"Here I am. I'm doing great research. I'm publishing. I'm travelling around the world presenting to conferences," says Dr. McGrath, vice-president (research) at the IWK Health Centre and professor of psychology, pediatrics and psychiatry at Dalhousie University. A distinguished scientist best known for his research on children's pain, Dr. McGrath has written more than 350 peer-reviewed papers and 13 books.
"Then, I come back home and discover no one's using it."
Even now, several years later, Dr. McGrath's frustration bubbles over: "I guess I was just tired of doing research that went nowhere."
That frustration has led to Family Help, an innovative program based at the IWK that delivers the latest research and treatments to the families that need it, via handbooks and videos. Trained coaches reinforce treatments and recommended courses of action are reinforced through weekly telephone contact with parents.
"The coaches are what really make this program work and work wonders. They're marvelous," says Dr. McGrath. "They talk to the parents on the phone at a time convenient for the family. What a concept!"
Some of the problems parents and children may be dealing with include disruptive behavior (temper tantrums, acting out, disobedience, unprovoked outbursts), hyperactivity, nighttime bedwetting, anxiety, and recurrent headache and stomach pain. The coaches work with parents to teach new ways of approaching situations.
"Parents learn a very good set of skills," says Jillian MacDonald, who has worked as a Family Help coach for the past three years. "Dealing with these problems on their own can be overwhelming, so we can take them through step by step. We're able to focus on their children and their problems and apply the research and coping strategies to their own situation."
For example, a coach may focus on helping parents deal with a child who is swearing. Phone conversations are reinforced by videos, which demonstrate how to respond to the unwanted behavior through effective use of time-out and by noticing good behavior.
While Family Help has been ongoing for the past seven years, new modules are being developed, including one on sleep difficulties and MOM (Managing Our Mood), which helps women fighting postpartum depression. There are five Family Help coaches, with a caseload of 25 to 30 families each.
Just as Family Help is based on a foundation of research, the program itself is continuously monitored to assess its effectiveness. Program manager Trish Pottie says her research has shown that the relationship that develops between the coach and family member over the phone is as strong as or stronger than if it was developed face to face. Distance therapy has many other benefits beyond its convenience, she says.
"We're finding the visual anonymity heightens selfdisclosure and a trusting relationship is established," says Ms. Pottie, a nurse who assisted in the design of the program. "Our preliminary research shows distance therapy is comparable to face-to-face therapy and is possibly enhanced."
Adds Ms. MacDonald: "It feels really great to reach out to these families and help them."
Families are referred to Family Help by their family physicians processing time is no more than two or three days. Treatment is free and there's no need for travel or time off work.
As if he wasn't busy enough, Dr. McGrath has been writing a weekly column Ask Dr. Pat for the Halifax Daily News for the past three years. With the column, he addresses real parenting concerns sent in by readers. Recent questions ranged from "How do I get my toddler to break his nail-biting habit?" to "How do I handle my otherwise delightful four-year-old daughter when she gets a temper tantrum?" Like Family Help, the column lets Dr. McGrath relate the tried-and-true treatments for common problems experienced by children and families.
"Somehow late at night I was writing a grant proposal and came up with this idea I would write a weekly column," says Dr. McGrath with a laugh. "Well, the grant came through, and it was a case of 'Oh crumb, I guess I've got to do this.'"
He didn't realize how much he'd love doing it, and reserves quiet Sunday mornings to write and reflect.
"It's a wonderful way to live your life and feel that you're useful," he says. "It's one thing to dream up great ideas in the ivory tower; it's better to do things that have some utility."
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