Implementing and Evaluating a Social-Emotional Learning Program for Refugee Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Condition: Social Emotional Wellness
MeSH terms: COVID-19
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The overall goal of this overall goal is to pilot an adaptation of an established
      Social-Emotional Learning Program with novel wellness and COVID-19 safety components that are
      trauma-informed and culturally-specific in a resettled refugee community. In this pilot,
      "EMPOWER" (Emotions Program Outside the clinic and Wellness Education for Refugees), the
      study team will assess implementation outcomes (adoption, acceptability, and feasibility) of
      EMPOWER with refugee children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic through longitudinal
      evaluations and measurements of feasibility, acceptability, and attrition. The study team
      will also evaluate the impact of EMPOWER by assessing (a) children's social-emotional
      learning competence and (b) children's and family's COVID-19 knowledge.
    

Detailed description: 
      The major question that guides this research is: can an adaptation of an established
      Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum effectively improve Social-Emotional wellness for
      refugee children and their families? The hypothesis is that participation in this program
      will (a) improve children's SEL competence and (b) lessen stress and improve quality of life
      for refugee families.

      The overall objective of this study is to establish and evaluate the preliminary efficacy and
      implementation of an adapted social-emotional learning (SEL) and Wellness Program for
      refugees: EMPOWER (Emotions Program Outside the clinic with Wellness Education for Refugees).
      To achieve the two aims of this study, the study team will conduct a wait-list controlled
      pilot to establish and evaluate the preliminary efficacy of participation in EMPOWER by
      assessing (a) children's SEL competence and (b) measures of mental health, stress, quality of
      life and wellness before and after participation in the program (Aim 1). Then, the study team
      will assess the implementation of EMPOWER with refugee children by using mixed methods to
      perform a summative evaluation of implementation outcomes-including fidelity, sustainability,
      and reach-in the Afghan refugee community (Aim 2).
    

Intervention name(s): EMPOWER
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): EMPOWER is an adapted social emotional learning (SEL) and wellness education initiative delivered to a community of refugee families that was developed through a pre-pilot in the New Haven Afghan refugee community in 2020. Unlike traditional school-based SEL curricula, EMPOWER partners with community organizations to provide translated and trauma-informed wellness education to family units. The program combines in-person (socially distant) and remote delivery of culturally-informed physical, emotional, and medical wellness tools adapted from evidenced-based behavioral medicine, refugee trauma and recovery, and community health research.
Other intervention name(s): Emotions Program Outside the Clinic and Wellness Education for Refugees
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Refugee Children