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Strengthening Families for Parents and Youth

Strengthening Families for Parents and Youth. Building Resiliency in At-Risk Youth in Ontario Addictions Ontario Conference May 31, 2011 Marriott Toronto Airport Hotel. Presenters. Diane Buhler, Parent Action on Drugs, SFPY Lead Agency

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Strengthening Families for Parents and Youth

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  1. Strengthening Families for Parents and Youth Building Resiliency in At-Risk Youth in Ontario Addictions Ontario Conference May 31, 2011 Marriott Toronto Airport Hotel

  2. Presenters Diane Buhler, Parent Action on Drugs, SFPY Lead Agency Barbara Steep, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, SFPY Partner and SFF Lead

  3. Thanks to our partners: • Toronto Drug Strategy • Health Canada, DSCIF • Toronto Public Health • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health • Griffin Centre • Hospital for Sick Kids, Adolescent Medicine Division • Toronto Catholic District School Board • YMCA of Greater Toronto • Youthlink • Jean Tweed Centre

  4. Learning Objectives • Participants will • Be familiar with the SFPY project • Understand the key concepts of the SFPY program • Understand how the SFPY program supports resiliency • Understand how the program model and concepts can be adapted in diverse clinical and community settings including addictions, treatment and youth serving

  5. Agenda • Introductions • SFP and the SFPY project • Building Resiliency • At-Risk Youth • SFPY learning models and examples • Applications within addictions programs, treatment settings and youth serving agencies • Program outcomes and learnings

  6. Introductions

  7. Strengthening Families Program • Program model was developed as a 4 year NIDA grant in 1983 specifically to increase resiliency among children of alcohol and drug-abusing parents by Dr. Karol Kumpfer, University of Utah • Results demonstrated that combining the parenting, children’s skills training and family relationship enhancement program strengthened many factors against drug-abuse

  8. Strengthening Families Program • Cited as one of the best interventions of its kind by 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 • Recognized as “best practice” program by CCSA

  9. Strengthening Families Program Goal: Improve parent-child relationships and family functioning Outcomes: Reduce environmental risk factors among children/youth Improve protective factors among children/youth Increasing personal resilience among children/youth Reduced involvement in high risk behaviours (e.g. drug use, unsafe sexual behaviours etc)

  10. Strengthening Families Goal harsh discipline isolation • Build resiliency by: • protective factors • risk factors stress no routines

  11. SFP Adaptations Many initiatives throughout the world, with a global data base maintained Canadian Ontario: Strengthening Families for the Future (for parents and children 7-11) accessed through CAMH Used for more than 10 years, underwent a 5 year evaluation Also rural British Columbia and French-speaking and English-speaking Black Canadians in Quebec American African-American, Latino, American-Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander, Rural (Iowa)

  12. SFPY Project Background The Toronto Drug Strategy (TDS) identified the need for family-based early intervention initiatives SFF is currently used by diverse agencies in Toronto as well as in rural and urban communities throughout Ontario Program for youth using the SFP model was identified as filling a gap

  13. SFPY Project Description • Strengthening Families for Parents and Youth 12-16: A Community Initiative to Adapt an Evidence Based Model for Implementation with Families of At-Risk Youth • Funded by the Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund of Health Canada • Produce an evidence based program model appropriate for families and communities with at risk-youth in Toronto and applicable to communities throughout Ontario

  14. SFPY Adaptations Shorten from 14 - 8 sessions Factors: Youth tolerance; implementation practicalities, family commitment Addition of a new module on youth and drug use Re-write of materials for Ontario audiences 4 youth forums/workshops provided input on content, activities and materials: Initial review (e.g. youth’s views on family, drugs etc.) Feedback on processes and material design from pilot session

  15. Project Status • Initial adaptation followed by 2 revisions of the 8-week curriculum • 5 trials completed with YMCA, TCDSB, Griffin and CAMH partners • 3 trials completing this spring + 1 in fall • Lessons learned: parents love it, youth CAN enjoy it, incentives count, and food is important to everyone!

