Strengthening Families Programs

Overview:

Parent Action on Drugs, in partnership with the Toronto Drug Prevention Strategy has received funding from the Health Canada, Drug Strategy Community Initiative Fund. The goal of the project is to produce an evidence based program model appropriate for families and communities with at risk-youth, between the ages of 12-16, in Toronto and applicable to communities throughout Ontario.

The model for the program is Strengthening Families for Parents and Youth. Strengthening Families Program has been extensively evaluated and cited as one of the best interventions of its kind by the Cochrane Collaboration, the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration. Among others, the program has the following evaluated outcomes:

• Increased positive parenting practices
• Increased overall family strengths and resilience
• Increased social skills in youth (cooperation, responsibility and self-control)

The adaptation involves a reduction from 14 to 8 weeks, as well has been adapted to meet the needs of families and youth living in Canada. The adaptation process involved youth, parents and professionals working with youth in Ontario.

Each session follows this format:

Strengthening Families for Parents and Youth aims to increase family cooperation, communication and organization through participation in an eight-week skills-building family change program. Participants meet weekly for three hours and participate in discussions and exercises. Weekly sessions start with a family meal followed by a one-hour session for parents, a separate one-hour session for youth; following that all family members then participate in a one-hour session.

Sessions are delivered by trained facilitators and involve an active curriculum of skills-building designed specifically to increase protective factors, such as parent-child communication and empathy, consistent parental monitoring and positive discipline and strategies to improve family organization and cohesion. Sessions for youth are designed specifically with youth in mind; to be fun, active and helpful in relation to both parents and peers. Prizes help to make the program rewarding for all.

Keep checking back here for more information!