Helping Children By Strengthening Families

Addresses theory, practice, and outcomes of adopting an empowerment and family resource approach to supporting and strengthening individual family functioning.

Family Diversity and Family Policy describes the dimensions of diversity which characterize the contemporary American family and discusses the implications for public policy and associated intervention programs linked to this diversity. The authors contend that if the programs and policies available to support families are to be most useful, they need to reflect the diversity of the families they intend to help. Beginning with a discussion of the historical and contemporary context of the American family, Family Diversity and Family Policy focuses on child poverty and argues that this topic may be usefully studied within the context of developmental systems theory. This theory systematically links the development of individuals to variations in their physical and social ecology, and is used as a framework for discussing: Contemporary challenges faced by parents charged with rearing adolescents, and the familial and societal issues that arise when the adolescents being reared are parents themselves. Current policy issues that arise from welfare debates in the United States and from recently-enacted welfare reform legislation. The importance for our nation of developing a comprehensive national youth policy. The authors draw implications for the design, delivery, and evaluation of diversity-sensitive policies and programs for families and youth, and offer a vision of how to link scholars, policy makers, and community members in multi-professional and multi-institutional collaborations promoting the positive development of American families and youth. Family Diversity and Family Policy is relevant to scholars and policy makers interested in human development, particularly of children and adolescents. In addition, it should be essential reading for practitioners and policy makers in government, private industry, and public and private social service organizations.

Strengthening Family Coping Resources (SFCR) uses a skill-building, multi-family group framework to teach constructive resources to families who have a high exposure to stress and trauma. As an intervention for high-risk families, SFCR can cause a reduction in symptoms of traumatic distress and behavior problems and help families demonstrate higher functioning. The SFCR manual is based on a systemic, family approach and uses empirically-supported trauma treatment that focuses on family ritual, storytelling, and narration, which improves communication and understanding within family members. The manual is organized into three accessible parts: • Part 1 details the theoretical and empirical foundations of SFCR • Part 2 focuses on implementation and the clinical guidelines for conducting SFCR • Part 3 contains session guidelines focused on the multi-family group versions of SFCR Each session included in the intervention is structured according to specific guidelines, and instructions provide examples of what facilitators might say to a group. Formed through the input of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and anthropologists, Strengthening Family Coping Resources will help you reduce the symptoms of traumatic stress disorders and increase coping resources in children, adult caregivers, and the family system. It also provides a novel approach to addressing co-occurring traumatic reactions in multiple family members by including developmentally appropriate skill-building activities that are reinforced with family practice. For anyone working with families in a therapeutic capacity, this manual is a must-have resource.

Every parent has pondered "nature vs. nurture" questions. How much of my child's personality and behavior is inborn? How much is learned? This important new book written by behavioral scientists who are also mothers has answers. This book offers the best parenting practices to foster resilience by encouraging children's social-emotional development and adaptive stress-regulation strategies. The authors translate scientific research into concrete, actionable tips and recommendations to help promote the emotional wellbeing of both child and parent. Authors Stacey N. Doan and Jessica Borelli offer a science-based framework to help show parents and guardians how biology and parenting work together. Although genetics are significant, DNA is not destiny--the die is not cast at birth. Parenting still matters, deeply. Cutting-edge epigenetics research and other recent scientific insights are explained to show that biology and parenting behavior are integrally intertwined. Increasingly competitive schools, looming threats of climate change, and the Covid-19 pandemic have sent many parents' anxiety spiraling out of control. This affects their kids, creating a recurring cycle of stress and worry. This book is here to help.

Features the Strengthening Families Program - a family change programme that reflects research that indicates that the most effective interventions build parent, child and family skills.

In addition to introducing readers to the field of family-based prevention science, Family-Based Prevention Programs for Children and Adolescents highlights the distinctive contributions of a set of exemplary programs in terms of their foundational theory, design, delivery mechanisms, performance, and unique opportunities for future research. It is organized into three sections to orient readers to: the existence of different types of family-based programs targeting families with children of different ages; the strategies and challenges that arise when attempting large-scale dissemination of prevention programs; and, the emerging innovations that promise to push the field forward into uncharted territories. Each chapter is written by a preeminent program developer, including: Gene H. Brody Richard F. Catalano Patricia Chamberlain Thomas J. Dishion Marion S. Forgatch Kevin P. Haggerty Cleve Redmond Matthew R. Sanders Richard L. Spoth Carolyn Webster-Stratton Contributors review the state of the research and then provide a summary of their own program, including research and dissemination efforts. They also discuss take-home lessons for practitioners and policymakers, and provide their view of the future of program development and research in their area. As an important signpost signifying the noteworthy achievements of the field to date, as well as an arrow pointing the field toward significant growth in the future, this book is a must-have primary resource for graduate students in developmental or clinical psychology, counseling, family sciences, social work, or health policy, and an essential guide for practitioners and policymakers in the field of family-based prevention, family service delivery, or public health.