Project lead: Kate Wolitzky-Taylor
Project goal: The overarching goal of Project 2 is to improve engagement and scalability of the digital therapy tier (Tier 2) in the STAND system of care. Tier 2 utilizes peer coaches who receive supervision by licensed clinicians. Project 2 examines whether matching Latinx student participants who are receiving digital therapy with peer coaches from their same ethnic background show greater improvement in attendance, participation, satisfaction and symptoms of anxiety and depression compared to those who are matched with a non-Latinx coach. The project also compares two different types of coach supervision to see whether a less intensive form of supervision is equally effective.
Why this research is important: This research is important because the unmet mental health needs of community college students are well-documented and astonishing. Even though therapy provided digitally can improve community college students’ mental health well-being, Latinx college students tend to access and utilize mental health services at lower rates when compared to college students of different ethnicities. This research will give insight to 1) whether matching coaches to participants is an effective way to increase engagement and 2) whether efficacy of a coaching program is diminished when less funding is invested in supervision.
Anticipated duration: Project 2 is a four-year project and is anticipated to consist of three phases.
Phase 1: The initial phase focused on the recruitment and training of coaches who were recruited to ensure sufficient diversity and to accommodate additional students being recruited for this project.
Phase 2: In Phase 2, we are conducting a randomized control trial with a sample of 240 Latinx ELAC students, who are part of the Signature Project (recruited over years 2, 3 and 4).
Phase 3: Throughout the term of the project, annual adjustments will be made to the coach training program in response to findings from earlier cohorts. The final phase focuses on completing analyses to inform coach assignment in the final year of the Signature Project.
Affiliated staff:
