Evaluation of the New Orleans Intervention Model for infant mental health in Glasgow

Early intervention for maltreated infants is likely to benefit the mental and physical health of the population. The New Orleans Model provides intensive assessment and treatment for families of maltreated preschool children who are placed in foster care, with recommendations feeding into court decisions about the child’s permanent care (i.e. whether they should be returned to birth families or be adopted). Since its inception, the New Orleans Model appears to have led to better informed decisions about permanency and to better child mental health in Louisiana. We are undertaking an exploratory (Phase II) randomised controlled trial investigating the effectiveness (including cost-effectiveness) of the New Orleans Model in the Scottish context. Families with a maltreated child under 5 years will be offered the New Orleans Model or “case management” i.e. quality assured services as usual, using random allocation. We will measure outcomes using well validated measures of parent-child interaction, cognition and attachment.

A randomised controlled trial investigating the effectiveness (including cost-effectiveness) of the New Orleans Model in the Scottish context involving families with a maltreated child under 5 years.