? CORE C: RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION CORE The Recruitment and Retention Core (RRC) of the UC Davis MIND Institute Center for the Development of Phenotype-Based Treatments of Autism Spectrum Disorder will provide a centralized resource for initiating and maintaining contact with participants involved in all Projects of the Center. The RRC will serve as a liaison between Project Leaders and participants and their families to ensure that both project and family needs are being met. Having a centralized Recruitment and Retention Core maximizes efficiency by having staff dedicated solely to identifying potential participants and recruitment into relevant Projects. Resources for each project can then be applied directly to the scientific aims, thereby increasing productivity within each Project.
The aims and objectives of the RCC are: 1) To identify and recruit eligible participants for Projects 1, 2, and 3 of the Center. ? Develop and distribute recruitment materials for Projects 1, 2, and 3. ? Establish and maintain contacts with Sacramento area community healthcare systems and care providers to identify and refer eligible participants for Center studies. ? Engage in community outreach to increase visibility of Center studies. ? Monitor the MIND Institute Subject Tracking System to identify eligible participants for Center studies. ? Serve as liaison between participants and their families and Project Leaders and co-Leaders to ensure recruitment goals are being met. 2) To implement strategies to increase retention of participants for longitudinal components of the Center. ? Provide family support to participants and their families during study visits. For example, providing detailed visit descriptions, arranging childcare for siblings during study visits, accommodating specific requests from families to ease study participation. ? Maintain regular contact with participants and families between longitudinal visits through newsletters, annual birthday cards for participants, parent education meetings, and MIND Institute events.
