Calvary Bereavement Counselling Service is seeking an ACAP student to be a
Research Assistant on the research project, Bereavement Counselling
Outcome Assessment Tool.
BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT:
The BOAT project aims to develop a reliable outcome assessment tool for bereavement counselling. Upon
completion of a literature review, there is no tool whereby clients having experienced professional
bereavement counselling, have an opportunity to self-assess its’ efficacy. Previous to the submission of this
document, 3 phases of the research have already been undertaken with funding from the Commonwealth
Government’s Local Palliative Care Grants. These include a literature review, interviewing health professionals
and then clients on what they feel are important factors contributing to the efficacy of counselling and then
following analysis of this, the development of a tool.
AIMS:
The BOAT project aims to develop a reliable outcome assessment tool for bereavement counselling. Upon completion of a
literature review, there is no tool whereby clients having experienced professional bereavement counselling, have an
opportunity to self-assess its’ efficacy. Previous to the submission of this document, 3 phases of the research have already
been undertaken with funding from the Commonwealth Government’s Local Palliative Care Grants. These include a
literature review, interviewing health professionals and then clients on what they feel are important factors contributing to
the efficacy of counselling and then following analysis of this, the development of a tool.
Phase 4 aims to continue to imbed reliability into the tool through content validation. 50 former clients of the service will
be recruited to the project at the completion of counselling. Former clients are those who have a clearly articulated end
session with their therapist that they have either worked towards or decided upon in a final session.
PARTICIPATION IN THE STUDY INVOLVES:
1.
Being sent the tool and asked to complete it within two weeks.
2.
The participant will need to photocopy the completed tool so that they have it as a reference during the
telephone interview and post back the original tool using the reply paid envelope.
3.
The researcher will call the participant to ask specific questions about the tool in terms of the ease with
which they were able to complete it and any particular changes they would like to see in the tool. It is
anticipated that this telephone interview would last no longer than 30-45 minutes. The information that
is provided to the researcher will be de-identified and responses will be handwritten and audio taped by
the researcher. The project is aiming to include 50 participants and will continue until it has reached this
number. The research will be overseen by Calvary Health Care Sydney Ethics Committee and has been
approved by St George Hospital Human Research and Ethics Committee.
POTENTIAL RISKS:
The risk may be a discomfort/sadness in revisiting grief in the context of reviewing the bereavement counseling experience.
It is expected that having a skilled person (Counselling student) undertake the interviews will mean that participants will
have an opportunity to contribute to a wider knowledge about the lived experience of bereavement counselling while also
being interviewed by someone with the skill to sensitively gather data. As participants in the study will have had a preexisting relationship with a Counsellor at CBCS they will be offered the opportunity to reconnect with the Counsellor if
desired.
INCLUSION:
Having accessed bereavement counselling at CBCS following the death of someone significant in their life.
EXCLUSION:
People with LOTE, Children/Young people under 18, People highly dependent on medical care
50 participants.
Single site.
RESEARCH ASSISTANT ROLE (ACAP Student):
The ACAP student will receive supervision from the Principal Investigator.
At the conclusion of counselling, the bereavement counsellor will ask the client’s permission to pass their contact details
onto the Research Assistant (ACAP student) so that the study can be further explained. If the client is interested, the
Research Assistant will send an information/consent sheet and a copy of the tool.
No funding period involved as funded through existing Calvary resources. Start date intended to be January/February 2015
and completion once 50 participants have been recruited.
The Research Assistant (ACAP student) will recruit and consent the participants.
Student from Australian College of Applied Psychology will collect data (via telephone interview using the
interview schedule) and the Principal Investigator will be responsible for overseeing the filing and data
management undertaken by the student and overall data management and filing. The Principal Investigator will
complete reports required by HREC and Calvary Research and Ethics Committee.
RESEARCH TEAM ON THE PROJECT:
Simone Connell (Principal Investigator)
Liz Lobb (Associate Investigator)
ACAP Student (Research Assistant)