Table 2.

Content included in the face-to-face and online training

Section	Learning objective and content	Activities in FFT	Activities in OT
1. Research background	Learning objective: increased understanding of the evidence-based rationale for engaging fathers in parenting programs Information presented on: • Emerging research regarding fathers and their impact on child outcomes • Research regarding father preferences for parenting interventions and perceptions of barriers to engagement • Research regarding practitioners’ competencies	Large group activities which involve guessing statistics from research about father engagement. This is followed by group discussion about practice implications	No activities
2. Barriers to father engagement	Learning objective: increased knowledge about the potential barriers to father engagement Interactive vignettes and questions focused on: • Exploring possible barriers to father engagement • Reflecting on the impact of barriers to engagement within the participant’s own professional context	Participants watch video vignettes and are asked to imagine what the father and practitioner are thinking and feeling. Large group discussion about father and practitioner factors that may be barriers to father participation. Large group discussion about additional barriers to father engagement	Participants watch video vignettes and complete workbook activities to identify father and practitioner barriers to father engagement, Further workbook activity to identify additional barriers to father engagement
3. Positive engagement strategies	Learning objective: increased knowledge and skills about how to invite fathers to participate in parenting programs and keep them engaged Information presented on • Strategies for engaging fathers through mothers, including 1. Identifying who is in the core parenting team 2. Helping mothers to identify barriers to father engagement 3. Emphasising the importance of father participation 4. Empowering the mother to make decisions • Building skills for directly inviting fathers to attend parenting interventions, including 1. Explaining the service/intervention 2. Emphasising the importance of the father 3. Talking to his story through active listening (rather than problem solving) 4. Being gutsy (confident and direct about the need to include him • Building skills for positive engagement with both parents, including 1. Giving each parent an equal opportunity to speak 2. Taking a stance of curiosity and empathy 3. Staying with each parents until you have a complete story 4. Reflecting to check for clarification 5. Summarising a shared understanding • Building skills for establishing a ‘team approach’ to working with both parents	Participants watch video vignettes of a practitioner engaging the father through the mother. Participants complete an individual activity identifying ways to talk with mothers about father engagement Roleplay involving entire group where participants practice directly inviting fathers to participate in a parenting intervention, using key steps covered. This is followed by feedback and group discussion One participant plays the practitioner in a group roleplay to demonstrate challenges that practitioners may face in engaging both parents (especially when one parent is disengaged). This is followed by group discussion and then the facilitator models key steps for active engagement of both parents	Participants watch video vignettes of a practitioner engaging the father through the mother. Participants complete a workbook activity identifying ways to talk with mothers about father engagement Participants watch video vignettes of a practitioner directly inviting fathers to participate in a parenting intervention. Participants complete a workbook activity to outline how they could use the strategies to engage both parents Participants watch video vignettes of a practitioner experiencing difficulties in using positive engagement strategies, and a second showing success with these strategies. Participants complete an activity to outline how they could use the strategies to engage both parents
4. Building confidence in managing conflict	Learning Objective: Increased skills and confidence in managing conflict when working with parents Information presented on • Identifying when conflict is emerging • Exploring feelings underlying anger, hostility and blame • Formulating procedures for managing escalating conflict (parent-practitioner or parent-parent) • Exploring the purpose of modelling repair after conflict	Participants watch video vignettes of conflict scenarios. Large group discussion about conflict and its impact on practice, and feelings underlying anger, hostility and blame Following a demonstration, participants roleplay (in small groups) strategies for managing escalating conflict, followed by feedback Large group discussion about the importance of modelling repair	Participants watch video vignettes of a practitioner managing conflict in a session. Participants complete a workbook activity on conflict and its impact on practice Participants complete a workbook activity on potential emotions underlying anger, hostility and blame Participants reflect on their past practice and evaluate how they dealt with conflict and how they could do this differently Participants complete a workbook activity to outline how they could use the strategies to manage conflict in a session
5. Planning for future father inclusive practice	Learning Objective: Increased awareness of how to promote and maintain ongoing father-inclusive practice in your own workplace, team, and organization/service Information presented on strategies for increasing father-inclusive practice • At an individual level • At a team level • At an organizational level	Small group activities to brainstorm strategies for increasing father-inclusive practice at the individual level, team level and organizational level. This is followed by large group discussion about strategies	Workbook activity to brainstorm strategies to increase father-inclusive practice at individual, team and organizational level

FFT face-to-face training, OT online training