  16. Project Evaluation • Extremely important – to ascertain impact of adapted curriculum on standardized measures of resiliency • Parent evaluation of family functioning and perception of child behaviour • Retro pre/post test from K. Kumpfer • Input and analysis from Kumpfer along with multitude of international trials of all ages and adaptations • Parent/youth open ended satisfaction questionnaire • Youth perception of family functioning – a challenge • Process evaluation from facilitators and coordinators

  17. SFPY Curriculum Overview • 8 weeks covers all topics of original 14 week curriculum, except sexuality • Parent and youth sessions cover matching topics • Builds from initial positive attention and praise to problem solving • 9th week is evaluation and celebration

  18. SFPY Format/Implementation • Family meal + parent/youth sessions (70 minutes) followed by family session (50 minutes) • Childcare provided • Site arrangements for rooms, meals, childcare and other logistics of delivery • Facilitator preparation and debriefing • PAD management with site coordinator

  19. Building Resiliency • What do we mean by resiliency? • Building youth resiliency via parent responses • Significant where parents are overwhelmed by • Personal issues • Teen’s challenging behaviours • Family risk factors • Environmental risk factors

  20. At-Risk Youth • Youth identified by: • Behaviours at school • Difficult home environments • Parent’s inability to support child • Substance use/abuse • Parent-child conflict

  21. SFPY Parents Learning Model: • Ownership of need and capacity for change to improve family functioning • Skills- building and practice, practice, practice! • Emphasis on praise, positive communication, positive discipline, and problem solving • Recognition of youths’ stressors, needs and voice

  22. Engage SFPY Youth Learning Model Explain Experience Explore Empower

  23. SFPY Family Learning Model • Positive family interaction – parent and youth (e.g. Parent-Teen Game) • Appreciate teens (e.g. Teen Time & Teen Goals) • Intergenerational teams (e.g. Communication Squares activity) • Dialogue on challenging subjects (e.g. 4 corners activity) • Increase family commitment (e.g. Family Mobile/Pie) • Empower youth (e.g. Message to Our Parents)

  24. Adapting SFPY to Addictions and Other Settings • Make minor changes to represent culture and service philosophy without compromising model • Support treatment goals/recovery maintenance • Facilitators representative of cultures/ milieu • Encourage parents who have experienced trauma, disorders but who are stable in terms of diagnoses

  25. SFPY Lessons Learned • Appreciate diversity • Acknowledge possible family/youth discomfort • Focus on family strengths • Concentrate on skill acquisition and practice (parents) • Invite parents to try new methods • Cannot resolve issues of teen problem behaviour – can improve parent-teen interaction

  26. SFPY Outcomes and Impact • Initial trials: meeting outcome objectives • Youth Empowerment: Message to our parents • Parent Commitment to applying new skills • Family Commitment to Change • Families re-engaged and open to pursuing further help • Reduced substance use

  27. I’m not a weak person, I’m a strong individual. I’m not mad, I’m happy. I’m not a bad influence; I’m outgoing and up to anything. Youth: Our message to our parents I’m not foolish, I’m outgoing I’m not disobedient, I’m brave. I’m not shy, I’m friendly. I’m not confused, I’m experimenting.

  28. As a parent, something thing I will take away from this program and intend to practice with my family is… • Solving problems • Family meetings, “I” statements, consequences for his actions • To have better communication with my kids and to use positive attention, praise and rewards • Express your feelings….then just ‘walk away’, no nagging, no blaming. Let the past go. • Using positive attention and praise to reward behaviour I want. • Positive real communication. Manage stress and anger in a positive way.

  29. For more information: • Strengthening Families for Parents and Youth, contact: Diane Buhler, Parent Action on Drugs pad@sympatico.ca • Strengthening Families for the Future, contact: Barbara Steep, CAMH barbara_steep@camh.net

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