The Caregiver Online Psychoeducation (COPE) Project: A Collaborative Response to the Increased Demand for Child Trauma Services

Jenney Zhu

Impact

  • The project helped families offered free, easy-to-use online resources for caregivers while waiting for mental health treatment for children who have experienced abuse or maltreatment.

  • These resources aimed to reduce caregiver stress, support children’s recovery, and build caregiver confidence while they wait for treatment.

  • Findings will inform improvements to the platform’s usability, guide future module adaptations for youth, and contribute to the evidence base on pre-treatment interventions for child abuse cases.

  • A future goal is to adapt COPE for young people over the age of 18, with input directly from youth themselves.

  • A new website is being developed to give families quick and easy access to all COPE materials in one place.

  • Alberta

  • Studentship

  • University of Calgary

  • Alberta Children’s Hospital

  • Mitacs

  • 2023-2024

  • Children and Youth Mental Health

  • Caregivers, Families, Youth (aged 13-24), Women

About the Project

The COPE project was created to support caregivers whose children are waiting for services at the Child Abuse Service in Alberta. The researcher worked closely with caregivers and staff to build a website and online modules that provide reliable, trauma-informed guidance during the waiting period. The project also explored how families use these resources, how helpful they are, and what could make them better. In the future, the team plans to offer similar resources directly to youth over the age of 18.

Methodology

40 caregivers from the Luna Child Advocacy Centre (Calgary, Alberta) were recruited and randomized into two groups: one that received immediate access to the COPE modules, and the other that received standard care after a four-week delay.

All participants completed surveys before and after the trial. These include measures of:

  • Caregiver-reported child trauma symptoms

  • Caregiver stress

  • Caregiver self-efficacy

The study also tracked the number of treatment sessions required and collected qualitative feedback from 5 caregivers through interviews, providing insight into user experience and satisfaction.

Findings

  • A pilot website was developed in collaboration with web developers to house the COPE modules – it provides trauma-informed, accessible psychoeducational content for caregivers, and will soon be offered to families on waitlists at Alberta’s Child Abuse Service.

  • While data analysis is ongoing, the website itself represents a key deliverable and lays the groundwork for broader dissemination.

Project Outreach

Following this pilot in Alberta, the COPE team plans to share the modules with other Child Abuse Services across the province and eventually across Canada. The website is designed for the general public, making it easier for families across the country to get support while they wait for treatment.

Resources Created

  • New website with centralized COPE materials to support families on waitlists at Alberta’s Child Abuse Service

  • Online modules for caregivers.

  • Planned COPE modules for youth over 18 will be developed with direct input from young people.