What's In It for Me? Motivating the Untreated Abuser to Consider Treatment.

This paper presents findings of a second trial evaluating telephone-based motivational enhancement therapy (MET) to motivate untreated and unadjudicated men who abuse their intimate partners to explore treatment options. Participants' perceptions of how their abuse is negatively affecting them personally are a highlight of the paper. One hundred forty-one adult men were recruited through social marketing and randomly assigned to the intervention (MET) or comparison (Mail) group. The MET condition consisted of two feedback sessions guided by a personalized feedback report on participants' intimate partner violence (IPV) and substance use. The Mail condition included a mailed educational brochure on IPV and substance use. Results supported the likely effectiveness of MET in short-term reduction of IPV behavior, marijuana use, and increasing motivation for treatment seeking particularly for participants who reported more adverse consequences of IPV to themselves. Findings emphasize the importance of including a focus in interventions on IPV's impact on the abusers themselves. The study's virtual participation and success in reaching and retaining a diverse population of male abusers can contribute to transformative justice and communities looking for alternative early interventions for men of color prior to encountering the criminal justice system.

Effect of School Services on Academic Performance After Traumatic Brain Injury in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Students.

BACKGROUND: School reintegration after traumatic brain injuries (TBI) requires school support; however, implementation of services is complex. This study evaluates disparities in receipt of school services for Hispanic children and its effect on academic performance. METHODS: Secondary analyses of school data on receipt of pre- and post-TBI school services. A logistic regression compared receipt of services between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white (NHW) children, and a linear regression evaluated services' effect on academic performance. RESULTS: The study includes 419 children; 46 Hispanic, 373 NHW. For NHW children there were no differences in receipt of pre- and post-TBI services; Hispanic children had significant increase in receipt of services from 5% to 27% (p < .001). Compared to NHWs, Hispanics had lower grade point average (GPA) at baseline (2.3 [confidence interval, CI: 1.9-2.7] vs 2.9 [CI: 2.8-3.0]). No differences in GPA were found between groups after injury among students who received post-TBI services. CONCLUSIONS: Students who receive post-TBI school services benefit academically. NHW students maintain their academic performance and Hispanics increase their performance to their NHW peers' level. This highlights the importance of providing post-TBI school services to ensure better outcomes for all children.