The Strengthening Families Program

1. The Strengthening Families Program The Charlottesville/Albemarle Prevention Coalition Region Ten Community Services Board

2. Program Structure: • The Strengthening Families Program is a 14-week family skills training program • It Is Different than parent education, or children’s social skills training in that children and parents are intensively trained together.

3. Curriculum contains three courses: Parent’s Skills Training Children’s Skills Training Family Life Skills Training

4. Program Night: • Starts with half an hour of dinner and socializing. • Each session is 2 hours in length. • 1st Hour: Children and Parents participate in separate classes, led by 1-2 trained bachelors or masters level facilitators. • 2nd Hour: Children and parents participate in Family Skills Training Session TOGETHER, led by 2-3 facilitators.

5. Strengthening Family Program Incentives: • Program is Free of Charge • Dinner provided • Transportation provided if necessary • Drawings for gift-certificates for parents each session • Regular social rewards for children; earned rewards at set session intervals • Incentives for attendance. • Graduation celebration to celebrate with other family and friends.

6. Together Families • Engage in therapeutic child play • Practice communication skills • Practice structured family activities • Learn to hold Family Meetings • Practice effective limit-setting • Plan family activities

7. Benefits Extended by: • Weekly telephone coaching contacts with participant parents by program facilitators. • Formal booster session on family skills 3-months after program completion. • Support and camaraderie between parent participants and positive social interactions between child participants.

8. Local Outcomes INCREASEDparental reports of overall improvements in their child’s social skills. DECREASEDparental reports of children’s problem behavior. • DECREASED • parental distress • Parental perception of child as a difficult child • total parenting stress

9. Strengthening Families Program Recognitions Model Program: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Programs That Work: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Promising Program: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice Exemplary Program: U.S. Department of Education