Core Components

Children of Divorce - Coping with Divorce (CoD-CoD) is a 5-hour sequential, self-help programme comprising 1-hour online interactive mental health sessions for children and young people going through parental separation or divorce.  This online programme is suitable for children aged 11 years upwards from disrupted families and works best for children who have higher symptom levels and more parent-reported risk.

CoD-CoD is designed to promote child development around four divorce-specific protective factors which include increased active coping, decreased avoidant coping, improving coping efficacy and healthier divorce-related appraisals. Using a computer or table with internet access, children can access the programme and learn problem-solving skills, effective communication, relaxation and how to manage difficult emotions. These skills are learned through a mix of videos, animations, interactive activities, quizzes and video games.  Participants work towards a programme goal which is self-set and complete home practice tasks that challenge them to use their skills in their day to day lives.  The ultimate output is the creation of a personal plan to address the divorce related events they reported as concerns at the beginning of the process.

Elements of the programme designed to address the four protective factors include (1) Problem Solving, (2) Positive Cognitions, (3) Psychoeducation, (4) Feeling Awareness, (5) Relaxation training, (6) Distraction coping, (7) Stressor controllability, (8) Reduced wishful thinking, (9) Peer testimonials, (10) Coping Practice, (11) Positive cognitions, and (12) Divorce information.

Fidelity

Fidelity is maintained with the central design of the programme ensuring users receive the same service.

Modifiable Components

Access to the online programme is available only in English.

Support for Organisation / Practice

Children of Divorce - Coping with Divorce (CoD-CoD) has been developed by clinical psychologists in California, USA and is available through Family Transitions based in Arizona, USA.

Implementation Support

Implementation support includes access to a toll-free support line.

Licensing Requirements

A license is not required for CoD-CoD.

Start-up Costs

• Access for 12-month, per individual child, costs $49.99
• Negotiations can be undertaken directly with the developer around reduced fees for larger-scale providers.

 Building Staff Competency

Qualifications Required

No qualifications are required.

Training Requirements

Training in this programme is not required.

Supervision Requirements

Supervision in this programme is not required.

Theory of Change  

Children of Divorce - Coping with Divorce (CoD–CoD) is founded on the basis that parental divorce is a highly prevalent risk factor for multiple mental health and substance abuse problems for children and youth.  CoD-CoD targets improvement of four divorce-specific protective factors associated with the adjustment of youth, including (1) Increased active coping, (2) Decreased avoidant coping, (3) Improved coping efficacy and, (4) Healthier divorce-related appraisals. Content is delivered through a highly interactive framework that includes a user-created programme goal that is supported throughout the programme; personalised programme material to allow participants to focus on content areas they choose, and rewards demonstrations of programme skills through contingent feedback and by granting advantages in a videogame at the end of each module.  The aim being to reduce youth mental health problems and lead to improvements in children’s coping and threat appraisals. 

Values

Family Transitions believe that providing children with the tools to reduce stress when faced with parental separation or divorce can improve mental health problems and academic success.

• Does this approach align with the values of your organisation?

Priorities

The programme aims to develop protective factors for young people, including to enable them to better cope with parental separation/divorce.

• Is building resilience of young people impacted by separation or divorce a current priority for your organisation?

Existing Initiatives

• Will this programme fit with the existing interventions in your area?

Workforce

Children of Divorce - Coping with Divorce (CoD - CoD) requires practitioner awareness of the programme to promote its use.

• Do you have practitioners who are able to encourage and/or support young people in completing an online programme?

Technology Support

Essential equipment required to participate in the programme includes a device or phone and connection to the internet.

• Do you have the technology to support young people to participate in the programme if not undertaken at home?

Administrative Support

As the programme is online, basic administrative supportive is required to deliver this programme.

• Do your current administrative procedures support your practitioners to promote a programme like this?

Financial Support

Start-up costs include a fee of $49.99 per youth enrolled.

• Do you have the finances to pay for children to enrol in this programme?

Comparable Population

CoD-CoD is aimed at children of parents who are preparing, going through or have gone through a separation or divorce. The programme is suitable for children aged 11 years upwards from disrupted families and works best for children who have higher symptom levels and more parent-reported risk.

Research has been undertaken including children aged between 11-16 years from divorced or separated families.

• Does your organisation have contact with families who would benefit from this intervention?
• Do you have existing initiatives that already addressing this need?

Desired Outcome

CoD-CoD is designed to promote child development and aims to support children to develop a range of coping mechanisms to reduce their mental health problems and improve their belief that they have the tools to handle stressors.  The practiced skills are consolidated into a personal plan including problem-solving, effective communication, relaxation and managing difficult emotions, to address the divorce related events they reported of concern at the start of the process.

Research has identified that programme has delivered significant improvements in young people’s coping efficacy and reduced mental health problems.

• Do the above outcomes align with the desired outcomes of your organisation?
• Does your organisation have other initiatives in place that already effectively and efficiently address the above outcomes?
• Does the CoD-CoD approach and outcomes align well with other approaches or interventions offered to the population you serve?