A randomised controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of the Engaging Men in Crisis Support training program for Crisis Supporters at Lifeline Australia

Brief name: Engaging Men in Crisis Support. The intervention is an online professional development (PD) module for telephone Crisis Supporters (CSs) entitled Engaging Men in Crisis Support (EMICS). This is an e-learning consisting of three modules designed to supplement and extend upon Lifeline’s existing training frameworks, and as such has been developed with specific considerations of the helpline context in mind. The goal of the training program is to increase Crisis Supporters’ ability to engage with male help-seekers through the provision of targeted information about men’s gender socialization and skills to work with masculinities within the context of a Lifeline call. The PD consists of three modules: (1) Introduction: The Gender Agenda (2) The role of masculine norms in men’s distress and (3) How to best engage and support male help-seekers. Specifically, the modules focuse on three presentations that were identified as prevalent in male help-seekers and challenging to respond to by Lifeline Crisis Supporters: help-seekers who present as angry, help-seekers who may not communicate their emotions, and help-seekers looking for solutions or advice. The module is an interactive e-learning which uses character personas to illustrate interactions between the Crisis Supporter and male help-seekers and provide Crisis Supporters with opportunity to practice the demonstrated skills. The module also includes multiple self-reflection prompts for Crisis Supporters to reflect on their assumptions and beliefs about male help-seeking. Finally, the module includes information about how to access a tailored list of male-friendly referral resources for Crisis Supporters to utilise with male help-seekers. Materials: EMICS is delivered as an interactive self-paced e-learning. Learning materials include informational text and images, self-reflection activities and self-check quizzes, and character vignettes and example phone interactions between men and crisis supporters developed to build skills in responding to the presentations discussed above. Key skills taught have been converted to resource sheets that are downloadable for Crisis Supporters to keep after the training. Procedures and mode of delivery: Once pre-training surveys are completed, Crisis Supporters will be provided access to the EMICS training via Lifeline's e-learning platform delivered through Moodle. They will access all training materials though this platform and will work through the training individually at their own pace. Crisis Supporters will be able to contact the Lifeline Research Manager, who co-wrote the training, should they have any questions about training content or completing the training. Dose: Approximately 3 hours, completed at participants' own pace. Duration: Participants will have 4 weeks to complete the training module prior to the post-training survey. They will have ongoing access to the module for the duration of the trial should they wish to revisit the content. So Crisis Supporters will be exposed to the training content a minimum of 1 time but with no upper limit. Location: Training delivery location is online. Adherence to intervention: Crisis Supporters will be sent reminder emails during the training period to maximize completion rates. Completion status of the training with be confirmed via the e-learning system prior to phase 2 of the trial. Intervention development The development of EMICS involved extensive collaboration between researchers, Lifeline practice staff, lived experience consumers and consultants, and learning and user design experts. Training development was informed by the research team’s prior work in developing training for mental health practitioners in engaging male clients (see Men in Mind, Seidler et al., 2022; ACTRN12621001669886) and qualitative research with male consumers of helplines, Lifeline Crisis Supporters and Lifeline staff (HREC ID 22987). The Lifeline Lived Experience Advisory Group (LLEAG) provided input into the development of the module at various points across the life of the project. Consultation was completed to gain lived experience insight into identification and refinement of content areas for the module, development of the character personas, review of the training content, and user experience testing. Two Crisis Supporters and two supervisors who participated in the qualitative research were also engaged in user experience testing of the final module. Study timeline This study will take place over two main phases. Phase 1 will consist of gathering data from and providing training to CSs. After consenting CSs complete the eligibility (T0) survey, eligible CSs will then complete the T1 survey, after which they will be randomised to the intervention group (group A) or the control group (group B). Group A will be provided access to the Engaging Men in Crisis Support (EMICS) training: a self-paced e-learning module developed to provide CSs with additional skills in engaging with male callers at Lifeline, expected to take approximately 3-hours. Group B will be provided access to an existing e-learning training, Child Safety and Crisis Support: a self-paced e-learning focused on identifying and responding to child safety concerns during interactions with callers, expected to take approximately 2 hours. Both groups will have four weeks to complete their designated training. The T2 survey will then be sent to participants in both groups at the end of this 4-week period. Participants in group B will also be provided access to the EMICS after the trial is complete. Phase 2 will gather data from callers receiving support from participating CSs. CSs who do not complete their assigned training intervention will not be included in Phase 2. Callers waiting in Lifeline’s 13 11 14 queue will be notified that they may be provided with the opportunity to complete a brief survey after their interaction with a CS has concluded. Callers will be randomly allocated to CSs in either group A or group B and will complete their call based on CS availability (i.e., minimising caller wait times will take precedence over even allocation to conditions). Callers who wait more than five minutes to speak to a trial CS will be transferred back to Lifeline’s 13 11 14 queue with priority. At the end of their call, the CS will invite eligible callers to participate in a survey delivered through the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to provide their anonymous data for the purpose of service evaluation. Callers will be able to decline participation verbally, or by opting-out of the survey by hanging up at any point. Callers will enter Lifeline’s 13 11 14 queue as per normal. Prior to their call while waiting to be connected to an available CS, they will be informed via a recorded message that they may have the option of completing a short survey after their interaction with a CS has concluded. Callers will provide opt-in consent by remaining on the line at the end of their interaction and completing the evaluation items. Callers will then be presented with the service evaluation questions and will answer using the number keys on their phone or cellular device. Callers can withdraw consent at any time by hanging up the phone. It is conservatively estimated that additional required time for callers in the trial to complete the post-call survey is 2-5 minutes.