Transcript Strengthening Families Programme Information Session

“Strengthening Families
Interagency Effective
Practice Approach”.
Irish Youth Justice Service
Conference.
7th March 2007
Strengthening Families Programme
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Developed by Dr. Karol Kumpfer - Professor
of Health Promotion and Education, University
of Utah
Started in 1982 for a range of age groups up to
18 years.
Emphasises the critical role of families in
prevention and reducing risk.
Evidenced Based Programme – Proven success
where drug use is problematic.
SFP: Important Points
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SFP is three skills courses:
Parenting, Teen’s, & Family Skills.
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SFP skills are for all families; they are not special
skills for crisis families.
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SFP does make learning “Life Skills”
easier for high stress families.
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SFP “family” is one or more adults
responsible for one or more children; a “parent” is
an adult with that responsibility
Strengthening Families Programme
(SFP) 12-16
SFP: 3 Life Skills Courses:
Parents, Teen’s & Family Skills
 All three are taught together,
typically over 14 weeks
 Courses can be “unbundled” but are most
effective when taught together
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SFP Typical Class Session
FAMILY STYLE
MEAL
1 Hour Simultaneously
+
1 Hour
PARENT
GROUP
TEEN
GROUP
FAMILY GROUP
or
GROUPS
A Typical Weekly Session
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Dinner: families sit together, with other families
& Group Leaders
1st Class Hour: Parents’ Group and Teen’s
Group
2nd Class Hour: families rejoin & divide into
two Family Groups
Baby-sitting & activities for younger children
under 12. Awards for participants.
Staffing
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Top Qualifications for Leaders:
 sincere desire to help families learn SF
 personal skills: one-to-one & group
 understanding why and how SFP works
4 Group Leaders: 2 for Parent Group,
2 for Teen’s Group
Group Leaders:
May be mix salaried and hourly contracted staff balancing teams
to include men & women, ethnicities. In Ireland, progressing in
an interagency approach and this is a new element in the
development of this programme.
Strengthening Families overview to
date in Ireland
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Interagency Approach – Community, Voluntary &
Statutory involvement.
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Success in the Irish Context - pilot in Cork in
2007…projects and training developing nationwide.
A new method of practice for workers.
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Broad Scope of Programme – proven effective in
diverse settings urban/rural, minority groups.
Referral Agencies
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Community, Voluntary or Statutory agencies
working with young people, parents or families
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Open to interagency work or capacity to run the
programme independently
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Commitment by referring agent to support
referred families for the duration of the
Programme.
Programme Facilitators
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Staff or volunteers who work with young
people, parents or families
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Matching of the goals of SFP to work remit
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Organisational commitment to staff availability
for the duration of the programme
Reflections.
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What are the benefits of maintaining an inter
agency ethos in the development of this
Programme. What are the benefits of this
approach towards “best practice”.
Is the current development of this programme
in Ireland encompassing the vision of the
Children’s Act.
Questions and Answers