Abstract
The goal of this Phase I project, Fathering in Recovery (FIR), is to provide a severely underserved population,
fathers with opioid misuse, with the skills necessary to be effective parents to their children. To provide this
training, FIR will tailor Fathering Through Change (FTC), an adaptation of Parent Management Training –
Oregon (PMTO), the single largest `family' of evidence‐based programs on best practice lists such as The
California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare and Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development, to
the well‐defined needs of fathers with opioid misuse. FIR will be provided for fathers engaged in opioid use
treatment through web‐based mobile technology to maximize accessibility and consistency of intervention. In
addition to creating considerable reach and accessibility to fathers, FIR's individually tailored interactive
instructional approach engages participants in learning content and enhances father self-efficacy and
engagement in the fathering role. In Phase I, we will use an iterative formative development process informed
by stakeholder input and will develop and test four pilot modules. The initial modules will focus on building
engagement and will cover the key parenting skills of emotional self‐regulation, giving effective directions, and
delivering positive reinforcement. Outcomes will focus on the intervention's feasibility, acceptability, and
demonstrated within-group pre‐post intervention change in targeted domains. In Phase II we will develop
additional modules and supplemental tools and resources, integrate mobile technology, and optimize delivery
to most effectively integrate within existing opioid misuse treatment contexts. Finally, we will use a pragmatic
randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of FIR in reducing opioid misuse and improving
father and child outcomes.