Grounding, Self-Care & Crafting IRB-Ready Recruitment Materials

Personal Grounding & Self-Care Before Client Contact

• Life challenges often mirror those faced by our clients; clinicians must manage their own reactions so they can remain fully present.
• Instructor’s 5-minute self-care invitation:
  • Not just an “at-home” comfort moment—plan something you can replicate in clinical settings where favorite items may be absent.
  • Goal: acknowledge your own journey, then create mental space for the next client.
• Sensory-based grounding (therapist’s bias toward sensory systems):
  • Consider smell, tactile objects, pocket quotes, small photos, etc.
  • Example items:
  • Lighting a candle at home (cannot do so in hospital).
  • Holding a pet or looking outside.
  • In clinic: pocket objects, essential-oil stones, fidgets.
• Shared examples from class:
  • Nelson Mandela inaugural speech excerpt on fear vs. greatness.
  • “My wife Sinatra” as a personal grounding thought.
  • Instructor’s “Lifelines” stone/fidget (Melissa & Doug Wellness line):
  • Contains sliding mechanism, cavity for essential oil, helps mitigate hospital odors.
• Key principles
  • One-size-fits-none (analogy: “perfect amount of chewing gum” differs per person).
  • Plan early (e.g., before fieldwork) for environments that are stimulus-poor or stress-heavy.

Transition to Course Deliverables

• After self-care exercise, focus shifts to end-of-week deliverable: recruitment materials for mock research study.
• Class structure today: three rapid breakout sessions to finalize components.
• Tools: Canva for visual asset; shared docs for email script.
• Instructor working with single monitor—students asked for patience.

Required Recruitment Materials (Email + Social-Media Asset)

1. Purpose of the study (concise).
2. Inclusion / Exclusion criteria (clear buckets—no overlap).
3. Description of participation: tasks, sequence, estimated time (e.g., 10{-}15\ \text{min} survey).
4. Risks (cannot be “none” ➜ state not greater than daily life).
5. Possible benefits (often altruistic or reflective value).
6. Explicit statement of voluntariness and right to withdraw anytime.
7. Consent process (how consent is indicated/provided).
8. Contact information for researchers (email, QR code, etc.).

Script-Writing Guidance

• Email recruiting script structure:
  1. Brief greeting ("Dear Practitioner" or audience-specific line).
  2. Purpose + single urgency statement (why problem matters now).
  3. Bullet or sentence for each of the 7/8 required items.
  4. Placeholder link or QR to survey / fuller info.
  5. Warm closing & signature block.
• Keep length to what you would realistically read.
• Language must match lay understanding of target population.
• May reference templates posted in Canvas; modify as needed.

Purpose Section – What to Cover

• Basic research question.
• Brief scope & urgency statement: one line about prevalence/cost/human impact.
• How findings will be used ("results will inform XXX").

Inclusion / Exclusion Tips

• Everyone must fit unequivocally in or out.
• Define by age, role, diagnosis, setting, licensure, etc.
• Avoid overlapping ranges (e.g., 18{-}25 in inclusion & 25{-}65 in exclusion).
• Office hours available for criteria troubleshooting (no email pre-review).

Participation Description

• Visualize end-to-end participant journey.
  • Demographics ➜ survey ➜ optional focus group?
• Time estimates ("approximately 12 minutes").
• Start & end points explicit.
• Data-handling summary (who sees data, retention period).

Risks & Benefits Section

• "None" or "N/A" will be rejected by IRB.
• Acceptable phrasing: "Risk no greater than that encountered during typical online activities."
• Consider: discomfort answering sensitive items, time burden, fatigue.
• Benefits:
  • Personal reflection/insight.
  • Contribution to evidence base.
  • Possible raffle incentive (if used, detail odds & value).

Voluntariness & Withdrawal

• Must state participation is optional, can stop "at any time" without penalty.
• For questionnaires: non-completion = withdrawal.
• Researchers may keep data already submitted unless participant requests deletion.

Consent Procedures

• Surveys/Questionnaires: implied consent; include statement such as:
  • "By proceeding to the next page, you indicate informed consent to participate."
• Intervention/Clinical trials: typically written, signed consents.
• Distinguish these clearly in materials.

Recruitment Channels: Email vs Social Media vs Flyers

• Email: allows full detail, direct link; longer narrative possible.
• Social Media Asset (Canva):
  • Eye-catching visuals; very concise; include QR or contact.
  • Must still display core info (purpose, basic eligibility, voluntary nature).
• Flyers: still useful for captive or disadvantaged audiences (e.g., waiting rooms). Design similar to social post but printable.

Evaluation & Grading Model

• "Complete / Not-Complete" approach to mimic IRB feedback cycle.
  • Missing essential piece ➜ marked Not-Complete ➜ revise & resubmit next week.
• Aim to avoid resubmission workload.

Practical & Ethical Reminders

• No actual posting/live recruitment (no IRB approval yet); exercise is practice only.
• If monetary rewards are offered:
  • Use raffle, small gift cards; outline odds.
• Data privacy questions are common—be ready to answer storage, access, retention.
• Flyers & posts should drive interested individuals to a point-of-contact for deeper info.

Student Breakout Highlights

• Groups discussed inclusion criteria (e.g., practicing OTs/OTAs), refined purpose statements, divided tasks (email vs Canva).
• Real-time editing challenges; emphasis on conciseness and single-page email.
• Dialogue around risk wording (“no anticipated risk beyond daily life”) and benefit framing (reflection on practice).
• Consent line created: "Continuing to the survey indicates your consent to participate."

Instructor Resources & Examples

• Will post sample social media asset after class.
• Provided link to “grounding stone” product on Amazon for those interested.

Key Take-Home Messages

1. Self-care is prerequisite to therapeutic presence—design portable grounding strategies.
2. Recruitment materials must balance brevity with compliance; 7-item checklist is non-negotiable.
3. IRB will not accept "no risk" claims—always contextualize.
4. Consent for surveys is different from clinical trials; know the distinction.
5. Expect iterative feedback; refine promptly to keep research timelines on track.