Family First Clearinghouse Reviews More Programs

(The Child Welfare League of America, John Sciamanna)

The HHS Prevention Services Clearinghouse released more program evaluations last week. The clearinghouse identified Familias Unidas as a “well supported.” Familias Unidas is a “family centered intervention that aims to prevent substance use and risky sexual behavior among Hispanic adolescents” by empowering parents with adolescents aged 12-16. The program implements five steps: parent support network groups, family visits at home, parent-school personnel meetings, family supervised activities, and family homework. 

Family Centered Treatment was reevaluated and classified as “supported.” Family Centered Treatment (FCT) is a trauma treatment model of home-based therapy. FCT is designed for families who are at-risk of dissolution or in need of reunification. It is also designed to serve youth who move between the child welfare, behavioral health, and juvenile justice systems. During treatment, FCT practitioners aim to help families identify their core emotional issues, identify functions of behaviors in a family systems context, change the emotional tone and behavioral interaction patterns among family members, and develop secure relationships by strengthening attachment bonds.

Parenting with Love and Limits (PLL) was also identified as “supported.” PLL treatment reported favorably in child wellbeing and delinquent behavior.

For the third tier, “Promising”, three programs, Aggression Replacement Training, Child Parent Psychotherapy, and Ohio’s Kinship Supports Intervention/ProtectOHIO had at least one moderate to high rating on their study.

Lastly, seven proposed programs: Circle of Security-Intensive, Circle of Security-Parenting, Familias Unidas-eHealth, Helping Women Recover + Beyond Trauma, Parenting Wisely-Teen Edition, Parenting Wisely-Young Child Edition, and Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) did not meet any criteria to be listed in one of the three categories.  

For more information, you can visit https://preventionservices.abtsites.com/

Read the original article and learn more about the Child Welfare League of America here.