The Scott Research Lab at the University of Toronto (OISE) is recruiting
volunteer research assistants! The study is on the impact of parenting
interventions for mothers and children with a history of trauma, and
fathers with a history/risk of child maltreatment. This is an exceptional
opportunity for students with an interest in graduate studies and/or a
career in psychology, social work, or mental health related fields. RAs
will gain varied experience working with adult and child clinical
populations, and will receive training in administering a wide variety of
research measurements, including: child and adult self-report
questionnaires, parent-child/parent-parent live interaction tasks,
standardized tests, and different physiological measures. Within this role
there is scope for potential additional development opportunities,
depending on RA experience and commitment.
Volunteers should:
• Be considering graduate studies in psychology, clinical psychology,
social work, or mental-health related fields
• Be able to commit to the full 2016-2017 academic year
• Be reliable and conscientious
• Have strong interpersonal and organizational skills
• Be confident working independently and collaboratively as a
team-member
• Having some knowledge of research ethics, statistics, SPSS, and a
second language is an asset, but not required
Role may include:
• Recruitment of participants at Children’s Aid Services meetings,
alongside front-line social workers
• Collection of data with parents and children (e.g., observing
parent-child and parent-parent interactions; administering self-report,
eye-tracking, and physiological measures)
• Data entry and management
• Attending graduate-level clinical psychology lab meetings
Volunteers will gain experience/training with:
• Ethical issues in child maltreatment and domestic violence research
• Clinical issues pertaining to parenting, trauma, intervention
programs, and child maltreatment
• Many different forms of psychological research measures
• Front-line Children’s Aid Services for families with child
maltreatment concerns
• Working with both adult and child clinical populations
Further potential opportunities to develop may include:
• Attending parenting intervention groups as a clinical
observer/fidelity monitor, for both the father and the mother-child groups
• Working with the research data on research questions
• Preparing and presenting posters or presentations at conferences
• Presenting at graduate-level lab meetings
We are committed to having a team that reflects the diversity of Toronto.
We strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals,
especially those who can provide difference perspectives and contribute to
diversification of ideas.
If you are interested, contact Catherine at safeandunderstood@gmail.com.
Please include a cover letter, CV, unofficial transcripts, and contact
information for two references.