Table 3.
Frequency of use of father engagement strategies [n (%)]
| Always | Often | Sometimes | Rarely | Never | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practitioner strategies | |||||
| Explaining to mothers the importance of engaging fathers | 92 (44.9%) | 82 (40.0%) | 21 (10.2%) | 10 (4.9%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| Directing equal time and attention to fathers and mothers | 83 (40.5%) | 83 (40.5%) | 27 (13.2%) | 8 (3.9%) | 4 (2.0%) |
| Explaining to fathers the importance of being involved | 75 (36.6%) | 83 (40.5%) | 38 (18.5%) | 9 (4.4%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| Eliciting treatment goals from fathers as well as mothers | 69 (33.7%) | 77 (37.6%) | 38 (18.5%) | 17 (8.3%) | 4 (2.0%) |
| Personally inviting fathers to attend (in person or by phone) | 50 (24.4%) | 75 (36.6%) | 56 (27.3%) | 21 (10.2%) | 3 (1.5%) |
| Problem-solving barriers that prevent fathers from attending | 38 (18.5%) | 70 (34.1%) | 73 (35.6%) | 19 (9.3%) | 5 (2.4%) |
| Where fathers cannot attend, offering separate sessions/phone calls | 46 (22.4%) | 55 (26.8%) | 64 (31.2%) | 31 (15.1%) | 9 (4.4%) |
| Service/program strategies | |||||
| Obtaining information from fathers as well as mothers | 62 (30.5%) | 75 (36.9%) | 50 (24.6%) | 8 (3.9%) | 8 (3.9%) |
| Emphasizing the importance of father attendance at intake | 58 (28.6%) | 73 (36.0%) | 55 (27.1%) | 11 (5.4%) | 6 (3.0%) |
| Advertising that the program is for fathers as well as mothers | 63 (31.0%) | 52 (25.6%) | 41 (20.2%) | 20 (9.9%) | 27 (13.3%) |
| Offering sessions outside work hours to enable fathers to attend | 37 (18.2%) | 46 (22.7%) | 42 (20.7%) | 30 (14.8%) | 48 (23.6%) |
N = 205. Rank order based on combined ratings of ‘Always’ and ‘Often’