Implementation Manual
The Implementation and Training Manual assists trainers in facilitating the Strengthening Families Program by providing information and answering questions about getting started. The following are some of the topics included in the manual:
- Training, setup, and materials.
- Logistics.
- Problem solving.
- Group facilitation techniques.
- Ethical questions.
Trainers are the program's most valuable resource. SFP functions best with different trainers and cotrainers for the parents' and children's skills-training groups. During the family skills sessions, if the numbers are large and the families are divided into two groups, two trainers are needed for each group. If the families remain in one group, it is recommended that all four trainers facilitate the family session. In SFP for youth ages 10 to 14, the entire program is on videotape, so only one trainer is required for the parents' training and two additional trainers are needed for the children's training.
The selection of trainers is based on the requirements of the target populations. For example, when the program was conducted with parents who were concurrently enrolled in treatment for alcohol and/or other drug abuse problems, program implementers were staff members of treatment facilities or community mental health centers who received special training in conducting the parent and child components of the Strengthening Families Program. When implementing SFP with rural African American families, staff from community crisis and counseling centers in the target areas were trained. When SFP was implemented in inner-city Detroit, MI, a wide range of youth and family service providers, including teachers and clergy, were hired to work hourly in the evening to accommodate working parents (Aktan, 1995). Since SFP involves both behavioral and cognitive changes, trainers who are knowledgeable in behavioral training and communication and/or cognitive therapy are well suited to facilitate the program.
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