (F = 57.57, P = < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.20) and the FT + SP groups (F = 19.06, P = < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.24). Qualitative feedback highlighted the utility of live demonstrations, experiential exercises, and collaborative interactions during training. Our findings are one of the first affirming both the feasibility and acceptability of the FACT-ST program for paraprofessionals working with parents of children with SHCN. The findings underscore the potential of paraprofessionals to become crucial contributors to the mental health care system, addressing service gaps within the community.