The Parenting Wisely intervention is a self-administered, computer-based program that teaches parents and their 9- to 18-year-old children important skills for combating risk factors for substance use and abuse. The Parenting Wisely program uses a risk-focused approach to reduce family conflict and child behavior problems, including stealing, vandalism, defiance of authority, bullying, and poor hygiene. The highly interactive and nonjudgmental CD-ROM format accelerates learning, and parents use new skills immediately. The Parenting Wisely program:
- Reduces children's aggressive and disruptive behaviors
- Improves parenting skills
- Enhances family communication
- Develops mutual support
- Increases parental supervision and appropriate discipline of their children
A highly versatile program, Parenting Wisely can be used alone, in a group, or with a practitioner at a variety of locations such as public agencies, schools, libraries, or at home. Semiliterate parents can use the Parenting Wisely program, as it provides the option to have the computer read all text aloud. Printed program portions are written at the fifth-grade level, and the entire program is available in Spanish.
Recognition
Model Program: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Exemplary II Program: Family Strengthening, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice
Pathways Project: Youth Justice Board, London, England
Contact Information
Model Program 14: Positive Action (PA)
Brief Program Description
Positive Action (PA) is an integrated, comprehensive, and coherent program that has been shown to improve academic achievement and behaviors of children and adolescents (5 to 18 years old) in multiple domains. It is intensive, with lessons at each grade level (from kindergarten to 12th) that are reinforced all day, schoolwide, at home, and in the community. It includes school, family, and community components that work together or can stand alone.
For students, Positive Action improves:
- Individual self-concept
- Academic achievement and learning skills
- Decisionmaking, problem solving, and social/interpersonal skills
- Physical and mental health
- Behavior, character, and responsibility
PA improves school climate, attendance, achievement scores, disciplinary referrals/suspensions, parent and community involvement, services for special-need and high-risk students, efficiency and effectiveness. Positive Action positively affects instruction and classroom/school management skills of school personnel through improved self-concept, professionalism, and interpersonal/social skills and, in turn, has a positive impact on their personal lives.
Finally, Positive Action helps families by improving parent-child relations and overall family attitudes toward and involvement in school and the community.
Recognition
Model Program: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Promising Program: Department of Education
Model Program: Department of Education, Title I Comprehensive School Reform
Promising Practices: Education Commission of the States for Comprehensive School Reform
Governor’s Award: Idaho Exemplary Substance Abuse Programs
Contact Information
Model Program 15: Project Northland
Brief Program Description
Project Northland is a multilevel, multiyear program proven to delay the age at which young people begin drinking, reduce alcohol use among those who have already tried drinking, and limit the number of alcohol-related problems of young drinkers. Designed for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students (10 to 14 years old), Project Northland addresses both individual behavioral change and environmental change. Project Northland also strives to change how parents communicate with their children, how peers influence each other, and how communities respond to young adolescent alcohol use. Components include:
- Parent involvement and education programs
- Behavioral curricula
- Peer participation
- Community activities
Each intervention year has an overall theme and is tailored to the developmental level of the young adolescent. Alcohol is the focus of the Project Northland program because it is American teenagers' drug of choice and inflicts the greatest harm among youth.
Recognition
Model Program: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Exemplary Program: U.S. Department of Education
Rated "A": Drug Strategies, Making the Grade
Contact Information
Program Developer
Cheryl Perry, Ph.D.
Program Contact:
Ann Standing
Hazelden Publishing and Educational Services
15251 Pleasant Valley Road
Box 176
Center City, MN 55012-0176
Phone: (651) 213-4030; Toll free: (800) 328-9000, ext. 4030
Fax: (651) 213-4793
Email:
astanding@hazelden.org
Web site:
www.hazelden.org
Model Program 16: SAFE Children: Schools and Families Educating Children
Brief Program Description
SAFE Children is a community- and school-based program that helps families manage educational and child development in communities where children are at high risk for substance abuse and other problem behaviors. It is based on a developmental-ecological model that looks at how neighborhood and school characteristics affect children and families, children's school achievement, their social adjustment, and their maturation. The program aims to help children 5 to 6 years old make the transition into elementary school, have a successful first year, and set a strong base for the future. Families with children entering first grade and living in inner-city, high-risk neighborhoods are enrolled in a 20-week family program that aims to:
- Build support networks among parents
- Develop parenting skills and knowledge of child development
- Give parents a better understanding of schools and how they work
- Ensure that children have the skills to master basic reading skills
Recognition
Model Program: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Contact Information
Program Developer
Patrick Tolan, Ph.D.
Director
Institute for Juvenile Research
Department of Psychiatry
The University of Illinois at Chicago
840 South Wood Street
Chicago, IL 60612-7347
Phone: (312) 413-1893
Email:
Tolan@uic.edu
Model Program 17: Strenghtening Families Program (SFP)
Brief Program Description
The Strengthening Families Program I (SFP-I) involves elementary school aged children (6 to 12 years old) and their families in family skills training sessions. SFP uses family systems and cognitive-behavioral approaches to increase resilience and reduce risk factors for behavioral, emotional, academic, and social problems. It builds on protective factors by:
- Improving family relationships
- Improving parenting skills
- Increasing the youth's social and life skills
SFP offers incentives for attendance, good behavior in children, and homework completion to increase program recruitment and participation.
Recognition
Model Program: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Model Program: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Effective Program: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Contact Information
Model Program 18: Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT)
Brief Program Description
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT) formerly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Child and Adolescent Traumatic Stress (CBT-CATS) is a treatment intervention designed to help children, youth, and their parents overcome the negative effects of traumatic life events such as child sexual or physical abuse; traumatic loss of a loved one; domestic, school, or community violence; or exposure to disasters, terrorist attacks, or war trauma. It was developed by integrating cognitive and behavioral interventions with traditional child abuse therapies, in order to focus on enhancing children's interpersonal trust and re-empowerment.
TF-CBT can be provided to children 3 to 18 years old, and their parents, by trained mental health professionals in individual, family, and group sessions in outpatient settings. CBT-CATS targets symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which often co-occur with depression and acting-out behaviors. PTSD includes an array of anxiety symptoms as well as:
- Intrusive thoughts of the traumatic event
- Avoidance of reminders of the trauma
- Emotional numbing
- Excessive physical arousal/activity
- Irritability
- Trouble sleeping or concentrating
The intervention also addresses issues commonly experienced by traumatized children, such as poor self-esteem, difficulty trusting others, mood instability, and self-injurious behavior, including substance use.
Recognition
Model Program: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Betty Elmer Award: Family Resources of Pittsburgh (Drs. Cohen and Mannarino)
Greater Pittsburgh Psychological Association Legacy Award (Dr. Mannarino)
Outstanding Professional Award: American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (Dr. Cohen)
Contact Information
Program Developer
Judith Cohen, M.D.
Professor of Psychiatry,Medical Director
Center for Traumatic Stress in Children & Adolescents
4 Allegheny Center, Room 864
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Phone: (412) 330-4321
Fax: (412) 330-4377
Email: JCohen1@wpahs.org
Anthony P. Mannarino, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychiatry and Chair,Department of Psychiatry
Center for Traumatic Stress in Children & Adolescents
Allegheny General Hospital
4 Allegheny Center, 8th floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Phone: (412) 330-4312
Fax: (412) 330-4377
Email: amannari@wpahs.org